AmosLeon L. Combs, M.A., M.Div., Ph.D.

Introduction

The dating of this book is not as problematic as that of Joel but we have no record of the stated earthquake so that is of no help. It is relevant that Joel’s words were initiated by a locust invasion and Amos’s words were initiated by an earthquake that evidently had a great effect on Amos. Uzziah ruled in Judah at the same time that Jeroboam ben Joash ruled in Israel from 786-746 B.C. The conditions Amos describes occurred toward the end of that period so the book can be dated to about 750 B.C. At the death of Solomon the kingdom was split with Israel coming into existence in the north and Judah in the south. Jeroboam expanded the boundaries of Israel and brought into existence a time of great prosperity for the rich but at the expense of the poor. The religion of Israel was conducted at the cult shrines of Bethel, Beersheba, and Gilgal that were abominations to God. Amos seems to have been a very righteous person but without any religious training and perhaps with no formal education at all. In Amos 1:1 he states that he was a shepherd and in 7:14 he says that he is a caretaker of sycamore trees : Then Amos replied to Amaziah, "I am not a prophet, nor am I the son of a prophet; for I am a herdsman and a grower of sycamore figs. He also states that he was tender of sheep (herdsman) suggesting a poor person who worked hard for his living. Although God does sometimes use wealthy, prestigious people for His purposes, He often uses the insignificant of the world as Paul stated:

1Cor 1:26-29 For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; (27) but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, (28) and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, (29) so that no man may boast before God.

Probably the greatest OT people were Abraham, the pagan who became the great Hebrew patriarch, Moses, the slave who became the great liberator, and David, the eighth son who became the greatest king. But like Amos, they were all given over to serving God and so He accomplished much through them. Just like them, God can work His plans though us also as we dedicate ourselves to His service.

Amos 1:1-2 The words of Amos, who was among the sheepherders from Tekoa, which he envisioned in visions concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake. (2) He said, "The LORD roars from Zion And from Jerusalem He utters His voice; And the shepherds' pasture grounds mourn, And the summit of Carmel dries up."

The word translated “envisioned” means that the words were perceived mentally by divine revelation before he put them into writing. These words concerned Israel although the word can mean both the northern and southern kingdoms. The word LORD (Yahweh) is a name of God that reveals His redemptive and covenantal characteristics. Zion is often used as a synonym for

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Jerusalem. The word is first used in 2 Samuel 5:7 and commonly referred to a specific mountain near Jerusalem (Mount Zion). Amos is then stating that Yahweh roars from Mount Zion and from Jerusalem as He speaks. There is also a result in nature from this expressed voice of God as the pasture earth mourns and the green hills on the summit of Mount Carmel drying up. The result of God speaking from Jerusalem would bring about results in the northern kingdom.

Amos 1:3-5Thus says the LORD, "For three transgressions of Damascus and for four I will not revoke its punishment, Because they threshed Gilead with implements of sharp iron. (4) "So I will send fire upon the house of Hazael And it will consume the citadels of Ben-hadad. (5) "I will also break the gate bar of Damascus, And cut off the inhabitant from the valley of Aven, And him who holds the scepter, from Beth-eden; So the people of Aram will go exiled to Kir," Says the LORD.

We will see this introduction (“For three ….”) in verses 3-5, 6-8, 9-10, 11-12, and 13-15 in this chapter as the Lord addresses these transgressions to Damascus, Gaza, Tyre, Edom, and Ammon. He will repeat this sequence of transgressions in 2:1, 4, 6 as the Lord speaks to Moab, Judah, and Israel. Damascus is representative of all of Syria (Aram) since it was the capital and the center of influence. This method of writing is common to Semitic literature and is used mainly in wisdom literature like Job and Proverbs. Sometimes it is intended to be taken literally and other times it means an indefinite number such as probably intended here since only one crime of Damascus is mentioned. Gilead was a large region east of the Jordan River that was known for its rich forests and the balm produced there and used for healing (Jer 8:22). The incident was an act of inhuman treatment (2 Kings 13:1-9). Hazael ruled Syria in about 841-806 B.C. and he committed monstrous crimes against Israel. Ben-Hadad (Son of Hadad) is actually the name of two or trhree kings of Syria and each of them carried on hostilities against Israel. One of them is the son of Hazael and it may be that here Amos means only this one. The fire represents God’s fierce judgment. The ancient city gates contained massive bars and the breaking of the bar means the city had been entered. The valley of Aven and Beth-Eden are difficult to identify but clearly are somewhere in Syria. Kir is also difficult to identify but Amos considered it to be the origin of the Syrians: "Are you not as the sons of Ethiopia to Me, O sons of Israel?" declares the LORD. "Have I not brought up Israel from the land of Egypt, And the Philistines from Caphtor and the Arameans from Kir? (Amos 9:7) It then seems that Amos is prophesying that they will be sent back to their homeland.

Amos 1:6-8Thus says the LORD, "For three transgressions of Gaza and for four I will not revoke its punishment, Because they deported an entire population To deliver it up to Edom. (7) "So I will send fire upon the wall of Gaza And it will consume her citadels. (8) "I will also cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, And him who holds the scepter, from Ashkelon; I will even unleash My power upon Ekron, And the remnant of the Philistines will perish," Says the Lord GOD.

Similarly we see God only lists one transgression for Gaza as He turns His attention to the Philistines. They lived in five cities in the coastal area and Amos mentions four of them here:

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Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, and Ekron. They are listed for punishment because of the crime of enslavement that was probably a series of border raids when slaves were sold to the Edomites. God will bring upon them absolute destruction with fire, isolation, and other powers.

Amos 1:9-10Thus says the LORD, "For three transgressions of Tyre and for four I will not revoke its punishment, Because they delivered up an entire population to Edom And did not remember the covenant of brotherhood. (10) "So I will send fire upon the wall of Tyre And it will consume her citadels."

The transgression of Tyre is also slavery as they sold an entire population to the Edomites and thus broke the brotherhood covenant. God promised to bring about its destruction and it was later besieged by Nebuchadnezzar and then conquered by Alexander in 332 B.C.

Amos 1:11-12Thus says the LORD, "For three transgressions of Edom and for four I will not revoke its punishment, Because he pursued his brother with the sword, While he stifled his compassion; His anger also tore continually, And he maintained his fury forever. (12) "So I will send fire upon Teman And it will consume the citadels of Bozrah."

Edom is another name for Esau, the younger brother of Jacob so the Edomites and Israelites had close family ties that is reflected by the use of the word “brother” as Edom fought against Israel. Teman was the largest city of Edom and Bozrah was a strong fortress city. God prophesied that He would not reserve punishment, but He would send His fire of judgment upon the two cities.

