Amos 1:1 The words of Amos, who was among the herdmen of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.
This book records the prophecies of Amos, who is identified as a herdman or shepherd of Tekoa, a small town about 12 miles south of Jerusalem. The NIV commentary made note that the Hebrew indicates that he probably was a breeder and supplier of sheep and cattle. In doing a word search on Amos, I found that he also identified himself as a “gatherer of sycomore fruit” (7:14).
More often than not we find that God chooses the most unlikely of candidates to serve Him as prophets.
I loved Ironside’s thoughts about Amos: “Amos had no thought of becoming, or being recognized, as a prophet, as men today select ‘the ministry’ as a profession. He would doubtless have been quite content to pursue his humble avocation as a small farmer, or possibly a mere farmer’s hand or assistant, to the end of his life, if such had been the mind of God for him. But as he followed the flock, his soul was communing with Jehovah. As he gathered the wild figs of the wilderness, his heart was meditating on the great issues of the soul’s relationship to God and the importance of walking in His ways. As he tended the herds he was learning wondrous lessons of a faithful Creator’s love and care. And so, when for him ‘the fulness of time was come,’ the Lord, so to speak, kindled the already prepared fuel into a flame, and the humble herdman became a mighty, Spirit-energized prophet of God, not only to his own people, but to all Israel and the nations around.”
Guzik: “Amos was from Tekoa, a city about ten miles from Jerusalem. It seems that he delivered his prophetic message at Bethel, one of the southernmost cities of Israel – not very far from Tekoa.”
Amos 7:12–13 “Also Amaziah said unto Amos, O thou seer, go, flee thee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there: But prophesy not again any more at Bethel: for it is the king’s chapel, and it is the king’s court.”
Amos prophesied during the reigns of King Uzziah in Judah and King Jeroboam, the son of Joash, in Israel. It was a time of great financial prosperity in both kingdoms, but also a time of great spiritual corruption, especially in the Northern Kingdom. In fact, his prophecies began in a specific timeframe—“two years before the earthquake.” Evidently, Israel experienced a huge earthquake in ancient times that served as a reference in time for years to come due to its extreme impact on the nation, and according to scripture, will experience a few more in the last seven years before Jesus comes back to establish His kingdom on earth.
An apparent worldwide quake with the opening of the 6th seal judgment
Revelation 6:12-15 “And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains….”
When the two witnesses are resurrected 3.5 days after their death
Revelation 11:13 “And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.”
As part of the 7th trumpet judgment
Revelation 11:15 & 19 “And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever….And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.”
As part of the 7th bowl judgment
Revelation 16:18-19 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.
They were still talking about the earthquake Amos referenced over 200 years later as detailed in the prophecies of Zechariah.
Zechariah 14:5 “And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.”
Point is made that his message was directed specifically to Israel, the Northern Kingdom.
Amos 1:2 And he said, The LORD will roar from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the habitations of the shepherds shall mourn, and the top of Carmel shall wither.
It’s almost like the prophet was setting up his word picture. Just like the earthquake struck suddenly and destructively, YHWH, the self-existent, eternal God, the God of Israel, is going to roar from Zion in judgment. When He strikes, it will strike fear in everyone—from the shepherds in the fields and valleys to the top of Mount Carmel. As you continue to read through the first couple of chapters, it becomes clear that the prophet gets the attention of the people by first declaring judgment on the surrounding nations, but continues to circle in until the focus is directly on Israel.
Amos 1:3 Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron:
Amos 1:4 But I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, which shall devour the palaces of Benhadad.
Amos 1:5 I will break also the bar of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitant from the plain of Aven, and him that holdeth the sceptre from the house of Eden: and the people of Syria shall go into captivity unto Kir, saith the LORD.
“for three…and for four” – Although I could find nothing definitive, the consensus seem to be that this is an idiom that simply pictures continual sin. Wiersbe posits that it is “a Hebrew idiom that means ‘an indefinite number that has finally come to the end.”
