Amos 5:5
Do not seek Bethel or go to Gilgal; do not journey to Beersheba, for Gilgal will surely go into exile, and Bethel will come to nothing.
Do not seek Bethel
Bethel was a significant religious site in the Northern Kingdom of Israel, often associated with idolatry. It was one of the two locations where Jeroboam I set up golden calves (1 Kings 12:28-29). The command not to seek Bethel underscores the rejection of false worship and the need to return to true worship of Yahweh. Bethel, meaning "house of God," ironically became a center of idol worship, highlighting the spiritual decline of Israel.

or go to Gilgal
Gilgal was another important religious site, initially a place of significance during the conquest of Canaan (Joshua 4:19-20). However, over time, it became associated with idolatrous practices (Hosea 4:15). The warning against going to Gilgal emphasizes the futility of seeking God in places where His presence has been replaced by false worship. This reflects the broader theme of the prophets calling Israel back to genuine faithfulness.

do not journey to Beersheba
Beersheba, located in the southern part of Judah, was a patriarchal site linked to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Genesis 21:31-33; 26:23-25; 28:10). Despite its historical significance, the journey to Beersheba for worship was discouraged, indicating that even places with a rich spiritual heritage could become centers of empty ritualism. This serves as a reminder that true worship is not about location but about the heart's posture towards God.

for Gilgal will surely go into exile
The prophecy of Gilgal going into exile reflects the impending judgment on Israel due to their unfaithfulness. This exile was fulfilled when the Assyrians conquered the Northern Kingdom in 722 BC (2 Kings 17:6). The mention of exile serves as a warning of the consequences of persistent idolatry and disobedience, reinforcing the call to repentance.

and Bethel will come to nothing
Bethel's fate of coming to nothing signifies the ultimate futility of idolatry. Despite its religious prominence, Bethel's idolatrous practices led to its downfall. This echoes the biblical theme that false gods and idols are powerless and lead to destruction (Isaiah 44:9-20). The phrase also foreshadows the complete desolation that would come upon Israel due to their spiritual infidelity.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Amos
A prophet from the southern kingdom of Judah, called by God to deliver a message of judgment to the northern kingdom of Israel.

2. Bethel
A significant religious site in Israel, known for its association with Jacob and later as a center of idol worship.

3. Gilgal
Another important religious site, initially a place of worship and remembrance but later associated with idolatry.

4. Beersheba
A city in the southern part of Israel, also a site of pilgrimage and worship, but criticized for its idolatrous practices.

5. Exile
The impending judgment and removal of the Israelites from their land due to their unfaithfulness and idolatry.
Teaching Points
Avoid Idolatry
The Israelites were warned against seeking God in places associated with idol worship. We must be vigilant in identifying and removing idols in our own lives, whether they be material possessions, relationships, or ideologies that take precedence over God.

True Worship
God desires worship that is sincere and rooted in truth, not tied to specific locations or rituals. Our worship should be a reflection of our relationship with God, characterized by obedience and reverence.

Consequences of Disobedience
The prophecy of exile serves as a reminder that disobedience to God’s commands leads to judgment. We are called to live in accordance with God’s will to avoid spiritual and moral decline.

Seek God Himself
The emphasis is on seeking God directly rather than through intermediaries or locations. Our relationship with God should be personal and direct, cultivated through prayer, study of Scripture, and obedience.
Bible Study Questions
1. What are some modern-day "Bethels" or "Gilgals" that might distract us from true worship of God?

2. How can we ensure that our worship is genuine and not merely ritualistic?

3. In what ways does the warning of exile in Amos 5:5 apply to our spiritual lives today?

4. How can we identify and remove idols from our lives to ensure that God remains our primary focus?

5. What steps can we take to cultivate a direct and personal relationship with God, as opposed to relying on external religious practices?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Genesis 28
Bethel is first mentioned as the place where Jacob dreams of a ladder reaching to heaven, marking it as a place of divine encounter.

Joshua 4-5
Gilgal is where the Israelites camped after crossing the Jordan River, a place of renewal and covenant.

