Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Amos 5:6
Seek the LORD, and ye shall live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and devour [it], and [there be] none to quench [it] in Bethel.
6. Seek Jehovah, &c.] The exhortation of Amo 5:4 is repeated, and enforced with a fresh motive lest a fire, namely, kindled by Jehovah, advance irresistibly, and spread irretrievable destruction in Israel.
break out ] lit. come mightily, advance forcibly. It is the word used of the spirit of God coming mightily upon Samson (Jdg 14:6; Jdg 14:19; Jdg 15:14), Saul (1Sa 10:6; 1Sa 11:6), and David (1Sa 16:13). The comparison of Jehovah to a fire, as Deu 4:24; Isa 10:17; cf. Deu 32:22; Jer 4:4 (“lest my fury go forth as fire, and burn, and there be none to quench it”; so Jer 21:12).
house of Joseph ] i.e. the Northern kingdom generally, Joseph being the ancestor of its most powerful tribe, Ephraim (which accordingly is used often by Hosea in the same sense). Son 5:15; Son 6:6; Oba 1:18; Zec 10:6; Psa 78:67; cf. Eze 37:16; Eze 37:19.
for Beth-el ] named specially as the principal religious centre of Israel.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Seek ye the Lord and ye shall live – Literally, seek the Lord and live; being united to Him, the Fountain of life. He reimpresses on them the one simple need of the creature, seek God, the one true God as He revealed Himself, not as worldly people, or the politicians of Jeroboams court, or the calf-priests, fabled of Him. Seek Him. For in Him is all; without Him, nothing.
Lest He break out like fire in Bethel – Formerly the Spirit of God came vehemently down upon Sansom Jdg 14:6, Jdg 14:19; Jdg 15:14 and Saul 1Sa 10:6; 1Sa 11:6 and David 1Sa 16:13, to fit them as instruments for God; as did the Evil spirit, when God departed from Saul 1Sa 18:10. So now, unless they repented, God Himself would suddenly show His powerful presence among them, but, as He had revealed Himself to be, the, Lord thy God is a consuming Fire Deu 4:24. And devour it, literally, and it (the fire) shall devor, and there be none to quench it in (better, for) Bethel. Bethel, the center of their idol-hopes, so far from aiding them then, shall not be able to help itself, nor shall there be any to help it. The fire of God kindles around it, and there is none to quench it for her (as in Jer 4:4).
Montanus: The whole place treateth of mercy and justice. The whole ground of peoples punishment, calamities, condemnation is ascribed to their own fault and negligence, who neglect the deliverance often promised and offered them by God, and love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil Joh 3:19. Whoever is not saved, the whole blame lies in their own will and negligence and malice. God, who willeth not that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance 2Pe 3:9, Himself unsought, seeks, entreats, ceases not to monish, exhort, set before them their guilt, that they may cease to prepare such evil for themselves. But they neither give Him entrance, nor hear His entreaties, nor admit the warnings of the divine mercy, which if they neglect, they must needs be made over to His justice. The goodness of God is lacking to no one, save those who are wanting to themselves. Wherefore, having often besought them before, He invites them yet again to salvation, putting forth that His Name, so full of mysteries of mercy; Seek the Lord and live, seek Him who is, the Unchangeable. He who had willed their salvation, still willed it, for He changes not Mal 3:6. He adds threatenings, that those whom He calls to life, He might either allure by promises, or scare from death through fear of the impending evil.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 6. Seek the Lord, and ye shall live] Repeated from Am 5:4.
In the house of Joseph] The Israelites of the ten tribes, of whom Ephraim and Manasseh, sons of Joseph, were the chief.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Seek the Lord, and ye shall life: the prophet repeateth his exhortation to repentance with the repeated promise of a good issue hereon: see Amo 5:4.
Lest he break out: this is a new argument to persuade them to do their duty, for unless they do it Gods judgments will break out upon them.
