Amos 3:1-15

Amos 3

Hear this word that the LORD hath spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying, 2 You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities. 3 Can two walk together, except they be agreed? 4 Will a lion roar in the forest, when he hath no prey? will a young lion cry out of his den, if he have taken nothing? 5 Can a bird fall in a snare upon the earth, where no gin is for him? shall one take up a snare from the earth, and have taken nothing at all? 6 Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it? 7 Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. 8 The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord GOD hath spoken, who can but prophesy? 9 Publish in the palaces at Ashdod, and in the palaces in the land of Egypt, and say, Assemble yourselves upon the mountains of Samaria, and behold the great tumults in the midst thereof, and the oppressed in the midst thereof. 10 For they know not to do right, saith the LORD, who store up violence and robbery in their palaces. 11 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; An adversary there shall be even round about the land; and he shall bring down thy strength from thee, and thy palaces shall be spoiled. 12 Thus saith the LORD; As the shepherd taketh out of the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear; so shall the children of Israel be taken out that dwell in Samaria in the corner of a bed, and in Damascus in a couch. 13 Hear ye, and testify in the house of Jacob, saith the Lord GOD, the God of hosts, 14 That in the day that I shall visit the transgressions of Israel upon him I will also visit the altars of Bethel: and the horns of the altar shall be cut off, and fall to the ground. 15 And I will smite the winter house with the summer house; and the houses of ivory shall perish, and the great houses shall have an end, saith the LORD.

Points to be noticed in this chapter.

1. Verses 1-3 - Because Israel has forsaken the ways of God, God has forsaken them. There will be no communication between them. They have nothing to talk about.

2. Verses 4-8 - God will speak to His prophets and they must proclaim what He tells them. Do not blame the prophets for what they prophecy. They are under command from God and cannot but speak God’s Words.

3. Verses 9-15 - God calls for heathen nations to come behold what God will do to Israel because they have forsaken His ways. God wants the heathen nations to watch while He brings an adversary against Israel, leaving only a small remnant. God wants these heathen nations to declare to Israel what God has done in destroying many of the people because of their idol worship (Bethel). The nation of Israel has gloried in their prosperity, while forgetting God.

God’s Reasons For Judging Israel

Verse 1 - Hear this word that the LORD hath spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying

God’s desire is that Israel really hear that He is saying to them. God desires that Israel understand that this is His Word, not just the word of the prophet.

Before the people can ever act on God’s Word, they must hear it. If they don’t hear it, or if they believe the words are those of the prophet only, they will not really hear.

Israel needs to understand it is the God of heaven and earth that is speaking to them. This is both an honor/privilege, it is a terribly serious matter.

God is speaking to the entire nation of Israel, both Judah and Israel.

Verse 2 - You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.

Of all the families of the world, the family of Israel is the only family that has been called of God to be His. This is a great and marvelous privilege. Something that is very remarkable indeed, yet Israel has forsaken this great calling to follow the wickedness of the world.

God is not saying He doesn’t know about the other families (nations) on the earth. God knows everything and everybody. God is stating that the nation of Israel has been special to God, He has given them more blessings than any other nation, therefore He holds them to greater responsibility.

Because God has called Israel and given them everything they have and they have forsaken Him, will God punish them.

Verse 3 - Can two walk together, except they be agreed?

Compare this statement to two people taking a walk together. They must agree on many things.

When to start. Which route they are going to take. Where they are going. The speed they are going to walk. The necessity of the trip. What are they going to do when they get there?

II Cor. 6:14-18 - Many people apply this passage only to getting married, but it involves the whole of the Christian life. When Christians try to get along with the world, somebody must give up their values. Either the world will give up their values, or the Christian will give up their values. Because the world cannot understand spiritual things, and the Christian can understand carnal things, it is always the Christian who gives up their values. This is what is happening in this world today. This is why God is sending His judgments upon this very wicked world: Christians have stopped living for God, yet deny they are not living according to the precepts of God.

The saved person has been reconciled to God by the death of Christ on the cross. Before salvation, there was no agreement, but after salvation there is agreement. When the saved person begins to walk with Christ, the world will be in disagreement.

