Chapter 4: God's Expectations in the Accusation
1. greed and extravagance of life
The words of judgment against Israel that began in chapter 2:4 are taken to a more specific level in chapter 4, where Amos calls out to the rich women of Samaria, the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, "Hear this word, you cows of Bashan that are in the mountains of Samaria" (v. 1). At that time, Bashan was considered a fertile land, and it was a special place for lustrous, fertile cattle (Ezekiel 39:18). The women of Samaria are compared to that cow. They were living a very luxurious life. Amos accuses them of living at the expense of the weak and poor. They were so eager to dress up that they did not know what their husbands were doing behind their backs. But they do not know that the money their husbands earn is dirty money, kickback money that exploits the poor, cheats on taxes, and deceives society (v. 1). You "will be lifted up on a hook" (v. 2). Amos warned Assyria of the imminent danger of captivity. He said that the Assyrians hooked hooks in the mouths of their captives, dragged them around, and brought them back to their own land. It is terrible, but we should say that God will surely judge those who trample on people and live in greed.
2. formal and ritualistic worship
Next, God warns the people who appear to be religious on the surface, but in fact worship in a formal way. Like Isaiah, who said, "Bring no more vain offerings" (1:13), Amos makes the same point. They offered sacrifices every morning. They also "offered a tenth every three days" (v. 4). In other words, they were very zealous in appearance, but not in reality. It was all a sham. It was not a heart-to-heart worship with the living God. Worship is a face-to-face encounter with God. It is a place to give God all the glory, to bow down before Him, to receive His speech, and to receive new life. But the inner reality of it is not there. Even reverent worship in the eyes of men cannot deceive God, who sees the heart.
3. God's Judgment
Notice the repeated formulaic phrase from verse 6 onward, "Yet ye have not returned unto me" (6, 8, 9, 10, 11). God has brought famine (v. 6), drought (vv. 7-8), crop blight and locusts (v. 9), pestilence and war (v. 10), and earthquake (v. 11) to make them realize the reality and to encourage them to repent. v. 7, when there is no rain before the harvest, called the latter rain, the crops that had grown up are ruined in drought. And God intentionally caused them. And God tells us that He causes these things on purpose. Despite God's obvious intervention, the people stubbornly refused to repent, and verse 12, "Prepare to meet your God, O Israel," should be taken as an exhortation to repent, although it can be interpreted in various ways. God is merciful. The message of Hosea, who was contemporary with Amos, should not contradict what Amos tells us. You are to stand as a repentant person before God, regardless of what others say. God, who rules over heaven and earth and is high in the heavens, is also close to the hearts of men (v. 13).
<Quiz Corner
First, yesterday's quiz. What is the name of the city called Ashdod in the Old Testament called in the New Testament? (1) Ashkelon, (2) Asher, (3) Azoth. The answer was (3) Azoth (Acts 8:40). Now, here is today's Bible quiz. In the Old Testament, who was the king who prayed for deliverance from the black ear disease? (1) David, (2) Solomon, and (3) Hezekiah. The answer will be given tomorrow. Well, I wish you a good day today.
1. greed and extravagance of life
The words of judgment against Israel that began in chapter 2:4 are taken to a more specific level in chapter 4, where Amos calls out to the rich women of Samaria, the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, "Hear this word, you cows of Bashan that are in the mountains of Samaria" (v. 1). At that time, Bashan was considered a fertile land, and it was a special place for lustrous, fertile cattle (Ezekiel 39:18). The women of Samaria are compared to that cow. They were living a very luxurious life. Amos accuses them of living at the expense of the weak and poor. They were so eager to dress up that they did not know what their husbands were doing behind their backs. But they do not know that the money their husbands earn is dirty money, kickback money that exploits the poor, cheats on taxes, and deceives society (v. 1). You "will be lifted up on a hook" (v. 2). Amos warned Assyria of the imminent danger of captivity. He said that the Assyrians hooked hooks in the mouths of their captives, dragged them around, and brought them back to their own land. It is terrible, but we should say that God will surely judge those who trample on people and live in greed.
2. formal and ritualistic worship
Next, God warns the people who appear to be religious on the surface, but in fact worship in a formal way. Like Isaiah, who said, "Bring no more vain offerings" (1:13), Amos makes the same point. They offered sacrifices every morning. They also "offered a tenth every three days" (v. 4). In other words, they were very zealous in appearance, but not in reality. It was all a sham. It was not a heart-to-heart worship with the living God. Worship is a face-to-face encounter with God. It is a place to give God all the glory, to bow down before Him, to receive His speech, and to receive new life. But the inner reality of it is not there. Even reverent worship in the eyes of men cannot deceive God, who sees the heart.
3. God's Judgment
Notice the repeated formulaic phrase from verse 6 onward, "Yet ye have not returned unto me" (6, 8, 9, 10, 11). God has brought famine (v. 6), drought (vv. 7-8), crop blight and locusts (v. 9), pestilence and war (v. 10), and earthquake (v. 11) to make them realize the reality and to encourage them to repent. v. 7, when there is no rain before the harvest, called the latter rain, the crops that had grown up are ruined in drought. And God intentionally caused them. And God tells us that He causes these things on purpose. Despite God's obvious intervention, the people stubbornly refused to repent, and verse 12, "Prepare to meet your God, O Israel," should be taken as an exhortation to repent, although it can be interpreted in various ways. God is merciful. The message of Hosea, who was contemporary with Amos, should not contradict what Amos tells us. You are to stand as a repentant person before God, regardless of what others say. God, who rules over heaven and earth and is high in the heavens, is also close to the hearts of men (v. 13).
<Quiz Corner
First, yesterday's quiz. What is the name of the city called Ashdod in the Old Testament called in the New Testament? (1) Ashkelon, (2) Asher, (3) Azoth. The answer was (3) Azoth (Acts 8:40). Now, here is today's Bible quiz. In the Old Testament, who was the king who prayed for deliverance from the black ear disease? (1) David, (2) Solomon, and (3) Hezekiah. The answer will be given tomorrow. Well, I wish you a good day today.