Like fire; suddenly, with strength and prevalence, as the Hebrew word here rendered break out importeth. In the house of Joseph; the kingdom of the ten tribes, the chief whereof was Ephraim, who was the younger son of Joseph, and the first erecter of this kingdom was an Ephraimite, 1Ki 11:26.
And devour it; utterly consume it, as fire useth to do where it gets head and prevaileth.
And there be none to quench it in Beth-el; if once this fire break out from God, all your idols in Beth-el shall not be able to quench it; no tears from your eyes there shed, no blood of sacrifice there offered, shall quench it.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
6. break out like fireburstingthrough everything in His way. God is “a consuming fire”(Deu 4:24; Isa 10:17;Lam 2:3).
the house of Josephthekingdom of Israel, of which the tribe of Ephraim, Joseph’s son, wasthe chief tribe (compare Eze37:16).
none to quench it inBeth-elthat is, none in Beth-el to quench it; none of theBeth-el idols on which Israel so depended, able to remove the divinejudgments.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Seek the Lord, and ye shall live,…. This is, repeated to stir up unto it, because of their backwardness and slothfulness, and to show the importance and necessity of it. By the “Lord” may be meant the Messiah, Israel’s God that was to come, and they were to prepare to meet, Am 4:12; and the rather, since life spiritual and eternal is only to be had from him, and he is to be sought unto for it, and all the blessings of it, peace, pardon, righteousness, rest, and salvation as well as temporal deliverance, and all outward mercies:
lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and devour [it]; that is, lest his wrath and fury break out like fire as the Targum, by sending an enemy to invade the land, destroy it, and carry the inhabitants of it captive; even all the ten tribes, who frequently go by the name of Ephraim the son of Joseph, that being the principal tribe, and the first king of them being of it:
and [there be] none to quench [it] in Bethel; the calf worshipped there, and the priests that officiated, would not be able to avert the stroke of divine vengeance, or turn back the enemy, and save the land from ruin. The Targum is,
“and there be none to quench it, because of your sins, who have been serving idols in Bethel.”
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
He then adds, Seek Jehovah, and ye shall live This repetition is not superfluous: the Prophet confirms what I have already stated, that such was the opposition between the true and legitimate worship of God, and idolatry and superstition, that the people of Israel, as long as they retained their corruptions, proved that they had nothing to do with God, whatever they may have pretended with their mouths and by their ceremonies. Seek God, he says, and ye shall live; and this repetition was very useful for this end, that hypocrites might know that they were justly condemned, inasmuch as they did not consecrate themselves wholly to God; for they were ever ready to contend with God whenever they could. “Why does God deal so strictly with us? why does he not concede to us at least something? for we do not deny him every thing. But if we do what we think to be right, why does he not indulge us at least on this account?” But when God not only urges hypocrites by his doctrine, but visits them also with punishments then they become angry, and even raise a clamor. Hence the Prophet, the second time, calls them to this duty, Seek Jehovah, and ye shall live; as though he said, “Ye will gain nothing by evasion; for if any one seeks God truly and from the heart, God will not disappoint him; he will receive him into favor and will bless him. That ye then pine away in your calamities, impute this to your own obstinacy and stubbornness: it is so, because ye do not truly seek God; for while ye retain your corruptions, as I have said before, ye do not seek him.”
But he adds Lest he pass on like a fire. צלח, tselach, means to pass on, to advance; it means also to break out, and sometimes to prosper; but, in this place, the Prophet no doubt meant what I have said. Then it is, Lest he advance like fire upon the house of Joseph and consume it, and there be none to extinguish it in Bethel. The kind of vengeance which God threatened is not here expressed, but it may be easily understood. There is, therefore, in the meaning no obscurity; for he declares, that if the Israelites hardened their hearts against God, a burning was nigh at hand, which would seize on them, devour, and consume them. There shall come then or shall advance, a fire upon the house of Joseph; some say, shall burst out, which amounts to the same thing. By the house of Joseph is meant Ephraim; for he was, we know, the second son of Joseph; and, by taking a part for the whole, the Prophets usually include the ten tribes, as it is well known, when they mention Ephraim; and the kingdom of Israel is sometimes called the house of Joseph. Lest then he ascend as fire into the house of Joseph, and consume it, and there be none to extinguish it: this was said, because the Israelites never thought that they should be thus consumed by a sudden burning. The fire then shall devour the house of Joseph, and there will be none to quench it.
In the verse before I omitted one thing, to which I shall now advert. The Prophet said, that Bethel would be for a trouble, or be nothing. Bethel, we know, is called in another place Bethaven, the house of iniquity; and Aven means in Hebrew sometimes iniquity, sometimes grief or trouble, sometimes labor or difficulty, and sometimes nothing. It is not to be taken for iniquity in this place; this is certain: but Amos, on the contrary, speaks of punishment, which awaited that place, since it was abominable in the sight of God. As then he had said of Gilgal, that it would be rolled; so now he says of Bethel, that it would be for a trouble or grief, or be nothing. Either senses would be appropriate; — that Bethel, from which the Israelites hoped for a remedy to all their evils, would be to them a trouble, that is, the cause of their ruin, or that it would be nothing; as though he had said, that their hopes would be fallacious and empty in expecting any relief from Bethel. It afterwards follows —
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
REVELATION CALLS FOR REPENTANCEGODS OMNIPOTENCE AND OMNISCIENCE
TEXT: Amo. 5:6-13
6
Seek Jehovah, and ye shall live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and it devour and there be none to quench it in Beth-el.
7
Ye who turn justice to wormwood, and cast down righteousness to the earth,
8
seek him that maketh the Pleiades and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night; that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth; (Jehovah is his name;)
9
that bringeth sudden destruction upon the strong, so that destruction cometh upon the fortress.
10
They hate him that reproveth in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly,
11
Forasmuch therefore as ye trample upon the poor, and take exactions from him of wheat: ye have built houses of hewn stone, but ye shall not dwell in them; ye have planted pleasant vineyards, but ye shall not drink the wine thereof.
12
For I know how manifold are your transgressions, and how mighty are your sins; ye that afflict the just, that take a bribe, and that turn aside the needy in the gate from their right.
13
Therefore he that is prudent shall keep silence in such a time; for it is an evil time.
QUERIES
a.
What is turning justice to wormwood?
b.
What is turning the shadow of death into the morning?
c.
Why shall the prudent keep silence?
PARAPHRASE
Again I say to you, Israel, Seek the Lord and live or else He will leap like devouring fire through your nation and consume her, and none of the false gods of Bethel will be able to stop Him. You evil men who turn justice into a bitter pill for the poor and oppressed, righteousness is trampled into the dust by you; you had better seek the Great Creator, the Omnipotent One, who created the Seven Stars and the constellation Orion; He is omnipotent also in His government of the universe for He turns the deepest misery into prosperity and light or turns the bright day of prosperity into the dark night of adversity; He calls to the waters of the sea to pour themselves over the earth in terrible floods to judge the wicked and no strong man and no fortress can defy Him for He is the Omnipotent God, Jehovah! Any man who dares to stand for righteousness and justice is hated. You may have built great houses but you will not live in them; you may have planted pleasant vineyards but you will never enjoy even the first wine that is produced by them; all because you have oppressed the poor and unjustly extorted measurements of wheat from them as bribes for the evil judges. I am the Omniscient One and I know the multitude of your transgressions and the magnitude of your sins; you make war on those who want to be just, you pervert justice by taking bribes and you refuse to help those who are needy and seek redress of wrong. On account of this time of wide-spread moral corruption, the man who plays it smart will be silent since all speaking and warning brings persecution.
SUMMARY
God, through the prophet Amos, reveals the corruption of the Israelites thus displaying His omniscience and contrasts that with His omnipotence in creation and government. This adds force to the warning and the predictions of judgment.
