Thy Strong Word — Amos 6:1-14: Woe to You Complacent Leaders!

A powerful warning is issued to those who live in comfort and luxury while neglecting the suffering around them. Amos condemns the complacency of Israel’s leaders, who bask in their wealth and security, ignoring the looming judgment. This chapter highlights the coming devastation as a consequence of their arrogance and the nation’s moral decay. The message is clear: no amount of earthly power or privilege can shield one from divine justice.

The Rev. Matthew Tassey, pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Shawnee, OK, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Amos 6.

Amos, a simple shepherd and fig tree farmer from Tekoa, was called by God to deliver a powerful message to Israel—a nation steeped in corruption, injustice, and complacency. Unlike the professional prophets of his time, Amos was an outsider, chosen to proclaim a divine warning against the moral decay and social inequalities that plagued the northern kingdom. Through vivid imagery and uncompromising language, Amos called out the wealthy elite for their exploitation of the poor, condemned the nation’s empty religious practices, and foretold the impending judgment that would come if they did not repent.

Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God’s Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations. Submit comments or questions to: thystrongword@kfuo.org.

Thy Strong Word is graciously underwritten by the Lutheran Heritage Foundation. Through the mission gifts of people like you, LHF translates, publishes, distributes and introduces books that are Bible-based, Christ-centered and Reformation-driven. Learn more at lhfmissions.org.

Amos 6

Woe to Those at Ease in Zion

6 “Woe to those who are at ease in Zion,
    and to those who feel secure on the mountain of Samaria,
the notable men of the first of the nations,
    to whom the house of Israel comes!
²Pass over to Calneh, and see,
    and from there go to Hamath the great;
    then go down to Gath of the Philistines.
Are you better than these kingdoms?
    Or is their territory greater than your territory,
³O you who put far away the day of disaster
    and bring near the seat of violence?

⁴“Woe to those who lie on beds of ivory
    and stretch themselves out on their couches,
and eat lambs from the flock
    and calves from the midst of the stall,
⁵who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp
    and like David invent for themselves instruments of music,
⁶who drink wine in bowls
    and anoint themselves with the finest oils,
    but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph!
⁷Therefore they shall now be the first of those who go into exile,
    and the revelry of those who stretch themselves out shall pass away.”

⁸The Lord God has sworn by himself, declares the Lord, the God of hosts:

“I abhor the pride of Jacob
and hate his strongholds,
and I will deliver up the city and all that is in it.”

⁹And if ten men remain in one house, they shall die. ¹⁰And when one’s relative, the one who anoints him for burial, shall take him up to bring the bones out of the house, and shall say to him who is in the innermost parts of the house, “Is there still anyone with you?” he shall say, “No”; and he shall say, “Silence! We must not mention the name of the Lord.”

¹¹For behold, the Lord commands,
    and the great house shall be struck down into fragments,
    and the little house into bits.
¹²Do horses run on rocks?
    Does one plow there^[a] with oxen?
But you have turned justice into poison
    and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood^[b]—
¹³you who rejoice in Lo-debar,^[c]
    who say, “Have we not by our own strength
    captured Karnaim^[d] for ourselves?”
¹⁴“For behold, I will raise up against you a nation,
    O house of Israel,” declares the Lord, the God of hosts;
“and they shall oppress you from Lebo-hamath
    to the Brook of the Arabah.”

Footnotes

Amos 6:12 Or the sea
Amos 6:12 Or into bitter fruit
Amos 6:13 Lo-debar means nothing
Amos 6:13 Karnaim means horns (a symbol of strength)

Rev. Dr. Phil Booe

Native North Carolinian Rev. Dr. Phil Booe serves pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, and host of Thy Strong Word on KFUO Radio. His parishioners probably think he can’t teach Bible study without a mug of coffee in his hand, and he’ll always be happy to eat a plate of sushi. When he’s not shepherding his flock or teaching on the radio, you might find him watching bad movies from the 50s, 60s, and 70s, and especially binging RiffTrax and MST3K episodes. Some day he’d love to travel to the Lutheran homeland in Germany, but for now he spends time in Minnesota with his wife, son, daughter, and cat, and looks forward to Holy Week every year.