“I abhor the pride of Jacob, and hate his palaces; therefore I will deliver up the city and all that is in it” (v. 8 nkjv). The Lord not only said this, but He also swore by Himself to fulfill it, which makes it a most solemn statement. The phrase “pride of Jacob” (kjv says “excellency of Jacob”) is used in Psalm 47: to mean “the Promised Land.” God abhorred the very land of Israel, the land He had given to His people for their inheritance.
Jesus said, “That which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God” (Luke 16:15). The people boasted of their fortresses, their mansions, and their elegant way of life, all of which God abhorred and would one day destroy. We’re reminded of the destruction of the great Babylonian world system described in Revelation 17—18. People who live without God, whose god is really personal pleasure, will one day hear Him say, “Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?” (Luke 12: nkjv).
These impudent people who rejected God’s warning would one day face three judgments.
Death (vv. 9–10). Amos describes a hypothetical situation to emphasize the terrors that will come when the Assyrians invade Samaria. Ten men, perhaps the remnants of a hundred soldiers (5:3), would be hiding in a house, but pestilence would catch up with them, and they would die. If a relative came to burn the bodies (the safest thing to do in war when disease is rampant), anyone in the house guarding the bodies would deny there were others there who also might die in the plague. But the disposal of the dead bodies wouldn’t be a “religious” occasion, for the people would be afraid to even mention the name of the Lord lest He become angry and send more judgment.
Destruction (vv. 11–13). Pride always goes before destruction (Prov. 16:18). The summer houses and winter houses that the wealthy enjoyed and boasted about would one day be nothing but ashes and fragments. The Babylonians would even burn Judah’s beautiful temple. This would occur because the Lord commanded it, and His commands are always obeyed.
The prophet argues from the order of nature (v. 12). Horses are too wise to gallop on slick rocks, where they might slip and fall. Farmers are too wise to try to plow the rocks or the sea, because the plow won’t accomplish anything on rocks or water. (Remember, Amos was a farmer.) Plain common sense convinces us of the truth of these statements. Then why would God’s people poison their own judicial system? What they did just didn’t make sense!
Their pride again came to the fore when they boasted of their military victories at Lo Debar and Karnaim (see nkjv or niv). We aren’t certain when Israel took these cities, and it’s not important. What is important is that they were proud of their achievements and confident that nobody could defeat them. Lo Debar means “nothing,” and that’s what God thought of their victory! They boasted that the victory came because of their own strength, and their false confidence would lead to their destruction.
Disgrace and defeat (v. 14). If a nation rehearses the victories of the past and gives the glory to God, that’s one thing, but if they claim the victory for themselves, they are asking only for future defeat. Humble dependence on God is the only guarantee of His help and blessing.
Assyria’s invasion of Israel wouldn’t take place because of the accidents or incidents of international politics. God would bring the army into the land and give Assyria the responsibility of chastening His people. “‘Behold, I will bring a nation against you from afar, O house of Israel,’ says the Lord” (Jer. 5: nkjv).
Hammath is in the north of Israel, and the river of the Arabah is in the south. Thus this means that Assyria would devastate the entire land. At the time Amos spoke those words, Assyria was a rather weak nation; and King Jeroboam was able to keep Assyria, Egypt, and Syria at bay. But that would change, and Assyria would become a threatening world empire. After all, it is God who controls the nations and assigns them their lands (Acts 17:26).
The prophet Amos has finished preaching his three messages to the proud and complacent kingdom of Israel. He has looked within their hearts and exposed the corruption there. Now the Lord will give His servant six visions—five visions of judgment and one of the glorious kingdom that will be established after the day of the Lord. With the record of these visions, Amos will close his book.