A Study of Amos
So, what does Adonai say through Amos to these people who would not return? The following is one of the most widely paraphrased scriptures in the world, yet few know it’s found in Amos. “Therefore this is what I will do to you, Israel, and because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel.” Amos 4:12 Hollywood script writers just love that verse! This phrase brings with it visions of the final judgment of God. Our meeting with God-face-to-face and as we all know, no one can be face-to-face with God and live! (This is why there is an angel positioned in front of His face at all times, but that’s a whole different study in its self.) This is that “time’s up” we all dread, because we all know it is coming. We just hope that our timing is right and we are “good to go.” Obviously, the Israelites were going to be taken by surprise because they wouldn’t listen to the prophets of God. Many of us will be taken by surprise as well because we won’t listen either.
The nation of Israel will be no more, never to be seen again in her own land (Amos 5:2.) What we see now is only a shadow, and is not even “Israel” but in fact is Judah (the remnant of the southern kingdom) only. So this prophecy has been fulfilled; they have not yet returned to their inheritance. Again, we see the love of the Father in the fact that He will not totally wipe out the Israelites (5:3) and that He is still calling out “repent and live!” (5:4-6) This is obviously not the total annihilation of the 10 tribes, but a strong judgment none-the-less. Adonai is very clear about where not to go to seek Him: Bethel, Gilgal, and Beersheba. He doesn’t want them running to these false places of worship, but to the true worship found in the Torah. These false places will do you no good because He intends to wipe them out. If you’re there, He is saying, you’ll get caught up in the wrath as well.
In verse 6 we also see the singling out of the descendants of Joseph. These are the half-tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, whom Jacob referred to as, ” mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine.” (Gen 48:5) These two sons were given the “favored son” blessing that Jacob had always intended to give to Joseph. This is the birthright blessing that Jacob himself had received instead of Esau. He handed that directly to Joseph’s two eldest sons. Although Manasseh was the older of the two, Ephraim was the one to receive the birthright. As a result, Ephraim (the tribe of) became the leader of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. So, in verse 6 the Lord is telling those leaders of Israel that they are going to be wiped out unless they repent.
Verses 7-10 are very interesting. In the midst of stating who it is that Adonai is mad at, Amos reminds us of Who He is.
You who turn justice into bitterness and cast righteousness to the ground (he who made the Pleiades and Orion, who turns blackness into dawn and darkens day into night, who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out over the face of the land– the LORD is his name– he flashes destruction on the stronghold and brings the fortified city to ruin), you hate the one who reproves in court and despise him who tells the truth. Amos 5:7-10
The NASB version translates bitterness as wormwood. This word has the feeling of cursing something or regarding it as poisonous. This is how they feel about justice. The one who would be willing to stand up in court and tell the whole truth would be considered a villain. This is not uncommon even today; think of the “jail-house stool pigeon.” We can understand why these people, who despise those with the truth, would be in line for justice. My question is, why did Amos insert Who this God is in the midst of this definition of who is in trouble? Well, let’s take a closer look at what Amos has to say about Adonai.
He who made the Pleiades and Orion, who turns blackness into dawn and darkens day into night, who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out over the face of the land– the LORD is his name– he flashes destruction on the stronghold and brings the fortified city to ruin.
This is the God who made the universe and created the order of the day. He also brought justice to the earth once before and He will do it again. There is nothing that can stand in the face of His mighty hand. There is a great contrast between the ones Amos is speaking of and this Mighty God. They seem to think that they are so high and mighty themselves that they can treat anyone any way they choose, and get away with it. Amos wants to remind these people just Who it is they are dealing with. Maybe then they will act accordingly.
Unfortunately they will not, so God will punish them by taking away those things they hold most dear, their homes and their means of supporting themselves (verse 11.) But those who are wise will listen to the Lord’s advice:
Therefore the prudent man keeps quiet in such times, for the times are evil. Seek good, not evil, that you may live. Then the LORD God Almighty will be with you, just as you say he is. Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts. Perhaps the LORD God Almighty will have mercy on the remnant of Joseph. Amos 5:13-15
The phrase “in such times” can be literally translated as “that time,” which usually indicates they are referring to “the end times.” There is a time for speaking the truth, and a time for keeping quiet. When we see injustice, we are to do every thing within our power to “right the wrong”, but there comes a time when just opening your mouth can get you killed. A wise man knows the difference and that knowledge will be a key to whether or not he is included within the remnant of Israel. Verse 15 shows that Joseph will not be entirely wiped out, but a remnant will remain. This flies in the face of the “God has turned His back on the descendents of Joseph” theory.
