The Book of Amos


 Amos ~ Seek Me and Live



Introduction

Author and Title

Amos is the author and the title of the book. His name means "burden bearer". Amos himself was from the Southern Kingdom of Judah. He was a dresser of sycamore trees and a sheep breeder. Legend says that Amos died when struck on the temple by Amaziah the Priest, or in the head with a hot iron by Uzziah, King of Judah.  he was buried in Tekoa.


Date

chronology of OT kings [.pdf]

Clues to the time of Amos ministry are few and undetailed. The best we can do is arrive at an approximation of about 750B.C. Uzziah was king in Israel and Jereboam king of Judah at the time of this prophetic pronouncement. Jereboam II reigned from 793 B.C. - 753 B.C. and Uzziah reigned from 790 B.C. - until he died in 739 B.C. Their reigns overlap from 790 B.C.- 753 B.C. providing a window of 37 years in which Amos may have ministered.

Two other pieces of information that are suggestive but not conclusive of a ministry later in this 37 year window include the prophecy against Amaziah the priest (Amos 7:17) and reference to a "great earthquake"(Amos 1:1).

According to Numbers 4:3 a man must be at least 30 years old to be a priest. Even if this rite was observed, it only leaves us with a guess based on Amaziahs longevity. Amos says he will die in captivity which suggests that Amaziah still had at least 30 years of life ahead of him. This would suggest a late date.

The "great earthquake" may refer to a large earthquake that occurred in 750 B.C. Though this is not entirely reliable because dating for this earthquake is subject to variation of up to 30 years. The earthquake measured 8.2 on the richter scale and caused extensive damage at it's epicentre in the north of Israel which lessens by degree in archaelogical sites further south. Again, Israel and the surrounding region was subject to seismic activity because it lies on a major fault-line that forms the Jordan Valley and extends all the way to the African "Rift".


Prophets and Prophecy

chronology of OT prophets [.pdf]

Amos ministry overlaps with Hosea and Jonah who also prophesied to the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Other prophets who make up this catagory known as 8th century prophets include Isaiah and Micah who prophesied to the Southern Kingdom of Judah.

Prophets functioned as a mouthpiece for God. They are hozeh, ro'eh and nabi - visionaries, seers and the third term simply means "spokesman of God". Prophets would affirm that Israel (collectively) are God's chosen  people. Secondly, prophets would bring charges against the people and their unfaithfulness to the covenant. Thirdly, they would announce God's judgement against sin indicating that God would completely remove all sin from his sight. Finally they would speak of a remnant, a company of faithful people who would be spared and who would become the seed of a new community which was faithful to the covenant. In many ways the prophets brought the past, the present and the future together.

Prophecy should be understood as having both an immediate fulfilment and a future fulfilment. The typical motif used to express this is that of mountain ranges. From a distance it is possible to see the foothills and the highest peaks. As we draws closer and in fact traverses the mountain range we discover new vistas and peaks lying behind what was initially in view.


Relationship to Covenant Theology

In the process of studying the scriptures it is easy to take a verse, chapter or book and divorce them from the overarching story of the whole bible. Amos forms a part of the group of scripture that is called minor prophets. The minor prophets are called such because of the length of the manuscripts that their prophecies are recorded on, not because what they had to say was 'minor' in any way. The minor prophets in turn are a part of God's servants who called his people to repentance and observance of the covenant with it's laws, cursing and blessing. In this respect they were calling the people to participate in God's plan of redemption which he is working out through history. The grid below gives an overview of what this plan looks like. The arrow shape indicates the fact that history is moving toward an predetermined point established by God. The various blocks through the arrow indicate the form which the Kingdom of God manifests itself in it's movement toward it's consummation. We can find that Amos is located in the third block (The kingdom prefigured) where we have a physical theocracy in place with a physical kingdom by which we may identify God's people, purposes and perspectives.




Themes and Sub-themes


The theme that is emphasised throughout Amos is the sovereign and universal justice of God. This was expressed most vividly in the idea of the "day of the Lord". The "day of the Lord" is a time of great terror for the enemies of God and a time of great rejoicing for his people. The ESV study bible suggests the following six applications of this theme.

