Exposition of Amos 4-9, Part 6 · Section 6
VERSE 6.
It is he that buildeth his stories in the Heavens, and hath founded his troop in the Earth; hee that calleth for the waters of the Sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the Earth; The Lord is his Name.
THe Prophet goes on in a magnificent description of the Wisdome, Power, Majesty, and Glory of the great Iehovah, that so this stubborn people, considering with whom they had to do, might tremble at his Threatnings, and prepare to meet him in a way of humiliation, who was now marching against them with his troops for their destruction.
Before he had set forth Gods All-mighty Power in ruling the Earth and the Rivers, now he proceeds to set forth his Majesty in the creating of the Heavens, of the inferiour Armies and the Seas.
And since the bare naming of God is little regarded by most men, therefore this blunt, rustick Prophet raiseth his stile, grows Rhetorical and Philosophical, setting forth Gods excellency with variety of words, the better to affect his Hearers.
Quot tituli, tot simuli.In this Ver. we have the glory of God set forth to us in his forming & framing
1. The Stories of Heaven.
2. His Troops on Earth.
3. The Rain out of the Sea.
4. By his tremendous Name, Iehovah.
The words are very Mystical and difficult, they have almost as many Expositions as there be Expositors. I shall indeavour to clear the way, and lay a good foundation, the building will stand the better.
He buildeth his stories in the Heavens.
The first Query, will be, What is meant here by the stories of Heaven?
Answ. By Heaven here is meant, the Aire; hence the birds are called the fouls of Heaven, and by Stories are meant, the heavenly Sphears or Orbs,Magnolatau, ascentiones suas; vel gradu… suos, à Gnalah ascendit. The Sphears being one above another, are elegantly called Stories. which are distinct ascents (as 'tis in the Original) and Stories one above another. We read of three Heavens.
1. There is the Aerial Heaven, which reacheth from us to the Stars, in which there are three Regions.
2. There is the Starry Heaven, Mr. Leighs Body of Divinity, l. 3. c. 3. p. 235, &c. Polan. Syntag. l. 5 c. 8.9.which hath eight Sphears (which who lifts may finde set down in a known Author.)
3. There is the Heaven of Heavens, or the third Heaven, 2 Cor. 12.2. The first of these is for my Sustentation, I live and breathe in it. The second is for my Contemplation, I see and admire it; and the third is my Expectation, I long and wait for it.
By this most admirable and excellent work of God, in making the Heavens▪ which consist of so many Sphears, and have a certain order within themselves, and are as it were so many steps and stairs by which we ascend gradatim, till we come to the Heaven of Heavens, the Prophet labours to awaken these secure sinners. This is the first Glass in which we may clearly see the Majesty of God, Iob 37.18.
And hath founded his Troop in the Earth.
The word which we render Troop, signifies not onelyonly a Troop, as appears by that parallel place, 2 Sam. 2.25. The children of Benjamin gathered themselves together after Abner, and became, Laaguddah (the very word in the Text) one Troop;Agudda, fasciculus, conglobatio, turma, à Gudah, colligere. or were gathered round together like a Globe. 2. The word also signifies a little Bundle; So Isa. 58.6. Undo the heavy burdens, or undo the bundels or fardels.
1. Some by a Troop understand the other three Elements of Fire, Air, Water; which are all bound up as 'twere in one bundle, and founded upon the Earth, which is the basis and centre of them all. Hence the Geneva render it, He hath laid the foundation of his Globe of Elements in the Earth. Those three Elements are opposite to the heavenly sphears, q. d. as God hath built the glorious sphears of Heaven, so he hath founded the terrestrial Sphears and Elements in the Earth, out of which he hath formed and framed all other things; uniting them in a due series and order, and binding them up as it were in one bundle, the Elements lying like globes or bundles, one upon, or over one another.
2. Others conceive, that by a Troop here, is meant all kinds of creatures, which are as so many Troops on Earth to serve God; hence he is so oft called, The Lord of Hosts, and these are called His Troops,Hîc designantur hominum & rerum creatarum turmae à Domino Zebaoth ita comparatae, ut quocunque velit promptissimi exequantur judicia Dei, ideoque dicuntur cuneus Dei super terram fundatus, i. e. firmissimè constitutus. Schindler. because he is the Author and the Orderer of their Motion, q. d. As the Lord hath built the several Contignations of his Orbs in the Heavens, so he hath provided Armies of creatures to do his will on Earth.