Amos says, in verse 14, that they say “the Lord is with us” but He apparently is not with them. These people are looking forward to the “day of the Lord” but to them Amos replies: Woe to you who long for the day of the LORD! Why do you long for the day of the LORD? That day will be darkness, not light. Amos 5:18 Why would they be looking forward to Judgment Day? Don’t they realize that we all must be held accountable for what we’ve done? Are they looking forward to being judged? And if so, why? Do they feel that they will be found worthy to stand? They must, or else they wouldn’t be longing for the day. But Amos is clearly telling them that Adonai is not with them. These people have spiritual blinders on. They have been deceived by the lies of the false prophets and false teachers and feel that they are above judgment. Sort of reminds one of something Yeshua warned us about: For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect–if that were possible. Matthew 24:24 They have been deceived, we will be deceived… at least those of us who are not paying close attention to Torah.
It will be as though a man fled from a lion only to meet a bear, as though he entered his house and rested his hand on the wall only to have a snake bite him. Amos 5:19 Those people who are longing for the Lord to return and “save them from this misery” who are NOT following His ways will be in for a BIG surprise! Just when they think there is safety, calamity will strike!
“I hate, I despise your religious feasts; I cannot stand your assemblies. Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, I will have no regard for them. Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps.” Amos 5:21-23
These are tough words for those who feel that they are just following the Lord as best as they know how, don’t you think? It may seem that way to us, but we don’t see things the same way as the Lord. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. Isaiah 55:8 Remember, these are the people who treat the poor and needy with contempt. These are religious folks who did not care about anyone outside of their own circle of friends. The street outside their homes were full of people who where unable to provide for their families on the meager wages given to them by these same religious folks. Yet these folks lived in the lap of luxury. Sort of like the preacher who is making $10 million a year taking the last $10 of an elderly widow because “it’s my God-given right to be provided for by my flock.” There is only one thing that God wants from these people: But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream! Amos 5:24
The people of Israel, along with Judah, had a special time of fellowship with Adonai that no other nation before or since can come close to. Even though they walked with Him in the desert, and ate of His manna, and saw the wondrous deeds His did in their presence, they still turned to idols and “the star of your god” (verse 26.) The footnote here says: Or lifted up Sakkuth your king / and Kaiwan your idols, / your star-gods. The Septuagint here says: lifted up the shrine of Molech / and the star of your god Rephan, / their idols. They had shrines and a star that they worshipped. This puts a different perspective on the “Star of Bethlehem.” We humans do tend to worship the creation rather then the creator. And what is the result of this? “Therefore I will send you into exile beyond Damascus,” says the LORD, whose name is God Almighty. Amos 5:27
I am beginning to see why the people of Bethel were having such a hard time listening to Amos. He had a lot to say in the little bit of time he was there.
In chapter 6, Amos turns from the women of Samaria to the men, and what he has to say to them is even worse. Woe to you who are complacent in Zion, and to you who feel secure on Mount Samaria, you notable men of the foremost nation, to whom the people of Israel come! Amos 6:1 Woe to you, the spiritual leaders of Israel; you are in big trouble. You have it so good now. You are well provided for. You lack for nothing. But you don’t care that your followers are following you right to hell. You drink wine by the bowlful and use the finest lotions, but you do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph. Therefore you will be among the first to go into exile; your feasting and lounging will end. Amos 6:6-7 The leaders, the ones who are teaching the other people how to worship, where to worship, and when to worship, are the ones who will be hit first. As they say, “the party’s over.”
Adonai then returns to the warning of Judah. The Sovereign LORD has sworn by himself–the LORD God Almighty declares: “I abhor the pride of Jacob and detest his fortresses; I will deliver up the city and everything in it.” Amos 6:8 Remember, Jacob is the father of all 12 tribes. What is the “pride of Jacob” and why does the Lord abhor it so? If the verses leading up to this are any indication, I believe that the pride of Jacob was the foolish notion that they could worship in any manner they chose. I wonder if his fortresses were the places of worship? And it sounds to me like the destruction will be so bad that people would be afraid to even say the name of the Lord out loud.
