Amos 4:1-13

Return to God

© 2000, J.W. Carter
     www.biblicaltheology.com              Scripture quotes from KJV

      Amos preached in the Northern Kingdom of Israel with Jereboam was king.  Uzziah was king of the Southern Kingdom of Judah.  Israel and Judah had histories of kings who were both faithful to God, and faithless to God.  There were many periods of time when faithless kings led the people into perversion and destruction, bringing upon the nations the wrath of God, expressed in their vulnerability to their neighboring countries.  During these times the people sought God for deliverance from their suffering.

      Jereboam was king during a time of peace, a time when the people found little persecution.  This was a time when they could worship God freely, with little concern of attack from neighboring nations.  One of the side-effects of their theology was their interpretation of this time of peace as a sign that they were in God’s will.  They lived lives that included hard work and faithful interaction with the temple and synagogues.   However, their interaction with God became tainted by indifference and pride that came from their assumed godliness.   At this point, God called Amos to preach to the people of Israel, exposing the pride and indifference that resulted in meaningless worship, and a breaking of fellowship with God.

      Through Amos, the Lord referred to a long list of disasters they had suffered as a result of their disobedience.  God often used difficult circumstances to bring people back to Himself, and still may do this.  We can all probably remember instances where ourselves or others have come closer to God after enduring times of difficulty.  However, we must not interpret every bad circumstance as a God-ordained act.  Much of the difficulty we experience is a direct result of sin, expressed in our own lives or in the lives of others.  I am reminded of a woman who blamed God for the death of her child.  I counseled her to transfer that blame to the drunk driver who caused the death, and seek God for help in this very difficult time.  God still used that terrible circumstance to bring a mother back to Himself.

      During times that we feel self-sufficient we are always tempted to rely more on ourselves than on God in all areas of our lives.  When we do this our fellowship with God is diminished, our worship of Him suffers, and we risk stepping outside of His will into areas where we would otherwise choose not to go.

      There is one area that we might be careful of when we read and respond to the writings of the prophets.  When the prophets were condemning people for their sin, their condemnation was directed towards those who were out of fellowship with God.  These are people who turned away from God to follow the ways of the world, including idolatry and sinful living.  We all have much to gain from reading these prophesies so that we see the consequences of disobedience, but we must be careful that we do not place undue guilt upon faithful Christians by projecting a similar condemnation.  Satan has great power over Christians when they allow him to discourage and condemn.  Reading Old Testament prophesy necessitates a balance of understanding the circumstances surrounding that prophesy and applying wisdom to our own circumstances to obtain application without undue condemnation.

Amos 4:1.

Hear this word, ye kine of Bashan, that are in the mountain of Samaria, which oppress the poor, which crush the needy, which say to their masters, Bring, and let us drink.

       Bashan was a region that was considered lush with vegetation in this otherwise arid region.  Cattle that were raised there were considered pampered, not having to forage for their food.   Drinks were always nearby in creeks, ponds, and rivers.  Amos compares the women of Israel with these cows.  They consider themselves above the poor and needy, and prefer to live a self-centered, egotistic lifestyle that has no room for others, whether they be people of a “lower class,” or God Himself.

Amos 4:2-3.

The Lord GOD hath sworn by his holiness, that, lo, the days shall come upon you, that he will take you away with hooks, and your posterity with fishhooks. 3And ye shall go out at the breaches, every cow at that which is before her; and ye shall cast them into the palace, saith the LORD.

       Here Amos speaks of the manner of the judgment that awaits the complacent and arrogant women of Israel.  A time will come when their enemies will vanquish their cities, leading some of them out through the broken down walls as slaves into captivity.  Others would die.  None would escape.  The LORD was communicating his sovereignty and his judgment upon the idle and idolatrous women, giving them an opportunity to repent and return to Him before such a calamity would be justified.

Amos 4:4-5.

Come to Bethel, and transgress; at Gilgal multiply transgression; and bring your sacrifices every morning, and your tithes after three years: 5And offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving with leaven, and proclaim and publish the free offerings: for this liketh you, O ye children of Israel, saith the Lord GOD.

       One of the dangers of a self-centered, self-controlling lifestyle is a lack of fellowship with God that extends into times of worship.  Worship becomes a traditional rite, not a loving expression toward God.  By entering the temple at Bethel with the wrong attitude, the Cows of Bashan are described as being in sin.  Likewise, when we enter the place of worship with the wrong attitude we also sin.  These people came to the temple in obedience, and were exercising the requirements of the temple with faithfulness.  They brought their daily sacrifices, and their regular tithes (“three years” may be “third day.”)  However, they did so out of a desire to be seen by others rather than from an attitude of humility and praise.  They boasted about their temple faithfulness.  These were the people who remain after the worship services are over, who can always be depended upon to be in attendance when a group would gather.  However, their purpose for attending is not to glorify God, but to find gain for their prideful and self-centered spirit.

