Amos 3:6Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Because if these were truly evil, they would not lead to good outcomes for us, would not restrain our arrogance, would not eliminate our negligence, would not prompt us to seek wisdom, and would not make us more vigilant in our lives.

It is common for those devoid of reason to claim, "The vision that this man sees is for a distant time, and his prophecies concern future events" (Ezekiel 12:27). So why do you perceive the ones who blow the trumpet as if they are making a noise that is difficult for you to bear, while you regard their messages as insignificant? Perhaps you might argue that the outcome of these events causes you great sorrow. But can there be calamity in a city that the Lord has not permitted? It seems to ask: Is there anyone among men capable of bringing evil upon the city through illness, siege, destruction of harvests, or any other means? If no person can achieve such ends without the sovereign will and power of God, why do you oppose those who declare this truth? Rather, you should turn back, seeking mercy from the One who is offended and who possesses the authority to bring judgment upon the unrighteous. Here, when referring to the trials that come upon cities by God's hand, we do not imply moral decay—let that not be the case—but the suffering or righteous anger He threatens against sinners to lead them toward repentance. For it is written, “Thou shalt grip their jaws with a rod and bridle, they that come not near thee” (Psalms 31:9). Since He is good and wishes for all to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Tim. 2:4), He guides them toward correction through the adversities that result from His righteous anger. Those who are unresponsive to His word or understanding of goodness might be stirred to action by fear and warnings.

Both physical afflictions and external trials are intended to restrain sin. Thus, God eradicates evil, and not evil that comes from Him. Just as a doctor eliminates disease rather than introducing it to the body, so too God's actions are restorative. The devastation of cities, earthquakes, floods, the downfall of armies, and shipwrecks, along with all forms of destruction involving many people, whether through earth, sea, air, or fire, aim to bring about the mortification of those who remain; for through the execution of justice, God suppresses the vices of the populace. In the truest sense, sin represents the greatest evil, determined by our free will; it is within our will to either shun vice or engage in it. Among the various adversities, some serve as tests to demonstrate courage, exemplified by Job, who faced the loss of his children, the sudden destruction of his wealth, and the affliction of painful sores. Others are directed as corrective measures for sin, as shown in the case of David, whose domestic disgrace was a consequence of unlawful desires. Moreover, we see severe afflictions of a different nature, imparted by God's righteous judgment, designed to edify those who are drawn towards sin. Take, for example, Dathan and Abiram, who were swallowed by the earth when chasms opened beneath them; through this punishment, they were not brought to repentance (can those who have descended to perdition be redeemed?), but rather their fate served as a warning for others. Similarly, Pharaoh and his entire army were drowned, along with the previous inhabitants of Palestine.

Will a lion cub raise its voice from its den when it has nothing? Will a bird fall to the ground without a fowler? Will the noose fall without anything captured? Does a trumpet sound in the city and the people are untroubled? Is there any evil in the city that the Lord has not authorized? For the Lord God reveals nothing without making it known to His servants, the prophets. The lion will begin to roar; who will not be filled with dread? The Lord God has spoken; who will not prophesy?

