AMOS “FAILING
THE GREATEST COMMANDS” Mark
Kolbe
INTRODUCTION
According to Jesus, the greatest commandments are to love
the Lord their God with all your heart, soul, and mind. The second greatest commandment is to love
your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:34-40).
The book of Amos is written to a people who have failed to do those
things. These words come from God,
through the prophet Amos….
WHO WAS
AMOS
1:1 …, who was among the sheepherders from Tekoa, which he envisioned in visions concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.
Christians have long categorized Amos as a minor prophet because his book is shorter in duration than the major prophets. However, to a certain extent, Amos, also seems to be a “part-time” prophet. He is described as a shepherd in verse 1, and in 7:14, he even declares himself, “not a prophet”.
Amos lived in a place called Tekoa, which was the name of a town and region. The town itself was about a dozen miles south of Jerusalem, and the region was also referred to as the wilderness of Judea. It was a wild, dry, and rocky area, with caves that shepherds would use for shelter. It was also known for producing olives and “sycomore fruit” (Amos 7:14 KJV), for use in oil and honey.
It was in this general area that David found refuge from Saul. (1 Sam 23:26), and where Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, defeated the Ammonites and their allies (2 Chron 20:20.). This is also the location of where much of John the Baptist’s ministry took place (Matt 3:1-).
Tekoa was strategically situated as a military post for the protection of Jerusalem, and was so important that the Judean king, Rehoboam helped fortify it from his enemies (2 Chron 11:6). Its defenses were maintained even in Jeremiah’s time, as a station for trumpet-signaling, in connection with which the prophet gives a play on the word (Jer 6:1).
Although Tekoa is in the southern kingdom of Judah, God raised Amos up as a prophet primarily against the northern kingdom of Israel. He was a prophet during the reign of Uzziah, king of Judah, and Jeroboam son of Joash, king of Israel from 760–755 BC. This prophecy took place two years before a great earthquake in that area. One so powerful that Zechariah mention it in his book (14:5) 200 years later.
https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/6587964/jewish/6-Facts-About-Uzziahs-Earthquake.htm#footnote8a6587964. https://cityofdavid.org.il/en/earthquake-eng/
The events in the book of Amos take place during the late part of the Iron Age. Iron was used to produce farming tools, which improved farming, and that led to significant population growth. And iron was also used to form weapons.
2 He said, “The LORD roars from Zion And from Jerusalem He utters His voice; And the shepherds’ pasture grounds mourn, And the summit of Carmel dries up.” (Western Israel Mountain)
Amos begins his prophecy with a general statement of God’s authority and power, and a warning about His ability to direct calamity upon this entire region. The book of Amos includes prophecies directed toward cities and nations in this area.
Before getting into these prophecies, we should point out that it was common for nations to make covenants with each other. Israel made covenants in the past with Phoenicia (1 Kings 5:12), Ammon (2 Samuel 10:2), Aram (2 Samuel 8:6), and Moab (2 Samuel 8:2) during the reigns of David and Solomon. But these covenants were often broken. Therefore, God is going to judge the nations for multiple evil deeds they’ve committed and for their failure to worship God. Amos begins his prophecies against 6 evil gentile nations.
The sins are primarily linked to offenses against people and property. Amos argues that even when nation-states are at war with one another, an ethical standard should be maintained for the dignity of humankind. When the misdeeds of these nations are outlined, they can be separated into two types: general brutality and human slavery, with the goal of increasing the wealth or luxury of the elite.
Amos 1:3-5 AMOS
PROPHESIES AGAINST DAMASCUS (ARAM)
3Thus says the LORD, “For three
transgressions of Damascus (Northeast of Israel) and for four I
will not revoke its punishment, Because they
threshed Gilead with implements of sharp iron. 4“So I will send fire upon the house of Hazael And it will consume the citadels of Ben-hadad.
5“I will also break the gate bar of Damascus, And cut off the inhabitant from the valley of Aven, And him who holds the scepter, from Beth-eden;
So the people of Aram (region of Damascus) will
go exiled to Kir,” Says the LORD.
During this time in history, the main power in the region was the kingdom of Aram, of which Damascus was its capital. The Arameans lived in an area that made them a buffer from Assyrian incursions for many years. While that was good for the Israelites, the downside was that there was also conflict between the two nations.
In verse 3 we notice that Damascus wasn’t being judged merely for one or two transgressions, they, like all the nations in the area, were guilty of many sins, which the prophet described as "three transgressions… even four."
