Amos 5

A Funeral Dirge for a Dying Nation (Amos 5:1-27 and Amos 6:14)“ Hear ye this word which I take up for a lamentation over you, O house of Israel. The virgin of Israel is fallen; she shall no more rise; she is cast down upon her land; there is none to raise her up. For thus saith the Lord Jehovah; The, city that went forth a thousand shall have a hundred left, and that which went forth a hundred shall have ten left, to the house of Israel” (Amos 5:1-3). “ Hear ye” calls their attention to his doleful words. A “ lamentation” is a song of mourning for the dead. Although the Northern Kingdom of Israel was in its heyday of power and prosperity, the intrepid prophet sings her death chant as a present reality.Poetically he calls the population of the nation “ the virgin of Israel.” This speaks not of their purity, for that had long since been lost. Rather, he means that up to this point she had been carefully guarded and sheltered by God.

Isaiah used similar words for Babylon: “ sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon…for thou shalt no more be called tender and delicate” (Isaiah 47:1). Using the prophetic perfect or “ prolepsis,” he speaks of the nation as already fallen. Her wound is mortal. “ She shall no more rise up.” She cannot save herself and “ there is none to raise her up.” She had rejected her only hope, which was Jehovah.

“ The city that went forth a thousand” refers to the number of military troops sent forth to battle (Compare 1 Samuel 8:20; 1 Samuel 11:8). Only “ a hundred left” suggests that their losses would be staggering. We should not interpret the number literally. He uses a metonymy, a definite for an indefinite number. The point made is their armies would be devastated. A small town would supply a hundred troops, a larger town a thousand. “ For thus saith Jehovah unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live; but seek not Bethel nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not to Beersheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity and Bethel shall come to nought. Seek Jehovah, and ye shall live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and it devour, and there be none to quench it in Bethel” (Amos 5:4-6). While judgment tarries, God extends to them a gracious offer. If they turn back to him they shall live; if not, they will perish. The prophet uses an antithesis to make his point.“ Seek ye me (Jehovah) and ye shall live” “ Seek not Bethel (idolatry) for it cannot save.Jehovah the only true God would not be found at Bethel, Gilgal etc. Bethel, Gilgal and Beersheba were centers of idol worship. Beersheba was sacred to the memory of the Hebrews. There Abraham called upon God (Genesis 26:23-25; Genesis 46:1-2). It later degenerated into a center of idolatry (2 Kings 23:8). Beersheba was located in Judah some fifty-three miles southwest of Jerusalem.

Doubtless some of the people of the North made the long pilgrimage to worship at Beersheba’ s pagan shrine. Amos likely mentions this to shame them about Jeroboam I’ s excuse for building the shrine at Bethel. “ It is too much for you” he said, to go up to Jerusalem” (1 Kings 12:28). It was too hard to go twelve miles to Jerusalem to worship Jehovah at his temple, but, not too hard to travel sixty five miles to Beersheba to worship at a forbidden shrine. This he says to shame them. With a figure of speech called paronomasia he plays on the sound and meaning of Gilgal and Bethel. “ Gilgal shall taste the gall of exile.” (G .A. Smith). “ Bethel (house of God) shall become Bethel (a house of nothing).” Hosea made a similar play on the meaning of Bethel (Hosea 10:5; Hosea 10:8). “ The house of Joseph” stands for the Northern Kingdom, Joseph being (the father of the founders of the two principal tribes, Ephraim and Manasseh.”

God’ s wrath is often described as a raging fire (See Deuteronomy 4:24; Isaiah 10:17; Jeremaih 4:4). In those days, fire was much more disastrous and uncontrollable than in our day. It was greatly feared and once started, the destruction was usually total. “ Our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:29). “ Ye who turn justice to wormwood, and cast down righteousness to the earth, seek him that maketh the Pleiades and Orion and turneth the shadow of death into morning, and maketh the day dark with night; that calleth for the waters of the sea and poureth them out upon the face of the earth (Jehovah in his name); that bringeth sudden destruction upon the strong so that destruction cometh upon the fortress” (Amos 5:7-9). “ Wormwood” is a bitter plant. Here it is used figuratively for injustice. What is more bitter than a corrupt court? “ Righteousness” means “ right doing.” This they had overthrown or cast to the ground. They put down righteousness and exalted wickedness in their courts.For the third time, he urges them to seek God as their only hope of deliverance (Psalms 34:10). They are urged to seek Jehovah who has the power to create the heavenly bodies (Pleiades and Orion) and to destroy. Pleiades is the heavenly constellation called the seven stars or seven sisters.

Job alludes to them (Job 9:9; Job 38:31). Orion is the constellation sometimes called the giant. Amos’ point is that they should seek the mighty Creator who alone can save them. The “ shadow of death” is the night which God turns to day. He “ calleth for the waters of the sea and poureth them out upon the face of the earth.” This alludes to the moisture evaporated from the sea and returned to the earth in rain. This is a provision of the great Creator.

Some take it to mean destructive tidal waves or hurricane-type storms. God’ s destructive power cannot be resisted. It comes suddenly and unexpectedly (Matthew 24:44). Even strong fortresses will crumble before him (Amos 5:9). He is almighty and irresistible. “ They hate him that reproveth in the gate and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly” (Amos 5:10). The gate was the business center of a city. There kings held court (1 Kings 22:10) and legal matters were pursued (Deuteronomy 25:7). There prophets often resorted to declare God’ s message (See Jeremiah 17:19; Jeremiah 19:2; Isaiah 29:21). “ Him that reproveth in the gate” was the prophet Amos and any other faithful men of God sent to correct them. Rather than welcome them, the people hated them. “ Forasmuch therefore as ye trample upon the poor and take exactions from him of wheat; ye have built houses of hewn stone but ye shall not dwell in them; ye have planted pleasant vineyards but ye shall not drink the wine thereof. For I know how manifold are your transgression and how mighty are your sins— ye that afflict the just, that take a bribe and that turn aside the needy in the gate from their right” (Amos 5:11-12). We can imagine the rustic prophet now stationed near the gate where judges conducted court. Pointing with his gnarled finger, he charges them with tramping the poor and unjustly taking even the food from the mouth of him and his family. Henderson takes the “ exactions” to be exorbitant taxes. Laetsch and Pusey think it is interest on loans.

The law forbade one to lend or take food for interest (Deuteronomy 23:19). The average Hebrews lived in houses made of mud bricks (Isaiah 9:10). Only the wealthy could afford houses of cut stone. We should not summarily condemn those with wealth and fine houses. It is how they acquire they wealth and use it that makes it good or bad. To prosper at the unjust expense of the poor is always wrong.

Oppressing the poor is a perennial problem of ancient and modem civilizations. The Psalms, the Proverbs, and the Prophets abound with references to this sin (Psalms 10:9; Proverbs 22:16; Isaiah 3:14-15). “ He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker” (Proverbs 14:31). As a just reward for their ill-gotten gain they will not live to enjoy their fine homes and the produce of their vineyards. This threat is taken from (Deuteronomy 28:38-45).

“ For I know” your transgressions, stresses God’ s omniscience. Nothing can be hidden from him. He knew all about their secret bribes and private agreements made with judges and lawyers to get advantage over the righteous poor (Comp. 1 Samuel 12:3-4). Job is a good example of how a righteous man deals with his poor neighbors (Job 31:16-22). Amos refers to himself in verse 13, observing that from the world’ s point of view, he would be wise to keep silent. Perhaps he is repeating what someone was overheard to say. As he said earlier, “ Jehovah hath spoken; who can but prophesy?” (3:8). In the words of Jeremiah, God’ s word was like fire (fever) in his bones it had to come out (Jeremiah 20:9). Having rebuked their sins, he offers an exhortation: “ Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live; and so Jehovah the God of hosts, will be with you as ye say. Hate the evil and love the good and establish justice in the gate; it may be that Jehovah, the God of hosts, will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph” (Amos 5:14-15). In these lines the prophet makes clear that religion and morality are inseparable. If one is seeking good he will naturally hate evil. In a day when religious folks want to constantly hear about love, they need to be reminded that being godly involves hating the things God hates. (Comp. Proverbs 6 : lb- 19; Malachi 2:16; Hebrews 1:9).

The specific thing that they should seek and love was “ justice in the gate” or courts! Likewise they should hate and abhor injustice. If that glaring social wrong could be corrected forthwith, “ it may be that Jehovah…. will be gracious unto the remnant…” While it is too late to avert judgment, with proper repentance, God would save a remnant of the nation. “ Joseph,” the father of Ephraim and Manasseh, stands for the Northern Kingdom. With prophetic vision Amos sees the mourning their sin will bring. “ Therefore thus saith Jehovah, the God of hosts, the Lord; Wailing shall be in all the broad ways; and they shall say in all the streets, Alas! And they shall call the husbandman to mourning and such as are skillful in lamentation to wailing; and in all vineyards shall be wailing; for I will pass through the midst of thee, saith Jehovah” (Amos 5:16-17). People would mourn for their losses in the coming war of judgment. Husbands, sons and fathers would be slain or captured in combat, cities would be burned, homes rifled, women ravished and captives taken. A similar prophetic picture is given by Zechariah of Jerusalem’ s fate at the hands of the Romans (Zechariah 14:1-2). Those “ skillful in lamentation” were the professional mourners who were a common part of ancient society (See Jeremiah 9:17-18).

Such pitiful mourning is reflected in Jeremiah’ s Lamentations which describes the horrible plight of the survivors after Jerusalem fell to Nebuchadnezzar’ s troops. The reason they will mom is, “ for I will pass through the midst of thee, saith Jehovah.” It will be as when He passed through Egypt and smote their first bom (Exodus 12:12). Then he passed over Israel and smote Egypt, now Israel, will feel his wrath. Amos now delivers two “ woes” upon his hearers: “ Woe unto you that desire the day of Jehovah! Wherefore would you have the day of Jehovah? It is darkness and not light. As if a man did flee from a lion and a bear met him; or went into the house and leaned his hand on the wall and a serpent bit him, shall not the day of Jehovah be darkness and not light? even very dark and no brightness in it?” (Amos 5:18-20). Perhaps some in the audience had responded to his warnings by saying, “ Let the day of the Lord come we are ready for it” or “ We are God’ s chosen people. When the day of the Lord comes he will bless and save us.” To this he sharply responds.

With his “ woe to you” he points out that the day of the Lord will be different than they think. It will not be one of light and blessing but a dark night of suffering. Jeremiah encountered this same spirit in Jerusalem (Jeremiah 17:15). Amos then uses a homely illustration from the wilderness country to show that they would in no wise escape the judgment. He describes a man out in the countryside when suddenly he is confronted by a lion, in panic he turns and flees for his life. Just when he thinks he is safe he meets a ferocious bear.

With heart pounding, he finally makes it to the safety of his house. Panting, he leans for rest upon the rock wall and from between the cracks a deadly viper strikes him. For all ofhis efforts to escape death, it finally caught him. So will God’ s judgment find every sinner in Israel. The day of which he speaks is the day when Assyria will destroy their nation and take them into captivity. Like most people, the people of Israel falsely assumed that sin, rebellion and disobedience could be atoned for by elaborate ritual and effusive religious observances. To this attitude the prophet, addresses himself. He represents God as saying, “ I hate, I despise your feasts, and I will take no delight in your solemn assemblies. Yea though ye offer me your burnt-offerings and meal-offerings, I will not accept them; neither will I regard the peace- offerings of your fat beasts. Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols. But let justice roll down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream” (Amos 5:21-24).

Sinful man, tends to think that God is a beggar who is obliged to cheerfully accept any scrap thrown to him. Amos makes it clear that such is not the case. God hates hypocritical, insincere worship. He will not accept it, nor bestow blessings upon such worshipers. Other prophets made the same point about worship. (See Isaiah 1:11-17, Malachi 1:6-10). “ Feasts” refers to their great annual festivals of Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles (Leviticus 23 :Iff). “ Solemn assemblies” refers to their gatherings for the ceremonies of those feasts (Leviticus 23:36). “ Burnt-offerings” are described in Leviticus chapter 3. “ Meal- offerings” are sometimes translated “ meat-offerings” but they involved neither blood nor meat. They consisted of cereals or grains.

It was always accompanied by a whole burnt-offering or peace-offering. (See Leviicus 2:1­4; Numbers 15:1-6). “ Peace-offerings” were animal sacrifices presented to God, but eaten by the priest and the worshipers. A “ viol” was a kind of harp frequently used in worship (Psalms 150:3-4). Their worship was lavish, the ritual no doubt beautiful but it was rejected because their lives did not measure up to God’ s standard. Amos must not be understood as condemning true, scriptural worship. God actively seeks true worshipers who will worship him in spirit and in truth (John 4:23-24). Liberal writers seize verses such as these to argue that all worship is useless. Such exegesis reveals much about the state of their hearts.

That which nullified their worship was their wicked life style and the way they treated their neighbors. Therefore he challenges them to “ let justice roll down as waters, and righteousness are a mighty stream.” These words need still to be emblazoned on every house of worship and in every human heart. With this statement, Amos erected a monument that will honor his name until the Lord comes. Continuing his reproof of their false worship, he says, “ Did ye bring unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel?Yea, ye have borne the tabernacle of your king and the shrine of your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves. Therefore, will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, saith Jehovah whose name is the God of hosts” (5: 25-27). Verses 25 and 26 have been the occasion for thousands of hours of study on the part of commentators. Two possible meanings are seen for verse 25.“ Did ye bring unto me (Jehovah) sacrifices in the wilderness” he asks, or were, they really for the idol gods you knew in Egypt? It could be elliptical; “ Did ye bring unto me only sacrifices….in the wilderness” or did you not have to obey me as well. The author omits a word, (in this case it is only), not by accident. Similar usage on the same subject is seen in 1 Samuel 15:22. “ Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice (only)….” Jeremiah also in 7:22 of his book uses this devise. “ For I spake not unto your fathers….concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices (only).” We know that he certainly did speak to them of sacrifices (Lev. l:lff). Given the context of the proceeding verses, (Amos 5:21-24), it seems that he is saying that God has never been satisfied with sacrifices and ritual alone, but has always expected personal righteousness and social justice as well. Given the verse following he seems to say that” from the beginning you Hebrews have been idolatrous at heart, even though you worshiped me outwardly.” Centuries and scholarship have yet to settle the point absolutely. There is uncertainty as to the time-frame of c5:26. “ In the Hebrew it is simply and ye bare” (Cook). The KJV and ASV render it “ ye have borne” which can mean that the Hebrews, as a race, practiced idolatry even during the wilderness wandering or that those of the Northern Kingdom, to whom Amos spoke, were guilty of idolatry. Both of these points are true. The RSV and the NEB both reflect this idea. “ But now you shall take up the shrine of your idol.. .(NEB). That is to say “ if you want to worship idols you can take them with you when you go into captivity.” That Israel was prone to idolatry from earliest times is fact. The golden calf was made and worshiped while Moses was yet on the mount (Exodus 32:1-6).

In Deuteronomy 32:17, Moses looks back over the past forty years and reminds them that they had clung to their idols. Ezekiel makes the same charge in chapter 20:16 of his book. Amos now offers specific facts to substantiate his allegations “ ye have borne the tabernacle of your king and the shrine of your images, the star of your god” (ASV). The difficulty of these words is seen in the variety of translations;

“ ye have borne the tabernacle of your Molock and Chium your images, the star of your god” (KJV) “ you shall take up Sakkuth your king and Kaiwan your star” god your images (RSV) “ you shall take up the shrine of your idol king and the pedestals of you images” (NEB) The ASV and NEB seem to best convey the meaning. “ Tabernacle” refers to a portable booth in which the idol was housed. Such, were common among the pagans in those days. The word rendered “ shrine” (ASV) is better rendered “ pedestal” in the NEB. This was the stand on which the image rested when in camp. This is Keil’ s understanding. The KJV and RSV translators took the words for tabernacle and pedestal as proper names for their gods. The only hint as to the nature of their idolatry is in the expression “ star of your god.” This implies it was astral worship which was evidently a problem during the Exodus. Moses saw fit to warn them against worshiping the sun, moon and stars (Deuteronomy 4:19). All of their Canaanite neighbors adored the heavenly bodies; the Assyrians’ system of idolatry was built upon worship of the heavenly orbs. The NEB seem correct in saying “ but now you shall take up the shrine of your idol king and the pedestal of your images and I will drive you into exile beyond Damascus” i.e. into Assyria. Amos reminds them that this is no idle threat for God is its author. Stephen cites these words from Amos in his speech before the Sanhedrin (Acts 7:40-43). He uses the words of the Septuagint. Amos Chapter FiveVerse 1 There are suggestions in this chapter of the method of the apostle Paul, as when he used the diatribe so effectively in Romans. There are apparent interruptions of Amos’ line of thought, such as might have occurred when members of his audience objected to his preaching, or attempted to refute his arguments. The discernment of this completely refutes the allegations of critical scholars who laboriously postulate a paste and scissors job that some later editor is alleged to have done on this chapter, the great weakness of such postulations being that they are believed by no one except the postulators! Also, the postulators exhibit no agreement regarding any of their alleged “solutions.” The entire chapter is a continuation of Amos’ prophecy against Israel, elaborating and expanding the condemnation and overthrow of Israel already announced in Amos 3. Amos 5:1“Hear ye this word which I take up for a lamentation over you, O house of Israel.“The impact of this upon Amos’ hearers was essentially that of his crying, “Listen, Israel, while I preach your funeral!” The whole chapter has no other purpose than, “to impress upon the people of God the impossibility of averting the threatened destruction, and to take away from the self-secure sinners the false foundations of their trust."[1] To make his message still more powerful, Amos actually uttered it in the tone and meter of the traditional funeral service known by all the people; and Hammershaimb, along with others, supposes that the occasion was that of a popular feast at Bethel: “We can picture him appearing during the feast at Bethel and suddenly tearing the participants away from their revelry by starting the mournful tones of the lament, so that when they listen to him they are seized with terror and perhaps also with indignation when they hear that it is the death of Israel that he is lamenting.[2]“Amos to this point has spoken of the fall of Israel as being still in the future. Here he speaks as if it had already happened. He sings a funeral song (a dirge) for Israel."[3]The dirge which Amos chanted for Israel was the real thing, a traditional and highly stylized lament, “cast in 3 + 2 metre."[4] It was probably spoken in a very loud and wailing voice, calculated to stun and shock everyone who heard it. Verse 2 “The virgin of Israel is fallen; she shall no more rise: she is cast down upon her land; there is none to raise her up.“It is a mistake to make this whole chapter into a “poem,” for it is no such thing. The lament was certainly cast into poetic form; but this was merely an attention-getting device used by the prophet as the background for the shocking and devastating words of God’s prophecy which he was delivering to Israel. The virgin of Israel is fallen …” The use of the present tense here is prophetic, indicating that the projected overthrow of the kingdom was as certain as if it had already occurred. This device called “the prophetic tense” was widely used throughout the Hebrew scriptures. Likewise, in the New Testament, the final overthrow of Babylon the great is given in words very similar to these (Revelation 18:2), “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great.” The fact that the figure employed here is that of a virgin “does not indicate that this is (or will be) the first time that Israel is defeated,"[5] nor that the nation is in any sense righteous. “It is a feature related to the representation of Israel as a beautiful young woman."[6] “The death of a virgin, or of a man who had no children, was regarded as peculiarly sad."[7]This outburst of Amos against Israel came at the very apex of Israel’s pride and prosperity, the better part of a century having elapsed since Jeroboam II had restored the borders of the kingdom and seized control of the lucrative trade routes to the east. Israel had never had it so good; and a message like that so dramatically delivered by Amos would have been just about as unpopular as any that could be imagined. But the very fact that Amos’ message has been preserved for us shows that some people listened and remembered. There were some who honored the prophet and his message, and who gave service to God.[8]Verse 3 “For thus saith the Lord, Jehovah: The city that went forth a thousand shall have a hundred left, and that which went forth a hundred shall have ten left, to the house of Israel.“Military defeat and the near-total destruction of Israel’s reservoir of fighting men are sternly indicated by this. This portion of Amos’ lament continues in the stylized 3 + 2 metre; and, “Some scholars have imagined that Amos actually put on the garb of a professional mourner and sang this song in Samaria and Bethel."[9]Verse 4 “For thus saith Jehovah unto the house of Israel, seek ye me, and ye shall live.“Seek ye me …” “This does not mean, inquire about,' or search for’ something or someone lost or inaccessible. When Yahweh is the object, the meaning is, turn to Yahweh,' and hold to Yahweh’ as a way of life."[10] Many have noted that this passage does not in any sense mean that the Lord is hiding from Israel, or even that he is not available to them. “It must be understood as meaning, to seek out and observe God’s commandments."[11] W. R. Harper noted the audience-response type of thing which we mentioned in the chapter introduction; these words, “suggest at once the question, `Are we not zealouly engaged in the worship of Yahweh? Why are we then to suffer?’"[12] Very well, Amos will respond to such a question, whether or not it was actually raised by any of his hearers. The answer is simple, and simply devastating: “Their religion is false!” We deplore the apparent blindness of so many who do not see in Amos’ prophecy anything except the social injustice and oppression of the poor.

