Introduction
The people of the northern Kingdom of Israel considered
themselves unaccountable to Yehovah. They no longer praised God for His
protection and provision, but sang songs to themselves for what they
accomplished-victory in battle, excess of provisions, and magnificent homes.
These people of Israel abhorred the reminders from righteous people to take
care of the poor-widows, orphans, and foreigners. They physically cast them
from their sight and refused to hear God’s righteous laws. Though Amos’ last
sermon called them to let God’s righteousness flow over and cleanse them, then
flow through them to others, the rich and the leaders of the Israelites refused
to return to God and follow Him. They refused to be a holy people of the LORD.
As in Amos’ earlier sermons, so the sermon of Amos 5:18-27
proclaimed God’s judgment upon the Israelites of the northern kingdom. God told
them they asked for the “day of the Lord” to come. They did not realize they were
His enemies, too. He would judge them along with their enemies. God’s justice would
come as a flood to remove the detritus from Israel, punish them for their
rebellion and iniquities, and cleanse them from unrighteousness. They would
remember Who the LORD is and has been in their history and return to a right relationship
with Him.
In Amos 6, Amos preached his final proclamation of prophecy
to the Israelites listing their sins. With verse seven, he declared God’s
judgment upon them. With the last half of the chapter, Amos told the Israelites
of God’s hate of their sins, His judgment, the result of His judgment, and
reiterated the peoples’ sins. Finally, with verse fourteen, God proclaimed how
His judgment would come upon the Israelites. With this brief reminder of earlier
sermons and a preview of chapter six, let’s now study what God said through
Amos in chapter six.
Woe to the People
As with Amos 5:18, Amos began this last sermon against the
nation of Israel with a lament. He lamented Israel’s complacency to follow the
LORD’s laws. Amos said in verse one,
“Woe to those who are at ease in Zion and to those who
feel secure in the mountain of Samaria, the distinguished men of the foremost
of nations, to whom the house of Israel comes.” [NASB]
Bible writers used the word “woe” to state grief over the
dead. See 1 Kings 13:30 and Jeremiah 22:18 and 34:5. Amos lamented the
sinfulness of Israel, her coming judgment, the loss of life, the loss of God’s
hand of protection against them, and their loss of freedom. In this statement
of woe, he referred again to the rich people of Israel. Amos proclaimed woe
over those who were at ease. Isaiah 32:9-11 expressed woe toward the women at
ease. Luke 6:24 expressed woe for the rich stating their only comfort would be
what they had then because their day of judgment would come.
These people were at ease and felt secure because they felt
no one could defeat the God who established them. They forgot, though, that
this same God covenanted with them promising blessings for their covenant
faithfulness and curses for covenant unfaithfulness. These Israelites chose to
remember and live only by the positive side of the covenant-God would be their
God and would bless them. They were at ease in Zion expecting God to provide
for them and fight their battles always. The rich Israelites did not recognize
their sin and realize they should not be at ease because they deserved God’s
wrath. Amos expressed woe to these Israelites who rested in ease thinking the
God of Zion would always defend them and let no harm come to them.
Along with the Israelites being at ease because their God would
protect them, they felt confidence in their ability to protect the site of
their capital city. It was on a high hill surrounded by mountains. They considered
themselves unconquerable. The Israelites of Samaria could see their enemy
coming before they arrived. These Israelites trusted in their military
preparedness to see them through crises. Amos expressed woe for the Israelites
because they had confidence in their own might and logistical strategy and did
not recall the LORD had kept them safe throughout their history. Yehovah could
remove His protective hand and they would be as vulnerable as any other city/nation
of the world. The Israelites felt secure, but they were careless, at ease. They
did not keep covenant faithfulness with God. The way to salvation in battle and
of the soul comes from the LORD and they were unfaithful to Him.
The men to whom Amos proclaimed woe in this verse were the
distinguished men of Israel to whom Israel went for justice, advice, and aid.
They were the ones who rose above the crowd in their oppression, corruption,
and business dealings. These rich men controlled the courts and businesses.
Everyone had to go to them for help, yet they helped no one who was not a beneficial
connection. These rich men of Israel were the real power structure of society,
not Yehovah. These wealthy, upper class people of Israel were the biggest
offenders in that society. Amos did not preach against wealth or a classless
society. He condemned the abuse and oppression of the poor by the rich. The
rich had made themselves god of their city and nation.