Amos 1:13-15Thus says the LORD, "For three transgressions of the sons of Ammon and for four I will not revoke its punishment, Because they ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead In order to enlarge their borders. (14) "So I will kindle a fire on the wall of Rabbah And it will consume her citadels amid war cries on the day of battle, And a storm on the day of tempest. (15) "Their king will go into exile, He and his princes together," says the LORD.

Ammon was northeast of the Dead Sea and the crime against them was another crime against humanity but we do not know the particulars of this specific crime. It may refer to that which occurred toward the end of the ninth century B.C. and mentioned in: Hazael said, "Why does my lord weep?" Then he answered, "Because I know the evil that you will do to the sons of Israel: their strongholds you will set on fire, and their young men you will kill with the sword, and their little ones you will dash in pieces, and their women with child you will rip up." (2 Kings 8:12) Rabbah was the capital of Ammon and it would receive the fiery judgment of God amid some fierce storms. Then the king and his princes would go into exile. The end came to the city finally during the sacking by Nebuchadnezzar as he took large numbers of the people captive.

Amos 2:1-3 Thus says the LORD, "For three transgressions of Moab and for four I will not revoke its punishment, Because he burned the bones of the king of Edom to lime. (2) "So I will send fire upon Moab And it will consume the citadels of Kerioth; And Moab will die amid

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tumult, With war cries and the sound of a trumpet. (3) "I will also cut off the judge from her midst And slay all her princes with him," says the LORD.

Moab is to the east of the Dead Sea and the Israelite camped there before entering Canaan (Num 22:1). The crime is the burning of the bones of the king of Edom all the way to lime. It refers to the burning of the skeletal remains of a corpse so the crime was the desecration of the body of this king. Significantly this crime is against a non-Israelite whereas most of the other crimes were against covenant people. The laws of God transcend His people and can bring punishment by God. Others are not responsible for the Sinai legal codes but are for God’s demands for social justice of all people. Kerioth was probably one of the major cities of Moab as referred to in: against Kerioth, Bozrah and all the cities of the land of Moab, far and near. (Jer 48:24) We can learn from this today for we see violations of God’s moral principles among many different kinds of people even outside of the church. God would bring His fiery judgment against Kerioth, remove the judge who sets standards there, and even kill all the other rulers of the city. The word “citadel” refers to the fortification of the city.

Amos 2:4-5Thus says the LORD, "For three transgressions of Judah and for four I will not revoke its punishment, Because they rejected the law of the LORD And have not kept His statutes; Their lies also have led them astray, Those after which their fathers walked. (5) "So I will send fire upon Judah And it will consume the citadels of Jerusalem."

Amos now turns to Judah since God cannot show favorites and must also bring justice to His people. These people are not being judged by violations of social principles but on the basis of the statutes of Yahweh since they had received them and so were responsible for knowing and obeying them. Saying that their lies led them astray means they wandered around with no direction since they had no light for their path (Psa 119:105). Amos was probably referring to the former Jewish leaders following idols when he comments about their fathers walking in them. The punishment of Judah was to be the same as for the others in that they will be consumed by God’s fire of judgment that fell upon them when Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians.

Amos 2:6-8Thus says the LORD, "For three transgressions of Israel and for four I will not revoke its punishment, Because they sell the righteous for money And the needy for a pair of sandals. (7) "These who pant after the very dust of the earth on the head of the helpless Also turn aside the way of the humble; And a man and his father resort to the same girl In order to profane My holy name. (8) "On garments taken as pledges they stretch out beside every altar, And in the house of their God they drink the wine of those who have been fined.

The Israelites may have been feeling pretty good about themselves as other countries were being chastised for their activities but now God’s words are falling upon them in the longest of the oracles (verses 6-16). They are accused of selling the righteous for silver. They word “they” refers to the judges and creditors who sell those who are actually in the right (righteous) and oppose the rights of those in need for merely a pair of sandals. We know that in these times those who were in extreme sorrow would put dust on their head and it seems that the political people

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were so evil that they even went after that dust in their greed. Such an act may be hyperbola but it expresses their extreme efforts to put aside the humble. Saying that a man and his father go after the same girl is probably referring to some type of incest but it could also mean that both were having sex with the same woman for that also would uncover the nakedness of each as was forbidden in many areas of sexual misconduct (Lev 18:6-18; 20:11, 17-21. Garments were valid collateral for debts but such had to be returned at night for covering to those who took out the loan. The oppressors evidently did not return the clothing at night. Some people paid wine for their debts but those taking it were then drinking it in the house of their false god.

Amos 2:9-12"Yet it was I who destroyed the Amorite before them, Though his height was like the height of cedars And he was strong as the oaks; I even destroyed his fruit above and his root below. (10) "It was I who brought you up from the land of Egypt, And I led you in the wilderness forty years That you might take possession of the land of the Amorite. (11) "Then I raised up some of your sons to be prophets And some of your young men to be Nazirites. Is this not so, O sons of Israel?" declares the LORD. (12) "But you made the Nazirites drink wine, And you commanded the prophets saying, 'You shall not prophesy!'

Now Amos refers to God’s gracious acts toward Israel. The word “Amorite” refers to the preconquest people of Canaan as he reminds them how God destroyed those people. He states that even though the Canaanites were very powerful people, God totally destroyed them from below and above ground. He then reminds them how God brought them out of slavery in Egypt, led them in the wilderness for forty years, and then gave them the land of the Amorite. The Amorites were descended from the fourth son of Canaan (Gen 14:7) and the name is usually just another name for the Canaanites. Amos then reminds them that God also brought up some of them to be prophets and Nazirites for their spiritual welfare. The word “Nazirite” means “separate” as these people were consecrated to the service of the Lord. They were to abstain from any fermented drinks, not to cut their hair, and not to touch a corpse. But Israel made the Nazirites drink wine and told the prophets not to prophesy as they totally rejected the means by which God had provided for their spiritual needs.

Amos 2:13-16"Behold, I am weighted down beneath you As a wagon is weighted down when filled with sheaves. (14) "Flight will perish from the swift, And the stalwart will not strengthen his power, Nor the mighty man save his life. (15) "He who grasps the bow will not stand his ground, The swift of foot will not escape, Nor will he who rides the horse save his life. (16) "Even the bravest among the warriors will flee naked in that day," declares the LORD.

