Monthly Archives: November 2020

Amos – Chapter 9b

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The ending of Amos part 9a (verses 1-10) and the beginning of Amos part 9b (verses 11 and 15) are separated by over 2500 years. Amos 9a is Israel’s demise in 722 B.C. Amos 9b is the reemerging of Israelis as a people under God. Chapter 9 part ‘a’ and ‘b’ are exacting.

no Way, nada, none can escape….

It states that NONE can escape God’s judgment be it flying in the skies, under the great seas, in the caves of mountains, and even in their graves. Amos states that there will be a final return of Israel beyond April 1947.

Amos 9:11

“On that day I will raise up the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down, And repair its damages; I will raise up its ruins, And rebuild it as in the days of old…” [NKJV]

The use of the word tabernacle may be misleading. Many understand that King David did not build the Tabernacle of Judaism worship. His son Solomon did as found in 1Kings5:1—9:91; Chronicles 28:1 – 29:82; Chronicles 2:1 – 7:22.  So what does it mean to say “the tabernacle of David?” Revelation 21:3 infers the tabernacle of God to be His only begotten; Jesus. The tabernacle of David, sûkkâh, means (Strong H5520: a hut or lair: – booth, cottage, covert, pavilion, tabernacle, tent. Given this translation, Amos 9:11 is not restricted to the word ‘tabernacle’ as only a place of worship. The effectual tabernacle of Israel and Solomon in the Hebrew is ‘ôhel [Strong H168]; House of the Lord.

At this time in his-story, the Northern Kingdom of Israel had rejected the DNA lineage of King David when they split in northern (Israel) and southern (Judah) kingdoms. It would be safe to conclude Amos is referring to the House of David being his lineage, that God is going to restore to Israel…all 12 tribes under ONE ROOF [nation]. Jesus is from the house of David; Judah.

 Amos 9:12

That they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations who are called by My name,” declares the Lord who does this [NASB].

We have a conundrum or challenge per the use of the word Edom. Some scholars see this word as “Adam” not Edom. This is easy to see. They are pronounced the same way and at a glance, their spelling is almost identical. Edom spelled in Hebrew is  אֱדֹם. The Hebrew spelling for Adam is אָדָם. The only differences are the notations UNDER the Hebrew characters. Over time these notations could fade, be deleted, or not noted by the translator. Whatever it is, Amos is once again stating that all will be judged one way or another; believer or nonbeliever. The ancient writers of Septuagint used Adam instead of Edom; i.e. mankind.

Another note to the studying bible student: Some translations Amos 9:12, such as the KJV, use the word ‘heathens’; ASV; Darby; MKJV use ‘nations’ while others state ‘unbelievers’ The NKJV uses the word ‘Gentiles’. Gentile is preferred since the rest of this verse addresses “all the heathen.”

Amos 9:13

“Behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD, “When the plowman shall overtake the reaper, the treader of grapes him [overtakes him) who sows seed; The mountains shall drip with sweet wine, And all the hills shall flow with it” [NKJV]

Farmer at work,plowing the land.

The ploughman [khaw-rash’] means the one furrowing the ground for planting.

One might easily skip this verse due to its supposed overlapping of events. Understanding it forces a pause for a deeper underestanding. We will try to distinguish between the comparisons; statement by statement.

The reaper [kaw-tsar’] has a wide interpretation but make note of the similarities in the Hebrew spellings between ploughman and reaper.

  1. To harvest grass  or grain
  2. To cut down; be discouraged
  3. To grieve, lothe, or mourn

In short, one is plowing the land while another is still reaping the previous harvest. It could mean that the ploughman, one who is getting ready to plant a new crop, overtakes those who are still harvesting the old crop; i.e. the new is trying to replace the old. See Revelation 21:5. God is making (a process) all things new. It could also indicate the overabundance of product or life in God’s new world order (millennial reign). The rest of this verse seems to support the overabundance consideration.