This was a prophecy against Damascus for something that had been done around 75 years prior, during the period when Hazael was the king. One of the conflicts between Aram and Israel and Judah can be found in 2 Kings 8-12.
Amos 1:6-8 AMOS PROPHESIES AGAINST GAZA (PHILISTIA)
6Thus says the LORD, “For three transgressions of Gaza and for four I will not revoke its punishment, Because they deported an entire population To deliver it up to Edom. 7“So I will send fire upon the wall of Gaza And it will consume her citadels. 8“I will also cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, And him who holds the scepter, from Ashkelon; I will even unleash My power upon Ekron, And the remnant of the Philistines will perish,” Says the Lord GOD.
Gaza here represented the entire area of Philistines – it included the cities Ashdod, Ashkelon, Ekron. They had been at war with Judah as well according to 2 Chronicles 21:16-17. Deportation was a common practice of nations back then. It was done to help ensure that the conquered people couldn’t easily rise again, and it provided slave labor for the conquerors. By forcing people to leave their homeland and live among another nation, their culture and religion would gradually fall by the wayside.
Amos1:9-10 AMOS PROPHESIES AGAINST TYRE
9Thus says the LORD, “For three transgressions of Tyre and for four I will not revoke its punishment, Because they delivered up an entire population to Edom And did not remember the covenant of brotherhood. 10“So I will send fire upon the wall of Tyre And it will consume her citadels.”
Tyre was the most well-known city in Phoenicia, situated along the Mediterranean cost. They had broken their covenant with the Israelites.
Amos 1:11-12 AMOS PROPHESIES AGAINST EDOM
11Thus says the LORD, “For three transgressions of Edom and for four I will not revoke its punishment, Because he pursued his brother with the sword, While he stifled his compassion; His anger also tore continually, And he maintained his fury forever. 12“So I will send fire upon Teman And it will consume the citadels of Bozrah.”
Two weeks ago, we learned about the Edomites when we studied Obadiah. If you recall, Isaac had twin sons named Jacob and Esau. The Israelites were descendants of Jacob, and the Edomites were descendants of Esau. Teman and Bozrah were cities in the land of Edom.
Because they were close relatives, the Israelites were forbidden to hate the Edomites (Deuteronomy 23:7). However, the Edomites paid no attention to God’s word, and regularly attacked Israel (Obadiah, Numbers 20, 2 Samuel 8:11-13; 2 Kings 8:20-22; 2 Kings 14:7).
Amos 1:13-15 AMOS PROPHESIES AGAINST AMMON
13Thus says the LORD, “For three transgressions of the sons of Ammon and for four I will not revoke its punishment, Because they ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead In order to enlarge their borders. 14“So I will kindle a fire on the wall of Rabbah And it will consume her citadels Amid war cries on the day of battle, And a storm on the day of tempest. 15“Their king will go into exile, He and his princes together,” says the LORD.
The sons of Ammon were also related to the Israelites because they were descendants born through Lot’s incest with one of his daughters (Genesis 19:38). However, despite their familial ties with Israel, the Ammonites treated Israel brutally.
There isn’t a specific biblical reference when they committed this specific act of ripping open pregnant women. But whenever it occurred, it was obviously a gruesome act.
AMOS 2:1-3 AMOS
PROPHESIES AGAINST MOAB
2 2:1 Thus says the LORD, “For three transgressions of Moab and for four I will not revoke its punishment, Because he burned the bones of the king of Edom to lime. 2“So I will send fire upon Moab And it will consume the citadels of Kerioth; And Moab will die amid tumult, With war cries and the sound of a trumpet. 3“I will also cut off the judge from her midst And slay all her princes with him,” says the LORD.
The Moabites were the people born through Lot’s incest with his second daughter.
The Bible doesn’t describe a specific event where Moab burned the bons of the king of Edom, but some speculate that it could have been from battles in 2 Kings 3, 100 years before during reign of Joram (Israel) and Jehosaphat (Judah). Whenever it occurred, it’s safe to say that if you take the time to dig up someone’s bones and burn them, you’ve got a lot of pent up hatred and vengeance.
Some may wonder about the fairness of God judging these heathen nations. After all, the Israelites were God’s chosen people and the ones whom He gave His law. Shouldn’t these other nations be given a break? In Romans 2:12-15, the apostle Paul lets us know that the concepts of right and wrong don’t come exclusively from God’s word.
2 All who sin apart from
the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the
law will be judged by the law. 13 For it is
not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those
who obey the law who will be declared righteous. 14 (Indeed,
when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the
law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the
law. 15 They show that the requirements of the law
are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their
thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.)
