What do Amos' words mean about God, who does nothing without first revealing His secret to His prophets? And what, then, could be said, for example, about...
What do Amos' words mean about God, who does nothing without first revealing His secret to His prophets? And what, then, could be said, for example, about the creation of the world or of the human being himself? As we can see, the prophet has in mind something related not simply to God's plans, but to plans in which humanity participates, or more precisely, the people of God. In fact, even the Hebrew word usually translated into Russian as 'secret' also means 'secret council.' Then it turns out that the issue is rather a council between God and His servants. Not an eternal council, with no mysticism here, but the most ordinary kind - like a ruler consulting, when making a decision, with those to whom he will entrust its execution.
At first glance such counsel between God and people may appear somewhat strange: after all, God is sovereign in His plans. But, as we can see, God's love determines the measure of His authority over the human being and moves God to give the human being the greatest possible freedom. Speaking of freedom, we most often mean the inalienable right of fallen humanity to misuse it and turn away from God. But this is only an aberration of our spiritual vision: faithfulness to God does not turn a person into a speechless and rightless slave.
Of course, Amos himself speaks of prophets as servants. But ancient Israel knew only household slavery, in which slaves were essentially in the position of junior members of the family: of course, they had no right to vote in the family council and in this respect had no rights, but they were treated as members of the household, just like one's own underage children, who also had no right to vote but otherwise were fully counted as one's own in the house.
Such an analogy is well suited to describing the 'rights' a person has in council with God. Of course, there can be no talk of formal rights in this case, but God treats His servants with the same love with which a good master treated his household slaves. It could have been otherwise, of course, and God could have treated them as children, as a father treats sons. But for this it was necessary to overcome the consequences of the fall, and before Christ came into the world this was impossible. Yet after His coming and the manifestation of the Kingdom in the world, according to the Savior's own words spoken at the Last Supper, slaves become sons. Only hired workers remain outside the house. But this is not surprising: for they always remained outsiders to the household, both free and enslaved. And all who in one way or another belonged in the house become fully and completely their own with the coming of Christ.
3 Judgments denounced against Israel, Amo 3:1-8.
Which cannot be prevented, unless they repent, Amo 3:9-15.
3:2 Know - Chosen, adopted to be my peculiar ones.Therefore - Because you have all these obligations and abused all these mercies.
3:3 Agreed - Can you have God's presence while you walk so contrary to him?
3:5 Can a bird fall - So here for your sins, God will cast the net over you. Shall one take up a snare - The fowler will not take up the snare, before the prey be taken in it.
3:6 Afraid - Affected with the danger. Evil - Such as plague or famine. Done it - Either immediately by his own hand, or by the hands of those he employs. Whoever are the instruments, God is the principal agent. Out of his mouth both good and evil proceed.
3:7 Will do nothing - Usually the Lord doth no great thing for or against his people, without giving warning of it before it comes.
3:8 Hath roared - As a lion roareth when near his prey: so God hath terribly threatened what is near to be done. Prophesy - Amos can not but speak what he had heard.
3:9 Publish - Ye prophets invite strangers to come and observe what cause I have to do what I threaten. Tumults - The seditious counsels, and rebellious conspiracies among them. The oppressed - Multitudes of oppressed ones, as the usurpers took it to be their interest to crush all they feared or suspected. In the midst - Yea, throughout the whole kingdom of Samaria.
3:10 Store up - As men lay up wealth in their treasures, perverting judgment, first condemning the innocent, next seizing all his substance.
3:11 Therefore - Because of all the violence and rapine with other crying sins. An adversary - The Assyrian. Round about - Shall beset the whole land as one besieged city.
3:12 As the shepherd - As the shepherd doth hardly rescue a small part of a sheep or lamb from the lion, so a small part of the children of Israel, shall escape when Samaria is taken.The corner of a bed - Lying in some dark corner. Damascus - The chief city of Syria taken by Tiglath - Pilneser about the time when he wasted Israel. In a couch - Some few of the poor, shall escape, pitied by the enemy, when he finds them sick upon their couch.
3:13 Hear ye - Prophets. The God of hosts - Who is Lord of all, and hath all power in his hand.
3:14 Of Israel - The many and great transgressions of the ten tribes.
3:15 The winter - house - Which probably was in the chief city, whither the great men retired in the winter. The summer - house - The houses of pleasure, where the nobles and rich men spent the summer time.Of ivory - Beautified with ivory.
4 Oppressors threatened, Amo 4:1-3.
Idolaters given up, Amo 4:4-5.
The incorrigibleness of Israel, Amo 4:6-11.
They are still invited to repent, Amo 4:12-13.
4:1 Kine of Bashan - So Amos compares the mighty, wanton, and oppressive rulers of Israel, to those full - fed, strong, and wanton beasts which in the herds did push at, hurt, and disturb the weaker cattle.
4:2 By his holiness - By himself as he is the holy God.The days - Of famine, desolation and captivity. He - God by the Assyrian army will take you, as fish are taken with the hook.Your posterity - The children of these oppressors.
4:3 Ye - Kine of Bashan. Go out - Ye shall endeavour to make your escape. The breaches - Which the besieging enemy make in your walls, when Samaria is besieged. Before her - Taking the readiest way. The things - All the riches and ornaments of your palaces.
4:4 Come to Beth-el - A strong irony, giving them over as incorrigible.At Gilgal - Gilgal was a place where much idolatry was acted.Every morning - In the same irony God reproves their sins tho' they imitated the instituted worship at Jerusalem. Three years - God had Deu 14:28, commanded every third year that all the tithe ofthat year should be brought, and laid up in a publick store - house.
4:5 With leaven - As all the rest of your will - worship, so this also is against the express law, Lev 2:11. However, do so at your peril, try whether it will end in good. Proclaim - Publickly persuaded your people to voluntary sacrifices.
4:6 An I - The Lord who gave many blessings to win you to repentance, hath also tried what might be done by judgments.Cleanness of teeth - This is a description of famine.
4:7 When - At a season when your country most needed it.Upon one city - That you might see my hand in it, I gave rain to one city, and withheld it from the next; nay one part of the same field was watered and flourished: another part, dry and withered.
4:8 Not satisfied - Either that had not enough for them, or durst not part with it.
4:9 Increased - When they were most fruitful. Devoured - Eat up all, as is the manner of them.
4:10 Your horses - The riders being killed. The stink - So great slaughter hath been made in your camp that there were not sufficient to bury the slain.
4:11 Overthrew - By grievous and desolating judgments.As a fire - brand - Such of you as escaped were yet as fire - brands in the midst of the fire, 'till infinite mercy saved a remnant.
4:12 Therefore - In a more terrible manner will I now proceed against thee.
4:13 Declareth - Knows the thoughts of all men.The God of hosts - Whose sovereign power all creatures obey, and acts for or against us as he willeth. Let us humble ourselves before this God, and give all diligence to make him our God. For happy are the people whose God he is, and who have all this power engaged for them.