1 Kings 12
Bethel becomes a center of idol worship under King Jeroboam, illustrating its spiritual decline.

Hosea 4:15
Hosea also warns against going to Gilgal and Bethel, reinforcing the message of Amos about the futility of seeking God in places of idolatry.
The Search Which Ends in Life, and the Search Which Ends in RuinJ. Telford, B. A.Amos 5:4-5
People
Amos, Joseph
Places
Beersheba, Bethel, Damascus, Gilgal, Gomorrah
Topics
Beersheba, Beer-sheba, Bethel, Beth-el, Captivity, Certainly, Cross, Enter, Exile, Gilgal, Journey, Naught, Nothing, Nought, Pass, Prisoner, Reduced, Remove, Resort, Seek, Surely, Trouble, Utterly, Vanity
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Amos 5:5

     7212   exile

Amos 5:4-6

     7233   Israel, northern kingdom

Amos 5:4-15

     5541   society, negative

Library
April 15 Morning
Their Redeemer is strong.--JER. 50:34. I know your manifold transgressions and your mighty sins.--I have laid help upon one that is mighty.--The Lord. . . thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty one of Jacob.--Mighty to save.--Able to keep you from falling.--Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.--He is able . . . to save them
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path

The Sins of Society
'For thus saith the Lord unto the house of Israel, Seek ye Me, and ye shall live: 5. But seek not Beth-el, nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not to Beer-sheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Beth-el shall come to nought. 6. Seek the Lord, and ye shall live; lest He break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and devour it, and there be none to quench it in Beth-el. 7. Ye who turn judgment to wormwood, and leave off righteousness in the earth, 8. Seek Him that maketh the seven stars
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Evidences Internal and Experimental.
1. The external evidences of revealed religion are, in their proper place and sphere, of the highest importance. Christianity rests not upon theory, but upon historical facts sustained by an overwhelming mass of testimony. It is desirable that every Christian, so far as he has opportunity, should make himself acquainted with this testimony for the strengthening of his own faith and the refutation of gainsayers. Nevertheless, many thousands of Christians are fully established in the faith of the gospel
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible

Whether, by Penance, Man is Restored to his Former Dignity?
Objection 1: It would seem that man is not restored by Penance to his former dignity: because a gloss on Amos 5:2, "The virgin of Israel is cast down," observes: "It is not said that she cannot rise up, but that the virgin of Israel shall not rise; because the sheep that has once strayed, although the shepherd bring it back on his shoulder, has not the same glory as if it had never strayed." Therefore man does not, through Penance, recover his former dignity. Objection 2: Further, Jerome says: "Whoever
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

The Kingdom of Judah.
II K. 18-25; II Chron. 28-36. Note: This period covers the time from the fail of Israel to the fall of Judah. It begins in the sixth year of the reign of Hezekiah, whose name is given as the first king of the period since most of his reign was in this instead of the former period. The Kings of this Period. 13. Hezekiah, 2 K. 18:1-20-21; 2 Chron. 29:1-32:33. Reigned 29 years and died. 14. Manasseh, 2 K. 21:1-18; 2 Chron. 33:1-20. Reigned 55 year and died. 15. Amon, 2 K. 21:19-26; 2 Chron. 33:20-25.
Josiah Blake Tidwell—The Bible Period by Period

The Greater Prophets.
1. We have already seen (Chap. 15, Nos. 11 and 12) that from Moses to Samuel the appearances of prophets were infrequent; that with Samuel and the prophetical school established by him there began a new era, in which the prophets were recognized as a distinct order of men in the Theocracy; and that the age of written prophecy did not begin till about the reign of Uzziah, some three centuries after Samuel. The Jewish division of the latter prophets--prophets in the more restricted sense of the
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible

Whether the Old Law Should have Been Given to the Jews Alone?
Objection 1: It would seem that the Old Law should not have been given to the Jews alone. For the Old Law disposed men for the salvation which was to come through Christ, as stated above ([2065]AA[2],3). But that salvation was to come not to the Jews alone but to all nations, according to Is. 49:6: "It is a small thing that thou shouldst be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to convert the dregs of Israel. Behold I have given thee to be the light of the Gentiles, that thou mayest be
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Degrees of Sin
Are all transgressions of the law equally heinous? Some sins in themselves, and by reason of several aggravations, are more heinous in the sight of God than others. He that delivered me unto thee, has the greater sin.' John 19: 11. The Stoic philosophers held that all sins were equal; but this Scripture clearly holds forth that there is a gradual difference in sin; some are greater than others; some are mighty sins,' and crying sins.' Amos 5: 12; Gen 18: 21. Every sin has a voice to speak, but some
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

