Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Amos
Book: Amos
Chapter: 3
Overview:
Judgments against
Israel.
(1-8) The like to other nations.
(9-15)
1-8 The distinguishing favours of
God to us, if they do not
restrain from
Sin, shall not exempt from
Punishment. They could
not expect
Communion with
God, unless they first sought peace
with him. Where there is not friendship, there can be
No
Fellowship.
God and
Man cannot walk together, except they are
agreed. Unless we seek his
Glory, we cannot walk with him. Let
us not presume
On outward privileges, without special,
sanctifying
Grace. The threatenings of the
Word and
Providence
of
God against the
Sin of
Man are certain, and certainly show
that the
Judgments of God are at
Hand. Nor will
God remove the
affliction he has sent, till it has done its work. The evil of
Sin is from ourselves, it is our own doing; but the evil of
trouble is from
God, and is his doing, whoever are the
instruments. This should engage us patiently to
Bear public
troubles, and to study to answer
God's meaning in them. The
whole of the
Passage shows that natural evil, or troubles, and
not moral evil, or
Sin, is here meant. The warning given to a
careless world will increase its condemnation another
Day. Oh
the amazing stupidity of an unbelieving world, that will not be
wrought upon
By the terrors of the
Lord, and that despise his
mercies!
9-15 That power which is an instrument of unrighteousness, will
justly be brought down and broken. What is got and kept
wrongfully, will not be kept long. Some are at ease, but there
will come a
Day of visitation, and in that
Day, all they are
proud of, and
Put confidence in, shall fail them.
God will
inquire into the sins of which they have been guilty in their
houses, the
Robbery they have stored up, and the luxury in which
they lived. The pomp and pleasantness of men's houses, do not
fortify against
God's judgments, but make sufferings the more
grievous and vexatious. Yet a remnant, according to the election
of
Grace, will be secured
By our great and good
Shepherd, as
from the jaws of
Destruction, in the worst times.