Seek Good and Not Evil

Building upon the sarcastic and ironic statements of chapter 4:4-14, a new section of Amos opens in 5:1-6:14. We will examine the section in three major blocks: 5:1-15 (the subject of this current post); 5:16-27; and 6:1-14.

Basically, the text calls upon the people to seek God rather than the temples at Bethel and Gilgal. This stands in Marked contrast to the 4 where the people were told come to Gilgal and sin; to Bethel and sin even more. The Point there was that their false and formalistic worship was not a true “seeking after” God.

Amos, 5:1-5 from The holy Bible, Revised Standard version

1: Hear this word which I take up over you in lamentation, O house of Israel: 2: “Fallen, no more to rise, is the virgin Israel; forsaken on her land, with none to raise her up.” 3: For thus says the Lord GOD: “The city that went forth a thousand shall have a hundred left, and that which went forth a hundred shall have ten left to the house of Israel.” 4: For thus says the LORD to the house of Israel: “Seek me and live; 5: but do not seek Bethel, and do not enter into Gilgal or cross over to Beer-sheba; for Gilgal shall surely go into exile, and Bethel shall come to nought.”

Vs 1 Hear is, as we have seen before, prophetic call to attention. What the people are called to attend to is the impending doom of their kingdom. This doom is announced in the form of lamentation; a funeral dirge or death song which is given in vs 2.

Vs 2 Consists of the actual lamentation announced in the previous verse. It is, in the Hebrew text, written in the poetic “Qinah” meter, a term derived from the Hebrew word for lamentation. In other words, in verse 2 we are to understand that the prophet is singing the words: Fallen, no more to rise, is the virgin Israel; forsaken on her land, with none to raise her up.

The lamentation is recorded in the present tense as if the state of affairs it concerns has already taken place. In fact, the event is still future, as verses 3-5 make clear. The present tense serves a two-fold purpose; (1) it highlights its function as a prediction and (2) it makes clear that what is predicted will come to pass. The Northern Kingdom, virgin Israel will indeed fall, the only recourse the people have in the face of this impending calamnity is repentance, returning to the Lord (see vss 5-6), which includes living righteously (vss 14-15). This alone however will not save the Northern Kingdom, for the kingdom is marked for destruction as a political/religious entity. As the prophet will make clear later, the people must not only return to the right worship of God, but they must also once again subject themselves to the leadship of the Davidic kings of Judah (see 9:8b-15).

Vs 3 For thus says the Lord “The city that went forth a thousand shall have a hundred left, and
that which went forth a hundred shall have ten left to the house of
Israel.”

Notice the combination of past and future tenses here. What is being predicted will surely happen.

For This word introduces the reason for the lamentation and its meaning. Virgin Israel will fall and be forsaken as the result of a terrible military defeat (see 2:13-16). Her Armies will literally be decimated. A thousand will be reduced to a hundred; a hundred will be reduced to ten. The ancient Jewish military was arrainged in companies of tens, hundres, thousands.

Vs 4 For thus says the LORD to the house of Israel: “Seek me and live.

This is the only valid solution to their impending predicament.

Vs 5 but do not seek Bethel, and do not enter into Gilgal or cross over to Beer-sheba; for Gilgal shall surely go into exile, and Bethel shall come to nought. (see 3:14-15)

All three of these sites loom large in the history of the patriarchs who set up shrines and memorials to God at them. But during the time of David and Solomon God had chosen to dwell in Jerusalem and receive sacrifice there. Turning these other sites into rival places of sacrificial worship was an offense against God. Compounding this was the fact that the worship taking place was tainted with paganism. These places would indeed be destroyed and the people taken into exile by the Assyrian Empire in 722 BC.

Vs 6 The beginning of the verse basically repeats the call to seek God made in vs 4. The rest of the verse again reiterates the impending doom of the Kingdom by military defeat. Notice that the language is similar to what was found in the oracles of 1:3-25. In those oracles we saw that a number of nations, including Judah, and/or their cities were threatened with fire. In the oracle made against the Northern Kingdom of Israel in 2:6-16 no such threat is given. Why was it delayed till here?

Vs 7 reintroduces the sins against righteousness and justice which are manifested in mistreatment of the poor. Wormwood is a small bush which lies close to the ground and has an extremely bitter taste to it. The people have made Justice and righteousness bitter and insignificant, like the wormwood plant.

Vs 8-9 are a liturgical acclaimation similar to the one found in 4:13. As the true source of all that is made and happens in creation God cannot be mocked; for as he is the source of creation, he is also the source of righteousness and justice among men. He who has the power to control creation certainly has the power to bring judgement against those who turn justice into wormwood.

Vs 10 They hate him who reproves in the gate, and they abhor him who speaks the truth.

Legal cases were heard and legal decisions were made in public, usually at the city gate. As we saw in 2:6-8 the wealthy were corrupting the legal system in order to cheat the poor. A Judges who reproves honestly, or a witness who speaks truthfully are hated by such people.

Vs 11: Therefore because you trample upon the poor and take from
him exactions of wheat, you have built houses of hewn stone, but you
shall not dwell in them; you have planted pleasant vineyards, but you
shall not drink their wine.

The wealthy in the kingdom who have increased their abundance wrongly will not enjoy the fruits of their wrongdoing (see 3:15 and 4:9).

Vs 12 For I know how many are your transgressions, and how great are your sins–you who afflict the righteous, who take a bribe and turn aside the needy at the gate.

As verses 7-10 made clear, God is not ignorant of what is taking place, it is precisely his knowledge of what is happening which motivates the coming punishment.

Vs 13 Therefore he who is prudent will keep silent in such a time; for it is an evil time.

The prudent man will remain silent concerning the evil being done because things have become so evil.

Vs 14 Seek good, and not evil, that you may live; and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you, as you have said.

The Hebrew word used for seek is dirsu, the root of which is often used to denote seeking God thru prophetic oracles or worship. One can onlu seek good and worship according to God’s will which was manifested and made known thru the gift of prophecy (see Deut 18:9-20). Though the people were claiming God was with them their actions showed otherwise.

Vs 15 Hate evil, love good, and establish justice at the gate; it may be that the Lord, tho God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.

Ultimately, one can only have a right relationship with God if one has a right relationship with his fellow humans. If the wealthy and pwerful want to escape the coming wrath they have to begin acting in an upright manner and not, for example, continue to corrupt the courts.