Exposition of Amos 4-9, Part 6 · Section 1
VERSE 1.
I saw the Lord standing upon the Altar, &c.
THe destruction of this people was shadowed out before, by four visions; This is the fifth and last, by which the Prophet confirms that Commination which he had publisht in the precedent chapters.
The better to confirm the truth and authority of what he should speak, he begins first with his usual Preface, Amos 1.1. & 8.1. I saw the Lord, the King of Kings, and supream Monarch of all the world, whom Israel and Iudah have provoked to wrath with their Idolatry; him, I say, I saw in a trance or Prophetical vision, standing, which implies two things, 1. That he was ready to depart from this rebellious people,See Patrick, Jewish Hypoc. ch. 9. ss. 8. p. …28. his gracious presence should now no longer abide amongst them. 2. Stat ut vindex, he stands ready to pronounce the final sentence against them, and to execute his righteous judgement on them, so Amos 7.7. So that here is the Lords posture, He stands.
2. Here is the place where he stands, viz. upon the Altar. Here two great Questions will arise. 1. How could Amos see God, when 'tis said, No man hath seen God at any time, and none can see him and live, Exod. 33.20. Iohn 1.18. yet Amos is said to see God and live?
Answ. The Answer is easie, There is a twofold seeing of God. 1. As he is in himself in his transcendent glory and essence, and thus no mortal man cloathed with flesh and blood, and clogged with humane infirmities,See this point excellently cleared by Dr. Arrow smith on John 1.18. can see God and live; it would overwhelm him, and he could not bear it, 1 Tim. 6.16. 1 Ioh 4.12. but in the life to come we shall see him clearly as he is, 1 Cor. 13.12. 1 Iohn 3.2.
2. There is a seeing of him in this life darkly, in his word and works, and visionarily, by visions, external apparitions, signs and sights; such as our infirmities will bear; and thus he appeared to Amos, to Abraham, to Isaiah, chap. 6.1. Ezek. 1.1. & 43.3, 4. Daniel and others. These saw the Lord in Visions, but not in his Essence.
A second Quere is, What is meant by the Altar here?
Ans. Here Interpreters are divided. Some conceive that Amos living at Bethel, and being sent to preach principally to the ten Tribes, saw the Lord standing upon some Idolatrous Altar, at Dan or Bethel (not by way of approbation, but intending its destruction) as ready to do execution there, throwing down the Altar, and its worshippers. But 'tis probable, that the Lord would not so far countenance those Idolatrous places, as to shew any vision, or utter any Oracle there, where the Devil was worshipped, 2 Chron. 11.15.
Others upon better grounds, do interpret it of Gods standing on the Brazen Altar, which was in Solomons Temple in Ierusalem, which being without the Temple in the Inner Court, may intimate Gods beginning to forsake his Temple and people; and that there was no hope of pardon left, seeing the place of propitiation was by God converted into a sear of Justice, he standing upon the Altar of burnt-offerings, as it were to slay the men of those times, whose provocations he could no longer bear; and albeit the Prophet was principally sent to Israel, yet he many times takes in Iudah with them (as I have shewed on Amos 6.1.) As both had sinned, so both must suffer, and be laid in the dust; neither should their Temple in which Iudah so much gloried, any whit avail them in the day of Gods wrath; much less should those Idol and prophane Temples of Dan and Bethel any whit avail Israel, which God never commanded to be built, but alwaies abhorred as dens of Devils, 2 Chron. 11.15.
4. Here is the Vision it self, viz. the destruction of Iudah and Israel set forth by the smiting of the Lintel of the door, that the posts might shake; And he said, Smite the lintel of the door, &c. The question will be, whom doth the Lord here speak to when he sayes, smite?
Answ. 1. Some conceive that he speaks to the Prophet, who was commanded to denounce judgements against them, that all might quake for fear. Others conceive that he means Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon, who burnt the Temple, and smo…e the Altar. Others apply it to Salmaneser the King of Assyria, who executed Gods wrath upon Israel, carried them into captivity, and destroyed their Idol-Temples. These are but conjectures.
