AMOS

• Amos was the first Hebrew prophet to have a biblical book

named for him. He was a native of Tekoa, 12 miles south of
Jerusalem. He was a shepherd and preached for only a short
time. He accurately foretold the destruction of the northern
kingdom of Israel (although he did not specify Assyria as the
cause).
•Amos’ call to the prophetic ministry came
directly from Yahweh and it came
unexpectedly. While Amos was tending the
flock, he heard the voice of the Lord telling
him to “go and prophesy to my people
Israel”. (Amos 7:15).
• Under the impact of powerful visions of divine
destruction of the Hebrews, Amos traveled from Judah
to the neighboring richer, more powerful kingdom of
Israel, where he began to preach.
• After preaching at Bethel, a famous shrine under the special protection of
Jerobam II, Amos was ordered to leave the country by Jerobam’s priest
Amaziah.
• It is evident from the words of Amaziah that
Amos had been preaching for sometime.
According to Amaziah, Amos’ preaching could not
continue since it posed a threat to the survival of
the monarchy.
• Amaziah was afraid that Amos was instigating a political revolt
against King Jeroboam II. Amaziah sent words to the king saying:
“Amos has conspired against you” (Amos 7:10)
• Amos emerges as a thoughtful, well-traveled man of fierce integrity, who
possessed a poet’s gift for homely but forceful imagery and rhythmic
language. Amos believed that God’s absolute sovereignty over man
compelled social justice for all men, rich and poor alike. Not even God’s
chosen people were exempt from this, and even they have to pay the
penalty for breaking it.
• He prophesied that the Israelites would be conquered by the
Assyrians and removed from this place. Amos said that God
could no more be in a relationship with the people of Israel
that a man could be with an adulterous wife.
THE FIVE VISIONS

• The vision of the swarming locusts. Amos 7:1-3

• The vision of the devouring fire. Amos 7:4-6
• The vision of the plumb line. Amos 7:4-6
• The vision of the basket of summer fruits. Amos 8:1-3
• The vision of the Lord’s Judgement. Amos 9:1-4
• The purpose of the book of Amos was to announce God’s holy
judgment on the Kingdom of Israel (the Northern Kingdom),
call them to repentance, and to turn from their self-righteous
sins and idolatry. God raised up the prophet Amos, as an act of
His great mercy to a people who repeatedly shunned and
disobeyed Him.
• The message of Amos, except for the last chapter, is one of pure
condemnation and judgment. In the first two chapters, he announces that
the whole area of the northern kingdom of Israel was going to suffer
punishment for its evil. He also named some of the most heinous crimes
of the eight nations around Israel as he lamented who were also guilty
including Damascus, Gaza, Edom, and Tyre.The depravity of these nations
are spoken against and clearly described. The Ammonites are condemned
"because they have ripped up women with child in Gilead that they might
enlarge their border" (Amos 1:13); doom is promised to the Moabites
because their taste for revenge was so strong that they burned to lime the
bones of the king of Edom (Amos 2:1).
• After condemning the neighboring nations, Amos turns his attention to
Israel. He scorns them for the wealth they have gained at the expense of
the poor (Amos 2:6-7) and for the same excesses that he mentioned
about the nations around them. In Amos 4 he reminds them of the
punishments which God had formerly used to recall his people from sin
and warns them that this generation shall not escape a like trial -
"therefore this will I do unto thee, O Israel and because I will do this unto
thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel" (Amos 4:12). The Israelites were
warned that the only course which they can follow to avert the imminent
disaster is to seek the Lord and to "let justice roll down like waters, and
righteousness like an ever-flowing stream" (Amos 5:24).
• “Seek good and not evil, that you may live; and thus may the LORD
God of hosts be with you, just as you have said!” (Amos 5:14).
• In chapter 9, Amos tells of the restoration and hope of
Israel, “In that day I will raise up the fallen booth of David, and wall
up its breaches; I will also raise up its ruins And rebuild it as in the
days of old” (9:11).