Amos Chapter 6
A. Woe to those who are at ease in Zion
1. (Amos 6:1–2) Comparing Israel to her pagan neighbors
“Woe to you who are at ease in Zion,
And trust in the mountain of Samaria,
Notable persons in the chief nation,
To whom the house of Israel comes!
Pass ye unto Calneh, and see;
And from thence go ye to Hamath the great:
Then go down to Gath of the Philistines:
Are they better than these kingdoms?
Or their border greater than your border?” (KJV)
Israel had fallen into a sinful state of complacency. God pronounced a woe upon those who were “at ease in Zion,” meaning they were comfortable, secure, and spiritually asleep while judgment was at the door. This was not the rest promised by God to the faithful; it was a carnal ease born of pride, luxury, and spiritual indifference. They trusted in the mountain of Samaria and the strength of their position rather than in the Lord. Their security was not faith, but presumption.
There is a godly rest offered to believers, as Jesus said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28), and Hebrews declares, “There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God” (Hebrews 4:9). But Amos is describing another kind of rest—sinful rest rooted in laziness, pride, and indifference to sin. It is the rest of a people who have silenced conviction and no longer tremble at the Word of God. It is the rest of a hardened heart.
Israel’s sinful ease revealed itself in many ways:
• Presumption – trusting in the might of their mountain rather than in their God.
• Procrastination – choosing to “put far away the evil day” instead of repenting while there was time.
• Cruelty and oppression – bringing “the seat of violence near,” caring little for the suffering of others.
• Self-indulgence – as described in Amos 6:4–6, living for pleasure rather than service to God.
• Carelessness and drunken ignorance – numbing themselves instead of waking up spiritually.
Israel prided itself in being the people of God, but God challenged them, “Are ye better than these kingdoms?” He pointed to other pagan cities—Calneh, Hamath, and Gath—cities that had already fallen under judgment. Israel was no better; in fact, they had greater light and therefore greater responsibility. They assumed judgment would never come to them, but God reminded them: if pagan nations fell, so would they.
This same spirit of ease once overtook King David when he stayed home instead of going to war. In that moment of fleshly comfort, he fell into sin with Bathsheba and murdered her husband to hide his guilt (2 Samuel 11). Ease opens the door to temptation when faithfulness is abandoned.
As Charles Spurgeon said, this kind of ease is not the peace of a forgiven soul, but the numbness of a heart that has grown callous to God. It is the false peace of one who hides his sin from himself and imagines it is hidden from God. It is the rest of a soul on its way to ruin unless God awakens it.
2. (Amos 6:3–7) The high-standing in Israel will be brought low
“Ye that put far away the evil day,
and cause the seat of violence to come near;
That lie upon beds of ivory,
and stretch themselves upon their couches,
and eat the lambs out of the flock,
and the calves out of the midst of the stall;
That chant to the sound of the viol,
and invent to themselves instruments of musick, like David;
That drink wine in bowls,
and anoint themselves with the chief ointments:
but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.
Therefore now shall they go captive with the first that go captive,
and the banquet of them that stretched themselves shall be removed.” (KJV)
Amos speaks directly to the wealthy leaders and elites who lived in luxury and pride while ignoring the spiritual decay of the nation. They “put far away the evil day,” convincing themselves that judgment was distant and would not come in their time. This was not faith but denial. By refusing to repent, they brought the “seat of violence” nearer, inviting the very judgment they thought they had escaped.
Their lives were marked by extravagant comfort and excessive indulgence. They reclined on beds inlaid with ivory and stretched themselves lazily on couches while consuming the finest meats—the tender lambs from the flock and stall-fed calves reserved for feasts. They entertained themselves with idle music and even created new instruments, imitating the creativity of David but without David’s heart for God. Their music was not worship; it was noise that accompanied their spiritual numbness.
They drank wine not from cups but from large bowls, showing an unrestrained appetite. They anointed themselves with luxurious oils, symbolizing pride and self-adornment. Yet in all this, they “were not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.” This means they had no concern for the suffering, spiritual ruin, or moral collapse of their own nation. They cared only for their pleasure.
When God prospers His people, He expects them to use His gifts for His glory and for the good of others. Israel instead used their prosperity to indulge the flesh. Prosperity became their god, pleasure became their purpose, and pride became their downfall. This same danger exists today: when comfort dulls conviction and abundance silences repentance.
Because of this, God declared, “Therefore now shall they go captive with the first that go captive.” The very ones who sat highest in luxury would be the first to march away in chains. Those who lounged at banquets and lived in ease would be the first removed from their couches and led away by the Assyrians. The high-standing would be brought low; the proud would become prisoners.
Their banquets would end, their songs would stop, and their perfumes would be replaced with the stench of captivity. What they refused to give up in repentance, God would take by force in judgment.
