The Pulpit Commentary — Amos — Section 122

For God to swear is an act of special condescension. H is making a great concession to our unbelief, and the limitation of our faculties, that God conforms to our human modes of making solemn affirmation, in order if possible to win our implicit credence for his words (Heb. vi. 17). His oath, added to his word in any matter, is for fulness of confirmation and assurance, and is a specially gracious act. 3. What he swears by limseif, In default of a greater, God swears by himself (Heb. vi. 13), He is "the true God," and a "God of truth." An oath in his name bas the highest sanction possible, and assumes its most solemn form. God's oath in his own name is as sure as his own existence-is, in fact, a putting of his existence in pledge for the word of his mouth. II. TBE ESSENTIAL ANTAGONISM BETWEEN DIVINE HOLINESS AND IIUHAN BIN. This is extreme, utter, and necessary. 1. God does not hate men, but their ,in. He is not. said to do so here. The statements elsewhere, that he hates the wicked (Ps. v. 5; Rom, ix. 13), must be taken in connection with the clearly revealed fact that he also loves them (John iii. 16), and loved his people while they were of them. It cannot be that he loves the wicked and hates them in the same sense. His love has reference to their humanity, his hatred to their sinfulness (Rom. i. 18). He hates them as sinners, yet loves them as men; forgives them often, yet takes vengeance on their inventions (Ps. xcix. 8). 2. God's hatred of sin extends to the occasions of it. " I abhor the pride of Jacob." God's abhorrence of sin extends to everything that tends to produce it. Pride or loftiness, being in itself sinful, and a fruitful occasion of sin, he must bate. Excellence or greatness, whether imaginary or real, is, in so far as it. leads to pride, included in the reach of the Divine abhorrence. Sin, like a cesspool, fouls all approaches to it. It is spiritual treason, and attamts its nearest of kin. 3. It includes even the scenes of it. "And I hate his palaces." The palaces were closely connected with the sin. They were built with the wages of unrighteousness, for luxurious gratification, and as a means to further exaction. Accordingly, as at once an expression of sin and an accessory of it, they were hateful in God's sight. God's attitude in the matter is the model for ours. If we are baptized into his Spirit we shall "hate even the garments spotted by the flesh." Not only is sin hateful, but all that leads to it, all that borders on it, all that has any connection with it. Even the remotest contact with it will be hateful to the spiritually minded. III. THE SWEEPING JUDGMENTS THAT EXPRESS A HOLY WllATH. These are set forth in various forms and degrees of severity. 1. The capital would be delivered up. " And give up the city and the fulness thereof." Samaria, the capital, was the strength aud pride of Israel. It was the impregnable metropolis, the great storehouse of national wealth, the seat of government, the home of luxury, the social, political, economical, and military centre of the kingdom. To destroy it was like taking the heart ont of their kingdom at one fell stroke. Notwithstanding this, or rather perhaps because of this, it would be captured and pillaged. In sin it had set the example, and taken the lead, and in punishment its leading position would be retained. 2. Not even one out of ten should escape. (Ver, 9.) Such sweeping destruction as this was almost unheard of. Even Sodom and Gomorrah were not more utterly destroyed. This was due ultimately to the almost universal impenitence, and proximately to the length and stubbornness of the fighting. God would not allow the persistently impenitent to escape, and the Assyrian armies, his instruments, would not spare the obstinate defenders of Samaria, who bad kept them three years at bay. 3. The straggling survivors sho'lild be in abjec, fear of the almost universal fate. (Ver. 10.) 'l'he solitary survivor is no nearer faith in God than those who have been destroyed. He does not cast himself on his mercy. He does not even in that dreadful hour seek his face. His stupid but thoroughly .characteristic impulse is to hide away from his presence. Apart from Divine grace, sin committed drives away from God (Gen. iii. 8), and punishment approaching drives further still (Rev. vi. 16). In prosperity the wicked will not even fear God; in 11dversity, if they fear, they still refuse to trust him. 4. The work of destruction would be carried out systematically and in detail. (Ver. 11.) Neither palace uor .cabin should escape. The great houso would be broken into great pieces, o.nd the small house into small pieces. God's judgments are nothing if not effective. The greatest cannot defy, nor can the smallest elude them. The destruction of each shall be elaborately and circumstantially complete. 122 THE BOOK OF AMOS. [on. vr. 1-14 ►