Amos 6:8–10 (ESV)

The 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.”

And if ten men remain in one house, they shall die. And 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.”

This begins dreadfully with the words, “The Lord GOD has sworn by himself.”

As Richard Pratt explains in his invaluable video series, He Gave Us Prophets, many prophesies are not final. Jonah’s prophesy against Nineveh wasn’t fulfilled because the people of Nineveh repented. David prayed that God would relent from the prophesy proclaimed by Nathan. That made sense because Nathan didn’t use the words that make a prophesy final and irreversible.

Those are the words used here, “The Lord GOD has sworn by himself.” There is no higher thing to swear by. That means this is final. He will deliver up the city and all that is in it.

The last paragraph is dreadful. Every man in a household with ten men, they shall die. With no one left to bury them, a relative must bring their bones out of the house. Yuk.

Then this passage ends with a cryptic conversation. The Hebrew in the last sentence literally says, “Do not cause to be remembered, the name of the LORD.” This could be condensed down to, “Do not invoke, the name of the LORD.” That still leaves us with the question, “Why not?”

Experts disagree on why, but we know that “Silence!” (“hass” הַס) is translated exactly. Being shushed adds to the sense of hiding and fear that one gets from trying to communicate with him who is in the innermost parts of the house. Given his next words, he doesn’t seem to be hiding from the Assyrians.

He’s hiding from God.

That reaction may not be rational, but at least the LORD has his attention. Adam’s hiding from God didn’t make sense either, but at least he was aware that there was a problem.

Sometimes, that’s all you get—at first. When denial collapses, and someone awakens to their dreadful situation, the first reaction can be pretty nutty. If, for example, someone becomes aware that an addiction is not under control, the person may propose yet another ridiculous “fix.” Don’t be discouraged if you see that happen, and definitely don’t laugh at it. At least the person is open to good advice. Give it to them.

On the other hand, if you’re the one emerging from denial, don’t trust yourself. Seek good advice.

These Monday—Friday DEEPs are written by Mike Slay. The Weekend DEEPs are written by Matt Richardson. To subscribe to all the DEEPs click here:

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The weekly study guides, which include the Monday–Friday devotionals plus related questions for discussion or meditation, are available for download here:

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ESV stands for the English Standard Version. © Copyright 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved. NIV stands for The Holy Bible, New International Version®. © Copyright 1973 by International Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved. KJV stands for the King James Version.