These words are directed primarily against the leaders of the nation. They felt very comfortable and secure. Economically and politically things were going well, so they were complacent. The people of the nation looked to them with respect.
Jereboam II had conquered Kalneh and Hamath. Gath had earlier been destroyed by Assyria, so Amos is warning Israel that the same things will happen to them. All that Israel is doing is putting off the day of destruction.
The leaders were living in luxury while the moral fabric of the nation was collapsing. So they would be among the first to suffer. Leadership implies responsibility. We all have some responsibility for others, whether it be for members of our family, neighbours, people in our churches, people at work, or wherever. It is vital that we take that responsibility seriously.
Pride is one of the most serious sins. Pride is saying that we are self-sufficient, that all our successes are a result of our actions and abilities alone. Pride is so serious because it is a lie. It is a lie at two levels. At the first level none of us has anything apart from what God gives us. We would not even be alive in the first place if it was not for God. All the good things we have come from Him. At the second level we all need each other. There is no one person on this earth who has achieved anything without the help of others. Maybe you are the most competent and skilled person in the world, but who made the roads that you travelled along to get to work? Who made the power that you use? Who made the food that you eat? Pride is the ultimate lie.
So terrifying destruction would come upon the nation.
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