The Pulpit Commentary — Amos — Section 45

destroy men unwe.med, nor we.rn them but through his e.ccre·Uted messengers, 'l'he history of his judgment.s illustrates this. Through Noah he revee.led the coming deluge, through Lot the destruction of Sodom, through Joseph the fa.mine in Egypt, through Moses the Egyplian ple.gues, through Jonah the sentence on Nineveh, and through Christ a.ad his apostles the destruction of Jerusalem. "'l'hus God he.s ever we.rned the world of coming judgments in order that it may not incur them" (Lange), •• He foretelleth the evil to come that he may not be compelled to inflict it" (Pusey). IV. Gon's TRUE PROPHETS OANNOT BUT SPEAK ms MESSAGE. (Ver. 8.) It is his will that they should prophesy. He tells them his purposes mainly with a view to this. To prophesy is their function and duty, and is made their business. They are moved at the sight of coming evil. They are in sympathy with the Divine compassion, giving a last chance to the doomed; and so, like the apostles, they "cannot but speak the things they have seen and hee.rd" (1 Cor. ix. 16, 17; Acts iv. 19, 20). " Moses was not excused though slow of speech, nor Isaiah though of polluted lips, nor Jeremiah because he was a child. Ezekiel was bidden • be not rebellious like that rebellious house;' and when Jeremiah would keep silence he saith, • His Word was iu mine heart as a burning fire, shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not st.ay'" (Pusey). Taken in connection, vers. 7 and 8 reveal a perfect arrangement for ma.king known God's purpose in reference to sin. God anticipates action by a communication to his prophets, and the prophets execute orders, and he.nd the GOtnmunic&tion on. Ver. 2.-The inevitable punishment of Ohristian sin. "You only have I known of all the families of the earth, therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities." These words are at once an accusation, a condemnation, and a sentence. What God had done for Israel in vain was a ground and the measure of what he now must do against them. Blessing abused is but the faggot feediug the fire of merited curse. They had given themselves up to wickedness, and the fire-tongue of a lofty privilege sits above every sin, revealing its demon-face. I. THERE IS A GRACIOUS SENSE IN WRICH Goo KNOWS MEN. •• I know my'sheep;" "I never knew you." These sentences mean salvation and condemnation respectively. For God to know men is with them a question of life and death. This knowledge may be: 1. National. It was so with Israel. "You only have I known." This meant that God loved them (Deut. x. 15), chose them (Deut. vii. 6), formally acknowledged them as his people (Deut. xiv. 2), and gave them privileges-not necessarily saving in every case-of light (Ps. cxlvii. 19; Rom. iii 2), and help (Ps. cxxxvi. 10-24), and fellow- ship (Exod. :x.x. 24; Numb. xiv. 14; Deut. iv. 7), and promise (Rom. ix. 4, 5), answer- ing to this visible relation. This knowledge may also be : 2. Personal. '!'hen it means, in addition to what has been mentioned, the forth-putting of Divine energy in them, making them new creatures in Christ, and so "partakers of the Divine nature" (Gal. vi 15; 2 Pet. i. 4). God brings them into his family (Ga.I. iii. 26) by this spiritual birth (John L 13), calls them sons (1 John iiL 1), makes them co-heirs with Christ (Rom. vii.L 17), and gives them all family privileges and graces, chiefest of these the spirit of adoption, by which we cry," Abba, Father" (Gal. iv. 6), Man, in fact, is by nature an alien and a stranger, and for God to know him is to substitute a gracious for his nature.I relation. II. Tms KNOWLEDGE IS A SPECIAL, NOT A GENEBAL, AFFECTION. "You only." There are gifts of God that a.re indiscriminate (Job xxv. 3; Matt. v. 45). Man gets them a;; 11Jan, and irrespective of personal character. But spiritual gifts are necessarily confined to the spiritual circle. It is evident as regards God's gracious knowledge of men. 1. That it rests on a minority of the race. Israel at best was little among the nations of the earth. In comparison with the Cha.ldea.11, Mede-Persian, Greek, or Roman empires, it was scarcely worthy of being named ; and a. dozen peoples bordered Palestine from time to time, any one of which, in the natural course, would have wiped it off the earth. Yet, passing by the many and the mighty, God says to single, feeble Israel," You only have I known of all the families of the earth" (Deut. iv. 32-38). And this action is of a piece with other Divine action for similar purposes. 'l'he saints e.re now, and have always been, a. "little flock." It is the few who go in at the " strait gate" of the kingdom. Even the nomwally Christian peoples are lees than on. m. 1-15.) THE BOOK OF AMOS. 4,5