Amos 6

Amos was a shepherd.

Amos 6 Summary The people became slothful in righteousness and self indulgent showing no mercy or heart for their brother. Where the weightier matters are neglected and the river of faith dries up and no longer flows.

Audio of Amos Study

Download Recording Amos 6 coming

Comments

Alexis de Tocqueville as we saw in the side notes of Amos 5 opposed legal charity "... which allows the alms to persist but removes its morality. The law strips the man of wealth of a part of his surplus without consulting him, and he sees the poor man only as a greedy stranger invited by the legislator to share his wealth. The poor man, on the other hand, feels no gratitude for a benefit that no one can refuse him and that could not satisfy him in any case. Public alms guarantee life but do not make it happier or more comfortable than individual alms-giving; legal charity does not thereby eliminate wealth or poverty in society. One class still views the world with fear and loathing while the other regards its misfortune with despair and envy. Far from uniting these two rival nations, who have existed since the beginning of the world and who are called the rich and poor, into a single people, it breaks the only link which could be established between them. It ranges each one under a banner, tallies them, and, bringing them face to face, prepares them for combat." He also went on to state, “Any measure that establishes legal charity on a permanent basis and gives it administrative form thereby creates an idle and lazy class, living at the expense of the industrial and working class." This was the sin of Sodom and the covetous practices of Peter which makes the people merchandise. He knew that “Individual charity is a powerful agency that must not be despised...”

"I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her commodious harbors and her ample rivers, and it was not there… in her fertile fields and boundless forests, and it was not there…in her rich mines and her vast world commerce, and it was not there… in her democratic Congress and her matchless Constitution, and it was not there. Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because America is good; and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great." Alexis knew "The love and respect of your neighbors must be gained by a long series of small services, hidden deeds of goodness, a persistent habit of kindness, and an established reputation of selflessness". While, “Despotism, suspicious by its very nature, views the separation of men as the best guarantee of its own permanence and usually does all it can to keep them in isolation. No defect of the human heart suits it better than egoism; a tyrant is relaxed enough to forgive his subjects for failing to love him, provided they do not love one another.”

Verse 1 "at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria "named" in the nation.

Verse 1 "Wantonness in a the house of a parched place and trust in the watchmen.

V 1-6 they become slothful and self indulgent and make their own music instead of sing the song of the lamb and "they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph."

V 7 "now shall they go captive" because of "the banquet"

V 8 GOD hates the excellency of Jacob who plotted to take his brothers inheritance like the Nicolaitan.

V. 12 The houses and families shall degenerate because you "judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock" and failed to attend to the weightier matters.

V. 13 Horns of their own strength?

V. 14 You will not be able to enter Hamath, the safe place where faith flows in the wildernes.

[1]

Woe to Those at Ease in Zion

1 ¶ Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came! 2 Pass ye unto Calneh, and see; and from thence go ye to Hamath the great: then go down to Gath of the Philistines: be they better than these kingdoms? or their border greater than your border? 3 Ye that put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near; 4 That lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall; 5 That chant to the sound of the viol, and invent to themselves instruments of musick, like David; 6 That drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments: but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph. 7 Therefore now shall they go captive with the first that go captive, and the banquet of them that stretched themselves shall be removed. 8 The Lord GOD hath sworn by himself, saith the LORD the God of hosts, I abhor the excellency of Jacob, and hate his palaces: therefore will I deliver up the city with all that is therein. 9 And it shall come to pass, if there remain ten men in one house, that they shall die. 10 And a man's uncle shall take him up, and he that burneth him, to bring out the bones out of the house, and shall say unto him that is by the sides of the house, Is there yet any with thee? and he shall say, No. Then shall he say, Hold thy tongue: for we may not make mention of the name of the LORD. 11 For, behold, the LORD commandeth, and he will smite the great house with breaches, and the little house with clefts. 12 Shall horses run upon the rock? will one plow there with oxen? for ye have turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock: 13 Ye which rejoice in a thing of nought, which say, Have we not taken to us horns by our own strength? 14 But, behold, I will raise up against you a nation, O house of Israel, saith the LORD the God of hosts; and they shall afflict you from the entering in of Hemath unto the river of the wilderness.

Amos
Amos 1 | Amos 2 | Amos 3
Amos 4 | Amos 5 | Amos 6
Amos 7 | Amos 8 | Amos 9

Preceded by: Joel
Followed by: Obadiah