Amos 4:1-7

Amos 4:1

Hear this word, ye kine of Bashan, that are in the mountain of Samaria, which oppress the poor, which crush the needy, which say to their masters, Bring, and let us drink.

Now the word of the LORD is aimed at the women of Samaria.  God is calling them cows of Bashan.  Bashan was a fertile area north of the mountains of Samaria and east of the Sea of Galilee.  Israelite women had the responsibility of instilling upon their children the teachings of the law until they were about 4 years old.  Then they would go to the Synagogue for basic training.  At this point the women, like the men, had departed from the LORD and were no longer training the children and that resulted in them growing a whole generation of idolaters.  It is like today where the children are not trained properly and turn out to be criminals joining gangs like ANTIFA which beat up elderly people.  These women were no better than fat cows.  As the cows had fed on the green grass of Bashan, the women were doing the same thing as they were enjoying their luxurious lifestyles believing no consequences will come.  These women did not personally oppress the poor or crush the needy, they placed burdens on their husbands to continue bringing in the money to maintain their lifestyle.  The phrase “let us drink” shows they were feasting incessantly while the poor people could hardly make a daily living wage.

Amos 4:2

The Lord GOD hath sworn by his holiness, that, lo, the days shall come upon you, that he will take you away with hooks, and your posterity with fishhooks.

Holiness was the main attribute of God and he swears by it to the people.  He is telling these women that the days of their lavish living are severely limited and that judgment will definitely come.  For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself,  (Hebrews 6:13)  Just as God swore to Abraham, he has done this to Samaria.  The hooks state that they will be removed from their land unwillingly and the fish hooks was a way the Assyrians would demoralize their captives.  They would put a ring in the nose of their captives and then a fish hook would be used to lead them away as if they were a fish on a line.  That promise is not only to the present generation but those that would be born to them in captivity will grow up in a pagan society and will be servants and slaves for life.

Amos 4:3

And ye shall go out at the breaches, every cow at that which is before her; and ye shall cast them into the palace, saith the LORD.

The breaches were holes or openings in the walls of the city and the Assyrians would not have to take the captives through the city gates but would take them out by means of the openings in the city walls.   The cows which referred to the wealthy women will do what they can to escape the city and will be like a stampede of cattle trying to leave the city.  Since they would not be able to exit the city in force, they would have to try and find security in the palaces but that would be a futile exercise.

Amos 4:4

Come to Beth-el, and transgress; at Gilgal multiply transgression; and bring your sacrifices every morning, and your tithes after three years:

The Lord is now injecting a bit of sarcasm.  He tells them to go to Beth-el where the two golden calves of Jeroboam were located.  Then he tells them to go to Gilgal where high places and altars to false gods were erected so they could multiply their sins against the LORD.  Then the LORD tells them to bring their sacrifices which were required under the Mosaic law.  Now this is that which thou shalt offer upon the altar; two lambs of the first year day by day continually.  (Exodus 29:38)  Then God tells them to also bring their tithes on the fourth year.  Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed, that the field bringeth forth year by year.  (Deuteronomy 14:22)  They were to bring those sacrifices and tithes unto the LORD but these turned out to be sacrifices and tithes of their own doing, in other words, they thought if they could combine the worship of God with their worship of the false gods, then they believed they would be in good standing with the LORD.  And the LORD shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood and stone.  (Deuteronomy 28:64)  The fulfillment of Deuteronomy 28:64 was soon to be fulfilled because the ten northern tribes would never again be allowed to return to their land.

Amos 4:5

And offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving with leaven, and proclaim and publish the free offerings: for this liketh you, O ye children of Israel, saith the Lord GOD.

Her God is telling them to offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving with leaven which was against the law of God.  No meat offering, which ye shall bring unto the LORD, shall be made with leaven: for ye shall burn no leaven, nor any honey, in any offering of the LORD made by fire.  (Leviticus 2:11)  Then when they make their free will offerings, they should invite others to do the same thing.  They had disregarded the law of God and did whatever they wanted to by making offerings to the false gods.  They invited others to do the same things which was being disobedient to the LORD. 

Amos 4:6

And I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all your places: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.

The first major warning that God gave them was that he sent famine throughout the land.  Cleanness of teeth meant their teeth were clean because of non-use since there was no food to chew.  They had lack of even the most staple food in the Middle East and that was bread.  Even a famine of food did not cause them to turn back to the LORD.  Hunger is one of the greatest cudgels in the world to cause people to act since it is self-preservation and death is the result of starvation, so you would do anything to try and prevent it.

Amos 4:7

And also I have withholden the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest: and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city: one piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered.