Address 1: Israel is guilty before God – Amos 2:6-16
Address 2: Oracle of warning – Amos 3
Address 3:Oracle of DOOM – Amos 4
Amos 5: Address 4: oracle of Entreaty (an Appeal) – A lament for Israel.
A special feature of this oracle is God’s pleading for his people to return to him. Although they face imminent destruction, it is still not too late to seek God and his goodness. God wants repentance and return at last minute.
V. 1… lamentation… Neither God nor the prophet takes joy in the pronouncement of doom. This passage is in the form of a funeral song. Amos considered Israel is already dead. Like mourners at a funeral, they grieve at what lies ahead for the unrepentant people. This is the same reaction on the part of Jesus towards Jerusalem (Luke 19:41-44).
V. 2… Virgin of Israel… This occurs first time in the Bible. Jeremiah uses the identical expression (Jer 18:13, 31:4,21) as a personification of the nation that has not yet been taken by another nation. Church is personified as the Virgin in the NT. Nothing will and should take her other than Jesus. We should not be taken by another until HE comes back to take us.
V. 3: Whether large or small, the cities will have their armies cut down.
Vs. 4-9: A Powerful plea demanding the right kind of seeking.
Vs. 4 & 5…Seek Me and live…do not seek Bethel…: It is not the places or Sanctuary to be sought but God. God says in V.5 not to seek Bethel, not to enter Gilgal, not to pass over Beersheba. Bethel and Gilgal are located in Northern Kingdom. Beersheba is located in Southern Kingdom of Judah. Beersheba was associated with the Patriarchs, the fore-fathers Abraham (Genesis 21:31-33), Isaac (Genesis 26:23-25), and Jacob (Genesis 46:1). Some Israelites made pilgrimage to Beersheba. Probably they thought that that place has a special power.
V. 7…justice to wormwood…righteousness to rest in the earth: When it comes to nation its piety or Godliness is known by the way it practices Justice and maintains the righteousness. Israelite turned the Justice system as bitter which is undesirable and buried righteousness under the ground. JUSTICE AND RIGHTEOUSNESS are the 2 most important concepts in the prophetical books.
Vs. 8 & 9…He made…He turns….Makes…He calls…pours….The LORD is His Name: This is another poetical form of talking about the limitless glory of God as creator and His authority and dominion over His creation.
Pleiades – அறுமீன்(Job 9:9, 38:31) are the group of stars in TARUS constellation.
Orion – மிருகசீரிஷம் is another constellation closer to Taurus constellation.
V. 10…rebukes in the gate: It was the custom in the fortified cities of ANE the elders sit at the seats at the gate and rebuke the evil doers.
V. 11…shall not dwell in them….shall not drink…: After much effort, it would be frustrating hope.
V. 13…prudent keep silent at that time…evil time…:
The reference is probably to the legal proceedings taking place in the gatehouse (see note on v. 10). If someone were to speak out against the manifest injustice taking place, his own life might be in danger (v. 10), while his objections would do no good because they could not stop the ongoing, entrenched evil. – ESV Study Bible.
Vs. 14 & 15…hate evil, and love good….remnant…: God is appealing to the future remnant. God will not uproot people completely. Certainly, there will be remnant that God could continue HIS work.
V. 16 & 17…wailing….mourning….lamenters: There will be execution of judgement if Israel would not repent.
Address 5: Oracle of Woe, the day of the LORD – Amos 5:18-6:14
The word ‘woe’ is us thrice in three places signifying 3 categories of sin (5:18, 6:1, 6:4).
Category 1: Sin of manipulative, paganized religious activity with no regard for justice and righteousness (5:18-27).
Category 2: Sin of Complacency (6:1-2)
Category 3: Sin of Self-indulgence (6:3-7)
Category 1: Sin of manipulative, paganized religious activity with no regard for justice and righteousness (5:18-27).
V. 18…what good is the day of the LORD to you…: God is questioning the validity of the assumption of Israelites about the day of the LORD.
Vs. 19 & 20…lion…bear…house…serpent…Such judgement was fulfilled about 40 years later in 722 BC.
V. 21…hate…despise…do not savor: Hate is a very strong verb. God hated their religious activities and assemblies.
V. 22…will not accept them…: God can never be manipulated by religious activities.
V. 23…noise of your songs…: Songs are getting into God’s ears as mere noise and they don’t mean anything to God.
V. 24…justice run down like water…righteousness like a mighty stream…: As in V. 7, Justice and righteousness must be practiced in everyday life for God to accept our religious worship and offerings.
V. 25…did you offer Me…in the wilderness…: Sacrifice had no real place in the relationship of God with His people in the wilderness experience. But people responded to God with obedience, justice and righteousness.
V. 26…sikkuth…and Chiun, your idols, star of your Gods…: this is the reference to their false gods that were brought in.
V. 27…send you into captivity beyond Damascus…: This exactly happened in 2 Kings 17:6. It is interesting to note that during Amos time Assyria was not a well-established strong empire.
Amos 6:
Category 2: Sin of Complacency (6:1-2): Amos is calling on the complacent people who believed they have no reason to be concerned to consider the other kingdoms that have fallen already to Assyria
V. 1…at ease in Zion…trust in Mount Samaria…: Zion is the capital of Judah, and Samaria is the capital of Israel that were strong and fortified strongholds. They are easing and trusting on their prosperity. They are complaisant. Pride and self-confidence are never appropriate for God’s cherished people.
V. 2…Calneh…Hamath….Gath….their territory greater than your territory?…: Calneh and Hamath were captured by Jeroboam II of Israel, and Gath was captured Uzziah of Judah. Because of these they have the entire Fertile Crescent for themselves. But the fact is those cities were not stronger than Zion and Samaria. Their victory over those cities can’t be celebrated too much.