And when the relative who is to burn the bodies picks them up to remove them from the house, he will call to one inside, "Is anyone else with you?" "None," that person will answer. "Silence," the relative will retort, "for the name of the LORD must not be invoked." And when the relative who is to burn the bodies picks them up to remove them from the houseThis phrase reflects the dire circumstances in Israel due to God's judgment. The act of burning bodies indicates a severe plague or disaster, as burial was the customary practice. Burning was often reserved for extreme cases, such as in times of pestilence or when bodies were too numerous to bury. This reflects the fulfillment of prophetic warnings about judgment due to Israel's sins ( Amos 4:10). he will call to one inside, “Is anyone else with you?”
The inquiry suggests a scene of desolation and fear. The relative's question indicates the expectation of finding more victims, highlighting the widespread devastation. This also reflects the breakdown of community and family structures, as survivors are scarce. “None,” that person will answer.
The response underscores the totality of the calamity. The absence of survivors points to the thoroughness of God's judgment. This echoes the warnings given by prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah about the consequences of Israel's disobedience (Isaiah 6:11-12, Jeremiah 9:21). “Silence,” the relative will retort,
The command for silence suggests a deep reverence or fear. In the context of judgment, silence can be a response to the overwhelming presence of God's holiness and wrath. It may also indicate a cultural practice of mourning or a fear of invoking further divine wrath. “for the name of the LORD must not be invoked.”
This phrase reflects a fear of speaking God's name in a context of judgment, possibly to avoid further provocation of His anger. It highlights the seriousness of the situation and the recognition of God's sovereignty and holiness. The prohibition against invoking God's name in vain is rooted in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:7), emphasizing the sacredness of His name. Persons / Places / Events 1. RelativeThis person is responsible for the grim task of burning the bodies, indicating a time of great calamity and death. 2. HouseRepresents the place of death and desolation, a symbol of the judgment that has come upon the people. 3. The Name of the LORDThe sacred name of God, which the relative instructs not to invoke, highlighting the severity of the situation and the fear of further judgment. Teaching Points The Severity of God's JudgmentAmos 6:10 illustrates the seriousness of God's judgment on Israel. The silence and fear of invoking God's name reflect the depth of their sin and the resulting desolation. Reverence for God's NameThe instruction not to invoke God's name underscores the need for reverence and the recognition of His holiness, especially in times of judgment. The Consequences of ComplacencyThe context of Amos 6 warns against complacency and self-indulgence, which can lead to spiritual decay and eventual judgment. The Importance of RepentanceThis passage serves as a call to repentance, reminding believers of the need to turn back to God before judgment comes. The Role of Community in Times of CrisisThe presence of a relative performing burial duties highlights the importance of community support and responsibility during times of crisis. Bible Study Questions 1. What does the role of the relative in Amos 6:10 teach us about community responsibilities during times of crisis? 2. How does the fear of invoking God's name in this passage reflect the people's understanding of His holiness and judgment? 3. In what ways does Amos 6:10 challenge us to examine areas of complacency in our own lives? 4. How can we apply the lessons of reverence for God's name in our daily worship and prayer life? 5. What parallels can we draw between the judgment described in Amos 6 and the warnings found in other prophetic books like Isaiah and Jeremiah? Connections to Other Scriptures Leviticus 10:1-3The fear of invoking God's name inappropriately is reminiscent of the judgment on Nadab and Abihu for offering unauthorized fire before the LORD. Isaiah 8:19This passage warns against seeking guidance from the dead, emphasizing the importance of reverence for God's name and commands. Jeremiah 7:16God instructs Jeremiah not to pray for the people, showing a time when invoking God's name would not bring mercy due to persistent disobedience. People Amos, David, Hemath, Jacob, JosephPlaces Ashteroth-karnaim, Brook of the Arabah, Calneh, Gath, Hamath, Lebo-hamath, Lo-debar, Samaria, ZionTopics Anyone, Asks, Bodies, Body, Bones, Bring, Burn, Burner, Burneth, Burning, Burns, Carries, Carry, Forth, Hiding, Hold, Hush, Indeed, Inmost, Inner, Innermost, Kinsman, Lift, Lifted, Lifting, Loved, Man's, Mention, Mentioned, Named, None, One's, Peace, Quiet, Relation, Relative, Responsible, Save, Says, Sides, Silence, Tongue, Uncle, Undertaker, YetDictionary of Bible Themes Amos 6:10 4826 fire
5288 dead, the Library The Carcass and the Eagles
'Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came! 2. Pass ye unto Calneh, and see; and from thence go ye to Hamath the great; then go down to Gath of the Philistines: be they better than these kingdoms? or their border greater than your border? 3. Ye that put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near; 4. That lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy ScriptureJune the Twenty-Fourth at Ease in Zion
"Woe to them that are at ease in Zion!" --AMOS vi. 1-7. I would be delivered from the folly of confusing ease and rest. There is an infinite difference between comforts and comfort. It is one thing to lie down on a luxurious couch: it is a very different thing to "lie down in green pastures" under the gracious shepherdliness of the Lord. The ease which men covet is so often a fruit of stupefaction, the dull product of sinful drugs, the wretched sluggishness of carnal gratification and excess. …
John Henry Jowett—My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year A Sermon for the Time Present
I am going to begin with the last verse of the text, and work my way upwards. The first; head is, a trying day for God's people. They are sorrowful because a cloud is upon their solemn assembly, and the reproach thereof is a burden. Secondly, we will note a glorious ground of consolation. We read in the seventeenth verse, "The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing." And, thirdly, …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 33: 1887 Whether it is Proper to Christ to be Head of the Church?