Rhetorical Questions
With verse two, it seems Amos provided the rhetorical argument
the rich Israelites would give to anyone who proposed Israel was lesser than
other nations. Amos said in verse two,
“Go over to Calneh and look, and go from there to
Hamath the great, then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are they better than
these kingdoms, or is their territory greater than yours?” [NASB]
Calneh was probably the city of Calno in Aram near
Carchemish. Hamath was a city in Aram, too. These had large territories. Hamath
had been part of Israel under Solomon’s and Jeroboam’s reigns. Sargon II of
Assyria captured these two places after Amos’ time in 721 BC. Uzziah captured
Gath before Amos prophesied. With this rhetorical question from Amos, he showed
their arrogance about their greatness and military prowess. The Israelites, per
Amos’ rhetorical speaking for them, challenged Amos’ prophecies of God’s
judgment on them. Still, Amos rebutted them with his prophecy of their judgment
from God.
As Amos continued pronouncing his sermon of woe on the
Israelites with verse three, he asked another rhetorical question, this time
for the LORD. He said in verse three,
“Do you put off the day of calamity, and would you
bring near the seat of violence?” [NASB]
Amos challenged the rich of Israel. He provided them with a
question that would have an obviously ridiculous answer if they continued with
their arrogance and answered in the affirmative. Amos asked the rich if they
could drive away the day of calamity because they assumed greater power than
the LORD. God is the bringer of the day of calamity, the day of the LORD. “Did
the Israelites consider themselves greater than God?” Amos asked. That is how
they acted by disobeying God’s laws and being unfaithful to their covenant with
Him. They put themselves as greater than Yehovah. The rich Israelites lived for
the moment and did not to consider the day of reckoning would come soon. Their arrogance
placed themselves above God and caused them to procrastinate in doing what they
knew was right. They cared not what consequences would come.
Amos continued with this question. He asked the rich Israelites if they would
bring near the seat of violence. This has two ramifications. Would the rich
Israelites continue to do violence against the righteous and poor of their
kingdom? Would they, by continuing this way of life, teach it to their children
so they stored up violence now and for the future? Amos made this same
statement in Amos 3:10. The other side of Amos’ question is would the rich
Israelites continue to disobey God’s laws and thus cause God’s judgment to come
upon them. Would they bring God’s wrath upon themselves now because they kept
living sinfully? By not repenting, the rich Israelites were not putting off the
day of calamity, but with their violence would bring near God’s judgment seat.
It would not go away.
Who were these people whom God judged?
With verses four through six, Amos reiterated who the people
were whom God charged and judged. He described who these were by what they did.
Amos said in verses four through six,
4 “Those who recline on beds of ivory and
sprawl on their couches, and eat lambs from the flock and calves from the midst
of the stall, 5 who improvise to the sound of the harp and like
David have composed songs for themselves, 6 who drink wine from
sacrificial bowls while they anoint themselves with the finest oils, yet they
have not grieved over the ruin of Joseph.” [NASB]
Amos first described the offenders of Israel by how and what
they ate. He said they reclined on their beds of ivory. These beds, built of
wood, contained inlaid ivory. The rich Israelites did not sleep on the packed dirt floor like the poor of society. They sprawled on their couches. These
couches were like chaise lounges upon which they overhung and laid freely in
luxury. Amos spoke of these couches earlier in Amos 3:12 when he spoke of the
remnant of Israel being like the corner of a bed or the cover of a couch. The
rich Israelites knew Amos spoke about them.
Upon these beds and couches, the rich ate the best of meats.
They ate the most tender portions, the young lambs and calves. These animals
suckled on their mothers. The calves came from the barn stalls and ate grain.
Their meat came not from muscle, but was tender from grain feeding and milk.
The rich Israelites ate the best food available, but the poor ate little, the
meager bits gleaned from the fields after the harvesters. These rich Israelites
thought they had no cares and no hurry.