Of course, those aspects of Israel’s sins are courageously denounced in Amos, but no more so than are condemned the vanities of their religious system. To deny that God was also gravely concerned about that is to miss the principal relevance of this prophecy for modern man. Thorogood accurately observed the intention of this section of Amos when he declared that: “The chief theme in Amos 5 and Amos 6 is the contrast between true religion and false religion."[13]This is a good place to mention the scholarly superstition to the effect that, “The editors who put together the Book of Amos, divided his sayings into sections; but the divisions are not very clear, etc."[14] Of course, no “editors” or “redactors” had anything to do with Amos. The so-called “evidence” of any such thing is usually pointed out in this fashion: “(This chapter has): a funeral song (Amos 5:1-3); a call to repent (Amos 5:4-7); part of a song of praise (Amos 5:8-9); a warning about injustice (Amos 5:10-13); a further call to repent (Amos 5:14-15); and a further funeral song, or vision of death (Amos 5:16-17)."[15]With all due deference to the intelligence and understanding of those scribes who take the piece-meal nature of this chapter as the work of some “editor,” they are simply mistaken, the mistake being due to an apparent total ignorance of the art of preaching. What we really have here is a typical “shotgun type” of sermon; and this writer is free to confess that he has preached a hundred just as strangely put together as Amos’ words in this chapter. One need look no further than the prophet himself to account for the motley arrangement which confronts us here. Of course, such a thing would seem inconceivable to a seminarian! Amos was no seminarian, but a shepherd! To fasten this hodge-podge chapter upon some later “editor” or “redactor” must be to suppose that the one or ones doing the scissors and paste job here were phenomenally stupid.

Any “editor” worthy of the name would have put the elements of the dirge together and also those of the hymn of praise. By far the most logical and reasonable explanation of the piece-meal, intermittent style which is seen in these chapters is that they are the result of an extemporaneous, give and take, free-for-all confrontation between Amos and Israel, with many interruptions to answer questions, either actually propounded by the audience, or astutely discerned by the speaker before they were propounded.

Instead of criticizing the style of these chapters, the really discerning student will recognize them as the impassioned outflow of a soul in tune with God, burning with righteous indignation against the gross abuses of Israel’s social order, overburdened by the tragic weight of the message of destruction he was commissioned to deliver, and yet motivated by a passionate patriotism and love of God’s “chosen people,” and an unspeakable grief at the tragic words he faithfully delivered. The message of such a man with such a burden of his soul and spirit could never have taken the form of neat little tidy messages such as many so-called sermons of the present day. No indeed! The impassioned words flow forth without any Particular organization, tumbling over each other like red-hot rocks out of a volcano. Behold here the truly magnificent structure of genuine prophecy! Verse 5 “But seek not Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not to Beersheba: for Gilgal shall go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to naught.“The people no doubt supposed that their frequenting the shrines at such places as Bethel, Beersheba and Gilgal would enable them to know God; but in this they were totally wrong. “God can only be sought and found through his revelaton."[16] It was impossible to find God at such places. “Those were centers of idolatry, false teaching, false worship; they would find there only ruin, destruction and captivity, for that is what God had planned for those places."[17]The high places mentioned in this verse had never been a proper place for seeking God; and what we have here is the total repudiation of an entire system of false religion. Many commentators seem to be unaware of this. Some seem to have forgotten that the golden calf-idols installed by Jeroboam were the principal features of the so-called worship at Bethel; and that all of the shrines here mentioned were notorious for the debaucheries and immoralities that were carried on there. Gilgal shall go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to naught …” The scholars tell us that there is a play upon the words Gilgal and Bethel in the Hebrew text, incapable of being translated into English; but many approximations of it have been given. One of the most interesting is that of Wellhansen, as cited by Hammershaimb: “Gilgal will go to the gallows, and Bethel will become the devil’s."[18]Beersheba …” It is a little surprising to find this place mentioned as one of the shrines frequented by the Israelites, since it was in the extreme southern part of Judah and quite a long distance from the Northern Kingdom. Barnes observed that: “Jeroboam I pretended that it was too much for Israel to go up to Jerusalem; and yet Israel thought it not too much to go to the extremest point of Judah toward Idumaea, perhaps four times as far south of Jerusalem, as Jerusalem lay from Bethel!"[19]Verse 6 “Seek Jehovah, and ye shall live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and it devour, and there be none to quench it in Bethel.“The house of Joseph …” here means the Northern Kingdom, of which the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh (the sons of Joseph) constituted the most powerful component of the kingdom. This led to the “House of Joseph” being a kind of title for the Northern Kingdom. The great contrast in these verses is between “Seek Jehovah” and “Seek not Bethel,” or any other of the false shrines. The limitation which Almighty God has placed upon those who would truly seek him should never be overlooked. People who are merely doing what pleases them religiously are just as hopeless as were those ancient Israelites condemned in this chapter. As Keil put it: “God can only be sought, however, in his revelation, or in the manner in which he wishes to be sought, or worshipped."[20] Jamieson’s comment on this verse is: Break out like fire in the house of Joseph …” means bursting through everything in his way. God is a consuming fire (Deuteronomy 4:24; Isaiah 10:17; and Lamentations 2:3).[21]Verse 7 “Ye who turn justice to wormwood, and cast down righteousness to the earth.“As already indicated in this prophecy, and as will appear also in later passages, the whole system of justice had failed in Israel, even the judiciary being corrupted, leaving the poor and the humble with no protection whatever against the avarice and oppression of heartless ruling classes. Justice to wormwood …” Wormwood was the name of a plant having an exceedingly bitter taste; and this is a very effective figure for the perversion of justice. Any honest man seeking redress of his wrongs in the Israel of that day would have found “justice” turned into a very “bitter pill” for him. Righteousness is represented as fallen and prostrate on the ground with no one to raise it up and support it. Those were horrible times indeed; and it seems incredible that the very people responsible for such gross wickedness should have fancied themselves to be the favored children of God! How blind is the worshipper of false gods! Verse 8 “Seek him that maketh the Pleiades and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night; that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth (Jehovah is his name).“We have exactly the same theme here that was visible in Amos 4:13; it is just Amos’ way of emphasizing that the God who threatens such awful consequences upon Israel is fully able to bring them to pass just as he has promised. Pleaides and Orion …” These great constellations, the first dominating the spring and summer months, and the second the months of fall and winter, were known to the ancients; and, “They are referred to in the Old Testament (Job 9:9; Job 38:31) as demonstrations of God’s creative power."[22]The changing of day and night, and the sending of rain upon the earth are usually thought to be what is indicated by the balance of this verse; and certainly there is good reason for so construing it; but Keil was of the opinion that a reference to the deluge which came upon sinful men in the time of the Genesis flood is involved. This may well be, for it would have been a most appropriate reminder in the context of Amos’ prophecy of a similar doom upon Israel, and for exactly the same reasons, unbridled wickedness and rebellion against God. He wrote: “We should not understand this as a reference to the moisture that rises from the sea and then falls upon the earth as rain. The words suggest the thought of terrible inundations of the earth by the swelling sea, and the allusion to the judgment of the flood can hardly be overlooked."[23]If this is merely a reference to the mysterious power of God in sending the rain upon the earth, it would still have a very potent and appropriate meaning for the people of that day who attributed the rain to certain of their false gods: “They had a god of rain and storm; in some places he was called Baai, and in others Hadad. Amos here asserts that it is Yahweh who sends the rain."[24]Verse 9 “That bringeth sudden destruction upon the strong, so that destruction cometh upon the fortress.“McKeating and other critical scholars mention this and the preceding verse as “the second of the hymn fragments, or doxologies,” favoring the theory (a subjective imaginative “guess”) that they were not “composed or inserted by the prophet, but put in, almost at random, by an editor."[25] (See under Amos 5:4, above, for our refutation of the “editor” theory.) No responsible, intelligent “editor” could possibly have arranged a chapter in the form of this one. Only a preacher like Amos could have produced such a “shotgun sermon” as this; and, with that view of it, it becomes a classic of power and effectiveness. On this and the preceding verses, Deane has this: “Here is an allusion to the flood and similar catastrophes, which are proofs of God’s judicial government of the universe, when, “he maketh his creature his weapon for the revenge of his enemies”…God doeth all these marvelous things, and men presume to scout his law and think to be unpunished."[26]Verse 10 “They hate him that reproveth in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly.“A picture of the rotten judicial system of Israel is in this. The “court” was a type of open forum conducted in the gate of the city, where the wall was expanded to enclose a considerable area where important city business was conducted and affording an outdoor theater large enough for a considerable gathering of people. In the ancient system of justice, men of good will were expected to appear before the city fathers in court proceedings and speak the truth on behalf of the poor or oppressed; but anyone performing such a function in that society was “hated” and “abhored.” The indifference and corruption of the whole society were the result. Smith makes a big “to do” over the fact that " Amos 5:10 is in the third person, and Amos 5:7 is in the second person!"[27] What do the critics expect? That this shepherd should have kept all of his persons in the proper focus? Some of the changes from one person to another are evidently due to Amos’ reference to God’s law in the Pentateuch, the person of the passage cited, naturally appearing in his address here, whether it matched the person he was using or not. One of the Proverbs (Proverbs 15:12) could have been in Amos’ mind here, accounting for the third person. Such quibbles are unimportant, and are certainly no proper basis for postulations about “editors” and “redactors!” The entire concept of “the redactor” so vital to current Biblical criticism is in reality a kind of scholarly Piltdown Man, in short, a hoax widely received and honored, but a hoax nevertheless. This is a second reference we have made to this in this commentary, but it is necessitated by the incessant and reiterated appeal to this monstrosity by the commentaries which we are reading. Verse 11 “Forasmuch therefore as ye trample upon the poor, and take exactions from him of wheat: ye have built houses of hewn stone, but ye shall not dwell in them; ye have planted pleasant vineyards, but ye shall not drink the wine thereof.“In this verse again, Amos goes back to the great covenant passages of the Pentateuch where almost the identical language of this verse is used, making it likely, as we indicated above, that this pattern of his thinking was habitual. By thus appealing to the great covenant words of the Mosaic law, Amos is declaring the justice of God’s forthcoming judgment against Israel: “When Amos uses these formulations, he is saying in effect, that Yahweh will invoke the sanctions of his covenant with Israel against these perverters of Israel’s social order … The maintenance of that order, especially justice and righteousness in the courts is a requirement of God’s covenant; and for those who violate his will, the salvation-history will become a judgment-history."[28]Verse 12 “For I know how manifold are your transgressions, and how mighty your sins, ye that afflict the just, that take a bribe, and turn aside the needy in the gate from their right.“What is evident in this verse is not merely oppression of the poor, despite that’s being an invariable result of it, but the absolute corruption of Israel’s judiciary. The courts of law are always the last vestiges of justice in a decadent society; and when that is gone, there is nothing else left to go. It is that awful condition that is uppermost in this prophecy. Wolfe further commented on this very thing: “Usually, the last stand of respectability in a declining nation is found in her judiciary. With the degeneration of Israel’s legal machinery, the fate of the nation seemed certain."[29]To be sure, the results of such a corrupt system were particularly devastating to the poor and weak of the nation, who were mercilessly exploited, their exploiters apparently having no conscience whatever. The cries of the poor for justice were not heard in the gates of Israel, but they were heard in the gates of heaven; and God moved immediately and effectively to destroy that whole wretched society. “Human personality cannot be abused for personal gain without Divine retribution. Let us pray that our own generation learns this lesson from God’s book before it has to experience God’s judgment."[30]Verse 13 “Therefore, he that is prudent shall keep silence in such a time; for it is an evil time.“This verse has posed a problem for some commentators. It is admitted by all that the viewpoint expressed in this verse could not possibly be that of Amos; for he was then in the act of daring to speak out vehemently against the evil of that society, without regard to any “prudent” concern either for his own safety, or his own life. The best explanation of this verse is that it is merely a sarcastic statement of Amos of the sinful view that had led to the perversion of justice in the Northern Kingdom. The prophet is here putting in the mouths of his audience their lazy, indifferent, and selfish philosophy which was the underlying cause of the judiciary’s corruption. The words stand here at this dramatic point in Amos’ address like Banquo’s ghost at the feast; and we may well hope that some of Amos’ hearers were shamed and corrected by it. Whatever this verse is, the above explanation of it satisfies all the requirements of the text.

