Amos 4:1-5

From the men’s study on 09/03/2020

Amos 4:1, Hear this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria, Who oppress the poor, Who crush the needy, Who say to your husbands, “Bring wine, let us drink!”

Bashan – where cattle were raised and the leaders could eat a portion when sacrificed (Ps 22:12, Deut 18:3).

Oppress the poor – those chronically in need – neglecting their necessities – not responsive to them

Crush the needy – those temporarily needy – loss of business during a pandemic – take advantage of them

Women ruling and dining – Isaiah 3:12, As for My people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them.  3:14-16, “For you have eaten up the vineyard; The plunder of the poor is in your houses. What do you mean by crushing My people and grinding the faces of the poor?” says the Lord GOD of hosts.  Moreover the LORD says: “Because the daughters of Zion are haughty… 24b, Instead of well-set hair, baldness; Instead of a rich robe, a girding of sackcloth; and branding instead of beauty.

4:2, The Lord GOD has sworn by His holiness: “Behold, the days shall come upon you when He will take you away with fishhooks, and your posterity with fishhooks.

Babylon conquered Jerusalem and hooked the captives together using large hooks in the mouth and out the lower jaw.  Babies were killed rather than taken with their mothers.

Psalm 137:9, Happy the one who takes and dashes your little ones against the rock!

A terrible scene as in the days of Jesus – Matthew 2:16-18, Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying: “A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.”

Ramah was just north of Jerusalem where the captives were tied together for the trek to Babylon.

Ramah was in the land of the tribe from Benjamin who was birthed as his mother died.  Genesis 35:16-19, Then they journeyed from Bethel. And when there was but a little distance to go to Ephrath (early name for Bethlehem), Rachel labored in childbirth, and she had hard labor. Now it came to pass, when she was in hard labor, that the midwife said to her, “Do not fear; you will have this son also.” And so it was, as her soul was departing (for she died), that she called his name Ben-Oni (son of my sorrow); but his father called him Benjamin (son of my right hand). So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath.

4:3, “You will go out through broken walls, each one straight ahead of her, and you will be cast into Harmon,” says the LORD.

Jerusalem broken down – gated communities, mansions, and property destroyed

Straight ahead – captives in lines bound together via the hooks and ropes or chains

Harmon – unknown to us today – likely a place or state known as hellish

4:4, “Come to Bethel and transgress, at Gilgal multiply transgression”

Run to your places of worship!  Increase your sins against God!

Bethel – a place of false worship – I Kings 12:28-29, Therefore the king asked advice, made two calves of gold, and said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt!” And he set up one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan.

Gilgal – once a place of true worship, but no longer.  Joshua 4:19, Now the people came up from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they camped in Gilgal on the east border of Jericho.

Bring sacrifices, monies, offerings – things YOU love.

4:4-5, Bring your sacrifices every morning, your tithes every three days. Offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving with leaven, proclaim and announce the freewill offerings; for this you love, you children of Israel!”

Note the offerings were leavened rather than unleavened as God required.

All their offerings, wailings, and “worship” would not appease God’s wrath.

And us today in the USA?