God is stating that Israel and God are in disagreement. Israel has begun to walk after the world, and not after God. Israel has stopped being a witness to the world about the greatness and goodness of God, and has allowed the world to be a witness to them. Israel, like us today, doesn’t have the spiritual backbone to stand up and be counted for God. Instead, they live according to the precepts and standards of the world. When there is disagreement between anybody and God, it is always the individual that is wrong. God is never wrong, because He is God. God and Israel are not walking together, as God intended them to. God’s plan was for Israel to reflect the glory of God in this earth, but Israel refused to do this. God’s plan was for Israel to reflect the goodness of God in the earth, but Israel refused. God’s plan was for all the world to give glory to God through Israel, but Israel refused to put themselves into that position. Therefore God use Israel in a negative way, getting glory out of them before all the nations of the world when He judges them for not serving Him. God will do exactly the same thing to every individual who refuses to be used of God in a good way. God will do exactly the same thing to every church (especially those churches that belong to Him) who refuse to be used of God in a good way.

God Sends Prophets To Prophesy

Verse 4 - Will a lion roar in the forest, when he hath no prey? will a young lion cry out of his den, if he have taken nothing?

The thought is that a lion, or a young lion, will not roar when he has no prey. If he roared before he had subdued the prey, it might escape. The lion roars to terrify his prey, and stop its struggle to escape. The lion also roars to keep other animals away from the prey. The roar tells all other animals that this prey belongs to him. Jackals are notorious for getting together in a gang and attacking the lion and taking the prey away from him. The roar of the lion is very terrible, and makes the jackals think twice before attacking the lion until he has eaten his fill.

The prophet of God will prophesy only when he has something to prophesy about. False prophets will prophesy when they haven’t heard from God because the people expect a message, preferably of good will. When the prophet of God has received a prophesy from God, he can do nothing but proclaim it, even if people don’t want to hear it.

Verse 5 - Can a bird fall in a snare upon the earth, where no gin is for him? shall one take up a snare from the earth, and have taken nothing at all?

The application of this passage is the same as the passage before.

Can a bird fall in a snare upon the earth, where no gin is for him? The word “gin” means a trap or a snare. The word “snare” refers to a thin sheet of metal, which makes up the outside perimeter of a trap. The meaning of the passage is that a bird will not fall into a snare if there is no snare set for it. In order for a snare to be set, there must be a designer of the snare. There must be a purpose of the designer for something to be done with whatever is snared. Therefore, there is a designer of the words given to the prophet. There is a purpose God has that is more than just what the prophet says. There is meaning in his words that reveal what the designer (God) has in mind that He is going to do to those that prophesied to.

Shall one take up a snare from the earth, and have taken nothing at all? Will a person remove the snare before it has caught its prey? NO, he will leave it until the purpose is accomplished. This is what God does. God will cause the prophets to prophesy until His purposes are accomplished. If Israel doesn’t turn from their wickedness, God will continue chastening them, and will continue to send His prophets to prophesy to them.

Verse 6 - Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it?

The application of this passage is the same as the passage before.

This trumpet is not the trumpet that is to sound to call the people to worship, or some other festival. It is the trumpet that sounds for war or some other calamity.

The people would be afraid of losing their children, their wealth, and all their material substance, if there was an invading army. Shouldn’t they also be afraid of losing their material substance because of their lack of fighting the spiritual warfare God intends for them to fight? Israel has not been afraid.

There are evil things that are happening to Israel, yet those things are not recognized as the hand of God. They are recognized as the hand of men, or the hand of “nature”. So it is in the United States of America today, and the whole world also. Our “crazy” weather is caused by El Nino. Few people believe it is caused by the judgment of God. God is speaking to this world through the earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, drought, and other natural calamities, but people don’t want to believe God has control of any of these things. The end of the world is upon us, and people don’t care. I speak especially of “Christian” people, who forsake the commandments of God, and say, “Who me? I have not forsaken the commands of God.” See Malachi 3:7 - “…Wherein shall we return?” Verse 8, “…wherein have we robbed thee…”

Verse 7 - Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.

This scripture reveals the meaning of the previous three verses.

If anybody wants to know what God will do (in Old Testament times), it would be good to get real close to the prophets of God. Get real close to what all the prophets of God have written.