The treader of grapes is one who in a sense is producing a new wine. It is the second half of this verse that adds light; him that sows. The word “sows” [maw-shak’] means to delay, prolong, try to develop, draw out, defer or extend. It would be odd that the one treading grapes somehow interferes with or overtakes one planting seed. Might this mean that the ones treading the grapes have completed their job while those responsible of seeding new crop have delayed or prolonged their responsibilities? Amos commentary by David Allen Hubbard puts it this way:

“When God releases blessing and restoration, fruit comes quickly. “Ploughman and reaper labored separately . . . but here they bump into each other, so abundant are the crops and so eager is the land to grow more.” (David A. Hubbard of Tyndale Publishing)

We Teach – You Decide

The mountains shall drip with sweet wine is an odd correlation between growing grapes and its rich harvest. Mountains [har] are not usually good places to grow grapes. Warm lands and valleys are more conducive to this. This embodies the abundance of the Old Testament promise to Israel of a land flowing in milk and honey. This first comes to our attention when the 12 Israelite spies sent by Moses to spy out the lands of Canaan to visually see a land of milk and honey; also a reference to the abundance of reward to God’s New Testament faithful. The spies return to report that the lands over flow with milk and honey [Exodus 3:8, 17].

All the hills will melt: ghib-aw’ (hills) does not mean the mountains. It means little hills. They will melt down. Recall that Jesus said upon his donkey ride into Jerusalem that had not the people not cried out in celebration, the rocks would have [Luke 19:40]. This is the hills melting [mûg] or flowing (to bow) down in the presence of their creator.

Amos 9:14  I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel [KJV]. First note this is about “my people Israel”, not the New Testament Church [believer]. The word captivity suggests that once again Israel goes into captivity as in Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Spanish Inquisition, Hitler’s Germany… This is not its meaning. It is all Israel being returned to the Promised Lands; to once again be united together; Judah and Israel. “My people Israel” is not exclusive to a few or lacking any of the tribes of Jacob. They will be swept out of the four corners of the earth to return to God’s Israel.

JIV opinion: Lands and nations will pave the way to rid themselves of Israelites; not just the Jews of the Tribe of Judah but all Israelite descendants. This is a very in depth study and conclusion. One not readily or easily deduced or conjured.

They shall build the wasted cities, inhabit them, plant crops of abundant produce, and enjoy the fruits of their labor. This needs little discussion. Take it precisely for what it says. Again, this is not the church but Israel; God’s chosen.

Amos 9:15 is self-evident. They will NO LONGER be removed from the Promised Lands by anyone or enemy…says the lord God!

Rev. Dr. Jstark
2020

Amos Chapter 9a

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Amos Chapter 9a (one of two parts)

We conclude Amos with chapter 9 being divided into two segments. It is a short chapter but two very distinct topics. One is a conclusion of Northern Israel’s existence and the second half is the beginning of God’s promise to the Throne of David to be the Millennial center of the world as the headquarters (kingdom) of Jesus Christ.

Amos 9:1 Amos sees the Lord in a vision standing on, next to, or over the altar (possibly a reference to the evil altars in Bethel and Dan) even though this is 700 years before Christ is sacrificed on the altar of the Cross of Calvary. Odd as this seems; Christ standing  next to or beside the altar of sacrifices in Bethel, Dan or perhaps *Jerusalem, there is a secondary reason other than 700 years later he would be the altar-sacrifice for our sins. He is preventing other Temple alter sacrifices during the Millennial Reign. Blood sacrifices on that altar did not forgive sins. Only the sacrifice on the Cross of Calvary did that. Chapter 9 is Amos’ fifth of the five visions. They begin in Amos 7:1.

 *We have little conclusiveness as to which alter(s) it is Amos sees the Lord next to or upon.

We borrowed this graphic illustration from preceptaustin.org. It is fairly accurate including something we have ignored up to this point in our Amos Commentary. One can see that Micah and Isaiah follow right on the heels of Jonah, Hosea, and Amos.

Plumbline of GOD

Timeline help the serious Bible student to keep perspective.

