In what ways does Amos' intercession connect with Jesus' role as our mediator? Setting the Scene: Amos 7:2 in Context • God shows Amos a devastating swarm of locusts. • Amos 7:2: “When the locusts had finished eating the vegetation of the land, I said, ‘Lord GOD, please forgive! How can Jacob survive, for he is so small?’” • Israel’s sin deserves judgment, yet Amos steps in, pleading for mercy before the sentence falls. Amos as a Picture of Intercession • He sees the coming disaster and immediately runs to God—not to argue Israel’s innocence, but to seek pardon. • His plea is grounded in covenant compassion: “Jacob is so small.” Amos highlights Israel’s weakness to move God’s heart. • Result (v. 3): “So the LORD relented concerning this.” God responds to a righteous man’s prayer (cf. James 5:16). Jesus, the Greater Mediator • 1 Timothy 2:5: “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” • Hebrews 7:25: “He always lives to intercede for them.” • Unlike Amos—who could only pray—Jesus mediates by His own blood (Hebrews 9:24-26). Points of Connection Between Amos and Jesus • Both stand between God’s wrath and God’s people. – Amos cries, “Please forgive!” – Jesus cries from the cross, “Father, forgive them” (Luke 23:34). • Both appeal to the Father on the basis of mercy, not human merit. – Amos: Israel is “small.” – Jesus: We were “helpless” and “ungodly” (Romans 5:6-8). • Both obtain a real, historic stay of judgment. – Locust plague halted. – Eternal condemnation removed for all who believe (John 3:16-18). • Both reveal God’s heart to pardon if someone will “stand in the gap” (Ezekiel 22:30). • Amos intercedes briefly; Jesus intercedes continually. – Amos prayed once and left. – Jesus “now appears in God’s presence for us” (Hebrews 9:24) and “always lives” in that role. Why This Matters for Us Today • Our primary hope is not our repentance, sincerity, or works—our hope rests in a living Mediator. • Because Christ intercedes, we can “draw near with confidence” (Hebrews 4:16). • His ongoing advocacy assures us that every confession is met by mercy (1 John 2:1-2). • Just as Amos modeled, we are invited to join Jesus in intercessory prayer for others (1 Peter 2:9), trusting that God still delights to relent and restore. |
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