God declares that the sins of Israel have weighted Him down as a wagon that is filled to the brim with its load. Stating that He is weighted down beneath you has been interpreted as meaning that the weight of their sin has caused God to put deep ruts before their path so that they are not able to make any more progress. Amos then continues to give details about how all of their attempts to escape the wrath of God will meet with failure. Even the bravest of their warriors will flee before God with even all his armor stripped away. Israel will then also receive God’s judgment.

Amos 3:1-5

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Hear this word which the LORD has spoken against you, sons of Israel, against the entire family which He brought up from the land of Egypt: (2) "You only have I chosen among all the families of the earth; Therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities." (3) Do two men walk together unless they have made an appointment? (4) Does a lion roar in the forest when he has no prey? Does a young lion growl from his den unless he has captured something? (5) Does a bird fall into a trap on the ground when there is no bait in it? Does a trap spring up from the earth when it captures nothing at all?

Now Amos continues with his diatribe against Israel in particular but also including Judah. He says God has spoken against the sons of Israel, meaning all before the division of the people after the death of Solomon. He then states a very important principle in verse two: the privilege of election requires responsibility. Since Israel failed in their spiritual calling they would be punished. The word “chosen” has the meaning of God acting in His sovereign way similar to how God consecrated Jeremiah even before his birth: "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations." (Jer 1:5) Similarly God had chosen Israel and, from a human perspective this seems strange. The people were slaves with no homeland and they were the weakest of all nations of the world (Deut 7:7). The calling of Christians seems very similar as God calls the weak so boasting is excluded (1 Cor 1:26-29). The principle of judgment beginning with God’s people is universal: For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? (1 Peter 1:5) Surely our country has earned God’s judgment.

Amos 3:6-10If a trumpet is blown in a city will not the people tremble? If a calamity occurs in a city has not the LORD done it? (7) Surely the Lord GOD does nothing Unless He reveals His secret counsel To His servants the prophets. (8) A lion has roared! Who will not fear? The Lord GOD has spoken! Who can but prophesy? (9) Proclaim on the citadels in Ashdod and on the citadels in the land of Egypt and say, "Assemble yourselves on the mountains of Samaria and see the great tumults within her and the oppressions in her midst. (10) "But they do not know how to do what is right," declares the LORD, "these who hoard up violence and devastation in their citadels."

Amos now lists a some questions designed to have readers know that something horrible is coming. The blowing of a trumpet in a city is a warning of the inhabitants to prepare for something coming. A lion roars when it is coming after a prey and that should strike fear into the hearts of those who hear it. Also a warning is not given unless disaster is imminent. We also note that God is giving the warning to people through Amos. God does not bring about a disaster without first warning His people through His prophets. God brings about disasters is an understanding that Christians still tend to try to minimize or not acknowledge. People want to blame secondary causes or the devil but God is sovereign over both. We read in Isaiah 45:7 that God controls and sends disasters: “The One forming light and creating darkness, Causing well-being and creating calamity; I am the LORD who does all these.” By examining America’s recent changes we see quite a few such experiences: our currency value has shrunk, America is not respected as it once was, our armed forces are shrinking, we cannot be depended upon to keep our treaties, we see disasters such as fires in the west, and many other such events. There

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also was the “9-11” attack that we seem to have forgotten and not taken as a warning of even greater judgments possibly coming upon us.

Amos warns the Egyptians and Philistines of Ashdod to witness the oppression within Samaria. The word “fortress” is a fortified building such as a citadel but here it could also refer to large houses furnished by plundering. He may have chosen those nations because of their past actions against Israel and he is now telling them to watch what God will do. But the Israelites were different because they plundered their own people rather than other nations as did the Egyptians and Philistines. The moral sense of the Israelites had become so warped that they blurred the boundaries between what was right and wrong.

Amos 3:11-15Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, "An enemy, even one surrounding the land, Will pull down your strength from you And your citadels will be looted." (12) Thus says the LORD, "Just as the shepherd snatches from the lion's mouth a couple of legs or a piece of an ear, So will the sons of Israel dwelling in Samaria be snatched away-- With the corner of a bed and the cover of a couch! (13) "Hear and testify against the house of Jacob," Declares the Lord GOD, the God of hosts. (14) "For on the day that I punish Israel's transgressions, I will also punish the altars of Bethel; The horns of the altar will be cut off And they will fall to the ground. (15) "I will also smite the winter house together with the summer house; The houses of ivory will also perish And the great houses will come to an end," Declares the LORD.

Because of all that was detailed above, the Lord God warns that an enemy will devastate Israel as their fortified buildings are looted. Amos does not identify this enemy but historically it was Assyria. Verse 12 relates to the proof that a shepherd would have for proof that he had killed a lion. The broken remains of the wealth of Israel would be a witness for the total destruction of that nation. “The house of Jacob” relates the heritage of Israel as a covenant nation with God and the resultant obligations of obedience to the covenantal stipulations. They had betrayed the covenant and then forfeited any right to blessings. When disaster strikes the people would try to find safety at the altars and temples but God states that He will destroy them. A person seeking safety would also try to cling to the horns of the altar where they could claim safety (1 Kings 1:50) but God will cut them off and they will fall to the ground. God remembers how corrupt the worships had become and will not respect them. Another place people might try to find safety is in their homes but he will destroy their homes also. Archeologist have uncovered some of these homes from that time and found some filled with inlaid ivory and other marks of prosperity.

There is no place to hide from God (Rev 6:16-17) and only those in Christ will be safe.

Amos 4:1-5 Hear this word, you cows of Bashan who are on the mountain of Samaria, Who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, Who say to your husbands, "Bring now, that we may drink!" (2) The Lord GOD has sworn by His holiness, "Behold, the days are coming upon you When they will take you away with meat hooks, And the last of you with fish hooks. (3) "You will go out through breaches in the walls, Each one straight before her, And you

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will be cast to Harmon," declares the LORD. (4) "Enter Bethel and transgress; In Gilgal multiply transgression! Bring your sacrifices every morning, Your tithes every three days. (5) "Offer a thank offering also from that which is leavened, And proclaim freewill offerings, make them known. For so you love to do, you sons of Israel," Declares the Lord GOD.

The area of Bashan was well known for its cattle: "You will eat the flesh of mighty men and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, as though they were rams, lambs, goats and bulls, all of them fatlings of Bashan. (Ezek 39:18) Amos sarcastically compares the women of Samaria to those sleek cattle. He accuses them of oppressing the poor and crushing the needy. They might not have directly done such things but Amos states how they controlled their husbands by demanding drinks and the men would have done whatever was needed to meet their indolence. When God makes an oath, we can be certain that such will occur and He states here some certain actions against these women. The use of the words translated meat hooks and fish hooks is uncertain but many translators think the words refer to items used to take away those people into captivity in a demoralizing fashion. They will be taken away through the breached wall of Jerusalem. The locality of Harmon is unknown.

