But, behold, I will raise up against you a nation, O house of Israel, saith the LORD the God of hosts; and they shall afflict you from the entering in of Hemath unto the river of the wilderness.
And they shall afflict you from the entering in of Hamath - the point of entrance for an invading army (as Assyria) into Israel from the north; specified here, as Hamath had been just before subjugated by Jeroboam II (Amos 6:2). The boundaries are virtually the same as those mentioned, 2 Kings 14:25, as restored to Israel by Jeroboam II, "from the entering of Hamath unto the sea of the plain" - i:e., the Dead Sea, into which "the river of the wilderness," here mentioned flows. Do not glory in your recently acquired city, because it shall be the starting-point for the foe to afflict you. How sad the contrast to the feast of Solomon, attended by a congregation from this same Hamath, the most northern boundary of Israel, to the Nile, the river of Egypt, the most southern boundary!
Unto the river of the wilderness - i:e., to Kedron, or that part of it which empties itself into the northern bay of the Dead Sea below Jericho (2 Chronicles 28:15), which city was at the southern boundary of the ten tribes (Maurer). To the river Nile, which skirts the Arabian wilderness, and separates Egypt from Canaan (Grotius). If this verse includes Judah as well as Israel (cf. Amos 6:1, Zion and Samaria), Grotius' view is correct; and it agrees with 1 Kings 8:65, "Solomon held a feast, and all Israel ... from the entering in of Hamath unto the river of Egypt." The Hebrew expression is, 'the river of the Arabah' - i:e., the deep and extraordinary depression, called the Ghor, extending from the lake of Gennesareth to the Red Sea. The Dead Sea is called by Moses "the sea of the Arabah," or "sea of the plain" (Deuteronomy 3:17): it divides the Arabah into two, the valley of Jordan above, and the Arabah, extending from the Dead Sea to the Red Sea. Hitzig and Pusey understand "the river of the wilderness," or Arabah, here, to be the river forming the southern boundary of Moab, called, in Isaiah 15:7, "the brook of the willows," Hebrew, 'Nachal Ha' Arabim,' now called in its upper part Wadiel-Ahsa, and then Wadi-es-Safieh, dividing Moab from Idumea. This river, flowing from east to west, and so forming the southern boundary of Moab, turns to the north in the Ghor, or Arabah, and flows into the southern extremity of the Dead Sea. So that Moab's southern boundary was now become Israel's southern border, and Israel had no enemy west of the Euphrates.
Remarks:
(1) Reckless "ease" is the sure fore-runner of "woe" (Amos 6:1). The careless are in danger wherever they are; but they are in especial danger "in Zion." Vain confidence, in the midst of religious privileges, neglected or abused, incurs the weightiest condemnation. They who rely on any strength outside of God shall be as the Israelites, who "trusted in the mountain of Samaria," and whose trust awfully disappointed them.
(2) Those of high name in Israel, which was once "chief of the nations" in all that is really good for man, had sadly degenerated, in the days of Amos, from those that were the "renowned of the congregation" in the days of Moses. "Israel came" to them for judgment; but they only thought of their own self-indulgence and luxury. As Amalek was anciently "first of the nations" in enmity to the people of God, so Israel was "first of the nations" by the special grace and choice of God. But now Israel's princes, ungratefully forgetting all God's distinguishing favours, were among the foremost in disregard of God. If, then, God spared not Calneh, Hamath, and Gath, so much less favoured than Israel, how can Israel hope to escape, seeing that she is guiltier than they? Sinners would, if they could, "put the evil day far away" from them. It would throw a terrible gloom over the pleasures of sin if they were to let the thought of speedy judgment enter their minds. But as they are determined to "cause violence" toward the creatures of God to "come near," they put as far off as possible the day of God's judgment. But thereby they only bring the latter the nearer.
(3) Israel's violence within her land brought upon her violence from without. The Assyrian enemy was God's executioner of wrath upon her. The retribution upon her was in kind. Enthroning violence, they enthroned their own scourge. When men put God away they invite the enemy of God: and in bringing near Satan they bring near their own eternal ruin.