Certainly, it is not “a bit of advice added to the book”[31] by some later editor, a view which would denominate such an editor as a very foolish and unspiritual person! We therefore reject out of hand the groundless speculation to the effect that Amos 5:13, “is a manifestly later insertion."[32] What “editor” could have been so perverse and unspiritual as to inject a “sour note” like this into Amos’ beautiful prophecy? Such a conception of how these words happened to be in it is not supported by any reasonable thesis or any evidence whatever. As we have interpreted it, it makes good and wholesome sense. Verse 14 “Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live; and so Jehovah, the God of hosts, will be with you, as ye say.“The very fact that Amos here definitely quotes from what his hearers were in the habit of saying surely supports what was just said regarding his having done so sarcastically in the preceding verse. Amos here strikes at the fundamental cause of all of Israel’s transgressions and sorrows: they loved the wrong things. That, of course, is exactly the way it still is with the world. As McFadden said: “The root of the social problem, as some one has said, is not defective social arrangement, but sin; and no fundamental improvement can be effected by a change in the environment, but only by a change in the men."[33]Much of the present-day preoccupation of churches with such things as “better housing,” “improved standards of living,” etc., has resulted from the failure to behold this truth. No matter what social planners and environmentalists may say, there is no escaping the fact that all of man’s problems originated in Eden; and there was nothing at all wrong with that environment. The entry of sin was the destructive factor that drowned the whole world in woe. Regarding the probable reason for Israel’s confidence that the Lord was with them, Hammershaimb explained it thus: “It arose from the people’s conviction of the unfailing good fortune which they thought they had evidence of in the external successes of Jeroboam II."[34] It is also a fact that the whole nation had blindly trusted in their boasted fleshly descent from the patriarch Abraham, claiming to be “the seed of Abraham,” despite their spiritual rejection of the obedient faith which marked the life of Abraham. Verse 15 “Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish justice in the gate: it may be that Jehovah, the God of hosts, will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph.“The slender thread of hope which marks this verse is recurrent throughout the prophecy; but the uncertainty which is indicated as to whether or not mercy would be extended did not derive from any unwillingness on God’s part. “The prophet regarded it as dubious whether they would really repent."[35]Love the good …” or “seek good,” as in Amos 5:14 was not considered by Amos as one and the same thing as seeking God. “When he said in one place, Seek the Lord,' and in another Seek good,’ he was not making them synonymous. Amos was not preaching just an ethical religion. The seeker of Yahweh was more than a do-gooder.' He was emphasizing the two dimensions of true religion: the vertical, Seek Yahweh, and the horizontal, Seek good."[36]Verse 16 "Therefore, thus saith Jehovah, the God of hosts, the Lord: Wailing shall be in all the broad ways; and they shall say in all the streets, Alas! alas! and they shall call the husbandman to mourning, and such as are skillful in lamentation to wailing."They shall call the husbandman ..." This means that: "The citizens shall call the inexperienced husbandmen to act the part usually performed by professional mourners, as there will not be enough of the latter for the universal mourning which will prevail."[37]Alas! Alas! ..." "This renders the wail of the mourners rather than actual words. Wailing and mourning with loud public lamentations mark the funeral rite throughout the east."[38] One meets with this also in the New Testament, as, for example, when the paid mourners were lamenting the death of Jairus' daughter whom Jesus raised from the dead. To paraphrase this verse, it means that the mourning over the deceased shall be so widespread and universal that there will be not enough personnel to observe properly the funeral rites. Verse 17 "And in all vineyards shall be wailing; for I will pass through the midst of thee, saith Jehovah."I will pass through ..." For ages, at the time Amos wrote, Israel had observed the Passover Feast which celebrated the "passing over" of Israel in the visitation of the death of the firstborn upon the land of Egypt; and the terrible contrast evident in this verse is that God, instead of "passing over" Israel in the forthcoming judgment will instead "pass through the midst" of them, indicating that there would be no mitigation of the penalty for their wickedness. "Amos was reminding Israel that God had been passing by in judgment, as he did that night in Egypt. But now, he would not pass by them any more. He would pass through their midst and leave a trail of tears as he had in the homes of the Egyptians."[39]This sobering thought with reference to these stern words is that there is not a line of exaggeration anywhere in them. All that is foretold here happened exactly as God had promised; and that proud, arrogant and rebellious people were led away to their doom, never more to appear as an organized entity upon the earth! What a tragedy that none of them, or at the most, very few of them, believed the impassioned warning of the shepherd prophet. Verse 18 "Woe unto you that desire the day of Jehovah! Wherefore would ye have the day of Jehovah! It is darkness and not light."THE DAY OF THE LORDThis, and through <a href="/bible/parallel/AMO/5/20" class="green-link">Amos 5:20</a>, presents a remarkable view of the Day of the Lord, that is, the Day of Judgment, first as it would be in the case of Israel when God judged and destroyed her for her sins, and secondly, as it will be at the end of time for the great majority of the rebellious race of mankind. This has been cited as the very earliest reference to the Judgment Day in scripture; but regardless of whether that is actually the case or not, the knowledge of it had existed for generations in Israel, as attested by the widespread, but untaught, desire for that day to come, mentioned in this very verse. Some of the Bible critics are very sensitive about such a doctrine as "The Day of the Lord," going out of their way to deny that even Amos approved of any such doctrine. "Amos did not deny or refute the doctrine"[40]was the way Smith viewed it; but in the viewpoint here, it must be affirmed that Amos did far more than refrain from denying the popular theology regarding the judgment day. "Yes," these words mean, "there is to be a judgment day, but it will not be the type of judgment day you people are longing for, but a day of terror and destruction." Regarding the source of the prevalent conviction regarding the judgment day, or "the day of the Lord," it came into being at least a very long, long way prior to the times of Israel. "This idea had a central place in the religious expectation of the people."[41]The true origin of the theology of the day of the Lord must be looked for in the revelation of God Himself to his people; and our inability at the present time to pinpoint the time and place and name of the particular prophet who first revealed the mind of God with reference to it does not at all diminish the truth and authenticity of the doctrine itself. Amos was inspired of God, and his acknowledgment of the popular belief in the day of the Lord is proof enough of the validity of the doctrine. What Amos condemned in the words of these verses (<a href="/bible/parallel/AMO/5/18" class="green-link">Amos 5:18-20</a>) was not the public confidence in the coming of the day of the Lord, but Israel's perversion of the doctrine, lowering the conception of it to that of a military victory for the Israelites. Israel's view of that day has been described thus: "They looked for a new era in which the deity himself would be their special champion, miraculously intervening in history, subduing Israel's enemies permanently, ushering in an age of world dominion and grandeur for her people.[42] When the heathen should be judged, all the enemies of Israel defeated, and when Israel herself would be exalted to the highest pitch of prosperity and dominion, and without any regard to the moral condition."[43]Regarding our own confidence in the doctrine of the Day of the Lord, or the Final Judgment of all men, it is anchored firmly in the teachings of the Son of God Himself who brought to mankind, through his own words, and those of his apostles, a very definite and extensive corpus of teaching related to this very thing, the words of the New Testament, therefore, providing an inexhaustible reservoir of truth regarding this fundamental doctrine of Christianity (<a href="/bible/parallel/HEB/6/2" class="green-link">Hebrews 6:2</a>). All Old Testament references to the day of the Lord are illuminated by the New Testament. Verse 19 "As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him. Shall not the day of Jehovah be darkness and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?"The word "or" in the above could likewise be translated "and," according to McKeating, thus making all of the actions consecutive, thus: "Running from a lion, he meets a bear. In even greater panic, he reaches the shelter of his house. A snake strikes him from a crevice in the wall."[44]However it may be translated, the passage clearly teaches that there shall be no possibility of escape from the adverse judgment of God upon human wickedness. It must not be thought that Israel was totally wrong about the judgment day, for they were profoundly correct about two things: (1) there would indeed be such a day, and (2) it would also be a time of deliverance, joy and utmost felicity for the true Israel. Whatever their sources of this information, they were accurate in these important elements of the doctrine; and we have no alternative except to conclude that one or more of their prophets had conveyed to them the mind of God regarding such matters. There was only one flaw in the people's thinking; they had made a mistake about who were the true Israel, that not being themselves at all with their stubborn and impenitent wickedness, but the spiritual seed of Abraham, those of Abraham's obedient faith and righteous disposition! Butler is correct in viewing Amos' words here as typical and prophetic of the final Day, the Great Assize, at which time God through Jesus Christ shall judge the whole word in righteousness. "The truth of the matter was, the Day of the Lord would be a day of deliverance, but only for the true Israel, those who were Jews inwardly and not Jews only outwardly; for the Day of the Lord of which Amos speaks is' typical and prophetic of the climactic Day of the Lord, the coming of the Messiah."[45]The illustration of the man fleeing from the lion and the bear and finally gaining the shelter of his home, only to be bitten to death by a serpent in the very place of his imagined security is one of the most forceful in the Bible. Howard commented that: "The death he thought he would escape awaited him at his own house. Thus it was to be for Israel, there would be no escape; the day of Yahweh would be a day of gloom and darkness in which there would be no relieving feature for the rebellious house of Israel."[46]Our own summary of these three verses is simply that the "day of the Lord" was to be bad news for Israel; and the great corollary of that is that it will be likewise "bad news" for the entire race of sinful and rebellious men. The entire Book of Revelation might be interpreted as an extended commentary and revelation regarding this very passage in Amos. The theme of Revelation is "the judgment" of the great Day; and all of the figures that describe the onset of that occasion (of which there are seven) are those depicting unalloyed terror, slaughter, destruction, and sorrow for the near-total family of Adam who may live at the time it occurs. Just one passage from Revelation is sufficient (of thirty that might be cited) to show how it will be for humanity at the judgment, <a href="/bible/parallel/AMO/6/12" class="green-link">Amos 6:12-14</a>. One other thing should be noted. Those in Israel who longed for the day of the Lord were apparently sincere, but sincerely mistaken. However, Barnes pointed out another class who pretend to long for the coming of the Lord. They are today professed Christians - hypocrites: "Who in order to appear righteous before men, are wont to long for the Judgement Day, and to say, Would that the Lord would come; would that we might be dissolved and be with Christ,’ imitating the Pharisee who said, God, I thank thee that I am not as other men are!"[47]Verse 21 I hate, I despise your feasts, and I will take not delight in your solemn assemblies.God's repudiation of their worship was based upon several things: (1) It was not really the worship of God at all, but the worship of the old pagan gods they had always adored, even in the wilderness; (2) the formal services which were patterned after the commandments laid down in the Mosaic Law had been conspicuously altered and perverted by such things as: (a) the omission of the sin-offering; and (b) the mingling of leavened bread with the burnt offerings; and (c) sacred images in the form of such things as the golden calves, adored at the shrines; (d) instruments of music such as had always marked pagan worship which they added to the worship, etc.; (3) all ethical and moral requirements of God having been forgotten and rejected in the practice of all kinds of immorality, drunkenness, and gluttonous feasting in the very worship itself; (4) the very shrines of Bethel, Gilgal, and Beersheba, where they worshipped, were illegal and contrary to the will of God, having been set up in their inception as supports for the throne of Jeroboam I. These are but a few of the outstanding features of an entire system of religion which was totally unacceptable to God. I despise your feasts ..." As Hammershaimb noted: "The three great pilgrimage feasts (were): The Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Tabernacles."[48] These correspond to Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles. The prior existence of the Mosaic Law, as well as the radical drift away from it, on the part of Israel are in clear focus in this picture which emerges from Amos. The words in this verse carry the thought expressed in the King James Version, that "I will not smell in your solemn assemblies," reminding Israel of that threat in the law (<a href="/bible/parallel/LEV/26/31" class="green-link">Leviticus 26:31</a>). Although the outward forms of the worship in Israel carried many distinctive likenesses to the true Mosaic Law from which much of it had been originally derived and later perverted, there were also radical and presumptuous departures from it. "So secure were they that the only sacrifice which they did not offer was the sin or trespass offering."[49]"Amos stripped away all of Israel's false hopes."[50] Here it was their trust in an inadequate, incomplete, unauthorized, perverted, and innovated worship. In Amos 3, he took away their vain trust in the doctrine of election. In Amos 4, he took away their trust in tithes and offerings; and also in this chapter (<a href="/bible/parallel/AMO/5/18" class="green-link">Amos 5:18-20</a>), he took away their trust in the future destruction of their enemies by God Himself. Verse 22 "Yea, though ye offer me your burnt-offerings and meal offerings, I will not accept them; neither will I regard the peace-offerings of your fat beasts."Conspicuous by their absence were the sin-offerings, the Israelites being conscious of no sin whatever and feeling no need of forgiveness. This accounts for their longing, without fear, for the "day of the Lord." As Barnes wrote, "The very fact that they desired but did not fear The Day of the Lord’ shows that they were worthy of punishment, since no man is without sin!"[51] Butler observed that the same principles taught in this verse hold good today for, “those who claim to be covenant people of God."[52] Men need to take a look at their worship. Is some conspicuous part of it missing, such as the weekly observance of the Lord’s Supper? Have instruments of music been added to the singing? Are the solemn ethical, moral and personal virtues of God’s kingdom no longer stressed or particularly honored? Has so-called Christian worship become a parade of what men like, what they like to do, what they like to hear?

