Amo 5:16-20 | KingComments | STEP | Here again looms before Amos’ spirit the future judgment that fits the reality of the moment. His hope for a conversion of Israel is unfortunately only short-lived. All exhortations to come to terms with God are in vain. “Therefore” He must go through the land judging. As a result, the air will be filled with mourning. The mourning complaint is heard in the crying out: “Alas! Alas!” (cf. ). It will not only be heard in the city in all the plazas and in all the streets, but also in the countryside. Those who know lamentations could be hired to sing lamentations. In Scripture we come across lamentation women ( ), lamentation men ( ) and men and women who sing lamentations ( ). That is not to say that they were all ‘professional lamentation singers’. They seem to be such people who can put a sad face on this occasion. They have no grief of their own, but they are only present to express the mourning of others.

‏ Amos 5:16-20

Lamentation

Here again looms before Amos’ spirit the future judgment that fits the reality of the moment. His hope for a conversion of Israel is unfortunately only short-lived. All exhortations to come to terms with God are in vain. “Therefore” He must go through the land judging. As a result, the air will be filled with mourning.

The mourning complaint is heard in the crying out: “Alas! Alas!” (cf. Jer 22:18). It will not only be heard in the city in all the plazas and in all the streets, but also in the countryside. Those who know lamentations could be hired to sing lamentations. In Scripture we come across lamentation women (Jer 9:17), lamentation men (Ecc 12:5) and men and women who sing lamentations (2Chr 35:25). That is not to say that they were all ‘professional lamentation singers’. They seem to be such people who can put a sad face on this occasion. They have no grief of their own, but they are only present to express the mourning of others.

The LORD Will Pass Through the Midst

Even in the vineyards, a place of joy in the Bible, there is wailing. The causer of the lamentation is the LORD Himself, Who passes through their midst. It reminds us of what He did in the past, at the liberation of His people from Egypt. Then He went through the midst of Egypt (Exo 11:4). There came wailing out of the houses of the Egyptians for the death of all firstborn (Exo 12:29-30). He only passed by where the blood of the lamb was at the doorposts.

Here God goes through the midst of His own land to judge. This means that Israel has become equal to Egypt. Now, however, there is no blood of the lamb nor a sparing passing (Amos 7:8 ; Amos 8:2), for Israel is no longer the people of the covenant. It is not ‘if’ I go through your midst, but “because” I go through your midst. It is not a human enemy that is destroying the land, no, the enemy is God Himself (cf. Joel 2:11).

The Day of the LORD

The “alas” (cf. Amos 6:1) is the result of the LORD going through the midst of Israel. In spite of everything the LORD announces, the people continue to believe that nothing will happen to them. For they know only too well that the day of the LORD brings doom to the Gentiles, not to them. They believe that on that day the LORD will act in their favor by defeating their enemies on the one hand and establishing them forever as His people on the other hand. They regard their election as the guarantee of that favor.

Their longing for that day shows that they have a hardened conscience. For these people, says Amos, that coming day will be a day of darkness. It does not occur to them that they are behaving like the Gentiles and therefore that day will be a day of judgment for them as well.

The “day of the LORD” refers to the period when the Lord Jesus will once again interfere directly with world affairs. That period begins when the church has been raptured. The events related to this day are described in the book of Revelation (Revelation 6-19). There we see how the judgments come about the godless world, the apostate Christianity and the unbelieving Israel. All are judged by the Man whom God has “appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead” (Acts 17:31). Then man’s day has come to its end, the period in which man has acted according to his own will and in rebellion against God.

They say they are longing for the day of the Lord, but how can man long for that day when he lives without taking God into account? Longing for that day is only possible if we walk in obedience and holiness with God.

We can also make an application to today. We can talk about the situation in Christianity and then say: ‘Fortunately the Lord will come soon and then He will make everything right.’ But if we ourselves have not distanced ourselves from general unfaithfulness, His coming will also mean judgment or embarrassment for us. The day of the Lord is a day we can only long for if our consciences are free and if we walk in obedience and holiness.

It is a vain and brutal illusion to long for the day of the Lord, while we consciously find ourselves in the midst of what is contrary to Scripture. This seems to be the sin that Israel is guilty of here. The expectation of the future cherished by the people has a carnal character. This shows that one does not know oneself and is blind to one’s own misconduct and also does not know God in His holy indignation at the fact that this misconduct is found among His people. In all this they believe that God is with them (Amos 5:14).

No Escape

Amos vividly shows how there is no escaping judgment. He knows the pictures he uses from his life in the wilderness. When they think they are safe from the lion, the bear comes. They think they have escaped the bear and imagine themselves safe in a house. They sigh a sigh of relief and look for support against a wall, from which a snake emerges that bites them.

This contrasts sharply with their vision of the day of the LORD which they look forward to as a consolation and complete salvation. This false certainty will be their downfall. Nowhere they will be safe, judgment will overtake them. There is no hope, no ray of light, for those who do not repent.