      This is one area where Christians could be challenged.  When we enter the place of worship we tend to bring in the baggage of our lives and, instead of laying it on the alter, we keep it in our hearts and minds and as a result, fail to truly worship.  Our minds are not focused on the Glory of God, but instead diverted to our concern of the state of the pot roast we left in the oven.  When led to express worship we are more concerned about what others may thing of us than what God may think of us.  Instead of surrendering our critical spirit to God, we stand and judge others by what they wear, what they are doing outside the church assembly, or any other myriad of faults that we identify. 

      When we enter the place of worship in such a manner, we are no different from the Cows of Bashan.  For this we must repent, and accept God’s forgiveness, so that when we again enter the assembly we can, maybe for the first time, truly spend that time in love, worship, and praise. 

      Having spent many years as a worship leader, I was always frustrated by the obvious barriers to worship that are evident in the assembly.  Consequently, I am very sensitive to the barriers that stand between us and true worship.  I see those barriers as ones that have not been placed their by God, and are consequently there only because the complacency of the worshippers has empowered Satan to interfere.  I have often stated that we have a demon who is empowered in our worship services that works to diminish the true expression of worship.  Let us not succumb to that powerless demon, but enter the place of worship with the right attitude of love toward God and toward the other members of the assembly, and turn our hearts and minds to God in worship and praise.

Amos 4:6. 

And I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all your places: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.

        When people were starving, the saw their physical condition but failed to relate that to their relationship with God.  Why is there starvation anywhere in the world today?  Those countries that are successful in their agricultural sciences can easily feed themselves and the remaining part of the world that is not so successful.  Most world-wide starvation is caused by corruption and greed in governments.  When aid is sent to such governments, that aid only fuels the corruption and further separates the poor from the wealthy.  Israel was experiencing the same fault.  People were starving while others took what little there was for themselves.  God sent famine, and instead of looking to God, the people fought among themselves, with the rich looking the other way when the poor were in deprivation.  The harsher the conditions became, the more bull-headed the people would become, refusing to turn to the Lord. 

Amos 4:7-8.

And also I have withholden the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest: and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city: one piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered. 8So two or three cities wandered unto one city, to drink water; but they were not satisfied: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.

        The LORD sent a devastating drought on the land.  When no rain falls three months from harvest, the crops die.  People must have water, and were forced like refugees to roam from town to town in search for water, only to find that there was not enough for everyone.  Yet in this time of distress people did not turn to God.  Instead they turned to false gods and idols.  They blamed their distress on one another. 

      What do we do when we face times of drought?  Since most of us have not experienced the literal drought of these circumstances, we can consider other distresses that we have experienced.  For some people this drought might be the quagmire that is uncontrolled depression.  It might be a time of financial crisis.  There are many circumstances that come into our lives that produce a distress like that experienced by the people of Israel during the time of Amos.  What do we do in these times?  Do we whine and complain that the circumstances are unfair?  Do we place blame on one another for those circumstances?  Do we cry out to God to remove the stressor.  I recall the testimony of Christians in the persecution of a communist regime who prayed, “Lord give us the strength and resources to endure,” rather than pray for an end to the trial.  This is a very appropriate way to respond to crisis.  In his fifth chapter, James gives advice for handling times of trial.  We are not to jump out of the trial, but allow it to work to completion, to work in us God’s purpose, seeking Him for strength, and encouraging one another during that time.

 

Amos 4:9. 

I have smitten you with blasting and mildew: when your gardens and your vineyards and your fig trees and your olive trees increased, the palmerworm devoured them: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.

      The harvest crops were not the only resource that the LORD impacted in His effort to get the attention of His wayward people.  Other food products were grown in gardens, vineyards, and groves of trees.  The LORD sent blight and mildew, most likely molds and mildews that cause the plants to wither.  Locusts were also sent to devour their fruits.  A cloud of locusts can devastate an entire region in just a couple of days.  The people suffered drought, molds, mildews, and locusts that was destroying their food supply, and still they would not turn to God.

      Are our problems compounded when we fail to turn to God when we experience them?  Harbored anger builds to bitterness and self-deprecation.  Uncontrolled fear escalates to irrational action.  Unchecked self-centeredness leads to depression and isolation.  There are many ways that in incorrect response to a problem only causes the problem to get larger.  This is what was experienced by the Israelites, and it a potential circumstance even for faithful Christians.  When confronted with a problem our first source should be God, rather than our last.

Amos 4:10.

I have sent among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt: your young men have I slain with the sword, and have taken away your horses; and I have made the stink of your camps to come up unto your nostrils: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.