In other words, ignorance is not an excuse for evil behavior because, because the law is written on the heart of every human being.
In the years ahead, after these prophecies, God uses other
powerful nations to bring judgement against these people. The first nation that God used for this
purpose was Assyria, which began during the reign of Shalmaneser III around 850
BC, and continued until approximately 700 BC under Sennacherib.
Aram was attacked by Assyrian from 856-732 BC. Damascus would eventually fall to the Assyrians in 732 BC. Gaza gradually fell to the Assyrians from 734 to 701 BC. The Assyrians attacked Tyre several times and compelled them to pay tributes in the eighth century BC. Tyre later surrendered to Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar in 573 BC and fell to Alexander the Great in 332 BC. The city was ultimately destroyed about 1291 AD when the Egyptians attacked and defeated it. Thus, fulfilling Ezekiel's prophecy. The land of Edom was made desolate by the time of Malachi, in the fifth century BC (Malachi 1:3), and was overtaken by the Nabateans, an Arabian tribe, a century later. Ammon was conquered by the Assyrians as well around 701 BC. Moab was conquered by the Babylonians in Jeremiah 27:3, 6.
Amos 2:4 - 2:5 AMOS
PROPHESIES AGAINST JUDAH
When it comes to judgement, God doesn’t play favorites. Next Amos brings a prophecy against the southern kingdom called, Judah.
4 Thus says the LORD, “For three transgressions of Judah and for four I will not revoke Its punishment, Because they rejected the law of the LORD And have not kept His statutes; Their lies also have led them astray, Those after which their fathers walked. 5“So I will send fire upon Judah And it will consume the citadels of Jerusalem.”
The text doesn’t describe a specific case where Judah failed to keep God’s law. That’s’ because there are numerous examples that would apply. After the reigns of David and Solomon, Judah was led by about 6 different rulers we’d classify as bad or evil (including 1 queen named Athaliah) over the course of the next 100 years. “He did evil in the eyes of the Lord” was a common phrase used of these leaders of Judah during those years. So this prophecy is against the evil being done in the southern kingdom during that time.
The Assyrians didn’t limit their invasion to the surrounding Gentile nations. God used them to conquer all of Judah except for Jerusalem around 701 BC. God then used the Babylonians, led by Nebuchadnezzar, to finish the task. They destroyed the temple in 586 BC, then led the remaining people into captivity for 70 years.
Amos 2:4 - 9:15 AMOS
PROPHESIES AGAINST ISRAEL
When we get to chapter 2, verse 6, Amos is ready to unleash accusations against the northern kingdom, Israel. In 1 Kings 11 and 12, we learn that the northern kingdom of Israel, made up of 10 tribes, came into existence when those people broke away from Solomon’s harsh son Rehoboam. Their first king was Jeroboam. He set up centers for worship in the cities of Bethel and Dan, because he didn’t want the people to travel to Jerusalem in the south and be tempted to turn their allegiance to Judah. But he essentially made up his own religion by including golden calves, building shrines in the high places, appointing priest who were not of the tribe of Levi, and even making sacrifices on the altar himself (1 Kings 12:28–33). In spite of God’s offer to establish his dynasty in Israel, Jeroboam chose idolatry, and the prophet Ahijah told Jeroboam that his family would not endure (1 Kings 14).
We are going to see that these prophecies against Israel are three times longer and contain more details than any of the others that we just read. He accuses Israel’s wealthy members of ignoring the poor and allowing grave injustices. One way they did this was by allowing individuals to be sold into debt slavery and then denying them legal representation. This is ironic for a people whom God had rescued from injustice and slavery in Egypt, to turn around and do many of the same things themselves. Amos let’s these people know that the party’s over. God is not going to put up with this any longer.
Read 2 Kings 17 for greater detail about Israel’s exile and the reason for it.
Amos 2:6-8 EXAMPLES
OF THEIR EVIL BEHAVIOR
6 Thus says the LORD, “For three transgressions of Israel and for four I will not revoke its punishment, Because they sell the righteous for money And the needy for a pair of sandals. 7“These who pant after the very dust of the earth on the head of the helpless Also turn aside the way of the humble; And a man and his father resort to the same girl In order to profane My holy name. 8“On garments taken as pledges they stretch out beside every altar, And in the house of their God they drink the wine of those who have been fined.
The rich and powerful were selling good, poor people into slavery to receive money and property in return. They also made a mockery of their places of worship by wearing the clothing they took off others and drank their wine while stretched out on the altar. Father’s and sons were also having sex with the same woman.
