Amos 7:3
The LORD relented concerning this: “It shall not be,” said the LORD.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Amos 7:3
The LORD relented concerning this: “It shall not be,” said the LORD.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
What's easy to miss here is that God's "repentance" isn't a change of mind, but a change of action based on the prophet's prayer. He had planned a certain judgment, but He halts it, showing that His discipline is responsive to intercession and not an unalterable decree.
Amos has a vision of locusts sent to devour the land, and he cries out to God, asking for forgiveness and questioning how Jacob, who is so small, can possibly endure such destruction. In response, the LORD agrees to withhold the full force of the judgment, saying "It shall not be," indicating that the prophetic intercession has averted total disaster for the moment.
Amos prays, and God changes His mind – or does He? What does it mean for God to 'repent'?
The prophet Amos presents a powerful picture of prayer's impact. After seeing a vision of devastating locusts, Amos intercedes, "O Lord God, forgive, I beseech thee: by whom shall Jacob arise? for he is small" (Amos 7:2).
God's response is striking: "The LORD repented for this: ‘It shall not be,’ said the LORD" (Amos 7:3).
When Scripture says God 'repents,' it's not that God's character or eternal plan changes. God is perfect and unchanging (Malachi 3:6). Instead, this 'repentance' describes God altering His outward action in response to something new – in this case, the heartfelt prayer of His prophet.
It's like a loving parent who, seeing their child genuinely sorry and asking for forgiveness, decides not to enforce a punishment they had planned. The parent's love and desire for the child's well-being haven't changed, but their action towards the child is adjusted because of the child's repentance and the parent's own compassion.
This shows us:
If God can 'repent,' does that mean His plans are shaky? Discover the stability behind His actions.
While Amos 7:3 highlights God's mercy, it doesn't negate His justice or His ultimate purposes.
Think of it this way: God's justice demands that sin be addressed. In the vision, the locusts (often symbolizing a destructive invading army, like the Assyrians) represent a coming judgment.
However, God's justice also includes His faithfulness to His covenant and His desire for His people's repentance. Amos's prayer tapped into God's own heart of mercy, a mercy that is rooted in His unchanging nature and His prior commitments to Israel.
Understand the original words
nacham · Hebrew Verb
To change one's mind or purpose, particularly regarding a threat or decision to punish. It speaks to God's responsiveness to prayer and His willingness to show compassion rather than wrath.
This verse reveals God's willingness to respond to the intercession of His prophet, halting a devastating judgment (symbolized by locusts and fire) that was imminent due to Israel's sin, even amidst the rising threat of Assyrian conquest.
c. 760 BC
Amos' Prophetic Ministry
Amos, a shepherd from Judah, is called to prophesy against the Northern Kingdom of Israel during a time of prosperity but moral decay.
c. 760-750 BC— this verse
Visions of Judgment
Amos receives a series of visions from the Lord, including locusts consuming the land and fire devastating the earth. These symbolize impending judgment.
c. 753 BC
Assyrian Military Pressure
The Neo-Assyrian Empire, under rulers like Tiglath-Pileser II, begins to exert increasing military and political pressure on the kingdoms of Israel and Judah.
c. 745 BC
Tiglath-Pileser III's Reign Begins
Tiglath-Pileser III ascends to the Assyrian throne, initiating a period of intense military expansion and conquest that would deeply impact the region.
This passage shows God relenting from His declared judgment upon Israel for the golden calf incident after Moses intercedes, mirroring the theme of God's mercy responding to prayer.
1 Samuel 15:11Here, God expresses regret ('it grieves me') for making Saul king, indicating a change in His outward dealing due to Saul's disobedience, akin to God changing His course of action based on circumstances.
Jeremiah 18:8This verse states that if a nation turns from its evil, God will relent from the disaster He planned, highlighting the conditional nature of God's judgment and His willingness to change course.
Jonah 3:10Similar to Amos, Jonah's prophecy against Nineveh leads to the city's repentance, and God 'relents' from the destruction He had threatened, emphasizing the power of repentance and God's compassionate response.
James 5:16This New Testament verse directly speaks to the efficacy of prayer, stating that the prayer of a righteous person avails much, which is the underlying principle enabling God to 'repent' or change His decree in Amos's vision.
barnesAmos 7:3: "The LORD repented for this: It shall not be, saith the LORD."
The Lord repented for this - God is said to "repent, to have strong compassion upon" or "over" evil, which He has either inflicted Deuteronomy 32:36 ; 1 Chronicles 21:15 , or has said that He would inflict Exodus 32:12 ; Joel 2:13 ; Jonah 3:10 ; Jeremiah 18:8 , and which, upon repentance or prayer, He suspends or checks. Here, Amos does not intercede until after the judgment had been, in part, inflicted. He prayed, when in…
calvinAmos 7:1-3: "Thus hath the Lord GOD shewed unto me; and, behold, he formed grasshoppers in the beginning of the shooting up of the latter growth; and, lo, it was the latter growth after the king's mowings."
Sic ostendit mihi Dominus, et ecce formans locustas principio ascensionis herbae (hoc est, quum incipit herba ascendere: lqs, proprie significat secundam herbam, quam vocamus, Regian) et ecce herba post sectiones (vel, tonsuras, ut alii vertunt) Regis.
And it came to pass, that when t…
What's easy to miss here is that God's "repentance" isn't a change of mind, but a change of action based on the prophet's prayer. He had planned a certain judgment, but He halts it, showing that His discipline is responsive to intercession and not an unalterable decree.
Amos has a vision of locusts sent to devour the land, and he cries out to God, asking for forgiveness and questioning how Jacob, who is so small, can possibly endure such destruction. In response, the LORD agrees to withhold the full force of the judgment, saying "It shall not be," indicating that the prophetic intercession has averted total disaster for the moment.
Amos has a vision of locusts sent to devour the land, and he cries out to God, asking for forgiveness and questioning how Jacob, who is so small, can possibly endure such destruction. In response, the LORD agrees to withhold the full force of the judgment, saying "It shall not be," indicating that the prophetic intercession has averted total disaster for the moment.
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So, when God 'repents' in this context:
God's actions might change in their outward manifestation based on prayer, but His core character and His sovereign plan are steadfast.
c. 740 BC
Fall of Samaria Predicted
Though judgment is temporarily averted through prayer, the ultimate fall of Samaria and the exile of Israel are still foretold by Amos.
"The LORD relented concerning this: “It shall not be,” said the LORD." — What's easy to miss here is that God's "repentance" isn't a change of mind, but a change of action based on the prophet's prayer. He had planned a certain judgment, but He halts it, showing that Hi…