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Amos 1-5
Seeking God
and Living
Psalm 108:1-13 God Gives a Hand
1.“My heart is steadfast, God. I will sing and I will make music with my soul.2.Wake up, harp and lyre! I will wake up the dawn.3.I will give thanks to You, Yahweh, among the nations. I will sing praises to You among the peoples.4.For Your hesed/loyal love is great above the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches to the skies.5.Be exalted, God, above the heavens! Let Your glory be over all the earth.6.That Your beloved may be delivered, save with Your right hand, and answer us.7.God has spoken from His sanctuary: "In triumph, I will divide Shechem, and measure out the valley of Succoth.8.Gilead is Mine. Manasseh is Mine. Ephraim also is My helmet. Judah is My sceptre.9.Moab is My washpot. I will toss My sandal on Edom. I will shout over Philistia."10.Who will bring me into the fortified city? Who has led me to Edom?11.Haven’t you rejected us, God? You don’t go forth, God, with our armies.12.Give us help against the enemy, for the help of man is vain.13.Through God, we will do valiantly. For it is He who will tread down our enemies.“
Observations
108:1-5.David is determined to praise God for His hesed and faithfulness even though, at the moment, things aren't going well (must be that sin thing again). This first section is almost identical to his praise for deliverance in Psalm 57:7-11; reinforcing that God is the one who delivers.
108:6-13.
This section is similar to Psalm 60:5-12, an expression of hope in God's deliverance, when in need, due to sin. It ends with a confident plea for help, since God is the only one who can rescue His people, so He can be exalted, and His glory can be over all the earth.
Application
Always look to God rather than man for help first, especially when experiencing consequences of sin. God is the only solution for sin.
Prayer
God, thanks that Your purposes and hesed endure, despite my sin. Come to my rescue so I may praise You for Your help, and Your glory be seen in my world. Amen.
Proverbs 25:1-3 Need to Know
1.“These also are proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied out.2.It is the glory of God to conceal a thing, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter.3.As the heavens for height, and the earth for depth, so the hearts of kings are unsearchable.Observation
25:2.God doesn't always tell us all we want to know. People who lead learn to seek beyond the obvious to gain understanding, but there is a limit to what we need to know. What get's shared with others is usually on a need to know basis, guided by what will benefit them.
Dt 29:29 The secret things belong to Yahweh our God; but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.
Application
God will always tell us all we need to know to do His will.
Prayer
All-knowing God, thanks that You have revealed all I need to know to do Your will. Amen.
Amos 1-5 Seeking God and Living
It was the best of times; it was the worst of times, for Israel. King Uzziah was ruling over a prosperous Jerusalem, business was booming, and success was grasped. Yet underneath the outward prosperity was pervasive sin, which was setting up the nation for judgment. So God raises up a country bumpkin named Amos, from a couple hours hike from Bethlehem, to call the nation to repentance. He starts by announcing coming judgment upon the surrounding nations (most involving destruction of their key cities by fire) who had afflicted Israel, and Amos' audience said: “Amen.” Then he zeros in on the offenses of God's people.For those of you who like the acrostic survey: Abominations Ablaze (fire would judge the sin); Mixed Mercy (God sent lesser judgments so people would avoid greater judgment); Overdue Judgment (calamity, because they ignored the warning judgments); Segment Saved (God would save a remnant, and restore them to the land and bless as promised). See “Digging Deeper” for a way to permanently remember this.
Some have seen an “unbalanced” chiasm in the overall structure of the book (which is nevertheless legitimate), and a more detailed section in chapter 5 (q.v.).