Amos 2:9-12 THE IRONY OF THEIR BEHAVIOR
9“Yet it was I who destroyed the Amorite before them, Though his height was like the height of cedars And he was strong as the oaks; I even destroyed his fruit above and his root below. 10“It was I who brought you up from the land of Egypt, And I led you in the wilderness forty years That you might take possession of the land of the Amorite. 11“Then I raised up some of your sons to be prophets And some of your young men to be Nazirites. Is this not so, O sons of Israel?” declares the LORD.
God reminds the people what he had done for these people in the past – ending their slavery and giving them the promised land. He even raised up prophets to bring them the people his word. But how did they respond? One example of their attitude towards God’s word is in verse 12.
12“But you made the Nazirites drink wine, And you commanded the prophets saying, ‘You shall not prophesy!’
Amos provides an example of the way they’ve disrespected God’s word, by giving an example of when they disrespected God’s priests and prophets. In Leviticus 10:8, God had set apart the Nazirites for teaching God’s word to the people.
Then the Lord said to Aaron, 9 “You and your sons are not
to drink wine or other fermented drink whenever you go into the tent of
meeting, or you will die. This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to
come, 10 so that you can distinguish between the holy and the common, between
the unclean and the clean,11 and so you can teach the Israelites all the
decrees the Lord has given them through Moses.
Numbers 6:3-4: Nazirites must never drink wine, liquor, vinegar made from wine or liquor, or any kind of grape juice, and they must never eat fresh grapes or raisins. 4 As long as they are Nazirites, they must never eat anything that comes from a grapevine, not even grape seeds or skins.
But even though declaring God’s true word was vital to the success of Israel, the people didn’t always want the truth. 1 Kings 22, contains an example of how the kings only wanted prophets who would share positive news. Wanting to be in their good graces, false prophets would oblige them. But for the prophet who dared to speak the truth, he would often encounter retribution – that ranged from being silenced, to imprisonment, to death.
Amos 2:13-16 THERE
WOULD BE NO ESCAPE FROM WHAT WAS TO COME
13“Behold, I am weighted down beneath you As a wagon is weighted down when filled with sheaves. The wagon is merely a tool for convenience, necessity. The sins of Israel are like a weight on God.
14“Flight will perish from the swift, And the stalwart will not strengthen his power, Nor the mighty man save his life. 15“He who grasps the bow will not stand his ground, The swift of foot will not escape, Nor will he who rides the horse save his life. 16“Even the bravest among the warriors will flee naked in that day,” declares the LORD.
Amos 3:1-10 USING
RHETORIC TO MAKE A POINT
3:1 Hear this word which the LORD has spoken against you, sons of Israel, against the entire family which He brought up from the land of Egypt: 2“You only have I chosen among all the families of the earth; Therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.”
3 Do two men walk together unless they have made an appointment? 4 Does a lion roar in the forest when he has no prey? Does a young lion growl from his den unless he has captured something? 5 Does a bird fall into a trap on the ground when there is no bait in it? Does a trap spring up from the earth when it captures nothing at all? 6 If a trumpet is blown in a city will not the people tremble? 6b If a calamity occurs in a city has not the LORD done it?
Here we see God asking several rhetorical questions. They are questions that include two different things that go hand in hand. From a logical perspective it’s like saying, if “A” is true then you can assume “B” is true as well. What God is telling these people is that if you are going to rebel and choose sin, then judgement must go along with it - it is the natural, required result.
7Surely the Lord GOD does nothing Unless He reveals His secret counsel To His servants the prophets. 8A lion has roared! Who will not fear? The Lord GOD has spoken! Who can but prophesy? 9 Proclaim on the citadels in Ashdod and on the citadels in the land of Egypt and say, “Assemble yourselves on the mountains of Samaria and see the great tumults (loud noises) within her and the oppressions in her midst. 10 But they do not know how to do what is right,” declares the LORD, “these who hoard up violence and devastation in their citadels.”
Even the circumstances occurring in the world go hand in hand with God’s sovereignty.
Amos 3:11-15 GOD
WILL USE AN ENEMY NATION TO PUNISH THEM
11 Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, “An enemy, even one surrounding the land, Will pull down your strength from you And your citadels will be looted.” 12 Thus says the LORD, “Just as the shepherd snatches from the lion’s mouth a couple of legs or a piece of an ear, So will the sons of Israel dwelling in Samaria be snatched away-- With the corner of a bed and the cover of a couch!
