How does Amos 7:3 demonstrate God's willingness to relent from judgment? Setting the Scene “Then the Lord relented concerning this. ‘It shall not be,’ said the Lord.” — Amos 7:3 The Prophet’s Plea and the Lord’s Reply • Amos sees a coming judgment (vv.1–2) and cries out, “O Lord GOD, please forgive!” • God immediately answers: “It shall not be.” • The sequence shows a direct cause-and-effect—intercession moves the heart of God. Key Word: “Relented” (Hebrew nacham) • Conveys the idea of breathing deeply, feeling sorrow, turning from a course of action. • Scripture uses the same verb when God pauses judgment after Moses’ plea (Exodus 32:14). • Relenting never compromises God’s holiness; it reveals His compassionate freedom to show mercy. A Consistent Pattern in Scripture • Exodus 32:14—“So the Lord relented from the calamity He had threatened.” • Jeremiah 18:7-8—If a nation repents, “then I will relent of the disaster I had planned.” • Jonah 3:10—When Nineveh turned, “God relented of the disaster.” • Joel 2:13—He is “gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in loving devotion.” Why Amos 7:3 Matters • God invites partnership—He allows human prayer to influence real events. • Judgment is often conditional; mercy is always available to the repentant. • The verse assures every generation that divine wrath is not His final word; grace is. |
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