Most conceive that it was some Angel which the Lord had appointed as the executioner of this Judgement upon this people; hence we so often read in Scripture that God made use of Angels for such ends.
5. Here is the work that this Angel must do. Hee must smite the lintel of the door of the Temple; The gate of the Temple had a threshold and posts, and over the threshold in the frontispeece was elegant work, 1 King. 6.33, 34, 35.
The G…eeks call it foreign, ab foreign super & foreign janua. The Hebrews call it Haccaphtor, superliminare, stil. portae Templi.By the Lintel here is meant the Transome, or Head-peece over the door, Exod. 12.22. The word also signifies an Apple or Pomegranate, that stood peradventure on the top of the Temple or Porch, as is usual in magnificent structures, where they set knops or balls on the frontispeece, and upper lintels of the doors, adorned with artificial Flowers, Apples, Pomegranates, &c.
6. Here is the manner, how the Angel must smite the lintel, not faintly and feebly, but with vehemency and courage, so that the posts and pillars may shake again. By the lintel is meant the Superiours, and by the posts which supported it, the Inferiours; all should be smitten, and made to quake again for fear; for so it follows, Cut them in the head all of them; where we have the Persons which the Angel must smite, and those are, 1. The Heads of Israel, that is, the Rulers Eccsesiastical and Civil. Cut them in the head, or cut them which are the head of all, viz. the chief and principal men in Church and State, both Princes and Priest. A cut in the body may be cured, but a cut in the head is dangerous and deadly, Psal. 68.20. The Vulgar Latine mistaking the Original word, render it thus, Smite, for Covetousness, the head of them all. But the word Betsaam, coming from Batsa, properly signifies to wound or cut, and Metaphorically to be covetous.
2. The Peasants and the Poor. I will slay the last of them. By the last or hinmost here is meant the inferiour sort or common people,Homines in…imae classes, i. e. vilissimi & abjectissimi. who are the last and lowest of the people. Before he threatned the Head, and now he comes to the Heel. The Portal with the Pavement, all must be smitten. Cut them down (saith God to the Angel) cleave them from top to toe,Acharitam, i. e. novissimum eorum, quod sequitur, posteritas. from head to tail, from first to last, let none escape.
Some render it thus, I will slay the residue or posterity; Indeed the word is homonymous, and admits of divers significacations, sometimes it signifies the last, or that which follows; and sometimes 'tis put for posterity and children; and though it be true that God did destroy these wicked ones with their posterity; yet most genuinly the word is rendred by our Translators here, The last of them, as relating to the inferiour sort, and then the sense runs clear, I will slay both high and low, b…ohhead and heel.
3. Here is the means by which God will destroy them, and that is, by the last and sorest of his judgements, 'tis by the sword. Israel shall fall by the sword of the Assyrian, and Iudah by the sword of the Babylonian.
Quest. But how are all said to be slain, when 'tis manifest that many escaped, and went onelyonly into captivity into Assyria and Chaldea?
Answ. The word All, See Wilsons Diction. on the word All.in Scripture is taken two waies 1. Collectively, for all the body of a people. 2. Distributively, for some of all sorts; some rich, some poor; some high, and some low; and so the word is taken here for many, very many both in Samaria and Ierusalem shall dye for it. So that when he saith All, hee speaketh Hyperbolically, and means all comparatively, that is, those that escape shall be but few in comparison of those that dye. So Phil. 2.21. All men seek their own, that is, the greatest part do so.
2. We must distinguish of slaying. 1. There is an actual slaying and killing out-right, and so all were not slain. 2. There is a slaying in a Civil Sense, Servitus in ju…e aequiparatur mor…i, vocatur … more civilis.when a man goes into captivity, and is banisht from house and harbour, being brought very low by affliction, and this is called slaying in Scripture, Psal. 78 34. and thus all Israel and Iudah were slain▪ that is, they were carried into captivity, the one by the Assyrian, and the other by the Babylonian.
Obj. But what do you tell us of slaying, we will hide our selves, and flee for it?