I also came across a note by Bob Utley that was interesting in reference to this expression. “The numbers three and four equals seven, which is another Old Testament way to show completeness; the sins of these nations were full/complete.”
Amos first delivers God’s message concerning Damascus, the capital of Syria, representing the whole. They will face judgment because of their treatment of the people in Gilead, the general land area east of the Jordan River between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. It is basically the land area that is today known as the Golan Heights.
Grain was beaten or threshed to separate the grain from waste product of the plant, and this is a word picture of Syria’s treatment of the people of Israel that lived in this region. Being threshed with instruments of iron would indicate extremely harsh treatment. According to 2Kings, Hazael and Benhadad made reference to a father and the son that succeeded him as king.
2Kings 13:3 “And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he delivered them into the hand of Hazael king of Syria, and into the hand of Benhadad the son of Hazael, all their days.”
“Sending fire” is a picture of coming judgment that will destroy the palaces of the king. Destruction will extend to the plain of Aven and the house of Eden. The end result would be that the people would be taken captive to Kir. 2Kings records the fulfillment of this prophecy.
2Kings 16:9 “And the king of Assyria hearkened unto him: for the king of Assyria went up against Damascus, and took it, and carried the people of it captive to Kir, and slew Rezin.”
This action by Assyria was actually in response to a plea for help from Ahaz, King of Judah, against a joint attack by Israel and Syria. The prophet Isaiah also prophesied concerning this event.
Isaiah 7:8-9 “For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin; and within threescore and five years shall Ephraim be broken, that it be not a people. And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah’s son. If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established.”
Amos 1:6 Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Gaza, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they carried away captive the whole captivity, to deliver them up to Edom:
Amos 1:7 But I will send a fire on the wall of Gaza, which shall devour the palaces thereof:
Amos 1:8 And I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, and him that holdeth the sceptre from Ashkelon, and I will turn mine hand against Ekron: and the remnant of the Philistines shall perish, saith the Lord GOD.
The prophet now delivers a prophecy of judgment to come against Gaza, representing the territory of the Philistines that included what we know today as the Gaza Strip. The Philistines were perpetual enemies of God’s people. Reference is made in 2Chronicles of their capturing some of the cities of Israel. According to this prophecy, they sold their captives for profit to the Edomites.
2Chronicles 28:18 “The Philistines also had invaded the cities of the low country, and of the south of Judah, and had taken Bethshemesh, and Ajalon, and Gederoth, and Shocho with the villages thereof, and Timnah with the villages thereof, Gimzo also and the villages thereof: and they dwelt there.”
The wall of a city was its primary defense. When God sends His fire of judgment, it will be no protection for the palaces of the Philistines. Ashdod, Ashkelon and Ekron were three other of the primary Philistine cities. The prophet is declaring that God’s judgment will prove to be the demise of the Philistine nation. Zephaniah also prophesied the destruction of the Philistines.
Zephaniah 2:4-5 “For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation: they shall drive out Ashdod at the noon day, and Ekron shall be rooted up. Woe unto the inhabitants of the sea coast, the nation of the Cherethites! the word of the LORD is against you; O Canaan, the land of the Philistines, I will even destroy thee, that there shall be no inhabitant.”
Amos 1:9 Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Tyrus, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they delivered up the whole captivity to Edom, and remembered not the brotherly covenant:
Amos 1:10 But I will send a fire on the wall of Tyrus, which shall devour the palaces thereof.
The prophet now turns his message toward Tyre. Tyre had initially been an ally of Israel in the time of King David and had supplied much of the material that was used in the building of David’s palace and the temple.
2Samuel 5:11 “And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, and carpenters, and masons: and they built David an house.”
