Dave Burnette's Commentary

Amos Chapter 6

Written By: God through Inspiration
Penned By: Amos
Date Penned: BC 760-750
Overview: Everyone Answers to God (c 1-9)
Theme: Reasons for Judgement (c 3-6)
Message: God despises Israel's Pride (v 1-14)

Amos: Chapter 6 Commentary
     
(6:1) Amos leveled his attacks at those living in luxury in both Israel and Judah. Great wealth and comfortable lifestyles may make people think they are secure, but God is not pleased if we isolate ourselves from others' needs. God wants us to care for others as he cares for us. His kingdom has no place for selfishness or indifference. We must learn to put the needs of others before our wants. Using our wealth to help others is one way to guard against pride and complacency.

(6:2) Great cities to the east, north, and west had been destroyed because of their pride. What happened to them would happen to Israel because Israel's sin was just as great as theirs.

(6:4) Ivory was an imported luxury, rare and extremely expensive. Even a small amount of Ivory symbolized wealth, and something as extravagant as an ivory bed shows the gross waste of resources that should have been used to help the poor.

(6:8-11) The people had built luxurious homes to flaunt their achievements. While it is not wrong to live in comfortable homes, we must not let them become a source of inflated pride ("Excellency") and self-glorification. God gave our homes to us, and they are to be used for service and not just for show. Remember that everything keeping us from God will one day be destroyed.

(6:10) Amos gives us a picture of God's fearful judgement. The people will be afraid even to speak God's name, lest they attract his attention.

(6:14) This nation is Assyria, who would destroy the Northern Kingdom of Israel (2 Kings 17)

 


Dave Burnette's Life Application


Provisions or Possessions

 

Each day we walk through the Bible chapter by chapter making an application of our text to help us grow in the Lord. Many applications can be made from each day's text. Today we continue with the book of Amos with Chapter 6. In our text today we see how God despises Israel's pride as the people competed in extravagance while they continued to suppress the poor. In making application we see how the Lord hates a proud look as it is self worship. The Lord provides all of our needs and there is nothing wrong with providing for our families but when our provisions become possessions or idols the Lord will judge. How about you? Are your provisions from the Lord a possession of pride? Let us learn from our text today and the example of Israel to see how their pride of their possessions at the expense of others brought them the judgement of the Lord.

 

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Amos 6

Amos 6

 1Woe 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!

 2Pass 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?

 3Ye that put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near;

 4That 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;

 5That chant to the sound of the viol, and invent to themselves instruments of musick, like David;

 6That drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments: but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.

 7Therefore now shall they go captive with the first that go captive, and the banquet of them that stretched themselves shall be removed.

 8The 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.

 9And it shall come to pass, if there remain ten men in one house, that they shall die.

 10And 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.

 11For, behold, the LORD commandeth, and he will smite the great house with breaches, and the little house with clefts.

 12Shall 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:

 13Ye which rejoice in a thing of nought, which say, Have we not taken to us horns by our own strength?

 14But, 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.