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More Amos commentaries
Amos 1:1-15
Announcement of Judgment
Amos 2:1-16
Judgment on Judah and Israel
Amos 3:1-15
Authority of the Prophet’s Message
Amos 4:1-13
Israel Did Not Accept Correction
Amos 5:1-15
A Call to Repentance
Amos 5:16-27
The Day of the Lord
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Israel Did Not Accept Correction
Amos 4:1–13
» View this passage in NIV (Bible Gateway)
A poor German girl announced that she was going to give a piano concert. In order to attract people to come, she mentioned in the advertisements that she was the student of the famous Hungarian professor, Franz Liszt. But it was a falsehood. To her dismay, she learned the profess … More
Israel practiced formal religion. Amos criticizes the people of Israel for believing that their religious practices could compensate for their self-indulgent and sinful lifestyle (vv. 1-5). He begins this section by referring to the wealthy women of Samaria, calling them “cows of Bashan on Mount Samaria” (v. 1). These were insensitive wives of wealthy officials living in luxury to satisfy their self-indulgence at the expense of the poor and needy. When the Assyrian army finally invaded the city defenses would fall and the people would be driven into captivity through the breaches in the wall made by their enemies (vv. 2-3). With a note of sarcasm, it is suggested that the people of Samaria go to Bethel and Gilgal to sin (v. 4). Also with a note of irony the people of Israel are challenged to “Burn leavened bread as a thank offering and brag about your freewill offerings for this is what you love to do” (v. 5).
In this passage the Lord reminds the Israelites of the many methods He has used to prompt them to repent and turn from their sins (vv. 6-11). These include famine (v. 6), drought (vv. 7-8), insects and mildew (v. 9), plagues and war (v. 10), and some divine intervention (v, 11). No matter how God warned the people they still ignored Him. Because the Israelites didn’t get the message they would have to meet God face to face in judgment (v. 12). The most repeated phrase in Amos occurs five times in this chapter: “You have not returned to Me, says the Lord” (vv. 6,8,9,10 & 11). This God of judgment is the Creator, mighty and powerful (v. 13)!
Application
The book of Amos has several memorable phrases, but I should never forget God’s invitation to all who have wandered away from Him: Return to Me. If you haven’t returned, do it now.
Amos 4:1-13 (English Standard Version)
"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, that we may drink!' The Lord GOD has sworn by his holiness that, behold, the days are coming upon you, when they shall take you away with hooks, even the last of you with fishhooks. And you shall go out through the breaches, each one straight ahead; and you shall be cast out into Harmon," declares the LORD. "Come to Bethel, and transgress; to Gilgal, and multiply transgression; bring your sacrifices every morning, your tithes every three days; offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving of that which is leavened, and proclaim freewill offerings, publish them; for so you love to do, O people of Israel!" declares the Lord GOD. "I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and lack of bread in all your places, yet you did not return to me," declares the LORD. "I also withheld the rain from you when there were yet three months to the harvest; I would send rain on one city, and send no rain on another city; one field would have rain, and the field on which it did not rain would wither; so two or three cities would wander to another city to drink water, and would not be satisfied; yet you did not return to me," declares the LORD. "I struck you with blight and mildew; your many gardens and your vineyards, your fig trees and your olive trees the locust devoured; yet you did not return to me," declares the LORD. "I sent among you a pestilence after the manner of Egypt; I killed your young men with the sword, and carried away your horses, and I made the stench of your camp go up into your nostrils; yet you did not return to me," declares the LORD. "I overthrew some of you, as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and you were as a brand plucked out of the burning; yet you did not return to me," declares the LORD. "Therefore thus I will do to you, O Israel; because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel!" For behold, he who forms the mountains and creates the wind, and declares to man what is his thought, who makes the morning darkness, and treads on the heights of the earth-- the LORD, the God of hosts, is his name!
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