Amos 7:1-17

If you've spent enouhg time in the Old Testament you might recognize the pattern. "Repent and turn back to me, or be destroyed." Then the people either turn back and repent... or not, and the consawuences happen. This is to be expected in a collection of writings dedicated to the expereince of divinity meeting humanity. So when that pattern is broken, it becomes noteworthy.

Amos 7 begins with a strange collection. Two different judgments, one by locusts and another by fire, that God has decided to bring upon his people. But then the prophet appeals to God on their behalf. There is no preaching, there is no call to repentance, and there is no repentance to speak of, but on both occations God decides to relent his judgement. It is a pure case of mercy and grace for his people.

This is not so strange a thing really to find in scripture, It's just noteworthy as I said, and there's a few important things here. One is around the idea of God's patience, another around his sense of mercy and grace. But what I want to focus on is the sense of intercession.

It seems to me in the modern church taht there is a hesitancy towards intercession. I think this is partically because people simply don't want to devote the time/mental energy to intercession. I also think that there are some ideas aroud the sovereignty of God. "God will do whatever he wants, so why should we want to try and change his mind?" But this is the kicker, most of the heroes of the Bible believed that God could change his mind, and that they would have a hand in that. This would include Abraham, Amos (of course), David, and even Jesus himself.

The Bible gives a clear idea around the idea of intercession. God wants an interactive relationship. Dispite his soveregnty, he wants a relationship where we may very well have an affect on his decidsions, at least this is how scripture reveals that relatonship. It's all through the Bible. So the uncomfortable question is... why does it seem so lacking today?

I think the answer is what's uncomfortable. Christians to pray for intercession because they don't really believe that it will work. Sure, we'll pray for things that are easy to write off if it doesn't work. We intercede for abstract things. Mostly, I think that we try to word our prayers in a way that can protect our own dissapointment if nothing changes. But when was the last time you heard someone pray in a way where you could tell, "they really expect that this act is going to change things."

I for one, don't quite get the point of this whole faith thing if we don't beleive in relational prayer that expects it to make a difference. I'm looking forward to seeing how others feel.

For Discusion:
1) Read the visions. What stands out about Amos's intercession? How do you try to "Defend your prayers," in case it doesn't work?
2) What is your understanding of the plumb line? What is it's purpose?
3) The second half of Amos 7 seems to give us the first sense of narrative in the whole book. What does this story show you of Amos' experience? Why would he include this?