The rich of Israel created songs for their revelry, just as
David created songs. A dichotomy existed that David wrote his songs to and about
Yehovah, whereas they wrote songs to please their own ears while they ate lavishly
and cared not for the people of their country. Isaiah 5:12 says, “Their
banquets are accompanied by lyre and harp, by tambourine and flute, and by
wine, but they do not pay attention to the deeds of the LORD, nor do they
consider the works of His hands.” [NASB] The people whom God judged sang to
themselves, not about God nor giving Him praise. They took the glory for themselves
for what they had and did not give glory to God.
With verse six, Amos stated again the rich of Israel
indulged in wine. Besides this, they drank the wine from sacrificial bowls,
bowls used to catch the blood of sacrificial animals. The blood they offered to
their gods, Amos re-imagined the wine they offered themselves as if they
were gods. They had put themselves above Yehovah. These rich Israelites made
themselves and their desires idols. Besides this, Amos said they anointed
themselves with the best oils. Only the rich could afford olive oil and they
wasted it on their own bodies instead of it being used to give and prepare food
for their Israelite brethren. Remember, too, God used oil for His
servants-priests and prophets-to anoint His leaders over the Israelites. Here,
the Israelites anointing themselves alluded again to their usurping God’s place
in their lives and making themselves their own gods and priests. As priests, their
should have had hearts attuned to God and to His desire for the people-their
needs, poverty, and sins-but their hearts only reflected their personal
desires. The rich Israelites did not grieve over the ruin of Joseph, the
northern kingdom of Israel.
The Judgment
Amos described upon whom God charged and judged most in
Israel. With verse seven, he expounded on what would happen by God because of
their rebellion against Him and His laws. Amos said in verse seven,
“Therefore, they will now go into exile at the head of
the exiles, and the sprawlers’ banqueting will pass away.” [NASB]
The word “therefore” shows reference to the earlier
statements. It refers to the rich Israelites sins. Because they oppressed the
poor and corrupted justice in Israel, God would judge them and make it happen. God,
through Amos, told the Israelites they would go into exile. Their mountains would
not protect them. Their enemy would remove the rich Israelites from their
wealth, lavish houses, grain-fed calves, abundant wine, and finest oils. Besides
this, God said the rich Israelites would lead their nation into exile. These
wealthy Israelites, just as they led the people of Israel into oppressing the
poor and casting aside righteousness, would lead their people into judgment. They
would be the first to go into judgment and exile. The revelry and lavish living
would pass away as God passed through them allowing their enemies to overtake
them. God would not pass over the Israelites this time.
·
What do
you do that tells people you are better than them? Drive a flashy car? Live in
a grand house? Take extravagant vacations? Flash your credit cards?
·
Do you
boast to others about what you have done, who you know, and what you have?
·
Do you
allow the Lord to be God of your life? Or, do you use everything you have and
get for what you want without asking God why He gave it to you?
·
Do you
allow God’s pricks to your conscience to lead you to share what He gave you
with people in need? Do you give whatever God says knowing He will give
everything you will need?
·
Do you
give glory to God for providing what another person needs by your giving and
thank Him for asking you to be part of His plan for helping other people?
God’s Declaration
His hate and abhorrence of their sins
The first half of this sermon described God and Amos’ lament
for the people of the northern kingdom. It ended with the LORD’s judgment of
their sins, especially the sins of the rich Israelites. With this second half
of the chapter, God made declarations to the people about His hate and
abhorrence of their sins, the extent and devastation of His judgment, and about
how His judgment would occur.
In verse eight, Amos said,
“The Lord God has sworn by Himself, the LORD God of
hosts has declared: ‘I loathe the arrogance of Jacob, and I detest his
citadels; therefore, I will deliver up the city and all it contains.’” [NASB]
Again, Amos used multiple names of God. Here he said Adonay,
a title of reverence meaning the Lord of men, Yehovah, the existing One, the I
AM, swore by Himself. This LORD God of hosts is Yehovah ‘Elohiym, the ruler and
judge, and the God of the armies of heaven and earth. GOD swore by the most certain
thing in existence, Himself. He said He absolutely loathes the arrogance of
Jacob. The word “loathes” comes from the Hebrew word ta’ab, which means to abhor or have an intense dislike or disgust. Abhorring
is the physical action that comes from hating something or someone intensely.