COMMENT
Amo. 5:6 SEEK JEHOVAH, AND YE SHALL LIVE; LEST HE BREAK OUT LIKE FIRE . . . The prophet repeats his call to the people that Jehovah (which includes His Word for this is where He has revealed His person and His will) is their source of life. To turn to Him is the only alternative to inevitable destruction. If they do not seek Him (where He is supposed to be sought) He will break out like a fire, He will become a roaring inferno which will consume the whole nation of Israel (house of Joseph) and none of their false gods and false religious practices at Bethel will be able to stop the judgment; they are powerless, they are dumb (cf. Isa. 41:21-29; Isa. 44:6-20). He is omnipotent; He has the authority and power to grant life or He has the authority and power to take it away. Israel must choose the alternative course from the one she is now following if she would have life.
Amo. 5:7-9 YE . . . TURN JUSTICE TO WORMWOOD . . . SEEK HIM THAT MAKETH THE PLEIADES . . . AND . . . SHADOW OF DEATH INTO . . . MORNING . . . AND MAKETH THE DAY DARK WITH NIGHT . . . THAT CALLETH FOR THE WATERS OF THE SEA . . . THAT BRINGETH SUDDEN DESTRUCTION . . . Wormwood is a species of plant related to our western sagebrush. It was the oriental source of a much used oil obtained from the dried leaves and tops of the plant. Absinthe, a liqueur, the continuous use of which leads to mental deterioration and even death, derives its flavor from this oil (cf. Lam. 3:15; Lam. 3:19). The plant is a symbol of bitterness. The rich and powerful of Israel had perverted justice (that which is supposed to be sweet, pure, refreshing and vital) into bitterness and rottenness. They were wiping their feet on every semblance of rightthey had trampled it down to the ground. It is difficult to imagine a society so corrupt. Yet history records other eras just as corrupt (e.g. last days of Roman empire; Dark Ages). In certain areas of our big cities justice is just as severely perverted. But again, the Lord appeals to the people on the basis of His omnipotence. Contrasted with their present condition of being in the darkness of sin, He who made the starry heavens is able to turn their deepest misery into the glorious light of morning. He is also able to take what may appear to their sin-seared consciences as prosperity and turn it into a dark night of adversity, This calls to our mind the sublime statement of Gods sovereignty in Isa. 45:5-7; I am the Lord, and there is no other, besides me there is no God; I gird you, though you do not know me, that men may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides me; I am the Lord, and there is no other. I form light and create darkness, I make weal and create woe, I am the Lord, who do all these things. This passage is in a context where God, through Isaiah, is foretelling (by approximately 200 years before his birth) of the service Cyrus, future king of Persia, is going to render to God and His people! Blessing and curse both come from the Lord to serve His sovereign purposesit is up to man to choose which he will have! Yes, He even commands the seas and the rivers and brings about the catastrophic floods with sudden destruction upon wickedness. Man will never build a fortress, a bomb shelter, or an underground command complex strong enough to withstand the hand of the Omnipotent God!
Amo. 5:10-12 THEY HATE HIM THAT REPROVETH IN THE GATE . . . YE HAVE BUILT HOUSES OF HEWN STONE, BUT YE SHALL NOT DWELL IN THEM . . . FOR I KNOW HOW MANIFOLD ARE YOUR TRANSGRESSIONS . . . Now the omniscience of the Lord is revealed. He is not blind and deaf! He knows both the multitude and the magnitude of their sins. They despise anyone who takes a stand for righteousness and justice. The only persons they like are those who trample and oppress the poor and demand bribes for judgments. This reminds us of the words of Jesus, If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world . . . therefore the world hates you (Joh. 15:19). Birds of a feather, flock together! From their blood money they have built magnificent plantationsgreat houses and rich vineyards. How many tears and moans of the starving went into the ill-gotten gain of the rich and influential one can only guess! They have built them, but they shall not dwell in themthey shall not enjoy the harvest of their vineyards. The Lord will fulfill His threat (Deu. 28:30; Mic. 6:15; Zep. 1:13), for He knows the arrogance and evil of the rich and He hears the groans and supplications of the oppressed.
