Amos

An Oracle of Woe. This fourth message follows closely on the third, because it details the kinds of sins that will provoke the funeral of the nation. Three times the funeral cry of “Woe” appears: 5:18; 6:1; 6:4. Each one introduces another category of sin. The first (5:18–27) is manipulative, paganized religious activity carried on without regard for daily justice and righteousness. The second (6:1–3) is complacency. The third (6:4–7) is self-indulgence. The message ends with an announcement of coming destruction (6:8–14).

An Oracle of Entreaty. A special feature of this oracle is God’s pleading for his people to return to him. Although they face imminent destruction, it is still not too late to seek God and his goodness (vv. 4–6, 14).

lamentation. Neither the prophet nor God takes delight in these pronouncements of doom. Like mourners at a funeral, they grieve at what lies ahead for the unrepentant people. For the same reaction on the part of Jesus, see Matt. 23:37–39 and Luke 19:41–44.

Virgin Israel is an image used frequently in the prophets to speak of the special value God places on Israel. She is like a virgin daughter to him, and the thought of her selling herself into prostitution or being raped by an enemy is heartbreaking to him.

This is a powerful plea to seek the LORD as he has revealed himself and not in the pagan forms found at Bethel, Gilgal, and Beersheba. Whenever God is identified with the things of this world, there are two results: ethical behavior as a means of expressing devotion to God disappears (v. 7), and any concept of a purposeful Creator is lost (vv. 8–9).

On Bethel and Gilgal, see 4:4–5 and note. Since Beersheba was in Judah, it is not clear what its significance was for the Israelites. Perhaps people from the northern kingdom made pilgrimage there, remembering its association with the patriarchs (Gen. 21:14–19, 31; 26:23, 33; 46:1–5); perhaps they also felt that there was a special power available there.

The religious activities carried on at Bethel would not quench the fire of God’s anger. In fact, they would fuel it.

Wormwood is a plant native to Europe, Asia, and northern Africa, with a bitter-tasting and poisonous extract (also 6:12). True worshipers of God will manifest justice and righteousness (cf. James 1:26–27). See also Amos 5:21–24. Justice (Hb. mishpat) is much more than legal equity; it refers to the entire scope of God’s government of his world. Thus, to “do justice” involves, on the part of government, a fair and just use of power and proper functioning of a fair judicial system, especially to protect the weak from the strong. On the part of individuals, “justice” involves honest and fair business dealings and faithfulness to keep one’s word, as well as not taking advantage of the poor or those with less power or protection. Righteousness (Hb. tsedaqah) involves doing what is right in the sight of God, especially with regard to conduct toward others.

This is another piece of lyrical poetry (cf. 4:13 and 9:5–6) used to contrast the limitless glory of the Creator with the paltry things worshiped in the confines of Bethel, Gilgal, and Beersheba. Pleiades and Orion. Constellations of stars. In ancient Near Eastern religions, the stars were often thought to be gods. See also Isa. 40:26. To say that God calls for the waters of the sea and then pours them out on the surface of the earth is to remind Israel that he alone governs the rainfall, which he can and will use to discipline his people.

reproves in the gate. The walled cities of the ancient Near East had covered gatehouses in which there were multiple sets of gates. Thus, if the enemy broke through one set, they were immediately confronted with another. During times of peace all these gates would be open and the gatehouse would provide a shady place where the old men of the city could sit to observe the comings and goings, and where they could decide the cases of those who came to them for justice. But in Israel, justice was going to the highest bidder. See also vv. 12, 15.

Shall not dwell in them and shall not drink their wine express frustrated hope; cf. Mic. 6:15; Zeph. 1:13.

keep silent. The reference is probably to the legal proceedings taking place in the gatehouse (see note on v. 10). If someone were to speak out against the manifest injustice taking place, his own life might be in danger (v. 10), while his objections would do no good because they could not stop the ongoing, entrenched evil.

Speaking through the prophet, God addresses a further appeal to his people (see vv. 4–7). In that evil time (v. 13), they should seek good for those around them. If they will, there may be hope for the nation, even at that late hour. as you have said. There are two possible explanations. It may be that “God be with you” was a popular form of greeting, as in the original “Goodbye” of English. A more theological explanation is that the religious leaders of the nation may have been saying that the nation could not fall because “God is with us.” Amos says that God will only be with them if there is a return to godly behavior in the land. establish justice. See note on v. 7. For God of hosts (also vv. 15, 16), see note on 3:13.

Although Israel could have returned to God, the fact is that they would not. As a result, Amos announces that a great funeral cry of wailing … mourning … lamentation (see v. 1) will go up all over the land from the streets of the cities to the vineyards in the countryside. I will pass through your midst. See 4:12 and note.

