BIBLE STUDY --- TANAKH {TREISAR}

BOOK OF AMOS --- PART 2

DENUNCIATION OF AND WARNING AGAINST ISRAEL {3:1–6:14}

Amos substantiates his prophetic authority with a lesson on cause and effect {3:1-8}. A lion roars when it has prey, and people fear when a trumpet sounds an alarm. If calamity comes to a city, YHVH has allowed it. YHVH, who reveals his secrets to his prophets, has spoken Israel’s doom, and Amos must proclaim it. In a dramatic statement, Amos calls on Egypt and Assyria, great centres of oppression and cruelty, to witness Israel’s crimes, as though even they will be amazed at what they see {3:9-10}. Only a ragged remnant will survive the punishment to come {3:11-12}. Judgment will fall on objects that symbolize Israel’s religious disobedience {3:14} as well as on symbols of the wealth that led Israel away from Adonai {3:15}. Amos uses strong language to denounce luxurious and indolent living bought at the expense of the poor {4:1-3}. Rich women whose love for luxuries drives their husbands to squeeze the needy still more are called “fat cows” who will someday be treated like cattle. Then Amos mocks those who worship at Bethel for going through the motions in the wrong spirit {4:4-5}. In the rest of the fourth chapter, Amos recalls incidents from Israel’s history that were meant to call the people back to YHVH: famine, drought, plagues, the destruction of some of their cities. Still, they do not repent. “Prepare to meet your YHVH!” warns the prophet, following his warning with a hymn to the mighty power of YHVH {4:6-13}. The fifth chapter begins in the form of a funeral dirge, as though Israel was as good as dead already {5:1-2}. There is no one to help Israel, whose own armies will be decimated when the disaster strikes {5:3}. Of course, YHVH is there to help: “Seek me and live” {5:4-6}. The possibility of rescue, of “life,” stands in sharp contrast to the nation’s “death” pictured just before. Idols, as always, are a false hope {5:5}. The call to seek Adonai is again followed by a hymn to his power {5:8-9}. In spite of the hope offered to Israel, Amos has to present a gloomy picture of what he sees {5:10-13}. The judicial system is corrupt; taxes and high interest charges {usury} grind down the poor. Those injustices could be corrected if the people would “hate evil and love good” {5:15}, but judgment is already on the way {5:16-17}. The people are full of hypocrisy, claiming to look forward to the Day of Adonai. That day will be a day of judgment on their sins, Amos says. Instead of empty gestures of offerings and praise, YHVH wants to let justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream {5:18-24}. Their disobedient spirit goes back to the time of the exodus from Egypt, when YHVH’s own people were attracted to pagan gods. Adonai YHVH of Hosts will send those false gods into captivity with the people who looked to them {5:25-27}. The self-satisfaction felt by the upper classes in Israel had evidently spread to Judah, since Jerusalem as well as Samaria receives some harsh words {6:1}. Amos tells those who are lounging in luxury to take a look at three neighbouring kingdoms on which judgment has already fallen: Calneh, Hamath, and Gath. Does Israel think it will escape, since they did not? When the Day of Judgment comes, the rich, who have gone “first-class,” will be the first to go {6:2-7}. The destruction will leave few survivors, but they will know that punishment came from YHVH {6:8-11}. Israel is behaving stupidly to be proud of themselves when they are actually so utterly self-deceived {6:12-14}.

PROPHETIC VISIONS {7:1–9:10}

By describing three visions YHVH gave him, Amos then dramatically communicates YHVH’s revelation.

ISRAEL’S DESTRUCTION {7:1-9}

The first vision is in three parts. In the first, Amos pictures the threat of a locust plague in which his prayer of intercession causes YHVH to relent and withdraw the threat {7:1-3}. Then he sees an all-consuming fire, and again his prayer averts a catastrophe {7:4-6}. In the third part of the vision, Amos sees Adonai standing by a wall and holding a plumb line, implying that he has a standard for his people to live up to, an element missing from the two earlier images. This time, because the people have failed to measure up, the catastrophe cannot be averted {7:7-9}.

