Amos 6

Amos 6 confronts the complacency and arrogance of Israel’s elite, who are oblivious to their impending judgment due to their self-indulgent lifestyle and disregard for God’s justice. The prophet warns them of a coming disaster, emphasizing that wealth and privilege offer no protection from God’s wrath. This chapter addresses the misplaced confidence of both Israel and Judah, pointing to the need for repentance.

Amos 6:1-2 (NKJV)
1 Woe to you who are at ease in Zion, and trust in Mount Samaria, notable persons in the chief nation, to whom the house of Israel comes!
2 Go over to Calneh and see; and from there go to Hamath the great; then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are you better than these kingdoms? Or is their territory greater than your territory?

Amos condemns the complacency of those in Zion and Samaria, highlighting their false sense of security in their social and political standing. He challenges them to consider other powerful cities that have fallen, questioning their belief that they are immune to the same fate. This comparison serves as a warning that their arrogance will not shield them from God’s judgment.

Amos 6:3-6 (NKJV)
3 Woe to you who put far off the day of doom, who cause the seat of violence to come near;
4 Who lie on beds of ivory, stretch out on your couches, eat lambs from the flock and calves from the midst of the stall;
5 Who sing idly to the sound of stringed instruments, and invent for yourselves musical instruments like David;
6 Who drink wine from bowls, and anoint yourselves with the best ointments, but are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.

The prophet criticizes the wealthy for living in luxury and excess while ignoring the suffering of their fellow Israelites. Their dismissal of impending judgment is coupled with self-indulgence in food, music, and fine oils, showing their moral detachment. Amos underscores their heartlessness toward “the affliction of Joseph,” emphasizing their insensitivity to the struggles of the common people.

Amos 6:7-8 (NKJV)
7 Therefore they shall now go captive as the first of the captives, and those who recline at banquets shall be removed.
8 The Lord God has sworn by Himself, the Lord God of hosts says: “I abhor the pride of Jacob, and hate his palaces; therefore I will deliver up the city and all that is in it.”

Amos declares that those who currently enjoy privilege and comfort will be the first to face captivity, as God’s judgment targets their pride and self-satisfaction. God’s hatred for their arrogance is so strong that He has sworn to bring ruin upon their city and luxurious homes, symbolizing divine retribution for their injustice.

Amos 6:9-10 (NKJV)
9 Then it shall come to pass, that if ten men remain in one house, they shall die.
10 And when a relative of the dead, with one who will burn the bodies, picks up the bodies to take them out of the house, he will say to one inside the house, “Are there any more with you?” Then someone will say, “None.” And he will say, “Hold your tongue! For we dare not mention the name of the Lord.”

Amos paints a grim picture of destruction so severe that even family members fear speaking God’s name when collecting the dead. This imagery conveys the total devastation awaiting Israel, where death and fear replace their current complacency. It reflects the silence and despair that will accompany their judgment, illustrating how completely God’s wrath will strip away their pride.

Amos 6:11 (NKJV)
11 For behold, the Lord gives a command: He will break the great house into bits, and the little house into pieces.

Amos describes the inevitable collapse of both the wealthy and the poor, indicating that God’s judgment is impartial. The “great house” and “little house” represent the powerful and the common people alike, all subject to the same fate as a result of the nation’s collective sinfulness.

Amos 6:12-14 (NKJV)
12 Do horses run on rocks? Does one plow there with oxen? Yet you have turned justice into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood,
13 You who rejoice over Lo Debar, who say, “Have we not taken Karnaim for ourselves by our own strength?”
14 “But, behold, I will raise up a nation against you, O house of Israel,” says the Lord God of hosts; “and they will afflict you from the entrance of Hamath to the Valley of the Arabah.”

Amos concludes with rhetorical questions that emphasize the absurdity of Israel’s corruption. Just as horses and oxen cannot perform effectively on rocky terrain, Israel’s leaders have rendered justice and righteousness ineffective by twisting them into something bitter. Their boastful confidence in their own strength, symbolized by Lo Debar and Karnaim, is misplaced, for God will bring a foreign nation against them, spreading affliction across the land. This final prophecy underscores that divine punishment is imminent and inescapable.