Verses 1-3 Hear this word, ye kine of Bashan, that are in the mountain of Samaria, which oppress the poor, which crush the needy, which say to their masters, Bring, and let us drink. 2 The Lord GOD hath sworn by his holiness, that, lo, the days shall come upon you, that he will take you away with hooks, and your posterity with fishhooks. 3 And ye shall go out at the breaches, every cow at that which is before her; and ye shall cast them into the palace, saith the LORD.
Bashan was an area east of the Jordan which had been given to the half tribe of Manasseh when the land was divided up among the 12 tribes of Israel. It was known for its soil fertility and the name means “fruitful”. The Hebrew word translated as “kine” is “parah” and it means a cow or heifer. Since heifers were not going to hear the Word of the LORD or oppress the poor, the prophet Amos must have intended the critters to be representative of or metaphor for something else. So the general thinking is that the heifers or kine were representative of the wealthy women of Israel who were living in luxury and who were cruel to the needy people around them. Israel was going to be punished and God swore by His holiness which made the coming punishment inevitable. Historically, Israel was carried away captive by the Assyrians in 722 BC and the Assyrians were a cruel and ruthless people who would put rings in their captives’ noses, lips, and jaws and then lead them around. They were known to skin their victims alive and then set fire to them, and they would cut off hands, feet, noses, ears and gouge out captives’ eyes. So these women were destined, because of their sin and indifference to their fellow people to be dragged away captive by being pulled with rings or hooks, much as a cow could be lead with a nose ring.
Verses 4-5 Come to Bethel, and transgress; at Gilgal multiply transgression; and bring your sacrifices every morning, and your tithes after three years: 5 And offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving with leaven, and proclaim and publish the free offerings: for this liketh you, O ye children of Israel, saith the Lord GOD.
Remember that Bethel means house of God and it was a place of worship until idols were built and it became spiritually polluted. Gilgal means “a wheel or rolling”. There are two places in Scripture that were called Gilgal. One was the first site of an Israelite camp west of the Jordan and east of Jericho. This place was visited by the prophet Samuel as he traveled around and judged the nation, and it was here that Saul was made king. It was later used for heathen worship which was forbidden by God. The second Gilgal was a dwelling place of prophets that was located about four miles from Bethel. It seems likely that this is the Gilgal the prophet Amos is referring to because of its proximity to Bethel. So the priests with the support of the prophets who were not following God’s specifications regarding worship and sacrifice could go to Bethel and offer burnt sacrifices with leaven which was prohibited by the LORD. Leaven was representative of sin. “No meat offering, which ye shall bring unto the LORD, shall be made with leaven: for ye shall burn no leaven, nor any honey, in any offering of the LORD made by fire.” Leviticus 2:11
Verses 6-8 And I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all your places: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. 7 And also I have withholden the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest: and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city: one piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered. 8 So two or three cities wandered unto one city, to drink water; but they were not satisfied: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.
The Hebrew word translated as “want” is “chocer” and it means want or lack of. Cleanness of teeth in the context of having a lack of bread, which is food in general as well as grain products, indicates that God brought a situation of hunger in the cities in an effort to get the Israelites’ attention and that this was to no avail. So then He stopped the rain in certain areas so that crops would not grow and flourish. This created a situation where people migrated to the cities where it had rained for food and water instead of seeking their God in repentance and humility. And the cities that had water could not meet the needs of the added population. Facing a water and food shortage did not cause repentance from evil. Other problems from the migration of people into the cities would be housing, garbage, inadequate hygiene, and an increased cost in everything as the people in the cities would want to make a profit from other’s misfortune.
Application: Notice that God did not withhold rain on all of Israel. He is a good and kind God, not wanting any to perish. He did a strategic reduction in rain water to try to get Israel to see their need for the only true God. But they were too willful, stubborn, and proud. God seeks people today in similar ways. Only when people have exhausted their own plans and abilities will they possibly turn to Him for help. And some people never humble themselves and turn to the LORD. Remember, a little discipline from God in this life can save a trip to Hell in the next. So repent and surrender to His Lordship.
Verses 9-10 I have smitten you with blasting and mildew: when your gardens and your vineyards and your fig trees and your olive trees increased, the palmerworm devoured them: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. 10 I have sent among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt: your young men have I slain with the sword, and have taken away your horses; and I have made the stink of your camps to come up unto your nostrils: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.
God then sent pests/insects and disease to destroy their crops and that did not get the Israelites’ attention. God also caused military failure and defeat with the casualties of young men and horses, but still no repentance.
Verses 11-13 I have overthrown some of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were as a firebrand plucked out of the burning: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. 12 Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel. 13 For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, The LORD, The God of hosts, is his name. (Amos 4)
Even with the removal of power as a nation, Israel refused God’s call to repentance. Therefore, God had no choice but to deal harshly with them, and in these verses above, He warns them to prepare to meet Him. But the people continued to defy the God that created them and everything else they could see, taste, hear, touch and smell. From the outside looking in, the people of Israel were displaying physical and spiritual insanity.
Application: These verses are powerful verses. Who is man that he thinks he can go against the will of a righteous God who is all powerful, who formed the shape of the Earth, who creates the wind, and who knows each individual’s thoughts? All of mankind will meet God either in this physical life or in the life to come. For those who accept His ruler-ship, this life and the one to come will be glorious. For those who, like ancient Israel and the nation Israel today, reject His ruler-ship, this life and the life to come will be one of judgement and punishment. The choice to submit to the LORD is that of each man or woman. But the Christian believer needs to prepare to meet his/her God everyday so that there will be no sin in the believer’s life coming between him/her and a righteous God.
Application: Christian believers can fall away slowly like the nation Israel and forget their God and all His benefits. He will try to pull them back over time, but He will not do so forever. Believers need to constantly assess their walk/relationship with their Creator and stay in love with Him. He has given so much for their souls and continues to bless His people everyday.
Note: for those people who are “hung up” on the name of God, it will be stated here as it has been stated elsewhere in this study site that God has many names. The names have meaning and describe the character of God. In verse 13 God describes Himself as “the LORD”. The Hebrew word translated as LORD is “Yahovah” pronounced Jehovah and it means “the existing One”. So one characteristic of God Almighty is that He exists and always has. The Hebrew word translates as “God” is “elohiym” which is plural and which reveals the ways in which the LORD reveals or manifests Himself to mankind. There is not three Gods as is taught by Catholicism, but one and only one God who reveals Himself as Father in the Spirit, as Jesus in the flesh on this Earth, and as the Holy Ghost in the Spirit which inhabits all believers. The Hebrew word translated as “hosts” is “tsaba” and it means an army or that which goes forth: a host of angels, the sun, moon and stars, or the whole creation. So God who formed the mountains and creates the wind is Who is in charge and in control over all creation and all mankind. He is God Almighty. “And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.” Revelation 4:8 “And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.” Exodus 6:3