Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Amos
Book: Amos
Chapter: 5
Overview:
Israel is called to seek the
Lord.
(1-6) Earnest exhortations
to
Repentance.
(7-17) Threatenings respecting idolatries.
(18-27)
1-6 The convincing, awakening
Word must be heard and heeded, as
Well as words of comfort and peace; for whether we hear or
forbear, the
Word of God shall take effect. The
Lord still
proclaims
Mercy to men, but they often expect deliverance from
such self-invented forms as make their condemnation sure. While
they refuse to come to
Christ and to seek
Mercy in and
By him,
that they may live, the
Fire of Divine wrath breaks forth upon
them. Men may make an
Idol of the world, but will find it cannot
protect.
7-17 The same almighty power can, for repenting sinners, easily
turn affliction and sorrow into prosperity and joy, and as
easily turn the prosperity of daring sinners into utter
Darkness. Evil times will not
Bear Plain dealing; that is, evil
men will not. And these men were evil men indeed, when
Wise and
good men thought it in vain even to speak to them. Those who
will seek and
Love that which is good, may help to save the land
from ruin. It behooves us to plead
God's spiritual promises, to
beseech him to create in us a
Clean Heart, and to renew a right
Spirit within us. The
Lord is ever ready to be gracious to the
souls that seek him; and then
Piety and every duty will be
attended to. But as for sinful
Israel,
God's judgments had often
passed
By them, now they shall pass through them.
18-27 Woe unto those that desire the
Day of the
Lord's
judgments, that wish for times of
War and confusion; as some who
long for changes, hoping to rise upon the ruins of their
country! but this should be
So great a
Desolation, that nobody
could gain
By it. The
Day of the
Lord will be a dark, dismal,
gloomy
Day to all impenitent sinners. When
God makes a
Day dark,
all the world cannot make it
Light. Those who are not reformed
By the
Judgments of God, will be pursued
By them; if they escape
one, another stands ready to seize them. A pretence of
Piety is
double iniquity, and
So it will be found. The people of
Israel
copied the crimes of their forefathers. The
Law of worshipping
the
Lord our
God, is, Him only we must serve. Professors thrive
So little, because they have little or
No Communion with
God in
their duties. They were led
Captive By Satan into
Idolatry,
therefore
God caused them to go into
Captivity among idolaters.