THE BOOK OF AMOS - OVERVIEW
Amos is the third of the Twelve Minor Prophets in the Old Tesament section of the Bible. It is written in both poetry and narrative.
Amos' Name
--- means "burden bearer"
--- nicknamed "prophet of doom"
The name Amos means burden or burden bearer. Since most of the prophecies of Amos concern coming judgment on either the nations surrounding Israel or judgment on Israel itself, he was a man with a burden.
Amos was nicknamed the prophet of doom after he accurately foretold the destruction of the Northern Kingdom.
Amos was the older contemporary of Hosea and Isaiah. That means they were all prophesying at the same time in different areas. Remember, Hosea prophesied to the Southern Kingdom.
Amos' hometown was in Tekoa in the Southern Kingdom, but was called to prophesy to the Northern Kingdom in Israel, particularly in Samaria and Bethel. He spoke out against an increased disparity between the wealthy and the poor.
Themes
--- justice
--- God's omnipotence
--- God's divine judgment
--- Social justice
--- The call for true worship
Before becoming a prophet, Amos was a shepherd and a sycamore fig farmer in Tekoa. That's why there are many nature scenes throughout his book (1:2;2:13; 3:4-5; 4:7; 6:12; 7:1; 8:1; 9:6).
Amos did not want to become a prophet for the following reasons:
--- Amos said, "I am not a prophet nor a son of a prophet" (7:14).
--- He had no theological training. He was not from the school of prophets.
--- Amos was satisfied to be a shepherd and a sycamore fig farmer.
Amos felt called to preach in Bethel, where there was a royal sanctuary (7:13), and there to announce the fall of the reigning dynasty and the northern kingdom. But he was denounced by the head priest Amaziah to King Jeroboam II and was advised to leave the kingdom.
Therefore, he was the first of the prophets to write down all the messages he has received because he was prevented from speaking to the people. If they could not hear his messages, they could read them. After that, other prophets followed his example.
What to Learn From the Book of Amos
--- Prayers and sacrifices do not make up for bad deeds.
--- Behaving justly is much more important than ritual (Amos 5:21–24).
--- Amos believed in economic justice necessary to preserve the nation
--- The relationship between the people of Israel was a moral contract.
--- Dependence on God is a requisite for fulfillment.
--- God’s absolute sovereignty over man compelled social justice for all men, rich and poor alike.
Amos' teachings can be found in certain modern political and civil rights speeches. In Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream", he said, "We will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream" "But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!" (Amos 5:24)
Bernie Sanders also referenced Amos 5:24 in a speech during his 2016 presidential campaign.
Amos' Firsts
--- First Hebrew prophet to have a biblical book named for him.
--- First Hebrew prophet to write his prophecies to the people.
--- First to live in one kingdom but was called to preach in the other kingdom.
--- First of the prophets to declare doom of Israel (5:2; 8:1-2).
--- First prophet to use the term "the Day of the Lord."
For the people of Israel, "The Day of the Lord" was the day when God would fight against His and their enemies, and it will be a day of victory for Israel. However, Amos and other prophets include Israel as an enemy of God, as Israel is guilty of injustice toward the innocent, poor, and young women. To Amos, "The Day of the Lord" will be a day of doom.
Amos would call a remnant of the people back to justice and righteousness before it was too late.
Israel's Problems
--- excessive luxury (3:12,15; 5:11; 6:1,4-7)
--- numerous evils
--- a general decay of right values
--- social corruption as the rich oppressed the poor (2:6-8; 5:11-12; 8:4)
--- religious corruption
--- idolatry (4:4-5; 5:25-27)
--- heartless, mindless worship offered to God (5:21-24; 8:4-6)
All of the above vices were leading to the ultimate doom and destruction of the nation, that Amos and Hosea worked concurrently to warn the people about.
--- Israel was condemned for her transgressions (3:1-4:13).
--- Punishment was coming to Israel because of her sins
--- Only a remnant would be spared (3:12).
----The rest of the nation—especially the rich—would be plundered (3:13-4:3).
--- God had chastened them before, yet they had not returned to Him (4:6-11).
--- Now they are warned to “prepare to meet your God” (4:12).
Amos' Five Visions of Judgment (7:1-9:10)
--- 1. locusts (7:1-3)
--- 2. fire (7:4-6),
--- 3. plumb line (7:7-9)
--- 4. basket of summer fruit (8:1-14)
--- 5. destruction of the altar with people buried underneath (9:1-10)
Book of Amos Outline
Watch out for the following in the designated chapters.
--- Eight Prophecies: Chapters 1-2
--- Three Sermons: Chapters 3-6
--- Five Visions: Chapters 7-9:10
--- Five Promises: Chapters 9:11-9:15
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