      When we consider the plagues of Egypt, we might realize that, though the opinion and lifestyle of the Pharaoh was shared by his subjects, it is clear that it was Pharaoh’s “hard heart” that God broke into through the plagues.  In like manner, the people of Israel were demonstrating a hardness of heart.  Just as God brought plagues to the Pharaoh, God brought plagues to his hard-hearted nation.  In addition, their land was overrun with war and the stench of the dead and dying.  It was their hardness of heart that would cause them to still reject God.  These words would be very specifically understood by the people of Israel who were familiar with the content of their scripture, but had little interest in its application.  God said He would “not afflict on you the horrible diseases you knew in Egypt” (Deut. 7:15) if they would obey Him.  However, recorded also are the words, “If you do not carefully follow all the words of this law … He will bring upon you all the diseases of Egypt that you dreaded” (Deut. 28:58, 60.)

      What happens when a person’s heart is hardened against God?  What power does God have to penetrate their soul?  As we consider this, we might be able to bring to mind people who had harbored such a harness, only to have God break through in a crisis.  However, it was necessary that the crisis take place in order to pierce through that tough shell of pride and self-centeredness.  It would be better for us if we continue to look to God all the time and not become hardened.  Even a faithful Christian can respond to circumstances in a way that hardens their heart against God.  What is the result of such a response?  The Christian loses the peace of fellowship with God, prayers seem to go unanswered, and the stability and joy that comes with the Christian experience is lost.  When we experience times of crisis we should not harden our hearts towards God and one another, but rather seek God for strength and wisdom and His comfort as we endure.

Amos 4:11.

I have overthrown some of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were as a firebrand plucked out of the burning: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.

        God’s command to His people predates the experience of Moses in Egypt, going way back to the original call of Abraham when God rained down judgment on the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.  In these events, God annihilated entire cities.  Likewise, God had destroyed entire cities, saving His remnant from the destruction like pulling and dousing burning coals from a fire.  Yet even when saved from these devastating circumstances the people did not turn to God. 

      Our response to crisis is more important than the crisis itself.  Sometimes people make a one-sided deal with God that goes something like this:  “If you get me out of this, God, I will …”.  This is then followed by a litany of promises.  Usually, these are promises never kept, and when they are, they are often offered as an unnecessary atonement.  God is not looking for deals, He is looking for obedience.  He calls us to accept Him for who He is:  Provider, Savior and Lord.  He has given us the ability to endure anything that we must.  Furthermore, when the time of stress is over, we should respond with joy and thanksgiving towards God for the deliverance we experience.  Verse 11 refers to the remnant plucked from the fire, saved from the destruction of the cities.  Oftentimes we concentrate on condemning God for the circumstance rather than praising Him for saving us from it.  Let us not fail to thank God when He saves us from distress or “delivers us from evil.” 

Amos 4:12. 

Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel.

      The Hebrew word translated “I will” carries the concept of a continuing process rather than a single future event.  Therefore, we can understand this to state that “I will keep on doing these things” to you.  Their judgment is certain, and is coming soon.  Such a judgment is coming for all of us.  For those who are lost, the judgment is sure:  eternal separation from God.  For those who are saved, the judgment is merciful:  eternity with God.  However Christians who have lived a life of disobedience will be judged for those acts, not by eternal condemnation, but by some other manner.  In this life it is realized by a separation from God’s close fellowship on a daily basis. 

      The warning here is sure.  If we continue in disobedience to God, the stresses that God has placed in our path to turn us back to Him will continue.  If we are harboring sinful behaviors, it is appropriate that we repent immediately and seek God’s forgiveness so that his continued judgment will not be upon us.

Amos 4:13. 

For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, The LORD, The God of hosts, is his name.

      Amos reminds the people of Israel just how mighty God is.  When we live lives of disobedience we are shaking our fists at a God who is more powerful than we can possibly imagine, and by doing so, declare in our own spirit that God is less than who He really is.  Amos’ descriptions of God’s power are taken from His act of creation, forming mountains, wind, the rise and fall of the sun, etc.  In our culture we have learned of a universe that is vastly greater than anything that Amos or any of the early Christians could have ever imagined.  We now know of a universe that is billions of times larger than all that was known a few centuries ago.  There is no limit to God’s greatness, and this is the God we choose to disobey.  It is a fitting reminder that God could choose to snuff out this entire planet just as he destroyed so much life during the Noahic flood.  When we really grasp part of God’s significance we recognize our own insignificance, and we should be profoundly humbled.  The Israelite culture of Amos’ day was not characterized by humility, nor is it today.  Our world is self-centered and shakes its fist at a God who has the power to destroy all life, but who also has the equivalent love that preserves life. For this we should seek a life of love-inspired obedience to God.

      Since Amos’ prophesy, Jesus came to clarify this issue in a way that would forever change the face of the world.  When mankind shook his fist at God and chosen to separate himself from God for eternity, God sent His Son to point us to God, and to take upon Himself the punishment that we all deserve for that sin, that through faith in Him we would not experience the eternal separation from Him that we deserve.  For this we should be grateful, we should love God with the love He has for us, and we should seek to know Him more, know His word more, and live a life that glorifies Him.