There are two false concepts the people had of Jehovah God. First, they believed He could be worshiped apart from His own revelation of Himself. Second, they believed that their conduct toward their fellow man had no bearing on their relationship to God. These are exactly the two main concepts John the apostle deals with in his First epistle, (cf. 1Jn. 2:3-4; 1Jn. 2:9-11; 1Jn. 3:11-24; 1Jn. 4:1-12; 1Jn. 4:20-21, etc.). We must seek God, that is we must learn about Him, obey Him and worship Him, only as we are guided by His revelation of Himself in His delivered Word. At the same time we must love men as He loves them. To turn aside the needy manifests a hatred of God regardless of how many worship rituals we may observe!
Amo. 5:13 THEREFORE HE THAT IS PRUDENT SHALL KEEP SILENCE IN SUCH A TIME . . . It is difficult for us to understand this as a divine injunction. In the light of Amos actions in not remaining silent and the many exhortations in both Old and New Testaments toward speaking the Word of God against social injustices, we prefer to understand this as another of Amos rebukes couched in irony and sarcasm. Some men may never know the reality of the suffering of the oppressed and poor because of their failure to take time to consider it as a real problem. Others do not know of it because they have forced themselves to ignore it, not wanting to be troubled with the other fellows problem. Humanity can be sure of this: God knows it, and in the long stretch of history will act to bring it to an end. A society built on injustice and fed on the sufferings of the oppressed can never stand.
The social and political situation had so deteriorated in the day of Amos that the smart man would either join the establishment or keep quiet. The same situation prevails in every generation. It even drifts into the religious society. The advice comes constantly, Dont get excited, dont get carried away, dont become a fanatic or preacher of doom. Keep your nose out of it. Play it coolbe wisekeep your mouth shut. Its just best not to get mixed up in any way with things going on in these evil times! But there is one who will not keep silent. God will not keep silent, for He has spoken once for all in the New Testament on such injustice and He has warned His people to speak out against it also. He will continue to speak if voices will rise up in this generation who are wise enough that they will not keep silent like Amos (cf. also Eze. 33:1-16). Human personality cannot be abused for personal gain without Divine retribution. Let us pray that our generation learns this lesson from Gods Book before it has to experience Gods judgment!
QUIZ
1.
What two alternatives are offered to the people of Israel by Amos?
2.
What was the omnipotent God able to do with their wretched condition, if they repented? If they did not repent, what then?
3.
How does God use weal and woe? Quote scripture proof!
4.
Why does the world hate those who stand for righteousness?
5.
What two false concepts did Israel have concerning Jehovah God?
6.
What did Amos mean by . . . the prudent will keep silent?
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
(6) Render, lest he rush down like fire on the house of Joseph (i.e., the Northern Kingdom). For in Bethel read for Bethel. Let the blending of mercy with judgment be here observed, Seek Jehovah and live, lest this evil befall you. The curse is still conditional.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Amo 5:6 Seek the LORD, and ye shall live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and devour [it], and [there be] none to quench [it] in Bethel.
Ver. 6. Seek ye the Lord, and ye shall live ] See Amo 5:4 . Sic eadem saepe surdis et obstinatis inculcantur (Mercer). The continual pressing of a duty imports: 1. The excellency; 2. The necessity; 3. The difficulty of doing it: else what need so many words? Perquam durum est, sed ita lex scripts est, saith Ulpian. Hard or not hard, it must be done, or men are undone.
Lest he break out like fire
a A person who has withdrawn or secluded himself from the world; usually one who has done so for religious reasons, a recluse, a hermit. D
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Joseph. Put by Figure of speech Synecdoche (of the Part), App-6, for the whole Northern Kingdom.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Amo 5:6-13
REVELATION CALLS FOR REPENTANCE-
GODS OMNIPOTENCE AND OMNISCIENCE
TEXT: Amo 5:6-13
God, through the prophet Amos, reveals the corruption of the Israelites thus displaying His omniscience and contrasts that with His omnipotence in creation and government. This adds force to the warning and the predictions of judgment.
