Amos 3:1-15
Q.1. What nation was God primarily addressing? Why was God about to inflict judgment upon His people? How had Israel silenced God’s voice? – (Amos 3:1-8 c.f. Amos 2:11-12)
This chapter continued the warnings to Judah (Am. 2:4-5) and Israel (Am. 2:6-16) – Hear this word which the Lord has spoken against you, sons of Israel, against the entire family which He brought up from the land of Egypt (Am. 3:1). God explained the special relationship that they had entered into – “You only have I chosen among all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.” (Am. 3:2). As in any relationship, there are at least two parties. God, the other party, had repeatedly spoken to them. However, they had silenced His voice. God used several examples from nature that Israel knew well, to underscore their peril. Like a lion’s roar and a trumpet blast to prepare for battle, God had spoken – A lion has roared! Who will not fear? The Lord God has spoken! Who can but prophesy? (Am. 3:8). They stood under His condemnation, for trying to silence the prophetic voice of His representatives – Surely the Lord God does nothing unless He reveals His secret counsel to His servants the prophets (Am.3:7). The invisible God has made His truth known through some forty prophets and has fleshed out the Gospel through His peerless Son (c.f. Heb.1:1-3; 2 Pet.1:20-21).
Q.2. How blind had Israel become? Whom was God going to use in order to judge His people? Which particular places were identified for destruction? – (Amos 3:9-15)
The remainder of this chapter reveals that the pending judgment was against the ten northern tribes of Israel, especially her capital, Samaria. God called on the Egyptians and Philistines to take note of Israel’s disorder and oppression. Israel was blind to her plight and – do not know how to do what is right (Am.3:10). God would use an adversary to pull down her defences. and she would be torn to pieces like a lion does its prey. Such treatment highlighted the Lord’s grief over Israel’s idolatry – “For on the day that I punish Israel’s transgressions, I will also punish the altars of Bethel; The horns of the altar will be cut off and they will fall to the ground (Am.3:14). Israel had never turned from the golden calf worship that Jeroboam had set up in Bethel. This had infuriated God (and at Dan – 1 Kgs.12:25-33). The residences of the king and the nobles would be singled out for destruction.