The same enemy who would take down the surrounding nations would also be the one to be used by God to take down the Israelites - the Assyrians.
13“Hear and testify against the house of Jacob,” Declares the Lord GOD, the God of hosts. 14“For on the day that I punish Israel’s transgressions, I will also punish the altars of Bethel; The horns of the altar will be cut off And they will fall to the ground. 15“I will also smite the winter house together with the summer house; The houses of ivory will also perish And the great houses will come to an end,” Declares the LORD.
The horns of the altar were first mentioned in Exodus as part of the furnishings of the tabernacle. In Exodus 29 they were used in the consecration of the priests (see verse 12). They also represented safety, as 1 Kings 1 and 2 let’s us know of cases when men would run to the altar, take hold of the horns and claim sanctuary.
However, after the Kingdom of Israel was divided, the holy
significance of the altar was spoiled, as Jeroboam, the king of the northern
kingdom, set up golden calves in Bethel and Dan. 1 Kings 12:26–29:
And Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom will turn back to the
house of David. 27 If this people go up to offer sacrifices in the temple of
the Lord at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn again to their
lord, to Rehoboam king of Judah, and they will kill me and return to Rehoboam
king of Judah.” 28 So the king took counsel and made two calves of gold. And he
said to the people, “You have gone up to Jerusalem long enough. Behold your
gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.” 29 And he set one
in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan.
God proclaiming that the horns would fall to the ground meant that the people would no longer have a place of asylum. There would be no place for them to go to escape the coming judgment.
Amos 4:1-13 PRIDE COMES BEFORE A FALL
1 Hear this word, you cows of Bashan who are on the mountain of Samaria, Who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, Who say to your husbands, “Bring now, that we may drink!” 2The Lord GOD has sworn by His holiness, “Behold, the days are coming upon you When they will take you away with meat hooks, And the last of you with fish hooks. 3“You will go out through breaches in the walls, Each one straight before her, And you will be cast to Harmon,” declares the LORD.
V1-5) These verses reveal a proud and selfishness people, caring only about pleasure and outward religiosity. They were going to be led away in bondage.
V6-11) Everyone who has been in some kind of leadership position knows that punishment and negative consequences play a critical role in helping to shape positive behavior. God has used various events like famine, lack of rain, wind, mildew, insects, plague, war to get the people to return to Him, but they would not. God has had enough, and now the people will be forced to meet their Maker.
V12-13) “Therefore thus I will do to you, O Israel; Because I will do this to you, Prepare to meet your God, O Israel.” 13 For behold, He who forms mountains and creates the wind And declares to man what are His thoughts, He who makes dawn into darkness And treads on the high places of the earth, The LORD God of hosts is His name.
Amos 5:1-25 A DIRGE AGAINST ISRAEL
V1) In many of our Bibles, we notice that the the verses in Amos are arranged in short phrases, reading like a poem or song. When we get to chapter 5, these words are described as a “dirge”, which is a mournful song of lament over a death or a loss.
V2-4) The death in this case is the northern tribes of Israel. Very soon, these 10 tribes would no longer exist as a kingdom. The extent of the destruction is noted in verses as it describes only 1/10 of the men who make up its armies will survive.
V5-6) He specifically mentions the northern towns of Bethel and Gilgal, but he also alludes to the sin and destruction of southern Judah, by listing the city of Beersheba as well.
V7, 11) As we mentioned earlier, one of the evil things that took place in Israel was a corrupt legal and financial systems, and mistreatment of the poor.
V10) The people loved their sin so much that they would come up against anyone who spoke out against their evil.
V18-20) There would be no relief from the destruction, everywhere Israel would turn, something bad would happen. God uses figurative language to describe their plight, they would flee as if running away from lion, only to run into fearsome bear instead. Even if they were to try and rest for a minute by leaning on a wall, a snake would be there to bite them.
V21-25) The people would take part in religious activities that they hoped would cause God to overlook their sin, but He would not. Even though they held festivals and gatherings, made offerings, and sang songs, those things were meaningless to God. Righteousness isn’t a product of what mankind thinks or feels, it is based upon His Holy, unchanging character. You can call something good all you want, but if God doesn’t call it good it isn’t. If fact, it if is evil, it will be judged.
Amos 6:1-14 FALSE
SECURITY
V1-7) These verses reveal the extent to which Israel’s pride had grown. They are arrogant, having forgotten God. They felt secure in their armies and fortresses, having put their trust in possessions, and focused on living lives of comfort and leisure. But those things will not be able to save them from what’s coming. Those most guilty of these sins will be at the front of the line of those who are being taken prisoner into exile into Assyria.
