Exposition of Amos 4-9, Part 6 · Section 5
VER. 5.
And the Lord God of Hosts is he that toucheth the Land and it shall melt, and all that dwell therein shall mourn, and it shall rise up wholly like a flood, and shall be drowned as by the flood of Egypt.
WE have done with the Commination, we are now come to the second general part of the Chapter, and that is the confirmation of the Commination, which is drawn from the Omnipotent Majesty and Power of God, who is Lord Paramount of all the world, the glorious Creator and Governour of all. All depend upon him, and observe his beck, what he sayes it is done (ejus dicere est facere) and what he threatens is as easily and speedily effected.
The better therefore to awaken these drousie sinners, and make them fear, the Prophet here sets forth the Majesty and Power of God▪ that they might see there was no contending with him, and that he was able, and would certainly bring to pass what ever he had threatned against them. To this end we often finde Moses and the Prophets setting forth the Majesty of God by his Titles & Works, as that he is the Mighty God, the Lord of Hosts, the King of Kings, &c. Sinners are hardly drawn to consider the Glory and Majesty of that God with whom they have to do, and therefore the Prophet so oft toucheth on this string, Amos 3.6.8. and 4. ult. and 5.8, 9.
In this Verse, and the next, we have an elegant description of Gods Power and Glory (where every word hath its weight) And that 1 By his Names and Titles, He is the Lord, Jehovah, the Creator and Preserver of all things; and therefore his Threatnings ought not to be contemned.
2 He is the Lord of Hosts, he hath the superiour and inferiour Armies of Heaven and Earth, of Sea and Land, as it were horse and foot to march against his enemies.
3 His Almighty Works set forth his Majesty and Power. 1 The Earth which is in it self a most solid, firm, hard, immoveable body, yet acknowledgeth the Power and Dominion of its Almighty Lord and Creator; and therefore if he do but touch it (at least with any of his rods, and in displeasure) it presently melts like wax before the fire,Tamog, propriè significat liquescere, resolvi, ut cera ad ignem. or snow before the Sun. 2 If he be provoked to anger, he can make a sinful land to mourn, by bringing upon them the punishment due to them for their sins; he can make both things and persons melt. Therefore fear to offend him; this must be annexed to every branch of this description of God, e. g. He is Jehovah the Lord of Hosts, therefore fear him. He makes the earth to melt, and the inhabitants thereof to tremble, therefore do you humble your selves before him. 3 If all this will not work upon you, yet consider he can drown you, and make his floods to go over all the land, as he did in Noahs time, and as he doth in many Islands, and other places at this day. See before Chap. 8.8.
4 If ye will not fear him for his Majesty, and Power that appears on earth, then look up to the heavens, vers. 6. and see his Wisdome and Power there, in creating the several Regions of the air, as so many stories one above another, besides the variety of creatures which he hath on earth, as so many Troops ready prest to do him service; and his sending of the waters of the Sea upon the earth, either by rain, or inundation to punish it. These all shew the Power and Glory of that God with whom we have to do, and therefore should make us fear to offend him, and speedily to make our peace with him.
The summe of all is this, Hitherto ye have trusted in your own strength and priviledges, and have set light by Gods Threatnings, as if they had been but so many scar-crows; but now consider, O ye infirm, and sinful dust and a…hes, against whom do ye rebel, against whom do ye thus harden your selves? Is it not against the great and mighty God, the Lord of Hoasts, the Creator of all things, whose Almighty power appears in that with a touch he can make the mighty and massy earth to melt and dissolve like wax before a mighty fire, and fill it with such horror, that all the inhabitants thereof shall mourn, and make it as inhabitable as if it were drowned with a flood?
OBSERVATIONS.
See Trap on Mal. 3.17.1 God is the Lord of Hoasts. See before Amos 4. ult.
2 He is an Almighty God. See before Amos 4. ult. Obs. 1.
3 If God do but touch the earth, or its inhabitants in wrath, they melt, and mourn, and fade away.
If he but touch Mountains Natural, or Mountains Metaphorical, there is no abiding.
