Albert Barnes Commentary Amos 5:6

"Seek Jehovah, and ye shall live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and it devour, and there be none to quench it in Beth-el." — Amos 5:6 (ASV)

Seek ye the Lord and ye shall live - Literally, seek the Lord and live; being united to Him, the Fountain of life. He impresses on them again the one simple need of the creature, seek God, the one true God as He revealed Himself, not as worldly people, or the politicians of Jeroboam’s court, or the calf-priests, misrepresented Him. Seek Him. For in Him is all; without Him, nothing.

Lest He break out like fire in Bethel - Formerly the Spirit of God came vehemently down upon Samson (Judges 14:6, 14:19, 15:14) and Saul (1 Samuel 10:6, 11:6) and David (1 Samuel 16:13), to fit them as instruments for God; as did the evil spirit, when God departed from Saul (1 Samuel 18:10). So now, unless they repented, God Himself would suddenly show His powerful presence among them, but, as He had revealed Himself to be, The Lord thy God is a consuming Fire (Deuteronomy 4:24).

And devour it, literally, and it (the fire) shall devour, and there be none to quench it in (better, for) Bethel. Bethel, the center of their idol-hopes, so far from aiding them then, will not be able to help itself, nor will there be any to help it. The fire of God kindles around it, and there is none to quench it for her .

Montanus: “The whole passage treats of mercy and justice. The entire basis of people’s punishment, calamities, and condemnation is ascribed to their own fault and negligence, as they neglect the deliverance often promised and offered them by God, and ‘love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil’ (John 3:19). Whoever is not saved, the whole blame lies in their own will, negligence, and malice.

“God, who ‘willeth not that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance’ (2 Peter 3:9), Himself unsought, seeks, entreats, and does not cease to admonish, exhort, and set before them their guilt, so that they may cease to prepare such evil for themselves. But they neither give Him entrance, nor hear His entreaties, nor accept the warnings of divine mercy; if they neglect these, they must indeed be handed over to His justice.

“The goodness of God is lacking to no one, except for those who are themselves found wanting. Therefore, having often implored them before, He invites them once again to salvation, proclaiming His Name, so full of mysteries of mercy: ‘Seek the Lord and live,’ seek Him who is, the Unchangeable.”

He who had willed their salvation, still willed it, for He changes not (Malachi 3:6). “He adds threats, so that those whom He calls to life, He might either allure by promises, or frighten from death through fear of the impending evil.”