Amos 2:9-16
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.
When Israel came out of Egypt and crossed the Jordan into
the land of Canaan, then God began to move out the false religions.
There were seven Canaanite nations and the Amorites were the chief tribe.
They were descended from Anak which were giants.
These are the people that the 12 spies saw and ten of them did not want
to cross over in fear of them.
{28} Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the
land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the
children of Anak there. {29} The
Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites,
and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea,
and by the coast of Jordan. {30}
And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and
possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.
{31} But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up
against the people; for they are stronger than we.
(Numbers 13:28-31)
They were not only giants but they were also strong
according to their height. God
destroyed them from the fruit from above, that is, the leaders of the Amorites
as well as the parents with their children who would grow up and become
idolaters and would remain the enemies of Israel.
So the children would be the roots making sure none were left to grow up
into another tribe.
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.
Not only did the LORD bring them up out of bondage in
Egypt but he led and guided them for forty years as they wandered through the
wilderness because of their fear of entering the land when they were only 11
days out of Egypt. Then after their
wandering, God then brought them into the land which was the whole land.
The land of the Amorite was a metaphor for the whole land of Canaan.
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.
God raised up many prophets to guide the nation of Israel
once they were settled in the land since they were always susceptible to going
after the false gods of the false religions.
The prophets were sent to them to keep them on the right track but they
killed all the prophets. Amos was
murdered by the son of Amaziah who was a priest at Beth-el who lived during the
reign of Jeroboam II. Then there
was the Nazarites which were a sect that rejected the earthly pleasures and who
became an example of piety to the other younger men.
Then the LORD asks them the question basically can you deny all these
things which I have done for you?
Amos 2:12
But ye gave the Nazarites wine to drink; and commanded
the prophets, saying, Prophesy not.
Then God indicts them on how they corrupted both the
Nazarites and the prophets. The
Nazarites were not supposed to drink wine which was part of their vow but the
corrupted leaders had seduced them to drink wine and to partake of all the
things they were not supposed to partake of, which was the sensual things of the
world. Then the prophets which were
sent to Israel had denounced their message and had commanded them not to
prophesy the truth the LORD had given to bring to them.
{10} Which say to the seers, See
not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us
smooth things, prophesy deceits:
{11} Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of
Israel to cease from before us.
(Isaiah 30:10-11) Amos was also
told to get out of Israel by the very one who would soon become his executioner.
Also Amaziah said unto Amos, O
thou seer, go, flee thee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and
prophesy there: (Amos 7:12)
This same situation happens in the church all the time.
A Christian brings the truth of God and they are the ones who are
escorted out the door.
Amos 2:13
Behold, I am pressed under you, as a cart is pressed that
is full of sheaves.
With the weight of their sins, God is telling them that
he has reached the end of his patience with them.
The cart full of sheaves is showing the heavy weight the cart would have
if it was harvest time. The harvest
time is saying that the sins of Israel have become white like wool as they were
warned by Isaiah.
Come now, and let us reason together,
saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;
though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
(Isaiah 1:18) Isaiah
1:18 is not a salvation verse but a warning to Israel about their sins.
God is using the disease of leprosy as an example that it starts out as a
red spot and if the disease matures, then the person’s skin turns white.
And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became
leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she
was leprous. (Numbers 12:10)
The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for
ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow. (2
Kings 5:27)
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:
Then God warns them that when the judgment of Israel
comes, those who think they are very fast will not be able to outrun the
judgment. Those who are very
physically strong will also not be able to increase their strength to the point
of resisting the coming judgment.
The mighty, that is, the great warriors among them along with the leaders and
the rich men will not be able to do anything to deliver themselves from the
coming judgment.
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.
Then God turns to those who handle the bow, that is, the
archers who would be very proficient in their profession.
This no doubt would be a statement saying that all the military might
which could be mustered would never be able to stop the invasion.
This is a repeated warning that those who are fast and agile on their
feet may try to escape but they will fail in their attempts.
Then God points out that the cavalry will not be able to stop or repel
the invaders. The cavalry was the
shock troops who made invasion very quick like the Blitzkrieg which means “flash
war.” They will have no repelling
effect on the invaders.
Amos 2:16
And he that is courageous among the mighty shall flee
away naked in that day, saith the LORD.