Now Amos brings forth some details of their degraded worship. Bethel was the main religious sanctuary of the northern kingdom and once housed the Ark of the Covenant. After the splitting of the kingdom Jeroboam I set it aside as an alternative worship center to Jerusalem and such was condemned by God. Therefore any worship service they made at Bethel would be a transgression to God. Gilgal was another false worship place in Amos’s time and it combined pagan worship with Jahwism. Thus anyone worshiping in Bethel would be multiplying their transgressions. A tithe was to be brought every three years and not every three days: "At the end of every third year you shall bring out all the tithe of your produce in that year, and shall deposit it in your town. (Deut 14:28) The other aspects of their worship are individual obligations that were overdone as they continually multiplied their transgressions of God’s law. God states sarcastically that they love to overdo such aspects of worship. Probably something similar can be stated about some of the worship services now.

Amos 4:6-10"But I gave you also cleanness of teeth in all your cities And lack of bread in all your places, Yet you have not returned to Me," declares the LORD. (7) "Furthermore, I withheld the rain from you While there were still three months until harvest. Then I would send rain on one city And on another city I would not send rain; One part would be rained on, While the part not rained on would dry up. (8) "So two or three cities would stagger to another city to drink water, But would not be satisfied; Yet you have not returned to Me," declares the LORD. (9) "I smote you with scorching wind and mildew; And the caterpillar was devouring Your many gardens and vineyards, fig trees and olive trees; Yet you have not returned to Me," declares the LORD. (10) "I sent a plague among you after the manner of Egypt; I slew your young men by the sword along with your captured horses, And I made the stench of your camp rise up in your nostrils; Yet you have not returned to Me," declares the LORD.

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Now God brings to mind some of the ways He had intervened on their behalf to try to get them to recognize their sinful state and return to Him. Stating that He gave clean teeth to them and lack of bread means that they had a complete lack of food. God also withheld rain from them during the critical period when the crops would have needed it for their maturing process. Stating that rain would fall on some cities and not on others shows that He is the one responsible for the rain. The people had a great need for water and would travel from city to city to obtain it but they never understood such was a call for repentance. God sent the fierce desert winds, the mildew, and the caterpillar to destroy their gardens, vineyards, and trees. He sent a plague like was done in Egypt that affected the people individually and He sent a war such as was with Syria:

2 Kings 13:3 So the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and He gave them continually into the hand of Hazael king of Aram, and into the hand of Ben-hadad the son of Hazael.

Lev 26:25 'I will also bring upon you a sword which will execute vengeance for the covenant; and when you gather together into your cities, I will send pestilence among you, so that you shall be delivered into enemy hands.

In spite of all these intervention by God, they still refused to repent. Read the rest of the 26th chapter of Leviticus to see further how God has sent tribulations to get His people to repent. What will God do next on our country to entice us to repentance?

Amos 4:11-13"I overthrew you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, And you were like a firebrand snatched from a blaze; Yet you have not returned to Me," declares the LORD. (12) "Therefore thus I will do to you, O Israel; Because I will do this to you, Prepare to meet your God, O Israel." (13) For behold, He who forms mountains and creates the wind And declares to man what are His thoughts, He who makes dawn into darkness And treads on the high places of the earth, The LORD God of hosts is His name.

Amos is probably referring to the attacks on Israeli cities by the Syrians as described in 2 Kings 13:1-9. God brought great destruction on them such as when He destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. Comparing them to a firebrand snatched from a blaze refers to God removing them from His fiery judgement without a total destruction. Despite all of this they still did not repent. Amos repeated the phrase about their lack of returning to God five times (vv. 6, 8, 9, 10, 11). Israel is then told that they will have judgment when they meet God in judgment. Amos now does not hold out any hope for their repentance as they hearts have become hardened. Amos then tells the people some aspects of the total control God has over all physical events on earth such as the wind and He even knows the thoughts of man. Walking on the high places of the earth reflects the total control of God over all of His creation. Amos then tells them one of the names of God that reflects His control over the angelic hosts. God is sovereign over all!

Amos 5:1-3 Hear this word which I take up for you as a dirge, O house of Israel: (2)She has fallen, she will not rise again-- The virgin Israel. She lies neglected on her land; There is none to raise her up. (3) For thus says the Lord GOD, "The city which goes forth a thousand

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strong Will have a hundred left, And the one which goes forth a hundred strong Will have ten left to the house of Israel."

Amos now takes up a lament or dirge for Israel. This dirge was a form of mourning the death of a relative or friend but he takes it up for Israel. The primary verbs are in perfect tense that expresses an action that has been completed so Amos views the fall of Israel as an accomplished fact. He views Israel like a virgin who neglected her requirements, was cut off in the prime of her life, and that there was nobody who could bring her back. We remember the promises of God to Abraham concerning the number of his descendants:

Gen 13:16 "I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth, so that if anyone can number the dust of the earth, then your descendants can also be numbered.

Gen 32:12 "For You said, 'I will surely prosper you and make your descendants as the sand of the sea, which is too great to be numbered.'"

Gen 26:4 "I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven, and will give your descendants all these lands; and by your descendants all the nations of the earth shall be blessed;

The blessings of God are eternal but conditioned upon the obedience of the recipients. Verse three states how futile the armies would be as they would be cut down by 90 percent, effectively reducing them to a small remnant. Some interpreters think this destruction only means that the northern kingdom will not be reestablished but there would be a remnant through whom the promises would continue. Other people think that the promises of God to Abraham are being fulfilled by the church being the new Israel.

Amos 5:4-7Seek me that you may live. (5) "But do not resort to Bethel And do not come to Gilgal, Nor cross over to Beersheba; For Gilgal will certainly go into captivity And Bethel will come to trouble. (6) "Seek the LORD that you may live, Or He will break forth like a fire, O house of Joseph, And it will consume with none to quench it for Bethel, (7) For those who turn justice into wormwood And cast righteousness down to the earth."

