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'Behold, the eyes of the Lord God are upon the sinful kingdom, and I
will destroy it from off the face of the earth' (Amos 9:8).
This however is not the last word, for the verse continues:
'saving that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, saith the
Lord'.
The prophecy now passes to the glorious and blessed future:
'In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen ...
the plowman shall overtake the reaper ... and I will bring again the
captivity of My people of Israel ... and they shall no more be pulled
up out of their land which I have given them, saith the Lord thy God'
(Amos 9:11 -15).
Instead of attempting the literary structure, which to be of any
service would have to be set out in some fulness, we append the following set
of distinguishing features, which, if followed through, will reveal the
prophet's main theme and method of approach.
(1)
'For three transgressions, and for four, I will not turn away the
punishment thereof' (Amos 1:3,6,9,11,13; 2:1,4 and 6).
(2)
'Yet have ye not returned unto Me, saith the Lord' (4:6,8-11).
(3)
'Seek
ye Me, and ye shall live' (5:4).
'Seek
the Lord and ye shall live' (6).
'Seek
Him that maketh the seven stars' (8).
'Seek
good and not evil, that ye may live' (14).
(4)
'Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord' (18).
'Woe to them that are at ease in Zion' (6:1).
(5)
'The Lord repented for this.
It shall not be' (7:1 -6).
(6)
'Amos, what seest thou?
Not again pass by them any more' (7:8;
8:2).
(7)
'In that day'.
'Raise up; bring again captivity' (9:11 -15).
'The words of Amos ... which he saw concerning Israel'.