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Amos 4

The Women who Love Luxury

1 Listen to this, you cows of Bashan, who live on the mountains of Samaria.

You hurt poor people. You look after weak people badly.

You tell your husbands, 'Bring us wine to drink.'

2 The Lord Almighty has made a promise.

He is a holy God and you will have trouble.

People will use hooks to take you away.

They will put you into prison.

They will use hooks for fish to take away your children.

3 Your enemies will throw you through gaps in the city walls.

Then they will throw you away.

People will take you to Harmon. This is what the Lord says.

4 'Go to Bethel and sin! Go to Gilgal and sin even more!

Offer your sacrifices in the morning.

Bring a tenth of your crops every three years.'

5 Burn your bread as a sacrifice.

Tell everyone about the sacrifices that you want to give.

Israel, you enjoy doing these things.'

This is what the Lord the Ruler says.

Verse 1 Many people knew about the cows of Bashan. The cows were big there (Psalm 22:12), and they ate good grass (Micah 7:14; Jeremiah 50:19). They were probably the best cows in Israel. Amos compares these cows to the rich women. This is an insult. These women did not care about poor people. Also, they had too much power in their homes (see 1 Timothy 3:11). They were not responsible.

Verse 2 God has made a promise. Israel can be sure that God will act. The enemy will destroy Israel and make the people their prisoners. The enemy will be very cruel. They will use hooks. They will put these hooks through people's noses or lips. A hook is a piece of bent metal. People use hooks to catch fish or to hang things up. Then the enemy will tie ropes to the hooks and they will drag the Israelites along like animals.

Verse 3 During the battle the enemy will make holes in the city walls. They will come in through the outer wall instead of the gates. The enemy will not respect the dead bodies. They will throw them away like rubbish. We do not know anything about Harmon. Perhaps it was a place. It might be the name of a mountain.

Verse 4 Amos now uses a special way to say something. He says the opposite of what they should do. The people will know that he did not mean these words. Both Bethel and Gilgal were important places. Jacob made Bethel a special place (Genesis 28:17-22) and Samuel gave judgements there (1 Samuel 7:16). Saul became king at Gilgal (1 Samuel 11). The Israelites did not worship in the proper way. They made sacrifices and they brought money to the place of worship. But even if they brought more sacrifices and money, this would not be enough. God hated the ways in which they tried to please him. He hated the way that rich people behaved towards the poor people.

Verse 5 Amos writes in the same way as he writes in verse 4. He offers the Israelites advice but he does not really mean it. He is joking, but in an angry way. He tells the Israelites to make more sacrifices, but they did not need to do this. They sometimes burned bread at the altar just to impress people. They wanted other people to see that they were holy. They did not make sacrifices to please God.

6 'I caused you to have empty stomachs in every city.

You had no bread in any town.

But you still did not return to me.' The Lord says these things.

7 'I also stopped the rain three months before harvest time.

I let it rain on one city, but not on another city.

I let it rain on one field.

But I stopped it raining on another field, and it became dry.

8 People walked with great difficulty. They walked from city to city.

They were looking for water, but they did not get enough to drink.

Still you did not come to me for help.'

Verse 6 In the past, God caused difficulties for the people in Israel. There were times when the Israelites were hungry. But they refused to listen when God warned them. The idea of the 'return' to God comes from Deuteronomy 4:30.

Verses 7-8 There were times, too, when it did not rain. And God chose the places where it did not rain. He used the weather to warn them. 1 Samuel 12:16-19 is a good example of this. In the time of Samuel, people thought about God with more respect. But Amos says that there was now no repentance.

9 'I struck your gardens and fields of grapes many times.

I made your crops die from heat and disease. Locusts ate your fig trees and olive trees.

But still you did not return to me.' The Lord says these things.

10 I sent diseases to you, as I did to the Egyptians.

I killed your young men with swords and I took away your horses.

I made your camp smell very bad.

But still you did not return to me.' The Lord says these things.

11 'I destroyed you as I destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.

You were like a burnt stick that I pulled from a fire.

But still you did not return to me.' The Lord says these things.

12 'Therefore, Israelites, I will do these things to you.

I will do this to you. So prepare to meet your God, Israelites!

13 I am the person who made the mountains.

I cause the wind. I tell people my thoughts.

I change the dawn into darkness.

I walk over the high places of the earth.

The Lord God Almighty is my name.'

Verse 9 Amos continues to remind the Israelites about God. The Israelites could not live without food, for example, grapes, figs and olives. But God was willing to destroy these crops. ' Locusts' may refer to all insects. Another prophet also used locusts as a sign (Joel 1:4). Reference to locusts reminded the Israelites that they were not in control.

Verse 10 Amos reminds the Israelites about their time in Egypt. God sent diseases then (Exodus 7:14-12:30). He also brought war. War is hopeless unless your soldiers are strong and healthy. Otherwise, the enemy will always win. God used wars to warn the Israelites (Deuteronomy 28:49-57). But they still did not listen.

Verse 11 Sodom and Gomorrah were a terrible sign to Israel (Genesis 19). God destroyed these cities completely. There are times when God loses all patience. The 'burnt stick' means that God rescued Lot and his family. But this was only because of God's grace.

Verse 12 Israel's people must prepare to meet God. God has been loyal to his covenant, but he has no more patience. He has shown his anger in the past. But he will now show much more of his anger. In fact, there will be no limit to his anger.

Verse 13 This verse is like a song. God has made everything that we see. He is the ruler of everything -- including all types of powers and gods (Ephesians 6:12). He has the power to destroy and this includes Israel. He can turn day into night. In the past, God has shown his light to Israel. But now Israel will see God's darkness.