Exposition of Amos 4-9, Part 6 · Section 8
VERSE 8.
Behold the eyes of the Lord God are upon the sinful Kingdome, and I will destroy it from off the face of the Earth; saving that I will not utterly destroy the house of Iacob, saith the Lord.
THe Prophet goes on in the confirmation of what he had denounced against Israel, by an Argument drawn from the Justice of God, who is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity with the least approbation, and who will not acquit persons or Kingdomes that persevere in their wickednesse.
Behold the eyes of the Lord are upon the sinful Kingdome to punish and destroy it.
In the words wee have 1. A note of Attention, Behold. 2. The matter to be attended, and that is, 1. A judgement threatned,Mehhal pene, A facie vel à superficie terrae. God will destroy Israel from the Superficies, on face of the earth; that is, he will extinguish their memorial from amongst men, and root them out of the world, so that they shall never have more the face of a Nation upon Earth. The like expression we have, Exod. 32.12. Deut. 6.15. Warnings could not mend them, now Judgements shall rid the world of them.
2. Here is the reason why the Lord will thus destroy them, and that is, because they are a sinful Kingdome, or (as the words are in the fountain) they are a sinning Kingdome, a Kingdome even composed of sin, and drowned in iniquity. A Kingdome that sinned not through weakness, but wilfulness, whose sins were not infirmities, but enormities. They fell not by the violence of temptation, but 'twas their trade to be sinning, they were wholly given up to it, both Superiours and Inferiours had for many years been a race of Idolaters, persisting obstinately in their wicked waies; no wooing nor warning, no mercy nor menaces could work upon them, they were incorrigible and incurable, and therefore the Lord now resolves to ease himself of them.
Quest. But who is meant here by the sinful Kingdome?
A. Some conceive that by Kingdome here is meant any sinful Kingdome indefinitely, but I conceive that Amos being sent more especially to prophesie against the Idolatry of the Kingdome of Israel, doth directly and primarily speak against the Idolatry of the Kingdome of Israel, for Idolatry is called The sin, by way of eminency (as I have shewed before on Amos 8. ult.) now Israel persevering as in other sins, so especially in this great sin of Idolatry, is here called (Mamlachah Hachattaah, Hoc regnum peccans) this sinful Kingdome; the article Ha is emphatical, and the Text saith not, Mine eyes are upon a sinful Kingdome indefinitly, but upon This sinful Kingdome, viz. of Israel; and then secondarily it includes the Kingdome of Iudah, which had deeply corrupted it self, and not long after they also were carried Captives to Babylon.
3 Here is the certainty of the judgement, The Eyes of the Lord are intent upon them for this purpose (see Vers. 4. before) he hath set his face in anger against them to destroy them.
4 Here is a mitigation or qualification of the Threatning, Yet he will not utterly destroy the house of Iacob, but in the midst of judgement he will remember mercy; and having purged out the dross, and destroyed the prophane body of the people, and rebellious rout, he will preserve the penitent as a remnant for himself, according to his promise made of old to Abraham, Isaac and Iacob, Lev. 26.40, 41, 42. Though the Lord beat Heathenish Nations to dust, and stock up the wicked root and branch; and though Israel deserved a total destruction, yet for his own Name sake, he will not deal so with his Church and chosen, he never utterly destroyes them, but leaves some remnant to praise him, and to shine like lights in the midst of a perverse people; and if he do bring them into Captivity, yet a remnant both of Israel and Iudah shall return again, according to that precious promise, Ier. 30.3.10. …o the dayes come that I will bring again the Captivity of my people Israel and Judah, saith the Lord, and will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it. This was fulfilled when a remnant of Israel returned out of Assyria, and joyning themselves to Iudah, came again into the holy Land after the seventy years Captivity.
It was usual with the Prophets to mollifie their Threatnings with the intermixture of some Promises, the better to incourage them to return, by giving them some glimpse of acceptance, and hope of mercy: for the Prophet having before uttered hard things against this people, he comes now in the close of all to end his Prophesie with promises of comfort to a remnant whom God would hide in the midst of their Captivity, till better times should come under the Gospel.
Some construe the words Ironically, and make them a confirmation of the punishment, q. d. I have punished Nations that never had the teaching which you have had, and do you think to go scot-free?
But this sense seems to be racked. It is better therefore to take the words as they simply import a promise of mitigation, moderation and favour to a remnant, because of the Covenant, and because of the Elect amongst them, and their Seed, who were to be the Seminary of the Church.
