Daily Devotions
Amos
"By our own strength"
Text: Amos 6:13
THE FOOLISH PRIDE OF ISRAEL
Foolishness knows no bounds and in the minds of unwise rulers, proud statements may issue forth, such as the one found in the following text. The LORD God offers a sobering response to the pride of foolish Israel.
“You who rejoice over Lo Debar,
Who say, ‘Have we not taken Karnaim for ourselves
By our own strength?’
‘But, behold, I will raise up a nation against you,
O house of Israel,’
Says the LORD God of hosts;
‘And they will afflict you from the entrance of Hamath
To the Valley of the Arabah.'”
Amos 6:13-14
1. “Who rejoice over Lo Debar”
a) Lo Debar was a city in Galilee.
b) It may have looked “great” in the eyes of Israel.
c) But this phrase simply means “not a thing”.
d) How may this little city rejoice in its supposed success and greatness?
2. “Have we not taken Karnaim for ourselves by our own strength”
a) Karnaim has a better sounding name.
b) It means “two horns”.
c) Israel captured this city and was filled with self-importance.
d) They felt that they had been successful in city-building and in conquest “by their own strength”.
e) They did not seek God’s strength but were still “successful”.
3. God’s response
a) What would Israel do if a truly mighty nation came against it?
b) What if this powerful nation was raised up by God Himself?
c) This nation was in fact Assyria.
4. What mighty Assyria would do to Israel
a) They will afflict Israel badly.
b) Regional areas were mentioned.
i) The northernmost part of Israel was “Hamath”.
ii) The southernmost part of Israel was “the Valley of Arabah”.
c) The Assyrians were powerful enough to cause this kind of affliction on Israel.
How would the foolish and proud leaders of Israel defend their country from Assyria?