The Book of Amos

Lecture Notes for Minor Prophets of the Old Testament

Introduction to Amos

I. Who was Amos?

1. Amos’ hometown was Tekoa, about 10 miles south of Jerusalem.

2. His occupation:

a. Not an official trained prophet (7:14).

b. A “sheep-breeder” (1:1), who may well have traveled in other parts of the country as a consultant and/or merchant of sheep.

c. A “herdsman” (7:14), possibly a dealer in cows, goats, and/or sheep.

d. Cultivator of sycamore-fig trees (7:14). This was a process of slitting the figs to produce a better crop.

3. Small-town life & agricultural work explains many of his agricultural metaphors & his intense condemnation of decadence in the city.

II. When did he preach?

1. During the reigns of Uzziah & Jeroboam II, the same as the early prophecies of Hosea. The fact that the later kings of Judah were not added to Amos’ prophecies would suggest that he preached earlier, before the death of Uzziah.

2. The earthquake mentioned in 1:1 is also mentioned in Zechariah 14:5, also placed during the reign of Uzziah.

3. Probably preached approximately 760-750, overlapping the early ministry of Hosea.

4. What was it like?

a. A time of Peace, i.e. no wars

b. A time of Prosperity—Probably the most prosperous time Israel (& Judah to the south) ever knew before or after.

c. The rich exploited the poor. The rich charged huge interest to those less fortunate. They took advantage of the poor by taking their land, i.e. foreclosure.

d. Luxury & Laziness—The rich lived in luxury while the poor were dying. This living in luxury included sins of sexual immorality & gluttony.

e. Corruption—The prophet, priest, judge, & king were corrupt. Power made them ignore the law.

f. False worship—they pretended to worship Yahweh, but it was only empty ritual. Their worship did not produce justice/righteousness.

g. Idolatry—Idolatry existed alongside the official, albeit false, worship of Yahweh.

III. Where did he preach?

1. Though Amos was from Judah, he preached in Israel.

2. At least on one occasion he preached at Bethel, which was an official place of worship.

3. The multiple references to Samaria would suggest that he preached there as well. This was the capital city, a large & wealthy city.

IV. What was his message?

Though times were peaceful & prosperous, judgment was coming, because of:

1. Past violence & warfare

2. Ignoring God’s laws, esp. those referring to justice for all citizens.

3. Exploiting the poor

4. Greed

5. Excessive Luxury

6. Empty ritual in place of true Yahweh worship

7. Idolatry

8. Sins, such as sexual immorality & theft.

V. The Book of Amos—

A. 1:1-2—Introduction

B. 1:3-2:16—Judgment on the nations (including Israel)

C. 3:1-6:14—Miscellaneous Prophecies

D. 7:1-8:3—Visions & Narrative

E. 8:4-9:15—Miscellaneous Prophecies

Amos 1-2

Amos 1:2—“The Lord Roars”

Introduction to the Book of Amos

1. The Lord roars like a lion—He stands ready for judgment, like the lion roaring in preparation for attacking its prey.

2. The Lord “thunders”—

a. A loud voice, one that is frightening, preceding judgment (remember the shout before Jericho fell.

b. Thunder signifies rain, which is usually beneficial. But in this case it signifies a storm, which will be destructive rather than beneficial. It will produce judgment rather than fruitfulness.

c. The “word,” i.e. His voice, is the instrument of judgment, primarily the prophetic word based upon covenant curses.

d. “From Zion” & “from Jerusalem”—The judgment will flow from God’s presence. And that presence is in His one true sanctuary—Jerusalem.

e. Drought will come, destroying the fruitfulness of the land.

Amos 1:3-2:16--A geographical Sermon—

This is a beautiful sermon, crafted in a proverbial style:

“For three sins of _______, even for four, I will not turn back my wrath.”

1:3-5—Judgment on Damascus

Aram-Damascus is judged by God for violence against Gilead. They had brutalized Gilead, like the thresher separates the grain.

1:6-8—Judgment on Gaza (Philistines)

They took captives & sold them to Edom.

1:9-10—Judgment on Tyre

--Tyre broke the “treaty of brotherhood” with Israel/Judah, i.e. under David, Solomon, Omri & Ahab.

--Tyre also sold captives to Edom.

1:11-12—Judgment on Edom

--Edom ignored the natural relationship with Israel/Judah &

--he attacked “his brother.”

1:13-15—Judgment on Ammon

Ammon “ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead,” i.e. brutalized them in battle.

