Amos 4:8-13

Amos 4:8

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.

 

Since the rains were coming down in certain cities, the inhabitants of the other cities would come to that city to get water, no doubt to fill their water pots for their own personal use.  These people were going to and fro looking for the physical water but later on Amos prophesies that they will look to and fro trying to find the true word of God.  Those other cities that had the water from the rain may not have been too quick to part with it and wanted to conserve it for themselves.  Even this situation would not cause the people to turn back to the LORD since there was a sense of dissatisfaction among the people.  They would have seen the water and even though they were not allowed to go near it, it should have been an alarm to bring them back to the LORD but their stubbornness prevented them from humbling themselves.

 

Amos 4:9

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.

 

The blasting which the LORD hit them with would have been a blight which would have come from a strong east wind.  The excessive heat would have destroyed all the corn and literally turned them into ashes especially since there was no water for them.  The mildew was like a fungus which was brought about by excess moisture.  Here the LORD is telling them that he struck them with no water and excess water and yet they did not return to the LORD.  Then the LORD had allowed their vineyards gardens to grow regularly and just before they would harvest them, God would appoint palmerworms to devour their harvest.  The palmerworm is a type of locust which has very sharp teeth that has the ability to gnaw off grass, corn, leaves of trees and even their bark.  The locust are about three inches in length and was a plague upon Egypt.  They swarm into a land and eat all the vegetation in sight.  Their swarm would be so dense that they would literally blacken the sky.

 

Amos 4:10

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.

 

Then the LORD sent pestilence upon them just as he did among the Egyptians.  Pestilence is plagues or deadly diseases.  God may have sent these among the cattle as he did among the Egyptians or he may have sent these among the people.  Some believe that the killing of the first-born in Egypt was done by means of pestilence.  The LORD also had the young men of Israel killed by the many battles they fought.  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 Ben-hadad the son of Hazael, all their days.  (2 Kings 13:3)  The enemies of Israel had stolen their horses which meant that their cavalry was no longer a lightning fast strike force but were made to fight from the ground those who would approach on horses.  The slaughters were so great the camps were smelling of human decomposition which caused a very bad smell to emanate from them and even with all of this they would not turn back to the LORD.

 

Amos 4:11

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.

 

Overthrown means to be destroyed or utterly consumed just as Sodom and Gomorrah were overthrown which meant many of them experienced utter destruction of their lives and their homes and possessions.  The firebrand was a stick which had started to burn, that is, some began to experience the judgment of God but he withheld punishment and was like a firebrand which started to burn but was pulled out of the fire.  Even though God showed mercy in some cases and total destruction in other cases, still it was not enough to return unto the LORD.

 

Amos 4:12

Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel.

 

Since God was reminding them that since he tried everything that he could to bring them to repentance and out of the false religions that nothing had worked because of their obstinate behavior.  Now since they resisted all the mercies of God, they would now face the wrath of God in judgment.  They would go through the fires of judgment and will lose everything and that will bring them face to face with the judgment of God.  They no longer will be granted any leeway in the mercies of God, it was now time for judgment.

 

Amos 4:13

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.

 

Now God declares to them his power and sovereign authority over the earth.  They had forgotten who they were dealing with since the false gods they worshipped did not have any constraints on the lifestyle they led.  Now they are going to face the true God and it is time for the reckoning.  God declares the fact that he is also the Creator which means he is also the creator of those in Israel and he has absolute power over them and can deal with them any way he sees fit.  When they see the mountains, they must realize they did not appear by themselves.  The wind was also created by God.  The wind could be a gentle breeze but could also be a violent wind as in a tornado or hurricane.  He declares to man his thoughts whether they be of good toward someone or a nation or thoughts of calamity as is about to happen to Samaria.  The morning could be a bright beginning but could turn black with a major storm or it could be black with judgment on a nation or a person.  There is an old saying, “You may put your shoes on in the morning but the Undertaker may remove them at night.” God is exalted above all the false gods worshipped in the high places and he is also high above those who are kings and rulers in every nation.  He declares the he is the LORD, that is, Jehovah who is the self-existent one.  The God of hosts means he is in total rule and authority over all the angels of Heaven and even those who rebelled with Satan.  He is also total ruler over all people on earth whether saved or unsaved.  His power is limitless.

Back