1Kings 5:5-8 “And, behold, I purpose to build an house unto the name of the LORD my God, as the LORD spake unto David my father, saying, Thy son, whom I will set upon thy throne in thy room, he shall build an house unto my name. Now therefore command thou that they hew me cedar trees out of Lebanon; and my servants shall be with thy servants: and unto thee will I give hire for thy servants according to all that thou shalt appoint: for thou knowest that there is not among us any that can skill to hew timber like unto the Sidonians. And it came to pass, when Hiram heard the words of Solomon, that he rejoiced greatly, and said, Blessed be the LORD this day, which hath given unto David a wise son over this great people. And Hiram sent to Solomon, saying, I have considered the things which thou sentest to me for: and I will do all thy desire concerning timber of cedar, and concerning timber of fir.”
At some point they broke their covenant of friendship. They also took captives from the people of Israel and sold them for profit. They too would experience the fire of God’s judgment and their palaces destroyed. History reveals this prophecy to have been fulfilled by the attack of Alexander the Great.
In my studies of Isaiah (see journal on chapter 23) and Ezekiel (see journal on chapters 26-28), there were much more detailed passages declaring judgment against Tyre. One thing that stood out from those passages was that the destruction of Tyre would have a great impact on the nations since it seemed to be the center of trade in the Mediterranean world. Another thing that stood out was the strong influence that Satan had upon its ruler.
Amos 1:11 Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he did pursue his brother with the sword, and did cast off all pity, and his anger did tear perpetually, and he kept his wrath for ever:
Amos 1:12 But I will send a fire upon Teman, which shall devour the palaces of Bozrah.
The focus of God’s message is now directed to Edom, which was located in part of the area that is known today as Jordan that is adjacent to the southern part of Israel. The Edomites were kinsman of the Israelites as descendants of Esau, Jacob’s brother. They were constantly looking to cause harm to Israel. “He kept his wrath forever” seems to reference a jealousy that began with Esau. Even though Esau made peace with Jacob, his descendants seem to have continued to carry a grudge throughout their history. They had absolutely no brotherly love for their cousins. God is declaring that Edom will experience the fire of His judgment and the destruction of their seat of power also. In looking at Constable’s quote, maybe this is just the prophet’s way of referencing the whole of Edom.
Constable: “Teman was both a village and a southern region in Edom, but here the region is probably in view. Bozrah was a northern city.”
The prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel also prophesied judgment for Edom.
Jeremiah 49:17-18 “Also Edom shall be a desolation: every one that goeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss at all the plagues thereof. As in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighbour cities thereof, saith the LORD, no man shall abide there, neither shall a son of man dwell in it.”
Ezekiel 25:12-14 “Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because that Edom hath dealt against the house of Judah by taking vengeance, and hath greatly offended, and revenged himself upon them; Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; I will also stretch out mine hand upon Edom, and will cut off man and beast from it; and I will make it desolate from Teman; and they of Dedan shall fall by the sword. And I will lay my vengeance upon Edom by the hand of my people Israel: and they shall do in Edom according to mine anger and according to my fury; and they shall know my vengeance, saith the Lord GOD.”
Emphasis is made that the destruction of Edom will be complete.
Johnson: “The infliction of the penalty, in one sense, occurred when the Maccabees in the year 150 destroyed the kingdom.”
Amos 1:13 Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of the children of Ammon, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have ripped up the women with child of Gilead, that they might enlarge their border:
Amos 1:14 But I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah, and it shall devour the palaces thereof, with shouting in the day of battle, with a tempest in the day of the whirlwind:
Amos 1:15 And their king shall go into captivity, he and his princes together, saith the LORD.
The prophet’s message is now directed toward Ammon, which is the region to the north of Edom that borders Gilead. They too were kinsman of Israel as descendants of Lot, Abraham’s nephew. They were so ruthless in their greed for more land that they even killed pregnant women by ripping open their stomachs. The wording makes us cringe, but abortion today is just as brutal to the unborn child as what these people did.