(4) Luxury and self-indulgence are the sins specified here which God condemns (Amos 6:4-5). How prevalent these sins are now among professing Christians, and yet how little censured among us! It is well said, 'Debased music is a mark of a nation's decay, and promotes it.' Many gain a reputation by "inventing to themselves instruments of music" (Amos 6:5) and musical compositions, of a style enervating and effeminate, void of all that ennobles the mind and elevates the soul to its Maker. David consecrated the powers of vocal and instrumental melody to God, its highest and best object. The degenerate Israelites of Amos' days tried to justify their desecration of it, to minister to luxury and sensuality, by the example of David. Are the mawkish love songs, and sensational novels, and immodest dancing of our days, one whit more justifiable? Paul's rule to Christians (Colossians 3:16) is, "Admonishing one another in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your heart to the Lord." Let us herein not be conformed to this world, but transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2).
(5) Luxury and hear tless selfishness often go hand in hand. The Israelites drank "wine in bowls," showing the same zeal for the service of their god, their belly (Philippians 3:19), as their pious ancestors did for the service of Yahweh, for which these good men willingly had given their massive silver bowls. None but "the chief ointments" would satisfy their extravagance of expenditure upon their own persons. "But," saith the prophet feelingly, "they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph" (Amos 6:6). They were true children of the unnatural brothers who "sat down to eat bread" (Genesis 37:24-25), after they had cast Joseph into the pit. They "saw the anguish of his soul when he besought them, and would not hear" (Genesis 42:21). Absence of natural feeling for one's kindred, one's country, and one's kind is one of the sad results of sensuality. Self-indulgence shuts out the thought of others' suffering, lest its own ease should be disturbed.
(6) Israel's chiefs were foremost in selfish luxury; so, in just retribution, were they to be foremost in penal suffering. (6) Israel's chiefs were foremost in selfish luxury; so, in just retribution, were they to be foremost in penal suffering. As they had had a bad preeminence, so should they have a painful preeminence. The drunken shout of the banquet should be "removed," along with themselves (Amos 6:7). As God had by oath confirmed His election of Israel, so by oath He now confirmed His rejection of them (Amos 6:8). "The excellency" which God had given to "Jacob," their pious ancestor, was now turned by them into self-glorification, which God abhors. The palaces which God had delighted in He now hated, because of sin, and was about to deliver up to the enemy.
(7) They who do not reverently fear God in prosperity slavishly fear Him in adversity. Unconcern gives place to despair. Conscience reminds sinners of their disregard of God heretofore, so that their feeling is, "We may not make mention of the name of the Lord" (Amos 6:10). How different is the experience of the godly, to whom their God "giveth songs," even "in the night" of suffering! (Job 35:10.) Let all remember that, if they will not call on the name of the Lord in life, in death it will be of no avail to make mention of His name.
(8) When God gives the command of wrath He will surely execute it (Amos 6:11). They who turn the sweets of justice into the gall of unrighteousness and oppression have as little reason to expect real profit from it as a husband-man would have to expect a crop from "plowing upon the rock" (Amos 6:12). It would be easier to turn nature from its course than to turn God's retributive laws from their awards of good to the righteous, and evil to transgressors.
(9) Sinners "rejoice in a thing of nought" (Amos 6:13). Their greatest seeming gain brings with it their greatest loss; because it deprives them of God, the only satisfying good. Our prayer, therefore, should be, "Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity, and quicken thou me in thy way" (Psalms 119:37).
(10) Israel ascribed to herself, the acquisition of power and territory which God had given her under Rehoboam II, according to the inspired prophecy of Jonah (2 Kings 14:25). "Have we not," said they, "taken to us horns by our own strength?" (Amos 6:13.) Therefore God threatens to "raise up" a nation against her which, while following its own will, should execute His purpose of judgment on His people. The whole scene of Israel's triumphs should be the very scene of her shame and woe, "from the entering in of Hamath unto the river of the wilderness" (Amos 6:14). When men gave not the glory of their blessings to God, it is but just that they should be deprived of them. Let us take warning, and seek to be clothed with humility, and glory not so much in God's gifts as in God Himself.