Answ. The Prophet by a Prolepsis stops this gap, and tells them that the judgement is inevitable, flying will not avail; for he that flyeth shall not flee away [but shall be overtaken] and he that escapeth of them, shall not be d…livered. They may attempt and indeavour an escape, but it shall be in vain, for Gods Justice shall quickly overtake them,F…gions no… eff…iet nec evadet evasor. and his sentence be executed on them. This doubling of the words is very emphatical, and is more than if he had simply said, They shall finde no hiding-place.
It aggravates a mans miserie, to fly, and then be taken, and when he thinks he hath escaped the danger, then to fall into it, or a worse, is very sad; yet so 'twas here, they thought to shift for themselves, as formerly they had done, and to save themselves by flight, but now the day of their calamity was come, and they should not escape; they were ripe for ruine, and therefore the Lord tells them, that there was now no way nor hope of escaping, but they must into their enemies hands; and if any should escape one trouble, yet he should fall into another; though he escape one stroke at one time, yet he shall not be delivered from another stroke at another time, but shall be like one that fleeth from a Lion, and a Bear should meet him, Amos 5.19.
The summe of all is this. In a Vision I Amos saw the Lord (having left the Temple) to stand upon the Altar without, and hee commanded his Angel to smite the Lintel, or Head-peece over the door of the Temple, so vehemently that the posts thereof may shake▪ to signifie that fatal st…oke which I will give the Rulers, both Civil and Ecclesiastical in Israel and Judah: for I have decreed to cleave them down the middle, and to smite them from top to toe, both Lintel and Threshold both Superiours and Inferiou…s, all have sinned, and all shall suffer. Israel shall suddenly fall by the hand of the Assyrian, and Judah not long after shall go captive into Babylon. They are incorrigible, and therefore I am become inexorable, and their judgements are inevitable; though they fly, yet they shall not escape, no power, nor policy shall be able to deliver them from my revenging hand.
OBSERVATIONS.
1. God formerly revealed his mind to his Prophets by Types and Visions.
I saw in a Vision (sayes Amos) but in the last daies hee hath spoken to us more plainly and fully by his Son, Heb. 1.1, 2. but of this before, on chap. 8. Ver. 1. Obs. 3.
2. God will depart from those that depart from him.
He will forsake those that forsake him, 2 Chron. 15.2. When Ierusalem forsakes God, then God forsakes Ierusalem, 2 King. 21.13, 14. These people had forsaken God, and followed Idols, and now God stands upon the Altar ready to depart from them, and leave them in the hands of their enemies. 'Tis true, the Lord is loath to leave his people, and therefore he removes gradually, and by degrees from them. When he departed from Ierusalem, he did it not in a moment, but first he warns them by his Prophets, then he removes from the Cherub to the Threshold, Ezek. 9.3. and 10.5. Such is Gods goodness and bowels of pity to his people, that he is very unwilling to sell them into his enemies hands, if any means might prevent it, Psal. 81.13, 14. Isa. 48.18. Ezek. 18.30, 31, 32. Hos. 6.4. & 11.8, 9. but when a people are so desperately set, that they will none of God, then he swears their ruine, Psal. 95.11. This forsaking him is a great evil, and a God-provoking-sin, Ier. 2.12, 13. Hence old David counselling young Solomon to know and serve the Lord, useth this Motive amongst the rest; If thou seek him, he will be found of thee, but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever, 1 Chron. 28.9.
3. Iudgement usually begins at the house of God.
It begins at the Sanctuary, Ezek. 9.6. 1 Pet. 4.17. the higher in priviledges, the neerer to judgement, Dan. 9.12. Amos 3.2. Mat. 11.23. The neerer to God, the more do our sins dishonour him, and therefore he begins with such, 2 Sam. 12.7, 8. though he ends not with them. The famine began at Iacobs house, and then to Egypt. The Israelites went first into captivity, and after the Assyrians were destroyed by the Medes and Persians. So Ier. 15.17, 18, 28, 29. The Lord gives the cup, first to Ierusalem and then to Egypt, Uz, Ekron, Edom, Moab. The Posts and Pillas of the Temple door must first be smitten; and if this be done to the green tree, what shall be done to the dry? if this be done to Gods own Temple,See more in my Com. on Hos. 13.15. Obs. 3. what shall become of Idol-Temples? If the Lord spare not Ierusalem, but shew his impartial justice in punishing them for their sins, what shall be done to Babylon?