The LORD loathed the arrogance of Jacob and would act because of it. God
abhorred the high places of the Israelites in Leviticus 26:30 and destroyed
those places. He spurned the Israelites in Deuteronomy 32:19. In Amos, He
loathed the arrogance of Jacob. The arrogance of the rich Israelites showed
their assumption they were their own providers and a law to themselves while
forgetting their covenant with the LORD. God stated He, too, detested the
citadels of Israel. The word “detest” comes from the Hebrew word sane’ which means to hate as an enemy.
Amos 3:10-11 explains why God hated the citadels of the Israelites. He hated
them because they hoarded violence and devastation in their citadels. The
citadels, the strongholds, were symbols of the Israelites’ self-confidence,
violence, and robbery. With the last of verse eight, the LORD said He would
deliver up the city and everything in it. The LORD swore on His name meaning
His judgment would certainly occur and it would be complete, nothing inside the
fortifications would remain. God would deliver everything to the enemies of the
Israelites-people, homes, furnishings, produce, vineyards, animals, and land.
It certainly would happen. God’s delivering the northern kingdom to their
enemies was His hate in action, His abhorrence of their arrogance. The
Israelites earlier ignored God’s prophets and charges. They could not ignore
God’s hate and abhorrence when His judgment came upon them.
Result of God’s Judgment
Amos reminded the Israelites the devastation God’s
judgment would bring to their land. Just as he said in Amos 5:3, he reiterated
in verse nine. Only one tenth of the people would remain in Israel. Consider
what Amos said in verses nine and ten,
9 “And it will be, if ten men are left in
one house, they will die. Then one’s uncle, or his undertaker, will lift him up
to carry out his bones from the house, and he will say to the one who is in the
innermost part of the house, ‘Is anyone else with you?’ and that one will say,
‘No one.’ 10 Then he will answer, ‘Keep quiet. For the name of the
LORD is not to be mentioned.’” [NASB]
We must recognize the word “left” in verse nine comes from
the Hebrew word yather and means left
behind, or remain. This means the dead in the house were Israelites left after
their enemy took captives into exile. Of these ten left behind, their kinsman,
who had the duty to bury his dead, would carry their bodies out of the house. We
recognize another person was alive in the house with the kinsman. It could have
been a survivor or a person helping the kinsman. Most likely it was a survivor
of whatever killed the other people of the house.
Theologians conjecture the people of the house died of
pestilence, plague, or starvation. With the first two, the need for burning the
bodies is obvious, to prevent further contamination of the village, town, or
city. Death by starvation did not require burning of bodies. We should
understand burning of corpses was unusual for the Israelites. Their belief required
burial of bodies so the deceased could walk with his or her ancestors in
heaven. They believed this was impossible if people burned their relatives’
bones. Recall Israelite men went to their enemy’s walled city of Beth-shan to
take the bodies of Saul and his sons for burial in their family tomb (1 Samuel
31:12). Because of the Israelite’s understanding of burials, most theologians
agree the deaths of the people in the house were not natural. They came by
plague or pestilence.
A curious statement arises in the last part of verse ten of
the one man telling the other to keep quiet. No consensus among theologians is
available to explain this statement. What is most important is the people
collecting the bodies recognized the judgment came from God’s hand.
In verse eleven, Amos continued to describe vast destruction
caused by God removing His hands of protection from the Israelites. He spoke earlier
of exile. Amos said here in verse eleven,
“For behold, the LORD is going to command that the
great house be smashed to pieces and the small house to fragments.” [NASB]
The word “behold” calls our attention to an unusual event that
will happen. The destruction at the hand of God would not affect just their
citadels like those of the pagan nations surrounding them. Amos said it would
cause the utter destruction of their homes, too. The LORD’s judgment would
affect both great and small, rich and poor, and leader and led. Great houses
with hand-hewn stone would be in pieces like pebbles. The small homes made of
mud would crumble into fragments like broken water pitchers. This would occur because
of God’s judgment on the people of Israel. Either the judgment would come by
natural causes like an earthquake or by an invading army and its war machines. Both
could cause this devastation. These things would happen because God commanded
it. God’s hands protected the Israelites before, but the time of their judgment
would reveal His hand of protection no longer rested upon them. As the people
listened, God led the Israelites to know how their destruction would come.
