God destroys the evil cities of the Near East one by one, including Israel
A SCEPTICAL BIBLE READING OF THE BOOK OF AMOS
Chapter One
One of the Old Testament’s most violent and shocking texts and one that must
have struck fear into the hearts of many in the lands mentioned when the book
first went to press.
Amos relates how God smites the cities of the World, or at least of the
Middle East for their continuing evil ways. Damascus dared to go to war
against the God fearing men of Gilead, striking them down with iron weapons.
For such transgressions, Damascus will fall. Quite why God didn’t deal with
them before their assault on Gilead is never stated.
Gaza is next on God’s hit list for capturing the survivors from Gilead and
subjecting them to slavery. Edom also played a hand in this and so shares
the fate of Gaza. Tyra, likewise. Termon raped the women of fallen Gilead in
order to increase their own declining population, so their cities will also burn.
Presumably the innocent children produced in the sexual violations are also
doomed.
Chapter Two
The list carries on. The people of Moab murdered the king of Edom and
buried his body in quicklime, so they are on the list too.
Judah will fall for not following all the commandments of Moses. The big
surprise is the inclusion of Israel, the very central core of the twelve Tribes
bonded to God by special Covenant protection. Virtually the entire Old
testament has centred on them until Hosea and Joel begin to present their
downfall is imminent too. Though Hosea’s prophesy is presented first in the
Bible’s running order, most scholars think Joel’s prophesy was written first of
the two.
Israel has benefited too much from God’s protection, and the nation has
grown lazy & complacent. They have dared to suppress many prophets from
speaking or writing. This was hardly surprising; with prophesy becoming too
fashionable it would be hard to tell sincere prophets from charlatans. The
clamp down may well have made it difficult for Amos to communicate his own
message too.
As far as God is concerned, the Covenant is broken, so Israel has to fall.
The strong will be made weak, the fast will run slowly. Archers will lose the
ability to fire arrows.
Chapter
Three
The great houses of Israel will fall in internal strife as well as to
invasion by outsiders, and the evil will find no escape.
Chapter Four
God is feeling deeply narked and saddened to receive no due thanks for all
the help he’s given to Israel, so he takes up the ten plagues used by Moses
against the Egyptian Pharaoh and inflicts them back on Israel.
Chapter Five
Only the Israelis truly rediscovering faith and love of God are to be
spared from his spectacular teddy out of the pram tantrum. There will be no
escape for the wicked though. As Amos puts it, if they run from a lion, a bear
will get them instead.
Sudden displays of false reverence to God will not deceive him. He has no
further desire for burnt offerings sent to him in sacrifice, and God from here
will ignore any such offers on in. God is jealous of Israelis offering similar
offerings to false gods like Moloch and Chein (verse 26).
Chapter Six
God is sickened by the decadence of Israel, and their arrogance in
comparing their arts and music to that of King David.
The rich are told that they are doomed, as are large families, especially
those with more than ten mouths to feed. Invaders will conquer Israel.
Chapter
Seven
God sends Amos and other prophets to go to Israel to warn them of these
impending punishments.
Chapter Eight
God is considering turning his back on his creation entirely, leaving us
alone and unloved. He believes that a famine of him will be more deadly than
any food famine or drought. I wonder how anyone would notice he wasn’t there
any more.
Chapter Nine
The wicked cannot hide, whether they go to the mountains or the sea. Even
in Heaven and Hell the wicked can be found and smited. The faithful will
however be spared to revive Israel to glory at some unspecified future date.
This is a typical political promise of hardship now and prosperity tomorrow.
Arthur Chappell
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