The Book of Amos

The Depths of SinThe Book of AmosBackground to AmosAmos comes from the village of Tekoa, south of JerusalemSmall mountain villageNot a business center, more a shepherding communityAmos is a commonerNot a priest, nor a member of the School of Prophets,He describes himself as a shepherd and dresser of Sycamore trees Obviously educated, however his book shows its writer had plenty of literary skill. May have been well travelled as well (he describes many places that he may have visited)

Amos CallingAmos was not called while searching for Gods purposesAmos was called while he was at his hum-drum day jobSo was David, so was Gideon, so was Matthew, and on and on. He took his shepherds crook, and went where God sent him. His book is full of imagery that comes straight from the vast and huge wilderness beyond Tekoa. As a shepherd, Amos is at or very near the bottom of the social pyramid he would be like the janitor or garbage man todayWhat does this show about God?

When did Amos work? Amos 1:1 clearly states when Amos was at work:in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam, son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake. Jeroboam II took the throne in 796BCUzziah died 739BCMost scholars agree that Amos was working around 760BC2 years before the earthquakeCrooked walls found at Hazor (a town in the area) there was definitely an earthquake around the time period

Significance of DatesAmos was hardly the only prophet around at the timeAs a boy, he could very well have heard Elisha As a young man, he would have heard JonahHosea worked at the same time, and the definitely would have known each other (they were both prophets to the same area)When Amos was an old man, a young Isaiah could very well have learned from him A young Micah could have listened to an old Amos preach

Amos WorldIsrael (and Judah both) were at high points in their powerAssyria had not yet risen to world-conquering statusMoney poured in through trade and productionArmies were victorious glory and honorNo nation nearby was strong enough to threaten either nationAmos message would have been highly improbableThings are going good how could they be destroyed? Life is great, yet Amos says were doing things wrong? What was Amos like? From his book, Amos personality can be described as:Humble he does not hide his station in lifeWise he preaches directly to the people, not over themClever he catches peoples attention by first condemning their enemiesFearless he tells the truth to all, including kingsFaithful His message is strictly Gods message

What was Amos like?His language and word choice (or diction) is distinct:His metaphors and illustrations are all pastoral in nature (think country bumpkin) His audience is primarily the commoners of Israel, not its kings and leaders therefore, the words he uses are more direct and simpleHe is a straight-shooter he doesnt try to sugar-coat his message and make it easier to swallow He confronts the king with some pretty harsh words!Also, hes a call-it-like-it-is kind of guy (how many legs does a dog have if you count the tail as a leg?) Amos MessageAmos is calling people to the truth that they already know someone has to yank the scales from their eyes and tell them the consequences of their sin

God cannot suffer sin! think about it: If God is holiness, he cannot allow unholiness to exist or he wouldnt be holy.

But what about our sin? He doesnt blow us up immediately.

Amos MessageAmos feared the Lord so much he feared nothing else:He had harsh words for King Jeroboam, at a time that didnt even make sense from mans perspectiveHe who handles the bow shall not stand! Israel relied on archers for their military success: they were the best in the world at the time!He who is swift of foot will not save himself! Amos is implying that even the fastest runners cannot escape the coming battle that will destroy themNor shall he who rides the horse save his life Israels cavalry forces at the time were nearly invincible

The Crux of the MessageThus says theLord:As the shepherd rescues from the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear, so shall the people of Israelwho dwell in Samaria be rescued, with the corner of a couch and partof a bed.

In other words when a lion eats a sheep, it tears it to bits, and the only part you might rescue would be the leftovers. Israel, if it keeps sinning will be exactly like that.

