Exposition of Amos 4-9, Part 6 · Section 2
VERSE 2.
Though they dig into Hell, thence shall mine hand take them, though they climbe up to Heaven, thence will I bring them down.
THese Apostatizing Israelites being puft up with their Priviledges, conceiting that God loved them, because he had given them some success and victories; hereupon they grew secure and impenitent, promising themselves impunity in their sins, which makes the Prophet here to thunder out Gods dreadful judgements against them with vehemency and variety of words, and to use very lofty and hyperbolical expressions, the better to awaken them, and drive them out of their vain conceits. In the end of the fore-going verse he had shewed them, that though they fled, yet they should not escape; and this he proves in the three following verses, by a notable enumeration of five particular places, thereby shewing them that they should not escape, though they hid themselves
1. In Hell.
2. In Heaven.
3. In the tops of inaccessible Mountains.
4. In the bottome of the Sea.
5. In captivity and banishment out of their own Land, yet there the Lord would command the sword, and it should slay them. They should be safe neither at home, nor abroad, neither in their own Country, nor yet in a strange Land: so sad it is for a people to have God for their enemy.
1. The first means whereby they thought to hide themselves from Gods revenging hand, was by digging and taking great pains to hide themselves as low as Hell. We have the same word used, Ionah 1.13. where the Mariners are said to row hard, to save Ionah, the word is Iachteru, they digged in the Sea by rowing, that is, they used the utmost means to save him.
Quest. The Question will be, What is here meant by Hell and Heaven?
Answ. 1. Some take the words literally, thus, If it were possible for these incorrigible sinners to descend into Hell, or ascend up into Heaven, yet Gods hand of Justice should finde them out in the one, and cast them out of the other.
2. Others take the words in an Hyperbolical sense, thus, By Hell, they understand the most abstruse, deep, secret places of the earth.See the word Sheol opened by Dr. Rivet, on Psal. 16.10. and Caryl on Job 7.9. p 615. Sheol hîc pro centro terrae ponitur. Calvin. The word Scheol, hath many significations. 1. Sometimes 'tis put for the grave, Gen. 37.35. Psal. 16.10. 2. Sometimes 'tis put for Hell it self, as Iob 11.8. & 26.6. 3. Here it signifies the lowest part of the earth, and neerest to the center.
q. d. Though these wicked men should dig ditches or pits never so deep in the earth to hide themselves, so that they should get …lmost as low as Hell, yet this digging and delving should not avail them, nor be able to shelter them from Gods wrath; for even thence would God take them, and deliver them into their enemies hands to be slain. Hell is naked before him, and destruction hath no covering, Job 26.6. Prov. 15.11. Let Adam hide himself amongst the trees, and Ionah lye never so close to the sides of the ship, yet Gods Almighty hand found out both the one and the other.
2. If this will not do, and Hell will afford no help, they'l climbe to Heaven, and try what that will do, but all in vain; for thence will God cast them down, that the Assyrian may slay them. The like Hyperbolical speeches of mounting up to Heaven, we read of, Gen. 11.4. Deut. 1.28. Iob 20.6. Ier. 49.16. & 51.53. Obad. 4.
Some by Heaven understand high and lofty Refuges and Towers, whose tops seemed to touch the Heavens, q. d. Let these wicked men seek for refuge in Heaven or Hell, above or beneath, in Sea or Land, yet they shall not secure them in this day of wrath; all their hearts, their holes, and hiding-places are naked before the eyes of him with whom they have to do.
OBSERVATIONS.
1. When God is against a people, no place can shelter them from his wrath.
If men sin against the Lord, let them go whither they will, the punishment of their sin will finde them out, Numb. 32.23. Though insolent Edom make his nest in the Stars, and think himself out of Gun-shot, and free from danger, yet his sins will bring him down, Obad. 4. God hath a sharp eye, and a strong hand to pull men out of their strong holds, or to destroy them in them. Zimri got into Tirzah a fortified City, and then into the Kings Palace, and there he burnt himself to death, 1 King. 16.8. Had we all the power and policy of all the Kingdomes of the Earth for us, yet if God be against us, these cannot help us, Amos 2.14, 15, 16. Though the wicked mount on high, yet at last hee casts them down to the ground, Psal. 147.6. 'Tis not height nor depth, Sea or Land, Heaven or Hell that can shelter us from Gods fury. If God be against us, all the elements, and all the creatures are against us. As when God is for us, all are for us, Rom. 8.31. and we need not fear, Psal. 27.1. & 56.4. Isa. 43.1, 2.
There is no flying from Gods Arrests, if a man have done wickedly in one place, he may escape the Law by flying to another, he may get out of our bounds, and then he is safe; but who can get out of Gods bounds? he hath power to arrest us where ever he findes us, and he can finde us where ever we are. He is higher than Heaven, and deeper than Hell, and therefore David cryes out, Whither shall I go from thy presence? Surely no whither. Neither men nor Devils are able to go from the common and general presence of God, for he fills Heaven and Earth. Psal. 139.7. to 13. is a kinde of Comment on this Text, and therefore I shall briefly open it, vers. 7. Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? what's that? why he tells you in the next clause, Whither shall I flee from thy presence? q. d. Thou art an infinite Spirit, and I can go no where to avoid or escape thee, Vers. 8. If I ascend into Heaven, thou art there; By Heaven is meant the upper Region of the world, and if I make my bed in Hell, and go down to the lowest parts of the earth, he hold thou art there, q. d. Let mee go whither I will, thy presence will finde mee out.
Vers. 9. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the utmost parts of the world, q. d. should I fly never so early or swiftly from East to West, as the light of the morning doth, vers. 10. Even there should thy hand lead mee, and thy right hand should hold mee; q. d. I should still lye under thy divine disposing and government, and finde thee efficaciously present with mee.
Vers. 11. If I say the darkness shall cover mee, viz. so as thou shalt not be able to finde mee out, then is the night light about mee, that is, I shall be as little hid from thine eyes, as if 'twere noon day; why so? vers. 12. for the darkness hideth not from thee, but the night shineth as the day, darkness and light are both alike to thee, Iob 34.11, 12.