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The Lord Ready to Punish
v. 1. Hear this word that the Lord hath spoken against you, O children of Israel, all the descendants of Jacob being here addressed, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, by the mighty deliverance which resulted in their becoming His covenant people, saying,
v. 2. You only have I known of all the families of the earth, acknowledging them and choosing them on the basis of His peculiar favor toward them; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities; for the greater the privileges granted, the heavier is the punishment for the abuse of them, as the transgression is made worse by ingratitude.
v. 3. Can two walk together except they be agreed? This and the following propositions, bringing out illustrations from daily life, are intended to substantiate the prophet's right to speak to the people in this manner, even if they were inclined to resent his sharp words. Jehovah and His prophet are in perfect agreement, as the sequel was bound to show.
v. 4. Will a lion roar in the forest when he hath no prey? Jehovah is the lion, and His roaring is that of satisfaction over the certainty that His prey cannot escape, that is, that Israel, in its present state of mind, will surely be punished. Will a young lion cry out of his den, with a satisfied roaring, if he have taken nothing? In the same way Jehovah already has the guilty people in His power and is ready to carry out His judgment upon them.
v. 5. Can a bird fall in a snare upon the earth, a trap placed on the ground, where no gin is for him? That is: Could destruction come upon Israel if his own sin-fullness did not draw him into it?. Shall one take up a snare from the earth and have taken nothing at all? literally, "Does the trap rise from the ground if a snared bird does not cause it to do so?" that Isaiah Did Israel, knowing his own corruptness, hope to escape destruction, which was bound to take hold of him?
v. 6. Shall a trumpet be blown in the city and the people not be afraid? As the signal of the trumpet was intended to arouse the people out of their security, so the message of the prophet was intended to awaken the people of Israel to the peril of their position. Shall there be evil in a city and the Lord hath not done it? The destruction which would strike Israel on account of the iniquities of the people was indeed planned by Jehovah, who in this sense is the Author of the calamities which come upon men on account of their sins.
v. 7. Surely the Lord God will do nothing but He revealeth His secret unto His servants, the prophets, that is, Jehovah does not send His judgments without warning, but gives the people knowledge of His counsel and opportunity to turn from their evil ways.
v. 8. The lion hath roared, in sounding the warning of his approach, who will not fear? The Lord God hath spoken, who can but prophesy? Amos was simply carrying out the work of his calling in announcing to his people the impending judgment of Jehovah. Even so the servants of God are bound to make known His holy will, regardless of the manner in which their hearers react to the truth.