Amos 5:1-17: Admonition and Lament for Israel

March 14, 2013

This is the third of Amos’s three prophetic speeches against Israel. They each begin with “Hear this word” (3:1; 4:1; 5:1). The first announced God’s coming visit in judgment against Israel. The second highlighted divine patience and persistence in seeking to turn Israel from its sins. The third is a divine admonition and lament for Israel.

Harold Shank (College Press NIV Commentary), adapting a chiastic outline from Waard in Vetus Testamentum (1997) 170-177, suggests this structure for Amos’s oracle:

First Lament (1-3)

First Admonition (4-6)

First Accusation (7)

Hymn (8a)

Yahweh is the Name (8b)

Hymn (9)

Second Accusation (10-13)

Second Admonition (14-15)

Second Lament (16-17)

This chiastic structure climaxes in the announcement of the name of Israel’s God in 5:8b. This the centerpiece of the oracle. “Yahweh is his name!” In effect, this is a doxological battle cry. The language is exactly the same as in Exodus 15:3:  ”Yahweh is a man of war; Yahweh is his name.” This is the God of the Exodus who delivered Israel from Egyptian slavery (cf. Amos 3:1). The Warrior God who fought to deliver Israel now warns Israel about the coming disaster.

Hymns. “Yahweh is his name” is also a doxological praise (cf. Amos 9:6). The exclamation is surrounded by hymnic lines that remind Israel that Yahweh creates both good and evil (disaster; cf. Isaiah 45:7; Amos 9:4). Yahweh made the constellations that appear in the heavens–Pleiades is part of the constellation Taurus and Orion (also known as “the hunter”) is a bright constellation. Both are visible to the naked eye (Job 9:9; 38:31). Yahweh also rules over the morning and night–God turns the darkness into morning and the day into night. God rules over good and evil (chaos), over light and darkness. Yahweh also rules over the chaos of the seas; indeed, Yahweh pours out the water upon the earth. God is sovereign over chaos. With chaos Yahweh destroys the strong, even those fortified behind their seemingly impregnable walls (fortresses). The chaos that will envelope Israel is no coincidence; it is the work of the Creator God who releases the forces of chaos against Israel.

Accusations.  Israel’s problem is “justice” and “righteousness.” Just as God “turns deep darkness into the morning” (5:8), so Israel “turns justice in wormwood” or bitterness (5:7)–the same Hebrew verb is used in both instances. Israel’s core problem is injustice; this is the accusation upon which their destruction turns. But what is the injustice? While the first accusation introduces the idea (5:7), the second accusation articulates the specifics (5:10-13).

The second Hebrew term in Amos 5:10 is the next to last Hebrew term in Amos 5:12–”gate.” Everything Amos notes between those two terms happens at the “gate.” The city gate is the place where the elders and other leaders met to consider issues of justice and adjudicate legal problems (cf. Deuteronomy 21:19; 22:15; 25:7; Job 5:4; 31:21; Psalm 127:5). But justice does not prevail in the gates of Israel. Rather, they

hate whoever reproves them
abhor whoever speaks the truth
trample on the poor
exact portions [taxes?] on grain from the poor
afflict the righteous
turn aside the needy

The above six lines appear in three pairs. The first pair emphasizes the inability of the leaders to hear the truth; they cannot stand to be corrected. They are not interested in the truth but in profit. The second pair specifies a particular way in which the poor are mistreated. The leaders exact “portions” from the poor. In some way, they demand the poor make payments of grain in order to continue in their livelihood. This may be excessive rents on land owned, perhaps previously seized through unjust means, by the wealthy. It may be excessive taxation that hurts the poor. The third pair reminds the reader of Amos 2:7 where the poor are trampled and the afflicted are turned aside (same Hebrew verb as here in 5:12). The same pair of words–righteous and needy–also appear in Amos 2:6 and 8:6. “Needy” is a general synonym for poor (cf. Isaiah 14:30; Jeremiah 29:16). The city leaders are not willing to hear the plight of the poor and give them justice. Instead, they take bribes from the wealthy and dismiss the poor.