2:1-3—Judgment on Moab

Moab burned the bones of Edom’s kings, thus prevented eternal life.

Note that God was concerned with right/wrong, even where foreign nations were concerned. Remember that Esau was also a child of Jacob.

2:4-5—Judgment on Judah

--Judah was guilty of:

1. Rejecting the law of the LORD,

2. Disobeying His decrees, &

3. Worshipping false gods.

2:6-16—Judgment on Israel

--Israel was also guilty. They were guilty of:

1. Oppressing the poor (vv. 6b-7a, 8) They sell out the poor for very little. The use the outer garment taken in pledge, rather than allowing the person to use it for warmth. They were made rich by fines, drinking the wine, rather than seeing fines as a means of restitution only.

2. Sexual sin (v. 7b)

a. Slave girl

b. Common concubine

c. Prostitute, perhaps Canaanite worship.

3. False Worship (v. 8b)—“House of their god”

This suggests false worship.

4. Forgetting their past

a. God had delivered them.

b. They were commanded to remember & pass that deliverance on to their children. They had neglected this to the point that the people forgot God.

c. They have persecuted God’s servants

1. The prophets of God were not allowed to prophesy.

2. The Nazirites were forced to break their vows.

--Therefore, they will fall in battle!

Amos 3-5

Amos 3:1-15—The Necessity of Judgment

--3:1-2—The call to hear Yahweh

--“Hear”—Same verb of in “The Shema” (W[m]vi)—They are called to listen to God's judgment!

--“Whole family”=Israel & Judah. Note Amos’ interest in both Judah & Israel. Remember that he was from Judah.

--God has “chosen,” lit. “known,” Israel/Judah. This is probably covenant language. God chose to make himself known to Israel. He could have selected anyone in the world, but He chose Israel. They entered into covenant.

--The breaking of the covenant required punishment by Yahweh.

--3:3-6—Examples of things that must go together, i.e. like judgment follows breaking a covenant. The must honor His covenant. Therefore He will destroy Israel.

--3:7—Yahweh has warned Israel through the prophets, but they have ignored the prophecy.

--3:8--The prophet has no choice but to prophesy, but the people have not listened. They have not heeded the warning of the roaring lion, waiting to kill its prey.

--3:9-10—Foreign fortresses are told to look at the judgment of Israel. Israel has plundered & looted & will be destroyed.

--3:11-15—The judgment will be complete:

a. Enemies will overrun the land.

b. Strongholds/fortresses will be destroyed.

c. They will be like a sheep killed by a lion.

d. Their wealth & luxury will be gone.

e. Their altars will be torn down (note idolatry here).

f. Their luxurious houses will be destroyed.

Amos 4:1-13—Words of Judgment

4:1-3—The Cows of Bashan—Bashan was known for its rich pastureland & large cattle (Dt. 32:14; Ps. 22:12; Ezek. 39:18)—Amos calls the women of Samaria, the capital or the nation of Israel, “cows of Bashan.”

1. They oppress & crush the poor & needy.

2. They demand household service their husbands.

3. In other words, they are uncaring, rebellious, wealthy, & lazy.

4. Eventually these arrogant leading women will be led from the city by hooks, i.e. into captivity. They will serve & be oppressed.

4:4-5—They love multiplied sacrifices, offerings, & boasting.

4:6-11—They ignored past judgments.

4:12—Therefore, Yahweh will bring judgment, i.e. they will “meet their God.” Meeting with God should be a positive experience, unless the person meeting God has broken his/her covenant with Him.

4:13—A Hymn to Yahweh (see handout)

--Along with 5:8 & 9:5-6, this is apparently a hymn of praise to God.

--Note the ending of all three: “The Lord (God of hosts/armies) is his name.”

--The hymn remembers Yahweh as creator & controller of the universe.

--Amos is reminding Israel that they sing of Yahweh’s greatness, but they do not take Him seriously. If they believe what they sing, then they need to take heed to the words of their hymns!

Amos 5:1-27

5:1-17—The lament over Israel

--The lament is a common prophetic form.

In a sense, the prophet is saying a lament over Israel as if she were already dead. It is a statement of the certainty of death & destruction, i.e. judgment.

5:2—Israel is fallen as a virgin.

She never reached maturity. Like a ravaged virgin, she cannot be made whole & pure again. She has died.

5:3—Only 10% of Israel’s army will survive. It will be a devastating disaster on the battlefield.

5:4-6, 14-15—Oracles of hope: Present or Future?

