Amos 6

Amos 6:1-7

In this chapter we have, 1. A sinful people studying to put a sight upon God’s threatening, and to make them appear trivial; confiding in their privileges and prominences above other nations, ver. 2, 3. and their power, ver. 13. and wholly addicted to their pleasures, ver. 3—6. 2. A serious prophet studying to put a weight upon God’s threatening, and to make them appear terrible, by setting forth the security of their judgments that were coming upon their sensuality, ver. 7. God’s abnorming them, and abandoning them and their death, ver. 8—11. and bringing utter defalation upon them, ver. 12—14.

a Lake iii. 15, 40. 6. On each, Lake iii. 40. re secure. 6 Ex. xii. 5. 6 Jer. ii. 40. Hab. iii. 8. 6 He. v. 9. 6 Chom. viii. 6. 6 Pers. xii. 15. Met. viii. 48. 6 Chap. x. 18. 6 Pr. xiii. viii. 7 On abound with Neth. Sintan. 6 He. v. 15. 6 On answer. 6 Chom. viii. 5. 6 Gen. xii. 6 v. 48. 6 Pr. xiv. 7. 6 Hea. Beach.

1. ‘W’ to them that are at ease in Zion, and truth in the mountain of Samaria, which are named: chief of the nations to whom the house of Israel came. 2. ‘P’ as yet unto ‘Calneh, and see; and from thence go ye to Hemath the great: then go down to ‘Gath of the Philithines: be they better than these kingdoms? or their border greater than your border? 3. ‘Ye’ that put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near; 4. That lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flocks and the calves out of the mists of the stalls; 5. ‘That § chant to the found of the soul, and invent to themselves instruments of music, like David; 6. That drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments: but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph. 7. ¶ Therefore now shall they go captive with the first that go captive, and the banquet of them that stretched themselves shall be removed.

When sinners are most secure, and at ease, then will the terrible woes of God suddenly surprise them. We have here.

1. A description of their pride, security, and sensuality.

[1.] They were puffed up with confidence on their wealth and themselves, and concerned they would be their defence from the judgments threatened. They are at ease in Zion, wallowing in affluence; and truth in the mountain of Samaria, the city by art and nature being strongly fortified; which are named the chief of the nations, the principal persons of Judah and Israel, who dwelt in Zion and Samaria; to whom the house of Israel came, for judgment; or these cities were the capitals of the two nations, and thither the people resorted. Yet, illustrious and great as Zion and Samaria were, they need not look far to find other places as distinguished in the annals of fame, but now reduced to ruins, such as Calneh, Gen. x. 10. Hemath and Gath, 2 Kiept. xii. 17. chief cities of kingdoms greater than Israel and Judah, and their territories more extensive, v. 2. and if they fall from their towering height of pride, let not Zion and Samaria be secure. Note, (1.) Greatness is too apt to beget pride. (2.) Other’s falls should be our warning.

[2.] They promised themselves impunity in their iniquities. Ye that put far away the evil day, keeping it out of their thoughts, lest it should damp their joys; or flattering themselves with long years of indulgence, unaffected with judgments which appeared to distant, or perhaps never would come; and cause the fear of violence to come near, acting with injustice and oppression, on the presumption of not being called to account for their transfuse-

fions. Thus the hope of impunity emboldens sinners to commit iniquity.

[3.] They funk into sensuality, and abused their abundance to minister to their indolence, luxury, and carnal delights. They lie upon beds of ivory, &c. not that any of these things in themselves are evil, or, temperately used, are forbidden; the sin was placing their affections on these things, abusing them to intemperance, squandering their time and wealth, which should be otherwise employed, and racking their inventions for new amusements; a conduct peculiarly unseasonable when the miseries of the land called for mourning and humiliation; but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph; either for the breaches the nation had sustained, or the greater evils threatened; or they did not sympathize with those of their brethren who were in trouble; too intent upon their own pleasures to care about others pains. Note, (1.) They who live in a round of didigation and amusements are as effectually alienated from God as if they were funk in grosser excellence. (2.) When pleasan is made the grand pursuit and happiness, every thought and object are shunned which would intrude serious reflection.

2. For these things God denounces a woe against them, v. 1. Therefore now shall they go captive with the first that go captive, and the banquet of them that stretched themselves shall be removed: they shall experience an awful change. The chief in sin shall be the first in suffering; their palaces shall be turned into houses of bondage, their indolence into hard servitude, their bowls of wine and fatted calves shall be exchanged for bread and water; from beds of ivory they shall be reduced to lye on the cold earth, and their music shall be lost in groans.

3. ‘The Lord GOD hath sworn by himself, saith the LORD, the God of hosts, I abhor the excellency of Jacob, and hate his palaces: therefore will I deliver up the city, with all that in therein. 9. And it shall come to pass, that ‘if there remain ten in one house, that they shall die. 10. And a man’s uncle shall take him up, and he ’that burneth him, to bring out the bones out of the house, and shall say unto him that is by the fides of the house, Is there yet any with thee? and he shall say, No: then shall he say, ‘Hold thy tongue; for we may not make mention of the name of the LORD. 11. For behold, the LORD commandeth, and he will fmin the great house with a breaches, and the little house with clefts. 12. ¶ Shall hores run upon the rock? will one plow there with oxen? for ‘ye have turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock. 13. Ye which rejoice in a thing of nought, which say, ‘Have we not taken to us horns by our own strength? 14. But behold, ‘I will raise up against you a nation, O house of Israel, saith the LORD, the God of hosts, and they shall afflict you from the entering in of Hemath, unto the river of the wilderness.

Amos 6:8-14

As the sins of Israel cried for vengeance, we here find it bound upon them by the tremendous oath of God that cannot lie. And we unto the sinner concerning whom he shall thus swear in wrath to pour forth upon him the fierceness of his indignation.

1. He declares his abhorrence of them, and his determined purpose to deliver them into the hands of their enemies. Their excellency, their cities, fortunes, and terahurs, on which they prided themselves, and their palaces, built by unrighteousness, are hateful, and under a curle, doomed to be the prey of an invading foe, when their capital, with all therein, should be besieged and taken. Note, They who are the objects of God’s hatred are miserable indeed!

2. The pestilence or famine shall devour those that the sword hath spared. If ten men escape in one house, they shall all die, and a man’s nearest relation be obliged to do the last offices to the dead couple, the mortality being so universal. And when he that burneth goes round to bring out the bones of the dead, to such skeletons were they probably reduced who died by famine, and shall ask of the last survivor that is in the house, Is there yet any with thee? he shall say, No. Then he without shall reply, Hold thy tongue, for we may not make mention of the name of the Lord. Either this is the language of their impenitence, discouraging all humbling applications to God; or of their despair, as if their case was hopeless, and it was in vain to pray; or of their repentance, forbidding the survivor to murmur, since all their sufferings were no more than their sins had justly provoked.

3. Their houses shall be destroyed. He will fmin the great house with breaches, and the little house with clefts; neither rich nor poor shall escape: since both are involved in guilt, he commands execution to pass on them alike; for he is no respecter of persons.

4. All methods that could be taken for their good would be utterly fruitless, as if one should attempt to plow and narrow a rock;

Jer. 2. 12. Hab. v. 13. 17. Hab. The Scales showed