4. Political Rulers are the Heads of a people.
Cut them in the Head. They are oft called so in Scripture, Exod. 6.14. & 18.25. Numb. 1.16. & 14.4. & 17.2. Iudg. 11.8. 1 Sam. 15.17. Look what the Head is to the Body natural, that Rulers are or ought to be to the body Political. As the head is placed highest in the body, and sees, consults and reasons for the preservation of the body, so this word implies both dignity and duty, and should teach those who are set in place of preheminence above others, to consult for the good of their people, that they may live peaceably and piously under them, 1 Tim. 2.2. Many cry up the dignity of Princes, but they should tell them of their duty also, and some cry them up as Head of the Church, as well as of the State; Mr. Hart a Popish Priest upbraids us with it, That we take the Supremacy from the Pope, and give it to the Prince, who is less capable of it. But the learned Dr. replies well. The Supremacy (saith he) which we take from the Pope,See Dr. Reynolds against Hart, chap. 10. p. 669, &c. Altare Damascenum cap. 1. p. 10, &c. Mr. Tombs his Tract. about the Oath of Supremacy. we give it to no mortal creature, Prince or other. But the Pope having seized on part of Christs right, and part of the Princes, &c. we have taken the Princes power from him, and given it to him to whom it was due, according to that of our Saviour, Give to Caesar what is Caesars, and to God what is Gods, &c. The Supremacy therefore which we give our Prince in things Ecclesiastical, is to deal therein as Hezekiah did, and not as Uzziah; no to preach, administer Sacraments, or practise the Discipline of the Church, but to provide that these things be done as they ought, by them whom God hath called thereto. We give to Caesar no more than is Caesars, See more in Ius Divinum Regim. Eccles. p. 43, 44.Thus he. Hence 'tis that our Princes do abstain from the title of being called Heads of the Church, which is proper onelyonly to Christ, and content themselves with the title of Supreme Governours. As for the Pope, he is so far from being Head of the Church, that he is rather the Tail, being indeed not so much as a sound member of it; but the Head of that Apostasie from the Faith, which was foretold, 2 Thes. 2.3. 'Twould be sad with the Church if it had no better a Head than the Popes have been, some of which have been Sodomites, Magicians, Adulterers, and gave their souls to the Devil to get the Popedome; what are the Members when the Heads are such?
5. These Heads of the people when they sin against God, shall be punisht as well as others.
Cut them in the Head, or cut them which are the Head of all. God is no respecter of persons, but be they Head or Heel, if they sin against him, they cannot escape. Tophet is prepared of old even for the King. If the proud King of Assyria will oppress and oppose the people of God, He must know that God hath prepared a place of punishment for such cruel Tyrants,See more in my Com. on Psal. 82.1. p. 45. Isa. 30.33. God is terrible to the Kings of the earth, Psal. 76. ult.
6. Universality in sin, brings universality in suffering.
When the head and the feet,See my Com. on Hos. 13.16. p. 109. the highest and the lowest sin together, then slay them all with the sword. But of this before.
7. The Angels of God oft-times are the executioners of his wrath upon wicked men.
An Angel here must smite them in the head. The Sodomites that vexed Lot were smitten blind by an Angel, Gen. 19.11. The first-born of Egypt were s…ain by an Angel, Exod. 12.23, 29. When Balaam was going to curse Gods people, an Angel meets him and stops him, Numb. 22.22. If God will send a Pestilence on Israel, he hath an Angel ready to do it, 2 Sam. 24.16. If he will have the Army of the Assyrians destroyed, an Angel shall do it, Isa. 37.36. Proud Herod was smitten by an Angel, Act. 12.23. and at the last day they shall bring the wicked to Christs bar, there to receive their final doom, Mat. 13.41. Who would not then fear to offend this great and mighty God; who hath so many glorious Angels ready at the least beck of their Lord, to destroy both us and ours. As the Apostle would have women covered, and modest, because of the Angels so I would have men good and gracious, because of the Angels, (who are grieved to see the dishonours done to their Lord and Master) that we may not provoke the Lord to send them against us for our destruction,See six good offices which the Angels do for us, in Mr. Leighs Body of Divinity, l. 3. c. 7. p. 274. and Mr. Loves Sermon on Heb. 1.14. but rather to be our Guardians to salvation.