HISTORICAL INTERLUDE {7:10-17}

At this point, Amos encounters Amaziah, priest of Bethel, because he has said that the vision of the plumb line means destruction of the idol altars and temples of Israel and of the house of Jeroboam with the sword. Amaziah sends word to Jeroboam that Amos is a traitor and tells Amos to go back to Judah. Amos disclaims any relationship with professional prophets, then specifically includes Amaziah’s family in another prediction of Israel’s disaster.

THE RIPE FRUIT {8:1-14}

In the second vision, Amos is shown a basket of ripe {or summer} fruit. The Hebrew word for summer fruit is almost the same as the word for “end,” so the play on words communicates that the nation is “ripe for punishment.” Their ripeness is really moral rottenness. Greedy merchants can hardly wait for religious holidays to end so they can cheat the poor some more by using false weights, selling inferior goods, and foreclosing on debtors. When the captivity comes, their festivities will turn into funerals. A famine, not just of bread and water but of the words of Adonai, is coming upon them, causing even the strongest young people to drop to the ground.

DESTRUCTION OF THE TEMPLE {9:1-10}

The third vision is of Adonai destroying the shrine at Bethel when it is thronged with people engaging in their empty worship. The place where they hoped to find security is where they find destruction. Those who are not inside will be destroyed, too, no matter where they try to flee. They won’t be able to hide from YHVH in Sheol or on the heights of Carmel or in the depths of the sea {9:1-4}. Another hymn to YHVH’s power follows the vision {9:5-6}. The final words of denunciation in the book of Amos are found in 9:7-10, but they are a prelude to a message of hope. Amos shows that Israel is no better than any other nation in the eyes of YHVH. Did he not bring Israel out of Egypt? Yes, but he also brought the Philistines from Caphtor and the Syrians from Kir. The religious significance of the exodus has been lost because of Israel’s sin, so all but a faithful remnant will be lost. The concept of the remnant was important in the prophetic preaching of the eighth century BC {cf. Isaiah 6:12-13; Micah 6:7-9}. It recalled YHVH’s promise to maintain the nation of Israel for the sake of the Covenant given to the patriarchs {Leviticus 26:44-45}. In Amos’s prophecy, Israel is to be sifted by other nations like grain in a sieve; the ungodly “chaff” will be scattered across the world, but the true “grain” will be preserved.

ISRAEL’S HOPE {9:11-15}

The expression of hope is expanded in the last section of the book in a series of startling and beautiful metaphors.

RESTORATION OF THE CITY OF DAVID {9:11-12}

The first metaphor is of the city {literally “house”} of David, a house fallen into disrepair. The monarchy, which had crumbled from internal decay and external threats, is envisioned as being restored to its former glory. Further, an expansion of the Davidic kingdom will include all nations that belong to Adonai. In the New Testament, this passage was quoted by James to support the inclusion of Gentiles in the promise {Acts 15:16-18}. The wording in Acts is slightly different from that of Amos because it was based on an early Greek translation of the Old Testament {called the Septuagint}. Those called by YHVH’s name or belonging to YHVH include not only geographical entities such as nations but also individuals in any nation who have a close relationship to YHVH. James saw that Amos was predicting inclusion of Gentiles in the Kingdom of YHVH, a Kingdom far greater than the early monarchy. This prophecy has been fulfilled in part in the faithful church.

RESTORATION OF ISRAEL’S FORTUNES {9:13-15}

A series of pastoral metaphors closes the book of Amos. They depict the abundance of blessing in the coming kingdom. Israel’s fortunes are to be restored, far beyond the dismal events of the century in which Amos is speaking. Theologians differ in their understanding of the application of this prophecy. If it refers to the present age of the faithful church, it pictures the blessings of the church now as “spiritual Israel.” If it refers to the future, to the millennial reign of the Moshiach, it depicts what will happen on earth at that time. The concept of a rejuvenated earth is found elsewhere in the Bible {Romans 8:20-22}. Micah uses language somewhat similar to that of Amos to describe restoration of what seems to be the literal city of Jerusalem {Micah 3:12–4:4}. It may be best to apply the prophetic finale of Amos to the restoration to be affected at the ultimate return of the Moshiach. Whatever the correct application, the remnant must include the followers of Yeshua Moshiach, and the blessings should be seen as intended for all who belong to the Kingdom of YHVH.