--If present, Amos is holding out the hope that they can still avoid the judgment by seeking after Yahweh sincerely.

--If future, Amos is telling them that restoration is possible even after this devastating disaster. They can know hope for the future, after judgment, by seeking Yahweh sincerely.

--They must seek Yahweh, not participate in empty ritual. Bethel, Gilgal, & Beersheba will not help them.

--Bethel was the place of worship currently & in the past.

--Gilgal was also an important worship place, esp. during the time of the conquest.

--Beersheba was an important place of worship associated with Abraham & patriarchs.

--Ancient worship places usually continued to be used in various contexts, & people would go to these ancient places to seek God during difficult times.

Only seeking after Yahweh himself will bring restoration/deliverance.

5:7-13—Evidence for judgment

--Justice to bitterness—“Justice” (!p;v]mi) refers to proper legal actions, as well as proper treatment of other people.

--Righteousness cast to the ground—“Righteousness” (hq;d;x]) refers to decency & innocence (often including both human & divine innocence)

--They hate the truth in court, desiring victory at any cost.

--They have exploited & stolen from the poor.

5:16-17—Therefore judgment is coming:

In the streets,

In the public square

In the fields

In the vineyard,

For the Lord will pass through their midst. Once again this should be a positive thing, but because of their sins it is not.

5:18-27—The Day of the Lord—When the Lord visits His people.

--The people were expecting this to be the time when God would bless His people & set up the eschatological, i.e. messianic, kingdom.

--Amos says that it will be a time of judgment & darkness.

--From a lion to a bear—That day will be like escaping the attack of a lion only to run into a bear.

--From safety to a snake—That day will be like finding safety in one’s home only to be bitten by a snake while leaning against the wall of one’s house.

--The message: A person cannot escape God’s judgment!

--Rejection of Religion—God rejects

-- their feasts,

--assemblies,

--offerings, and

--songs. Why?

--Because there is no justice & righteousness. The religion makes no difference in their lives. They go through the motions. God desires a people that obey Him. (see Stuart, p. 355) Canaanite religion did not require this, but God’s covenant does. A truth that remains constant throughout the Bible, Old and New Testament, is that following God changes one’s life. If a follower of God is not more truthful, more just, and more merciful, as well as have a higher moral code, than the unbelieving world around him, then the relationship between this person and God should be questioned.

--Justice & Righteousness must be an ever-flowing stream & mighty river rather than an intermittent wadi that only flows when it rains.

Amos 6-9

Amos 6:1-14—Judgment on Complacency

6:1-7—Israel is complacent & secure.

They have great wealth—

ivory, choice lambs, harps, bowls of wine, lotions.

--But these will not save them.

--The rich will be the 1^st to go into exile.

--Other strong kingdoms have fallen, so will you!

6:8-14—Israel has trusted in itself

--& will be judged.

Amos 7:1-9:6

7:1-9—Three visions:

Locusts—God spares them at Amos’ request.

Fire—God spares them at Amos’ request.

Plumb Line—Israel is “out of plumb.” What do you do with a wall that is out of plumb? You tear it down & start over.

--They will not be spared any longer.

--They will be destroyed.

7:10-17—Amos & Amaziah

--Amaziah reports Amos to Jeroboam.

--Amaziah tells Amos to stop prophesying.

--Note that the kingdom & sanctuary belonged to the king. They should have belonged to God!

--Because Amaziah tried to stop the prophet from prophesying:

--His wife will be a prostitute

--His children will die in battle

--His land will be divided up

--He will die in a foreign land, in exile.

8:1-14—Israel is “ripe” for harvest. Judgment is coming.

NOTE: “Famine for God’s Word”—

--God had given His word through the prophets.

--The people will one day starve for that word, even though they ignored it when they had it.

--They will starve for it & not find it.

9:1-6—Vision of the Lord in His temple.

--He is announcing judgment.

--They cannot hide from their judgment, God will find them!

Amos 9:7-15—Judgment & Restoration

9:7-10—The people will be judged.

--God controls all nations.

--He brings them into existence &

--can destroy them.

--God will judge the people like grain in a sieve.

--The pebbles will be caught in the sieve, i.e. those responsible for the sin of the people.

--This prepares us for the oracles of hope that follow.

9:11-15—Eventually a day will come when:

David’s tent will be restored

--The broken wall will be rebuilt.

Harvest will be great

--Plowman overtakes the harvester.

--Judgment on the land is removed.

Vineyards will be replanted

--They will never be uprooted again.

--These promises are ultimately messianic!