Objection 1: It seems that it is not proper to Christ to be Head of the Church. For it is written (1 Kings 15:17): "When thou wast a little one in thy own eyes, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel?" Now there is but one Church in the New and the Old Testament. Therefore it seems that with equal reason any other man than Christ might be head of the Church. Objection 2: Further, Christ is called Head of the Church from His bestowing grace on the Church's members. But it belongs to others …
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica Of Christian Liberty.
1. Connection of this chapter with the previous one on Justification. A true knowledge of Christian liberty useful and necessary. 1. It purifies the conscience. 2. It checks licentiousness. 3. It maintains the merits of Christ, the truth of the Gospel, and the peace of the soul. 2. This liberty consists of three parts. First, Believers renouncing the righteousness of the law, look only to Christ. Objection. Answer, distinguishing between Legal and Evangelical righteousness. 3. This first part clearly …
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion Of Orders.
Of this sacrament the Church of Christ knows nothing; it was invented by the church of the Pope. It not only has no promise of grace, anywhere declared, but not a word is said about it in the whole of the New Testament. Now it is ridiculous to set up as a sacrament of God that which can nowhere be proved to have been instituted by God. Not that I consider that a rite practised for so many ages is to be condemned; but I would not have human inventions established in sacred things, nor should it be …
Martin Luther—First Principles of the Reformation The Prophet Amos.
GENERAL PRELIMINARY REMARKS. It will not be necessary to extend our preliminary remarks on the prophet Amos, since on the main point--viz., the circumstances under which he appeared as a prophet--the introduction to the prophecies of Hosea may be regarded as having been written for those of Amos also. For, according to the inscription, they belong to the same period at which Hosea's prophetic ministry began, viz., the latter part of the reign of Jeroboam II., and after Uzziah had ascended the …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament Tiglath-Pileser iii. And the Organisation of the Assyrian Empire from 745 to 722 B. C.
TIGLATH-PILESER III. AND THE ORGANISATION OF THE ASSYRIAN EMPIRE FROM 745 to 722 B.C. FAILURE OF URARTU AND RE-CONQUEST Of SYRIA--EGYPT AGAIN UNITED UNDER ETHIOPIAN AUSPICES--PIONKHI--THE DOWNFALL OF DAMASCUS, OF BABYLON, AND OF ISRAEL. Assyria and its neighbours at the accession of Tiglath-pileser III.: progress of the Aramaeans in the basin of the Middle Tigris--Urartu and its expansion into the north of Syria--Damascus and Israel--Vengeance of Israel on Damascus--Jeroboam II.--Civilisation …
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 7 The Wrath of God
What does every sin deserve? God's wrath and curse, both in this life, and in that which is to come. Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire.' Matt 25: 41. Man having sinned, is like a favourite turned out of the king's favour, and deserves the wrath and curse of God. He deserves God's curse. Gal 3: 10. As when Christ cursed the fig-tree, it withered; so, when God curses any, he withers in his soul. Matt 21: 19. God's curse blasts wherever it comes. He deserves also God's wrath, which is …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments Links Amos 6:10 NIVAmos 6:10 NLTAmos 6:10 ESVAmos 6:10 NASBAmos 6:10 KJV
Amos 6:10 Commentaries
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