Amos 9:1-4
1 I saw the Lord standing beside the altar, and He said,
“Strike the pillar capitals so that the thresholds will shake,
And break them on the heads of them all!
Then I will put to death the rest of them with the sword;
They will not have a fugitive who will flee,
Nor a survivor who will escape.
2 Though they dig into Sheol,
From there My hand will take them;
And though they ascend to heaven,
From there I will bring them down.
3 And though they hide on the summit of Carmel,
I will track them down and take them from there;
And though they hide themselves from My sight on the bottom of the sea,
I will command the serpent from there, and it will bite them.
4 And though they go into captivity before their enemies,
From there I will command the sword and it will kill them,
And I will set My eyes against them for harm and not for good.”
The Vision of the Altar
The fifth vision
The fifth vision is the vision of “the Lord standing beside the altar.” This vision prophesies that judgment will fall thoroughly upon all the people. (1) The “altar” is the altar in the temple of the Lord that stood at Bethel. Amaziah the priest, who challenged Amos, served at that altar. (2) The Lord stood beside that altar and said, “Strike the pillar capitals so that the thresholds will shake, and break them on the heads of them all!” This is a severe judgment against idol worship. (3) When the capitals are smashed, the thresholds shake and the entire building collapses. The Lord’s command is that the building should collapse upon everyone (see the account of Samson destroying the Philistines’ temple in Judges 16:23-30). (4) This is the first calamity, but even those who escape it will all in the end be destroyed. (5) There is no place of escape for them, either in Sheol or in heaven. (6) There is no hiding place for them, either on the mountaintops or in the depths of the sea. (7) Furthermore, even if they are led away as captives, they will be destroyed by the sword. The Lord is the almighty God, the omnipresent God, and the omniscient God. Therefore, their efforts to escape judgment will come to nothing.
God’s righteous anger
In this passage, the Lord has left the mercy seat and has taken His seat on the throne of judgment. When the Lord judges sinners based on His righteousness, we have no place to flee. David confesses as follows in Psalm 139. “If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take up the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will take hold of me. If I say, ‘Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, And the light around me will be night,’ Even darkness is not dark to You, And the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You.” People cannot escape from God. Therefore, in the end, there is no way except to trust God. David also finally confesses as follows: “Search me, God, and know my heart; Put me to the test and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there is any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.” May this confession become our confession.
Today's prayer
Father God of Jesus Christ, please lead me into Your righteous way. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.