Amo 5:6 SEEK JEHOVAH, AND YE SHALL LIVE; LEST HE BREAK OUT LIKE FIRE . . . The prophet repeats his call to the people that Jehovah (which includes His Word for this is where He has revealed His person and His will) is their source of life. To turn to Him is the only alternative to inevitable destruction. If they do not seek Him (where He is supposed to be sought) He will break out like a fire, He will become a roaring inferno which will consume the whole nation of Israel (house of Joseph) and none of their false gods and false religious practices at Bethel will be able to stop the judgment; they are powerless, they are dumb (cf. Isa 41:21-29; Isa 44:6-20). He is omnipotent; He has the authority and power to grant life or He has the authority and power to take it away. Israel must choose the alternative course from the one she is now following if she would have life.
Zerr: Amo 5:6. Seek the Lord and ye shall live is commented on in Amo 5:4.
Amo 5:7-9 YE . . . TURN JUSTICE TO WORMWOOD . . . SEEK HIM THAT MAKETH THE PLEIADES . . . AND . . . SHADOW OF DEATH INTO . . . MORNING . . . AND MAKETH THE DAY DARK WITH NIGHT . . . THAT CALLETH FOR THE WATERS OF THE SEA . . . THAT BRINGETH SUDDEN DESTRUCTION . . . Wormwood is a species of plant related to our western sagebrush. It was the oriental source of a much used oil obtained from the dried leaves and tops of the plant. Absinthe, a liqueur, the continuous use of which leads to mental deterioration and even death, derives its flavor from this oil (cf. Lam 3:15; Lam 3:19). The plant is a symbol of bitterness. The rich and powerful of Israel had perverted justice (that which is supposed to be sweet, pure, refreshing and vital) into bitterness and rottenness. They were wiping their feet on every semblance of right-they had trampled it down to the ground. It is difficult to imagine a society so corrupt. Yet history records other eras just as corrupt (e.g. last days of Roman empire; Dark Ages). In certain areas of our big cities justice is just as severely perverted. But again, the Lord appeals to the people on the basis of His omnipotence. Contrasted with their present condition of being in the darkness of sin, He who made the starry heavens is able to turn their deepest misery into the glorious light of morning. He is also able to take what may appear to their sin-seared consciences as prosperity and turn it into a dark night of adversity, This calls to our mind the sublime statement of Gods sovereignty in Isa 45:5-7; I am the Lord, and there is no other, besides me there is no God; I gird you, though you do not know me, that men may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides me; I am the Lord, and there is no other. I form light and create darkness, I make weal and create woe, I am the Lord, who do all these things. This passage is in a context where God, through Isaiah, is foretelling (by approximately 200 years before his birth) of the service Cyrus, future king of Persia, is going to render to God and His people! Blessing and curse both come from the Lord to serve His sovereign purposes-it is up to man to choose which he will have! Yes, He even commands the seas and the rivers and brings about the catastrophic floods with sudden destruction upon wickedness. Man will never build a fortress, a bomb shelter, or an underground command complex strong enough to withstand the hand of the Omnipotent God!
Zerr: Amo 5:7. Wormwood was a very bitter substance and is used much as a figurative likeness of any unpleasant experience. The leaders in Israel were selfish and regulated the lives of others in view of their own personal interests. Instead of dealing justly with those who looked to them for advice and decisions in times of difficulty, they deprived them of their rights and thus turned their case into bitterness. Amo 5:8. Seven stars is the same as Pleiades In Job 9:9 the cluster of stars that is popularly called the seven sisters,” and Orion is defined by Strong, “Any notable constellation.” Instead of being interested in the gods of the heathen, Israel is exhorted to seek the Maker of these heavenly bodies. He is the one who can rule day and night and turn one into the other at will; who can control the mighty waters of the sea and use them in whatsoever manner He pleases. Amo 5:9. Strengtheneth the spoiled means to support the man who has been overcome by a stronger force, and enable him to turn against his oppressor successfully.
