The Poor Mans Commentary-Book of Amos

Amos is one of the many instances in the Bible of the Lord calling a man to some special service while occupied with his ordinary daily work. On the wild uplands of Judah beyond Tekoa, which is twelve miles south of Jerusalem, Amos, inured to hardship and danger, received his training as a prophet straight from the hand of the Lord.

His beautiful style abounds in illustrations drawn from his mountain home. He had learnt the power of the Creator in the mountains and the wind, in the dawn and in the darkness. Like David he had gazed upon the stars and looked beyond them to their Maker. This fruit, which is a very inferior sort of fig, only eaten by the very poor, has to be scarified at one stage of its growth with a special instrument for the purpose, in order to enable it to swell and ripen properly.

Many of the figures which Amos uses are taken from the milder lowlands; these also may have been familiar to him in his earlier life, or, as a keen observer of nature, may have struck him as he prophesied in the plains of Samaria. He speaks of the oaks and the cedars, the vines and fig-trees olive-trees, the gardens, the ploughmen, the sower, the reaper, and the cart pressed down with its weight of sheaves.

Twice over Amos 8: The whole of the bed of the Jordan is said to be volcanic—which means that the underground forces are there, and available if the Lord of creation should choose to set them at work. Reading Amos in the light of the earthquake we can account for various things he foretells. The fires throughout the book. But behind the primary fulfillment of his words in the earthquake there was the terrible invasion of the Assyrians, and the people carried into captivity Amos 5: Judgment on the Nations. Then he comes nearer home and pronounces judgment against Judah Amos 2: It would seem that the people questioned his authority, for he proceeds by a series of seven questions to show that the Lord has revealed His secret to him, and that therefore he can do no other than prophesy Amos 3: He denounces the sins of Israel in more graphic detail than Hosea, dwelling especially on the careless ease and luxury, the oppression of the poor, the extortion and lying and cheating which prevailed, and the utter hypocrisy in worship.

The last three chapters [Amos 7—9] contain a fivefold vision of judgment which the Lord showed Amos. First the locusts, and second the fire, which judgments are removed in answer to his intercession. There was no hope of deliverance from this last. At the same time he urged Amos to flee away back to the land of Judah and prophesy there—but not here at the Court of the king.

The fourth vision was of the basket of summer fruit, the last basket. The fifth vision is of the Lord Himself, standing upon the altar, and closes with the glorious promise of restoration for the fallen Tabernacle of the House of David, the promise of the Messiah who was to come at the moment of its greatest humiliation. This passage is quoted in Acts Acts During the time of great spiritual decline in Israel, God chose Elijah, an obscure man from the mountains of Gilead, and used him to turn the nation from its idolatry.

One hundred fifty years later, Jeroboam II was on the throne. Great prosperity was in Israel, but also great wickedness prevailed. So, God put His hand upon another man of the outdoors, Amos. He was a herdsman of Tekoa, a village located about 5 miles south of Bethlehem. Although he lived in the Southern Kingdom, he prophesied primarily to the Northern Kingdom. This is what he said of himself, ''I am no prophet, neither am I a prophet's son, but I am an herdsman, and a gatherer of sycamore fruit; and the Lord took me as I followed the flock, and the Lord said unto me, Go, prophesy unto My people, Israel'' Amos 7: Amos had a double-faceted message from God:.

A striking verse of this prophecy sets the theme: And I said, A plumb line. God does not overlook sin. Although Israel, the tribe kingdom, is particularly in view, this foretelling takes in the whole family of Israel. Amos exposes the moral corruption and the apostasy of the people. The house of Jacob would be preserved, the throne of David restored, and glory given to the kingdom. This will be fulfilled at the second coming of Christ. Perhaps the greatest reason for the prophet's condemnation of Israel was that the people were ''at ease.

All of this was at a time when great unrighteousness marked the nation. It will help if we consider what characterized this unrighteousness. In effect, the people of Israel said, ''Look at our fortifications; these very mountains are our bulwarks. We boast about our buildings, our great expenditures of money, our large staff, our growing prestige. God's work is not dependent upon our natural resources. The apostle Paul declared, ''And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nothing things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence'' 1Corinthians 1: The prophets would often draw attention to coming calamities.

But the people would say, ''The evil day is far off; it will not come in our generation. We are slow to accept what the Scripture explicitly declares-- that perilous times are ahead, that a religion will arise without power, that a departure from the faith will occur, and that Christians will reject sound doctrine.