V8) – How does God feel about that? The Lord GOD has sworn by Himself, the LORD God of hosts has declared: “I loathe the arrogance of Jacob, And detest his citadels; Therefore I will deliver up the city and all it contains.”
V11) – Many people are familiar with 1 Timothy 6:10, which states that “the love of money is a root of all evil.” There is a reason that that verse directs its criticism against the love of money rather than the mere possession of it. The love of money implies that a person has chosen to seek wealth and to put their trust in it. That, by nature, causes one to not seek after God, nor trust in Him.
But often this concept gets lost on people. Even if one doesn’t have as much wealth as they wish, they to can ignore God, and embark on a mission to obtain wealth through hard work, thievery, or redistribution. Yes, there are many filthy rich, greedy, selfish people in this world. But those who are jealous of the rich, and detest and judge them for what they have, are just as guilty. The problems in our world are due to sin, not net worth.
Notice that God doesn’t direct His judgement only towards those in the large houses, but also upon the small ones. A person can’t point fingers at others all they want, but the rich and poor alike can be guilty of worshiping idols over God.
Amos 7:1-17 GOD
IS MERCIFUL, BUT USES PROPHETS TO WARN THE NATIONS
In Amos chapter 7 we get a picture of God’s patience and
mercy. In verses 1-6, Amos writes about how he pleaded with God to not destroy
Israel. Amos used reason and logic as the basis for his request. How could God render such a harsh, seemingly
fatal judgement on His chosen people?
7:1 Thus the Lord GOD showed me,
and behold, He was forming a locust-swarm when the spring crop began to sprout.
And behold, the spring crop was after the king’s mowing. 2 And
it came about, when it had finished eating the vegetation of the land, that I
said, “Lord GOD, please pardon! How can Jacob stand, For
he is small?” 3The
LORD changed His mind about this. “It shall not be,” said the LORD.
4 Thus the Lord GOD showed me, and behold, the Lord GOD was calling to contend with them by fire, and it consumed the great deep and began to consume the farm land. 5 Then I said, “Lord GOD, please stop! How can Jacob stand, for he is small?” 6The LORD changed His mind about this. “This too shall not be,” said the Lord GOD.
The Bible says that God is not willing that any should perish. He wants all of His created people to come into a relationship with Him. So, out of His mercy, He sometimes holds back his judgement for a while. But He cannot do it forever. If perfection is going to be obtained, sin must eventually be dealt with.
Every spring for the last several years, my son, Kyle, son-in-law, Zack, and myself don waders, install a dock at our “pond house”. The dock is made up of 6 sections, each about 8 feet in length. After we lay each section, we use a level to make sure the section is running parallel above the water. Sometimes, when we get tired and cold, the tendency may be to put the section in and call it close enough. But the problem with that philosophy is that if you are off by just a little bit, the farther out the dock extends, the more unlevel it gets. In the spiritual world, God’s holiness is what is considered perfectly level. And we, because of sin, are not level. In the next few verses, God is going to take some measurements of the nation of Israel.
7 Thus He showed me, and behold, the Lord was standing by a vertical wall with a plumb line in His hand. 8 The LORD said to me, “What do you see, Amos?” And I said, “A plumb line.” Then the Lord said, “Behold I am about to put a plumb line In the midst of My people Israel. I will spare them no longer. 9“The high places of Isaac will be desolated And the sanctuaries of Israel laid waste. Then I will rise up against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.”
God was patient and had relented, but that was coming to an end. In verses 7-9, God says He is going to make use of a “plumb line” to judge Israel. When a weight is suspended from a string, it naturally dangles vertically downwards due to the pull of gravity towards the center of the Earth.
The people of Israel, and the people of this world are being measured against a plumb line, which is the holiness of God. And everyone is crooked. God must eventually bring judgement against sin. He cannot let it go on forever.
Many of us are familiar with 2 Timothy 4:3 which says, “For
the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to
suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers
to say what their itching ears want to hear.”
While I think that tendency will increase in breadth and
depth as we move closer to the return of Jesus, we see in verses 10-13 that
mankind has always had that tendency.
Some people can’t handle the truth.
10 Then Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, sent word to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel; the land is unable to endure all his words. 11 For thus Amos says, ‘Jeroboam will die by the sword and Israel will certainly go from its land into exile.’” 12 Then Amaziah said to Amos, “Go, you seer, flee away to the land of Judah and there eat bread and there do your prophesying! 13 But no longer prophesy at Bethel, for it is a sanctuary of the king and a royal residence.”