A. Judgment of the Land (1:2)
B. Judgment of the Nations (1:3–2:3)
C. Judgment of Judah and Israel (2:4–9:10)
c´ Restoration of Judah and Israel (9:11)
b´ Restoration of the Nations (9:12)
a´ Restoration of the Land (9:13–15)
Amos 1 Abominations Ablaze
1.The words of Amos, who was among the herdsmen of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.2.He said: "Yahweh will roar from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the pastures of the shepherds will mourn, and the top of Carmel will wither. "3.Thus says Yahweh: "For three transgressions of Damascus, yes, for four, I will not turn away its punishment; because they have threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron;4.but I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, and it will devour the palaces of Ben Hadad.5.I will break the bar of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitant from the valley of Aven, and him who holds the sceptre from the house of Eden; and the people of Syria shall go into captivity to Kir," says Yahweh.6.Thus says Yahweh: "For three transgressions of Gaza, yes, for four, I will not turn away its punishment; because they carried away captive the whole community, to deliver them up to Edom;7.but I will send a fire on the wall of Gaza, and it will devour its palaces.8.I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, and him who holds the scepter from Ashkelon; and I will turn my hand against Ekron; and the remnant of the Philistines will perish," says the Lord Yahweh.9.Thus says Yahweh: "For three transgressions of Tyre, yes, for four, I will not turn away its punishment; because they delivered up the whole community to Edom, and didn’t remember the brotherly covenant;10.but I will send a fire on the wall of Tyre, and it will devour its palaces."11.Thus says Yahweh: "For three transgressions of Edom, yes, for four, I will not turn away its punishment; because he pursued his brother with the sword, and cast off all pity, and his anger raged continually, and he kept his wrath forever;12.but I will send a fire on Teman, and it will devour the palaces of Bozrah."13.Thus says Yahweh: "For three transgressions of the children of Ammon, yes, for four, I will not turn away its punishment; because they have ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead, that they may enlarge their border.14.But I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah, and it will devour its palaces, with shouting in the day of battle, with a storm in the day of the whirlwind;15.and their king will go into captivity, he and his princes together," says Yahweh.Observation
1:1-15.Using the semitism of “three...four” to indicate the fulness of their offenses, Amos denounces the unrighteous and injustice the surrounding nations displayed toward Israel, and announces God's judgment of burning their chief cities and sending them into captivity.
Amos 2 Abominable Neglect
1.Thus says Yahweh: "For three transgressions of Moab, yes, for four, I will not turn away its punishment; because he burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime;2.but I will send a fire on Moab, and it will devour the palaces of Kerioth; and Moab will die with tumult, with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet;3.and I will cut off the judge from their midst, and will kill all its princes with him," says Yahweh.4.Thus says Yahweh: "For three transgressions of Judah, yes, for four, I will not turn away its punishment; because they have rejected Yahweh’s law, and have not kept his statutes, and their lies have led them astray, after which their fathers walked;5.But I will send a fire on Judah, and it will devour the palaces of Jerusalem."6.Thus says Yahweh: "For three transgressions of Israel, yes, for four, I will not turn away its punishment; because they have sold the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of shoes;7.They trample on the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, and deny justice to the oppressed; and a man and his father use the same maiden, to profane my holy name;8.and they lay themselves down beside every altar on clothes taken in pledge; and in the house of their God they drink the wine of those who have been fined.9.Yet I destroyed the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars, and he was strong as the oaks; yet I destroyed his fruit from above, and his roots from beneath.10.Also I brought you up out of the land of Egypt, and led you forty years in the wilderness, to possess the land of the Amorite.11.I raised up some of your sons for prophets, and some of your young men for Nazirites. Isn’t this true, you children of Israel?" says Yahweh.12."But you gave the Nazirites wine to drink, and commanded the prophets, saying, ‘Don’t prophesy!’13.Behold, I will crush you in your place, as a cart crushes that is full of grain.14.Flight will perish from the swift; and the strong won’t strengthen his force; neither shall the mighty deliver himself;15.neither shall he stand who handles the bow; and he who is swift of foot won’t escape; neither shall he who rides the horse deliver himself;16.and he who is courageous among the mighty will flee away naked on that day," says Yahweh.Observation
2:1-16.After denouncing Moab, God turns his attention to Judah for neglecting His word, not keeping His statutes, and following the falsehoods of their fathers which have led them astray. Tradition is no substitute for truth. Israel (the northern kingdom) gets the most coverage for their unrighteousness and injustice (the two biggies) and living like pagans. Note the double sin of idolatrous injustice: lying down (euphemism for sexual pagan worship) beside every altar on clothes taken in pledge (and not returned in violation of the law and love for their neighbor; Ex 22:26-27). They got drunk in the temple on wine procured from unjust fines upon the innocent. If God destroyed the mighty Amorites, how much more would he destroy the people He took from nothing and lavished His care upon? The next chapter elaborates upon the obligation God's blessing puts upon them.
