OVERVIEW:
God’s judgment upon eight nations (chapters 1–2); the guilt and punishment of Israel (chapters 3–6).
HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:
One of the most beautiful things about the book of Amos was the man God chose to use to write it. Amos was just a common, ordinary guy of average intelligence. Hallelujah! He didn’t come from a well-to-do or noble family, so you’ll notice that no family pedigree is listed in the introduction. (i.e. Amos, the son of…) When God called Amos, he made his living as a “herdman” (1:1 — i.e. sheep-breeder), and as a mere “gatherer of sycamore fruit”. (7:14) In 7:14, Amos is trying to communicate that he understood that there was really nothing special about him that would have caused God to have seen fit to choose to use him. Yet, praise be to the Lord, God was able to use this common, ordinary, and very average man in a very uncommon, extraordinary, and above average way!
One thing we learn from the record of history, is that God is always a champion for the common man! Speaking of the time of Jesus’ ministry, Mark said in Mark 12:37, “And the COMMON PEOPLE heard him gladly”! It was the nobility and intelligencia that had such a hard time believing and following Jesus, that spent their time contesting and contending with Him, and ultimately, putting Him to death! God has always taken great pleasure “[choosing] the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are”! (1st Corinthians 1:27–28) He even says in 1st Corinthians 1:26: “For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.” May we be sure not to take this principle further than God does! Notice that He DOESN’T say “Not ANY wise, mighty and noble are called.” He simply says, “Not MANY wise, mighty and noble are called.” There are “SOME”, there just aren’t “MANY”! Oh, may we recognize today, that the same uncommon, extraordinary, above average thing God was able to do with Amos, is the same exact thing He wants to be able do with common, ordinary, average folks like me and you! This little tirade may not help us to understand the book of Amos, but it will certainly help us to understand how incredibly God wants to use each of us! Praise the Lord!
Now, concerning understanding the book of Amos; as verse 1 indicates, Amos prophesied during the days when Uzziah was king in Judah, and Jeroboam was king in Israel. That would mean he was a contemporary of Hosea, and places his prophetic ministry somewhere between the years of 783 to 753 B.C. During this time historically, the physical aspects of the northern kingdom were going extremely well. Businesses flourished, the economy was good, and the government was stable. The spiritual climate, however, was something totally different. The entire kingdom was full and running over with idolatry, greed, injustice, immorality, pride, and hypocrisy.
In the first two chapters, Amos pronounces judgment on eight nations, saying that God will attack them as a “roaring lion” (1:2; 3:8) and a “consuming fire”. Notice the repetition:
- “But I will send a fire…” (1:4)
- “But I will send a fire…” (1:7)
- “But I will send a fire…” (1:10)
- “But I will send a fire…” (1:12)
- “But I will kindle a fire…” (1:14)
The eight nations are Damascus of Syria (1:3), Gaza (1:6), Tyrus (1:9), Edom (1:11), Ammon (1:13), Moab (2:1), Judah (2:4), and Israel (2:6). Notice also the repetition of the phrase, “For three transgressions, and for four.” (1:3, 6, 9, 11, 13; 2:1, 4, 6) Very simply, three plus four equals seven, the number of completion. The point is, God had “reached the top” (completion), as it were, with the transgressions of these nations, and was about to execute His complete judgment upon them!
In 2:6–16, notice that Amos identifies the specific sins that had prompted God’s promise of judgment upon Israel: bribery, greed, adultery, immorality, selfishness, ungratefulness, drunkenness (even forcing the Nazarites to drink! — 2:12), and rejecting God’s word. Sounds like a perfect description of the spiritual climate in our day!
In chapters 3–6, Amos delivers three sermons to identify God’s purposes in this judgment. Each sermon begins the same way, “Hear this word.” (3:1; 4:1; 5:1) In the sermon Amos preaches in 3:1–15, he tells the people the reason for God’s judgment upon Israel. In his sermon in 4:1–13, Amos lists all the things God had already sought to do to get Israel to repent, and yet, to no avail. (Note the fierceness of Amos’ preaching in 4:12 — “…prepare to meet thy God, O Israel.”!)
In chapter 5:1–6:14, Amos preaches a message of lamentation (5:1), as he laments Israel’s fallen condition. In 5:3, he informs them that, unless there is a national repentance, 90% of Israel will die! Amos tells the people to seek the Lord (5:4, 6, 8, 14) and not just religious activity! (i.e. “But seek not Bethel…” — 5:4) Note that all three messages have a tremendous devotional application to us, and a tremendous doctrinal application for Israel in the future.
CHRIST IS REVEALED:
As the CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE — Amos 5:8 (Hebrews 1:2–3; Revelation 4:11)