Amos 6: Unbelieving oppression to the unbelieving chosen.

1: Ayyo!

Those who are secure in Zion

Those who are confident in Mount Shomron

Chief blasphemers of unbelieving nations to whom came the house of Israel.

 

2: Cross over (Avar) to Calneh (founded by Nimrod (marad-rebellion) Gen 10:8-12, 1 Chron 1:10, Micah 5:5-6, founder of Babel and Assyrians)

And walk from there to great Kamath (fortified/hot – its entrance was one of the markers of Israel’s northern border Josh13:5  and where Philistine lords were left to test Israel’s obedience Judg 3:3, seized by Solomon 2 Chron 8:3, Calneh & Kamath in Is10:9 as idol worshippers, where Nebuchadnezzar rules Jer 39:5).

Descend to Gath of the Philistines

(Where Akish protected David 1 Sam 21, from where Goliath 1 Sam 17 and other giants 2 Sam 21 came).

 

Were/Are you better than the kingdoms?

Were/Are your territories better than these territories?

 

3: The ones who push away a bad day

Those who cause a settling of violence  (Hamas)

4: Those who sleep on ivory couches

and on stretched out beds

Eaters of flocks of lambs and calves from a stall

5: Those who croon to the mouth of the guitar like David

And compose for their musical instruments

6: Those who drink from alcohol dispensers and anoint with first class oils (shamenim)

And are not grieved by (naklu) the collapse of Joseph.

7: So now you are laid bare (yiglu)

In the first revealing (golim) and turned away from stretched-out banquets.

Pause!

 

8: Lord Yehoweh was sworn by his soul, Word of Yehoweh, Lord of Parliaments,

“I abhor the arrogance of Jacob (heel catcher) and his palaces.

I hated and I caused the surrender of a city and its fullness”.

9: And it happened that if 10 men remain in a house and 1 died

10: And their cremating loved-one picked up the bones to cause to take them from the house and said to the one inside the house, “Are there any more with you?”

And he said “Nothing”.

And he said, “Hush! For we do not  cause to remember the name of Yehoweh”.

11: For behold – Commanding Yehoweh!

He causes to smite

the great, the house into drops,

And the little, the house, into pieces.

12: Did the horses run on crags?

Or the cattle plough?

For you have transformed the chief (/venom – rosh)  justice and righteous fruit into poison (Wormwood – Deut 29:18 has same  – venom, fruit, wormwood – as the character of neighbouring unbelieving nations)

13: Those who Rejoice in no-speak (Lo-debar – no freedom of God’s Word)

Those who say –  Have we not in our own strength taken horns (of a ram/Altar/Revelation horns?) for ourselves?

14: For behold, The Word of Yehoweh, Lord of Parliaments is to let an unbelieving nation to establish for/against you, house of Israel.

And they oppressed you from the entrance of Kamath to the stream of the desert plains (Araba).

 

Prayer: Lord, let us not walk in the ways of the unbelieving nations around us or be drawn to their sensualities. Let us not poison Justice or pollute Righteousness or restrict your Word. Please do not set us up to be oppressed on the boundaries of the very land You promised. Amen.