Amos held out some hope for Israel but he knew they would not repent properly and so their calamity was certain. He then warns them not to try to repent by going to forbidden regions. The cities of Bethel, Gilgal, and Beersheba had become objects of God’s judgment. Bethel stood only for an external religion that God hates since He requires a heart response to God. In the time of Amos, idolatry was practiced there and we will read later how God hates their religion. In my notes on chapter four, I discussed briefly some of the reasons God hated the religion practiced at Bethel and at Gilgal. Beersheba was in Judah whereas Bethel and Gilgal were in Israel. It seems that some people from Israel would travel to Beersheba to practice in the empty religion there. Beersheba was associated with the roots of the nation as it was important in the lives of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But the religion practiced there had degraded into a depraved worship. If they do not repent then God will visit upon them His fiery judgment. The “house of Joseph” represents the northern kingdom reflecting the descent from the largest tribe of Ephraim from Joseph. Since worship at Bethel is not approved by God, no amount of praying there will be of benefit. The justice system was oppressive for the poor as demanded by the law: They are fat, they are sleek, They also excel in deeds of wickedness; They do not plead the cause, The cause of the orphan, that they may prosper; And they do not defend the rights of the poor. (Jer 5:28)

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Justice had become as bitter as the bitterest plant, wormwood. Righteousness had then been redefined from God’s requirements to that of the politicians of the earth. Does this sound familiar to what is happening in America today?

Amos 5:8-11He who made the Pleiades and Orion And changes deep darkness into morning, Who also darkens day into night, Who calls for the waters of the sea And pours them out on the surface of the earth, The LORD is His name. (9) It is He who flashes forth with destruction upon the strong, So that destruction comes upon the fortress. (10) They hate him who reproves in the gate, And they abhor him who speaks with integrity. (11) Therefore because you impose heavy rent on the poor And exact a tribute of grain from them, Though you have built houses of well-hewn stone, Yet you will not live in them; You have planted pleasant vineyards, yet you will not drink their wine.

Amos then reminds the inhabitants of Israel of the identity of the One who brings destruction to the seemingly strong and destroys the strongest fortresses. This person is the same who creates the constellations, causes darkness to turn into morning and day into night, and who causes the waters to cover so much of the earth. He states that Yahweh is the name of this One so who can come against Him? All major business dealings were conducted at the gates of the cities and the politicians hated those who opposed their dealings and they also hate anyone who speaks with the integrity of the Law. By starting verse 11 with “therefore”, Amos now brings forth God’s charge against Israel: these politicians exploit the poor and make the rich more prosperous. God’s justice system had been perverted. They had built magnificent homes but God will see that they do not inhabit them. They had also planted vineyards to bring forth their wine but God will see that they do not drink the wine. God will then bring forth His judgment upon their symbols of wealth and greed. The precise nature of this judgment will not be revealed until chapter nine.

Amos 5:12-15For I know your transgressions are many and your sins are great, You who distress the righteous and accept bribes And turn aside the poor in the gate. (13) Therefore at such a time the prudent person keeps silent, for it is an evil time. (14) Seek good and not evil, that you may live; And thus may the LORD God of hosts be with you, Just as you have said! (15) Hate evil, love good, And establish justice in the gate! Perhaps the LORD God of hosts May be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.

Amos states that God is justified in bringing forth this judgment because He knows their many transgressions and sins. He then specifies that the rulers greatly distress the righteous, accept bribes, and do not listen to the poor when they bring charges against them at the gate. Amos then advises the righteous people to keep silent rather than protest because they cannot obtain justice when such an evil system rules. Any protests they could bring would only make their situation worse for the reprovers were hated (v. 10). Amos then urges those in charge to seek good and not evil so that they may not be destroyed by God. Amos then makes the sarcastic comment that they thought that God was with them as they worshiped at inappropriate places like Bethel. If they would bring about ethical righteousness in the gates, perhaps God would be gracious to any remnant that truly worshipped Him. Hating evil and loving good requires that the concepts are defined by God and not by man.

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Amos 5:16-20Therefore thus says the LORD God of hosts, the Lord, "There is wailing in all the plazas, And in all the streets they say, 'Alas! Alas!' They also call the farmer to mourning And professional mourners to lamentation. (17) "And in all the vineyards there is wailing, Because I will pass through the midst of you," says the LORD. (18) Alas, you who are longing for the day of the LORD, For what purpose will the day of the LORD be to you? It will be darkness and not light; (19) As when a man flees from a lion And a bear meets him, Or goes home, leans his hand against the wall And a snake bites him. (20) Will not the day of the LORD be darkness instead of light, Even gloom with no brightness in it?

The “therefore” relates to all the accusations in vv. 7-12 and introduces the judgment that Amos says will be met with wailing even with professional mourners lamenting their situation before God. God’s visit to them will be felt in all areas of the country even in the vineyards. The people of the time of Amos viewed the coming day of the Lord to be when the promised Messiah would come and return them to great power. But they are grimly mistaken as to its purpose for that day will bring great judgment for all sin, even their sin. They will be looking for light but instead they will find darkness. Amos compares their situation as to a man fleeing a lion and finding a bear and a man getting home and leaning against a wall on which is a snake that bites him. They think they have one enemy with their earthly oppressors but they do not understand that their real enemy is the Lord whom they think they are worshiping. Without true repentance their day of the Lord will be all darkness and gloom.

Amos 5:21-24"I hate, I reject your festivals, Nor do I delight in your solemn assemblies. (22) "Even though you offer up to Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them; And I will not even look at the peace offerings of your fatlings. (23) "Take away from Me the noise of your songs; I will not even listen to the sound of your harps. (24) "But let justice roll down like waters And righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

Amos now outlines how God hates their worship. A routine observance of religious activities such as their festivals and solemn assemblies was totally rejected by God. Even though they continue to bring burnt offerings and grain offerings, God will not accept them. The peace offerings were also called the fellowship offerings as some was given to the Lord and the rest was to be shared with family and friends but God would not even acknowledge such. Their singing and playing of the musical instruments would not be heard by Him and He told them to take away such noise, implying discord rather than harmony. God would listen again if they let justice and righteousness run continually without a missed step such as an ever-flowing stream. Justice and righteousness refer to a required social order showing their love for their fellow people of all stations in life.

Amos 5:25-27"Did you present Me with sacrifices and grain offerings in the wilderness for forty years, O house of Israel? (26) "You also carried along Sikkuth your king and Kiyyun, your

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images, the star of your gods which you made for yourselves. (27) "Therefore, I will make you go into exile beyond Damascus," says the LORD, whose name is the God of hosts.

The question begs for a negative answer in that the Israelites did not offer such. During this time obedience to the Levitical requirements had declined with such beginning with their defection at Kadesh:

Joshua 5:5-6 For all the people who came out were circumcised, but all the people who were born in the wilderness along the way as they came out of Egypt had not been circumcised. (6) For the sons of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, until all the nation, that is, the men of war who came out of Egypt, perished because they did not listen to the voice of the LORD, to whom the LORD had sworn that He would not let them see the land which the LORD had sworn to their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey.