The door posts are to be struck to help collapse the temple building. Structurally this would include the header above the doorway. It would create a sagging point in any structure. Amos adds in verse one that those who are not destroyed within the structure will not be able to hide for the Lord’s sword. It can be the depths of the deepest seas or the top of a mountain, HIS sword of judgment will not be avoided. Job 14:13 states…“O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me!”

(JIV 9:1 NOTE) Strike the doorposts (Lintel [KJV]; top of the columns [ERV]; mercy-seat  [Brenton]; capitols [ASV]) has a familiar Bible reflection. The Israeli escape from captivity in Egyptian in the last of the ten plagues also uses the doorposts. The blood of a lamb had to be sprinkled on doorposts in [Exodus 12:13] to escape death judgment. This is not all that is implicated. “I stand at the door and knock…” (Revelation 3:20)

If one thinks that the Hitler Holocaust was horrific, what might one make of one make of Amos 9:1b? “Not one of them (Israelites of the North) shall escape.” Taken out of context, one can wrongfully deduce this Amos prophesied holocaust. Understanding it within the context of this chapter 9 means that there is no place one can hide to escape final judgment? Keep it in mind that ever since this time of Amos’ book Israeli’s (Jews) have been sought after to harass, destroy, exile, and be removed to other lands…the world lining up against Jerusalem.

Amos 9:2, 3 (ESV) “If they dig into Sheol, from there shall my hand take them; if they climb up to *heaven, from there I will bring them down. If they hide themselves on the top of Carmel, from there I will search them out and take them; and if they hide from my sight at the bottom of the sea, there I will command the serpent, and it shall bite them.”

*Heaven here means shâmeh, the heavens we can see from earth with or without telescopic vision.

Amos 9:5 makes it clear that the world is also being judged at the time of the Lord’s judgment upon Israel. The little three letter Hebrew word for ALL in verse 5 is used; i.e. Kole. It literally means ‘no one excluded’ or ‘all included’. This pending judgment verse is not exclusive to Israel.

Amos 9:7 has a historical insight for those who have wondered if Israel’s eternal nemesis, the Philistines, were always “the bad guys next door” in the Gaza area. This insight comes from the latter part of verse 7. Amos is reminding the northern Kingdom of Israel of their archenemies. … “land of Egypt, and the Philistines from Caphtor, and the Syrians from Kir?” Philistines from where? CAPHATOR! Caphator aka Crete, is an island in the eastern Mediterranean. It is from where the Philistines originate moving to Gaza. We discussed this in a previous study, Which Way Did They Go. We explained the Egyptian trade routes and trading posts the Tribe of Dan established as Egypt’s merchant marines. This island was only one of multiple trading posts established by the Tribe of Dan(e)s during Israeli 400+ years of captivity in Egypt; well over 1,000 years earlier than Amos.

Amos 9:8 is straight up. God will destroy the Northern Kingdom of Israel from the face of the earth, but not all its people. They will be scattered to the four corners of the earth. This is precisely the situation we have today. Assyrians scattered them across this planet then replaced Israelis (not just the Jews of Judah) with a foreign-to-this-land people. Migrations and other exiles pushed them into the corners of the earth. The problem is not finding Israeli descendants as much as it is most of them have lost their identities with the 12 Tribes. Many even in the Middle East today claim a DNA connection to Israel but do not claim the God of Israel. Examples include many of the independent and territorial tribes of Pakistan, Afghanistan, Persia (Iran), Kurdistan, etc.

We find scriptural support for the above historical statements in the next verse; i.e. Amos 9:9

“For, behold, I will command, and I will shake the house of Israel among all the nations, as one shakes with a sieve; yet not a grain shall fall to the ground.”

I will shake or scatter the house of Israel among ALL (kole) the nations.

Amos 9:10 concludes part “A” of our Amos 9 commentary. This verse has a mixed understanding: All the sinners of My people shall die by the sword, those who say, The evil shall not draw near or confront us. Hold on reader. Can you take in all this short verse states? MY PEOPLE makes it not the Christian church but the people of Israel. The church didn’t even exist for another 750 years. SHALL (all) DIE BY THE SWORD? This is a sword of judgment, not the metal sword though this will be the instrument of destruction to many of the Israelis of the Northern Kingdom and later to their cousins in Judah.

