God’s Plans Revealed

3 ¹ “Listen to this word which Adonai has spoken against you, people of Isra’el, against the entire family that I brought up from the land of Egypt: ² “Of all the families on earth, only you have I intimately known. This is why I will punish you for all your crimes.”

Again, Adonai threatens judgment on the people of Isra’el. Because they occupied a uniquely close relationship with Him, their sin was even more serious, and their punishment would be more severe. Therefore, He would punish them for all their iniquities.

³ Do two people travel together without having so agreed? ⁴ Does a lion roar in the forest when it has no prey? Does a young lion growl in his lair if it has caught nothing? ⁵ Does a bird get caught in a trap on the ground if it hasn’t been baited? Does a trap spring up from the ground when it has taken nothing? ⁶ When the shofar is blown in the city, don’t the people tremble? Can disaster befall a city without Adonai’s having done it? ⁷ Adonai, God, does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants, the prophets. ⁸ The lion has roared. Who will not fear? Adonai, God, has spoken. Who will not prophesy?

The judgment would not descend without a reason – every effect has a cause. ‘Amos asks seven cause-and-effect questions, culminating with an urban calamity caused by the Lord. It should not come as a surprise because God had revealed it in advance through His prophets.

⁹ “Proclaim it on the palaces in Ashdod and on the palaces in the land of Egypt; say: ‘Assemble yourselves on the hills of Shomron! See what great tumult is seething within it, how much oppression is being done there.’ ¹⁰ For they don’t know how to do right,” says Adonai. “They store up violence and robbery in their palaces.”

Ashdod (the Philistines) and Egypt were two traditional oppressors of Isra’el. Still, even though they did not oppress the Israelites as cruelly as the Israelites oppressed themselves through their rebellion against God, these pagans could sit in judgment on Isra’el.

Promise of Punishment

¹¹ Therefore, here is what Adonai Elohim says: “An enemy will surround the land. He will strip you of your strength and plunder your palaces.” ¹² This is what Adonai says: ¹³ “As a shepherd rescues from the mouth of a lion a couple of leg bones or a piece of an ear; so the people of Isra’el in Shomron will be rescued, huddled under cushions in the corners of their beds. “Hear, and testify against the house of Ya‘akov,” says Adonai Elohim Elohei-Tzva’ot. ¹⁴ “For when I punish Isra’el’s crimes, I will also punish the altars of Beit-El. The horns of the altar will be cut off, and they will fall to the ground. ¹⁵ I will tear down winter houses as well as summer houses; houses adorned with ivory will be destroyed; the mansions will be no more,” says Adonai.

Behind this verse, one can detect a common viewpoint among the people of Israel: that if an enemy should attack, the Israelites would be rescued by God. ‘Amos responded sarcastically by saying that they would be “rescued” like a piece of an ear from the lion’s mouth. When only pieces of an ear or a leg are snatched from a lion’s mouth, obviously, the lamb is dead. The main point is that Israel will be destroyed, not that a remnant will survive. Even so, there may be a remnant theology in the idea that God can raise the dead nation back to life. The phrase altars of Beit-El refers to Isra’el’s religious sins, and the winter house and the summer house refer to the destruction of the oppressive upper classes.

God’s Many Warnings

This chapter has two major parts: each is an accusation followed by a religious statement used in an ironic, threatening manner. The first part (vv. 1–5) includes an accusation against the aristocratic women of Samaria (vv. 1–3), followed by an ironic benediction (actually a malediction) upon the pilgrims going to the religious shrines (vv. 4–5). The second part (vv. 6–13) accuses Isra’el of having disregarded all preliminary judgments against them and asserts that they must be ready for final judgment (vv. 6–12). After this, Amos gives a doxology that is threatening rather than encouraging, describing the power of God
(v. 13).

4 ¹ “Listen, you [lovely] cows of Bashan, who live on Mount Shomron, who oppress the poor and grind down the needy, who say to their husbands, ‘Bring something to drink’:

The expression “cows of Bashan” is a derisive reference to the upper-class women of Mount Shomron (Samaria). Bashan, located east of the Sea of Galilee, was famous for its lush pasture and fine livestock (Deuteronomy 32:14; Ezekiel 39:18). Like the cattle of that region, these aristocratic women were well fed and pampered. The word “cows” is not necessarily an insult in every case. As pastoral people, the Israelites often described beauty through imagery associated with what was valued in their culture. For instance, Song of Songs 4:1 compares a beautiful woman’s hair to a flock of goats. But the women spoken of by ‘Amos were cruel and unfeeling, as shown by their indifference to the suffering of the poor. Their arrogance was apparent in how they treated even their husbands as household slaves.

² Adonai Elohim has sworn by his holiness that your time is surely coming. “You will be dragged away with hooks, the last of you with fishhooks. ³ You will leave through breaks in the wall, each woman right behind the next, and be sent off to Harmonah,” says Adonai. ⁴ “Come to Beit-El, and commit crimes; to Gilgal, and commit more crimes! Bring your sacrifices in the morning and your tithes after three days; ⁵ burn leavened bread as a thank offering; brag in public about your voluntary offerings; because that’s what you love to do, Isra’el!” says Adonai Elohim. ⁶ “I made your teeth clean of food in all your cities, left you nothing to eat in all your villages; still you haven’t returned to me,” says Adonai. ⁷ “I withheld the rain from you three months before the harvest. I made it rain on one city and not on another – one field had rain, while another with no rain dried up; ⁸ from two or three cities they would stagger to one city for water to drink, but there wasn’t enough; still you haven’t returned to me,” says Adonai. ⁹ “I struck your crops with hot winds and blight, your many gardens and vineyards; the cutter-worms devoured your fig and olive trees; still you haven’t returned to me,” says Adonai. ¹⁰ “I sent a plague on you like that of Egypt, put your young men to death with the sword; let your horses be captured; and filled your nostrils with the stench of your camps; still you haven’t returned to me,” says Adonai. ¹¹ “I overthrew some of you, as when God overthrew S’dom and ‘Amora; you were like a burning stick snatched from the fire; still you haven’t returned to me,” says Adonai.^[1]

God invites them, ironically, to carry on their idolatrous worship, bringing their sacrifices to Bethel; there was nothing for Him in it. They had suffered lack of food (v. 6), drought (vv. 7, 8), a plague of cutter-worms  (v. 9), pestilence, warfare, slaughter (v. 10), and catastrophes (v.11). Since none of these things caused them to repent, Isra’el should now prepare to meet … God Himself – the Lord God of hosts.

Amos calls out the complacency of a people disconnected from the realities of their society. If your family spends more time on screens than engaging with the world around them, challenge each member to take a social media fast for at least one day each week. In place of digital distractions, encourage activities like family discussions about local issues, volunteering, or visiting neighbors. This will not only foster deeper relationships among family members but also deepen your awareness of and engagement with your community’s needs.

In our next post, we will continue to learn more about the Prophecy of ‘‘Amos.

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[1] Amos 3:1 – 4:11.