Numbers 14:33-34 'Your sons shall be shepherds for forty years in the wilderness, and they will suffer for your unfaithfulness, until your corpses lie in the wilderness. (34) 'According to the number of days which you spied out the land, forty days, for every day you shall bear your guilt a year, even forty years, and you will know My opposition.

Sikkuth and Kiyyun were names of the god Saturn so Amos is saying that they brought along their idols they had made in their false worship. Amos is then tracing their idolatrous behavior back a considerable time. Such false worship was not a new item of sin for them. God says that, because of their long disobedience they will be put into exile beyond Damascus, a center of major activity in Syria. Indeed God did have such a time of captivity in Amos’s future.

The Day of the Lord will come for all of us one day:2Peter 3:10-12 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. (11) Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, (12) looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat!

God has provided safety only in the Lord Jesus Christ so be prepared now.

Amos 6:1-7 Woe to those who are at ease in Zion And to those who feel secure in the mountain of Samaria, The distinguished men of the foremost of nations, To whom the house of Israel comes. (2) Go over to Calneh and look, And go from there to Hamath the great, Then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are they better than these kingdoms, Or is their territory greater than yours? (3) Do you put off the day of calamity, And would you bring near the seat of violence? (4) Those who recline on beds of ivory And sprawl on their couches, And eat lambs from the flock And calves from the midst of the stall, (5) Who improvise to the sound of the harp, And like David have composed songs for themselves, (6) Who drink wine from sacrificial bowls While they anoint themselves with the finest of oils, Yet

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they have not grieved over the ruin of Joseph. (7) Therefore, they will now go into exile at the head of the exiles, And the sprawlers' banqueting will pass away.

Amos begins to sarcastically describe the rulers of Israel describing them as the “distinguished men of the foremost of nations”. They think that they head the greatest nation of all. Calneh was supposedly one of the cities founded by Nimrod (Gen 10:10) but its location is uncertain. Hamath was a principal city of Syria and the inhabitants were of the Hamitic race, descendants of Canaan (Gen 10:18). Gath was one of the Philistine city-states in Philistia and its most famous inhabitant was Goliath. Interestingly it also was a place where David hid when being pursued by Saul. He then asks rhetorical questions concerning the status of Israel compared to those other places for they were all greater than Israel. Calamity was coming upon them because of their oppression of the poor but they refused to acknowledge such a judgment. In verses 4-6 Amos describes the opulence of their society. The rulers even seem to be comparing themselves to David by playing the harp and composing songs honoring themselves. They even use sacrificial bowls from the temple to drink their wine and anoint themselves with the best oils. They think only of themselves and do not even realize the ruinous state of their country. Because of all that Amos relates, Israel will go into exile and those who oppressed the poor will no longer have their self-serving banquets.

Amos 6:8-11The Lord GOD has sworn by Himself, the LORD God of hosts has declared: "I loathe the arrogance of Jacob, And detest his citadels; Therefore I will deliver up the city and all it contains."(9) And it will be, if ten men are left in one house, they will die. (10) Then one's uncle, or his undertaker, will lift him up to carry out his bones from the house, and he will say to the one who is in the innermost part of the house, "Is anyone else with you?" And that one will say, "No one." Then he will answer, "Keep quiet. For the name of the LORD is not to be mentioned." (11) For behold, the LORD is going to command that the great house be smashed to pieces and the small house to fragments.

With such a swearing, the curse will be a certainty. God loathes their arrogance and detests the fortifications they think will not allow anyone to take them. Therefore He will give over the city (evidently Samaria) and its contents to an invader that Amos does not specify. No matter how many people are left in a house, they will all die. The KJV inserts a phrase in verse 10 about burning the bodies but cremation was not acceptable in Israel so, if such should be inserted, the burning of the bodies would infer a plague. If a person remains alive in the house, he is admonished to remain silent in case the Lord might unleash His wrath upon him. Verse 10 powerfully depicts the total destruction coming upon Israel as the main structure and all sub-structures will be smashed into small pieces.

Amos 6:12-14Do horses run on rocks? Or does one plow them with oxen? Yet you have turned justice into poison And the fruit of righteousness into wormwood, (13) You who rejoice in Lodebar, And say, "Have we not by our own strength taken Karnaim for ourselves?" (14) "For behold, I am going to raise up a nation against you, O house of Israel," declares the LORD God of hosts, "And they will afflict you from the entrance of Hamath To the brook of the Arabah."

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Amos uses absurd questions to introduce the rebuke following. Lodebar as spelled in Hebrew literally means “no thing” so Amos is saying that what they have accomplished amounts to nothing even though they bragged over their deeds. Lodebar and Karnaim were recent victories during Jeroboam’s invasion of Aramean regions and the rulers bragged such conquests. Amos concludes this section by stating that the Lord will oppress them from their northern border (Hamath) to their southern border (Arabah). Their destruction will be total.

Amos 7:1-3 Thus the Lord GOD showed me, and behold, He was forming a locust-swarm when the spring crop began to sprout. And behold, the spring crop was after the king's mowing. (2) And it came about, when it had finished eating the vegetation of the land, that I said, "Lord GOD, please pardon! How can Jacob stand, For he is small?" (3) The LORD changed His mind about this. "It shall not be," said the LORD.

God is giving Amos three visions concerning His possible judgments on Israel. The first was a swarm of locusts at the time of the spring crop when the king was allowed to have the first harvest. Such devastation would leave Israel with no food because Jacob [Israel] is so small compared to the awesome power of God. Since God did not give a standard for the judgment, He could relent from this type of judgment.

Amos 7:4-6 Thus the Lord GOD showed me, and behold, the Lord GOD was calling to contend with them by fire, and it consumed the great deep and began to consume the farm land. (5) Then I said, "Lord GOD, please stop! How can Jacob stand, for he is small?" (6) The LORD changed His mind about this. "This too shall not be," said the Lord GOD.

The second vision was judgment by literal fire that consumed all the land and even deep under the land so nothing would grow again for a long time. Again Amos begged God to relent from this type of judgment for Jacob [Israel] could not return from such a judgment. Since God again did not give a standard for the judgment, He could “change His mind”.

Amos 7:7-9Thus He showed me, and behold, the Lord was standing by a vertical wall with a plumb line in His hand. (8) The LORD said to me, "What do you see, Amos?" And I said, "A plumb line." Then the Lord said, "Behold I am about to put a plumb line In the midst of My people Israel. I will spare them no longer. (9) "The high places of Isaac will be desolated And the sanctuaries of Israel laid waste. Then I will rise up against the house of Jeroboam with the sword."

