The Prophet Amos Overview: Judgment and Future Restoration Of Israel

 Historical context for the book of Amos. 

The northern kingdom of Israel consisted of ten tribes. This nation was prosperous and realized significant taxation advantages from the key trade routes that ran through its territory. 

King Jeroboam ruled during this time and his reign was marked by political stability and economic expansion. 

Uzziah was king over Judah, so Amos' ministry overlapped with Isaiah. 

However, even though the externals look good, God looks on our heart. Moral decay was spreading in Israel even though the people were doing well.

This is a Bible principle that when people are prosperous and enjoying relative peace, then a nation and people tend to become self centered and self absorbed. 

God made us to be dependent upon Him so that we might enjoy close communion with our Father. Thus, our lives should be God centric instead of ego centric.

Israel was living as a self absorbed people who had put God off to the side. Living in prosperity and luxury makes one callous toward God. 

What do we know about Amos? 

Amos 1:1  The words of Amos, who was among the herdmen of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel, two years before the earthquake. 

His prophecy was written between 760 BC and 753 BC. The date is more precise because he prophesied during the time of King Jeroboam and King Uzziah, who ruled over Judah from Jerusalem. 

Zechariah 14:5  And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee. 

The prophet Zechariah pins down the date for an earthquake that happened while Uzziah reigned in Judah. 

The reign of King Jeroboam and King Uzziah overlapped for 13 years, so it is within this time frame that Amos prophesied, about 2 years before the earthquake occurred.

The commission of Amos as a prophet of Jehovah. 

Amos 7:14-15  Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet's son; but I was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit: 15)  And the LORD took me as I followed the flock, and the LORD said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel. 

Amos did not flash his credentials to be a prophet of Jehovah. Rather, he was a humble man who tended flocks of sheep for his family, much like King David did as a boy. 

He was also a fig picker who gathered figs from these specific trees. Jehovah "took me" which is the idea that God put His hand on Amos and led him right into a prophetic ministry.

It is also noteworthy that Amos lived in the Southern kingdom of Judah, but Jehovah sent him to the Northern kingdom of Israel to prophesy. 

Because of his simple life and humble background, Amos' prophecy is filled with compassion for the poor and oppressed. 

Amos' prophecy was resisted by religious leaders. 

Amos 7:12-13  Also Amaziah said unto Amos, O thou seer, go, flee thee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there: 13)  But prophesy not again any more at Bethel: for it is the king's chapel, and it is the king's court. 

This is another Bible principle that has been proven time and time again throughout history. When God's Word is preached, religious leaders who do not know God, try to hold on to their power and money. 

They almost always oppose those men who speak truth from God. Remember, it was hateful religious leaders who were most hostile to the preaching, teaching and miracles of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Amaziah was a priest but he told Amos to go home and preach in Judah. He specifically told him not to preach in the kings court anymore. 

Amaziah also called Amos a "seer" which is an older word used to describe God's prophets. In that acknowledgment, the hateful priest authenticated that Amos did indeed speak for Jehovah. 

"Thus saith the LORD" begins each prophetic section of Amos. 

Amos 1:3-5  Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron: 4)  But I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, which shall devour the palaces of Benhadad. 5)  I will break also the bar of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitant from the plain of Aven, and him that holdeth the sceptre from the house of Eden: and the people of Syria shall go into captivity unto Kir, saith the LORD. 

The phrase "Thus saith the LORD" is used 21 times in the book of Amos. Each time marks the beginning of a prophetic declaration, and each one is concluded by "saith the LORD."  

There is another pattern. Amos used the phrase "for three transgressions and for four" 8 times in his prophecy. He is the only prophet to use this phrase. 

This phrase means committing multiple transgressions. The idea is that Damascus committed so many sins, that it became a flagrant offense to holy God, and He was moved to judge them. 

There are eight distinct prophecies beginning with Damascus, Gaza, Tyrus, Edom, Ammon, Moab, Judah and then Israel. 

The picture is that Jehovah will hold all nations to account for their sins. 

Jehovah patiently confronted their sins but they refused to listen. Therefore judgment was coming. 

Amos began prophesying against nations who had little or no interaction with Israel. Then, he moved to nations who had some interactions with Israel, followed by addressing Judah and Israel. 

Amos had strong moral convictions based upon what he knew to be true of Jehovah, and he was shocked at Israel's moral perversion. He called them to repent and prayed for them. 

Amos had several visions typifying judgment: Locusts, fire, plumb line, spoiled fruit

Jehovah's extensive indictment of Israel's sins. 

Amos 2:6-16  Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes; 7)  That pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, and turn aside the way of the meek: and a man and his father will go in unto the same maid, to profane my holy name: 8)  And they lay themselves down upon clothes laid to pledge by every altar, and they drink the wine of the condemned in the house of their god. 9)  Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars, and he was strong as the oaks; yet I destroyed his fruit from above, and his roots from beneath. 10)  Also I brought you up from the land of Egypt, and led you forty years through the wilderness, to possess the land of the Amorite. 11)  And I raised up of your sons for prophets, and of your young men for Nazarites. Is it not even thus, O ye children of Israel? saith the LORD. 12)  But ye gave the Nazarites wine to drink; and commanded the prophets, saying, Prophesy not. 13)  Behold, I am pressed under you, as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves. 14)  Therefore the flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not strengthen his force, neither shall the mighty deliver himself: 15)  Neither shall he stand that handleth the bow; and he that is swift of foot shall not deliver himself: neither shall he that rideth the horse deliver himself. 16)  And he that is courageous among the mighty shall flee away naked in that day, saith the LORD. 