Some interpret that there are eight iniquities and transgressions—first directed at Damascus, then Gaza, and other cities of Palestine, followed by Tyre, Idumea (Edom), the children of Ammon, Moab, Judah (the two tribes), and finally, Israel (the ten tribes)—matched with corresponding judgments, where each offense aligns with its respective transgressor. Whether this interpretation holds truth, I leave to the author. Others suggest there are six illustrations: of two men walking an agreed path, a lion roaring in the woods, a lion cub crying out upon capturing something, a bird caught by a fowler, a noose on the ground meant to ensnare, and a trumpet resounding in a city. The comparisons serve to illustrate that just as each occurrence has a cause and does not happen without preceding conditions, likewise no calamity in a city occurs without the Lord’s permission. Some believe the initial example teaches that two cannot walk together unless they first establish agreement on their Creator, who has reconciled them into one new being (Eph. 2), binding them in love, so that united they may ask the Father and receive all they request. They are the two branches united as described in Ezekiel, as well as the two nations, the circumcised and the Gentiles, concerning whom God told Elijah, “I have left unto Myself seven thousand men, who will not bow the knee to Baal” (Rom. 2:4; 3 Kings 19:18). Furthermore, God declares, “I was manifested to those who did not seek Me; I was found by those who did not inquire of Me” (Isa. 65). When two become one united to the Lord, they will be one spirit, for “he that is joined to the Lord is one spirit” (1 Cor. 6:17). Therefore, when two individuals walk in agreement and together in the path of Christ, they need not fear any adversary’s assault. Yet, if disagreement divides them, they become vulnerable to the roaring lion, about whom the Apostle Peter speaks: “Your adversary the devil, like a roaring lion, goes about seeking whom he may devour” (1 Pet. 5:8). This roaring lion lurks not among cultivated fields, vineyards, or fruit-bearing trees that glorify God, but amongst wild and desolate lands, where beasts roam. Not only will they face the lion's bite, but they may also be seized by the lion cub, drawn into darkness and away from the light. For every sinner despises the light and prefers darkness (John 3). The Psalm relates, “Thou hast set darkness, and it is night: in it shall all the beasts of the forest pass, the roaring beasts of the forest shall seek their food from God” (Ps. 103:20-21). The lion cub does not seek the prey it possesses; rather, it looks to snatch from the Church of Christ, which Habakkuk notes as “the food of His elect” (Hab. 1:16). The third punishment pertains to those divided by strife, losing the wings that once lifted them high, descending from heaven to earth, and falling prey to the fowler, better described as ἰξευτής, due to their entanglement in sin, ensnaring the unwary. Proverbs states, “It is in vain that a net is spread in the sight of any bird” (Prov. 1:17). The downfall of sinners is just, as they possess the wings of a dove to soar yet are anchored to the earth by their iniquities and become ensnared by their own volition. The Apostle teaches, “He that is joined to the adhesive is one body with her” (1 Cor. 6:16). The fourth punishment concerns those who dwell in discord, trapped by a snare set not in heaven but on earth, from which the saved arise glorified as saints, proclaiming, “Our soul, like a bird, has been delivered from the snare of the fowlers; the snare has been broken, and we have escaped” (Ps. 124:7). This broken snare refers to the Apostle’s declaration: “God will crush Satan under your feet shortly” (Rom. 16:20). David speaks of their trials, saying, “In the way of temptation have I conducted myself” (Ps. 139:6). The only method of seducing the innocent among believers is by misrepresenting Christ, leading those who think they have found Christ to the Antichrist. The fifth judgment applies to those who have forsaken the transcendent peace (Phil. 4) which the Lord left to His apostles, articulating, “My peace I give unto you, My peace I leave unto you” (John 14:27), so that citizens of the Lord’s city may not ignore the trumpet’s sound. What the Scriptures convey is a warning trumpet whose resounding echoes reach the ears of the faithful. If we are righteous, the trumpet of Christ invites us to joy; but if we sin, it heralds the torments we shall endure. The evil permitted by the Lord in the city does not contradict goodness but signifies distress and affliction; of this we read about the “evil of the day” (Matt. 6:34), which refers to sorrow and hardship. The prophet asserts, “I am God who creates light and darkness, who makes peace and bring evil” (Isa. 45:6, 7). As darkness contrasts with light, so peace stands opposed to war, which, while not evil in nature, appears so to those who suffer beneath it. It is evident that in Sacred Scripture, evil is not always seen as the antithesis to good; it also embodies tribulation, punishment, and calamity. We find an example in Jonah’s account: “And God saw their works, that they turned from their wicked ways, and God repented of the evil He intended for them” (Jonah 3:10). The evil here indicates the destruction of Nineveh, which God had threatened through the prophet; it reflects sin, for which God warned the unrepentant with punishment. Thus, “The Lord God will do nothing without revealing His secret or His chastisement to His servants the prophets,” denotes that God shares with His prophets what He plans to enact on earth, not all before. He disclosed to Noah about the impending flood (Gen. 6), to Abraham and Lot regarding the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 18), to Joseph the interpretation of the famine dream in Egypt (Gen. 41), and to Jonah the foretold downfall of Nineveh (Jonah 3), so that those informed of the coming judgments might repent and be spared or justly face their neglect. Now, through His servant Amos, the Lord declares what He plans for the ten tribes, encouraging them to turn from idols and seek deliverance from the approaching peril. Understand that the good and merciful God often foretells what is to come, aiming to avoid punishment, whereas heretics accuse the Creator of being merciless and unyielding. Conversely, we see it as an act of great mercy that He announces no punishment without prior warning. “The lion,” says He, “shall begin to roar, and who will not be afraid?” The Lord God asks, “Who will not prophesy?” Here the term “who” is to suggest rarity rather than impossibility, for whoever feels no fear or has no inclination to prophesy demonstrates a disregard for the Lord’s call. The historical interpretation signifies that if at the lion's roar all tremble and creatures are engulfed in dread, how much more ought we to proclaim and reveal God’s commands and impending judgments to the people? An interpreter asserts that the roaring lion symbolizes the devil, who roars against those destined for destruction, while the divine proclamations through the prophets represent the Lord Savior; thus, just as those aligned with evil heed the lion and perish, so do the saints listen to the Lord’s guidance and attain salvation.