Impossibru? Israel at the time was stronger than it had ever been, except for under David what Amos is suggesting is simply impossible!Except for the fact that 50 years later, it happenedWhy do great nations come apart? Every. Single. Time. The answer is sin. When people become so sinful that their nation no longer operates as it should watch out!How do we measure it? Biblically, a nation about to be judged is handed over to the lusts of the flesh

Amos 1-2Amos begins his ministry in Bethel a city on the southern edge of the northern kingdom of Israel 22 miles from home. He begins by pronouncing judgment on six neighboring nations: Damascus (Syria), Gaza (Philistia), Tyre (Phoenicia), Edom, Ammon, and Moab. He then pronounces Gods judgment against Judah (his home!) Israelites are definitely in agreement with him here. Hes calling out all the sins of everyone they cant stand. He then slams Israel itself, followed by the entire nation. Amos 1-2What did Amos call them out on? Excessive luxuryGreedCareless attitudeSelfishnessLying and cheatingOppressing the poor

Worst of all hypocrisy (saying you belong to God, and He is on your side, when in reality you act the opposite of what He wants!)Amos 1-2Often, we think we have everything under control, when if we were actually honest with ourselves, we would be forced to admit that really we dont.

Also, all of the sins Israel had committed that got them punished by the Lord are very, very prevalent today, still. Despite what our society thinks, people are not basically good, or getting better. In fact, we are exactly the same.

So what does God think of our sin?

Amos 3-6Now, Amos goes into detail on Israel and why God is angry with them. He lists their sins again: greedy, unjust, immoral, profaneDo these sound familiar? Worse than that, however, is this: Israel excuses themselves by saying they are Gods chosen peopleTechnically true, but it doesnt mean what they thought it didIt doesnt mean you get a free pass, it means you should have known better! Amos 3-6One of the sins Amos calls Israel out for is that they had sold the righteous for silver. In other words, they had taken what they knew was most important, and traded that knowledge for the desire to get wealthy.Ever see anybody in America do that? Wealth can never, ever replace character nothing is more dangerous than the power and influence that comes with money and none of the humility that comes from a saving knowledge of Christ. Amos 3-6Amos says that there is still a way out Israel need to repent!Repentance means a turn from sin, or doing a 180. It absolutely is not just a Oops, sorry True repentance comes from the heart, a desire to never do the same thing again, no matter what the cost.

How often do we actually go to the lengths we need to in order to get rid of our sin? Do we just pray for forgiveness and change nothing? Or do we actually do what it takes to break the chain and make some changes? Amos 3-6Even when Israel tries to serve the Lord, it offends him at this pointAmos 5:21 For I hate your feasts even though you offer me burnt sacrifices I will not accept them. Take away from me the noise of your songs, to the melody of your harps I will not listen.Why would God despise their worship, even the parts they are trying to do right?

Because its hollow and empty. They merely go through the motions say all the right words but their hearts are not in it. Does that happen to us? Amos 7-9Israel had rejected Gods warnings therefore the punishment was coming Amos describes it in five visions:Devouring Locusts It shall not beConsuming Fire It shall not beSearching Plumbline the building is so crooked it cannot standBasket of Summer Fruit Ripe fruit, just like IsraelThe Lord at the Altar The kingdom destroyed, the house of Jacob saved

Amos 7-9We dont know how long Amos was in Bethel, but we do know that he would have spoken to huge crowds of people. Everyone would have heard of him at least, if not actually heard his message. The common people, many of them at least, were drawn to his message of repentance Amaziah, high priest of Bethel, couldnt stand the prophetThe priest didnt wanted to be told he was wrongHis pride caused him to hate AmosAmos 7-9Amaziah, in his hatred, conspired with the king to get Amos kicked out of town. Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel. The land is not able to bear all his words. For Amos has said Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel must go into exile, away from his land. With the King and Amaziah allied against him, Amos was suddenly ignored. When Amos saw that Israel had no intention of listening to him anymore, he went home. Amos 7-9Why did Amos leave? The people had been listening to him, after allThe Priest conspired against himThe King listened to the Priest

In other words, all the authorities at the time had discussed it and they all agreed that Amos had to go. When the professionals all say you are wrong, it almost doesnt matter how right you are.

Amos 7-9Amos goes back to Judah, and writes his words down into a book so that all would learn from Israels poor choices.

So what are the major takeaways? American culture is guilty of the same sins Israel wasChristians must be very careful to not allow our culture to dictate how we act we are to be transformed by Christ!Serving the Lord is generally unpopular the world hated Christ, why should they treat us any differently? When they do, Christians should remember to represent Christ in everything that they do