1. God created everything. His ethical and moral norms are universal and everyone is subject to them.

2. Justice and righteousness in the treatment of others are evidences of a right relationship with God.

3. Religious ritual that finds no expression in the right treatment of people is disgusting in the sight of God.

4. Israels covenant relationship was not a "guarantee" of special protection for them. In fact they would be held to a higher level of expectation and would be judged all the more harshly for covenant unfaithfulness.

5.  The much expected "day of the Lord" would be a day of darkness and not light, for unfaithful Israel.

6. God being ever faithful to his covenant would preserve his remnant and being ever merciful would bring restoration and blessing.


Background


At the time of Amos ministry Israel was experiencing great prosperity and strength as a nation. At the same time, Assyria to the north appeared to be in decline and it's power was waning. Both of these factors combined with a religious arrogance that led Israel to believe that this was an indication of God's blessing and that God condoned their ways. Naturally, they concluded that God would soon send his messiah and that judgement would come upon their enemies. 

Amos prophecy would prove to be very disturbing to the rulers and people of Israel. Capitalising on their expectations of a coming messiah that would execute judgement and lead Israel into a golden age, Amos deals a devastating blow. Israel would be the nation most severely judged. The coming "day of the Lord" would be a time for mourning and not rejoicing. Amos comes in the hope of turning hearts back to God and faithfulness to the covenant.

 

Outline 

I. Superscription (1:1)


II. Oracles of Judgement (1:2 - 6:14)

      A. Judgements on Israel's neighbours. (1:2-2:5)

      B. Judgements on Israel.(2:6-6:14)
a. An oracle of warning (3:1-15)
b. An oracle of doom (4:1-13)
c. An oracle of entreaty (5:18-6:14)
d. An oracle of woe (5:18-6:14)

III. Visions of Judgement (7:1 - 9:15)

      A.  A vision of inescapable judgement.
a. The vision itself (7:1-9)
b. An experience reinforcing the vision (7:10-17)
     B.  A vision of the terrible end (8:1-14)

     C.  A vision of the Lord standing by the altar (9:1-15)
a. The thresholds shaken (9:1-10)
b. The booth of David restored (9:11-15)


Application

1. Amos calling as a prophet required him to remind them of God's covenant, their sin, coming judgment andd Gods mercy toward the faithful remnant and repentant sinners.
2. Amos abandoned his lucrative day trade to confront a hostile audience over sin.
3. Amos traveled a great distance in order to obey the Lord.
4. Amos confronts the superficial religion of Israel.


Section 1 - Amos 1:1

Seek Me and Live

Introduction

Verse 1 Introduces us very briefly to Amos and gives us brief historical information related to the context.

Discussion



Explanation

Amos is a farmer-trader from Tekoa in Judah. God gave him visions about Israel, the kingdom in the North. Amos left everything behind and went to Israel to give his message. He reminded the people in Israel that God chose them, that God will judge their sin according to the covenant. He also told them that God is merciful. God will preserve a special group of faithful people to start a new covenant community.

Application


  1. Unlike Amos, we are often unwilling to make the sacrifices needed to follow God.
  2. Like Israel, we like to make a religion that suits us. We want God to follow us.
  3. Our messages often only contain a message of unconditional love. We find it hard to talk about sin, judgement and repentence.
  4. God uses ordinary people to do his work.
  5. We should be willing to give up things if we want to follow Jesus.
  6. God gives us a message to proclaim to the world.

Section 2 - Amos 1:2

Seek Me and Live


Introduction

Verse 2 introduces the theme of judgement. It is a very thought provoking verse to reflect upon and very sobering in it's message. It feels very heavy, very weighty. We learn that God warns and then acts. He judges and then punishes, in the hope of repentance. We also learn about the severity and extent of the punishments.


The Lord Roars from Zion

- Amos uses images from his experience. The Lord roars reminds us of the frightening roar of the lion. Lions are a fearsome (scary) dangerous and powerful (strong) animal. Lions usually roar moments before they attack and kill their prey. When the Lord roars it is a sign that his judgement is coming.


Joel 3:16 and Jeremiah 25:30 use these same words to show how Gods protection of the righteous and his destruction of the wicked.

Psalm 18:13-15 shows the roaring of God is with powerful natural phenomenon like thunder, lightening, strong winds and earthquakes.

Hosea 13:8 uses the picture of a lion tearing and ripping it's prey as an image of God's judgement.