The third vision is different for now a standard of judgment is given: the plumb line. Yahweh asked Amos to interpret this vision so he stated that he saw a plumb line. Seeing God “standing” implies a fixed position of judgment and the plumb line is a standard measuring the straightness of a wall. God is stating that Israel had not lived up to its requirement of being holy (Exod 19:6) and so they failed the test. God states that He will no longer spare them from judgment. The

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pagan sanctuaries of Israel and the dynasty of Jeroboam would be destroyed by the sword of judgment from God. So the two major influences in their lives would be destroyed.

Amos 7:10-13Then Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, sent word to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, "Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel; the land is unable to endure all his words. (11) "For thus Amos says, 'Jeroboam will die by the sword and Israel will certainly go from its land into exile.'" (12) Then Amaziah said to Amos, "Go, you seer, flee away to the land of Judah and there eat bread and there do your prophesying! (13) "But no longer prophesy at Bethel, for it is a sanctuary of the king and a royal residence."

The discussion about the sins of Israel and the judgment of God are now interrupted as Amos reveals more about himself. Amaziah is the priest of the sanctuary in Bethel that has already been condemned. Amaziah reported to Jeroboam much of what was recorded above and warned the king that Israel was very disturbed by those words. There is no reference to the response from the king. The word “seer” is associated with “prophet” in a way that legitimizes that office so we do not think Amaziah used the term in a derogatory sense: Yet the LORD warned Israel and Judah through all His prophets and every seer, saying, "Turn from your evil ways and keep My commandments, My statutes according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you through My servants the prophets." (2 Kings 17:13) Amaziah told Amos to go live and prophesy in Judah rather than Israel but do not prophesy at Bethel. He states the reason being that Bethel was a sanctuary of Jeroboam and a royal residence but the real reason was probably because Amaziah is the priest there.

Amos 7:14-17Then Amos replied to Amaziah, "I am not a prophet, nor am I the son of a prophet; for I am a herdsman and a grower of sycamore figs. (15) "But the LORD took me from following the flock and the LORD said to me, 'Go prophesy to My people Israel.' (16) "Now hear the word of the LORD: you are saying, 'You shall not prophesy against Israel nor shall you speak against the house of Isaac.' (17) "Therefore, thus says the LORD, 'Your wife will become a harlot in the city, your sons and your daughters will fall by the sword, your land will be parceled up by a measuring line and you yourself will die upon unclean soil. Moreover, Israel will certainly go from its land into exile.'"

The reply of Amos has troubled some people since he said that he was not a prophet. However I think he is just saying that he was not trained as a prophet or seer and was by profession only a herdsman and grower of sycamore figs. He was called out of that profession much like Moses was called from being a sheep herder and told to prophesy to God’s people Israel. Amos then spoke the word of the Lord to Amaziah repeating what Amaziah had told Amos. But because of the opposition of Amaziah to the prophesying of Amos, God pronounces a severe judgment against him, his wife, his children, and his land. Also Amaziah will die upon soil that is not blessed by God (a Gentile land) and Israel will go into exile. Certainly Amaziah wished he had kept silent!

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Amos 8:1-3Thus the Lord GOD showed me, and behold, there was a basket of summer fruit. (2) He said, "What do you see, Amos?" And I said, "A basket of summer fruit." Then the LORD said to me, "The end has come for My people Israel. I will spare them no longer. (3) "The songs of the palace will turn to wailing in that day," declares the Lord GOD. "Many will be the corpses; in every place they will cast them forth in silence."

God gave Amos a vision and he saw it as a basket of summer fruit. This would ordinarily be a time of rejoicing over a harvest but God saw it for what it really was. It represented a nation that had been prepared for a great harvest but their sinful state will result in the end of them for God will not continue to spare them from His judgment. Just as a basket of fruit has turned into rotten fruit, the songs of the palace will be turned into wailing on that Day of the Lord. God states that there will be many corpses that will be flung away and that calls for a time of silence.

Amos 8:4-7Hear this, you who trample the needy, to do away with the humble of the land, (5) saying, "When will the new moon be over, So that we may sell grain, And the sabbath, that we may open the wheat market, To make the bushel smaller and the shekel bigger, And to cheat with dishonest scales, (6) So as to buy the helpless for money And the needy for a pair of sandals, And that we may sell the refuse of the wheat?" (7) The LORD has sworn by the pride of Jacob, "Indeed, I will never forget any of their deeds.

Now God repeats some of the sins of Israel that continued even though they continued to keep some of the outward signs of their religion like waiting for the new moon to be over so they could sell gran and waiting for the end of the Sabbath so they could open their markets. But in those business dealings they cheated the people by reducing the size of the bushel and making the shekel appear to have more failure than it really has. They cheated with dishonest scales, bought the peasants for money. even cheated the needy for sandals, and sold the sweepings from the grain floor for grain. Jacob was the forefather of the nation and the “Pride of Jacob” was the One to whom Jacob looked for strength. A similar title is found in 1 Samuel 15:29, where God is referred to as “the Glory of Israel.” When God says that He has sworn by the pride of Jacob, He means that He has sworn by Himself. God says He will never forget any of their deeds.

Amos 8:8-10"Because of this will not the land quake And everyone who dwells in it mourn? Indeed, all of it will rise up like the Nile, And it will be tossed about And subside like the Nile of Egypt. (9) "It will come about in that day," declares the Lord GOD, "That I will make the sun go down at noon And make the earth dark in broad daylight. (10) "Then I will turn your festivals into mourning And all your songs into lamentation; And I will bring sackcloth on everyone's loins And baldness on every head. And I will make it like a time of mourning for an only son, And the end of it will be like a bitter day.

God tells Amos that this time will be met with even the land quaking and everyone mourning. He seems to be describing an earthquake as the and will roll like the Nile river. The result will be great clouds of smoke and dust that obscures the sun even when it should be at its highest so that the earth will be dark. Their festive festivals will turn into times of mourning and their songs of

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praise will turn into songs of wailing for the loss of loved ones. Sackcloth and baldness are signs of mourning that will spread over every head similarly as to how one mourns the death of an only son. The end of this time will also be very bitter rather than a joyful ending.

Amos 8:11-14"Behold, days are coming," declares the Lord GOD, "When I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine for bread or a thirst for water, But rather for hearing the words of the LORD. (12) "People will stagger from sea to sea And from the north even to the east; They will go to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, But they will not find it. (13) "In that day the beautiful virgins And the young men will faint from thirst. (14) "As for those who swear by the guilt of Samaria, Who say, 'As your god lives, O Dan,' And, 'As the way of Beersheba lives,' They will fall and not rise again."