This understanding is further illustrated by the account of the Prophet Jonah, who states, “The Lord repenteth of His evil that He spoke” (Jonah 3:10), referring to the threat of suffering. In this context, the term evil pertains to the impending punishment. Furthermore, we can confirm that it is indeed impossible for any individual to experience corrective punishment when it is not in accordance with God’s will; this can be observed in the very prophecies, as God reveals through His prophets the afflictions that will befall those who transgress.

Similarly, while God may allow someone to experience sorrow or illness, it is not His desire that we cause more grief or think, "Since it is God's will that he should be unwell, let us refrain from showing compassion." This is contrary to God's intention; He desires for us to be so righteous that we refrain from actions that He permits.

This profound truth is elucidated throughout the Holy Scriptures. God, in His wisdom, allows even the presence of evil and suffering for the purpose of our spiritual growth. Everything that occurs in this world, including apparent evils (not including sin), is in accordance with God's will. Theologians articulate this by explaining that the true origin of evil is found in sin. Each sin encompasses two elements: the cause that instigates it, and its unavoidable repercussions—addressed first by warnings, then punishments, and ultimately consequences. The root of sin lies in the falsehoods or intentional wrongdoing of the sinner. Punishments, whether punitive measures or other repercussions, arise as bitter outcomes of these causes but are willed by God not as causes of sin, but as means of correction or eradication. Therefore, if we consider sin without its originating cause, every painful or adverse outcome that follows is still aligned with God’s will and is not objectionable to Him. The suffering caused by sin (specific to individuals) and the calamities we often label natural disasters, such as famines or plagues, while sometimes not directly related to personal sin, also happen under God's sovereignty. Thus, all human afflictions and sufferings are effectively orchestrated by God's will to fulfill the just objectives of His Divine Providence.

Sin is the sole entity opposing God, just as evil stands against good and falsehood opposes truth, yet God permits sin to maintain human freedom and personal will. This aspect of God’s permissive will is often referred to as His pre-will or divine Providence. Every occurrence we interpret as evil in the common sense (apart from sin in its strict definition) aligns with God’s intention in a theological context. It is essential to hold this fundamental understanding dearly, for it is both wise and righteous to view every misfortune or adversity as a corrective punishment from God for our benefit. God is not the originator of our sins. Hence, the conclusion arises: since everything transpires at God's command, it is our obligation to receive all things from His hand without objection and to yield completely to His sacred will. In doing so, we harmonize our desires with His divine plan, eschewing the ancient pagan belief in blind chance. These individuals, ensnared by the darkness of polytheism, attributed human well-being either to specific deities, to blind fate, or to human negligence and malice as the true sources of their joys or woes. Such distorted beliefs from antiquity stand in stark opposition to Christian values and ought to be shunned. Regretful thoughts like blaming an individual for our hardships, or wishing circumstances were different due to someone else's favor or neglect, are ultimately groundless, irrational, and futile! Instead, we must wisely acknowledge, "The Lord has allowed this," recognizing that both blessings and hardships occur by His sovereign will.

Many fall into the error of believing that only calamities resulting from natural events—such as floods, earthquakes, crop failures, and plagues—exist outside of God's will, mainly because these tribulations often do not connect directly to individual sin. They also mistakenly think that all sins arising from human malice—like cursing, mockery, deceit, and theft—take place without God’s permission or oversight but solely as a result of twisted human intent. Consequently, we often hear grievances claiming that the scarcity of resources comes not from God, but from unscrupulous individuals. Such complaints stem from a lack of knowledge and reverence for God and are unworthy of a Christian's perspective. We can illustrate this through an example: if an individual plots to rob his neighbor, committing arson to create chaos under which to steal, we see that while these actions bring devastation and loss to the homeowner, they happen with God's permission. This scenario is no different from physical calamities like thunder or lightning. These destructive events unfold according to natural laws established by God. The arsonist's actions, although malicious, occur under God’s allowance, making the intent to harm a product of the arsonist’s will, and not of divine will. God permits such actions to demonstrate His righteous judgment.

There are moments where the righteous may experience correction through the agency of the wicked, as illustrated in a situation where an accidental injury leaves someone limping—the injury is not the result of intention but rather of an unforeseen incident. The causality in both unintentional mistakes and deliberate sins rests upon God’s permission, yet there exists a significant distinction. Unintentional errors arise solely from God’s allowance, while intentional wrongdoing results from the disordered will of a fallen being, permitted by God but not orchestrated by Him. God does not intervene to halt merely outward sinful actions nor does He facilitate the distortions of human will from choosing righteousness.

Since God is not the source or cause of moral corruption (which is true evil), we affirm His nature by stating, "Thine eyes are too pure to behold evil, and Thou canst not look on iniquity" (Habakkuk 1:13) and "Thou lovest righteousness and hatest iniquity" (Psalm 45:8). All calamities tied to secondary causes—be they from the affected minds of the unredeemed or other sources—are part of God’s divine intention, administered by His powerful hand, discerning Providence. Beloved, it is God who orchestrates your afflictions; it is His will that causes others to speak against you or to cast you down. This truth is confirmed through the prophet Isaiah: "I am the Lord, and there is none else; there is no God beside Me; I have girded you, though you knew Me not... I form light and create darkness; I make peace and create evil; I, the Lord, do all these things" (Isaiah 45:5, 7). The prophet Amos sharpens this point further: "Is there evil in a city which the Lord has not permitted?" (Amos 3:6), suggesting that no calamity transpires outside of God’s will, who allows evil intent to manifest in events and actions.

In a comparable manner, when the Lord sought to punish King David for committing adultery with Uriah's wife and subsequently murdering Uriah, He spoke through the prophet Nathan: "Behold, I will bring evil upon you from your own house, and I will take your wives before your eyes, and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. You did it secretly; but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun" (2 Samuel 12:11–12). Augustine aptly observed that God corrects the righteous through the actions of the unrighteous. God frequently employs wicked rulers to teach patience to the faithful and to justly punish the guilty. History presents us with numerous instances where God executed His will through the malevolent aspirations of evil individuals, utilizing their misconduct to deliver His righteous judgment upon those who disobey Him.

Just as a loving parent punishes a child with a rod in order to correct their behavior while later embracing them once they amend their ways, God similarly engages with humanity when it strays into unrighteousness. Consider Isaiah’s warning directed at the corrupt people of Israel: "O Assyria, the rod of My anger, the staff in their hand is My fury! I will send him against a nation not deserving of anger; I will command him to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets" (Isaiah 10:5–6). Here, it is clear that the will of the Assyrian king is not paramount, but rather God’s will is being fulfilled through him. God identifies them as instruments of His anger against the sins of Israel, taking the responsibility for their punishment upon Himself— "I sent him against My people." The king of Assyria, while carrying out God's will, operates under the delusion that his actions are entirely driven by his own volition, relishing in thoughts of conquest, yet he remains a servant of God’s purpose.

When divine punishment befalls any, as with the Romans under Emperor Titus besieging Jerusalem and witnessing its devastation of bodies, it is God’s will that reigns supreme. "Good God! This is not my doing!" speaks volumes of the necessity for humanity to acknowledge that all calamities are orchestrated by God’s hand. It is futile to oppose God’s design; resisting illness with medicines or taking up arms against invaders in hopes of self-preservation is not an affront to His will. The Apostle Paul advises that wisdom should elevate our understanding of these challenges, urging us toward humility and an appreciation of God’s overarching Providence (Romans 12:3).

In aligning with this humble spirit, we may navigate the apparent contradictions life presents us. While catastrophic events and calamities unmistakably occur under God’s sovereign direction, this does not absolve humans from utilizing means for protection and healing. Theologians categorize God's will into two realms: 1) His signifying will, and 2) His good pleasure. It is crucial not to lose sight of the latter—while we can only speculate on God’s true intentions regarding our struggles, we will come to comprehend them fully in due time. Let us consider sickness as an illustration. Regardless of the cause of an affliction, it is undeniably borne out of God’s will. The afflicted individual may not discern God’s purposes for their suffering but is still encouraged to seek healing, understanding that if God ultimately desires their condition to persist, He holds the power to render any remedy ineffective.

Similar reasoning applies to the challenges presented by adversaries. God granted Israel’s enemies the power to oppress them at various times to foster their dependence on Him and curtail their rebellion. However, when the prophet Jeremiah urged submission to Nebuchadnezzar, the Israelites were to recognize the divine mandate. When calamities unfold, such as a fire that cannot be doused despite efforts, it reveals God's will to test His faithful and punish the unfaithful. We should reflect upon our circumstances with the same understanding—confident that while divine approval undergirds trials, engaging in acts of self-defense, natural fortification, or seeking healing are not infringements upon God's prescribed will. They are, in fact, acts of resistance against the forces of wickedness, just as a father expects his son to train for battle without perceiving that fighting back is rebellion against paternal authority.

When we combat fire, defend against foes, or seek recovery from illness, we are not at odds with God; rather, we are actively opposing the very sources of suffering or adversity, fulfilling the duty to uphold righteousness and provide for ourselves and our own. It is permissible and often required to protect oneself and one’s own against aggression, unless special circumstances reveal that such resistance is contrary to God’s desires.