"They shall now go captive"
Text: Amos 6:7
THE THREAT OF CAPTIVITY
The threat of captivity was mentioned in Amos 5:27. Obviously, this was not well understood by Israel. Thus, this was brought up again.
“Therefore they shall now go captive as the first of the captives,
And those who recline at banquets shall be removed.”
Amos 6:7
1. “Therefore”
a) Gross sins had been committed by those who were in power.
b) They had abused their powers severely.
c) “Therefore…” was the correct word employed.
i) The judgment of God was fair and just.
ii) The judgment they would face would be “poetic justice”.
iii) They had shown no mercy, thus they would not be given mercy.
2. “They shall now go captive”
a) They had imprisoned the poor and weak.
b) They would themselves become captives or prisoners of the conquering Assyrians.
3. “As the first of the captives”
a) They may have thought that they could escape this fate.
b) They may have thought that their position and power would give them some advantage.
c) They would be very wrong in their assumptions.
d) They would be the first of the captives
i) By divine judgment.
ii) By the Lord’s decree.
e) The life of captives (of the Assyrian invaders)
i) The Assyrians were known for their cruelty.
ii) They were also known for lacking in remorse towards their captives.
4. “And those who recline at banquets shall be removed”
a) The rich and powerful would be removed from their banquets.
b) They would no longer be able to enjoy themselves with good wine and food.
c) They would be ill-suited to a life of captivity! This “woe” should have given them pause!