The days will then come when people will be seeking the words of Yahweh but will not hear it. This will be a time of great famine for that Word and they will stagger all over the country trying to find it but no such Word will be found. They will have rejected it so long that God kept it from them so they know the lack of such. Jesus warned of such: And He said to the disciples, "The days will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. (Luke 17:22) Even those women who had been faithful and young men who had not attained to an age of sin will also faint from thirst for that Word. There will be people swearing by the false worship done by the country in Dan and Beersheba but such will do them no good or bring any relief. Jeroboam raised a golden calf for worship in Dan and the people went on pilgrimages for false worship in Beersheba in the southern kingdom of Judah. Their idolatrous worship of Yahweh will bring them only more grief as they will fall and not rise again.

Amos 9:1-4I saw the Lord standing beside the altar, and He said, "Smite the capitals so that the thresholds will shake, And break them on the heads of them all! Then I will slay the rest of them with the sword; They will not have a fugitive who will flee, Or a refugee who will escape. (2) "Though they dig into Sheol, From there will My hand take them; And though they ascend to heaven, From there will I bring them down. (3) "Though they hide on the summit of Carmel, I will search them out and take them from there; And though they conceal themselves from My sight on the floor of the sea, From there I will command the serpent and it will bite them. (4) "And though they go into captivity before their enemies, From there I will command the sword that it slay them, And I will set My eyes against them for evil and not for good."

Amos had a vision of God standing before the temple altar. It is not a literal temple that God is saying will come down but the pillars or capitals of the city that will bring down the social structure of the society. God then told Amos that there literally would be no place where anyone could hide from His sword of justice for their idolatry and greed.

Amos 9:5-7The Lord GOD of hosts, The One who touches the land so that it melts, And all those who dwell in it mourn, And all of it rises up like the Nile And subsides like the Nile of Egypt;

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(6) The One who builds His upper chambers in the heavens And has founded His vaulted dome over the earth, He who calls for the waters of the sea And pours them out on the face of the earth, The LORD is His name. (7) "Are you not as the sons of Ethiopia to Me, O sons of Israel?" declares the LORD. "Have I not brought up Israel from the land of Egypt, And the Philistines from Caphtor and the Arameans from Kir?

God then reminds the people through Amos that He is the supreme commander and creator of the universe and all that it contains. God declares that the Israelites are just as the descendants of Ethiopia to Him, meaning that they are of little concern to Him. Evidently Ethiopia or Cush was chosen because of its great distance from Israel and was considered an insignificant area so it would have shocked the Israelites to hear that they were of no more concern to God than the Cushites. God then declares that He is the one in charge of the migrations of all the people from region to region so they are no more special than any of the other nations. The Exodus had led the people to think that they were special to God and they could then sin with no fear of consequence but God is telling them otherwise.

Amos 9:8-10"Behold, the eyes of the Lord GOD are on the sinful kingdom, And I will destroy it from the face of the earth; Nevertheless, I will not totally destroy the house of Jacob," Declares the LORD. (9) "For behold, I am commanding, And I will shake the house of Israel among all nations As grain is shaken in a sieve, But not a kernel will fall to the ground. (10) "All the sinners of My people will die by the sword, Those who say, 'The calamity will not overtake or confront us.'

The nation would then be judged with destruction but God will not totally destroy all trace of it. God then does give a little hope for the nation in face of the destruction. God is going to bring destruction but He will treat it like a sieve with some kernels remaining in the sieve, representing the remnant that will be kept in His protection. All those who have openly practiced sin will die and even those who have false confidence will also die by His sword of justice.

Amos 9:11-12"In that day I will raise up the fallen booth of David, And wall up its breaches; I will also raise up its ruins And rebuild it as in the days of old; (12) That they may possess the remnant of Edom And all the nations who are called by My name," Declares the LORD who does this.

The phrase “in that day” refers to the time when the sifting will be completed. This refers to the period of the Exile that was initiated by Assyria. The fallen booth of David refers to his kingdom that had become a dilapidated shack. Thus this prophecy maintains that the promise of the continuation of the Davidic kingdom will indeed be fulfilled with the coming of the Son. Other writings infer that this time period will continue until the time of the Messiah as they seek David their king: Afterward the sons of Israel will return and seek the LORD their God and David their king; and they will come trembling to the LORD and to His goodness in the last days. (Hosea 3:5) Notice the inclusion of all the nations in verse 12 that James and others have interpreted as

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meaning when the Gentiles will be included with Israel (Acts 15:12-21). This time would then be the future when Jesus returns to rule forever.

Amos 9:13-15"Behold, days are coming," declares the LORD, "When the plowman will overtake the reaper And the treader of grapes him who sows seed; When the mountains will drip sweet wine And all the hills will be dissolved. (14) "Also I will restore the captivity of My people Israel, And they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them; They will also plant vineyards and drink their wine, And make gardens and eat their fruit. (15) "I will also plant them on their land, And they will not again be rooted out from their land Which I have given them," Says the LORD your God.

Stating that the plowman overtakes the reaper is a way of stating that no sooner had the grapes been planted when the time of reaping occurred. Thus there will be a time when there is an abundance of harvest for the nation. It will seem that there is enough wine produced to drip from the mountains and even dissolves the hills. It is not possible to identify this period with the postexilic time for it is stated to be permanent and the economy of Israel immediately after the exile was also not so magnificent. It is possible to apply this time to the invisible kingdom (the church) and to what has happened to Israel after 1948 when it was reestablished as a country. Other scripture reports the bringing back people to this land:

Isaiah 11:11 Then it will happen on that day that the Lord Will again recover the second time with His hand The remnant of His people, who will remain, From Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath, And from the islands of the sea.

Zech 10:10 "I will bring them back from the land of Egypt And gather them from Assyria; And I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon Until no room can be found for them.

Amos 9:11 "In that day I will raise up the fallen booth of David, And wall up its breaches; I will also raise up its ruins And rebuild it as in the days of old;

God will reestablish the Davidic reign through his Son, Jesus Christ. This time was also spoken of by Paul in Rom 11 and specifically in:

Rom 11:25-27 For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery--so that you will not be wise in your own estimation--that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; (26) and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, "THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB." (27) "THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS."

At the Parousia God will establish a new kingdom with Jesus as King forever. At this point we can only agree with John:

Rev 22:20-21 He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming quickly." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. (21) The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.

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