Amaziah was a “professional priest”, proud of the service he provided to the king – basically being one who told Jeroboam what he wanted to hear. But Amos, on the other hand, points to his humble beginnings and willingness to tell the truth, even if it is bad news.
14 Then Amos replied to Amaziah, “I am
not a prophet, nor am I the son of a prophet; for I am a herdsman and a grower
of sycamore figs. 15 But the LORD took me from following
the flock and the LORD said to me, ‘Go prophesy to My people
Israel.’ 16 Now hear the word of the LORD: you are saying,
‘You shall not prophesy against Israel nor shall you speak against the house of
Isaac.’ 17 Therefore, thus says the LORD, ‘Your wife will
become a harlot in the city, your sons and your daughters will fall by the sword,
your land will be parceled up by a measuring line and you
yourself will die upon unclean soil. Moreover, Israel will certainly go from
its land into exile.’”
Although God was using him as a prophet, Amos declares himself to be nothing more than a shepherd whom God had chosen to use. There is no rational explanation for someone like that to bring bad news to the king, other than if he was telling the truth.
Amos 8:1-14 Amos 8:1-14 FRUIT GONE BAD
One of the tricky things about buying groceries for yourself, or for you and your spouse, is buying them in proper proportions. With the exception of apples and maybe oranges, for most fruit we buy, it becomes a race to eat them before they go bad. The people of Israel have resorted to dishonest practices to cheat the vulnerable. So their fruit is about to spoil.
8:1 Thus the Lord GOD showed me,
and behold, there was a basket of summer fruit. 2 He
said, “What do you see, Amos?” And I said, “A basket of summer fruit.” Then the
LORD said to me, “The end has come for My people Israel. I will spare them
no longer. 3 The songs of the palace will turn to
wailing in that day,” declares the Lord GOD. “Many will be the
corpses; in every place they will cast them forth in silence.” 4 Hear this, you who
trample the needy, to do away with the humble of the land, 5 saying,
“When will the new moon be over, So that we may sell grain, And the sabbath, that
we may open the wheat market, To make the bushel smaller and the
shekel bigger, And to cheat with dishonest scales, 6 So as to buy the
helpless for money And the needy for a pair of sandals, And that we
may sell the refuse of the wheat?”
7 The LORD has sworn by the pride
of Jacob, “Indeed, I will never forget any of their deeds. 8 “Because of
this will not the land quake And everyone who dwells
in it mourn? Indeed, all of it will rise up like the Nile, And
it will be tossed about And subside like the Nile of
Egypt. 9 “It will come about in that day,” declares the Lord GOD, “That
I will make the sun go down at noon And make the earth
dark in broad daylight.10 “Then I will turn your festivals into mourning
And all your songs into lamentation; And I will bring
sackcloth on everyone’s loins And baldness on every
head. And I will make it like a time of mourning for an only
son, And the end of it will be like a bitter day.
11 “Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord GOD, “When I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine for bread or a thirst for water, But rather for hearing the words of the LORD. 12 “People will stagger from sea to sea And from the north even to the east; They will go to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, But they will not find it. 13 “In that day the beautiful virgins And the young men will faint from thirst. 14 “As for those who swear by the guilt of Samaria, Who say, ‘As your god lives, O Dan,’ And, ‘As the way of Beersheba lives,’ They will fall and not rise again.”
Amos 9:1-15 HIDING,
CAPTIVITY, AND RESTORATION
Almost every time gram and papa go to visit our grand kids, Isaac and Bella, they are not there to greet us. They love to hide somewhere in the house and force us to come and find them. Of course, we find them every time. The first several verses of chapter 9 are like a game of hide and seek as well.
9:1 I saw the Lord standing beside the altar, and He said, “Smite the capitals so that the thresholds will shake, And break them on the heads of them all! Then I will slay the rest of them with the sword; They will not have a fugitive who will flee, Or a refugee who will Escape. 2“Though they dig into Sheol, From there will My hand take them; And though they ascend to heaven, From there will I bring them down. 3“Though they hide on the summit of Carmel, I will search them out and take them from there; And though they conceal themselves from My sight on the floor of the sea, From there I will command the serpent and it will bite them. 4“And though they go into captivity before their enemies, From there I will command the sword that it slay them, And I will set My eyes against them for evil and not for good.” 5The Lord GOD of hosts, The One who touches the land so that it melts, And all those who dwell in it mourn, And all of it rises up like the Nile And subsides like the Nile of Egypt; 6The One who builds His upper chambers in the heavens And has founded His vaulted dome over the earth, He who calls for the waters of the sea And pours them out on the face of the earth, The LORD is His name.
