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. FOR, LO, HE THAT FORMETH THE MOUNTAINS. The God whom Israel is to "prepare to meet" () is here described in sublime terms. AND CREATETH THE WIND - not as margin, 'spirit.' The God with whom thou hast to do is the Omnipotent Maker of things seen, such as the stupendous "mountains," and of things too subtile to be seen, though of powerful agency, as the "wind." AND DECLARETH UNTO MAN WHAT IS HIS THOUGHT - (). Ye think that your secret thoughts escape my cognizance; but I am the searcher of hearts....

We have explained the last verse of the fourth chapter, except that there remains something to be said of the glorious representation given of God by the Prophet. He says first, that he had _formed the mountains then that he had created the spirits, _afterwards that he _declares to man what is his thoughts, makes the morning and the darkness, and walks on the high places of the earth _Such an accumulation of words might seem superfluous, only this main thing must be borne in mind, that it was necessary for men, whose minds were exceedingly torpid to be aroused that they might seriously consider what we have seen had been denounced on them. Hence the Prophet sought to shake off from the Israelites their thoughtlessness, by setting God before them in his greatness; for when his name only is announced, he is wholly neglected by the greatest part of men. It was therefore necessary that somet...

6-13 See the folly of carnal hearts; they wander from one creature to another, seeking for something to satisfy, and labour for that which satisfies not; yet, after all, they will not incline their ear to Him in whom they might find all they can want. Preaching the gospel is as rain, and every thing withers where this rain is wanting. It were well if people were as wise for their souls as they are for their bodies; and, when they have not this rain near, would go and seek it where it is to be had. As the Israelites persisted in rebellion and idolatry, the Lord was coming against them as an adversary. Ere long, we must meet our God in judgment; but we shall not be able to stand before him, if he tries us according to our doings. If we would prepare to meet our God with comfort, at the awful period of his coming, we must now meet him in Christ Jesus, the eternal Son of the Father, who came...

Verse Amos 4:13. _HE THAT FORMETH THE MOUNTAINS_] Here is a powerful description of the majesty of God. He formed the earth; he created the wind; he knows the inmost thoughts of the heart; he is the Creator of darkness and light; he steps from mountain to mountain, and has all things under his feet! Who is he who hath done and can do all these things? JEHOVAH ELOHIM TSEBAOTH, _that is his name_. 1. The self-existing, eternal, and independent Being. 2. The God who is in covenant with mankind. 3. The universal Commander of all the hosts of earth and heaven. This name is farther illustrated in the following chapter. These words are full of instruction, and may be a subject of profitable meditation to every serious mind....

FOR LO, HE THAT FORMETH THE MOUNTAINS - Their God whom they worshiped was but nature. Amos tells them, who “their God” is, whom they were to prepare to meet. He describes Him as the Creator of that, which to man seems most solid, to go furthest back in times past. Before the everlasting mountains were, God is, for He made them. Yet God is not a Creator in the past alone. He is a continual Worker. “And formeth the wind,” that finest subtlest creature, alone invisible in this visible world; the most immaterial of things material, the breath of our life, the image of man’s created immaterial spirit, or even of God’s uncreated presence, the mildest and the most terrific of the agents around us. But the thought of God, as a Creator or Preserver without, affects man but little. To man, a sinner, far more impressive than all majesty of Creative power, is the thought that God knows his inmost so...

EXPOSITION AMOS 4:1 _§ 2. Second address. The prophet reproves the voluptuous women of Samaria, and fortells their captivity _(Amos 4:1);_ with bitter irony he describes the people's devotion to idolatry _(Amos 4:4, Amos 4:5):_ he shows how incorrigible they have proved themselves under God's chastisements _(Amos 4:6);_ therefore they must expect further punishment, if so be that they will learn to fear the Lord _(Amos 4:12,...

FOR, LO, HE THAT FORMETH THE MOUNTAINS,.... These words are a description of the glorious Person, "thy God" and Saviour, to be met; he is the Creator of all things, that formed the mountains, and so was before them, as in Proverbs 8:25; and able to surmount and remove all mountains of difficulties that lay in his way of working out salvation for his people: AND CREATETH THE WIND; or "spirit"; not the Holy Spirit, which is uncreated; but either angels, whom he makes spirits; or the spirit and soul of man he is the Creator of; or rather the natural wind is meant, which is his creature, he holds in his fists, restrains and commands, at his pleasure, Matthew 8:26; AND DECLARETH UNTO MAN WHAT [IS] HIS THOUGHT; not what is man's thought, though he knows what is in man witho

CHAPTER 4 The Second Discourse _ 1. Divine threatening and irony (Amos 4:1) _ 2. Yet have ye not returned unto Me (Amos 4:6) 3. Prepare to meet thy God (Amos 4:12) Amos 4:1. The prophet addresses them as “kine of Bashan, that are in the mountain of Samaria.” The cows of Bashan were noted for their sleek and well-fed condition, feeding on the choicest of pasture. The term is descriptive of Israel's prosperous condition as well as their beastly character. They were selfish and cruel, for they oppressed the poor and crushed the needy. It seems that women are mostly here in view, which explains the fact that the comparison is with

ISRAEL'S DENSENESS. What is the real cause of conduct that merits such punishment? At the root of all the evil is a sham religion, a religion which in its mere formality and gross corruption has degenerated into a blasphemous hypocrisy. Come to Bethel! says the prophet (Amos 4:4). And do what? Why, simply rebel (against Yahweh)! It is useless to multiply religious observances and to invent new rites, to sacrifice every morning instead of once a year, to pay tithes every three days instead of every three years, and to invent new rites such as that of burning cakes of leavened bread (Amos 4:5) as a thank-offering. The futility of such sins has been demonstrated again and again (Amos 4:6). By way of warning and punishment, Yahweh had sent various calam

CREATETH. Some modern critics allege that this word (Hebrew. _bara, Genesis 1_ Amos 1:1) was not used before the time of Jeremiah; but it is used, besides the Pentateuch, in Psalms 51:10; Psalms 89:12; Psalms 89:47; Psalms 102:18; Psalms 104:30; Psalms 148:5.