Amo 5:10-12 THEY HATE HIM THAT REPROVETH IN THE GATE . . . YE HAVE BUILT HOUSES OF HEWN STONE, BUT YE SHALL NOT DWELL IN THEM . . . FOR I KNOW HOW MANIFOLD ARE YOUR TRANSGRESSIONS . . . Now the omniscience of the Lord is revealed. He is not blind and deaf! He knows both the multitude and the magnitude of their sins. They despise anyone who takes a stand for righteousness and justice. The only persons they like are those who trample and oppress the poor and demand bribes for judgments. This reminds us of the words of Jesus, If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world . . . therefore the world hates you (Joh 15:19). Birds of a feather, flock together! From their blood money they have built magnificent plantations-great houses and rich vineyards. How many tears and moans of the starving went into the ill-gotten gain of the rich and influential one can only guess! They have built them, but they shall not dwell in them-they shall not enjoy the harvest of their vineyards. The Lord will fulfill His threat (Deu 28:30; Mic 6:15; Zep 1:13), for He knows the arrogance and evil of the rich and He hears the groans and supplications of the oppressed.
Zerr: Amo 5:10. This verse describes a kind of character that has existed ever since there has been man on the earth. It is not always manifested in the same way, but the principle is the same. The reason a man is hated who rebukes sin is that the person rebuked realizes he is guilty and does not want to be reminded of It. The rebuke does not always have to be done directly or in words. It may be done by the righteous life of one in contrast with the wicked life of the other, the good life being a silent rebuke to the other. It is thus we read about the first family where Cain and Abel had their experience. There is nothing said about Abels rebuking Cain verbally, but his righteous life was a stinging rebuke of Cain’s evil one. So John says that Cain slew Abel “because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous (1Jn 3:12). The people of Israel did not like to be told of their sins, so they insisted that the teachers give them messages that suited them (Jeremiah 5; Isa 30:10). Since the people wanted the teachers to give this false instruction, they catered to them and hence brought upon them the wrath of God. Another had thing that resulted from the practice of false teaching was the chance it gave them of making improper rules of conduct, and that also opened the way for them to impose upon the poor. Amo 5:11. We should remember that the rebuking running through most of these verses is addressed chiefly to the leaders of the nation who took advantage of their standing to oppress the poor. They forced them to furnish unjust portions of their crops so that they could live in luxury. They had also indulged themselves with costly houses and had planted vineyards to suit their own extravagant desires. But God now warns them that it will all be taken from them and their luxurious provisions will he in vain. Amo 5:12. Everything that is done is open before the eyes of the Lord. The leaders took advantage of their position to oppress the poor so that they could enlarge their own possessions. Not only so, but if some one of the poor had the misfortune of being treated with fraud in a deal, it would not avail him anything to appeal to these leaders who were the rulers, for they could be bribed by the fraudulent dealers to render a verdict against the victim.
There are two false concepts the people had of Jehovah God. First, they believed He could be worshiped apart from His own revelation of Himself. Second, they believed that their conduct toward their fellow man had no bearing on their relationship to God. These are exactly the two main concepts John the apostle deals with in his First epistle, (cf. 1Jn 2:3-4; 1Jn 2:9-11; 1Jn 3:11-24; 1Jn 4:1-12; 1Jn 4:20-21, etc.). We must seek God, that is we must learn about Him, obey Him and worship Him, only as we are guided by His revelation of Himself in His delivered Word. At the same time we must love men as He loves them. To turn aside the needy manifests a hatred of God regardless of how many worship rituals we may observe!