If ten men are left in one house, they too will die. And if a relative who is to burn the bodies comes to carry them out of the house and asks anyone still hiding there, “Is anyone with you?” and he says, “No,” then he will say, “Hush! We must not mention the name of the LORD.” Amos 6:9-10
Evil times indeed!
Once again the Lord does not leave us without hope. Amos relays for us a conversation between himself and the Lord in chapter 7.
This is what the Sovereign LORD showed me: He was preparing swarms of locusts after the king’s share had been harvested and just as the second crop was coming up. When they had stripped the land clean, I cried out, “Sovereign LORD, forgive! How can Jacob survive? He is so small!” So the LORD relented. “This will not happen,” the LORD said.
This is what the Sovereign LORD showed me: The Sovereign LORD was calling for judgment by fire; it dried up the great deep and devoured the land. Then I cried out, “Sovereign LORD, I beg you, stop! How can Jacob survive? He is so small!” So the LORD relented. “This will not happen either,” the Sovereign LORD said. Amos 7:1-6
This is a wonderful example of how the fervent prayers of a righteous man can do much good. Amos cried out to the Lord on behalf of the people, and the Lord relented.
Although Adonai relented of the plagues He had intended to send, He was still ready to say, “enough is enough!”
This is what he showed me: The Lord was standing by a wall that had been built true to plumb, with a plumb line in his hand. And the LORD asked me, “What do you see, Amos?” “A plumb line,” I replied. Then the Lord said, “Look, I am setting a plumb line among my people Israel; I will spare them no longer. Amos 7:7-8
He will draw a line in the midst of His people. Only those of His people who are truly following the Lord, those who are “true to plumb,” will be saved. This is clearly an indication that God wants His people to worship Him according to His plan, not their (or our) own plan. If they don’t line up with the word, they will not be spared.
“The high places of Isaac will be destroyed and the sanctuaries of Israel will be ruined; with my sword I will rise against the house of Jeroboam.” Amos 7:9 What does he mean by the high places of Isaac? Well, Isaac was the promised son who was taken up to a high place to be offered as a sacrifice. Could this be a reference to the offering of children to Molech? Or maybe something to do with the worship of a “promised son” on the high places (cults had promised saviors, like Mithra.) All we know is that these sanctuaries would become ruins at the hand on a Mighty God. We also know that He will seek vengeance on those who started this false worship (the house of Jeroboam.)
Well, that was all the high priest could handle hearing.
Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent a message to Jeroboam king of Israel: “Amos is raising a conspiracy against you in the very heart of Israel. The land cannot bear all his words. For this is what Amos is saying: `Jeroboam will die by the sword, and Israel will surely go into exile, away from their native land.’” Amos 7:10-11
This is typical of the response to a prophet. It’s not us, it’s you… you are the problem, not us! Isn’t it nice to have someone else to blame it on?
Then Amaziah said to Amos, “Get out, you seer! Go back to the land of Judah. Earn your bread there and do your prophesying there. Don’t prophesy anymore at Bethel, because this is the king’s sanctuary and the temple of the kingdom.” Amos answered Amaziah, “I was neither a prophet nor a prophet’s son, but I was a shepherd, and I also took care of sycamore-fig trees. But the LORD took me from tending the flock and said to me, `Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’” Amos 7:12-15
Amos was not a typical prophet. He had never felt the need to prophesy before, and would probably never do so again after this mission. Normally he was nothing more then a farmer, and a follower of the ways of Adonai. When the Lord showed Amos the injustice not only to god’s people, but also to God himself, Amos couldn’t help but go and tell these people what the Lord had shown and told him. Could you? If the Lord pressed upon you to get a message out that was all doom and gloom, could you do it? Would you be willing to? Would you be willing to go knowing that you would not be received with open arms but instead might be killed? You know they killed prophets who wouldn’t shut up. Amos risked every thing and had nothing to gain from telling the people this. The thing of it is, he couldn’t not tell them.