It seems that from the earliest times, men have imagined and inflicted the most horrendous acts against their fellowman. From the Assyrians skinning people alive to those who would sacrifice their children to false gods burning them alive to the Ammonites ripping apart pregnant women to Nero burning Christians alive as candles to Hitler’s awful crematoriums. I just don’t get it. What possible satisfaction does that give one? I’m convinced it has to be demonically inspired.
God declares that the fire of His judgment is coming upon the wall of Rabbah, which seems to have been the main city of Ammon. Their destruction is pictured as coming like a sudden, powerful whirlwind or tornado. The end result will be that their king and his princes are taken captive. Three prophets, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Zephaniah pronounced God’s judgment against Ammon as well.
Jeremiah 49:2-3 “Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will cause an alarm of war to be heard in Rabbah of the Ammonites; and it shall be a desolate heap, and her daughters shall be burned with fire: then shall Israel be heir unto them that were his heirs, saith the LORD. Howl, O Heshbon, for Ai is spoiled: cry, ye daughters of Rabbah, gird you with sackcloth; lament, and run to and fro by the hedges; for their king shall go into captivity, and his priests and his princes together. “
Ezekiel 25:3-7 “And say unto the Ammonites, Hear the word of the Lord GOD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou saidst, Aha, against my sanctuary, when it was profaned; and against the land of Israel, when it was desolate; and against the house of Judah, when they went into captivity; Behold, therefore I will deliver thee to the men of the east for a possession, and they shall set their palaces in thee, and make their dwellings in thee: they shall eat thy fruit, and they shall drink thy milk. And I will make Rabbah a stable for camels, and the Ammonites a couchingplace for flocks: and ye shall know that I am the LORD. For thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou hast clapped thine hands, and stamped with the feet, and rejoiced in heart with all thy despite against the land of Israel; Behold, therefore I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and will deliver thee for a spoil to the heathen; and I will cut thee off from the people, and I will cause thee to perish out of the countries: I will destroy thee; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD.”
Zephaniah 2:8-10 “I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the revilings of the children of Ammon, whereby they have reproached my people, and magnified themselves against their border. Therefore as I live, saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, even the breeding of nettles, and saltpits, and a perpetual desolation: the residue of my people shall spoil them, and the remnant of my people shall possess them. This shall they have for their pride, because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the people of the LORD of hosts.”
Amos identifies greed as the motive for the actions of Ammon; they wanted to increase their borders. Ezekiel tells us that God was angered by their delight in the destruction of Israel and the captivity of Judah. Zephaniah emphasizes that their actions against Israel were predicated on their desire to dishonor God and that their destruction would be complete.
Constable: “Ammon"s final demise came when Nebuchadnezzar sacked Rabbah and took many of Ammon"s citizens captive to Babylon around 586 B.C. The last reference to them is the Ammonites" defeat by Judas Maccabeus in the second century B.C. (1Maccabees 5:6-7).”
Amos 2:1 Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Moab, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime:
Amos 2:2 But I will send a fire upon Moab, and it shall devour the palaces of Kerioth: and Moab shall die with tumult, with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet:
Amos 2:3 And I will cut off the judge from the midst thereof, and will slay all the princes thereof with him, saith the LORD.
Moab is the next nation to whom the prophet directs his message from YHWH. It occupies the land area between Ammon and Edom. Moab faces judgment because of her lack of respect for the dead body of the king of Edom. I would assume that the nation merited judgment because of a general national spirit of approval and satisfaction in this act. This is a very thought-provoking judgment. We know that man is made in the image of God and that God alone has the right to end a human’s life or to establish the appropriate guidelines by which one can take another’s life. One translation makes specific reference to desecration of a grave to accomplish their purpose. It actually makes more sense to me that they burned him alive. The Hebrew can reference the body in general or the bones specifically. Scripture also declares that it is God who sets up kings and takes them down. If my logic is correct, then this would mean that Moab disregarded God’s authority on two counts. This would be a major example of the pride of the people of Moab as declared by the prophet Jeremiah.