What makes them sinners beyond what Hosea and Amos have already been preaching? It is their doubt any of this could happen to them. Sound familiar? Perhaps a co-worker, family member, neighbor or one’s self? Things are going great for an upper class of people. They believed Great Prosperity protected them! It is possible it was as much about not believing as it was, not wanting to change their ways. Denial does not change actualities. Desired perceptions are often not actualities.

Rev Dr Jstark
2020

Amos Chapter 8

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Basket of fresh fruits in the garden

Amos 8:1 What do we know about summer fruit? The prime picking is over and what remains has truly been tree or vine ripened now in need of picking and consumption. Halley’s Bible Handbook puts chapter 8 into great and simple perspective:

[Chapter 8 is…) “Another symbol that the sinful kingdom (norther kingdom of Israel) was ripe for ruin. A reiteration of the causes. Greed, dishonesty, and merciless brutality toward the poor. Over and over, under many figures, the Bible makes it plain that there is no possible way to escape the consequences of persistent sin.”

God asks Amos in 8:2 “what do you see.” Jeroboam II was still the King of Israel’s northern kingdom. He ruled for about 40-41 years. His record per governing was impressive but Amos was now trashing Jeroboam’s neglect of the poor and shady business deals within his kingdom. This makes the example of “summer fruit” so full of meaning. There will be no more picking of the fruit that season. It has ended. This is precisely the message Amos is trying to convey to the evil chief priest Amaziah (not the King of Judah around 800 B.C.). There would not be another additional season of splendor for Israel. They were ripe to the picking.

The use of words has great significance in the passage; i.e. summer fruit…”the end has come upon my people Israel.” The two Hebrew words, קוצ, (qayls), summer fruit, and קצ, (qes), an end, are similar in their sound. This may actually mean the last harvest before the winter months. None the less, it is the end and last picking. The fruit vines and trees will now be bare, just as Amos prophecies so will be the Israelites in the lands of the northern kingdom…bare of Israelites, not people.

JIV NOTE: V3: The songs and celebrations within the walls of the palace (Young’s Literal Translation) will become wailings. Many commentaries use the word “Temple” in place of palace in this verse. Not so! The Hebrew used is hay-kawl’. It means a large public building. The “TEMPLE” was in Jerusalem, not in Bethel or Dan.

Amos prophesied the total elimination of Israel but it was on the heels of King Jeroboam II. Six more kings ruled before the Assyrians invaded and removed the people of Israel beginning in 722 B.C. The Assyrian practice of removing conquered peoples was not limited to Israel. Once Israelites were removed, Assyrians then moved an outside and conquered people into the lands of the northern kingdom. Those who lived there prior to 1948 after the Assyrian conquest in 722 B.C. were imported from elsewhere.

When the very brutal Assyrians to attack in 722 B.C. the slaughter man, woman and child. So many will die at the hands of the Assyrians there will be little time to bury or mourn the loss before the people of Israel begin being removed from their lands. This is during the reign of *Hoshea (730 B.C. to 722 B.C.).

                *Not to be mistaken as Hosea, the prophet to the Northern Kingdom of Israel.

Rotten apples in a wooden crate on grass in sunshine light.

Amos replies to the Lord that he sees a basket of ripe fruit [qayis], God replied “Qes!” An end is to come upon Israel.” (Boice) Note this small difference in the spellings; qayis versus Qes

The end has come upon my [God’s] people Israel . . . Many dead bodies everywhere; they shall be thrown out in silence: Ripe fruit is close to being thrown out.  This is an allegory. A similar judgment will come upon “rotten” Israel. They are late in their season to seek forgiveness and return to their God.

We teach, you decide.