Is the Word of God, the Bible, received, honored, respected, quoted, read, believed and obeyed? Let everyone who prays not to be disappointed when “the day of the Lord” finally comes, answer such questions for himself. Verse 23 “Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols.“There are two things God condemned in this verse: (1) the noise of the songs of their worship, and (2) the mechanical instruments used in their worship. Commentators generally have (1) either skipped the questions raised by this verse as did McKeating;[53] (2) dismissed the verse on the grounds that the only thing God had against anything at Bethel was the worshipper’s violation of the rights of the poor; (3) suggested that instruments of music were a part of the regularly established Hebrew worship; or (4) affirmed that, “There is no hint that the ritual was irregular."[54] (5) Barnes thought that the thing God condemned here was the fact that, “Their melody, like much church-music was for itself and ended in itself."[55] Thorogood summed up the generally accepted opinions on this verse as, “What God really desired was that the Israelites should show justice and righteousness in their personal and national lives."[56] Of course, such an opinion regarding justice and righteousness being desired by God is correct, the Lord having thundered that message very clearly a half dozen times already in the scope of this prophecy; but it is something else which God condemns here. Regarding that specific problem of what is condemned in this passage, note this: God Here Condemned:Their feast days (Amos 5:21), not the great festivals which God Himself instituted, but the idolatry, drunkenness, immorality, etc. which they had added. Their solemn assemblies; the sweet smell (KJV) induced by the burning of leavened bread (condemned in Amos 4:5) had rendered even their assemblies unholy. Their burnt-offerings and meal offerings (Amos 5:22), rendered absolutely unacceptable to God by the drunkenness, immorality, the omission of any sin-offering, and the adoration of the gold image of a calf installed by Jeroboam I. Their peace-offerings of fat beasts, pretending that peace with the Lord had been established without a sin-offering, and with no regard at all for their sins. Their noise of what were supposed to be songs! This word noise removes all thought of anything holy or spiritual. The singing had likely degenerated into that same kind of screaming cacophany one hears today. Their instruments of music. Now, the undeniable fact is that the Lord was condemning and crying out, through his prophet, against all of the things here mentioned; and there is no way to remove the instruments of music from that condemnation; for, unlike the case of the songs, it was not their melody which was lacking; it was not their noise which was condemned; and the only thing visible that could have been condemned here was the use of such unauthorized devices in God’s worship. MUSICThis subject is still a current and pertinent one to those who really wish to serve and honor God. Many religious communions, Jewish, Protestant, and Catholic reject instruments of music in God’s worship, including: The Orthodox Hebrew, the Armenian Catholic, the minor sects of both Baptist and Methodist communions, and churches of Christ all over the world. The reasons for this rejection are weighty, impressive and convincing: I. The New Testament has no record of mechanical instruments of music being used in Christian worship, the mention of harps in Revelation being absolutely figurative. The significance of this truth is enhanced by the fact of their being instruments of music all over the pagan Roman empire during the period when Christianity began. II. This ban against mechanical instruments, and there was a ban, was continued for centuries afterward in the early Christian communion, as any.good encyclopaedia of religious knowledge will show. Their use in Christian worship came centuries too late to identify them with genuine Christianity. Our Puritan ancestors in Plymouth Colony received the gift of an organ from England, but conscientiously rejected it and left it uninstalled for two generations. It was later put in. III. Many of the great reformers cried out against their use, including John Wesley, Alexander Campbell, and many others. Some of the great scholars of the 19th century adamantly opposed them, including the great Methodist scholar Adam Clarke. The arguments such men offered in support of their rejection were accurate, convincing, and clearly evident. IV. All New Testament references to music in the New Testament churches carry the words, singing, sing, or songs, with no mention of mechanical instruments. In context, such passages mean “don’t play.” Colossians 3:16; Ephesians 5:19, etc. V. Even the communions which introduced them were usually far from being whole-hearted in their departure, either restricting the kinds of instruments that could be used, or, as in the case of the Catholic church, forbidding them altogether in such services as the High Mass. VI. Mechanical instruments are not spiritual. The only musical instrument that God ever made is the human voice; and nothing that man ever invented is worthy of comparison with it. VII. Their use in Christian-related communions has been and is widely noted for developments which follow, such as the building of relatively small choirs of paid singers and musicians, and the greater and greater de-emphasis upon the singing which God commanded. Any big city pastor knows that the most unspiritual part of his church is the choir! VIII. Arguments which are skillfully advocated as justification for this historical departure from New Testament Christianity are false; and we shall note some of these a moment later. IX. When instruments of music are introduced into the worship of God through Christ, such an action constitutes the entering point of a wedge leading to further and further departures from God’s Word, the reason for this being that the same arguments that will justify instruments of music in Christian worship will also justify the use of holy water, the burning of sacred incense, the lighting of religious lamps and blessed candles, the sign of the cross, the rosary of the Virgin Mary, or any one or all of many other innovations which have perverted Christianity, such as changes in the action that constitutes New Testament baptism, etc. X. Those who are committed to abiding “in the doctrine of Christ” (2 John 1:1:9) will inevitably behold in any such thing as the introduction of mechanical instruments a “going onward” and a failure to respect that apostolic admonition. XI. There are only two ways to worship God: (1) after the manner of Christ and the apostles of the New Testament, or (2) after the manner of men who are doing what pleases them, instead of what the New Testament commanded and sanctions. Of course, the latter is false worship. XII. The introduction of mechanical instruments into the worship of God, even in the Old Testament, was unauthorized and condemned as in the very passage we are studying. XIII. From time immemorial, even for long centuries prior to Christianity, instruments of music were notoriously and invariably associated with pagan worship, as, for example, in Daniel 3:4-5. That pagan association alone is enough to make instruments of music inappropriate in the worship of the Son of God. XIV. Even if it could be proved, which is unlikely enough, that mechanical instruments of music were authorized by the Lord in the worship of the Hebrews (in the Old Testament), that would in no way open up approval for their use by Christians, as there were many of the legitimate actions of Jewish worship which are inappropriate and sinful in the worship of Christ. REFUTEDDespite the facts cited above, many learned, skillful, and, it may be presumed, sincere men have labored diligently to prove the acceptability of mechanical instruments in the worship of Christ, usually by proving a point that has no connection with it, namely, that God authorized them under the old covenant. What if he did? That would not authorize them in the worship of Christ. But a fair sample of such arguments is the following from the great scholar C. F. Kiel: “Singing and playing on harps formed part of the temple worship of God” (1 Chronicles 16:40; 1 Chronicles 23:5; 1 Chronicles , 25).[57]Keil did not proceed from this with any kind of argument, except by leaving off any condemnation of the practice as observed in Christianity. The passages cited do indeed indicate that David placed instruments of music in the temple worship, which is undeniable; but what is inferred is that this was authorized by the Lord. David was guilty of many gross sins, not merely in the moral sector, as in the case of the wife of Uriah, but also in the very conception that led to the erection of the Jewish temple, a thing that God never authorized, and which was manifestly contrary to the will of God from the very moment when David dreamed up the idea. See 2 Samuel 7:1-17, where David’s error in proposing a temple is clearly set forth. It is a great mistake to suppose that whatever David did was the will of God. In addition to this, there is genuine doubt of whether or not God authorized David’s introduction of instruments even into the Jewish temple. The principal passage supposed to teach this Isaiah 1 Chronicles 16:40, concerning which Adam Clarke noted that: “The Syriac version of this place has this: `These were upright men who did not sing unto God with instruments of music, nor with drums, nor with listra, nor with straight nor crooked pipes, nor with cymbals; but they sang before the Lord Almighty with a joyous mouth, and with a pure and holy prayer, and with innocence and integrity.’"[58]Clarke went on to mention the Vulgate, the Septuagint, and the Arabic, affirming that, none of the versions implied that the instruments of music were “of God,” but that they were used to worship him.