These conditions create societal chaos at many levels. One is specifically noted in Amos 5:13.  The prudent (or wise) will remain silent during such chaotic and unpredictable times. When justice does not prevail–when evil reigns–the wise will keep to themselves. It is too dangerous to speak and speaking is ineffective. This is a social consequence of pervasive injustice. This silence is not necessarily sanctioned, but it is acknowledged. This is descriptive rather than prescriptive.

The accusation includes consequences. Though they have built “hewn” stone houses and planted extravagant or desirable vineyards, they will never enjoy them. Their wealth and power enabled them to build houses out of “hewn” stone which assumes skilled labor. Such homes and vineyards were status symbols in ancient Israel. But, ultimately, their injustices will not pay out. Their sins will found them out.

Admonitions.  ”Seek” is the key word in the admonitions. It is used four times in Amos 5:4-6, 14. It is an aggressive term that reflects orientation and direction. What or whom will one seek? The choice is laid out for Israel:  seek Yahweh or seek Bethel (including its complements–Gilgal and Beersheba). The former leads to life, but the latter leads to exile, destruction, and death. The fire of destruction that characterized the consequences described in Amos 1-2 returns in Amos 5:6.

Life, however, is offered. The verb is used three times in Amos 5:4, 6, 14. While the nation has no hope, this does not translate into hopelessness. The Lord may yet be gracious in astounding ways, especially to the “remnant of Joseph.” Even as the Lord passes through Israel and leaves destruction in the wake, God’s grace will overflow to the remnant that seeks God. Amos once again reminds Israel of God’s faithfulness by using language that evokes memories of the Patriarchs. Just as God was present among them, so he will be “with” those who seek him (cf. Genesis 12:4; 17:3; 26:24; 39:3). This is the covenantal promise to which God is faithful.

Seeking Yahweh, however, is not merely avoiding idolatrous worship at Bethel. It is to love good and hate evil (Amos 5:15). Specifically, it is to “establish justice in the gate.” In other words, Israel must practice justice in its courts, uphold the rights of the poor, and serve the needy. One cannot seek Yahweh when they ignore or neglect the needs of the poor. Seeking Yahweh includes practicing social justice.

Laments. Israel will weep and mourn because, Yahweh declares, “I will pass through your midst” (5:17; cf. Amos 8:10). This is ominous language. In Israel’s past history, Yahweh “passed through the land of Egypt” in order to kill Egypt’s firstborn (Exodus 12:12, 23). Now Yahweh will pass through Israel with devastating effect. Every vineyard, farm, street and square (open spaces near the city gate) will be filled with lamentation.

But Amos himself, as the mouthpiece of Yahweh, begins the lament. The speech opens with God’s own lament over Israel. Even though Israel yet exists as a nation, the prophetic lament assumes its fall is a reality. Israel will not rise again as there is no one to help her. 90% of Israel–a metaphorical number–will disappear. Though they send out an army of 1000, only 100 will return. Israel is about to face a slaughter.

Yahweh does not deliver this message with a smile. God is not happy about these circumstances. Nevertheless, the God who loves righteousness must prosecute injustice in the land. God will act; God will set things right. Though patient and longsuffering, God ultimately does what is right.

God’s own lament evidences the divine pain as Yahweh grieves over Israel and, at the same time, Yahweh grieves for the poor and needy who have suffered at the hands of the powerful in Israel.

Amos calls us to grieve with him over both the sins and destruction of the wicked. The prophet calls us to social justice. “Seek good and hate evil” is to “seek” Yahweh.

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Posted by John Mark Hicks

Amos 1:1-2 — An Editorial Heading

January 4, 2013

To whatever extent Amos himself wrote the book attached to his name, it seems fairly obvious that he did not write Amos 1:1-2. The text is in the third person–this is what “he saw” and what “he said.” Consequently, Amos 1:1-2 is at least an editorial superscription to the book by a compiler, editor or simply someone who titled the book.

It is important to recognize the editorial nature of the superscription because it alerts us to pay attention to the elements that are introduced. The superscription not only identifies the origin of the words but they provided a context for reading them. In other words, the significance of the superscription is not simply identifying the author but also providing a basic lens for reading the book.

So, what does the editorial heading supply?

