John Calvin Commentary Amos 4:12-13

"Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel; [and] because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel. For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought; that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the Earth-jehovah, the God of hosts, is his name." — Amos 4:12-13 (ASV)

Amos here declares, in the person of God, that the people hoped in vain for pardon, or for a modification, an abatement, or an end to their punishment; for God had in vain made the attempt, by many scourges and chastisements, to subdue their extreme arrogance: therefore, he says, thus will I do to you. What does this particle כה, ke, thus, mean?

Some think that God here denounces against the Israelites the punishments they had previously experienced, but the Prophet, I doubt not, means something much more grievous. He now removes the exception which he recently mentioned, as though he had said that God would execute extreme punishment on this reprobate people without any mitigation.

This will I do to thee, Israel: “You have already perceived with how many things I armed myself to take vengeance on the despisers of my law; I will now deal more severely with you, for your obstinacy compels me. Since, then, I have until now produced no effect on you, I will now bring the last punishment, for remedies cannot be applied to men past recovery.” Thus, then, he says, will I do to thee, Israel.

And because I will do this to thee, etc. The word עכב, okob, often means a reward or an end. This passage may then be rendered this way: ‘I will at length surely do this to you.’ But the most suitable sense seems to be this: Because I will do this to you, prepare to meet thy God. The passage may be explained in two ways: either as an ironic statement, or as a simple and serious exhortation to repentance.

If we take it ironically, the sense will be of this kind: “Come, now, meet me with all your obstinacy, and with whatever may serve you; will you be able to escape my vengeance by setting yourselves up against me, as you have until now done?” And certainly the Prophet, in denouncing final ruin upon the people, seems here as though he deliberately wished to touch them to the quick, when he says, “Meet now thy God and prepare thyself:” that is, “Gather all your strength, and your forces, and your auxiliaries; try what all this will avail you.”

But as in the next chapter, the Prophet again exhorts the Israelites to repentance and sets before them the hope of favor, this passage may be taken in another sense, as though he said, “Since you see yourself guilty, and also as you see that you are seeking subterfuges in vain, being unable by any means to elude the hand of your judge, then see at last that you meet thy God, so that you may anticipate the final ruin that is impending.” The Prophets, we indeed know, after threatening destruction to the chosen people, consistently moderate the asperity of their doctrine, as there was always some remnant seed, though hidden.

We have seen similar passages both in Joel and in Hosea. It is not, therefore, improper to explain the words of Amos in this sense—that though the people were almost past hope, he still exhorted them to anticipate God’s wrath. Prepare then thyself to meet thy God, as though he said, “However worthy you are of being destroyed, and though the Lord seems to have closed the door of mercy, and despair meets you on every side, you cannot yet mitigate God’s wrath, provided you prepare to meet him.”

But this preparation includes real renovation of the heart: it then takes place when men are displeased with themselves, when with a changed mind they submit to God, and humbly pray for forgiveness. There is then an important meaning in the Prophet’s words, Prepare thyself. With regard to meeting God, we know what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11:31:

If we judge ourselves, we shall not be judged by the Lord.

Why is it, then, that God deals severely with us, except that we spare ourselves? Hence this indulgence, with which we flatter ourselves, provokes God’s wrath against us. We cannot then meet God unless we become our own judges, condemn our sins, and feel real sorrow. We now see what the Prophet means, if we regard the passage as not spoken ironically.

But that he might rouse careless men more effectively, he then magnificently extols the power of God; and that he might produce more reverence and fear in men, especially the hardened and the refractory, he adorns His name with many commendations. As it was difficult to turn the headstrong, the Prophet accumulates many titles to move the people, so that they might entertain reverence for God. He says, God has formed the mountains, and created the spirit, and further, he knoweth hearts, and men themselves understand not what they think of, except as far as God sets before them their thoughts; God maketh the morning and the darkness, and walketh in the high places of the earth; and his name is, Jehovah, God of hosts.

Why were all these encomiums added, if not that the hearts of men might be touched, who were previously void of thought and sunk in blind stupidity? We now understand the Prophet’s objective. But what remains to be said about the words will be added in tomorrow’s lecture.

Prayer:

Grant, Almighty God, that since by Your word You kindly invite us to Yourself, we may not turn deaf ears to You, but anticipate Your rod and scourges; and that when, for the stupidity and thoughtlessness by which we have become inebriated, You add those punishments by which You sharply urge us to repent—O grant, that we may not continue wholly intractable, but at length turn our hearts to Your service and submit ourselves to the yoke of Your word, and that we may be so instructed by the punishments which You have inflicted on us and still inflict, that we may truly and from the heart turn to You, and offer ourselves to You as a sacrifice, that You may govern us according to Your will, and so rule all our affections by Your Spirit, that we may through the whole of our life strive to glorify Your name in Christ Jesus, Your Son our Lord. Amen.

[Exposition continues from previous day's lecture]

We have explained the last verse of the fourth chapter, except that there remains something to be said about the glorious representation of God given by the Prophet. He says first, that he had formed the mountains, then that he had created the spirits, afterwards that he declares to man what is his thoughts, makes the morning and the darkness, and walks on the high places of the earth.

Such an accumulation of words might seem superfluous, but this main thing must be borne in mind: that it was necessary for men, whose minds were exceedingly torpid, to be aroused so that they might seriously consider what we have seen had been denounced against them. Hence the Prophet sought to shake the Israelites out of their thoughtlessness by setting God before them in His greatness; for when His name only is announced, He is wholly neglected by the greatest part of men. It was therefore necessary that something should be added, so that those who were asleep might be awakened and understand how great and how fearful the power of God is. This is the design of all that we read here.

The word רוח, ruch, is interpreted in two ways. Some refer it to the wind, and others to the soul of man. If we take it to mean the wind, it will connect suitably with the creation of mountains, for the winds emerge from them on account of their cavity. If you understand it to mean man’s soul, it will agree with the following clause. It appears more probable to me that the Prophet speaks of man’s soul; though one might possibly choose to connect both, so that there is an allusion to wind, and yet Amos, about to speak of thought, first mentions the spirit.

But what the Prophet says, that God announces to men what their thought is—this is done in various ways. We indeed know that the end of teaching is that men may confess their guilt, who previously flattered themselves; we know also that the word of God is like a two-edged sword, which penetrates into the bones and marrow, and distinguishes between thoughts and feelings (Hebrews 4:12).

God then, in this way, draws men out of their hiding places into the light; and He also convinces them without the word, for we know how powerful are the secret movements (instinctus—influences) of the Spirit. But the Prophet meant only here that the Israelites had to do with God, who is the searcher of hearts, and from whom nothing is hidden, however concealed it may be. Each one is to himself the best witness of his own thoughts; but the Prophet ascribes a higher degree to God, for He understands whatever anyone conceives in his mind better than the person who seems to have all his own thoughts well understood. Since men therefore craftily hide themselves, the Prophet here reminds them that they cannot succeed, for God understands what they inwardly think better than they themselves do. We now perceive, then, what he substantially means.

Some explain the words, that God makes the morning darkness, as if Amos had said that He converts light into darkness; but we ought rather to consider a copulative to be understood. For he here declares the power of God, not only as displayed in having once created the world, but also in preserving the order of nature and in minutely regulating the changes of times and seasons. Let us now proceed to the fifth chapter.