Yes, a false optimism prevails today, in spite of the clear teaching of the Word of God. The people were self-sufficient and had forgotten their need for God. High living characterized the lifestyle of Israel. And Jesus observed during His earthly ministry, ''So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God'' Luke But sin has spoiled it, and the curse is clearly evident in that realm of human activity.

All creation was once in tune in the major mode. The morning stars sang together. One day, this major mode will return, and the trees will burst forth in music. But Israel's music appealed to the flesh; it was sensual. The people said, in so many words, ''Our music must be all right; it is just like David's.

The Holy Spirit, through the prophet Amos, announced a series of judgments upon seven nations chapters 1,2. This was followed by three searching messages to Israel, each beginning with the phrase, ''Hear this Word'' 3: Amos reminded the Jews of their unique privileges, that they only, of all the families of the earth, have been known by God. But privilege always entails responsibility: The remainder of chapter 3 spells out this fact. The next message is directed toward their sins, especially the insincerity of their formal religious ceremonies at Bethel and Gilgal chapter 4.

Amos' third message was an exhortation to turn to the Lord, for he was predicting the overthrow of the kingdom, and the captivity chapters 4,5. These messages were followed be a series of five visions, culminating with a view of the Lord standing upon the altar, ready to strike destruction with His own hand chapters Looking beyond the captivity of Israel and their restoration to the land, Amos described that glorious era when Christ will come the second time. Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and the hills shall melt.

And I will bring again the captivity of My people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink their wine; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the Lord, thy God. The apostle James quoted a part of this passage and revealed the divine purpose. God is now visiting the Gentiles ''to take out of them a people for His name.

After the church has been called out not the conversion of all Gentiles, but only the gathering out of an elect number , Christ will return. He will ''build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down'' Acts This He will do, restoring Israel to their Land so ''that the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all nations'' Acts God is in supreme control of all the nations, they all are accountable to Him. Prosperity brought corruption and destruction. Illegal and immoral slavery came as the result of overtaxation and land-grabbing.

There was also cruelty and indifference toward the poor. God is weary of greed and will not tolerate injustice. Merely participating in ceremony or ritual falls short of true religion. Be cautious Acts Does not always interpret the Scripture Literally. This resource is listed because it has numerous commentary notes that relate to the OT Prophetic Books.

Comment on this Commentary: John Gill unfortunately all too often offers a non-literal interpretation in the Old Testament especially in his commentary on the prophetic books as shown in the following example from Amos 9: Instead, Gill spiritualizes the passage "to be understood of the spiritual kingdom of Christ, the church"! This is a nonsensical interpretation, for there is nothing in the context that allows one to conclude that the Old Testament prophet Amos was describing the New Testament church a mystery [ musterion ] in the OT-cf Ep 3: It follows that non-literal comments such as those Gill proffers on Amos 9: John Calvin, Matthew Henry see below and Adam Clarke are among a number of older commentators who exhibit a similar propensity to identify OT references to the literal nation of Israel as references to the New Testament church.

As noted Jamieson's commentary is generally more literal see his much more literal comments on Amos 9: These older commentaries have some good material Gill frequently injects interesting comments by Jewish writers but clearly must be approached with a Berean-like mindset Acts The best rule to apply to the interpretation of these OT passages is to remember the maxim that if the plain sense of the text the literal sense makes good sense, seek to make no other sense lest it turn out to be nonsense!

James Rosscup writes "This work supplies much help on matters of the text, word meaning, resolving some problems, etc. Some have found it one of the most contributive sources in getting at what a text means. An Annotated Bibliography of Selected Works. Does not always interpret the Scripture Literally and sometimes replaces Israel with the Church note.

For example, Henry says Amos 9: Henry goes on to make the even more confusing nonsensical comment that "The church militant, in its present state, dwelling as in shepherds' tents to feed, as in soldiers' tents to fight, is the tabernacle of David.

Hopefully, this example will help the reader understand why much caution is needed when viewing Matthew Henry's comments on the Old Testament, especially his comments on the prophetic books! So why is Henry even listed? Amos 1 Critical Notes. Amos 2 Critical Notes.

Amos 3 Critical Notes. Amos 4 Critical Notes. Amos 5 Critical Notes. Amos 6 Critical Notes. Amos 7 Critical Notes. Amos 8 Critical Notes.

• microRNAs in Development (Current Topics in Developmental Biology).
• Farseen (Wanton Witches Collection Book 4).
• Moondance: the first awakening.

