Amos 3:7
“Surely the Lord GOD does nothing unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.”
A prophet is someone who periodically communicates on behalf of God under His inspiration (for more information see Prophets and the Gift of Prophecy). So then, what does this verse in Amos mean? Does it mean, in general, in all contexts, that “whenever God gets ready to do something, He always reveals to a person or His people what He is going to do [1]?” Certainly not. Here are some obvious examples of God doing something without any apparent prior revelation:
1) The act of creation (Genesis 1:1-25). As there were no humans in existence during these creative acts, there were no prophets to whom God could reveal that which He was planning to do.
2) The suffering of Job (Job). There’s no record of God a priori revealing to anyone (human) His plan regarding allowing Satan to persecute Job.
3) The deliverance of Israel from Haman (Esther). There’s no record of God revealing that He would create or allow for circumstances in which Esther would become queen so that she could be an instrument of God’s deliverance of Israel from the wrath of the Amalekites. In fact, in the Hebrew version of this text, God isn’t even explicitly mentioned.
Of course, any mature Christian knows from personal experience that God routinely does many things without first revealing His plans or purposes to His people. It’s His prerogative; He’s God! So then, what does Amos 3:7 mean in context ? Consider the following:
1) The Date (Prior to Assyria’s Destruction of Israel) : Amos prophesied during the reigns of Uzziah in Judah (792-740 B.C.) and Jeroboam in Israel (793-753 B.C) [Amos 1:1].
2) The Occasion (Judgment for Transgression) : Amos was called to pronounce God’s pending judgments against Damascus (Amos 1:3), Gaza (Amos 1:6), Tyre (Amos 1:9), Edom (Amos 1:11), Ammon (Amos 1:13), Moab (Amos 2:1), Judah (Amos 2:4), and Israel (Amos 2:6).
3) The Response (Rejection of God) : Despite all that God had done for (to) the people of Israel in order to prompt them to repent, they refused to return to Him (Amos 4:6,8-11).
4) The Result (Mourning and Captivity) : Amos revealed that there would be a time of great mourning, culminating in Israel’s captivity “beyond Damscus” (Amos 5:16-27), i.e., in Assyria. This ultimately occurred in ~ 722 B.C. (2 Kings 17).
So then, what does Amos 3:7 mean in context ? Simply this:
Prior to carrying out any national judgment due to characteristic corporate wickedness, the Lord would reveal (to a prophet) said wickedness and His plan to justly punish it in order to provide the nation with an opportunity to repent of its sins and return to following God, thereby also possibly avoiding God’s just punishment.
In this case, how should Christians apply Amos 3:7 today? I think that there are two options:
1) Individually. Each Christian is himself or herself an individual temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19), Who searches the deep things of God (1 Corinthians 2:10), and Who convicts of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8). Therefore, Christians should diligently discern if they’ve sinned [see Hearing God : How Does God Speak Today?] and then proceed accordingly (with penitence, confession, repentance, and when necessary, attempts at reconciliation). For more on this topic check out Examine Yourself, Confession, and Holiness, Fellowship and Forgiveness.
2) Corporately. The corporate body of Christ is also the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16). In this regard, it’s important to realize that the Holy Spirit can communicate about corporate issues as well, both to leaders and non-leaders (in particular if the leaders have become corrupt or are the perpetrators of the sins for which judgment on the body is pending). Therefore, diligently seek to discern any corporate sin in your local church body, and if or when necessary, share that which you discern with your church leadership team. For more on this topic, check out Leadership in the Church and Boldly Confront Sin Amongst Church Leaders.
Reference
[1] Henry T. Blackaby and Claude V. King, “Experiencing God : Youth Edition,” LifeWay Press, Nashville, 2005, p.31.