Amos says that the “day of the LORD,” for which the people longed, would not be a day of gladness and “light” but of treacherous “darkness” and “gloom” (v. 20). The people’s desire for the day and the context, which refers to feasts and worship assemblies (vv. 21-22), suggest that the prophet was referring not only to the final day of judgment but also to a popular festival observance. Scholars have suggested that the “day of the LORD” may have been the annual festival of the new year, which, because it celebrated the kingship of the Lord, was associated with his role as Judge of the people. (Commentators who hold this view find extensive evidence for it in the psalms.)

If a particular worship festival was not in view, it is difficult to see why the prophet would move immediately from a terrifying description of the day to an indictment of the community’s hypocritical worship. Amos preached during the prosperous reign of Jeroboam II of Israel, but the national prosperity was limited to the wealthier families and came at the expense of the poor who were victims of injustice (vv. 10-13). It was this inequity that rendered the people’s worship repulsive to the Lord, for it violated his covenant in which justice and fairness for all were supposed to prevail.

The Israelites’ religious activities, far from pleasing God, actually alienated him. The recurrence of the pronoun “your” in connection with the several kinds of religious behaviors in these verses gives a clue to the point being made: the feasts and assemblies as they are celebrating them cannot bring them closer to God. God does not want only religious behavior from his people; he wants their total devotion as shown in the ethical character of their lives (v. 24). See note on 4:4–5.

This is the earliest known use of the prophets’ expression, the day of the LORD. It also occurs in Isaiah (Isa. 13:6, 9), Jeremiah (Jer. 46:10), Ezekiel (Ezek. 13:5; 30:3), Joel (Joel 1:15; 2:1, 11, 31; 3:14), Obadiah (Obad. 15), Zephaniah (Zeph. 1:7, 14), and Malachi (Mal. 4:5). (See diagram.) Perhaps in Amos’s day the term was in popular use for the time when the Lord would intervene and put Israel at the head of the nations (possibly based on Deut. 32:35–37); but Amos, and all prophets after him, clarify what it would mean for the Lord to visit his people: it means judgment upon them if they are unfaithful. In Amos, the term points forward to the coming judgment on the northern kingdom at the hands of the Assyrians (Amos 5:27); in Zephaniah, it points to the coming judgment on Judah at the hands of the Babylonians. Other prophets use the term to signal God’s forthcoming punishment of other nations for their brutalities, e.g., Babylon (Isa. 13:6, 9); Egypt (Jer. 46:10); Edom (Obad. 15); and many nations (Joel 3:14; Obad. 15). In some cases the prophet uses the term to denote something farther off in the future (Mal. 4:5; probably in Joel 2:31). All of this indicates that the “day” is not unique, but may be repeated as circumstances call for it. The NT authors apply the term as well to the return of Christ (e.g., 1 Cor. 1:8; 2 Pet. 3:10).

God hates and despises Israel’s religious feasts and solemn assemblies, their offerings (v. 22) and songs (v. 23) because of their persistent sinful conduct (see note on 3:15) and because of their perversion of worship at Bethel (cf. note on 4:4–5), as well as the absence of “justice” and “righteousness” in their conduct toward one another (5:24). Worshiping God in a way contrary to his Word and without moral integrity in one’s life is blatant hypocrisy (cf. Isa. 29:13; Matt. 15:8–9).

I will not accept them. God graciously extends his fellowship and forgiveness to those who will accept his covenant, as shown by their changed lives. He cannot be manipulated into doing such a thing by ritualism.

On justice and righteousness, see note on 5:7.

The Lord’s rhetorical question about Israel’s offering sacrifices in the wilderness expected the answer, “No, we did not.” This answer would fit the context in which the Lord found the many sacrifices of the people offensive because of the injustice the nation had come to tolerate. But this appears to contradict passages that show that Israel did offer sacrifices during the wilderness wanderings (Ex 24:4-8; Nm 7). One suggestion is that Israel did not sustain her relationship with the Lord by regularly offering these sacrifices. But Scripture nowhere else indicates that the Israelites did not offer sacrifices in the wilderness, and the presence of the tabernacle suggests that they did so frequently. Another solution places the main emphasis of the passage with to me, so that the Lord was saying, “It was not to me that you offered sacrifices.” The reference to false gods in the following verse (“Sakkuth” and “Kaiwan,” v. 26) would support this view.

Either Israel’s worship in the wilderness had been insincere, or it had consisted of idolatrous practices. If the Lord expected the answer “yes” to his rhetorical question, the meaning of his statement would be, “Indeed you did offer sacrifices and grain offerings in the wilderness, but now you will take up your idols, since you have rejected me, and I will send you into exile.”

The Israelites had in fact given such offerings in the desert, but since their hearts were not right (note the mention of Sikkuth and Kiyyun, Mesopotamian astral deities), God nevertheless judged them. Thus the religiosity of the people of Israel in Amos’s day will not fool God, either.

Exile beyond Damascus is just what happened (2 Kings 17:6). This is a startling and significant prediction, as Assyria was comparatively weak in Amos’s time. On God of hosts, see note on Amos 3:13.