Question 1

What is happening in the visions of locusts, fire, and the plumbline?

Accepted Answer

In this passage God shows Amos three different visions. First, He forms a swarm of locusts that eat the new grass after the king’s mowings, which pictures the land being stripped and the people left weak. Second, God calls for judgment by fire that is so strong it reaches even the deep places and consumes part of the land. In both cases Amos cries out for mercy, and God holds back the judgment. Third, God stands by a wall with a plumbline, showing He is now measuring Israel by His straight standard and will no longer overlook their sins.

Question 2

What does Amos mean when he says, "by whom shall Jacob arise, for he is small"?

Accepted Answer

When Amos says, "by whom shall Jacob arise, for he is small," he is talking about the people of Israel, often called Jacob. He sees how weak and vulnerable they are under God’s judgment. If the locusts or the fire fully destroy the land, he knows the nation cannot lift itself back up. His question is really a plea. He is saying, in simple terms, “Lord, if you go ahead with this, how can your people possibly survive?” It shows both compassion for the people and trust that God is the only one who can raise them again.

Question 3

What does it mean that "the Lord repented for this" in response to Amos’ prayers?

Accepted Answer

The phrase "the Lord repented for this" does not mean God made a mistake or changed His character. It means that, in response to Amos’ prayer, God chose not to carry out the judgment that He had shown in the vision. God had the right to destroy, because of the people’s sins, but He held back. The passage shows that God’s plans include both justice and mercy, and that He is pleased to show mercy when there is real pleading for His people. His eternal purpose does not change, but His way of dealing with the situation can turn from judgment to delay.

Question 4

What is the meaning of the plumbline in God’s hand in this passage?

Accepted Answer

A plumbline is a simple tool used to see if a wall is straight. In the vision God stands by a wall built straight and holds a plumbline in His hand. This picture means God is measuring His people by His own straight standard of right and wrong. For a long time He had passed by their sins, showing patience. Now He says He will “set a plumbline” in the middle of Israel and will not pass by them anymore. In other words, He will test them by His standard, expose how crooked they have become, and bring judgment that fits their sins.

Question 5

Why does God relent after the first two visions but not after the plumbline vision?

Accepted Answer

In the first two visions, Amos sees how hard the locusts and the fire would fall on the land, and he prays earnestly for mercy. He points out how small and weak Jacob is. God listens and holds back, showing His patience and kindness. The third vision is different. With the plumbline, God is no longer just warning of a possible disaster. He is announcing that He has measured the people, their sins are full, and He will not pass by them anymore. This shows that God’s patience has a limit. When people keep resisting, there comes a time when judgment is no longer delayed.

Question 6

What does this passage teach about God’s patience and judgment over time?

Accepted Answer

This passage shows that God does not rush into judgment. He first sends warnings, like the visions of locusts and fire, and He is willing to hold back when there is prayer and concern for the people. This is His forbearance, giving time and space for repentance. But it also shows that when people keep abusing His patience and refuse to change, His judgment grows more severe and finally becomes certain, as in the plumbline vision. God’s kindness is real, and so is His holiness. Both are seen together as He delays, then finally announces that He will no longer overlook sin.

Question 7

Why are the high places and sanctuaries of Israel said to become desolate?

Accepted Answer

The passage says that the high places of Isaac will be desolate and the sanctuaries of Israel will be laid waste. High places were spots used for worship, often mixed with wrong practices. The sanctuaries had become centers of empty or twisted religion, rather than true worship of God. When God measures His people with the plumbline, He includes their worship life. Because their worship had turned away from Him, those places would be destroyed. This shows that God cares not only about outward peace and success, but also about how and whom His people worship. False and corrupt worship will not stand.

Question 8

What is the judgment announced against the house of Jeroboam?

Accepted Answer

At the end of the vision, God says, "I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword." The house of Jeroboam means the royal family and line that ruled over Israel. They were leading the nation in sin, and God holds them responsible. Rising against them with the sword means that their rule will end in violence and downfall, not in peace. This shows that rulers are not above God’s law. When those in power turn a nation away from God and use their position to support wrong worship and injustice, they too must face God’s judgment in His time.

Question 9

How can the visions of Amos about locusts, fire, and a plumbline apply to believers today?

Accepted Answer

These visions remind believers that God is patient but not careless about sin. Like the locusts and the fire, hard times can be warnings meant to wake people up, not just random events. Amos’ prayers show that God hears when His people plead for others, so interceding for churches, communities, and nations still matters. The plumbline shows that God has a straight standard in His word, and He measures His people by it. For today, that means regularly letting God’s truth test our lives, our worship, and even our leaders, and turning back quickly when we see we are out of line.

Question 10

Why is this passage sometimes hard to understand, especially the pictures of locusts, fire, and the deep?

Accepted Answer

This passage is hard for some readers because God speaks through visions, not plain commands or stories. The locusts and fire are pictures of real judgments, and the “great deep” likely points to a vast, overwhelming scope, not a small local event. Some see the locusts as literal insects, others see them as pointing to foreign armies; the fire may point to drought or invading forces. Either way, the main point is clear even if the details are debated. God is warning of growing levels of judgment, while still listening to prayer, until the time comes when judgment is fixed.

Amos 7:1

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.

The Locusts, Fire, and Plumb Line

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Amos 7:1

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.

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The Locusts, Fire, and Plumb Line

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