Introduction
‘Hear this word, you cows of Bashan on Mount Samaria, you women who oppress the poor and crush the needy and say to your husbands, “Bring us some drinks!” The Sovereign LORD has sworn by his holiness: “The time will surely come when you will be taken away with hooks, the last of you with fishhooks. You will each go straight out through breaches in the wall, and you will be cast out toward Harmon,” declares the LORD.’ Amos 4:1-3
Israel Has Not Returned To God
We can divide this chapter into two halves.
1. Social and religious corruption.
This chapter begins with a judgment on the women, ‘you cows of Bashan’, Amos 4:1. We have mention of Bashan, Deuteronomy 32:14 / Psalm 22:12 / Jeremiah 50:19 / Ezekiel 39:18 / Micah 7:14.
This area of Bashan had rich, pastureland which was good for cattle, Numbers 32. It was situated on the east of the Jordan. The women were being compared with them.
They are intolerant and aggressive towards their husbands, Amos 4:1. These rich women appeared to have been pressuring their husbands into providing for them a luxurious lifestyle, Deuteronomy 28:56-57 / Isaiah 32:9-13.
They oppressed their husbands to exploit the poor in order that they are able to enjoy great wealth in luxuriant living, Amos 4:1 / Isaiah 3:16-4:1.
McFadden, in his commentary, says the following.
‘All of the Hebrew prophets knew that for the temper and quality of civilization the women are greatly responsible. A country is largely what its women make it; if they are cruel or careless or unwomanly, the country is on the road to ruin.’
The holiness of God has been offended and so, God is going to act in judgment against them, Amos 4:2. The judgment pictured here is of captives being led away by cords attached to rings in their lips, Amos 4:2.
They are taken into captivity through the breaks in the wall, Amos 4:3. The walls will be broken down and the captives led out through them. During the destruction of Samaria, the dead bodies of the rich and famous are going to be dragged away to a rubbish pile of corpses for burning.
The meaning of Harmon is unknown, Amos 4:3.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Harmon is sometime construed as ‘naked’ and sometimes as a place-name; but if it is the latter, no such place has ever been identified.’
‘Go to Bethel and sin; go to Gilgal and sin yet more. Bring your sacrifices every morning, your tithes every three years. Burn leavened bread as a thank offering and brag about your freewill offerings—boast about them, you Israelites, for this is what you love to do,” declares the Sovereign LORD.’ Amos 4:4-5
Here we read about the religious corruption. The false religion in Israel was the cause of social corruption. There is sarcasm in the language being used by God here.
Bethel is mentioned as a place of worship but it was used for idol worship, they worshiped golden calves. Gilgal must also have been a centre of false worship, Hosea 4:15 / Hosea 9:15. In the zealousness of their religion, they were actually increasing the call for judgment to come upon them.
The outcome of their religion is a multiplication of transgressions, they bring their false sacrifices every morning, Amos 4:4 / Deuteronomy 14:28. They are making a public show, boasting about their tithing, their offerings, making it an outward display.
Note that some translation say they brought their tithes every three days, Amos 4:4.
Constable, in his commentary, says the following.
‘God hyperbolically and ironically urged the people to bring their sacrifices every morning and their tithes every three days (rather than every three years as the Law required, cf. Deuteronomy 14:28-29). Even if they sacrificed every morning and tithed every three days they would only be rebelling against God. The people were careful to worship regularly, but it was a ritual contrary to God’s will.’
They were burning leavened bread which was contrary to the law, and they bragged about their free will offerings, Amos 4:5 / Exodus 23:18 / Leviticus 2:11 / Leviticus 7:11-12. God wanted their loving obedience, not their acts of worship, Psalm 50:13-15 / Psalm 51:16 / Hosea 6:6 / Matthew 9:13.
God was angry because he had laid down laws for the Israelites to follow. Time and time again He had forgiven them, and accepted their repentance. Yet they continued to do things contrary to His will. Perhaps they considered there was no harm in burning the leavened bread, it seemed such a small point.
Don’t we say the same today? Don’t we ignore what God says sometimes because ‘this is what we love to do’? What does it matter, it is only a small point? I wonder what will God say? When God tells us to do certain things, what right have we to decide that our way seems better so we will do it our way? Proverbs 14:12.