3. Others conceive it to be the whole frame of the world, which compared with Gods Immensity, is but a little Bundle or fardel, yea an empty nothing, Isa. 40.17.
Tam sublimi & magno opifici, totus orbis nil nisi fasciculus & res minutula. Mercer.2. As in a Bundle there are many things wrapt up together, so in this terrestrial Globe, there are variety of creatures, of different kinds and natures, all setting forth their creators praise.
He calleth for the waters of the Sea, and poureth them out on the face of the Earth.
Here is a third thing wherein the All-mighty Power of God appears, and that is in the generating of rain. By the heat of the Sun he draws up vapours out of the Salt-Sea, into the middle Region of the Aire, where they condense into clouds, and then dissolves them into showers of fresh water for the use and service of man.
He calls for the waters of the Sea, either for Inundation, as (some conceive) to overflow a Land, q. d. 'tis the Lord, that by his command lets loose the waters of the Sea to destroy his enemies. But most genuinely it is applied to the generating of the Rain. He calls for the waters out of the Sea into the upper Region of the Air by the Sun beams, that he may powre them down again upon the face of the Earth. See the same expression before, Amos 5.8.
'Tis true, the Rain is generated by Vapours that ascend out of the Earth, yet because the Sea doth concur with its Vapours also, therefore the generation of the Rain is likewise ascribed to it; and herein also the All-mighty Power of God is seen, that can at a beck call for the Rain, and suddenly the clouds cover the face of the heavens over our heads; this shews the incomparable Power of God, that can in a trice make such a change.
Lastly, If you desire to know who 'tis that doth all those great and glorious things, I will tell you in a word, 'Tis the great Iehovah, that is his Name. This is the most proper Name of God (as I have shewed before, Amos 4. ult.) and notes his eternal essence, who gives being to all things, and to you, O Israelites, amongst the rest, and therefore there is no hiding your selves from him, nor dallying with him who is All-mighty, and hath his Troops in Heaven, in Earth, and in the Sea against you.
OBSERVATIONS.
1. The Omnipotence and Majesty of God doth wonderfully appear in the Heavens, the Sea, the Rain, &c.
As the Heavens, so all creatures do declare Gods glory, Psal. 19.1.See before Amos 4. ult. We should therefore study the book of the creatures, that we may learn to fear,See Mr. Patrick on Micah 6.8. p. 12, 13, &c. serve, trust, love and admire the lord for his greatness and goodness.
We have but two books chiefly to study, The first is the Book of Nature, Mundus est Dei patris ad genus humanum Epistola. Plato.or the works of God, and this we have set forth, Psal. 19.1. to 7.2. The Book of God, the holy Scriptures, Psal. 19.7. to 12. We should not lightly think of Gods wondrous works, but seriously consider them, Psal. 46.8. for this end he hath given us our judgements, and an understanding faculty that we might be enabled to consider his works, and this is the great end why he made the world, and adorned it with such variety of creatures, viz. that by beholding them we might be quickned to praise the giver of them, Prov. 16. 4. God will destroy such as consider not his works, Psal. 28.5.
Much of God may be seen in the creature;Mundus universus nihil aliud est, nisi Deus explicatus. V. Culverwell Spi. Opticks. p. 516. His Wisdome, Power, Goodness and Bounty are all written (as it were) in Capital Letters, so that he who runs may read them, for the invisible things of God may be seen in them, Rom. 1.20. As the Rivers lead us to the Sea, so these Rivers of Goodness and excellency which lye scattered in the creature, must lead us to their Creator, in whom are all those Excellencies by way of eminency.
[See the Spiritual improvement of the creature, in D. Tho. Taylor at the end of his Treatise of Repent. Church his Miscellan. p. 161, &c. Caryl on Iob 14.8. Polany Syntag. lib. 5. cap. 4, 5, 7. Woodward Childs Portion, chap. 7. p. 90. Mr. Austin his Spiritual use of Orchards and Gardens, 2 Part.]
2 Obs. All creatures are Gods Troop.
If he do but call for Fire, Water, Hail, Frost, Snow, &c. they promptly obey the word of his Command, Psal. 147.15, 16, 17, 18. Isa. 40.26. and 48.13. Ezek. 36.29. Hag. 1.11.
