Cows Demand A Drink

Bible Study

Amos 4:1-5 ESV

Years ago, the first time I read Amos 4 I laughed outloud!  The opening line of Chapter 4 seemed like a farce but in reality it wasn’t a joke.

Amos 4:1-5 tells us, “Hear this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who say to your husbands, ‘Bring, that we may drink!’ The Lord God has sworn by his holiness that, behold, the days are coming upon you, when they shall take you away with hooks, even the last of you with fishhooks. And you shall go out through the breaches, each one straight ahead; and you shall be cast out into Harmon,” declares the Lord. “Come to Bethel, and transgress; to Gilgal, and multiply transgression; bring your sacrifices every morning, your tithes every three days, offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving of that which is leavened, and proclaim freewill offerings, publish them; for so you love to do, O people of Israel!” declares the Lord God.”

Amos’ language and examples actually make perfect sense once we know a bit about his background. Unlike other prophets, he wasn’t classically trained. Amos was a herdsman from the north. When he speaks of cows of Bashan he’s talking about the cows in Northern Israel. To be specific, Bashan was what we call the Golan Heights today where the livestock was extremely healthy. They were the fatted cows.

Now when I was young I learned from my dad and his dad (who was a butcher) the streams of white fat in beef meant it would be tasty. Fat is what gives our meat taste. So, when I used to go to the grocery store and buy a steak to grill I looked for a steak that had fat.

The cows of Bashan Amos more than likely refers to are the women who are wealthy who can afford to eat lush foods. They were women who were so wealthy they didn’t have the inclination to deal with the poor. Amos even suggests they expected others to wait on them hand and foot. That makes Amos’ point perfect. He’s saying even these women will say goodbye to their lush lifestyle when they are taken captive.

Amos made it clear the Holy God promised they would answer for their holier than thou attitude. The reference of to going to Bethel referred to the wealthy attitude announcing they didn’t need to go to Jerusalem to take their tithes. They set up their own system and kept their coins in their fancy neighborhood. Amos’ reference to the leaven more than likely referred to the wave offering on Pentecost. The people from the north had their own system when they take their offering to their own capital (Bethel). That was NOT what God had in mind but since they had their own people in charge they had no need for the system God set up.

The wealthy in the north thought themselves too too good to hobnob with ordinary people. So when they had their own capital city in place they didn’t have to adhere to the rules in Jerusalem.

It’s interesting to note here that if they had taken time to read Genesis 49:8-10 they would have known the lion would come from Judah. Oh, and did I mention Judah was in the south?

Oops…so basically Amos was telling them they missed the boat and bthey were about to go for an unexpected ride on the chain ride to Assyria.        

Deborah @acrazyjourney.com