Application
God considers neglect of His word and consequently following falsehood rather than obeying truth, worse than the unrighteousness and injustice of the pagans.
Prayer
Lord, may I never take lightly the privilege of having access to Your truth, but may I order my steps in Your revealed ways every day, starting now. Amen.
Amos 3 The Perils of Privilege
1.Hear this word that Yahweh has spoken against you, children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up out of the land of Egypt, saying:2."You only have I chosen of all the families of the earth. Therefore I will punish you for all of your sins."3.Do two walk together, unless they have agreed?4.Will a lion roar in the thicket, when he has no prey? Does a young lion cry out of his den, if he has caught nothing?5.Can a bird fall in a trap on the earth, where no snare is set for him? Does a snare spring up from the ground, when there is nothing to catch?6.Does the trumpet alarm sound in a city, without the people being afraid? Does evil happen to a city, and Yahweh hasn’t done it?7.Surely the Lord Yahweh will do nothing, unless he reveals his secret to his servants the prophets.8.The lion has roared. Who will not fear? The Lord Yahweh has spoken. Who can but prophesy?9.Proclaim in the palaces at Ashdod, and in the palaces in the land of Egypt, and say, "Assemble yourselves on the mountains of Samaria, and see what unrest is in her, and what oppression is among them."10."Indeed they don’t know to do right," says Yahweh, "Who hoard plunder and loot in their palaces."11.Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: "An adversary will overrun the land; and he will pull down your strongholds, and your fortresses will be plundered."12.Thus says Yahweh: "As the shepherd rescues out of the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear, so shall the children of Israel be rescued who sit in Samaria on the corner of a couch, and on the silken cushions of a bed."13."Listen, and testify against the house of Jacob," says the Lord Yahweh, the God of Hosts.14."For in the day that I visit the transgressions of Israel on him, I will also visit the altars of Bethel; and the horns of the altar will be cut off, and fall to the ground.15.I will strike the winter house with the summer house; and the houses of ivory will perish, and the great houses will have an end," says Yahweh.Observation
3:1-15.Because God had chosen only Israel to be His special people they had the obligation to know and do what was right in His sight, which they neglected to do as they lived in unrighteous opulence and luxury. Therefore He will destroy them and their idolatry, leaving only a tiny remnant. The series of questions demonstrate that effects have causes. The judgments pronounced on Israel's sin are not because God is having a bad day, but because they are rejecting Him and sinning with their idolatry, injustice, and unrighteousness. They have gone so far in the wrong direction, they don't even know what is right. God will judge them for their unjust hoarding at the expense of others; their strongholds won't be able to protect them. Yet he will be like the shepherd rescuing the remains from the mouth of a lion. A remnant will be saved.
Application
With privilege comes responsibility. How are you being a good steward of all that God has entrusted to you? See series on Faithfulness at the end of the TOYL Book on Truthbase.net.
Prayer
God thanks for giving me life and the means of living it abundantly; may I live for the purposes for which You created me. Amen.