This is most agreeable to the contexture, and suits best with the next Verse, where the Prophet promiseth, that albeit God be resolved to sift the house of Israel, yet the least grain should not fall to the ground;Ephes chy, non tamen, vel veruntamen non totali consumptione consumam domum Israelis Chald. Paraph. and therefore the Geneva translation renders it well, Nevertheless I will not utterly destroy the house of Iacob. Destroying, I will not destroy it, that is, I will not totally destroy the family and stock of Israel, but will preserve a remnant for my self, though they be captives in Assyria and Chaldea, yet as I have brought them in, so I will bring some of them out again, that they may praise me.
5 Here is the confirmation both of the Commination, and the Consolation. Dixit Dominus, the Lord who cannot lye, hath said it, who both can, and will perform what ever he hath spoken.
OBSERVATIONS.
1 The eyes of the Lord are upon sinful Kingdomes to destroy them.
The Kingdomes that will not submit to Christ, and serve him (be they never so many or mighty) must perish, Isa. 60.12. As his eye is upon the righteous to preserve them, so his eye is upon the wicked to destroy them (as I have shewed before on vers. 4.) As he looks upon the righteous not with a bare look of intuition, but with a look of approbation in order to their assistance to do them good, and to exert his strength for them, so he looks upon the wicked with an eye of indignation for evil, and not for good, 1 Pet. 3.12.
When men are given up to sin, and are become hardened and habituated in iniquity (as these were) then judgement is near, Ier. 13.23, 24. especially when Kingdomes are defiled with Idolatry, that wickedness with a witness, that sin with an accent, which truly and properly denominates a Kingdome to be, The sinful Kingdome. Where ever this sin goes before, destruction is at the heels of it. It is a soul-damning, and a land-destroying sin, Iudg. 5.8. Psal. 78.58. to 63. Ier. 22.7, 8, 9. one such a sinner in grain, destroyes much good, Eccles. 9.17. The Idolater is a grand Traitor to the state he lives in. He helps to bring Sword, Plague, Famine, and all curses upon a Land, Ezek. 14.7, 8, 21. Gods eye is upon such to cut them off from the face of the earth.
2 Gods Ministers must wisely intermix Iudgement and Mercy.
They must like the good Samaritan, have Wine and Oyl, Wine to search and cleanse mens wounds; and Oyl to supple and heal them. The sharpness of the Law must be allayed with the sweetness of the Gospel, Luke 10.34. Amos had often threatned, now he comforts. Obstinate sinners must be certified, and pulled with violence out of Satans jaws; others that are humbled must be handled gently, Iude 23. We must frame our reproofs according to the necessities of our Auditors: All sores are not cured with one salve; that may be poyson to one, which is medicinal to another. The soul must be throughly purged from sin, before it can be cured, or expect any health. It is in this case as it is in sores, if any corruption be left unexpelled, the wound will wrankle, and may become mortal: For sin is like Bishops-weed, if you leave but little spangs unweeded, they will run over your garden, and suffer nothing that is good to grow near it. Ministers then had need to have the Tongue of the Learned, to know how to speak a word in season; for if we preach al mercy, we shall teach men to presume; if all Judgement, to despond and despair. We must therefore wisely sing both of Mercy and Judgement; hence the Prophets did usually give some glimpses of comfort, and grounds of hope to Gods people in their distresse. They had some peradventure you may be hid and heard, Joel 2.14. Ionah 3.9. Zeph. 2.3. Take away hope, and you take away endeavours; impossibility of obtaining breaks the heart; and therefore 'tis that the Lord usually gives people some crumbs of comfort in their deepest distresse, that so they might be incouraged to come in unto him.
3. In the midst of Iudgement God usually spares a remnant, Isa. 1.9. & 37.32. Ier. 5.18. Rom. 9.27. & 11.5.
Though God make a full and final end of other Nations, yet he makes not a full end with his people, but corrects them in measure, and in mercy, Ier. 46. ult. Though he punish some, yet he destroys not all, but moderates publick calamities, for the Elects sake, Mat. 24.22. In the Babylonish captivity the Lord preserved Ieremy, Daniel, and others. When all the Old World was drowned, yet a little remnant was spared, viz. Noah, In my Com. on Hos 13.14. Obs. 1.and his family. God is ever mindful of his Covenant to his people, and in the midst of all confusions he is a Tower to his. As I have shewed elsewhere.