The Books of the Old Testament as a Whole. 1 the Province of Particular Introduction is to Consider the Books of the Bible Separately...
CHAPTER XVIII. THE BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT AS A WHOLE. 1. The province of Particular Introduction is to consider the books of the Bible separately, in respect to their authorship, date, contents, and the place which each of them holds in the system of divine truth. Here it is above all things important that we begin with the idea of the unity of divine revelation--that all the parts of the Bible constitute a gloriously perfect whole, of which God and not man is the author. No amount of study devoted
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible

Ripe for Gathering
'Thus hath the Lord God shewed unto me: and behold a basket of summer fruit. 2. And He said, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A basket of summer fruit. Then said the Lord unto me, The end is come upon My people of Israel; I will not again pass by them any more. 3. And the songs of the temple shall be howlings in that day, saith the Lord God: there shall be many dead bodies in every place; they shall cast them forth with silence. 4. Hear this, O ye that swallow up the needy, even to make the poor
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Arguments Usually Alleged in Support of Free Will Refuted.
1. Absurd fictions of opponents first refuted, and then certain passages of Scripture explained. Answer by a negative. Confirmation of the answer. 2. Another absurdity of Aristotle and Pelagius. Answer by a distinction. Answer fortified by passages from Augustine, and supported by the authority of an Apostle. 3. Third absurdity borrowed from the words of Chrysostom. Answer by a negative. 4. Fourth absurdity urged of old by the Pelagians. Answer from the works of Augustine. Illustrated by the testimony
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion

Journey to Jerusalem. Ten Lepers. Concerning the Kingdom.
(Borders of Samaria and Galilee.) ^C Luke XVII. 11-37. ^c 11 And it came to pass, as they were on their way to Jerusalem, that he was passing along the borders of Samaria and Galilee. [If our chronology is correct, Jesus passed northward from Ephraim about forty miles, crossing Samaria (here mentioned first), and coming to the border of Galilee. He then turned eastward along that border down the wady Bethshean which separates the two provinces, and crossed the Jordan into Peræa, where we soon
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Prophecy of Obadiah.
We need not enter into details regarding the question as to the time when the prophet wrote. By a thorough argumentation, Caspari has proved, that he occupies his right position in the Canon, and hence belongs to the earliest age of written prophecy, i.e., to the time of Jeroboam II. and Uzziah. As bearing conclusively against those who would assign to him a far later date, viz., the time of the exile, there is not only the indirect testimony borne by the place which this prophecy occupies in
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

The Lord Coming to his Temple
The LORD , whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to His temple; even the messenger of the covenant in whom ye delight: Behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts. But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? For he is like a refiner's fire, and like a fuller's soap, -- and he shall purify the sons of Levi -- that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness. W hereunto shall we liken the people of this generation? and to what are they like? (Luke 7:31)
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 1

Scriptures Showing the Sin and Danger of Joining with Wicked and Ungodly Men.
Scriptures Showing The Sin And Danger Of Joining With Wicked And Ungodly Men. When the Lord is punishing such a people against whom he hath a controversy, and a notable controversy, every one that is found shall be thrust through: and every one joined with them shall fall, Isa. xiii. 15. They partake in their judgment, not only because in a common calamity all shares, (as in Ezek. xxi. 3.) but chiefly because joined with and partakers with these whom God is pursuing; even as the strangers that join
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

An Exhortation to Love God
1. An exhortation. Let me earnestly persuade all who bear the name of Christians to become lovers of God. "O love the Lord, all ye his saints" (Psalm xxxi. 23). There are but few that love God: many give Him hypocritical kisses, but few love Him. It is not so easy to love God as most imagine. The affection of love is natural, but the grace is not. Men are by nature haters of God (Rom. i. 30). The wicked would flee from God; they would neither be under His rules, nor within His reach. They fear God,
Thomas Watson—A Divine Cordial

Being Made Archbishop of Armagh, He Suffers Many Troubles. Peace Being Made, from Being Archbishop of Armagh He Becomes Bishop of Down.
[Sidenote: 1129] 19. (12). Meanwhile[365] it happened that Archbishop Cellach[366] fell sick: he it was who ordained Malachy deacon, presbyter and bishop: and knowing that he was dying he made a sort of testament[367] to the effect that Malachy ought to succeed him,[368] because none seemed worthier to be bishop of the first see. This he gave in charge to those who were present, this he commanded to the absent, this to the two kings of Munster[369] and to the magnates of the land he specially enjoined
H. J. Lawlor—St. Bernard of Clairvaux's Life of St. Malachy of Armagh

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