What is the meaning of Amos 7:16? Now, therefore, hear the word of the LORD. • The opening summons is a divine command, not a suggestion. Like Isaiah 1:10 and Jeremiah 2:4, Amos begins by insisting that God’s people pause and listen. • “Therefore” links this verse to the visions of locusts, fire, and the plumb line in Amos 7:1-9; after patient warnings, God now issues an authoritative verdict. • Hearing implies more than auditory reception: Deuteronomy 6:4 couples hearing with loving obedience. 1 Samuel 15:22 shows that to “hear” is better than ritual sacrifice. • When the Lord speaks, silence and submission are the only faithful responses (Psalm 46:10). Ignoring Him brings the calamities described later in Amos 7:17. You say: ‘Do not prophesy against Israel; do not preach against the house of Isaac.’ • The people (represented by Amaziah in Amos 7:10-13) reject the uncomfortable message. Micah 2:6 records the same cry: “Do not prophesy.” • Resisting God’s word is a recurring pattern: 2 Chronicles 24:20-21, Jeremiah 26:8-9, and Acts 7:57-58 all show hardened hearts silencing God’s messengers. • “Against Israel…against the house of Isaac” reveals irony. They appeal to their covenant lineage (Genesis 26:24), yet refuse the covenant’s Lord. Romans 9:6-7 notes that heritage without faith is empty. • 2 Timothy 4:3 warns that people will prefer teachers who tell them what they want to hear. Amos exposes that tendency centuries earlier. • By forbidding prophecy, they attempt to cancel divine accountability, but Psalm 115:3 reminds us that God “does whatever pleases Him.” Silencing the prophet cannot silence God. summary Amos 7:16 shows a collision between God’s unyielding word and Israel’s unwilling ears. The Lord commands His people to listen, yet they command His prophet to be quiet. Their demand exposes a heart that treasures heritage over obedience and comfort over truth. God, however, will still speak and will still act. For every generation the lesson stands: receive His word with humility, lest resistance invite the very judgment the word seeks to avert. |
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