Amos 7:1

 Amos 7:1 says, Thus 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.  Amos said that God showed him in a vision what was going to happen to the latter growth.  God was going to send grasshoppers to destroy it.  God doesn't need an army to accomplish His purpose, but often uses the simple things of nature to do so.  Verse two adds, And 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.  Amos said that after he saw the results of the grasshoppers destroying the crops, he asked God how Jacob would arise, or get up again, because he was small.  Matthew Henry says Jacob referred to the people of Israel who still believed in God, and Amos was making intercession to God for them. We are not wrong to intercede with God when we see Christians suffering today.  Verse three declares, The LORD repented for this: It shall not be, saith the LORD.  Matthew Henry says this does not mean that God changed His mind but that He chose to change His method out of mercy instead of wrath.  We can either face God out of His mercy through putting our faith in Jesus Christ, or we can face His wrath if we don't.  Verse four states, Thus 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.  Amos said God next showed him that He was going to destroy the people of Israel by fire.  God has already shown us the fate of those who refuse His gift of salvation, and that is everlasting punishment separated from Him.  Verse five adds, Then said I, O Lord GOD, cease, I beseech thee: by whom shall Jacob arise? for he is small.  Amos once again interceded for the people out of concern for their survival.  We need to have that same concern for people today and intercede for them in prayer that they might accept the salvation that God provides.  Verse six declares, The LORD repented for this: This also shall not be, saith the Lord GOD.  God once again granted Amos' request.  We will never get God to excuse or overlook sin, but our prayers may delay His judgment long enough for people to repent and come to Him.  Verse seven says, Thus he shewed me: and, behold, the Lord stood upon a wall made by a plumbline, with a plumbline in his hand.  God then showed Amos a vision of Himself standing on a wall with a plumbline.  This was not a vision of destruction, but was still one of holding the people of Israel to a standard.  Though we will not be destroyed if we put our faith in Jesus Christ, we are still held to a standard, and that is obedience to God's word and direction in our lives.  Verse eight adds, 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:  God asked Amos what he saw, and Amos replied a plumb line.  We may only see something as an ordinary thing if we do not look to God for His revelation of what it means when He is showing us a vision of what He wants us to do.  God told Amos that He was now going to hold people to His standard.  Verse nine concludes, And 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.  God said that those who were not found to be straight and true by the plumbline, which was faith in and obedience to Him, would be destroyed.  Today, Jesus is our plumbline.  It is only through obedience to God through faith in Jesus Christ that we can be made straight with God.