Amo 3:1 | KingComments | STEP | Amos 1-2 shows that there can be no distinction between Israel and the nations when it comes to the measure of God’s holiness. But in Amos 3 we see that Israel does undergo a separate judgment. The reason for this is that in the midst of all the nations, Israel has been given a special place by God. It is His people of property. That is why there is a special judgment for the people that the LORD has chosen for Himself. This is what are about. The announcement of judgment the LORD has dedicated to the prophets ( ). The content of the judgment is that the enemy will invade the land, kill its inhabitants, destroy the altars of Bethel, and make a mess of the capital ( ). We can learn from this. Just as Israel held the position of God’s testimony, so Christianity does now. If we hold that position, it is necessary that we give a testimony of Who God is and that this happens in accordance with Who God really is. A false testimony gives a false image of Him. Unfortunately, the history of Christianity has shown that it has not done any better than Israel. God will therefore have to judge professing Christianity. The description of that judgment can be found in Revelation 17-18. The call “hear this word” is also heard in Amos 4 and Amos 5 ( ). These are words that call for all work to be stopped in order to listen attentively to “this word”. The fact that it is a word “which the LORD has spoken against you” emphasizes the importance of listening. None other than the LORD speaks and it concerns none other than themselves, the “sons of Israel”. These are all compelling reasons to focus your ears. Here the whole people are spoken to, Judah and the ten tribes, because reference is made to “the entire family” that the LORD led “out of the land of Egypt”. With these words Amos also makes the connection with the origin of their people’s existence. Familiar as they are with their folk history, they know that Egypt is the land where they had to perform hard slave labor. They could never have freed themselves from this slavery. That they now live in Israel, they owe it to the liberating love and power of the LORD.

‏ Amos 3:1

Introduction

Amos 1-2 shows that there can be no distinction between Israel and the nations when it comes to the measure of God’s holiness. But in Amos 3 we see that Israel does undergo a separate judgment. The reason for this is that in the midst of all the nations, Israel has been given a special place by God. It is His people of property. That is why there is a special judgment for the people that the LORD has chosen for Himself. This is what Amos 3:1-2 are about. The announcement of judgment the LORD has dedicated to the prophets (Amos 3:3-8). The content of the judgment is that the enemy will invade the land, kill its inhabitants, destroy the altars of Bethel, and make a mess of the capital (Amos 3:9-15).

We can learn from this. Just as Israel held the position of God’s testimony, so Christianity does now. If we hold that position, it is necessary that we give a testimony of Who God is and that this happens in accordance with Who God really is. A false testimony gives a false image of Him. Unfortunately, the history of Christianity has shown that it has not done any better than Israel. God will therefore have to judge professing Christianity. The description of that judgment can be found in Revelation 17-18.

Call to Hear

The call “hear this word” is also heard in Amos 4 and Amos 5 (Amos 4:1 ; Amos 5:1). These are words that call for all work to be stopped in order to listen attentively to “this word”. The fact that it is a word “which the LORD has spoken against you” emphasizes the importance of listening. None other than the LORD speaks and it concerns none other than themselves, the “sons of Israel”. These are all compelling reasons to focus your ears. Here the whole people are spoken to, Judah and the ten tribes, because reference is made to “the entire family” that the LORD led “out of the land of Egypt”.

With these words Amos also makes the connection with the origin of their people’s existence. Familiar as they are with their folk history, they know that Egypt is the land where they had to perform hard slave labor. They could never have freed themselves from this slavery. That they now live in Israel, they owe it to the liberating love and power of the LORD.