Amos 6

Amos 6:1

E. The Second Woe (Chap. 6)6:1-8 Their luxury, ease, complacency, and security would be disturbed by violence. “Woe” is pronounced on those who lie on beds of ivory, stretch out on their couches, eating all they want, sing idly to the sound of stringed instruments, drink wine abundantly from bowls, anoint themselves with the most expensive perfumes and colognes, recline at banquets. God’s reaction to their attitude of ease and complacency is: “I abhor the pride of Jacob, and hate his palaces.” Samaria would be delivered up to the Assyrians. 6:9, 10 These tragic verses are well described by Page H. Kelly: In the pestilence that will sweep across the land there will be so many victims that normal burial practices will have to be set aside and the survivors will resort to the unusual procedure of burning the corpses. When the relative of a deceased man enters his house to take out his body to be burned, he discovers that there is a lone survivor, hidden in some far corner of the house. When the relative calls out to him, he responds with a Hebrew interjection translated “Hush!” and then adds, “We must not mention the name of the Lord.” These men have profaned the name of God in the past but now they dare not pronounce it, lest it loosen some fresh avalanche of His wrath. It is significant that even to this day an orthodox Jew will not pronounce the covenant name of Israel’s God. 6:11-14 Their behavior was foolish and futile, and it is compared to oxen plowing on rocks. They perverted justice and scorned righteousness. They boasted in their military strength, though Lo Debar and Karnaim were insignificant victories. The Assyrians would afflict the land from the northern entrance to Hamath to the southern boundary, the Valley of Arabah.