The Divine Lamp

VOTE FOR THIS POST

Verse 2: Keynote of the book

Vs 2 He (Amos) said: The Lord does roar from Zion, gives out his voice from Jerusalem, the meadows of the shepherds mourn, the height of Carmel withers.
The Lord roars from Zion and gives out his voice from Jerusalem. As a stockherder, a roaring lion would have been one of Amos’ worst nightmares. In the bible the people of God are often referred to as God’s sheepfold and He is often described as a Shepherd. Amos’ oracles make it clear that God, Israel’s shepherd, is about to become their worst nightmare.

The roar of a Lion is often a figure of hostility in the bible, describing what the enemies of God and his people do. In Psalm 22:13 it is used to described the enemies of the righteous psalmist. In Psalm 74:4 it is used to describe the yelling of God’s enemies (Babylonians) in as they destroyed the Jerusalem temple.

We are perhaps to understand that God is doing his roaring thru the prophet {see Amos 3:1-8 especially vss 4 and 8}

The Northern Kingdom of Israel, after its split with Judah had set up sanctuaries in opposition to the temple on Mount Zion in Jerusalem (1 Kings 12: 26-33); the only place in the Holy Land where valid sacrifice could be offered. By doing this the kingdom showed itself an enemy of God, and now God is about to show himself an enemy to his sinful people.

Mourning meadows/withering Carmel. The text implies that God’s judgment of Israel has already begun. The beginning of this judgment is a drought. This was one of the curses threatened by God if his people ever forgot him or turned to false worship (see Deut 28:20-24).

Carmel is a reference to Mount Carmel. The name means “the garden with fruit tree,” a reference to the extraordinary fertility of the mountain which, due to its geographical location receives more rainfall than most other areas in the Holy Land. A withering Carmel would be a bad drought indeed. The prophet Nahum 1:4 and Isaiah 33:9 also see the drying up of Carmel as a sign of God’s anger.

Carmel was already famous to the people of the Northern Kingdom. During the time of Elijah,
God gave power to the prophet to bring drought upon the land of Israel for three years because of its idolatry (they were worshipping Baal). This situation came to an end when Elijah challenged 450 prophets of Baal to a duel on Mount Carmel. With his victory over them, the rain returned to Israel and the first sign of the coming rain was spotted atop Carmel. (see 1 Kings 18)

PickAFig