1 The earth Natural quakes at Gods displeasure, the Rocks and Hills melt at his presence, 2 Sam. 22.8. Psal. 18.7. and 144.5, 6, 7. The massy Mountains which no art or wit of man can move, yet Gods bare presence, how much more his wrathful presence makes them tremble as Mount Sinai did at the presence of the Lord,See Caryl on Job 9.6. p. 184. Exod. 19.18. Iudg. 5.5. Iob 9.6. Psal 68.8. Hab. 3.10.
2 The earth Metaphorical; that is, wicked men that live in the earth, the guilt of their sins doth so daunt them that they are not able to stand in Gods presence, Ezra 9. ult. Adam when he had sinned, hides himself from God, and Cain runs from his presence. Especially at the day of Judgement they will not be able to stand before Gods Tribunal, Psal. 1.5. but will cry to Rocks and Mountains to hide them, and shall be driven to utter desperation, when they think of that dreadful sentence, Go ye cursed; yea when the Lord appears for his people here, these Metaphorical Mountains shall be dissolved, and me… like wax before the fire. The Churches enemies are oft compared to Mountains Isa. 64.1. Zac. 4.7. 1 Because Mountains are higher than other parts of the earth,See Caryl on Job 30.22. p. 208, 209. so are the wicked puft up with pride, and think themselves higher than God himself, and therefore they set their mouthes against the Heavens and blaspheme him, Psal. 73.9. 2 Mountains hinder us in our way. 3 They are barren, it is the low Valleys that are fruitful.
The Church being troubled with these Mountains, seeks to remove them, by that Omnipotent Engine of Prayer, Isa. 64. 1, 2. Oh that thou wouldest rend the Heavens and come down! what then?Montes sunt Principes & Potestates mundi, qui Plusquam ferrei sunt cum sentiunt successum; at cum Deus visitat eos, sunt molliores aquâ; contemnunt Deum ut infirmum, quod ficut mus in antro, ita ille in Templo lateat; sed agè & oftende augustiorem sedem. Utinam discinderes coelum, & descenderes, Luther in Isa. 64.1. why the Mountains, that is, the Princes and Potentates of the world, that now are puft up with success, opposing and oppressing the people of God, should melt at thy presence, and vanish to nothing.
When God ariseth, then the Dukes of Edom are amazed, and trembling takes hold on the mighty ones, Exod. 15.15, 16. Hence 'tis that the Church desires that God would arise, for then his enemies should be scattered, and those that hate him should flee before him, and be driven away like smoak (which the higher it riseth, the more 'tis scattered) and melt like wax before the fire, Psal. 68.1, 2. The Sons of Zerviah may be too strong for David, but not for the God of David. If he do but touch these Mountains, they vanish. 'Tis no trouble to us to breathe; why God can with as great facility overthrow the Churches enemies, one blast, breath, word, or look from him, undoes them, Iob 4.9, 10, 11. By the blast of God they perish, and by the breath of his nostrils are they consumed. And if the Earth melt and tremble when God is angry, how sad is the condition of hard-hearted sinners, who are viler than the Earth, and more insensible than the very senselesse and inanimate creatures, yea worse than the very Devils themselves, for they beleeve and tremble! Iames 2.19.
4. The Lord can turn our Land into a Sea, and make our arrable, sailable; so that there shall be no dwelling in it; but it shall rise up wholly as a flood, and shall be drowned as by the flood of Egypt. The water is naturally above the earth, so that he can float it and flood it at his pleasure; and can easily pull up his …luces, and let in the Sea upon us, and bury us in one universal grave of waters. Let us then fear to provoke him, who hath Wind and Sea at command against us. The Lord wonders that any should be so sottish, as not to fear him upon this very account, Ier. 5.22. Fear ye not mee, saith the Lord, who have placed the Sand for a bound to the Sea, that it cannot pass? q. d. Whom will ye fear, if ye will not fear mee? when the Sea it self, that terrible and tumultuous creature feareth and obeyeth; and who have made the weak sands to bound the raging Sea. We are bound to bless God that hath thus bounded that unruly element, and saith to it, Hitherto shalt thou go, and no further, and here shall thy proud waves be staid, Job 38.11, 12.