Observation
The object in mind here is to notice what the text says. I’ve been reading Chosen by God by Dr. Sproul and one of the reminders I’m reading about is what has been made clear in one passage in scripture has more weight than implications from other verses. While we aren’t yet to the interpretation phase of this passage, we can bring biases and preconceived ideas to the text even still. Our biases can color even our observations. We must keep in mind that specific trumps general.
Although, acknowledging those ideas already in my mind and asking questions? That’s honest inquiry. Good and right way of study.
Recently I’ve noticed my own self and others who hear tidbits of information and that colors the way situations are interpreted. While we’re at it, here’s another link to cognitive biases in case you too find this interesting.
Anchoring Bias
For example, I was at the humane society with my daughter who is in the market for a dog. We were told they thought the doggo she was looking at was a German Shepherd/Husky mix. Why wouldn’t we believe them? After hanging out with the dog for an extended period, watching it interact with puppies, and seeing its aloofness we had little red flags popping up. What is up with this dog that it doesn’t seem to behave like any other one year old puppy? No playing. No significant amount of tail wagging. Is it either of those breeds or is it Something Else?
My initial impression of the pup was that it was a GSD/Husky so it was reasonable that it would have all the markings of those breeds present. Looked believable. Thankfully, once we saw it treating wee puppies as prey, we were able to make our own assessments. And eventually, sadly, walk away since that doggo didn’t fit into our family where there is already a puppy.
Confirmation Bias
Another bias that keeps presenting itself right in front of my eyes is confirmation bias. Comes up whenever I’m around this young man I’ve known for years. Sadly, on certain topics, he has beliefs based on the emotion of his experiences with young women. As a result, he will only believe data that agrees with his preconceived ideas. In reality, this is the root bias for all of us if we don’t keep vigilant watch on our thinking.
Where this bias, a corresponding bias of belief, and the halo effect have gotten him is believing that women should not ever correct a man on any spiritual matter. They should never engage in teaching spiritual things or have any position of authority over any man. These biases have power over his mind when he quotes such passages as Proverbs 6:20-29 and Ephesians 5:25-33.
In the former, his bias refuses to hear that the son mentioned is not a young boy but a grown man with potential for sexual activity. And the latter he converts wife into woman and husband into man.
A problem with his decision that women cannot correct a man in spiritual matters is that everything is a spiritual matter. Everything. So now he’s decided that women may not disagree with men.
It grieves me the kinds of biases we can have that distort and corrupt sacred scripture. We all have them and should be in the process of winnowing them down. Which is why coming to the text and trying to read it “as it is” in our process of Bible study is crucial. And is my point in even bringing up the whole bias conversation again.
Let me share what observations I made. My efforts here are to see what is in the passage and ask questions for interpretation.
Keeping it in Context
Remember that when beginning to jot notes on the observation worksheet, I want to keep the context in mind. The way I accomplish that is to write what came before and what comes after.
The before is easy since I wrote a summary of the last passage. I’ll bring it here:
Judah and Israel are just like pagan neighbors, walking against God even though God has been faithful and true to his kids. None will stand when God moves against them.
I added the “pagan” to describe neighbors from the summary I wrote at the conclusion of studying the last passage. Seems fitting.
What comes after, as you remember is a little more challenging since I haven’t studied it yet. But we can understand the general ideas conveyed and I summarize what I see here:
God recounts what he's done to have his kids return to him.
I want to keep the passage grounded. Not words that are disembodied from the rest of the book.
Wait: I Always Make Lists
I had trouble doing my usual list making. The only list that is more than 2-3 points are the rhetorical questions here at the beginning of the passage.
They were already in list form so I didn’t rewrite them on my worksheet. I just answered them.
These rhetorical questions also seem to have a ramping quality. Two meeting together is where it starts. Then roaring without death moves to a bird death and finally an attack in the city which leads to disaster.
I’m not an expert in lion or snare situations or having cities attacked, but this seems like a possible progression.
The next two verses are similar in their rhetorical nature, though the answer is not a simple “no” but “no one.” I answered those as well. The way the questions are presented, both of the answers are the same. Just like the rhetorical questions up above.
When I answered them, two possible conclusions arose. Since I’m restricting myself to observation, these statements are in a mental file labeled “maybe” until I can understand better what the text is saying.
What did I put in the “maybe” file?
- All the rhetorical questions lead to the reality that God reveals himself.
- When God speaks, prophecy occurs.
So far, even these questions don’t yield much in the way of lists. Which is fine; observation is the point, not list generation. Let’s go on to the next section of the passage.
Amos is to Proclaim
Huh. God says in Amos 3:8 that when he speaks, no one can not prophesy. Then the text tells us that God gave Amos the imperative to proclaim and say thus and so. From this text, Amos has no option but to then go and proclaim. But then what about a Jonah? He went the other direction.
Wow. See how observations lead to interpretation? Since I’m not jumping to my own conclusions, I have issues to resolve in the text which will teach me what my conclusions should be.