Amo 5:13 THEREFORE HE THAT IS PRUDENT SHALL KEEP SILENCE IN SUCH A TIME . . . It is difficult for us to understand this as a divine injunction. In the light of Amos actions in not remaining silent and the many exhortations in both Old and New Testaments toward speaking the Word of God against social injustices, we prefer to understand this as another of Amos rebukes couched in irony and sarcasm. Some men may never know the reality of the suffering of the oppressed and poor because of their failure to take time to consider it as a real problem. Others do not know of it because they have forced themselves to ignore it, not wanting to be troubled with the other fellows problem. Humanity can be sure of this: God knows it, and in the long stretch of history will act to bring it to an end. A society built on injustice and fed on the sufferings of the oppressed can never stand.
Zerr: Amo 5:13. A prudent man is one who does not “speak out of turn,” and in the present case it means not to speak any word of protest against what the Lord is threatening to do. The times are so evil that all wise men should endorse the Lord’s judgments. A prudent man is wise in that he knows when to keep his mouth shut.
The social and political situation had so deteriorated in the day of Amos that the smart man would either join the establishment or keep quiet. The same situation prevails in every generation. It even drifts into the religious society. The advice comes constantly, Dont get excited, dont get carried away, dont become a fanatic or preacher of doom. Keep your nose out of it. Play it cool-be wise-keep your mouth shut. Its just best not to get mixed up in any way with things going on in these evil times! But there is one who will not keep silent. God will not keep silent, for He has spoken once for all in the New Testament on such injustice and He has warned His people to speak out against it also. He will continue to speak if voices will rise up in this generation who are wise enough that they will not keep silent like Amos (cf. also Eze 33:1-16). Human personality cannot be abused for personal gain without Divine retribution. Let us pray that our generation learns this lesson from Gods Book before it has to experience Gods judgment!
Questions
1. What two alternatives are offered to the people of Israel by Amos?
2. What was the omnipotent God able to do with their wretched condition, if they repented? If they did not repent, what then?
3. How does God use weal and woe? Quote scripture proof!
4. Why does the world hate those who stand for righteousness?
5. What two false concepts did Israel have concerning Jehovah God?
6. What did Amos mean by . . . the prudent will keep silent?
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Seek: Amo 5:4, Eze 33:11
lest: Exo 22:6
the house: Amo 6:6, Gen 48:8-20, Jos 18:5, Jdg 1:22, Jdg 1:23, 2Sa 19:20, 1Ki 11:28, Eze 37:19, Zec 10:6
there: Isa 1:31, Jer 4:4, Jer 7:20, Eze 20:47, Eze 20:48, Mar 9:43-48
Reciprocal: 2Ki 18:11 – the king 1Ch 16:11 – Seek Isa 45:7 – I make Peace Isa 51:1 – ye that seek Isa 55:6 – Seek Jer 48:13 – as the Hos 10:12 – time Amo 5:15 – the remnant Amo 7:4 – called Act 8:22 – pray
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Amo 5:6. Seek the Lord and ye shall live is commented on in verse 4.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Amo 5:6. Seek the Lord, and ye shall live He repeats his exhortation, and also the promise of a good issue on their complying with it. Lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph That is, the kingdom of the ten tribes, the chief whereof was Ephraim the son of Joseph. And there be none to quench it in Beth-el As if he had said, If once this fire break out, all your idols in Beth-el shall not be able to quench it. A proper caution this to the Israelites, not to trust in their idolatrous worship for their safety, because it would be so far from averting the divine wrath, or saving them from Gods judgments, that it would provoke that wrath still more, and hasten the execution of his judgments.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Amos, as well as the Lord (Amo 5:4), invited the Israelites to seek the Lord by doing good and refraining from evil so they might live (cf. Amo 5:14-15). The alternative would be God’s judgment breaking forth and unquenchably consuming the whole house of Joseph (i.e., the Northern Kingdom, whose main tribe was Ephraim, a son of Joseph).
"Fear of judgment may not be the highest motive for obeying God, but the Lord will accept it." [Note: Ibid.]