It identifies the prophet as a shepherd from a rural small town in Judah. Amos was a shepherd and a seasonal (migrant?) sycamore-fig tree laborer (Amos 7:14).  He was not trained as a royal counselor; he did not live among the elite or noble. He was not groomed in the urban schools of the prophets. On the contrary, he came from a backwater town on the edge of the Judean desert six miles southeast of Bethlehem. He lived on the margins of Judah’s social world but God chose him to deliver a message to the ruling elite of Israel. God constantly surprises us by choosing the younger to rule the older, by choosing the lowly to address the exalted.

It locates the ministry of Amos during the prosperous reigns of Uzziah of Judah (783-742 BCE) and Jeroboam II of Israel (786-746 BCE) in the heart of the eighth century BCE. One cannot read Amos well without understanding that in the middle of the eighth century, Judah and Israel were experiencing a “golden” era. They were at peace with their neighbors, undisturbed by imperial powers (Assyria, Egypt) which were preoccupied with internal matters, and enjoying an economic boon unparalleled since the days of Solomon. Peace, unencumbered by imperial impositions, enabled them to tax and control the major trade routes through their lands. The ruling classes grew richer and lived in luxury. Amos prophesied to a prosperous nation at peace with its neighbors.

It dates the ministry of Amos previous to the great earthquake of the eighth century BCE. Similar to how the Chicago Fire, the San Francisco earthquake or Katrina live in the memory of American, an earthquake (sometime in the 750s BCE) lived in the memory of Palestine’s inhabitants (cf. Zechariah 14:5). But I don’t think this is mere dating. The earthquake itself confirms the message of Amos as it was delivered “two years before” the event. Perhaps the editor thought that the earthquake was a divine response to Israel’s rejection of Amos’ message. The same Hebrew root (“shake or shaking”) is used in Amos 9:1 where judgment comes to Israel as buildings fall on the people and those who remain are killed with the sword (Assyrian empire?). It appears, then, that the earthquake reference is not simply for dating but is also a concrete metaphor for divine judgment against Israel which lived in the memory of the people. Indeed, one might say that the earthquake was a turning point in the history of Israel and Judah. From 746 to 721 (when Samaria was destroyed) Israel endured six kings in 25 years whereas they had only one king in the previous 40. The earthquake tumbled a nation into ruin–physically, economically and, ultimately, internationally. Such signature events are common in the history of nations (e.g., Stalingrad for Nazi Germany). This earthquake was such an event for Israel.

It summaries the fundamental orientation of Amos’s message. The four lines of Amos 1:2 gives the substance of the book–a Judean prophet, as the voice of Yahweh, comes from Judah (Zion/Jerusalem) to announce Israel’s coming devastation (the pastures mourn and Carmel withers). Yahweh roars, like a lion, through the voice of a shepherd; Yahweh comes, through the prophet, from his dwelling place in Jerusalem to announce judgment. Mt. Carmel was known as one of the most beautiful places in Israel. Richly forested, its majestic peaks overlooked the Sharon Plain, the Megiddo valley, and the Mediterranean Sea. It was inconceivable that it would “wither” or that all the pastures would “dry up” (NIV). Amos, a shepherd from Judah, went to Israel to announce judgment which is symbolized by how the land itself shrivels. What happens to the earth becomes a symbol or metaphor of divine judgment.

How does this editorial heading function as a lens for reading Amos?

The superscription prepares us to “hear” the message of Amos. An unlettered, marginalized Judean shepherd (even migrant worker)–uncredentialed, according to “normal” vetting at the time–announces divine judgment to the ruling class of prosperous Israel. The message is not dependent upon the credentials of the messenger but is confirmed by an act of God in the great earthquake. Israel will wither and die because it did not faithfully use its prosperity for justice and righteousness. In the person of Amos–a lowly, poor shepherd–Yahweh roars from his dwelling place in Zion (Jerusalem). God has spoken and God has acted.

Who among us would seriously listen to a migrant worker’s theological assessment of our faithfulness to the God we claim to serve? In this we sit with Israel.  Will we listen any better than they did?