Isn’t that the point of study? The text informs my thinking, not my thinking finds what it likes in the text and smugly rests on its opinion of that.
To Foreigners in Amos 3:9-12
From this next little section, Amos is to proclaim. But to whom? Not Israel in this case. He’s to tell Ashdod (Philistia) and Egypt to go to Samaria. Why? Why these people? And why on the mountains of Samaria? Questions like these are part of observation. They may not be a priority to study, but there’s nothing wrong with asking them.
In this photo, I took notes to get the information in a simpler format. Looking for lists.
What does Amos need to tell the Philistines and Egyptians once they are assembled on the mountains of Samaria? I made a list!
- See tumult and oppression within “her”
- They don’t know how to do right
- Those that hold onto violence and robbery
- adversary will surround
- will be destroyed
Questions from that list? Who is her and they/those? I think it’s Samaria since that is where the foreigners are assembled, but I don’t know for sure yet. Additionally, Samaria makes sense since that is where Amos was sent, however, I will hold off on the exploration of that until I’m done observing.
Against House of Jacob in Amos 3:13-15
Still speaking to Amos, God tells him to hear and testify. What does he say will happen?
It looks like the altar, the place where the children of Jacob get right with God will be broken. And it looks like their residences will also be broken. Broken to their end.
Speculation here because I’m just observing: are all the places where peace is found broken? Rest from discord with God and rest from discord of the world will be destroyed. It’s a question. Hypothesis. Not a conclusion.
Addressing the Cows in Amos 4:1-3
Wow Amos, dude, you gotta get woke. Or not, and call OUT the wretched women who are doing wretched things. Here’s a list identifying these cows.
- They are cows of Bashan
- Those on mountains of Samaria
- Oppressors of poor
- Crushers of needy
- Alcoholic wives
From this section, I have questions about Bashan, about what the women are doing that oppress and crush, and about Harmon.
It doesn’t look like Amos minces words here. Calls it like it is and then the women’s consequences match the level of horrible which they’ve committed. Check it out in Amos 4:2: fishhooks are involved…
Amos 4:4-5
In my observation, I see that I would change how I diagram this now.
come to Bethel and
transgress
to Gilgal and
multiply transgression
bring your sacrifices every morning
your tithes every three days
offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving of that which is leavened and
proclaim freewill offerings
publish them for so you love to do
o people of Israel
declares the Lord GODI apologize to anyone studying with my on a phone. That attempt to sentence diagram there is probably jenky.
I think after mulling this section over a bit more, I understand the progression of the text better. My observation of the section is largely this.
A question. Is this related to the idea that there is religion and there is also relationship. One doesn’t have to do with the other. I will have to investigate this more to be able to answer the question.
Reflection
Back to the topic of biases. If you go and look at the links to the biases I’m sharing with you, under the category of belief bias, there is an antidote to being swayed by your own thinking. Well, maybe not an antidote; too strong a label. But something to consider as a hedge against being in bondage to your own thinking.
A useful thing to ask is 'when and how did I get this belief?' We tend to automatically defend our ideas without ever really questioning them.
As I study scripture, my primary purpose is to examine my beliefs. Beliefs about God, man, the world, and so forth. Even considering when and how did I get my beliefs about how to study scripture should be examined. This is not saying that as students we should always be in a state of learning but never coming to conclusions; that would be succumbing to thinking like philosophers who say we can’t know anything for sure.
I know my God. There are truths I know about him and that I cling to. When an opposing view presents, I’m not tossed by wind and waves. However, I do want to go to the source and once again see what is stated in scripture. Let’s discuss what we see if we differ in our take on the Word.
This is what I’ve been reflecting on as I observe this passage in Amos. I want the Word to instruct me, not have me find what I like and dismiss the rest. When God has women lead around by fishhooks, I don’t decide he’s sexist and mean. I ask why. Because I have evidence from the rest of the Book that God is a good God who is just.
Wrap Up
What is our Bible Study Bite today? You know how much I love lists. In this passage, I didn’t really find a lot of list-worthy material. So this time, in observation, I spent more time asking questions. Like the Jonah question.
I was engaged with my daughter yesterday discussing the matter of hats for women in church. We were looking at Paul’s discussion in 1 Corinthians 11 and asking questions of the text, the historical culture, the rest of scripture. What is God’s point and purpose in talking about it in the NT? Is a head covering required for us in our modern, North American churches?
When asking the questions, it’s okay to not get definitive answers immediately. Let there be unresolved issues for a while. Even years. Peter warned his readers that Paul is sometimes hard to understand. Not all of it is hard, but when there are difficult parts, let them be difficult. Don’t rail against God but ask those questions. Keep asking and rest that the Holy Spirit will teach as we keep pressing into our Father God.
Thanks for studying with me today! If you’ve found anything helpful here, please like and subscribe. And if you know of other students of the Word, would you please share so we can all study and encourage each other with what we’re learning?