[59] Their sanction was clearly upon the authority of David, and not of the Lord. (We shall note this question further in the notes on Amos 6:5, below.) In his discussion of 1 Chronicles 16:40, Clarke propounded the following series of questions, each of which requires a negative answer: “Did God ever ordain instruments of music to be used in his worship? Can they be used in Christian assembles according to the spirit of Christianity? Has Jesus Christ, or his apostles, ever commanded or sanctioned the use of them? Were they ever used anywhere in the apostolic church? Does the use of them at present ever increase the spirit of devotion? Does it ever appear that bands of musicians, either in their collective or individual capacity, are more spiritual, or as spiritual, as the other parts of the Church of Christ? Is it ever remarked or known that musicians in the house of God have attained to any depth of piety, or superior soundness of understanding, in the things of God? Is it ever found that Christian societies which use them are more holy, or as holy, as those societies which do not use them? Is it ever found that the ministers who recommend their use are the most spiritual? Can mere sounds, no matter how melodious, where no word or sentiment is or can be uttered, be considered as giving praise to God? Is it possible that pipes or strings of any kind can give God praise? Can God be pleased with sound emitted by no sentient being, and can have no meaning?” It is our humble opinion that the instruments of music at Bethel were in exactly the same category as the golden calf, the drunken priests, the immoral worshippers, the burning of the leavened bread, and all the other things here condemned by Amos in the name of Almighty God. To conclude the observations on this verse, “Arguments for instruments of music from their use in the Jewish church is futile in the extreme when applied to Christianity."[60]Verse 24 “But let justice roll down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.“There are two things commanded here: (1) let justice be done, and (2) return to the commandments and ordinances of God. It was not merely the proper regard for the poor and needy that God wanted, as in (1); but it was also a return to true worship which was required by the admonition in (2). Most of the commentators have failed to recognize what is implied by the Biblical usage of the word righteousness. It has no reference at all to a proper regard for the poor and oppressed, that having been covered in the previous clause; but it means “have the proper regard for the commandments and ordinances” of God, as indicated inLuke 1:6, and in Psalms 119:172. Verse 25 “Did ye bring unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel?“Amazingly, this verse is made the grounds for denying that the Pentateuch had been written at the time this prophecy was given, or that the custom of offering sacrifices had been instituted in Israel at all prior to the days of Amos. Such a viewpoint is in error. It is alleged, of course, that a negative answer to the question propounded is implied; but what is meant is that that portion of the whole nation of the Jews, namely, those who ultimately made up the Northern Kingdom, had never kept those commandments. The very next verse tells what they did instead of obeying God’s commandments. It should be remembered of practically the whole Jewish nation in the wilderness that they repeatedly rebelled against God and that they were ultimately denied entry into Canaan for that specific reason. Furthermore, there is not a denial of any kind here that offerings and sacrifices were offered by Israel in the forty years wanderings; for as Jamieson said, “This is not a denial, for they did offer in the wilderness sacrifices to Jehovah of the cattle which they brought out of Egypt. It is not a denial, but an affirmation."[61]No matter how this passage is interpreted, whether by assuming that the answer is affirmative, as did Jamieson, above, or whether by insisting that a negative answer is implied, as do Mays, Harper and many others, there can certainly not be any contradiction of the Pentateuch as in the notion that, “There is no way to reconcile this view (of Amos) with the extant Pentateuchal tradition."[62] If Amos said here that the Israelites had not offered sacrifices in the wilderness, the meaning would then be that as stated by Keil, to the effect that: “The denial that they had offered sacrifices applied to the nation as a whole, or the great mass of the people, individual exceptions being passed by … During that forty years, not even the rite of circumcision was practiced (See Joshua 5:5-7); and the sacrificial worship prescribed by the law fell more and more into disuse, so that the generation that was sentenced to die in the wilderness for their rebellion offered no more sacrifices."[63]Furthermore, it is doubtless true that, “Israel during this period must have restricted their sacrifices very considerably because of circumstances,"[64] which would have more than justified what is implied here by Amos’ question. That prophetic question was also justified by the fact that, although the people did offer sacrifices, they did not truly offer them to Jehovah, but to those favorite gods which they secretly adored during the forty years wanderings, a truth attested by the fact that after they entered Canaan, it was still necessary for Joshua to order them to “put away the strange gods from among them” (Joshua 24:33). One gets the proper idea by emphasis upon me. “Did you bring unto me, etc.?” No! They did not, but while pretending to worship God, they were actually worshipping idols. The great Christian martyr quoted this very passage in affirming this very thing (Acts 7:42). This has the meaning of: “You have always been idolators, corrupters of pure worship. Your service in the wilderness, when you were little exposed to external influences, was no more true and faithful than that which you offer now."[65]Thus it was altogether true of the Northern Kingdom, as stated by Barnes, that: “The idolatry of the ten tribes was the revival of the idolatry in the wilderness. The ten tribes owned as the forefathers of their worship those first idolators."[66] All of these considerations, therefore, are more than sufficient reason for rejecting allegations to the effect that, “The point Amos was trying to make was that sacrifice is not essential to a right relationship with God."[67] The New Testament affirms, of that period, that “without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins” (Hebrews 9:22); and, therefore, there can be no acceptance of such a view as that just quoted. With equal authority, we also set aside as erroneous all such affirmations as this: “Amos was disputing the divine origin of the institution of sacrifice as it existed in his day."[68] Such erroneous misconceptions are actually founded in a failure to read the sacred text. Everything that is either stated or implied in this verse is fully explained by the observation that: “The generation of Amos’ day, in mixing idolatry with sacrifices done in the name of Jehovah, was just like the contemporaries of Moses, practicing idolatry and all the while claiming to be worshippers of Jehovah."[69]Verse 26 “Yea, ye have borne the tabernacle of your king and the shrine of your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves.“This verse is accounted to be very difficult by scholars who have difficulty with any agreement as to the way it should be translated; but, for us, the solution is easy, because this is one of only two verses in Amos quoted in the New Testament; and we are perfectly safe in taking the New Testament rendition of it: “Did ye offer unto me slain beasts and sacrifices Forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? And ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, And the star of the god Rephan, The figures which ye made to worship them: and I will carry you away beyond Babylon (Acts 7:42-43).” What is plainly indicated from Stephen’s interpretation of this place is that the Israelites in the wilderness, instead of worshipping the true god, were privately passing around the images of Moloch and Rephan, which they made themselves, and perhaps even hiding these forbidden and idolatrous objects in the very tabernacle itself in such a manner as to conceal them from Moses. This is uncertain, to be sure; and scholars have even questioned the rendition in the New Testament; but the meaning expressed there was accepted by the Sanhedrin as such a sufficient indictment of themselves that they murdered Stephen for making it. Thus we are surely safe in declaring that something along this line of thought is most surely included in the meaning. Verse 27 “Therefore, will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, saith Jehovah, whose name is the God of hosts.“Beyond Damascus …” Strangely, this is altered in the New Testament quotation of it to read, “Beyond Babylon”; but the meaning is the same either way. Amos has in mind Assyria, and his hearers all know it. According to some renditions of these difficult verses, they carry this thought: “The idolaters will have to carry their idols into exile beyond Damascus, Assyria, which is thus vaguely indicated."[70] Did this captivity occur? Indeed yes … “The terrible consequences of rebellion against God grew steadily worse. Injustice, crime, and immorality of all degrees soon led to complete anarchy in the land. In 722-721 B.C., the ten tribes of the Northern Kingdom were subjugated by the Assyrian king; and the people were deported to Assyria never to return as a nation."[71]What ever became of them? Nothing may be affirmed with any certainty; but in all probability, the whole generation of them were reduced to slavery, worked mercilessly in fields, quarries, brick plants, and domestic service until death mercifully released them from their hopeless and tragic estate. Such was the ultimate reward of their turning against their God.