If anybody wants to know what God will do (in New Testament times), it would be good to get real close to the Word of God and to the preachers who declare His truth. Don’t get close to preachers, thinking that is enough. Get close to TRUE preachers, and get close to the Word of God.

All of the truths of God and God’s eternal plan that we need to know are given to us in the Bible, God’s own holy Word. This word has been given to us by the Holy Prophets and apostles - II Peter 3:2.

God told Noah He was going to destroy the world with water before it came to pass.

God told Abraham He was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah before it came to pass.

God revealed to Jeremiah, Ezekiel and numerous other prophets that He was going to judge Israel before He did.

Isaiah 44:28 - God revealed to Isaiah that He would command Cyrus to restore and build Jerusalem (before it came to pass). Jeremiah prophesied that Israel would remain in Babylonian captivity until the land had enjoyed the Sabbaths God had intended it to enjoy. This was fulfilled in II Chronicles 36:22 when Cyrus gave command to restore and build a house for God in Jerusalem.

God has revealed to the Apostles that He would destroy the world by fire.

II Tim. 3:1-9 - God has revealed to Timothy that many saved people would go away from God’s commandments before the end of the world.

II Tim. 4:1-4 - God revealed to Timothy that “Christian” people (people who are saved by the grace of God) will go away from God’s teachings before the end of the world.

Verse 8 - The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord GOD hath spoken, who can but prophesy?

Amos knows this firsthand, because he was a herdman and would have remained so, but the Lord moved him to prophesy. When God moves on the heart of man, he will do what God declares for him to do. Jonah decided he wouldn’t go to Ninevah, but after three days and three nights in the whales belly, he decided to go. He never did like it, but he did go. Jonah missed the blessing of the Lord because of his rebellion, but God blessed His Word and saved many people.

Let The Heathen See What God Will Do To Israel

Verse 9 - Publish in the palaces at Ashdod, and in the palaces in the land of Egypt, and say, Assemble yourselves upon the mountains of Samaria, and behold the great tumults in the midst thereof, and the oppressed in the midst thereof.

God is telling the prophets to speak in the lands of the heathen that they might know and understand what God is going to do to Israel, because they are a rebellious people to Him. God is going to get glory out of Israel, whether they serve Him willingly or whether they rebel against Him.

God calls for a solemn assembly of the heathen so they can observe what God will do to Israel. The mountains of Samaria speaks about the places where the heathen worship false gods. It will be noted in their worship of these false gods that the God of Israel (who is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords) is judging Israel because they failed to worship Him like they should. There is no doubt in my mind that the heathen will know and understand that their gods are not like God. They have nothing to fear from their gods if they don’t serve, or give obeisance to them. Their gods are made out of wood, gold and silver. They can be melted down if they object very much. Jehovah God cannot be melted down because he isn’t made out of wood, gold or silver. He is spirit, higher than any man or the highest thing man can think of – and the heathen know it!

God desires that the heathen observe the great tumults that occur in Israel as a result of their disobedience to God. God wants the heathen to see all the terrible things that Israel will have to undergo.

God desires that the heathen observe and understand that there are individuals in Israel that will undergo the judgments of God. It is not just that these calamities come upon a nation, but a nation is made up of individual people, and it is upon these individual people that these calamities come.

May God cause the heathen to see and know and understand that the God that judges His people will also judge them. May they turn from their great wickedness to the living God.

Verse 10 - For they know not to do right, saith the LORD, who store up violence and robbery in their palaces.

Why don’t they know to do right?

Hoshea 4:6 - Because they have forgotten the laws of God. We are living in a nation that has also forgotten the laws of God. We are living in a day, like the days of the Judges, when every man does that which is right in his own eyes. People have forgotten that sin is the transgression of the law.

Because they have change the laws of God to suit themselves. Men today have forsaken the laws of God and replaced those sacred laws with their own interpretations of those laws, with their own laws when they couldn’t change God’s laws around to suit themselves. Personal preference is more important to many people than what God says.

Because they know what to do in principle, but refuse to practice it.

The result of not knowing what God’s laws says is violence and robbery in the palaces.

Eph. 1:3 states that God has “…blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.”

