Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came!
Pass ye unto Calneh, and see; and from thence go ye to Hamath the great: then go down to Gath of the Philistines: be they better than these kingdoms? or their border greater than your border?
Ye that put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near;
That lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall;
That chant to the sound of the viol, and invent to themselves instruments of musick, like David;
That drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments: but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.
Therefore now shall they go captive with the first that go captive, and the banquet of them that stretched themselves shall be removed.
The Lord God hath sworn by himself, saith the Lord the God of hosts, I abhor the excellency of Jacob, and hate his palaces: therefore will I deliver up the city with all that is therein.
And it shall come to pass, if there remain ten men in one house, that they shall die.
And a man’s uncle shall take him up, and he that burneth him, to bring out the bones out of the house, and shall say unto him that is by the sides of the house, Is there yet any with thee? and he shall say, No. Then shall he say, Hold thy tongue: for we may not make mention of the name of the Lord.
For, behold, the Lord commandeth, and he will smite the great house with breaches, and the little house with clefts.
Shall horses run upon the rock? will one plow there with oxen? for ye have turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock:
Ye which rejoice in a thing of nought, which say, Have we not taken to us horns by our own strength?
But, behold, I will raise up against you a nation, O house of Israel, saith the Lord the God of hosts; and they shall afflict you from the entering in of Hemath unto the river of the wilderness.
Amos 6 serves as a stark warning against complacency and the dangers of prioritizing personal comfort and luxury over justice and righteousness. This chapter unveils God's perspective on those who felt secure and at ease in Zion and Samaria, painting a vivid picture of impending judgment for their indifference to the suffering of others and their misplaced trust in material possessions. The message resonates even today, challenging us to examine our own hearts and priorities.
Complacency and False Security (Amos 6:1-7)
The prophet Amos directs his second woe to those "at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria" (Amos 6:1). These were the elite of Israel, confident in their position and prosperity. They felt untouchable, believing their status as part of the house of Israel would shield them from any harm. They indulged in luxury, as described in Amos 6:4-6: "who lie on beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat lambs from the flock, and calves from the midst of the stall; who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp, and like David invent for themselves instruments of music; who drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the finest oils, but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph!"
Amos challenges their complacency by pointing to the fate of other nations (Amos 6:2). He asks, "Are you better than these kingdoms?" The implied answer is a resounding no. Israel, in its pursuit of worldly comforts and imitation of other cultures, had forgotten its unique calling and covenant with God. The prophet warns that they would face the same consequences as those nations, carried into captivity by Assyria, the very instrument of God's judgment.
The core issue was their apathy toward the suffering of others. They were "not grieved over the ruin of Joseph" (Amos 6:6), demonstrating a profound lack of compassion for the plight of their fellow Israelites, especially the poor and marginalized. The prophet makes it clear that those who were at ease, indulging in their excesses, would be the first to go into exile (Amos 6:7).
God's Loathing of Pride (Amos 6:8-14)
Moving beyond the specific sins of luxury and indifference, Amos addresses the underlying root of their behavior: pride. "The Lord God has sworn by himself," declares the Lord, the God of hosts: "I loathe the pride of Jacob and hate his strongholds, and I will deliver up the city and all that is in it" (Amos 6:8).
God's hatred of pride is a recurring theme throughout Scripture. Pride was the sin of Satan, who sought to elevate himself to God's level (Isaiah 14:12-14). God's people are called to reflect His character, not the devil's.
Because of their pride and rejection of God, their homes would be destroyed (Amos 6:11), and a nation would be raised up against them (Amos 6:14). This was a direct consequence of their actions and a demonstration of God's justice. God proclaims, "For behold, I will raise up against you a nation, O house of Israel, declares the Lord, the God of hosts; and they shall oppress you from Lebo-hamath to the Brook of the Arabah" (Amos 6:14).
Amos 6 is a powerful reminder that true security lies not in material wealth or worldly status, but in a right relationship with God and a genuine concern for the well-being of others. It calls us to examine our hearts, repent of any pride or complacency, and pursue justice and righteousness in all areas of our lives. Let us not be those who are "at ease in Zion," but rather those who are "grieved over the ruin of Joseph," and who seek to live lives that are pleasing to God.
Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came!
Pass ye unto Calneh, and see; and from thence go ye to Hamath the great: then go down to Gath of the Philistines: be they better than these kingdoms? or their border greater than your border?
Ye that put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near;
That lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall;
That chant to the sound of the viol, and invent to themselves instruments of musick, like David;
That drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments: but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.
Therefore now shall they go captive with the first that go captive, and the banquet of them that stretched themselves shall be removed.
The Lord God hath sworn by himself, saith the Lord the God of hosts, I abhor the excellency of Jacob, and hate his palaces: therefore will I deliver up the city with all that is therein.
And it shall come to pass, if there remain ten men in one house, that they shall die.
And a man’s uncle shall take him up, and he that burneth him, to bring out the bones out of the house, and shall say unto him that is by the sides of the house, Is there yet any with thee? and he shall say, No. Then shall he say, Hold thy tongue: for we may not make mention of the name of the Lord.
For, behold, the Lord commandeth, and he will smite the great house with breaches, and the little house with clefts.
Shall horses run upon the rock? will one plow there with oxen? for ye have turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock:
Ye which rejoice in a thing of nought, which say, Have we not taken to us horns by our own strength?
But, behold, I will raise up against you a nation, O house of Israel, saith the Lord the God of hosts; and they shall afflict you from the entering in of Hemath unto the river of the wilderness.
Amos 6 serves as a stark warning against complacency and the dangers of prioritizing personal comfort and luxury over justice and righteousness. This chapter unveils God's perspective on those who felt secure and at ease in Zion and Samaria, painting a vivid picture of impending judgment for their indifference to the suffering of others and their misplaced trust in material possessions. The message resonates even today, challenging us to examine our own hearts and priorities.
Complacency and False Security (Amos 6:1-7)
The prophet Amos directs his second woe to those "at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria" (Amos 6:1). These were the elite of Israel, confident in their position and prosperity. They felt untouchable, believing their status as part of the house of Israel would shield them from any harm. They indulged in luxury, as described in Amos 6:4-6: "who lie on beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat lambs from the flock, and calves from the midst of the stall; who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp, and like David invent for themselves instruments of music; who drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the finest oils, but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph!"
Amos challenges their complacency by pointing to the fate of other nations (Amos 6:2). He asks, "Are you better than these kingdoms?" The implied answer is a resounding no. Israel, in its pursuit of worldly comforts and imitation of other cultures, had forgotten its unique calling and covenant with God. The prophet warns that they would face the same consequences as those nations, carried into captivity by Assyria, the very instrument of God's judgment.
The core issue was their apathy toward the suffering of others. They were "not grieved over the ruin of Joseph" (Amos 6:6), demonstrating a profound lack of compassion for the plight of their fellow Israelites, especially the poor and marginalized. The prophet makes it clear that those who were at ease, indulging in their excesses, would be the first to go into exile (Amos 6:7).
God's Loathing of Pride (Amos 6:8-14)
Moving beyond the specific sins of luxury and indifference, Amos addresses the underlying root of their behavior: pride. "The Lord God has sworn by himself," declares the Lord, the God of hosts: "I loathe the pride of Jacob and hate his strongholds, and I will deliver up the city and all that is in it" (Amos 6:8).
God's hatred of pride is a recurring theme throughout Scripture. Pride was the sin of Satan, who sought to elevate himself to God's level (Isaiah 14:12-14). God's people are called to reflect His character, not the devil's.
Because of their pride and rejection of God, their homes would be destroyed (Amos 6:11), and a nation would be raised up against them (Amos 6:14). This was a direct consequence of their actions and a demonstration of God's justice. God proclaims, "For behold, I will raise up against you a nation, O house of Israel, declares the Lord, the God of hosts; and they shall oppress you from Lebo-hamath to the Brook of the Arabah" (Amos 6:14).
Amos 6 is a powerful reminder that true security lies not in material wealth or worldly status, but in a right relationship with God and a genuine concern for the well-being of others. It calls us to examine our hearts, repent of any pride or complacency, and pursue justice and righteousness in all areas of our lives. Let us not be those who are "at ease in Zion," but rather those who are "grieved over the ruin of Joseph," and who seek to live lives that are pleasing to God.