Death Of A Nation (Amos 5:1-3)Amos begins his next message with startling words. Amos takes up a lament over the house of Israel. Do not forget that at the time Amos is preaching the nation of Israel is experiencing prosperity, wealth, and power. Israel has not had this kind of wealth and power since the reign of Solomon, two hundred years previous to this time. However, Amos is taking up a funeral song. The Hebrew word translated “ lamentation” in the ESV which you read in verse 1 was a song or poem mourning the death of a relative, friend, or national hero (Expositor’ s Bible Commentary).

The NLT and NET properly translate this as a “ funeral song.” The HCSB captures this meaning with the translation of verse 1, “ Listen to this message that I am singing for you, a lament, house of Israel.” Israel is at the height of its power and Amos is singing a funeral song for the nation. The song is being sung as if the nation is already extinguished. It is over for the nation. The nation has fallen and will never rise again. Israel is described as a virgin, which implies that she is like a young girl in the prime of life. The once vibrant woman now lies totally helpless on the ground with no one to help.

Verse 3 depicts the armies of Israel being decimated. Though the nation thinks everything is great, in actuality they are enjoying their final few days.

It is important for us to be able to see our true status before God. We cannot be deceived by prosperity and power. Just because things are going well in life does not mean that we are in right standing before God. The nation of Israel is back at its pinnacle of wealth and prosperity yet Amos is singing a funeral song for the nation. It is during our times of prosperity that we must carefully evaluate ourselves. It is when we are experiencing the blessings in life that we must make sure that we are not blinded from seeing our spiritual flaws.

Seek Me And Live (Amos 5:4-15)The requirements are God are very simple. Seek the Lord and you will live. But we need to seek the Lord properly. There is a right way to seek the Lord. In this section Amos is going to explain how the people were supposed to seek the Lord to find life, yet failed.

Not in false worship (Amos 5:5-7).The Lord declares to seek him and live. Notice that God says not to seek Bethel, Gilgal, or Beersheba. The people are seeking religion. They are seeking the performance of sacrifices and temple worship. But they are not seeking God. Do we see the difference?

There is a difference between seeking the church and seeking the Lord. There is a difference between simply singing songs and engaging the hearts so that the songs draw us closer to the Lord. There is a difference between hearing the words of a sermon and seeking to know God through his word. There is a tremendous difference. Seek the Lord. Seek to encounter the Lord in worship.

Seek to know the Lord and live! The goal is not worship. One of the worst teachings we have presented is that there are five acts of worship that must be done. Completing the five acts is not the goal. These five acts are the tools used to draw us to God. The goal is the seek the Lord.

Prayer, singing, fellowship, giving, preaching, teaching, and the Lord’ s Supper are all tools for us to reach that goal of seeking the Lord and drawing closer to him. Worship is not the goal. Israel’ s religious activity amounted to nothing because they were not seeking the Lord. Amos warns that there is no security in worshiping in those locations. The people are not truly seeking or worshiping God at these temples. Therefore God will not accept their offerings.

God’ s call to seek him and live does not mean that if you will seek him you will not get killed. Rather, seek the Lord to find true life. Seek the Lord to experience the blessings of God. We must always remember that God’ s definition of “ live” is not just the opposite of death, but is the opposite of a destructive life that lacks true joy and bringing one into God’ s eternal life. As Paul said in 1 Timothy 5:6, some are dead while they yet live. Jesus said that if we lose our life for His sake, we will find life.

However, rather than seeking the Lord, the people are turning justice into poison and bitterness. Wormwood was a bitter tasting plant that had a poisonous extract. They are turning justice upside down rather than seeking the Lord in righteousness and dealing with others in the righteousness of God.

In humility (Amos 5:8-13).Seek the Lord by seeing the power of God. Seek the Lord in humility because he is the one who is in charge. The power of God is seen in the constellations. Not only did God create the stars, he put them in a order so that you can see designs in them. He has the power to turn the deep darkness into morning. He calls for the waters of the sea and dumps them on the surface of the earth. The Lord is his name. He causes there to be light. He causes the rain to occur. He put the stars in their place. Seek the Lord in humility because he is in charge.

Second, seek the Lord in humility because he knows your actions. In Amos 5:10-11 God is able to recount what the people are doing. God knows our actions. He knows what we are doing on this earth. God says that he sees that they hate being corrected and hate the person who tells them the truth of God’ s word. He sees that they are trampling the poor. He sees that the poor are being taxed. He sees that you are living in luxury and wastefulness. But notice God’ s subtle statements. But have built these houses but you will not live in them. You have planted vineyards but you are not going to drink their wine. Your time has come and your days are numbered. We seek the Lord in humility because he knows what we are doing.

Third, seek the Lord because God has tallied your sins against you. Notice the chilling declaration of God in verse 11. “ I know how many are your transgressions and how great are your sins.” Your sins are mounting against you. I see your actions and your sins are being counted against you. I know what you have done. We seek the Lord in humility because we know our hands are crimson stained with sins. Our sins are great and are tallied against us.

Only when we see this truth can we have an appreciation for Jesus. Only when we understand the tally of sins marked against us can we appreciate mercy and grace. Humble living comes when we grasp our spiritual condition and grasp what God has done to deal with our violations. There is no room for pride when are sins are ever before our faces. There is no room for self-seeking when we are mindful of the enormous list of sins that stand against us. There can only be humility when we see the blood of Jesus cleanse us from our sins.

In goodness (Amos 5:14-15).The final way we need to seek the Lord from this text is by seeking what is good, not evil. Seek what is good to find life. God cannot have a relationship with us when we love evil. Notice the middle of verse 14. Seek good “ so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you.” Seeking good is the only way we can maintain a relationship with God. God is only with us when there is a return to godly behavior. We cannot claim to be the people of God and then engage in ungodly behavior. Seeking the Lord is to hate evil and love good. We cannot love evil and seek God. These two things do not work together. You may think you are seeking God while loving evil, but you are not going to find God. You will not have a relationship with him.

Seeking the Lord through living a holy life cannot be lip service like these people are doing. The people were preaching to seek the Lord and he will be with them. However, they were not doing this. They were claiming this truth but not living it. It is easy to say, “ Seek the Lord” but it is another thing to truly seeking the Lord by hating evil.

Seek the Lord in righteousness and humility. Do not seek the Lord in false worship. Religious activity is not seeking the Lord. Truly desire to know God and pursue him in all you do. This pursuit will lead to desiring what is good and hating what is evil.

Amos 5 began with a funeral song sung by Amos for the nation of Israel. The requirements of God were very simple. They should have been seeking the Lord, but not with their false worship and pious pretenses. The people should have seek the Lord in humility and in goodness. But the people failed to seek the Lord and find true life. Therefore, Amos has sung the words, “ Fallen, no more to rise, is the virgin Israel” (5:2). The rest of chapters five and six describe the coming judgment through a serious of woes.

Don’ t Look Forward To The Day Of The Lord (Amos 5:16-20)There is going to be great amounts of wailing because the Lord is going to pass through their midst. This statement reminds of the exodus when God passed through the nation of Egypt on the day of the Passover. When the Lord passed through Egypt it was a triumphant moment for God’ s people. But now God will pass through the midst of Israel and it will be their doom. The destruction will be so great that everyone, even down to the farmers, will be wailing.

The people of Israel were looking forward to the day of the Lord, believing that in that day the Lord would bring them victory and blessings. They considered themselves to be God’ s people and worthy of God’ s rescue. Amos gives the warning that the day of the Lord is not light for you, but darkness. Contrary to their expectations, the day of the Lord will bring their doom. Further, there is no escape from this coming day. Amos likens the day of the Lord to a man who fled from a lion only to run into a bear and die. Or like a person who went into the house thinking he was safe only have a viper bite him. Notice that Amos again is not offering any hope for the nation. There is no rescue. There is no deliverance. The day of the Lord will not be a day of redemption, but a day of destruction.

God Hates Your Worship (Amos 5:21-27)In Amos 5:21-27 Amos declares that God hates Israel’ s worship. Once again God turns his attention to the worship of Israel. What amazing words! “ I hate, I despise your feasts, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.” Listen to the utter rejection and disdain God has for their worship: “ I hate” (Amos 5:21), “ I despise” (Amos 5:21), “ I take no delight” (Amos 5:21), “ I will not accept” (Amos 5:22), “ I will not look upon” (Amos 5:22), “ take away from me” (Amos 5:23), and “ I will not listen” (Amos 5:23). God says he hates their worship assemblies, their sacrifices, their songs, and their music. He hates all of it. He will not accept it.

He will not listen to it. He will not look upon it. He wants it all taken away from his sight. Can you imagine if we heard those words today? What if God said to us, “ I hate your worship assemblies, your Bible studies, your Lord’ s Supper memorial, your singing, and your prayers. I will not accept any of it.

I do not want to hear it. Take it all away from me!”

The question is why? Why does God hate these things? What was happening that caused this anger from the Lord? Verse 25 contains the answer as God asks a rhetorical question: “ Did you bring to me your sacrifices and offerings during the forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?” The point of the question is that God did not merely want their worthless sacrifices in the wilderness. God demanded their heart that would lead them to obedience. This is what God was calling for in the wilderness.