Now then, hear the word of the LORD. You say, “Do not prophesy against Israel, and stop preaching against the house of Isaac.” Therefore this is what the LORD says: “Your wife will become a prostitute in the city, and your sons and daughters will fall by the sword. Your land will be measured and divided up, and you yourself will die in a pagan country. And Israel will certainly go into exile, away from their native land.” Amos 7:16-17
Because they would not listen to the word of the Lord, things are going to go from bad to worse. Those women who were once so high and mighty will be reduced to the lowest of the low. Everything will be taken from them. But worst of all, they will die in an unclean land. They will not be able to be buried in the Promised Land. They will never see their native land ever again. They should have listened.
Amos now goes back to relaying to us what the Lord has shown him. This time it is a basket of ripe fruit. The NASB version translates it as summer fruit. Either way, this fruit will not be around much longer. Then the LORD said to me, “The time is ripe for my people Israel; I will spare them no longer.” Amos 8:2b The clock has been ticking and the time has run out. There will be no more delays. God can stand them no longer.
“In that day,” declares the Sovereign LORD, “the songs in the temple will turn to wailing. Many, many bodies–flung everywhere! Silence!” Amos 8:3 “In that day” refers to judgment day. The songs in the temple will turn to wailing. This goes hand-in-hand with 1 Peter 4:17: For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; The first thing we are told by the Lord is that the singing in the temple will stop. Many people felt that they would be safe within the temple when judgment came. Even Hollywood has this same idea. Many movies show people running to the nearest house of God during catastrophes. I wonder how many Israelites ran to the temples at Bethel and Gilgal when the judgment began?
Amos then reminds the people once again why this judgment was coming.
Hear this, you who trample the needy and do away with the poor of the land, saying, “When will the New Moon be over that we may sell grain, and the Sabbath be ended that we may market wheat?”– skimping the measure, boosting the price and cheating with dishonest scales, buying the poor with silver and the needy for a pair of sandals, selling even the sweepings with the wheat. Amos 8:4-6
Once again we hear the cry of injustice. Not only are they trampling the poor and needy instead of helping them, but they have contempt for God’s holy day as well. All they see is that they can’t buy or sell on these days (they would celebrate the new moon – the beginning of the month – by cessation of business.) Where is the love of the Lord? Where is the honesty? Where is the justice? Apparently, they are non-existent.
“In that day,” declares the Sovereign LORD, “I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight. Amos 8:9 Does this sound familiar? Job 5:14: Darkness comes upon them in the daytime; at noon they grope as in the night. Jeremiah 15:9 and Micah 3:6 also talk about the sun going down at noon. Isaiah 59:9-10 also speaks on this same subject. All of these men were writing about the Great and Horrible Day of the Lord; Judgment Day. In the midst of warning of judgment against Israel, Adonai reminds us that this is not the final judgment. There is still a much bigger judgment to come.
I will turn your religious feasts into mourning and all your singing into weeping. I will make all of you wear sackcloth and shave your heads. I will make that time like mourning for an only son and the end of it like a bitter day. Amos 8:10
Note here that Adonai said He would turn their religious feasts into mourning. He is not talking about the feasts that God Himself ordained, but the ones that man developed. These were not His feasts, they don’t honor Him, and as a result He will take them away from us. Instead of rejoicing, they will be found in deep mourning. Remember, this verse directly follows the one above. We must understand that the Lord is not just speaking to the people of Israel at that time. He is speaking to those who will be alive at the end of time. According to all sources, that means us. Pay attentions folks; this message is for us too!
“The days are coming,” declares the Sovereign LORD, “when I will send a famine through the land– not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD. Men will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the word of the LORD, but they will not find it.” Amos 8:11-12
Not only are these days coming, but they are already arriving. Fewer and fewer churches teach from the “Old Testament” and people are just not interested in studying the scriptures any more. I know of one church with over 500 members that didn’t offer one adult bible study. They claimed that no one was interested. When they did finally offer one, only a handful of people showed up. The worst part is, some of the “students” understood the scriptures better then the teacher!
This famine that we are warned about in Amos has begun to take over the land. God’s people spend hundreds of hours every year reading books about the Word, but forget to read the Word itself. False worship has become the norm. Those who try to stay true to the Word find themselves trampled upon like the poor of Samaria in Amos’ day. Truly nothing has changed. “Bible believing churches” don’t believe the whole bible applies to them. They take hold of the blessings, but ignore the warnings of the curses. They pick and choose which law to embrace and which to throw out. And they also believe, as the fat cows of Samaria, that nothing will happen to them as a result of their behavior. They believe they are beyond reproach; that judgment is what happens to those other people, not them. The Lord loves them too much to allow them to “go through the tribulation.” What they don’t understand is that the Lord loves them too much to not make them go through the refiner’s fire of the tribulation. Adonai has taken all of the ones He loves through the refiner’s fire. There are saints being martyred all over the world for His name’s sake. Are we saying that God doesn’t love them; this is why they have to go through this? No, that’s not how God works. But the churches are not teaching this. They are teaching love only, not judgment. This is not what we find in scripture.