B. The Coming Destruction of Israel
1. (Amos 6:8–11) The city delivered to destruction
**“The Lord GOD hath sworn by himself,
saith the LORD God of hosts,
I abhor the excellency of Jacob,
and hate his palaces:
therefore will I deliver up the city
with all that is therein.
And it shall come to pass,
if there remain ten men in one house, that they shall die.
And a man’s uncle shall take him up,
and he that burneth him, to bring out the bones out of the house,
and shall say unto him that is by the sides of the house,
Is there yet any with thee?
and he shall say, None.
Then shall he say, Hold thy tongue:
for we may not make mention of the name of the LORD.
For, behold, the LORD commandeth,
and he will smite the great house with breaches,
and the little house with clefts.”** (KJV)
The Lord Himself swears by His own name to emphasize the certainty of the coming judgment. He declares, “I abhor the excellency of Jacob, and hate his palaces.” Israel took pride in its wealth, fortresses, and accomplishments, but God despised their pride. Their palaces symbolized not blessing but corruption, oppression, and self-exaltation. In response, God declares that He will deliver the entire city—every house, every life—into destruction.
When God says He “abhors” the pride of Jacob, it reveals that pride itself is a sin that provokes His judgment. Pride was not merely a minor flaw; it was the root of their rebellion. This truth is so central to God’s character that He repeats it three times in His Word: “God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble” (Proverbs 3:34; James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5). Israel thought their success was proof of God’s approval, but in reality, their pride guaranteed their fall.
The destruction described is graphic and devastating. Even if ten men hide together in one house, they will all die. The judgment will be so total that bodies will be burned rather than buried, which was considered shameful in Jewish culture. As the dead are removed, a relative will ask, “Is there any more with thee?” and the answer will be, “None.” Then comes the chilling warning: “Hold thy tongue, for we may not make mention of the name of the LORD.”
This terror reveals how severe the judgment will be. The people will be so overwhelmed by God’s wrath that they fear even speaking His name, lest they draw more judgment. The covenant name of the LORD, which once brought comfort and protection, now sparked fear because the people knew they had provoked Him beyond restraint.
Finally, God declares that He will shatter both “the great house” and “the little house.” This means the judgment will be complete and impartial. The wealthy and powerful in their great palaces, and the poor in their small houses—all will face the consequences. No social class, no fortress, no name will shield anyone from the command of the LORD.
In short, pride will be met with humiliation, luxury will be replaced with ruin, and silence will fall where once God’s name was spoken carelessly. The high-standing of Israel will be brought to ashes because they exalted themselves and forgot their God.
2. (Amos 6:12–14) The injustice and pride of Israel make it a target for judgment
“Shall horses run upon the rock?
will one plow there with oxen?
for ye have turned judgment into gall,
and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock:
Ye which rejoice in a thing of nought,
which say, Have we not taken to us horns
by our own strength?
But, behold, I will raise up against you a nation,
O house of Israel, saith the LORD the God of hosts;
and they shall afflict you from the entering in of Hamath
unto the river of the wilderness.” (KJV)
God asks Israel two rhetorical questions: Do horses run upon the rock? Will one plough the rocks with oxen? The obvious answer is no. No wise man sends horses to run over jagged rocks where they will be crippled, nor does a farmer waste his oxen trying to plow hardened stone. These are pictures of futility. In the same way, Israel’s behavior was irrational and destructive. They took what was meant to be justice and turned it into poison—“gall”—and they transformed righteousness into “wormwood,” a bitter and deadly plant. God created His law to produce justice, compassion, and holiness in the land, but Israel corrupted it to oppression, deceit, and bitterness.
Instead of grieving over their sin, they rejoiced over Lo Debar—which literally means “a thing of nothing.” They boasted over insignificant victories and empty achievements. They also proudly claimed, “Have we not taken Karnaim for ourselves by our own strength?” Israel’s attitude was one of self-congratulation. They believed their success came from their own power rather than the blessing of the Lord. Their pride made them blind to their own spiritual sickness.
Because of this defiance, God declared, “I will raise up against you a nation, O house of Israel.” Their pride and injustice would make them targets of judgment. The conquering nation He spoke of was Assyria. They would invade and devastate the entire land, “from the entering in of Hamath unto the river of the wilderness.” This means total judgment—from the northern border to the southern edge. Not a tribe, not a region, not a palace would escape.
Spurgeon noted that men do not choose to labor in futility. They do not run horses over rocks nor plow cliffs with oxen because it is pointless and harmful. Yet Israel chose the spiritual equivalent by continuing in sin, expecting peace and blessing while rejecting righteousness. It was a foolish labor that could only end in ruin.
The same lesson applies today: no one can reject justice, boast in their own strength, and despise righteousness without facing consequences. God is not mocked. Pride always leads to destruction, and a nation that calls evil good and good evil places itself in direct conflict with the Lord of hosts.