Eph. 6:12 states that our warfare is with “…spiritual wickedness in high places” That is in palaces and in the decision making places of a nation, kingdom, city, town, or family.

Any nation that forgets God will be filled with violence and robbery. God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, I Cor. 14:33.

Verse 11 - Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; An adversary there shall be even round about the land; and he shall bring down thy strength from thee, and thy palaces shall be spoiled.

Therefore - as a result of their forgetting God and his principles.

An adversary shall be round about the land. This, no doubt, speaks about the invading army of Assyria and Babylon, who will finally take all Israel captive in 722 B. C. and Judah captive in 606 B. C.

Other nations will be allowed by God to enter Israel and Judah and take away their strength and their riches. God gave them all this wealth and all these riches so they could see his bounty upon them, and would worship Him the more. Instead, Israel and Judah began to believe they earned all this wealth by themselves, or because of their great strength. Therefore God will remove all their strength, wealth, and riches from them. Their palaces will be emptied of all their riches and signs of strength. God is declaring that because Israel believes they have gotten all their strength, wealth, and riches by themselves, He will allow them the privilege of keeping them by their own strength.

Verse 12 - Thus saith the LORD; As the shepherd taketh out of the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear; so shall the children of Israel be taken out that dwell in Samaria in the corner of a bed, and in Damascus in a couch.

Why will a shepherd stop an animal from eating all the carcass of an sheep or a goat that is under his care? The wild animal has already killed the sheep, life is gone, and cannot be restored. The reason is that the shepherd’s desire is to take care of the sheep. He will care for as much of the sheep as is possible. The shepherd will not allow the wild animal the privilege of completely destroying the sheep. The vengeance of the shepherd against the wild animal and his love for the sheep is manifested in stopping the wild animal from eating all the carcass and saving what he can. This is what Christ does. The sins of the people will allow Satan to get them, but God will intervene and stop Satan from completely destroying them. Satan asked Christ to give him Peter, but God would not. He did allow Satan to sift Peter as wheat, but God retained the “nugget” of faith. This is what happens to us many times.

God is showing the heathen nations that He, and He alone, is able to and will, keep Israel as His own chosen nation. There can nothing happen to Israel that isn’t allowed by God.

Verse 13-15 - Hear ye, and testify in the house of Jacob, saith the Lord GOD, the God of hosts, 14 That in the day that I shall visit the transgressions of Israel upon him I will also visit the altars of Bethel: and the horns of the altar shall be cut off, and fall to the ground. 15 And I will smite the winter house with the summer house; and the houses of ivory shall perish, and the great houses shall have an end, saith the LORD.

God will do more in judging Israel than they believed He would do. They had fixed in their mind that they would “dabble” a little bit with the sins of their choice and remain “half-way” faithful to God. They believed they had it made, because they would be able to serve God during convenient times, and still be able to partake of the world and some selected vices.

It would be good if Israel would hear. They don’t hear, however. A word that God gave to the seven churches of Asia was “…If any man have an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches…”

It was Amos’s duty to testify to Israel even if they didn’t want to hear a thing he had to say. So it is with preachers today. It is our duty to proclaim the word of God in all seasons, and regardless of whether the message is popular or not, or accepted or not.

This is the way a lot of religions work today. People believe they can retain their faithfulness toward God and at the same time not be a rebuke to the world. They can get along with the world, and at the same time get along with God, Christians and retain their Christian testimony. This is impossible! It can’t be done! This is called “fence-straddling” and doesn’t work at all.

God does more in judging Israel than just judging them for their sinfulness. God goes further and not only takes away their materialism they had given up God for, He also takes away their pretending service to destroying the altars of Bethel, where the horns of the altar will be cut off and fall to the ground. The altars at Bethel should never have been built for they were built by Jeroboam when he put a place to worship false gods (two calves of gold) one at Dan and the other at Bethel, I Kings 12:29.

God will also destroy the prosperity He has allowed Israel to have. They not only have a summer house, but a winter house as well. They will have neither when God gets through with them. They will lose not only their material possessions, but their spiritual possessions as well. Of course, they won’t miss their spiritual possessions very much, because they had already given them up by way of compromise and half-hearted service.