Using our experience, I think of the squealing of car tires before a bad crash where everyone dies. You hear the sound. You know what is going to happen. Then BANG. It's over. This is the kind of thought that Amos is sending. Sudden, unexpected judgement. The roar of the Lord is a warning.


- Zion is the name given to the Mount Moriah, the mountain where Abraham offered Issac as a sacrifice. David fought the Jebusites here and established Jerusalem upon it. Solomon later built the temple here. The origins of the name Zion cannot be found in the Hebrew language. The closest meaning is found in Arabic and means "the ridge of a mountain" and "a citadel".


Zion is also that place where the ark of the Lord was kept. To talk about Zion was to talk about the presence and power of God. This is the meaning that the prophets usually are thinking about. In the New Testament it is the place where the Lamb of God (Jesus) is seated and worshipped (Hebrews 12:22; Revelation 14:1-5).


Zion is important because it is the rival to the religious centres in the Northern Kingdom, Bethel and Dan. God has chosen Zion and rejected these other places. This would have been a big insult to the people in the Northern Kingdom of Israel. They thought they were safe and that God was blessing them. In fact the opposite is true and they are about to experience some terrible events.

He Utters His Voice From Jerusalem

- This is a literary device called parallelism. The second sentence uses different words as the first sentence but the meaning is similar. it is important to notice the differences to get the meaning.

Here we learn that the the roar of the Lord takes on the meaning of his voice. Amos is talking about God's voice. He means the message that he is giving. The message about judgement. The prophecy if you like. Jerusalem is another way of saying Zion. It means the same thing as Zion.

Amos 3:7 makes the connection between the roaring of God and the message of the prophet.

Surely the Lord does nothing unless he reveals it to his servants the prophets. A lion has roared! Who will not fear? The Lord has spoken! Who can but prophesy?

When God speaks he generally uses people to speak through. It is not necessary thing, but it is his chosen method. By spekaing of the Lords voice, Amos wants the Israelites to know that the terrible things that will happen to them are not by accident. God's punishments follow God's threats. The words of the prophets are the evidence of that. Something to remember is that the threats are not the punishments. The message is not the event. This way we see God's patience. He warns before he does anything, in the hope that people will repent.


The Pastures of the Shepherds Mourn

- The pastures can also mean the dwellings. The place where the shepherds live. Or more generally, the environment in which they live. Mourn can also be understood as "laid waste" or "perish". So we have the picture of a place that has been completely ruined and is no longer good for living. No one can live there anymore.

The word pastures suggests a place where animals can be fed, crops can be grown and where people can rest and recover. Mourning, crying and sadness usually happens because of a shocking and unexpected loss of something that is very special. Either way we read it, this is a very discouraging and sad picture.


The Top of Carmel Withers

- Carmel is a symbol of abundance. (Psalm 65:12). The name means "fruit garden". It has steep slopes on the North and East where trees grow well. On the South and West the mountain slopes become fertile valleys and plains. The mountains water supply comes from some natural springs and rainwater. It's soil is rich and was good for cultivation of trees of different kinds. It has a natural beauty about it.

- In the bible Carmel represents beauty (Song of Solomon 7:5), fruitfulness (Isaiah 35:2), majesty (Jeremiah 46:18) and is a symbol of a happy and abundant life (Jeremiah 50:19).

-Amos says that this mountain will wither. It's beauty will become beastly. It's fruitfulness will become barreness. It's majesty will become unimpressive and it will no longer be a place where people want to live. Amos anticipates devastating crop loss brought on by drought and pestilence (Amos 7:1). Carmel will also lose it's status as a place of refuge (Amos 9:3). The Lord will find everyone. There will not be anywhere to hide. Not even the bottom of the ocean will hide you.


Section 3 - Amos 1:3 - 2:3

Seek Me and Live


Introduction

Amos delivers a prophecy of judgement against the crimes of nations that surround Israel.


Discussion

If someone asked you, "What does it mean that God is just?", how would you respond?


Explanation

Which nations are mentioned throughout this passage?

What is the meaning of the various expressions especially those that are repeated?

What charges have been laid against the nations?

What sentences are passed down upon these nations?

Why is it significant that God judges these nations?


Application

Is there anything that particularly resonates with you that you would like to share?

What area of your life is God putting his finger on at the moment?

How have you been guilty of seeing the problem as being 'out there'?