Surely I will never forget any of their works: This reminds us that time can never erase sin. We often feel that if we or if others forget the sins of our youth, then God must also forget about them. God does not forget the good works of His people. He does not forget the evil works of those who reject Him. For the good (believer) we will have the Bema Seat Judgement. For the evil nonbeliever there will be the Great White Throne Judgment.

Sun goes dark at noon…*end time or is Amos referring to an eclipse? “Two such eclipses have been calculated to have occurred in Amos’ lifetime: one in 784 B.C., the other in 763 B.C.” (Hubbard). However, we may also *consider Isaiah 13:10; Joel 2:10; Ezekiel 32:11; Matthew 24:29; Mark 13:24.

Jesus alluded to this principle in the Parable of the Soils and the Sower: “Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him” (Mark_4:24-25). This does not mean sitting in church or a Bible study and listening to the minister or group leader. It means listening and grasping; seeking knowledge with understanding.

Amos 8:4-6 has a strong implication or accusation regarding welfare or dictatorial societies. By this we mean those who have sold their very being to governments welfare programs, political subsidize, or businesses that buy and demand their dependence and so-called loyalty for a means of existence. This disregards personal value. It reads:

“Hear this, O ye that would swallow up the needy, and cause the poor of the land to fail, saying, ‘When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell grain? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and dealing falsely with balances of deceit; that we may buy the poor for silver, and the needy for a pair of shoes, and sell the refuse of the wheat’”? [American Standard Bible; emphasis mine]

This is precisely what the anti-Christ will expect and demand; dependence and loyalty in worship (in the final 3 ½ years of the 7 Tribulation. The stage is set even though these supposed life-saving measures will come disguised as helps or ways to make society better. God says in in Matthew 26:11, “…we will always have the poor.”

Amos 8:7 could use a little bump in understanding. The single word “Surely I will never forget any of their works.” The word “any” includes the good and the bad. The Hebrew used is ‘Kole’. It means NOTHING EXCLUDED. The LITV [Literal Translation of the Holy Bible] uses the world ALL in place of ANY. For some this makes it easier to understand that God is referring to and including the good and the bad.

7:8b “and it shall be cast out and drowned as with the flood of Egypt”.  Joseph Benson Commentary defines this well:

“Destruction shall rise up like a flood”; the calamity of a hostile invasion by the Assyrians shall be like an inundation, which in a short time overflows a whole country. And it shall be cast out and drowned — the inhabitants of the land shall be cast out of their possessions, or the land itself shall be overwhelmed as by the flood, or rather, the river of Egypt, that is, as Egypt is by the inundation of the river Nile.

JIV NOTE: As to whether this infers a comparison to the annual flooding of the Nile in Egypt or an End Time phenomenon is unclear.

 The remainder of Amos 8 is a description of Israel’s end as a kingdom. However, there are some clarifications that need to be discussed in the remaining few verses of chapter 8.

Amos 8:9 has already been discussed as to the sun being covered and darkness brought upon the land. Let’s add to this thought…It is similar to the Son of Man (Jesus) no longer being exemplified in the lands of the earth in End Time. The lands of the U.S.A. have already gone far down this road in public places; God or Jesus is disallowed. Even the good of the Ten Commandments have long since been removed from public display as a religious symbol, not a guide to descent living in societies.

V10: The end will be obvious. Like as in the loss of an only son, the family line ends. This mindset will pervade End Time society as a place of no return and lost hope. 10c: “…and the end thereof as a bitter day.” All hope for a future or prosperity is gone. This drips with End Time prophecy of this world.

V11: “…a famine in the land.” Not a famine of bread (food) but of the desire for the Word of God. Clarification: the word “hearing” does not mean it isn’t available. It is shâma‛ which means “to listen intelligently; to perceive and obey”. Today’s church is in the muck and midst of this today. Many of those who claim Christianity do so at the expense of shâma‛.

