Exposition of Amos 4-9, Part 6 · Section 10
VERSE 10.
All the sinners of my people shall dye by the sword, which say, the evil shall not overtake nor prevent us.
THe Prophet having comforted Gods people against final perishing, returns again to his Comminations against the obstinate, lest they should presume and appropriate those Promises to themselves which belonged not to them; where we have,
1 A Judgement threatned, viz. The Sword. They shall dye by the sword; that is, some of them shall be actually slaine, the rest shall goe into captivity and banishment, which is a civil death, or which is worse, they shall dye Gladio Spirituali, (saith Mercer) by the sword of the Spirit, being blinded and rejected of God, so that they cannot repent. But this (though it be a truth) yet not from this text.
2 Here are the Persons upon whom this Judgement shall fall, and those are Sinners, all the sinners that are impenitent, Idolatrous, presumptuous sinners, especially Idolaters, those sinners with a witness, and such was the body and bulk of this people; All those be they high or low, superiours or inferiours, first or last they shall fall by the sword; since they will not beleeve Gods Word, they shall feel his Rod.
Obj. But we are the Lords People by external profession, by Covenant, and by visible Adoption.
A. Be it so, yet all the sinners of my people by profession, since they contemn the counsel of my Prophets, and persist in their loose conversation, shall perish in their sin.
3 Here is a further Character of them, or another brand set upon them, whereby they may be known, and that is, their security, and incredulity, in sleighting and contemning both God and his threatnings.
They say, the evil shall not overtake nor prevent us.
See how diametrically opposite they are to God. The Lord sayes, the evil of punishment shall come upon them. They say, the contrary; This evil and calamity shall not come upon us, at least It shall not overtake us (or ant…cipate) and prevent us;Non anticipabun… n… mala. that is, either it shall not come, or it shall not come in our dayes, but when we are dead and gone; or if it doe come yet it shall not come upon us, it shall not come neer us to surprize us. They thought themselves priviledged from such perils, and that they should never seize on them.
But what saith the Lord to all this? why he cannot bear with such high and horrid contempt of him and his Word, and therefore he tells them plainly, that all those incorrigible and incurable Sinners should fall by the sword, since they say, This evil shall not overtake us, therefore it shall overtake them, and destroy them.
OBSERVATIONS.
1 Carnal security ends in misery.
When once men begin to put the evil day farre from them, and sing a Requiem to their Souls, then comes sudden and swift destruction, Isa. 28.15, 17, 18. Ier. 2.35. & 5.11, 12, 13. there we have their security; and Vers. 14, 15, 16, 17. the punishment follows.See more before on Amos 6.1.7. So Mat. 24.48, 49. see their security; and vers. 50, 51. the punishment follows. When people are secure and incredulous, and will not hear, they shall be made to feel the truth of the Threatnings; as Lots Sons-in-law that would not beleeve, were burnt to ashes, Gen. 19.14. yet the world abounds with such; tell the Idolater, the Oppressor, the Fornicator, &c. of Judgements ready to seize upon them, and they are ready to mock, and say, Let the day of the Lord come that we may see it. Isa. 5.19. Ier. 17.15. so they shall to their sorrow, Deut. 29.19, 20. Amos 5.18.
2 No priviledge can preserve an impenitent, Idolatrous people from ruine.
No, though they be my people, yet if my people will not walk in my wayes, but will rebel against me, even the sinners of my people shall dye by the sword. But of this oft before.