Real
repentance and righteousness called for instead of
religious observance and idolatry
After having deplored the
ruin of Israel, He contrasts the places of their false
worship with Jehovah, the Creator, and exhorts them to
come unto Him and live. But Israel put off the thought of
the evil day. Evil had the upper hand. The wise man kept
silence, for it was an evil day. Nevertheless the Spirit
calls to repentance. It might be that Jehovah would have
compassion on the affliction of Joseph. Yet there were
those in the midst of all this iniquity who professed to
desire the day of Jehovah. The prophet tells them that it
should be a day of terror and of judgment, of darkness
and not of light. They should fall from one disaster into
another. Jehovah took no pleasure in their offerings and
sacrifices; He could not bear with their solemn feasts;
He desired judgment and righteousness. But the people had
been the same from the beginning: it was not Himself that
they worshipped in the wilderness, but their Moloch and
their Remphan, which they had made to themselves; and
they should be carried away captive, beyond even the land
that was now the object of their dread. This last appeal
of the prophet involves deeply important instruction. The
evil principle which was their ruin had been amongst them
from the beginning: the interposition of God's power had
checked it, and had turned aside its effect; but there it
was, and with the decline of faith and godliness, when
human interests no longer restrained it, the same evil
had reappeared. The calves of Dan and Bethel were but a
renewal of the calf they made in the wilderness. The
people of Israel shewed themselves in their true
character, notwithstanding all the longsuffering of God;
and the judgment dates from the first act that displayed
what they had in their heart. Here again we see all
Israel looked at morally as one, when the ten tribes are
spoken of. But this is made evident in a clear and
striking manner by the whole prophecy.
Amos 5 Bible Commentary
John Darby’s Synopsis
After having deplored the ruin of Israel, He contrasts the places of their false worship with Jehovah, the Creator, and exhorts them to come unto Him and live. But Israel put off the thought of the evil day. Evil had the upper hand. The wise man kept silence, for it was an evil day. Nevertheless the Spirit calls to repentance. It might be that Jehovah would have compassion on the affliction of Joseph. Yet there were those in the midst of all this iniquity who professed to desire the day of Jehovah. The prophet tells them that it should be a day of terror and of judgment, of darkness and not of light. They should fall from one disaster into another. Jehovah took no pleasure in their offerings and sacrifices; He could not bear with their solemn feasts; He desired judgment and righteousness. But the people had been the same from the beginning: it was not Himself that they worshipped in the wilderness, but their Moloch and their Remphan, which they had made to themselves; and they should be carried away captive, beyond even the land that was now the object of their dread. This last appeal of the prophet involves deeply important instruction. The evil principle which was their ruin had been amongst them from the beginning: the interposition of God's power had checked it, and had turned aside its effect; but there it was, and with the decline of faith and godliness, when human interests no longer restrained it, the same evil had reappeared. The calves of Dan and Bethel were but a renewal of the calf they made in the wilderness. The people of Israel shewed themselves in their true character, notwithstanding all the longsuffering of God; and the judgment dates from the first act that displayed what they had in their heart. Here again we see all Israel looked at morally as one, when the ten tribes are spoken of. But this is made evident in a clear and striking manner by the whole prophecy.