The Pulpit Commentary — Amos — Section 9

and it is common elsewhere in Scripture (Isa. i. 1; Hab. ii. 2). 1. It was what "he saw." Of the way in which God revealed truth to inspired men we know nothing. It is above reaEon and outside revelation. It was not with the bodily eye, nor in tha natural sense, that tho vision was seen; but the revelation was adequate, and the result was knowledge (Acts iv. 20). Their cognizance of matters was at once sure and clear (l John i. 1), and comparable in both respects to that of Christ himself (John iii. 11). 2. It was "words." A word is the body of a thought. A thought is the spirit of a word. It is only by words, or something answering to words, that thoughts can be conveyed from man to man. Analogy would suggest that the same method is employe..l by God. If, as some hold, we think in words, the hypothesis would be greatly strengthened. In any case, what Amos got was not simply thoughts, but words, and the words of Scripture are, in some real and. importaut seuse, " words which the Holy Ghost teacheth " (1 Cor. ii. 13 ; 2 Sam. xxiii. 2). III. THE SPEAKING OF THE VISION. Coming from his simple shepherd-life into a luxurious city, and with the burden of his heavy tidings on his heart, the prophet's speech is: 1. Deeply serious. A grave character and a grave message make a prophetic utterance a solemn thing. Amos had to tell of a cup of iniquity full, of a Divine patience exhausted, of a dispensation of forbearance expired, and of a national ruin ready to fall; and he tells it as one weighted down with the piteous tidings, which yet he cannot choose but speak (eh. iii.1; iv. 1; v.1; vi.1). 2. Blunt, Amos is outspoken and honest, names the condemned, aud unequivocally denonnces their impending doom. He may not mince his tidings who is the messenger of death (Matt. iii. 10; Luke xiii. 3 ; Rom. i. 18). Suppression would be murder, and even euphemy would be cruel. Lifo and death hang on his lips, and all sentiment apart he must speak out, "The power to bind and loose to truth is given ; The month that speaks it is the mouth of Heaven." 3. (Jharacteristic. His style is bold and clear and tender, like his own nature (eh. iv, 4, 12, 13; ix. 5, 6; \'i. 9, 10); and his imagery is racy of the m0untains and fields in which his character was formed (ver. 2; eh. ii. 9, 13; iii. 4, 5; v. 19). The word of God in one sense, it is in another, and no less really, the word of Amos. The Divine Spirit supplies the breath and the fingering, and determines and directs the time, but the human instrument gives forth its own characteristic sound. IV. THE WRITING OF THE VISION. Scripture contains matters that were written at the Divine dictation, and first promulgated in their written form. But it also con- tains much that was spoken first and written afterwards, for preservation. Such is the Book of Amos. The writing of it was: 1. Some years after the speaking. He spoke years before an earthquake, after which he wrote his book, 'l'his earthquake he had foretold in his oral prophecy (eh. viii. 8; ix. 5), and he thus puts on record the fulfil- ment of his own prediction. "After fulfilling his mission, he probably returned to Judah, his native land, where his prophecies were most likely first committed to writ- ing" (Keil). 2. In a different form from tM speaking. Amaziah (eh. vii. 10, 11) refers to, and gives a summary of" words" that are not recorded. 'l'ho book is a resuma of the essential contents of the oral prophecies (Keil, Lange). Accordingly, it docs not contain them in the very form, nor necessarily in the exact order, in which they were spoken. 3. With a widened purpose. The oral prophecies were for those whom they directly concerned. The written prophecies were for the sages and tho ages tha.t were to follow. They were the flower of the prophecies that went before (Joel iii. 16, 18), and the bud of those that came after (Hos. viii. 14; ix. 3; Jer. xlix. 3, 13-27; xlvi. 6; xxv. 30; see Lange). They als0 contain truths essentially important and requitiite for the perfecting of the man of God in all ages (eh. iii. 3, 6, 7; v. 4-6, 14, 15; vii. 2, 3). 4. Under the same Divine guidance. The contents of the book lio between the expressions, "thus saith the Lord" (eh. i. 3), and "saith the Lord thy God" (eh. ix. 15). These formulre cover both the oral anJ. the written prophecy, each being the subject of a distinct inspiration for its own special purpose. So Paul takes an inspired utterance of David, and, under inspiration, charges it with a new lesson (comp. Ps. xl. 6 with Heb. x. 5; also Isa. Ix. l with Eph. v. 14). V. 'l'nE SUBJECT OF THE VISION. It is brief, but it covers m11ch ground. 1. Th~ Jews. Judah and Israel are mentioned separately, having been distinct kingdoms for 8 'l'HE BOOK OF .A.MOS. [orr. 1. 1-16.