Hear The Word Spoken Against The Sons Of Israel (3:1-15)
Neal Pollard
Having revealed that God’s judgment was against Israel as much as on the surrounding nations, Amos lays bare the charges of the nation’s guilt. This whole chapter makes a perfect speech, a dialogue between God and the people whom He is accusing. Notice the word God speaks to them.
THE DECLARATION (1-2). Amos calls for Israel to “hear this word” (1). He reminds them of the special bond between Himself and this people, from the day of exodus (1-2). He chose them from among all the nations, which makes their rebellion all the more audacious! God declares that He will punish them for all their iniquities (2b).
THE DEFENDANTS (3-6). Israel is one of the two walking in verse three, unable to walk with God because they are going different directions. Israel is the prey of the lion and young lion (4), the bird who took the bait (5), and the people trembling at the sound of the trumpet (6). Amos asks a series of rhetorical questions, all which demonstrate cause and effect. What is the cause of their entrapment, capture, and the trumpet blowing? Sin! The predators and invaders represent God’s judgment.
THE DUTY (7-8). Amos refers to himself in these verses, one of God’s servants the prophets. This unpleasant task Amos has, to preach to his northern brethren, is in response to the roar of the lion. “The Lord has spoken! Who can but prophesy?”
THE DETAILS (9-12). Whereas verses three through six speak in figurative terms, Amos gives the details of the people’s sins in these verses. Samaria, Israel’s capital, is the place where the people are assembled to stand in God’s courtroom (9). There He presents the charges. These include spiritual amnesia (10; cf. Hos. 4:6) and ill-gotten gain obtained through robbery and violence (10). Forgetting what was right, nothing was off-limits. God depicts their retribution with two pictures, one of an invader defeating and plundering them (11) and one of a saddened shepherd retrieving parts of a sheep from a lion’s mouth (12). It is a horrific, harrowing description of judgment!
THE DECISION (13-15). Restating His initial declaration (1-2), God declares Israel’s fate (13). Punishment was inevitable (14). Their idolatrous altars would be torn down (14) and the opulent homes of their wealthy would perish (15). As the rest of the book unfolds, it will build on this irreversible promise. Israel would be destroyed!
As I read this, I am so thankful that God has not issued such a warning for man so long as the earth stands. While nations continue to rise and fall (cf. Prov. 14:34), individuals can escape the kind of judgment Amos warns Israel about. However, there is coming a great day of reckoning at which all will appear (Mat. 25:31-34). For those who neither believe nor obey (2 Thes. 1:7-9), it will be more horrific and horrifying than Amos predicts here. This is why God writes down in His Word that the day will come. He wants us all to prepare and be ready for that day to come.
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