6:1 Woe to those who live in ease in Zion, to those who feel secure on Mount Samaria. They think of themselves as the elite class of the best nation. The family of Israel looks to them for leadership.
Amos pronounced a “woe” upon Israel. A woe is a terrible divine judgment from God.
Samaria was the capital city of Israel. The city was on the top of a high mountain, so Samaria felt secure against enemy attack. The monarchy and his council lived on top of this mountain. They looked upon themselves as the elite of the nation. The families of Israel looked upon them for leadership.
6:2 They say to the people: “Journey over to Calneh and look at it! Then go from there to Hamath-Rabbah! Then go down to Gath of the Philistines! Are they superior to our two kingdoms? Is their territory larger than yours?”
Amos reminded Samaria that greater cites than Samaria had been destroyed, so they should not feel so secure in their position and wealth.
6:3 You refuse to believe a day of disaster will come, but you establish a reign of violence.
Samaria was living in so much luxury that they did not think that disaster or violence could come upon them. This is a very similar attitude of America today.
6:4 They lie around on beds decorated with ivory, and sprawl out on their couches. They eat lambs from the flock, and calves from the middle of the pen.
Like America, the elite of Israel were depriving the poor so that they could sleep in ivory beds and eat the very best gourmet meals.
6:5 They sing to the tune of stringed instruments; like David they invent musical instruments.
Like America, their music was not glorifying God
6:6 They drink wine from sacrificial bowls, and pour the very best oils on themselves. Yet they are not concerned over the ruin of Joseph.
Like America, Israel was drinking the best wine and wearing the most expensive perfume. They were not concerned about the poor of Israel.
6:7 Therefore they will now be the first to go into exile, and the religious banquets where they sprawl on couches will end.
The judgment for the Israel elite is that they will be the first to enter into the Assyrian Captivity. Once in captivity, they will never party again.
6:8 The sovereign Lord confirms this oath by his very own life. The Lord, the God who commands armies, is speaking: “I despise Jacob’s arrogance; I hate their fortresses. I will hand over to their enemies the city of Samaria and everything in it.”
God is sovereign over all of creation and history. When He makes an oath, He keeps it. He is the One who commands the angelic army. God despised the arrogance of Israel. He hated their fortresses, because Israel was not trusting God for protection. He hated their palaces, because the rich were exploiting the poor in order to live inside these beautiful homes. God will hand over all of the wealth of the Samaritan elitists to the Assyrians.
6:9 If ten men are left in one house, they too will die.
Only ten percent of the population of Israel will survive the Assyrian attack.
6:10 When their close relatives, the ones who will burn the corpses, pick up their bodies to remove the bones from the house, they will say to anyone who is in the inner rooms of the house, “Is anyone else with you?” He will respond, “Be quiet! Don’t invoke the Lord’s name!”
The ten percent who survive the Assyrian conquest will not even mention the name of Jehovah, because He might hear them and kill them. This means that the ten percent will recognize that this invasion was the divine judgment of Jehovah.
6:11 Indeed, look! The Lord is giving the command. He will smash the large house to bits, and the small house into little pieces.
Jehovah will smash the rich houses of Samaria to bits.
6:12 Can horses run on rocky cliffs? Can one plow the sea with oxen? Yet you have turned justice into a poisonous plant, and the fruit of righteous actions into a bitter plant.
It is unnatural for a horse to run on rocky cliffs. It is unnatural for an oxen to plow in the sea. The judges of Israel had turned justice for the poor into a poisonous plant.
6:13 You are happy because you conquered Lo-Debar. You say, “Did we not conquer Karnaim by our own power?”
King Jeroboam had recently won a string of victories over his enemies. However, Israel believed that they had won these victories by their own power.
In Hebrew, Amos intentionally mispronounced Lo-Debar as Lo-Dabar, which means nothing. Israel had conquered nothing without God’s help.
In Hebrew, Karnaim means “horns,” such as the horns of a bull. Israel boasted that they conquered the horns of the bull by their own horns of power. Amos was mocking the Israelites, reminding them that it was God who gave them those victories.
6:14 “Look! I am about to bring a nation against you, family of Israel.” The Lord, the God who commands armies, is speaking. “They will oppress you all the way from Lebo-Hamath to the Stream of the Arabah.”
God will bring Assyria upon Israel. Assyria will destroy all of Israel from north Lebo-Hamath to the southern stream of the Arabah. Then, Israel would know whose strength really determined their destiny.