Amos 5:27Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Throughout their forty years in the wilderness, they offered their gifts willingly, not compelled to do so, and were granted a reprieve until they entered the land promised to their forebears. Thus, the Lord spoke, declaring that He would bring the offerings and sacrifices to the house of Israel over those forty years; nevertheless, they were delivered without the need for sacrifices. Through another prophet, it was declared, “Thou hast not brought me incense with money, neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices” (Isaiah 43:23-24). Yet, despite lacking any compelling reason to stray, they wandered aimlessly, dishonoring the true God, instead choosing to venerate the tabernacle of Moloch and the star of their god Rephan.

We must analyze this comprehensively. When Moses ascended the mountain to receive the law, the Israelites approached Aaron, demanding, “Make us gods to go before us; for as for this Moses, we know not what is become of him” (Exodus 32:1). Subsequently, they fashioned a calf in the wilderness, an idol that became widely recognized, with each person crafting their own god, having deviated from true reverence for God and adopting idolatry, influenced by their experiences in Egypt. They became particularly enamored with the worship of celestial bodies. If one were to question how this can be substantiated, it is not difficult to demonstrate from the Scriptures. Moses became indignant, confronting Aaron, and then fell to the ground before God, pleading, “O Lord, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold” (Exodus 32:31). Even as the calf was made, he sensed they were creating additional idols. Likewise, Stephen, when accused of blasphemy against God and Moses by the Jewish leaders, defended himself and illustrated that they were following in the footsteps of their forebears, cruelly dishonoring and defiling Christ. He referred to the incident of the calf in the wilderness, stating, “This is he that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in mount Sinai, and with our fathers” (Acts 7:38). He emphasized how their ancestors would not heed the words of life Moses brought them, thus referring to their idols, “And I will carry you away unto Babylon” (Acts 7:43).

Notably, the esteemed Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, testified about the making of the calf and the subsequent turn to the worship of the heavenly host. He also mentioned the words of the prophet (Acts 7:44). It becomes evident that alongside the calf, they also erected the tabernacle of Moloch, placing an idol within it, which they called Moloch or Molchom. This idol from Moab bore a shining ornament on its head, symbolizing the morning star. Moloch itself translates to ‘their king,’ as interpreted by Aquila and Theodotion, with this image representing the morning star itself. Thus, the tabernacle of Moloch signifies your king. Who is this king? The star you cherish. Rephan is taken to signify darkness or blindness. They exalted the morning star, which heralds the dawn, reflecting their desire for illumination; however, it led them into darkness and blindness—not because the star itself caused this, but because their worship brought about such spiritual blindness. The Lord observed how they mimicked the folly of the Moabites and the neighboring peoples, declaring they would be carried off further than Damascus, even to Babylon, as indicated by the seventy translators. Stephen, however, articulated that they would be taken further than Babylon. What does this imply? Blessed Stephen referenced the Hebrew text, suggesting that the term ‘further than Damascus’ was understood to encompass Babylon, noting the geographical proximity of the Babylonian land to the territories of Syria.

From this, we learn that all the offerings made by the Israelites in the wilderness were not directed toward God but toward Moloch, their king, whose tabernacle they bore, while they worshipped the images of their idols. The nature of these idols is revealed by the phrase ‘the star of your god,’ referred to in Hebrew as ‘cochab,’ meaning ‘Lucifer,’ whom some still revere. Thus, the Lord brought them beyond Damascus, signifying their relocation to Assyria and Chaldea, revealing His sovereignty as the Lord God of Hosts.

One may ask how they offered sacrifices and gifts in the wilderness, not to God but to their king, whom they referred to as Lucifer. It seems that their actions were not intended for God but for the idols they created. Though they eventually presented some offerings to the Lord, these were not given from a willing heart; rather, they were motivated by fear of retribution and in response to the deaths resulting from their idolatry. However, the Lord examines not the offerings themselves but the intent of the giver. Their hearts returned to Egypt at the first opportunity, longing for the leeks, onions, cucumbers, and meat of Egypt, dismissing the manna provided from heaven.

This is corroborated by the testimony of Stephen, the first martyr of the Gospel: ‘And they made a calf in those days, and sacrificed to an idol, and rejoiced in the works of their hands. But God turned away and gave them up to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: Did you offer Me slain beasts and sacrifices during forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? And you took up the tabernacle of Moloch and the star of your god Remphan, images which you made to worship, and I will carry you away beyond Babylon’ (Acts 7:41-43).

It should not be assumed that Stephen erred in saying ‘beyond Babylon’ instead of the prophet’s original ‘beyond Damascus.’ He intended to convey the greater context, as they were taken beyond Damascus and into Babylon, possibly even further. In the same passage, where Luke mentions ‘Moloch’ and the Hebrew term reads ‘Melchechem,’ the translations by Aquila and the LXX also refer to ‘Moloch,’ while others use the term ‘your king.’ In place of ‘Rephanus,’ the Hebrew word translated as ‘chion’ appears, which signifies ‘darkness.’ Instead of ‘sochot,’ Aquila chose the term meaning ‘tents,’ while others translated it as ‘tabernacle’ or ‘vision.’

It is essential to note that the apostles and early leaders, when citing the Old Testament, focus on the meaning rather than the specific wording. Thus, when addressing the Jewish people, these remarks actually pertain to individuals who, under the guise of Christ, worship idols, devising for themselves false doctrines while carrying the traditions of their king, the adversary, and the representations of their false gods. They do not serve a single idol but, due to diverse doctrines, worship various entities and the star of their god. This being, a fallen angel transformed into a messenger of light, descends from heaven like lightning and manifests as the Antichrist in the likeness of Christ.

It is also notable that they created these idols themselves, rather than receiving them from God. Consequently, the Lord led them beyond Damascus, so they would not partake of the blood of the Lord, but would instead go to Babylon and heed the prophetic words: ‘the golden cup of Babylon, laden with the sins of all nations’ (Jer. 51:7). Damascus, as has been noted, signifies ‘the drinker of blood,’ calling to repentance, inviting us to partake in the blood of the Lord.

Amos, emphasizing that God’s warning was not just about captivity beyond Damascus, the capital of Kelesiria, but also beyond Babylon, which is indeed accurate, as the regions of Mydia and Armenia, to which the Israelites were exiled (4 Sam. 17:6-23), lie further away than both Damascus and Babylon.