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Posted by John Mark Hicks

Reading Zechariah

January 5, 2012

Zechariah is the longest and, many think, the most difficult of the “minor” (smaller) prophets. It is also one of the most significant.

  • Zechariah is important for understanding the good news of Jesus the Messiah. Zechariah 9-14 is the dominant prophetic resource for the authors of the Gospels for narrating the meaning of Jesus’ passion.  The Messianic expectations of Zechariah shape the hearing of the gospel in the first century.
  • Zechariah is also one of the most important prophets for understanding the reign of God in the world and in the world to come. Other than Ezekiel, Zechariah is the most important resource for the Apocalypse (Revelation). The Apocalyptic expectations of the first century are understood, at least partly, through the lens of Zechariah. The coming Kingdom of God is one of the major themes of Zechariah 9-14.
  • Zechariah interprets the meaning of the rebuilding of the Temple and the restoration of Jewish life in the land.  Zechariah 1-8 is significant for understanding not only the Messianic nature of Jesus but also for envisioning the nature of the Christian community as restored Israel.

Zechariah returned to Jerusalem with the exiles in 537 with his grandfather Iddo who headed the priestly clan (Nehemiah 12:16; Berekiah of Zech 1:1 is presumably his father who for whatever reason is not in the picture in Nehemiah). As he matured, he served alongside of the younger (perhaps) prophet Haggai (Ezra 5:1; 6:14); they were neighboring pastors.

Haggai began prophesying on August 29, 520 BCE. (Hag 1:1)—all four of his messages are dated in 520 BCE. Zechariah began prophesying in Oct/Nov 520 BCE (Zech 1:1). His eight visions are dated February 15, 519 BCE (Zech 1:7). His oracles on fasting are dated December 7, 518 BCE (Zech 7:1).

The first half of Zechariah (chapters 1-8), then, is dated to the period of 520-518. Cyrus the Great, the Persian Emperor (559-529 BCE), had authorized the rebuilding of the temple in 538 and the foundation of the temple was laid in 536. But the work had stopped and the temple remained uncompleted. Darius the Great, another Persian Emperor (522-486 BCE), authorized renewed building activity in 519 (Ezra 5:3-6:14) and the prophets encouraged those efforts. The temple was rededicated on March 12, 516 (Ezra 6:15-18).

Zechariah 1-8 is situated in the hopes of the people for a renewed temple and renewed life in Palestine. Zechariah’s visions (Zech 1:7-6:8) sustain that hope while his prophetic message also calls for ethical renewal among the people (Zechariah 7:1-8:23).

The second half of Zechariah (chapters 9-14) is more difficult to locate historically. Scholars have sometimes placed this material in the pre-exilic period, but most in recent decades have placed it in the late Persian or Greek period of Israel’s history. The argument continues as to whether Zechariah 9-14 demonstrates a sufficiently different style, context, message and language as to demand two different authors. Whatever the case may be, some still believe that we can locate the two oracles of Zechariah 9-14 in the 480s BCE when Zechariah was older and living in a different historical situation. But these oracles are undated and thus we cannot contextualize with any certainty.

The two sections of Zechariah 9-14 are clearly distinguished by the delineation of two different oracles (Zech 9:1; 12:1). The first oracle is the announcement of judgment against the nations (Zech 9-11) and the second is the announcement of promise and hope for Israel (Zech 12-14).

Judgment and hope are common themes among the prophets of Israel and this is certainly part of Zechariah’s own sense that he continues in the line of earlier prophets (1:6; 7:12). In Zechariah judgment and hope are connected with the present and coming reign of God in the world. This resonates with the gospel theme of “repent and believe the good news” of the kingdom of God (cf. Mark 1:14-15).

To read Zechariah is to hear the joy, judgment and Jubilee of the kingdom of God. It is to live in the present hope that the rebuilt temple and restored priesthood embody. It is to recognize the judgment of God against the nations and against Israel’s past (and potentially Israel’s future as well). It is to believe the message about the coming reign of God in which the whole earth will be inscribed “Holy to the Lord” (Zech 14:20).

The message of Zechariah is good news; it is the gospel of the Messiah who will come to reign over the earth in his eternal kingdom.

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Posted by John Mark Hicks

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