Here is Jehovah's lengthy indictment of Israel. 

They sold their poor brethren into slavery to earn money, and this violates the law of God (See Leviticus 25:9-10).

They did not care for the poor, widows, orphans, as the law of God commanded them to. 

The people were given to drunkenness, idolatry and immorality. 

Therefore, Jehovah's judgment was going to be proportionate to Israel's flagrant sins. 

Amos 3: Israel's sins.

Amos 3:1-2  Hear this word that the LORD hath spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying, 2)  You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities. 

The rightness of Jehovah to punish His people is detailed. Israel had a special relationship with God, and knew His law. Therefore, they were subject to punishment for disobeying God.

Amos 4: God's people are like fatted cattle ready for slaughter. 

Amos 4:1-2  Hear this word, ye kine of Bashan, that are in the mountain of Samaria, which oppress the poor, which crush the needy, which say to their masters, Bring, and let us drink. 2)  The Lord GOD hath sworn by his holiness, that, lo, the days shall come upon you, that he will take you away with hooks, and your posterity with fishhooks.

Chapter 4 contains a denunciation of Israel’s nobles for oppression, and of the whole nation for idolatry. Israel was judged for being unreformed even by God’s judgments. Therefore they must prepare for the last and worst judgment of all. 

This denunciation was quite natural for a herdsman of Tekoa. Bashan was famous for the fertility of its soil,  and having many flocks and herds. 

The people were iniquitous, opulent, idle, and prone to laziness.  Men or women are compared to fatted bullocks, which were shortly to be led out to the slaughter.

Amos 5: Jehovah's call for repentance and righteousness. 

Amos 5:4-6  For thus saith the LORD unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live: 5)  But seek not Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not to Beersheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to nought. 6)  Seek the LORD, and ye shall live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and devour it, and there be none to quench it in Bethel. 

Amos was also given a message for the people to seek Jehovah that they might live. They were going to be punished with 70 years of captivity, but God would sustain those who repented and lived according to His law.

Amos 5:14-15 Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the LORD, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken. 15)  Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that the LORD God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph. 

God called for a total amendment of their wicked ways. They must seek good instead of lusting after evil things. 

Their priorities must change, such that they learn to love the good and hate the evil. In so doing, God would be gracious to them. 

Amos 6: The wealthy enjoyed a good life at the expense of the poor. 

Amos 6:4-6  That lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall; 5)  That chant to the sound of the viol, and invent to themselves instruments of musick, like David; 6)  That drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments: but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph. 

What Amos describes in this text is a wealthy class living a life of luxury and ease. They enjoyed expensive furniture, and ate the best meats. They hired musicians to play at their feasts and consumed much wine. 

Amos 7: 3 visions of judgment and Israel's rejection. 

Amos 7:1-3  Thus hath the Lord GOD shewed unto me; and, behold, he formed grasshoppers in the beginning of the shooting up of the latter growth; and, lo, it was the latter growth after the king's mowings. 2)  And it came to pass, that when they had made an end of eating the grass of the land, then I said, O Lord GOD, forgive, I beseech thee: by whom shall Jacob arise? for he is small. 3)  The LORD repented for this: It shall not be, saith the LORD. 

Amos saw a vision of grasshoppers or young locusts, which devour the grass, but are removed when Amos prayed for them.

Amos saw a vision of fire drying up even the deep, and withering part of the land, but removed when Amos prayed for them. 

Amos saw a vision of a plumb-line to mark the buildings for destruction. 

The last part of this chapter contains the priest Amaziah's response telling Amos to cease and desist from speaking for Jehovah.

Amos 8: Bad summer fruit means ripe for judgment. 

Amos 8:1-2  Thus hath the Lord GOD shewed unto me: and behold a basket of summer fruit. 2)  And he said, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A basket of summer fruit. Then said the LORD unto me, The end is come upon my people of Israel; I will not again pass by them any more. 

As summer fruit was not proper for preserving, but must be eaten as soon as gathered, so this symbol showed that Israel was ripe for destruction. God's punishment must descend upon it without delay.

Amos 8:11-12  Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD: 12)  And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it.

Amos then spoke for the LORD. The prophet warned Israel that Jehovah was going to bring a severe famine upon the land. Famines represented a crisis, for without food, people perish.

However, this famine was a different type: It was a famine for hearing the Word of God. God would remove His word from them, and they would wander from place to place, trying to find a true prophet of God.

Amos 9: The future restoration of Israel. 

Amos 9:11-15  In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old: 12)  That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith the LORD that doeth this. 13)  Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt. 14)  And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. 15)  And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God. 

The right worship of Jehovah will be restored to Israel. Jerusalem shall be rebuilt, and the temple reconstructed. It's walls shall be made solid and secure. 

Jehovah will pour out blessings on the land in that day. The harvest shall be so bountiful that they will be ready to plow for the next planting, but people will still be bringing in a harvest. 

In that day, Israel will never again be plucked out of their land. 

Thoughts to Ponder...

Amos teaches us that even a humble fig picker and shepherd, can be used of God, to preach truth to His people.

Any nation or people who dismiss or ignore the Word or God, can expect God to take His Word away from them There will be a scarcity of hearing the Word of God 

If God calls us to serve Him, let us be like Isaiah and say "Here am I LORD. Send me."

The LORD will supply what we need in order to rightly serve Him.

God uses ordinary people throughout the Bible, and we can be used by Him, too.

Bob