3 Obs. All the world compared with God, is but a bundle.
Yea it is not fascis, but fasciculus, a very little bundle. This the Prophet Isaiah, ch. 40.12, 15, 16, 17. sets forth in most lively, Rhetorical colours, he speaks so fully to this point, that I shall not inlarge upon it. He proves Gods Omnipotency by his Works, he names but three, vers. 12. viz.
The Sea,
The Heavens,
The Earth.
1 For the Sea, it is to the Lord but as an handful of water is to us, and therefore he is said to measure or weigh the waters of the Sea in his fist, or in the hollow of his hand.
2 For the Heavens, they are but a span with him, look how easily we span a thing which we would measure, with far more ease doth the Lord mete out the height and latitude of the Heavens. He metes out the Heavens with a span, or takes the measure of them with a span.
3 As for the Earth, he makes nothing of it. He comprehends its dust in a measure; in a Tierce or Triental, that is, in some small Vessel,Triental, est tertia pars me… surae duodecim cyathorum. Nos …inutissimum intelligimus, quod tribus digitis possit comprehendi. Sculteturs. holding some proportion with the fist and the span. He doth this great work with three fingers as it were he puts not his whole hand to it, but as we weigh some small matter with three fingers, so doth he do this great work with great ease.
He weighs the Mountains in scales, and the Hills in a ballance. The greatest Mountains are no more to him than an ordinary weight is to one of us. All this bespeaks Gods Omnipotency that can form and proportion out such vast creatures with so much facility and ease, as if he were but spanning, measuring, weighing of them.
Yet he hath not done, vers. 15. he goes on to set forth the transcendent Glory and Majesty of God. Behold the Nations are but as the drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the ballance. All N…tions, all Asia, Affrica, Europe, and America, compared with the Almighty, are meer nothing, they are but as a drop that falls from a full bucket, or as a small drop that tarrieth behinde in the bucket when the water is powred out, which doth not diminish the measure; or like the small dust of the ballance, which remains in the ballance when powder or beaten spice hath been weighed in it, which is easily blown away with a little puff of wind, or such small dust as hangs on the scales, without altering the weight.
Yet more, He taketh up the Isles as a very little thing. They are to him but as so many atomes or motes which flye up and down in the Sun, or as a little thin beaten powder (as the word signifies) which is blown away with a blast. Islanders are apt to be secure and insolent, because they have the Sea to surround and secure them, but with God they are as a very little thing, which is easily overthrown.
Vers. 16. Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering, q. d. so infinitely great is God, that if all the trees in Lebanon were fallen for fire, and all the beasts there were slain for a burnt offering, yet would it hold no proportion with the Dignity and Majesty of the Lord.
Vers. 17. As if he could never magnifie God, and nullifie man sufficiently he tells us yet more, That all Nations before him are nothing, less than nothing and vanity. See what a heap of diminishing termes are here! Nations, all Nations compared with God,See more in Mr. Caryl on Iob 7 16. p. 644, 645, 646, &c. are purum nihil, nothing, less than nothing, vanity, yea lighter than vanity, Psal. 62.9. Before he had compared the Nations to a drop, and a little small dust, but now hee goes further, and tells us, that all Nations compared with God, are less than nothing. Now if All Nations compared with God be thus contemptible, what is one Nation, or one great man in a Nation, yea or all the great Zanzummims of the world, compared with him? This may greatly comfort us when we lye opprest by the great ones of the world, that though they be great, yet there is a greater than they; though they bee mighty, yet God is Almighty, and can with a word of his mouth confound them all.
4 Rain is the gift of God.
It is he that calls for the waters of the Sea, raiseth the vapours, condenseth them into clouds, and then showres them down upon us. But of this at large before, Amos 4.7.
5 If you take this calling for the waters of the Sea for an inundation and drowning of a Land, then observe, That God can make our Land, to become a Sea, he can bring a flood upon us as he did on the old world. But of this before, vers. 5. Obs. 4.
6 God is Iehovah.
He onelyonly is the true and living God, who hath his being in, and of himself,See Mr. Trap on Hos. 5.12. and gives being to all creatures. But of this before, Amos 4. ult. Obs. 7.