SIGNIFICANCE

The major purpose of Amos in his prophecies was to denounce Israel’s disobedience to the Covenant. Although the Covenant promise given to Abraham {Genesis 22:15-18} and reiterated throughout the Old Testament is not mentioned explicitly in Amos, it is implicit in the total message of the book. Amos upheld the spiritual nature of the Covenant and emphasized that its blessing was mediated through obedience. Looking around him, Amos saw not only disobedience but hypocrisy. A basic aspect of his ethical teaching was insistence that outward adherence to religious ceremonies without a heart response to the will of YHVH {as expressed in the Law} was wrong. The Law contained many injunctions that sought to engender love of YHVH and fellow human beings {Exodus 23:1-13}. In Amos’s time, those social aspects of the Law were being wilfully disobeyed by the rich, who nevertheless clung to religious ritual. Amos saw what was in their hearts and condemned it. To him, religious obligations not observed in the proper spirit of responsibility to YHVH could actually become sin {4:4}. Religion could degenerate to the place where it becomes a curse, a mockery of the will of a holy YHVH. Amos saw the disobedience and hypocrisy of Israel as culminating in national disaster. Thus, his prophecy served as a warning of impending doom to the nation. He saw that other nations besides Israel and Judah were held accountable to YHVH because of their mistreatment of others {1:3–2:3}. Their social sins were punished by YHVH in history. Amos thus saw an aspect of the Law extending beyond Israel and Judah to other nations. They were responsible to YHVH under what might be called a universal moral Law, and they were judged for their crimes against humanity. The prophetic concept of the Day of Adonai, regarded by the people of Amos’s day as a time of vindication for their nation, was seen by Amos as a time of punishment for all sinners. Such punishment would not exclude the nation of Israel. Yet denunciation was not the sole purpose of Amos’s prophetic activity. He proclaimed a future of hope for Israel in the reestablishment of the Davidic monarchy, evidently under the Moshiach, in a time that would be characterized by peace {9:8-15}. The relationship of the Davidic kingdom to the messianic kingdom goes back to the promise given to David {2 Samuel 7:8-16}. Just as those in other nations participated by extension in the demands of the Law and in judgment, so would those in other nations who belonged to YHVH participate in the blessings of the promise {9:12}. The concepts of YHVH drawn most sharply in the book of Amos are YHVH’s sovereignty and YHVH’s righteousness. He is sovereign over all the nations of the world, typified by those surrounding Israel, and he brings them to judgment {1:3–2:3}. He is also sovereign over nature, as recognized in his control of the universe {4:13; 5:8; 9:13-14}. His righteousness demands that he cannot allow his Law to continue to be violated without retribution. But his righteousness is also the guarantee of hope for the believing remnant of Israel. It binds him to keep his promise to preserve Israel as a nation {Leviticus 26:44-45}. Amos held out the possibility of averting the national catastrophe looming on the horizon of world events. However, from his gloomy description of social conditions and of the hardness of people’s hearts at the time, it seems likely that he did not foresee any escape. His message was presented in bold metaphors and vivid pictures that stick in the mind. That message is still relevant, for many of the sins that characterized the people of the prophet’s day are still prevalent in modern society and in the lives of individuals. Mistreatment of fellow human beings is as much a feature of the 21st century AD as it was of the 8th century BC. Today’s reader of the book of Amos should note the prophet’s insistence on the consequences of sin; his emphasis on the responsibility that always accompanies privilege; his presentation of YHVH’s faithfulness; and his message of hope, expressed in part today through the church. If the book seems to be gloomy in its outlook, it should be remembered that the prophet faced a gloomy picture. He was watching a nation crumble because of its unfaithfulness to YHVH. But beyond the dismal prospect that faced Israel, Amos saw a new Kingdom emerging. It was a Kingdom of peace in which the people of YHVH would realize the fulfilment of YHVH’s promises