Amos 9 Critical Notes. One of the best older commentaries on prophetic passages. Tends to interpret the Scriptures literally. Complete Commentary of Amos on one zip file. The Theological Journal Library on galaxie. Click the following links to search by topic, author , or bible reference. Some have thus concluded that the passage was fulfilled in Jesus, the greater Son of David, through whom the dynasty of David was reestablished. There is one God. We are accountable to him.

Bible Living

We must meet him. We need preparation to meet him. Though Amos ministered during the prosperous days of Uzziah in Judah and the second Jeroboam in Israel, he clearly perceived the rottenness underneath the outward magnificence which would sooner or later break out and bring about the ruin of the two houses of Israel. GOD would shake them as with an earthquake. However, he saw that a remnant would be preserved: By a basket of summer-fruit is shown the state of Israel. The Chapter closeth with the threatenings of famine.

By the similitude of summer-fruit, which of course as soon as it ripens hastens to decay, is shewn, in a lively representation, the transitory state of all men; not only Israel, but all flesh: But in this place there is a peculiar reference to Israel's hastening to captivity. In a spiritual sense the image is still more striking.

How truly short are all the summers of our spiritual enjoyments! When devotion itself is out of tune by the heart being under no influences of grace; alas!

Sabbaths are burdens, ordinances tiresome, prayer a drudgery, in seasons like these. What an awful sound is here! And how dreadfully awful in that land, that parish, that people, that family, or person, in whom it is fulfilled. A famine of bread the common staff of life is distressing. But what is the life of the body to the life of the soul?

What a trivial gain to a millionaire? The sarcasm of the prophet was the more piercing, because it was so true. People covet things in proportion, not to their worth, but to their worthlessness. No one covets what he much needs. Covetousness is the sin, mostly not of those who have not, but of those who have. It grows with its gains, is the less satisfied, the more it has to satisify it, and attests its own unreasonableness, by the uselessness of the things it craves for.

And turn aside the way of the meek - So Solomon said, "A wicked" man "taketh a bribe out of the bosom, to pervert the ways of judgment. God had laid down the equality of man, made in His own image, and had forbidden to favor either poor Exodus Amos calls these by different names, which entitled them to human sympathy; "poor, depressed, lowly; poor," in their absolute condition; "depressed," as having been brought low; "lowly," as having the special grace of their state, the wonderful meekness and lowliness off the godly poor. But all these qualities are so many incentives to injury to the ungodly.

They hate the godly, as a reproach to them; because "he is clean contrary to their doings, his life is not like other people's; his ways are of another fashion" Wisdom Amos 2: Wolves destroy not wolves but sheep. Bad people circumvent not the bad but the good.

Besides the easiness of the gain, there is a devilish fascinating pleasure to the bad, to overreach the simple and meek, because they are such. They love also to "turn aside the way of the meek," by , "turning them from what is truly right and good; "or from the truth; or again to thwart them in all their ways and endeavors, by open injustice or by perverting justice. Every act of wrong prepares the way for the crowning act; and so "the turning aside the way of the meek" foreshadowed and prepared for the unjust judgment of Him who was "the Meek and Lowly" One Matthew Abominations, unless they had become known to Israel in Egypt, were not expressly forbidden, but were included in the one large prohibition, which, as our Lord explains, forbade every offence, bearing upon it.

Israel must have so understood the law, since Amos could upbraid them with this, which is not forbidden by the letter of the law, as a willful insult to the Majesty of God. Reverence was due from the son to the father, example from the father to the son. But now the father was an example of evil to the son; and the son sinned in a way which had no temptation except its irreverence.

People, sated with ordinary sin seek incitement to sin, in its very horrors. Probably this sin was committed in connection with their idol worship see the note at Hosea 4: The sin of marrying the father's widow was "fornication not so much as named among the Gentiles" 1 Corinthians 5: Oppression of the poor, wronging the righteous, perverting the way of the meek, laid the soul open for any abomination. To profane My Holy Name - that is, as called upon them, as the people of God.

God had said, "ye shall keep My commandments and do them Leviticus For I will be sanctified among the children of Israel. I am the Lord who sanctifies you. They bring Him, so to say, in contact with sin. They defeat the object of His creation and revelation. He created man in His Image, to bear His likeness, to have one will with Himself. In effect, through sin, He has created rebels, deformed, unlike. So long as He bears with them, it seems as if He were indifferent to them.

Those to whom He has not revealed Himself, must needs think that He takes no account of what He permits unnoticed.