“In that day the lovely young women and strong young men will faint because of thirst. They who swear by the shame of Samaria, or say, `As surely as your god lives, O Dan,’ or, `As surely as the god of Beersheba lives’– they will fall, never to rise again.” Amos 8:13-14
In that day, strength and youth will not save. Neither will “swearing” by a false god save. The shame of Samaria can also be translated as the idol of Samaria. In this case it is a golden calf, but the same would apply to any object of false worship. Remember, Adonai strictly forbids the making of any graven image, whether from the earth below or heaven above, and bowing down to it. It doesn’t matter if the “image” is of the Savior Himself, we are not to make it, set it up, or bow down to it. The church I grew up in taught us to do just that. Many churches teach the same thing. These people who are teaching, worshipping, and calling upon the name of any statue or image will fall, never to rise again. Hard words indeed!
As we come to the last chapter of Amos, we can easily see why he was chased out of Bethel. The words he had from the Lord for those people were words that cut right through their egos. The Israelites were proud of their temples at Bethel and Gilgal. These places were rich in spiritual history. Bethel, which means “house of god,” is the place where Jacob saw the angels of the Lord ascending and descending on the ladder. Gilgal was the place where the entire 12 tribes first celebrated the Passover in the Promised Land. These were Holy sites indeed! They couldn’t believe that God would be displeased with their worship of Him there. But this is the message that comes to them from Adonai through His prophet Amos. And then there is the issue of the poor.
Hospitality is very important to the Lord. He wants His people to put the needs of others above themselves. This is what made Abraham stand out from among the people around him, his simple acts of kindness. Who else was given the opportunity to entertain the Lord Himself? This hospitality gave him the opportunity to intercede with the Lord on behalf of the righteous people of Sodom and Gomorrah (Lot.) When we do kind things for others, out of the goodness of our hearts, it softens God’s heart towards us. When we don’t even see the needs of those around us, it angers God. He tries to get our attention by taking away things from us, so that we will know how it feels to be needy. Then maybe we will see and have compassion on those around us who are hurting. If, in our selfishness, we still don’t see, He then takes something else. It could be your health, your wealth, or anything else you hold dear to you. He wants us to see His people as He does so that we can love them as He does. He also wants us to see Him as He has revealed Himself to us.
How has he revealed Himself to us, and to the people of Amos’ time? Through His Word, the Torah. We must remember that Yeshua is the Torah in the flesh. He was simply living out what He found written therein. He showed us that it can work, but we must do it His way, not ours. We, like the ancient Israelites, want to put our mark on God’s property. We don’t want to admit that He owns us, and has the right to decide how and when and where we approach Him. We want to do it our way, and we don’t want to have to be inconvenienced in any way in the process. Humans are stubborn that way. This is what Amos has come to point out to the people of the nation of Israel, and to us as well.
Chapter 9 begins with another vision from the Lord.
I saw the Lord standing by the altar, and he said: “Strike the tops of the pillars so that the thresholds shake. Bring them down on the heads of all the people; those who are left I will kill with the sword. Not one will get away, none will escape. Though they dig down to the depths of the grave, from there my hand will take them. Though they climb up to the heavens, from there I will bring them down. Though they hide themselves on the top of Carmel, there I will hunt them down and seize them. Though they hide from me at the bottom of the sea, there I will command the serpent to bite them. Amos 9:1:3
Amos saw the Lord standing by the altar. To understand this, we must understand the tabernacle and the placement of its furnishings.
The Lord’s place in the tabernacle is on His Throne, above the mercy seat, atop the Ark of the Covenant, within the Holy of Holies. This is beyond the alter, not beside it. The place in the tabernacle that he is referring to is the place where the High priest would stand to offer the sacrifices. Since this is the place where the High Priest would stand, we understand this to be Yeshua, our High Priest, standing beside the altar.