Jeremiah 48:29 & 42 “We have heard the pride of Moab, (he is exceeding proud) his loftiness, and his arrogancy, and his pride, and the haughtiness of his heart….And Moab shall be destroyed from being a people, because he hath magnified himself against the LORD.”
I think it is interesting to note that this judgment is a result of actions taken by a Gentile nation against another Gentile nation. It’s a clear statement of God’s authority over all peoples—not just the Israelites. The wording of Jeremiah 48:42 indicates to me that the people of Moab were acting in direct rejection of the authority of Almighty God.
Kerioth is evidently one of the ruling cities in Moab and was singled out for judgment. It makes me think that those who burned the body of the King of Edom probably came from this city. Point is made, however, that the whole of Moab would be destroyed to the extent that there were no qualified men to rule as judges or princes in the land. This would indicate that this evil act was in line with the morals of the people as a whole.
Amos 2:4 Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have despised the law of the LORD, and have not kept his commandments, and their lies caused them to err, after the which their fathers have walked:
Amos 2:5 But I will send a fire upon Judah, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem.
The LORD’s message is now directed to Judah. Can’t you just see the smug looks on the faces of the Israelites, or could there actually be some who recognize that they are the next ones to whom God will direct His attention. Judah’s sin is public and in direct rejection of God. They have disregarded God’s laws. I think the NLT has it right regarding the last part of verse 4—They have also “been led astray by the same lies that deceived their ancestors.” I think this is a reference to how they allowed themselves to be seduced by false prophets and lured into idol worship.
This is yet another verse that declares the importance of the fact that the way we live our life is a major influence on our family. It’s also a statement regarding the responsibility of the individual before the Lord. They may have been subject to the bad example of their parents and grandparents, but they were not ignorant of God’s laws; they made their own choice to reject God’s authority in their life. God’s judgment on Judah seems to be directed toward their physical property. Following false teaching and worshipping idols always directs one’s thinking toward material possessions and away from spiritual treasures.
This judgment was fulfilled when Nebuchadnezzar took the people of Judah captive, beginning in 605 BC and ending with the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC.
Guzik: “Since the word of God brings us truth, when we despise and disobey God’s word we naturally embrace and follow lies. You can’t reject the truth without grabbing hold of a lie.”
Wiersbe: “The Gentiles had sinned against conscience and the laws of brotherhood and humanity, but the Israelites had despised and rejected the very laws of God, given to them by Moses. Theirs was the greater sin, for greater privilege always bring greater responsibility.”
Amos 2:6 Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes;
Amos 2:7 That pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, and turn aside the way of the meek: and a man and his father will go in unto the same maid, to profane my holy name:
Amos 2:8 And they lay themselves down upon clothes laid to pledge by every altar, and they drink the wine of the condemned in the house of their god.
Amos now directs the message of the LORD to Israel. The indictment against them follows.s
They have sold people into slavery and/or accepted bribes to pronounce unrighteous judgments against the righteous and the poor.
Exodus 21:16 "And he that stealeth a man, and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death.”
Deuteronomy 1:16 “And I charged your judges at that time, saying, Hear the causes between your brethren, and judge righteously between every man and his brother, and the stranger that is with him.”
They abused the poor and meek—those who could not defend themselves.
Deuteronomy 15:7 “If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother….”
They were immoral in direct defiance of God and His law. This wasn’t just sexual immorality. It was father and son in league with one another in joint defiance of God’s authority. It was complete disregard of the family structure established by God.
Leviticus 18:6-7 “None of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to him, to uncover their nakedness: I am the LORD. The nakedness of thy father, or the nakedness of thy mother, shalt thou not uncover: she is thy mother; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.”
Some commentators point out that this is in reference to making use of the same temple prostitute as they engaged in the rituals associated with their idol worship.
They kept garments given in pledge, again in direct defiance of God’s law. This would be a reference to garments given in pledge by people who were seeking help; they were needy.