Rhetorical Questions
Amos used rhetoric well to gain the attention of the rich
leaders of Israel. He appealed to their educated side and showed them their
foolishness. Amos stated in verse twelve,
“Do horses run on rocks? Or does one plow them with
oxen? Yet you have turned justice into poison and the fruit of righteousness
into wormwood.” [NASB]
The obvious answer to the first question is, “No.” Of course horses cannot run on rocks. It could cause injury to the horse. As to
the second question, it would seem the answer is yes. Yet, scholars consider
these two questions are parallel and both should have negative answers. Because
of that, they insert the word “there” into the question so it reads, “Or does
one plow there with oxen?” Still a Hebrew scholar interpreted the plural ending
on “oxen” as yam meaning “the sea.”
From this, the question would read, “Does one plow with oxen the sea?” With
either question, a negative answer resulted. Just as absurd as these questions
were to the Israelites, so was their conduct. The rich and powerful Israelites
turned justice into poison and the fruits of righteousness into wormwood because
of their unfaithfulness to their covenant relationship with Yehovah. Amos spoke
of this in Amos 5:7, & 11-12. Justice and righteousness should have brought
rejoicing, but instead the Israelites experienced the bitterness of sorrow and
despair. Amos sought any means to make sure the people of the northern kingdom
understood God’s charge against them and the judgment He certainly would bring
against them.
Amos continued to bring God’s charge against the rich
Israelites in verse thirteen. With a statement and question he showed the folly
of their thinking. Amos said in verse thirteen,
“You who rejoice in Lodebar, and say, ‘Have we not by
our own strength taken Karnaim for ourselves?’” [NASB]
Let’s understand what Amos meant by this. The rhetorical
thought continued in verse twelve. Amos called the men who acted with such
folly as to run their horses on rock, the same as those who rejoice in Lodebar
or capture Karnaim. The word “Lodebar” means a thing of nothing. Amos said
the rich Israelites rejoiced in nothing. Their confidence was in minute and
fragile things like spider’s webs, as Job 8:14-15 said. Those things would not
last and would fall apart quickly. Why trust in them? The rich Israelites would
be like the rich man of Luke 12:19-20 who put his trust in his full grain silos
not knowing he would die that night. Besides this, Amos said the rich
Israelites put their confidence in their own strength. He poked at them by
saying they were boastful about taking Karnaim. Karnaim was a horn of black eye
makeup. The rich Israelites put their confidence in frivolous things, things
that would not stand up to testing. They boasted in providing themselves the
finest wines, handmade furniture, and stone-hewn homes. These would not last.
Only one thing lasts forever, the LORD God, the One who certainly would bring
His judgment against them.
The rich Israelites did not give God the glory for their
provision or protection. They refused justice to the people and oppressed people
poorer and less powerful than them. These rich Israelites did not give God the
glory for what they had, nor mete out justice or give to the poor of their
land. They broke covenant faithfulness with the LORD and now would receive from
His covenant faithfulness their just reward, His curses as Deuteronomy 28 denoted.
The Judgment Clarified
With explicit words, Amos clarified for the Israelites what
God’s judgment meant for them. He said in verse fourteen,
“‘For behold, I am going to raise up a nation against
you, O house of Israel,’ declares the LORD God of hosts, ‘And they will afflict
you from the entrance of Hamath to the brook of the Arabah.’” [NASB]
In verse seven, Amos told the Israelites of God’s
judgment using the word “therefore.” With verse fourteen, Amos said “behold.” He
finished explaining their sins. Now, their attention and ours must focus on the
unusual and supernatural thing that will happen from God’s hand. In verse
eleven the people did not know by what means God would make their homes into
rubble, by earthquake or man. With verse fourteen, they heard their destruction
would come by men. The Israelites would recognize this never-before occurrence would
come because the almighty and faithful LORD removed His protection from them.
God would raise up a nation against the Israelites. He would cause them to
become powerful and carry out His judgment. In Jeremiah 5:15, this nation is
one God brought against them, a strong and ancient nation whose language the
Israelites did not know. In other years God made the people of Israel a nation,
provided for them, and protected them from this nation. Now God would allow
this ancient nation to defeat and subdue them. Notice in this verse, Amos
stated Yehovah ‘Elohiym of hosts declared this affliction upon the Israelites.
The existing One who is Ruler and Judge declared the judgment for their sins.