Where is there an opportunity for you to show more compassion, humility and brokeness toward your enemies?

In what practical ways can Christians follow in Amos footsteps?



Section 4 - Amos 2:4 - 2:16

Seek Me and Live



Introduction


Amos delivers a prophecy of judgement against Israels neighbour, Judah, and then shockingly, Israel.


Discussion


Discuss:                What priority should the word of God (the bible) take in a life of worship?


Explanation

What crime is Judah guilty of? What judgement has the Lord decreed?

What crimes is Israel guilty of? What judgement has the Lord decreed?

The list of Israels crimes is long and detailed. What is the significance of this?


Summarise and Explain the following sections of Chapter 2.


Ch 2:6b - 7a

Ch 2:7b - 8

Ch 2:9 - 10

Ch 2:11 - 12

Ch 2:13 - 16


Application


In what ways can we trivialise or marginalise God's word?

What idols commonly offer themselves as substitutes for Gods word (the Bible)?

What part does rememberance play in our relationship to God?

What positive qualities are suggested by those things which are condemned by God?

What part should ethical and moral living play in our relationship to God and others?


Section 5 - Amos 3:1 - 3:15

Seek Me and Live


Introduction

 

An oracle of warning against Israel containing specific indications of the nature of the judgement against them and a defense of Amos boldness in prophesying.



Discussion

 

Discuss:                     "Do two walk together unless they have agreed to meet."



Explanation

This section can be broadly broken into two parts;

 

Ch 3:1- 8

  1. vs 1 - 2        Introductory remarks and prologue

  2. vs 3 - 6        Warning and reasoning

  3. vs 7 - 8        Justification and grounds for prophesying


Ch 3:9 -15

  1. vs 9 - 12      Assembling the nations as a witness

  2. vs 13 - 15    An inescapable judgement and a remnant preserved


  Application

 What lesson or lessons does verse two teach us about how we relate to God?
 
 What does verse eight teach us about God`s manner of communicating to us?
 
 How is verse twelve an indication of God`s mercy.


Section 6 - Amos 4:1 - 4:13

Seek Me and Live


Introduction

Amos continues his deluge of bad news for Israel in this devastating oracle of doom.

Discussion

If you were to summarise the contents of chapters 1 - 3 in a few bullet points what would they be?
Describe in detail the ministry of Amos, the character of the Nation of Israel, the attitude and heart of God up to this point.
How does God deal with pride, stubborness and rebellious in people?

Explanation

  1. Specifically who is being condemned in 4:1-3?
  2. Explain the images of destruction in 4:2-3.
  3. Notice 4:4-5. What is the tone of God’s command in these verses? What was happening at Bethel and Gilgal?
  4. Notice carefully 4:6-11. List the things the Lord had done to try to make the people return to Him.

Application

Does the Lord do these things today to make us return to Him?
Do I realize that God may be trying to tell me something?
Since the people “did not return to Me,” what were the consequences going to be in 4:12?
How is 4:13 the climatic point of this chapter?

Section 8 - Amos 5:14 - 5:27

AMOS 5:14 - 5:27

Seek Me and Live



Introduction

God condemns both the actions (social injustice and oppression of the poor) and the attitudes of (empty religious practices) of his people. His desire from them is justice and righteousness.



Discussion / Explanation

Are the commands in Amos 5:14 - 15 the same or different than those in Amos 5:4a and 6b? Why is God so concerned about justice (Leviticus 19:15)? As Christians how can we respond to God's command to "seek good" (Romans 12:9-10; James 1:27)?





What is the "day of the Lord" (Amos 5:18; Isaiah 2:12; Joel 1:15)? Is this a future day or has it already happened? Why is this day one of darkness and not light (Amos 5:20)? How does the use of animals in Amos 5:19 help describe this day?





Why does God reject Israel's worship "festivals" and "assemblies" (Amos 5:21 - 23; Isaiah 1:13)? How does our disobedience impact our worship of God? What does God truly desire from his people (Psalm 51:16-17)?





Read Amos 5:24. Where also have you heard this quoted? What is the connection between "justice" and "righteousness" (Psalm 33:5; 1 Kings 10:9)? How might have idolatory (Amos 5:26) contributed to their judgement of exile to Assyria in 722 B.C. (Amos 5:27)?



Application (space for you to write what God is speaking to your heart, here.)








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