Exodus 22:26-27 “If thou at all take thy neighbour’s raiment to pledge, thou shalt deliver it unto him by that the sun goeth down: For that is his covering only, it is his raiment for his skin: wherein shall he sleep? and it shall come to pass, when he crieth unto me, that I will hear; for I am gracious.”
They cheated the people for monetary gain to support their drinking habits. Several translations support the thought stated by JFB: “wine bought with the money of those whom they unjustly fined.” Constable expressed it differently: “They were using the wine that they had received as fines, or had extracted from the poor, to honor heathen gods.”
Amos 2:9 Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars, and he was strong as the oaks; yet I destroyed his fruit from above, and his roots from beneath.
Amos 2:10 Also I brought you up from the land of Egypt, and led you forty years through the wilderness, to possess the land of the Amorite.
Just to put an exclamation point on the wickedness of the people of Israel, God reminds them how He has provided for them in the past. The destruction of the Amorites and their five kings is described in Joshua 10. Their destruction was complete.
Joshua 10:40-42 “So Joshua smote all the country of the hills, and of the south, and of the vale, and of the springs, and all their kings: he left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the LORD God of Israel commanded. And Joshua smote them from Kadeshbarnea even unto Gaza, and all the country of Goshen, even unto Gibeon. And all these kings and their land did Joshua take at one time, because the LORD God of Israel fought for Israel.”
Courson: “The Lord reminds Israel that the Ammonites were destroyed for the very things they were now doing. ‘If I didn’t spare them, do you think I’m going to let you do these things indefinitely?’ He asks.”
He also reminds them of how He delivered them from slavery in Egypt and provided for them through the forty years of wilderness wanderings preceding their taking possession of the land of Canaan. Their history as recorded by Moses makes it clear that it was God’s Almighty hand that accomplished their deliverance and provided for their every need. They could take no personal credit for their achievements.
Amos 2:11 And I raised up of your sons for prophets, and of your young men for Nazarites. Is it not even thus, O ye children of Israel? saith the LORD.
Amos 2:12 But ye gave the Nazarites wine to drink; and commanded the prophets, saying, Prophesy not.
God continues to declare through the prophet how He had been faithful to raise up prophets and Nazarites to provide leadership and deliverance from their enemies. The prophets Samuel, Elijah and Nathan come to mind from their early history, as well as Samson the Nazarite. Those making a Nazarite vow were to abstain from wine or strong drink, to not cut their hair, and to avoid touching anything dead. By the time of Amos, Nazarites and prophets had succumbed to the demands of the people and had become wicked and rebellious before God. Instead of providing the righteous, godly leadership that was needed, they chose to tell the people what they wanted to hear—much like the “seeker sensitive” ministries of today. What people need to hear from the Lord is not often what they want to hear.
Side note: In my study it was interesting to find out that only 3 men are mentioned in scripture as being Nazarite’s for life—Samuel, Samson, and John the Baptist. The Nazarite vow was usually taken for a limited time period of 30-100 days.
Amos 2:13 Behold, I am pressed under you, as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves.
Amos 2:14 Therefore the flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not strengthen his force, neither shall the mighty deliver himself:
Amos 2:15 Neither shall he stand that handleth the bow; and he that is swift of foot shall not deliver himself: neither shall he that rideth the horse deliver himself.
Amos 2:16 And he that is courageous among the mighty shall flee away naked in that day, saith the LORD.
I think the KJV for verse 13 is confusing; the CJB translation makes much better sense and is supported by every other translation I checked but one: “Enough! I will make all this crush you, just as a cart overloaded with grain crushes what’s under it.”
In other words, their judgment will be in direct proportion to their sin—which is great. Even their fastest, strongest, most skilled and most courageous men will be unable to stand against the enemy. Their defeat is certain. Just as God had fought on their behalf in the past, He would now position Himself against them.