AMOS CHAPTER 3 The necessity of God's judgment against Israel, AMOS 3:1. The publication of it, with the causes thereof, AMOS 3:9. HEAR, with ear and mind, consider it well, for this is to hear indeed. THIS WORD, which is spoken, and the thing decreed too, of God. THE LORD HATH SPOKEN; the Lord, who... [ Continue Reading ]
YOU ONLY HAVE I KNOWN; chosen, made near to myself adopted to be my peculiar ones, to be sons and daughters to me; to you only have I revealed my whole will, and given you my law for your rule and direction, and my promises for your encouragement, and required you to have no other gods before me. Of... [ Continue Reading ]
Here the prophet threatens this people that God would begin his visitations and their punishments in his forsaking them, and doth by this interrogatory endeavour to convince them that they could not with any reason expect better from him; it could not be they should long have God's presence with the... [ Continue Reading ]
In this verse, by a double similitude, Amos certifieth the Jews of near and inevitable punishment; first, by similitude of a lion roaring at sight of his prey, which seldom escapes when the lion roareth against it. The lion usually is so nigh to his prey when he roareth, that he leapeth on it presen... [ Continue Reading ]
A BIRD; a sparrow properly, one kind put for all sorts. FALL IN A SNARE: these are taken by nets spread on the earth for that end, and these nets are watched by the fowler, attending till the birds are within the shrape, then he draws the net over them: so here, For your sins, O Israel, God will spr... [ Continue Reading ]
SHALL A TRUMPET BE BLOWN, when an alarm is sounded, by which notice is given of danger approaching, of an enemy invading the land, in the city, any city, but particularly in a frontier city, in which were watchmen on the walls and towers to give notice of an enemy, ISAIAH 52:8 EZEKIEL 3:17, EZEKIEL... [ Continue Reading ]
SURELY, since that, or, forasmuch as, the Lord God will do nothing; usually the Lord doth no great tiring for or against his people, neither brings great judgments upon them for sin, nor bestows great good upon them for their encouragement to duty, BUT HE REVEALETH, but he foretelleth the one and th... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LION HATH ROARED; God hath threatened; and, as a lion roareth when near his prey, so God hath terribly threatened what is near to be done. Amos lived and prophesied in Jeroboam's time, about A.M. 3150, and these threatened judgments began to come upon Israel when the conspiracies and usurpations... [ Continue Reading ]
PUBLISH; you prophets whom I have sent to threaten the sins of my people Israel, now invite strangers to come and observe what just cause I have to do what I threaten. IN THE PALACES AT ASHDOD; one of the principal cities of the Philistines, AMOS 1:8 ZEPHANIAH 2:4; let those that are in the court at... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THEY KNOW NOT; those who oppress others do it as unlearned lawyers and judges do, they are shamefully ignorant of the law of God. TO DO RIGHT; what is equal between man and man they will not consider, nor do they care whether it be done or not. STORE UP; as men lay up wealth in their treasures,... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE; because of all the violence and rapine, with other crying sins, multiplied against God in the midst of them. AN ADVERSARY, the Assyrian with united forces, shall be even round about the land, on all sides shall beset thee; the whole land shall be but as one besieged city, out of which non... [ Continue Reading ]
In brief, this verse foretells how few and with what difficulty they shall escape who are not swallowed up of the approaching judgments, and it is elegantly expressed in the following similitude. AS THE SHEPHERD TAKETH OUT OF THE MOUTH; as the shepherd doth hardly rescue a small part of a sheep or l... [ Continue Reading ]
HEAR YE; prophets. TESTIFY, publicly declare and witness, make what proof you can of this thing, in the house of Jacob; to the ten tribes, as first and most nearly concerned herein, and to the two tribes also, who, as guilty of many and great sins, so are in danger of many and great judgments, and t... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE DAY; in the appointed time, and within compass of a little time too; God will in his set time make quick work with them. VISIT THE TRANSGRESSIONS OF ISRAEL UPON HIM; the many and great transgressions of the ten tribes, these God will, as he hath foretold by his prophets, severely punish, and... [ Continue Reading ]
I WILL SMITE; by the greatness of the desolation it shall appear that God did smite, though by the Assyrian; or perhaps it may refer to the earthquake foretold two years before it came, AMOS 1:1. THE WINTER HOUSE; which probably was in the chief city, where the rich and great men retired in the wint... [ Continue Reading ]