‘I gave you empty stomachs in every city and lack of bread in every town, yet you have not returned to me,” declares the LORD. “I also withheld rain from you when the harvest was still three months away. I sent rain on one town, but withheld it from another. One field had rain; another had none and dried up. People staggered from town to town for water but did not get enough to drink, yet you have not returned to me,” declares the LORD. “Many times I struck your gardens and vineyards, destroying them with blight and mildew. Locusts devoured your fig and olive trees, yet you have not returned to me,” declares the LORD. “I sent plagues among you as I did to Egypt. I killed your young men with the sword, along with your captured horses. I filled your nostrils with the stench of your camps, yet you have not returned to me,” declares the LORD. “I overthrew some of you as I overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. You were like a burning stick snatched from the fire, yet you have not returned to me,” declares the LORD. ‘Therefore this is what I will do to you, Israel, and because I will do this to you, Israel, prepare to meet your God.” He who forms the mountains, who creates the wind, and who reveals his thoughts to mankind, who turns dawn to darkness, and treads on the heights of the earth—the LORD God Almighty is his name.’ Amos 4:6-13
2. We have seven warnings here sent by God to the people, Genesis 3:17-19. The number seven implies perfect, complete and utter destruction.
Over the years God tried to get His people to obey His commands but they refused to listen, they were then punished to bring about their repentance, but still, they didn’t respond. God sent prophets to them but still, they wouldn’t listen, Matthew 21:33-46.
1. Famine, Amos 4:6.
I gave you empty stomachs, some versions use the words, ‘cleanness of teeth’ and lack of bread, 1 Kings 8:37-39 / Proverbs 14:4. God had previously warned them, if they didn’t stick to the covenant, He would bring famine upon them, Leviticus 26:26 / Leviticus 26:29 / Deuteronomy 28:17 / Deuteronomy 28:48.
2. Drought, Amos 4:7-8.
The rains before the harvest were being withheld, just when the crops needed it most, 1 Kings 8:35. This again was a part of the covenant agreement, God would punish them with drought, Leviticus 26:19 / Deuteronomy 28:22-24 / Deuteronomy 28:48.
3. Mildew, Amos 4:9.
God struck the gardens and vineyards with blight and mildew, Deuteronomy 28:22 / 1 Kings 8:37-39. This too was a part of the covenant agreement, God would punish them with plant diseases, Leviticus 26:20 / Deuteronomy 28:18 / Deuteronomy 28:22 / Deuteronomy 28:30 / Deuteronomy 28:38-40 / Deuteronomy 28:42.
4. Locusts, Amos 4:9.
They devoured your fig and olive trees.
5. Pestilence, epidemic, Amos 4:10.
I sent plagues among you as I did to Egypt, Exodus 7:14-11:10.
6. War, Amos 4:10.
I killed your young men with the sword, I filled your nostrils with the stench of death, 1 Kings 8:33 / 1 Kings 8:37.
The smell from the dead bodies should have caused the people to repent, but they didn’t, Leviticus 26:16-17 / Leviticus 26:25 / Leviticus 26:31-39 / Deuteronomy 28:21-22 / Deuteronomy 28:25-27 / Deuteronomy 28:35 / Deuteronomy 28:49-52 / Deuteronomy 28:59-61 / Deuteronomy 29:23-28.
7. Earthquake, Amos 4:11.
I overthrew you as I overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, Ezekiel 16:47-63. You were like a burning stick snatched from the fire, Isaiah 1:9 / Isaiah 13:19 / Jeremiah 50:40 / Zephaniah 2:9.
All of these warnings had one aim, to bring the people back to God, Amos 3:11-15. But each one ends in the same way. I did these things so that you would change your ways, but still ‘you have not returned to me’, says the LORD, Amos 4:6 / Amos 4:8-10 / Amos 4:12.
Because these warnings have not been heeded, there will be no more warnings, only judgment, Micah 1:3-4. God says, ‘I will bring destruction upon you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel’, Amos 4:12.
The LORD God Almighty has issued His last warning. The God who formed the mountains, created the winds, revealed his thoughts to man, who turns dawn to darkness, who treads the high places of the earth, He has spoken, Amos 4:13 / Amos 5:8 / Amos 9:5-6. Someone has said that this is ‘God’s signature on Israel’s death warrant’.
Smith, in his commentary, says the following, concerning Amos 4:13.
‘There is very little agreement among scholars as to the origin of this verse and the reason for its being placed where it is. Of course, if one accepts the tradition that Amos wrote all of this book, just as we have it, there can be no problem here except a difficulty in understanding why he put a hymn of praise immediately after an announcement of terrible judgment.’
Motyer, in his commentary, says the following, concerning Amos 4:13.
‘God is sovereign over things visible (the mountains), things invisible (the wind), and things rational (man and his thought). He is in direct executive control of the world, as is evident when he makes the morning darkness, i.e., brings about the sequence of day and night. No place is beyond his reach, even the heights of the earth being beneath his feet.’
