Chapter 7
Themes, discussion questions, Christ connections, and denomination lenses.
Just read this chapter →Scripture
KJV1Thus hath the Lord GOD shewed unto me; and, behold, he formed grasshoppers in the beginning of the shooting up of the latter growth; and, lo, it was the latter growth after the king’s mowings.
2And it came to pass, that when they had made an end of eating the grass of the land, then I said, O Lord GOD, forgive, I beseech thee: by whom shall Jacob arise? for he is small.
3The LORD repented for this: It shall not be, saith the LORD.
4Thus hath the Lord GOD shewed unto me: and, behold, the Lord GOD called to contend by fire, and it devoured the great deep, and did eat up a part.
5Then said I, O Lord GOD, cease, I beseech thee: by whom shall Jacob arise? for he is small.
6The LORD repented for this: This also shall not be, saith the Lord GOD.
7Thus he shewed me: and, behold, the LORD stood upon a wall made by a plumbline, with a plumbline in his hand.
8And the LORD said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumbline. Then said the LORD, Behold, I will set a plumbline in the midst of my people Israel: I will not again pass by them any more:
9And the high places of Isaac shall be desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste; and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.
10Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, Amos hath conspired against thee in the midst of the house of Israel: the land is not able to bear all his words.
11For thus Amos saith, Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of their own land.
12Also Amaziah said unto Amos, O thou seer, go, flee thee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there:
13But prophesy not again any more at Bethel: for it is the king’s chapel, and it is the king’s court.
14Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet’s son; but I was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit:
15And the LORD took me as I followed the flock, and the LORD said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel.
16Now therefore hear thou the word of the LORD: Thou sayest, Prophesy not against Israel, and drop not thy word against the house of Isaac.
17Therefore thus saith the LORD; Thy wife shall be an harlot in the city, and thy sons and thy daughters shall fall by the sword, and thy land shall be divided by line; and thou shalt die in a polluted land: and Israel shall surely go into captivity forth of his land.
“And the LORD said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumbline. Then said the Lord, Behold, I will set a plumbline in the midst of my people Israel: I will not again pass by them any more.”
Overview
God shows Amos three visions of impending judgment — locusts, fire, and a plumb line. After the first two, Amos intercedes and God relents. But with the plumb line, there is no turning back: Israel has been measured and found crooked. Amaziah the priest of Bethel confronts Amos and tries to silence him, but Amos declares that God called him from following the flock and commanded him to prophesy.
Key Themes
The Power of Prophetic Intercession
Twice Amos cries out 'O Lord GOD, forgive' and 'O Lord GOD, cease,' and God relents — showing that intercessory prayer can genuinely move the hand of God.
The Plumb Line of Judgment
God sets a plumb line in the midst of His people — a standard of measurement that reveals their crookedness — and declares He will no longer pass by their sin.
The Prophet vs. the Establishment
Amaziah represents institutional religion threatened by prophetic truth; he tries to expel Amos, but the prophet's authority comes from God, not from human credentials.
Study Questions
Why does God relent after the first two visions (locusts and fire) but not after the plumb line?
What does the plumb line represent, and what does it mean that God will no longer 'pass by' Israel?
How does Amos's intercession (vv. 2, 5) model the role of prayer in the face of judgment?
What is the significance of Amos's defense — 'I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet's son' (v. 14)?
How does the conflict between Amos and Amaziah illustrate the tension between prophetic truth and religious establishment?
Connection to Christ
The plumb line of God's righteous standard finds its ultimate expression in Christ, who is the measure of true righteousness. Unlike Amos, whose intercession could only delay judgment, Jesus as our great intercessor makes permanent atonement, satisfying the plumb line of God's holiness on behalf of all who believe.
Personal Reflection
Take time to journal or meditate on what God is teaching you through Amos 7. How can these truths transform your thinking and actions today?