8. The judgements that be fall us, come from God.
I will slay them, I will bring them down, I will search them out, I will command the Serpent to bite them, vers. 2, 3, 4. Whatever be the Instrument, yet God is the prime Agent. Though there may be many executioners, yet there is but one prime mover of them all. 'Tis he that kills, and he that makes alive, 1 Sam. 2.6. 'Tis he that gives, and he that takes, Iob 1.21. and therefore they are called His Judgements, by a special propriety, as coming more immediately from him, Isa. 26.8, 9. The consideration of this will keep us from murmuring and impatience, as it did Iob, and David, we shall be dumb and silent when we see 'tis the Lord that doth it. How great then is their sin, that ascribe their sicknesses, losses, crosses, &c. to second causes, never looking at Gods hand, he is not in any of their thoughts.
9. Wicked men are cowardly, fearful men, Isa. 33.14. Ier. 4.9.
When troubles come they are all for flying, digging into Hell, climbing the tops of mountains, getting into the depths of the Sea, hiding themselves in chambers, King. 22.25. When troubles come, their spirit is gone, 'tis fallen from their hearts into their heels; and they are going, yea flying from it, which is the cowards pace. They fly not onelyonly when they are pursued, but when none pursues them, but their own fancy, Prov. 28.1. they have guilty consciences, which make them fly at the shaking of a leaf, Levit. 26.36. those who are most fearless in sinning, are most fearful of suffering, Dan. 5. 4, 5, 6. whereas the righteous; like the valiant horse, that is prepared for the battel, rejoyceth and goeth forth to meet the armed man. Iob 39.19. to 26. he had rather dye than run, if duty bids him stay and stand. When troubles come upon the wicked, their great care is how to be shut of them, and how to get out of them, and out-run them; not how to have them sanctified, or how to be bettered by them. But the good man desires rather to have the trouble sanctified, than removed; and if he fly, 'tis to God, not from him, he is his Tower and his hiding-place, by Prayer and Faith he gets unto him, yea, into him, and so is safe, Prov. 18.10.
10. all the shifts and evasions of wicked men, shall not avail them in the day of wrath.
Hee that fleeth, shall not flee away, viz. so as to escape by his flight, for he shall be overtaken, Or if he do escape one danger, yet he shall not be delivered, but he shall fall into another, Amos 5.19. Hee that flees from a Lion, shall fall into the mouth of a Bear, Isa. 30.16, 17. whilst they flee from the noise of fear, they shall fall into a pit, and when they are in the pit striving to get out, and hoping to finde deliverance, then they fall into a snare, which is a worse evil than the pit; he that falls into a pit, may make some shift to get out again, but he that is in a snare, is bound fast, he can get no further, Isa. 24.18. Thus the wicked mans cafe is worse and worse, all his remedies prove remediless, and all his helpers are miserable comforters. God is against them, and therefore salvation is far from them, Psal. 119.155. and if Ionah will flee from God, he shall fall into the Sea. There is no escaping when God pursues, when he will destroy, none shall be able to deliver, Psal. 21.8. & 139.7. to 11. Ier. 4.16, 17.See Mr. Ienkins on Jude 14. Obs. 2. p. 204. folio. Amos 2.14, 15, 16. Obad. 4. He hath many under officers to arrest us, Ezek. 14.13. so that there is no escaping his hand, Iob 10.7. No power nor policy can save us from his wrath, Prov. 21.30. No place can hide us from his All-seeing-eye, nor secure us from his All-mighty-hand, as appears in the next verses.