V12: The King James Version they uses the wander as in…”They shall wander from sea to sea; north to east…” A lack of understanding this SINGLE WORD (wander/ nûa‛) renders a false appreciation and application for the truth of this verse. It does not mean a true seeking but it means a wavering; an up and down; a going away from; vagabond. This is not in contrast to the previous verse but in sync with it. Shâma‛ and nûa‛ when in the same sentence means to bounce between right and wrong; to not settle on actuality but to prefer one’s personal realities and perceptions.

V13: “…they shall faint from thirst.” It will be like the well is right in front of them but they have no means or understanding as to how to pull it from the depths and quench their thirst for understanding; no future of promise. How sad this will be in End Time. We could write an entire commentary on this verse alone.

V14: A general read through of this last verse in Amos 8 as is the usual in bible reading programs leaves too much of its context missing. Simply put, this verse means the promise of this world’s gods (purpose to which one is committed) of prosperity and security will be recognized as false. People will try to put their confidence in the realm of religion instead of the One True God.

Rev. Dr. Jstark – 2020

Amos Chapter 7

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Before delving into commentary per chapter 7 of Amos, here are a few pieces of knowledge to help think through what is going on per the Northern Kingdom of Israel and what God has said in previous bible books.

  1. The ruler at this time is Jeroboam II. He is not the first ruler of the divided nation of Israel but a later namesake.
  2. There has been 12 previous kings over the Northern kingdom up to the time of Amos (Amos: around 760 to 755 B.C.)
    1. *Jehu [father]
      1. II Kings 10:30 tells us because he did some things well in the eyes of God Jehu was promised a son on the throne of northern Israel to the 4th generation.
      1. He fulfilled Gods desire to destroy the house of Ahab, king during the time of Elijah and Jezebel, a very evil king of Israel; i.e. meaning “some things done well in the eyes of God.”
      1. Each of his four descendant kings were evil in the eyes of God
    1. Jehoahaz [son to Jehu]
    1. Joash (aka: Jehoash; grandson to Jehu)
    1. Jeroboam II (great-grandson to Jehu; this is the time of Amos’s prophecies)
    1. Zechariah (great-great grandson to Jehu; dynasty ends with his assassination)
  3. As in the book of Hosea, a contemporary of Amos, “Religion” was prospering but Faith in the one true God YHWH was just another form of a religious practice.
  4. Jonah [of the great fish] preached in Nineveh during this same time in history.
  5. Amos was from the Kingdom of Judah. Hosea was from the Kingdom of Israel.
  6. Assyria and Damascus were battling each other which allowed time for Israel to prosper economically. However, once Damascus fell to Assyria, Amos’ prophecy of doom to Israel came true…about 32 years later.

Regarding the roles of Amos and Hosea (perhaps we should include Jonah to Nineveh) is best stated by Spurgeon:

The breath which causes the music is the same, but no two of the instruments give forth precisely the same sound. It is true they all utter the words of God; but each voice has its own special cry, so that though God is pre-eminently seen, yet the man is not lost” (Spurgeon).

Odd as it may appear, Amos thwarted the immediacy of God’s judgement on this northern kingdom by interceding in prayer for them. He did NOT excuse their actions but asked God to hold off on HIS judging them so harshly; buying time for his prophecies to them to sink in and possibly take root [verses 7:1 & 2]. They had the plague of locust eating up their crops. The first mowing had already happened; i.e. the portion goes to the rulers and leaders. The second mowing is remnant crop for the people. God allowed an overabundance of locusts to “eat it up.” Amos 7:2b tells us that Amos pleaded in prayer to not diminish the people by starvation.

Amos 7:3 is an example of when God “changed his mind.” People who try to set God in iron clad dictates suggest he is unwilling to change or listen to our pleas. 7:3 exposes the falseness of such doctrine. God changing his mind is repeated in the next few verses; 7:4-6. God had not changed his mind about punishing the people of the Kingdom of Israel but the methodology. The second time it was destruction by fire. Amos pleaded once again in prayer to not have this happen. God obliged him.