Amos 4 Mixed Mercy
1.Listen to this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who tell their husbands, "Bring us drinks!"2.The Lord Yahweh has sworn by his holiness that behold, "The days shall come on you that they will take you away with hooks, and the last of you with fish hooks.3.You will go out at the breaks in the wall, everyone straight before her; and you will cast yourselves into Harmon," says Yahweh.4."Go to Bethel, and sin; to Gilgal, and sin more. Bring your sacrifices every morning, your tithes every three days,5.offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving of that which is leavened, and proclaim free will offerings and brag about them: for this pleases you, you children of Israel," says the Lord Yahweh.6."I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and lack of bread in every town; yet you haven’t returned to me," says Yahweh.7."I also have withheld the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest; and I caused it to rain on one city, and caused it not to rain on another city. One place was rained on, and the piece where it didn’t rain withered.8.So two or three cities staggered to one city to drink water, and were not satisfied: yet you haven’t returned to me," says Yahweh.9."I struck you with blight and mildew many times in your gardens and your vineyards; and your fig trees and your olive trees have the swarming locust devoured: yet you haven’t returned to me," says Yahweh.10."I sent plagues among you like I did Egypt. I have slain your young men with the sword, and have carried away your horses; and I filled your nostrils with the stench of your camp, yet you haven’t returned to me," says Yahweh.11."I have overthrown some of you, as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and you were like a burning stick plucked out of the fire; yet you haven’t returned to me," says Yahweh.12."Therefore thus will I do to you, Israel; because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, Israel.13.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 high places of the earth: Yahweh, the God of Hosts, is his name."Observations
4:1-5.God gets on the case of the women who selfishly indulge their desires and think that God is impressed with their religious ritual, which pleases only themselves.
4:6-13.
God details the famine, drought, plagues, and warfare He graciously sent to get them to repent. But, since they failed to respond to His “acts of mercy,” He will bring greater judgment upon them. “Prepare to meet your God” sounds ominous in any language.
Application
Learn to listen at the low volume, so God doesn't have to raise His voice to get your attention.
Prayer
God, may I seek You and know You, and listen to Your voice in Your word, so that I do what pleases You, and don't do what displeases You; may You delight in sending me blessing rather than judgments. Amen.
Amos 5 River of Justice and Righteousness
1.Listen to this word which I take up for a lamentation over you, O house of Israel.2."The virgin of Israel has fallen; She shall rise no more. She is cast down on her land; there is no one to raise her up."3.For thus says the Lord Yahweh: "The city that went forth a thousand shall have a hundred left, and that which went forth one hundred shall have ten left to the house of Israel."4.For thus says Yahweh to the house of Israel: "Seek me, and you will live;5.but don’t seek Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal, and don’t pass to Beersheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to nothing.6.Seek Yahweh, and you will live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and it devour, and there be no one to quench it in Bethel.7.You who turn justice to wormwood, and cast down righteousness to the earth:8.seek him who made the Pleiades and Orion, and turns the shadow of death into the morning, and makes the day dark with night; who calls for the waters of the sea, and pours them out on the surface of the earth, Yahweh is his name,9.who brings sudden destruction on the strong, so that destruction comes on the fortress.10.They hate him who reproves in the gate, and they abhor him who speaks blamelessly.11.Forasmuch therefore as you trample on the poor, and take taxes from him of wheat: you have built houses of cut stone, but you will not dwell in them. You have planted pleasant vineyards, but you shall not drink their wine.12.For I know how many your offenses, and how great are your sins —you who afflict the just, who take a bribe, and who turn aside the needy in the courts.13.Therefore a prudent person keeps silent in such a time, for it is an evil time.14.Seek good, and not evil, that you may live; and so Yahweh, the God of Hosts, will be with you, as you say.15.Hate evil, love good, and establish justice in the courts. It may be that Yahweh, the God of Hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph."16.Therefore thus says Yahweh, the God of Hosts, the Lord: "Wailing will be in all the broad ways; and they will say in all the streets, ‘Alas! Alas!’ and they will call the farmer to mourning, and those who are skillful in lamentation to wailing.17.In all vineyards there will be wailing; for I will pass through the midst of you," says Yahweh.18."Woe to you who desire the day of Yahweh! Why do you long for the day of Yahweh? It is darkness, and not light.19.As if a man fled from a lion, and a bear met him; Or he went into the house and leaned his hand on the wall, and a snake bit him.20.Won’t the day of Yahweh be darkness, and not light? Even very dark, and no brightness in it?21.I hate, I despise your feasts, and I can’t stand your solemn assemblies.22.Yes, though you offer me your burnt offerings and meal offerings, I will not accept them; neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat animals.23.Take away from me the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps.24.But let justice roll on like rivers, and righteousness like a mighty stream.25."Did you bring to me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, house of Israel?26.You also carried the tent of your king and the shrine of your images, the star of your god, which you made for yourselves.27.Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus," says Yahweh, whose name is the God of Hosts.Observations
5:1-17.The first half of the chapter forms a chiastic structure focusing on Yahweh, the creator and destroyer, who is to be sought by living righteously and justly if one wishes to live in the day of judgment.
