Amos

Amos 4:1-3

Who are these cows of Bashan?  Bashan was an area northeast of the Sea of Galilee.  Some believe these are the royal familily and the leaders in Samaria.  The cows were well fed, living oppulent lives; a picture these leaders crushing and oppressing the poor while having a drink with their husbands as they recline in luxury.  At least some bible scholars believe Amos spoke this just toward the women of Samaria, calling the cows.  That couldn't have went well for him. 

In Psalm 22 we see the bulls of Bashan mentioned; it's a picture of Jesus being surrounded on the cross.  When Israel was settling the land, Bashan was known as the "Place of the Serpent" according to Michael Heiser.  Some of the cities were connected to the realm of the dead.  They would have seen Bashan as the gateway to hell.  The highest mountain in Bashan was Mt Hermon.  This mountain housed several occult temples, sacrificial sites linked to demonic worship.  But Mount Hermon was also where Jesus took a few of His disciples to the top and transfigured himself.  As Heiser notes, its as if Jesus went right to the gates of hell and thumbed his nose at Satan.  With all that said, we can see the 'bulls of Bashan' were the picture of these demons encircling the Lord.  Maybe they were answering the taunt from the Mount of transfiguration thinking they had won and conquered Jesus as He was dying on the cross. 

So, are the cows of Bashan a similar picture?  Maybe.  It certainly can't be ruled out.  The same demonic worship of Baal that was central to Bashan was happening in Samaria.  It was a stronghold of the enemy and God was bringing it down.

Amos 4:4-5

Bethel and Gilgal were centers of Idol worship.  The invitation to worship is sarcastic.  Their religious activity led them to even more guilt.  It's as if Amos said, "Even if you sacrifice every morning and tithe evergy three days your guilt will still be increased."  Their sacrifice was in vain, it was just killing animals.  The tithe that was normally every three years (Deut 14:28) could be given every three days; it would be meaningless.  To add even more, Amos said they might was well go ahead and bring a leavened cake as offering.  The offerings were to be unleavened except for the wave offering on pentecost.  The presence of leaven was corrupted offering.  They were disobedient in their sacrifices, offerings and place of worship so every attempt, no matter how sincere, just brought more transgression.  They had a zeal and a love for idolatry. 

Amos 4:6

Here's the cause, where's the affect?  The kindness of God wouldn't keep them in Him or move them to Him so God brings chastisement.  'Cleanness of teeth' is an idiom for going hungry; they had no food by which their teeth would become unclean.  God did this but they didn't return to Him.

Amos 4:7-8

It would be devastating to the crops to not receive the latter rains with three months till harvest.  The crop would be ruined.  But this wasn't just dry for the crops, it was a drought that dried up the cisterns and took its toll of people.  The rains were given 'hit and miss' and people had to travel to find water.

This was the cause; the chastisement of the Lord, yet they had not returned to Him.

Amos 4:9

The next chastisement was ruined crops at harvest and the fruit treees stripped by the locusts.  Their food source would be depleted.  This was the cause but the effect was more rebellion. 

Amos 4:10

God, in His unfailing love for His people brought further chastisement to move them to Him.  On top of famine and drought, He allowed pestilence and war to come on them.  Hazeal, the king of Syria, brought his armies and conquered Israel.  Hazael was cruel to those he was victorious over (2 Kings 8:12, 13:3, 7). 

The cause is becoming more intense and costly.  It costs are becoming higher.  What will it take for them to return to the Lord?  How can they not see?  Yet the affect more rebellion.

Amos 4:11

The cause of chastisement was vast and great; compared to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.  Israel was like a glowing ember plucked from the fire to save it.  God overthrew some, yet some were spared from judgment, yet, they could not see; they could not find their way back to the Lord.   

They no longer knew how to do right.  The more they sinned the easier it was to justify and forget what God wanted of them.  The longer sin is allowed to thrive, the more it becomes a stronghold in our life and we feel unable and unwilling to stand against.

Amos 4:12-13

The cause of chastisement brought on the affect of further rebellion.  Therefore, the rebellion became a cause that brought an affect by God.  Prepare to meet your God! 

His name is Jehovah, God of Hosts.  We know Him by the naem of Jesus.  Are you prepared to meet your God?  Are there chastisements in your life in which you failed to respond accordingly?  Does God's cause have the right affect on your life?  In our nation, do we not see the chastisement from our turning way?  Yet we have not returned to Him.  Our nations is getting further and further from God; as the chastisements pile up, we draw closer to the judgment.  I think must be prepared to meet our God.  

©2016 Doug Ford