God wanted to them to love the Lord, the first and the greatest of all the commandments. God wanted them to seek the Lord and not live in rebellion. Yet the people of Israel are doing just that. Verse 26 reveals that the hearts of the people of Israel are filled with idolatry. Take your idols all the way into exile!

If we worship God then we must walk in his ways. Worship is supposed to change our lives, bringing repentance and renewal to our hearts. God hates our worship when our hearts are not engaged on him but have been stolen by the idols of this world. When our passions are for worldly things rather than for his glory and his Son, Jesus, then God does not receive our worship. We must develop the heart that desires to worship, not merely worship because we think such an act pleases God. Sunday pew sitting is not acceptable! God wants lives that worship him and are living sacrifices every day. Otherwise our assemblies are hated by our Lord.

Amos 5:1

Amos 5:1. The severe denunciations which the Lord expresses against the people from time to time should not be interpreted as an indication of bit-terness. He is grieved at the wrongs of the nation (hat has always been favored with divine assistance, and these strong declarations are prompted by the spirit of sorrow, hence are said to be In the form of a lamentation

Amos 5:2

Amos 5:2. The word virgin Is often applied to God’ s people because the first definition of the original is, “to separate.” Israel had been separated from the other nations of the world to be the Lord’s own special people (Deuteronomy 7:6; Deuteronomy 14:2), hence the term virgin is an appropriate one. Shall >io more rise denotes that Israel had sunk so low as a nation that it would not be able to rise above the fate of the siege and captivity threatened.

Amos 5:3

Amos 5:3, The nation was destined to be greatly reduced by the exile as Indicated by the contrasting terms thousand and hundred. It is a prediction of the remnant that was salvaged from the captivity, and the fulfillment is in Ezra 2: 1. 64.

Amos 5:4

Amos 5:4. Seek ye me and ye shall live presents the same apparent contradiction that has been mentioned several times. The explanation lies in the distinction between the nation as a whole, and certain individuals in it. See the long note on the subject, offered with comments on 2 Kings 22:17, volume 2 of this Commentaey.

Amos 5:5

Amos 5:5. The significance of Bethel is in the fact that It was one of the places where the first king of the 10- tribe kingdom of Israel erected an idol calf, and the nation had practiced idolatry ever since. Gilgal is the place where the first king of Judah committed his first great sin after entering upon the throne (1 Samuel 10:8; 1 Samuel 13 : S-14). Beer-sheba was once a stronghold of idolatry and hence not a proper place to receive a favorable impression on the subject of service to God.

Amos 5:6

Amos 5:6. Seek the Lord and ye shall live is commented on in verse 4.

Amos 5:7

Amos 5:7. Wormwood was a very bitter substance and is used much as a figurative likeness of any unpleasant experience. The leaders in Israel were selfish and regulated the lives of others in. view of their own personal interests. Instead of dealing justly with those who looked to them for advice and decisions in times of difficulty, they deprived them of their rights and thus turned their case into bitterness.

Amos 5:8

Amos 5:8. Seven stars is the same as Pleiades In Job 9:9. the cluster of stars that is popularly called “ the seven sisters,” and Orion is defined by Strong, “Any notable constellation.” Instead of being interested in the gods of the heathen, Israel is exhorted to seek the Maker of these heavenly bodies. He is the one who can rule day and night and turn one into the other at will; who can control the mighty waters of the sea and use them in whatsoever manner He pleases.

Amos 5:9

Amos 5:9. Strengtheneth the spoiled means to support the man who has been overcome by a stronger force, and enable him to turn against his oppressor successfully.

Amos 5:10

Amos 5:10. This verse describes a kind of character that has existed ever since there has been man on the earth. It is not always manifested in the same way, but the principle is the same. The reason a man is hated who rebukes sin is that the person rebuked realizes he is guilty and does not want to be reminded of It. The rebuke does not always have to be done directly or in words. It may be done by the righteous life of one in contrast with the wicked life of the other, the good life being a silent rebuke to the other.

It is thus we read about the first family where Cain and Abel had their experience. There is nothing said about Abel’ s rebuking Cain verbally, but his righteous life was a stinging rebuke of Cain’s evil one. So John says that Cain slew Abel “because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous (1 John 3:12).” The people of Israel did not like to be told of their sins, so they insisted that the teachers give them messages that suited them (Jeremiah 5: 81; Isaiah 30:10). Since the people wanted the teachers to give this false instruction, they catered to them and hence brought upon them the wrath of God. Another had thing that resulted from the practice of false teaching was the chance it gave them of making improper rules of conduct, and that also opened the way for them to impose upon the poor,

Amos 5:11

Amos 5:11. We should remember that the rebuking running through most of these verses is addressed chiefly to the leaders of the nation who took advantage of their standing to oppress the poor. They forced them to furnish unjust portions of their crops so that they could live in luxury. They had also indulged themselves with costly houses and had planted vineyards to suit their own extravagant desires. But God now warns them that it will all be taken from them and their luxurious provisions will he in vain.

Amos 5:12

Amos 5:12. Everything that is done is open before the eyes of the Lord. The leaders took advantage of their position to oppress the poor so that they could enlarge their own possessions. Not only so, but if some one of the poor had the misfortune of being treated with fraud in a deal, it would not avail him anything to appeal to these leaders who were the rulers, for they could be bribed by the fraudulent dealers to render a verdict against the victim.

Amos 5:13

Amos 5:13. A prudent man is one who does not “speak out of turn,” and in the present case it means not to speak any word of protest against what the Lord is threatening to do, The times are so evil that all wise men should endorse the Lord’s judgments.

Amos 5:14

Amos 5:14. This verse takes the same comments and note as verse 4.

Amos 5:15

Amos 5:15. There is no uncertainty in the promises of God. It may he has the force of saying “ it will be,” on condition that the people will hate evil and love the good. Remnant of Joseph. The 10-tribe kingdom, to which most of these messages are addressed, was also called “ Ephraim,” and sinee he was a son of Joseph, the name is used as a designation of the whole group, the remnant meaning those who survive the captivity.

Amos 5:16

Amos 5:16. When the people see the presence of the Assyrian forces, they will make the wailing here stated. They will even call for a public demonstration of regret over the sad condition Of their country.

Amos 5:17

Amos 5:17. There were two outstanding occupations in Palestine, the production of sheep and the growing of vineyards. It would therefore be a special cause of regret to be deprived of their vineyards.

Amos 5:18

Amos 5:18. Woe. . . . desire the day of the Lord. In times of distress men will often call upon the Lord, even though they have been disrespecting Him in the past. These inconsistent leaders will pretend that they would like for the Lord to “ show hi3 hand” when the clouds of trouble seem to be gathering. But that is just what He will be doing when those clouds begin to hover, and they will bring national darkness and not light.

Amos 5:19

Amos 5:19. The comparisons in this verse are similar to a familiar one, “jumping out of the frying pan into the fire.” and the prophet is using them in connection with his statements in verse IS, When a man rebels against the Lord as these wicked leaders had done, it is inconsistent to ex- nect Him to furnish relief; instead. He is the very one whose wrath will be felt if the guilty person turns in that direction.

Amos 5:20

Amos 5:20. This verse repeats the thought of the preceding ones.(Amos 5:19) Amos 5:21

Amos 5:21

Before taking up the comments of each verse, I request the reader to indicate, either in bis Bible if he Is marking it, or in whatever place he is making notes, that all of the verses from the present one through the end of the chapter, and through the first 6 verses of the next chapter, are to be regarded as one paragraph with one general subject. That has to do with one of the outstanding apparent contradictions in God’s tbreaten- ings and predictions against His people. In more than one place they have seemed to be condemned for doing some of the very things that the Mosaic system required. We cannot be-lieve that God would tell a man to do something, and then condemn him for doing it. When it seems to he so, there Is an explanation in the premises and we should examine them for it. I have composed at length a note, based on the truths and facts of history, both sacred and profane, that fully clarifies this seeming difficulty, and the reader is urged to consult that note again with extreme care, before proceeding with the study of these comments.

That note is offered in the comments on Isaiah 1: 10, volume 3 of this Com:- MENTABY. 1 shall now take up the comments on the verse of this paragraph, followed with the others in their order, explaining them in the light of the general subject of the suggested general paragraph. The note referred to will explain why God hated their feast days. In their solemn assemblies they used sweet incense under the law, and the only use that could be made of it would be to smell it. God refused to smell the odor of their incense for the same reason that he hated their feast days.

Amos 5:22

Amos 5:22. The sacrifices and offerings mentioned were required by the law of Moses, but God was rejecting them for the same reason mentioned above.

Amos 5:23

Amos 5:23. Instrumental music was not introduced by the law of Moses, hut it was later instituted by David and the Lord sanctioned it by giving it His glory (2 Chronicles 29:25; 2 Chronicles 5:14). But although the Lord had blessed the use of the musical instruments with his glory, after the leaders became so corrupt, that service was rejected on the same ground as were the others mentioned above.

Amos 5:24

Amos 5:24. Judgment is from mishpat, which Strong defines, “Properly a verdict (favorable or unfavorable) pronounced judicially.” Since the term is connected with righteousness as a mighty stream, we know the word means a favorable verdict. The leaders had imposed upon the poor and decided matters unjustly against them. This verse is an exhortation for them to reverse that practice and render decisions that are just.

Amos 5:25

Amos 5:25. God never asks a question for the sake of his own information, so this one is a reminder for the people of Israel, calling their attention to the practices that they followed alt through the wilderness.

Amos 5:26

Amos 5:26. The Lord admits that Israel had performed the services stated ill the preceding verse, but they were offset by their practices of idolatry. Moloch was one of the invisible gods of the heathen, and the Israelties look up the worship of that false deity. Chiun was an image that they made, a star or chief article they made in honor of the heathen god that they worshiped.

Amos 5:27

Amos 5:27. Therefore means that God concluded to punish his people because of these idolatrous practices which they thought they could add to the ordinances of the divine law. Captivity beyond Damascus. That city was the capital of ancient Syria and it was located just north of Palestine. But the Jewish nation was destined to go into captivity under both the Assyrian and Babylonian Empires, which were located far away in the territory of the Euphrates, and that was literally beyond Damascus, The two empires were in. control in succession from one another, hut they were virtually in the same part of the world, hence the Jewish people all came finally to be held in captivity in the same general location according to the various prophecies.