1-3 A. Lament for Israel
4-6 B. Seek God and live, by not seeking idols
7 C. Warning the unjust and unrighteous
8 D. God creates
8b E. Yahweh is His name
9 d' God destroys
10-13 c' Warning to the unjust and unrighteous
14-15 b' Seek God and live, by being just and righteous
16-17 a' Lament for Israel
5:18-20.
The Day of the Lord is not all clouds and harps.
5:21-27.
God hates ritualized religion, where people just go through the motions. What He wants is righteousness and justice toward others, and exclusivity towards Him.
Application
It's probably wise, in light of the scariness of the Day of the Lord, to give Him what He likes, which is hating evil, doing good, being righteous and just toward others, and seeking Him exclusively and wholeheartedly in worship (response to revelation).
Prayer
God, I want to live to delight You with my actions, ambitions, and desires; please show me anything that is not pleasing to You, and guide me in the better way. Thanks. Amen.
Digging Deeper
A picture is worth 192 words. To remember the acrostic, draw a picture of it. Start with a snowman (a small circle sitting on top of a larger one, and that on top of an even larger one sitting on a baseline. Add a couple of twig/branch arms, charcoal face, pipe, hat and scarf (carrot nose optional). Then put three double breasted “buttons”on one side of his belly, and four on the other. Now you have your Abominable Snowman. Put some flames under him for “Abominations Ablaze.” Under his right “arm” draw a cauldron or big pot. Drop a stick from his “arm” into the pot, and you have Him mixing up some mercy (Mixed Mercy). Draw a few pieces of fruit in the top of the pot (you'll learn about them in the next post). Draw three of four arcs from the center of the pot over to the ground, like the contents of the pot are being poured out on the ground. Put a dozen or so tiny specks on the ground to simulate dew on the grass (Over Judgment). Now all you need is to blacken in small oval in one of the lower corners of your cauldron (Segment Saved). Take the picture to your Kindergarten teacher or roommate, explain it to them, and you'll remember it for at least the next three decades. :)God in a nutshell: God wants us to seek Him, and mirror His values, character, and righteousness upon the earth. Failure to do so will incur His wrath. As the Creator, His word is the law, and He will destroy what He made if it doesn't fulfill the purposes for which He made it. He hates hypocritical religiosity, bogus sacrifices, and insincere singing. Graciously He calls people to repent and avoid the consequences He has sovereignly attached to evil behaviors. He mercifully sends minor disciplines to spare people from major destruction if they don't repent.
Us in a nutshell: We have the opportunity and privilege of seeking and knowing God, but when we neglect to do so, we set ourselves up for the judgments God has decreed upon the disobedient. If we oppress others to indulge our desires, act unjustly or unrighteously, we will reap judgment, and no amount of ritual worship or security will save us. On the other hand, if we seek God, we will live. In our pursuit of God we need to hate evil, love good, be righteous and just, and seek to have righteousness and justice be done in our land.