This Judge said none would escape His judgment. The enemy would afflict the Israelites
from their northernmost border at Hamath to the southernmost border at the
brook of the Arabah (the north end of the Dead Sea). God would bring His
judgment upon each person of the northern kingdom. No one would escape, neither
rich nor poor.
·
What do
you hold closer than God? Will it survive forever? Is it greater than God?
·
Are you
plowing the sea with oxen and running horses on rocks? Is there something you
do that you consider important that is really nothing/foolishness when compared
to eternity and almighty God?
·
Over what
do you claim victory? Does that small victory mean you are great enough to
withstand the judgment God will bring your way?
Recap
Amos spent four chapters explaining the sins of Israel to
its people. He exhorted them to repent of their sins and then he lamented God’s
judgment of them. With chapter six, the Israelites, especially the rich
Israelites, could not doubt their sinfulness. They could know the certain
judgment of Yehovah ‘Elohiym upon them. The charges brought against Israel
mostly related to the rich and the leaders of Israel. With chapter six, most of
the charges applied to the rich. Within wealthy Israel, the rich and leaders
oppressed the poor and corrupted justice for personal gain. They sought to
benefit personal interests at the detriment of other Israelites, their brethren.
These rich Israelites chose to make themselves and their own desires their gods
and ignored the hunger and desperation of the lower classes. For this, God said
He would send an ancient and more powerful nation against them. He would
withdraw His hand of protection from them. The Israelites of the northern
kingdom would fall, go into exile, and lose everything they counted on for
daily life. The rich Israelites who led in business and government in their
land would lead the exile and be the first to receive the LORD’s judgment. Their
enemy would take away or destroy the things they counted on in their home land.
Relevance and Conclusion
God is almighty. He protects and provides for His children.
Sometimes, as the loving Father, He must punish His children so they will change
the way they live and return to a right relationship with Him. Before the
Messiah’s birth, crucifixion, death, and resurrection, the people of God lived
in relationship with God through the old covenant. A covenant relationship
existed between the people of Israel and God. Because of human sinfulness, the
Israelites often broke their covenant with Yehovah. God outlined for the
Israelites before they entered the Promised Land a covenant to which they
agreed to live. With this covenant, they received blessings from Him for
faithfulness and with their unfaithfulness, they received curses through Him.
For the people of Israel, though they rebelled against
Yehovah repeatedly, He did not remove His hand of protection from them. With Israel’s
division into two kingdoms and the idol worship Jeroboam I instituted, the people
who God consecrated as a people unto Himself (Deuteronomy 7:6) became a people
unto themselves. They were no longer holy, but worshiped themselves and
their desires. In God’s timing, as Amos prophesied and as history showed, the
Assyrians defeated the Israelites of the northern kingdom and took them into
captivity. They left a remnant to scratch out an existence in the barren land.
The Israelites had no hope of eternal salvation only repeated cleansings for
sins through the sacrifice of animals on the altar.
Today, with the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus
Christ, the Son of God, people can receive eternal salvation from their sins
from God. No longer is a sacrifice needed daily for sins like the people of
Israel performed according to the old covenant. Once a person confesses with
his or her mouth Jesus is Lord and believes in his or her heart God raised Him
from the dead (Romans 10:9), he or she will receive saving from his or her sins
and the judgment for those sins-eternal separation from God. With Jesus’ life, death,
and resurrection, each person has hope for salvation. Jesus Christ brought the
new covenant with God, an eternal and greater covenant. The old covenant
brought mankind to God. The new covenant brought salvation from God.
Today, each person has a choice. He or she can continue to
live his or her life as if he or she is a god to him or herself. This person
can consider he or she provided his or her own income and their daily needs. Alternatively,
that person can recognize God is the provider of every good thing including
salvation. He is the One and only God and that person is not a god. Each person
must choose if he or she will believe and accept Jesus’ gift of salvation.
Without accepting this gift from God, you will receive the condemnation that
sin brings-separation from our loving God. You will not be part of the LORD’s holy
people, chosen to be a people for His own possession. Without Jesus, sin’s
stain will mark you forever as unholy and unable to enter God’s presence.
What will you choose?
Choose to be–
“A chosen race,
a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you
may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into
His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people
of God. You had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” (1 Peter
2:9-10 [NASB])
