Reading for November 12th

 Amos 4.1-13. In verses 1-3: Judgment on Samaria's elite women. In his indictment of their oppression of the poor (v. 1), Amos compares Israel's leading women to cattle grazing in Israel's prime pasture land, Bashan. The sentence for these women (vv. 2,-3) is deportation through the location of Harmon is uncertain. In verses 4-13: Israel's stubbornness.  After criticizing the rituals practiced at two of Israel's religious centers, Bethel and Gilgal (vv. 4-5), perhaps because he judged them hypocritical, Amos lists a series of divine judgements that have failed to convince Israel of its injustices: famine (v. 6), drought (vv. 7-8), plant diseases and predators (v. 9), disease and death for Israel's army (v. 10), and defeat (v. 11). With the term therefore which is characteristically links indictments to sentences, Amos introduces God's judgement (vv. 12-13) for Israel's repeated refusal to reform. Comments or Questions..