The people will attempt to flee and hide, but they cannot. The Assyrians will lead most of them into captivity in 722 BC (2 Kings 17:6). The following chart shows the exile of Israel to Assyria.
Some people refer to the 10 Northern tribes as “lost” because most of them were carried away to Assyria (2 Kings 17:6). Of the ones who remained, some intermarried with people from places like Cutha, Ava, Hamath, and Sepharvaim who had been sent by the Assyrian king to inhabit Samaria as well (2 Kings 17:24; Ezra 4:2–11). Thus, the story goes, the ten northern tribes of Israel were “lost” to history and either wiped out or assimilated into other people groups. This narrative, however, is based on inference and assumption rather than on direct biblical teaching.
But, God does not totally destroy Israel or eliminate its people.
7“Are you not as the sons of Ethiopia to Me, O sons of Israel?” declares the LORD. “Have I not brought up Israel from the land of Egypt, And the Philistines from Caphtor and the Arameans from Kir? 8“Behold, the eyes of the Lord GOD are on the sinful kingdom, And I will destroy it from the face of the earth; Nevertheless, I will not totally destroy the house of Jacob,” Declares the LORD. 9“For behold, I am commanding, And I will shake the house of Israel among all nations As grain is shaken in a sieve, But not a kernel will fall to the ground. 10“All the sinners of My people will die by the sword, Those who say, ‘The calamity will not overtake or confront us.’
Amos concludes his prophecy with words like the books of Joel and Jeremiah in which he claims that despite this judgement, they should remain hopeful because God was still promising to restore their land and relationship with Him. Chapter 9 not only includes hope for Israel, but for the entire world. Some of these remaining prophecies are pointing ahead to a time 250 years later when the Israelites would return from exile, but others are still pointing ahead to a time in the future when Christ returns during the millennial kingdom.
11“In that day I will raise up the
fallen booth of David, And wall up its breaches; I
will also raise up its ruins And rebuild it as in the
days of old; 12That they may possess the remnant of Edom And all the nations who are called by My name,” Declares the
LORD who does this. 13“Behold,
days are coming,” declares the LORD, “When the plowman will overtake the reaper
And the treader of grapes him who sows seed; When the
mountains will drip sweet wine And all the hills will
be dissolved.
In the Old Testament the Israelites were the ones called in God’s name, but through Jesus, people from all nations are part of His kingdom. This would fulfill God's promises to Abraham that through his seed "all the families of the earth will be blessed" (Genesis 12:3; Genesis 18:18). The likely fulfillment of this prophecy will be when Jesus, the Son of David, returns to earth a second time, and establishes His physical kingdom on earth.
14“Also I will restore the captivity of My people Israel, And they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them; They will also plant vineyards and drink their wine, And make gardens and eat their fruit. 15“I will also plant them on their land, And they will not again be rooted out from their land Which I have given them,” Says the LORD your God.
The truth is that the “lost tribes of Israel” were never really lost. Many of the Jews who remained in the land after the Assyrian conquest re-united with Judah in the south (2 Chronicles 34:6–9). Assyria was later conquered by Babylon, who went on to invade the Southern Kingdom of Israel, deporting the two remaining tribes: Judah and Benjamin (2 Kings 25:21). Remnants of the northern tribes would have thus been part of the Babylonian deportations. Seventy years later, when King Cyrus allowed the Israelites to return to Israel (Ezra 1), many (from all twelve tribes) returned to Israel to rebuild their homeland.
This prophecy has partially been fulfilled because many captives returned to Jerusalem and rebuilt some cities under the decree of King Cyrus of Persia (Haggai 1-2; Ezra 1 and 6). Then, after the exile due to Rome, many have returned to Israel after it was revived as a state in 1948.
But many captive Jews have not returned to their homeland and many cities are not rebuilt, this level of abundance has not transpired, Israel has not regained its borders, and an heir of David has not ascended the throne. So, this prophecy is yet to be fulfilled completely.
SO WHAT
· Do not take advantage of other people, especially those less fortunate. Treat everyone humanely.
· Prosperity doesn’t prove God’s favor, and adversity doesn’t prove defeat.
· The events of this world are still leading to fulfillment of God’s prophecies.
· Everyone will receive what they deserve eventually.
· For Christians, the best is yet to come.