Amos 7:5 per the phrase “Jacob is small” is debated in multiple commentaries. Many don’t even address this statement. Such avoidance begs the question, why ignore it? Amos identifying “Jacob” (Israel) as small, perhaps is a comparison with Jacob’s twin brother Esau. Robert L. Hubbard puts it this way:

“Israel is called Jacob, a reminder that he was the smaller, younger one to Esau in Isaac’s family; God had deliberately chosen him and therefore was obligated to stand by him in his helplessness.”

The Hebrew for smaller is qâṭân. It can mean diminutive in quantity, size or number (Strong’s H6995). However qâṭân is abbreviated from the Hebrew koot. That means “cut off, detested, be grieved or loathed of self”. At ahabiblemoments we suggest it is the latter. Why? There was a great divide between the wealthy and those in poverty in Israel. This is one of the callings of Amos to prophecy in this northern kingdom; the rich taking advantage of their own; loathed by their countrymen; those who are looked down upon and without true justice.

PLUM LINE

Next [7:7] Amos sees God with a plum line. Such a tool is used to assure a wall is true vertically; straight as it stands; upright. It is used on all walls, not just the lead wall. It is a way to assure each wall is up to standards. In this case it was to see if Israel as individuals stood upright. The ones not standing according to God’s standards is corrected or removed. Within but a few more years, this is exactly what the invading Assyrians did. They removed those who did not measure up to God’s standards never to find them again united until the return of Jesus Christ at his millennial reign. The Assyrians were not of God but used by God for this purpose. Yes Israel exists today but not all Israelis live or are yet called back to this Promised Land.

In Amos 7:9 we find that “Isaac” is mentioned. Now we have both Jacob [v5] and Isaac [v7] mentioned in chapter 7. This must hold significance. It is Israelis within the context of Jacob and Isaac, their progenitors; they being the standard or plum line. Amos twice pleaded the case against destruction; by locust and fire. God relented both times. This use of a plum line allowed Amos to visualize the uprightness of his northern cousins. Verse 8b is chilling. It literally means to “not forgive them anymore; no more mercy” [Jamieson-Fausset-Brown; Adam Clarke].

The high places Israel used were of legend and ancestry. Abram and Isaac had established these same “high places” to offer sacrifices to God. The delinquent northern Kingdom some 1,000 years later used these “high places” to offer idol sacrifices. It is easy to understand God’s wrath upon them for this. [See Jamison-Faussett-Brown Commentary; V9] Their time of Amos purpose of sacrificing on these “high places” was two-fold: to prevent the northern Israelis from venturing to Jerusalem and the Temple; one that did not yet exist during the times of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and to offer an alternative religion.

Amaziah versus Amos: The chief priest [in Bethel] of the north was greatly concerned about the influence of Amos on the Israelis of the northern kingdom. He wanted Amos to GO HOME; return to the southern kingdom from which he came. Amaziah brought charges against Amos to King Jeroboam. This is mixed with a little fake news in verse 11.

File:Jeroboam-seal.jpgAmos 7:11 is the key verse: [ASV] For thus Amos saith, Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of his land. Commentaries are mixed on the meaning of this statement by Amos. Some say the “death by sword” only referred to the family of King Jeroboam; not him. Jeroboam did die of natural causes [2 Kings 14:9]

Ahamoment: Under Jeroboam II Israel enjoyed one of its most prosperous periods of political and economic security. The prophet Jonah, who had anointed Jeroboam’s great-grandfather Jehu, was still alive at that time…It was [also] an age of corruption in which wealth and power ruled the day. [Jewish History; https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/464005/jewish/Jeroboam-II.htm] This makes Amos, Hosea, and Jonah contemporaries.

At this point let us recall: “I will stir up a nation against you, O house of Israel, that will oppress you all the way from Lebo Hamath to the valley of the Arabah” (Amos 6:13-14). This happened about 40 years later in 722 b.c.

The balance of Amos 7 is the chief priest telling Amos to return to Judah and calling him a prophet [seer]. Jeremiah makes it clear that God called him from being a caretaker of sheep and fig trees to warn Israel of pending doom. He was, in a sense, just a layperson.

Jstark – 2020