S154P13 – Sincerity in prayer: Amos
Amo. 7:4-6
This is what the Lord GOD showed me: behold, the Lord GOD was calling for a judgment by fire, and it devoured the great deep and was eating up the land. Then I said, “O Lord GOD, please cease! How can Jacob stand? He is so small!” The LORD relented concerning this: “This also shall not be,” said the Lord GOD.
If you take a tour through the minor prophets, you will see a lot of doom and gloom. The prophecies of these men hit squarely on the sins of Israel and the consequences of those sins. Judgment was pronounced in various forms. Pestilence, fire and death are common themes. God certainly had an expectation of his people as they were a representation of him, but they often did not meet that expectation. We see men like Amos who were the faithful few, who had to face the people with difficult truths. Their disobedience would bring them punishment, and these messages were as painful to deliver as they were to receive. That is why we see Amos pray this way.
Even though judgment was just, Amos prayed for mercy, and God relented. This is the second prayer in a row that resulted in this. It must have broken the heart of Amos to see his people so far gone. Although he clearly wanted them to be obedient, to be set straight, locusts and fire seemed too much for him. God relented twice in response to these compassionate prayers, but the next several verses show a change. The then-current king of Israel would die by sword, and his subjects would go into exile. It would be another turn in the pattern: judgment, destruction, exile and eventual restoration. Through all of this, we see another heart of a prophet bent on sparing his people these great sufferings.
These prayers of Amos really bring to life the truth that mercy triumphs over judgment. Judgment is what was deserved and necessary for Israel to be restored, but the heart of the prophet desired mercy. The Lord relented for a time, seeming to honor that request for mercy, but judgment would come as it needed to. Amos was able to stay that punishment for a time, and I think that God was glad to hear that prayer. I think that He was glad to give his people one more chance or two to change. Let us continue to contend for that kind mercy. Father, give us hearts like Amos to ask for one more opportunity and a little more time for others to turn to You before judgment comes.