AMOS (BURDEN): 765-750BC

CONTEXT

GENERAL

• DIVIDED: After Solomon dies (~930) The United Kingdom of Israel is divided into Israel (North) and Judah (South). Jeroboam II runs the North and Amaziah/Azariah(Uzziah) coruns the South.
• KINGS: Israel asked for kings, rejecting YWHW as king. See GOD IS KING. God in his anger gave them Kings which demonstrated the sinfulness of people's authority.
• WRITING: These prophets are writing prophets, as a scribal culture developed with the coming of Kings.
• AMOS: Amos was a simple shepherd and dresser of sycamore fruit from Tekoa near Bethlehem, Judea. Possibly from wealthier classes, yet lived simply, followed his herds.
• STATE: Relative time of peace and prosperity, people have summer houses and sit on ivory chairs.

GOD'S VIEW- LOVE, HYPOCRISY

• LOVE: The state of Israel's love for God and the people was poor.
• GOD ANGRY: God angry with practices: Injustice to the poor while wealthy live in luxury, (4:1) Idolatory, (5:26), Adolatrous ceremonies & ritualism, (4:5) non-responsive to God's love, (6:13) non-responsive to God's rebuke through prophets and natural disaster (3:6-8; 6:4-6; 2:6-11)
• SALVATION INVERTED: Inverts the exile plagues in Egypt and Sodom and Magorrah on them for their sin. (4:6-11)

KEY SCRIPTURE

Alas for those who lie on beds of ivory, and lounge on couches, and eat lambs from the flock...who drink wine from bowls, anoint themselves with oils, but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph [sin]. 6:4-6

But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves. 5:26

Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts. 5:14-15

ACTIONS

• CALL: God calls him to be a prophet. Amos says that he is not a prophet, no background. 7:14 Called to be prophet to the whole house of Jacob 3:1,13
• PROPHECY- God will punish what is happening around Israel. Surrounding nations that have done evil in the sight of the Lord. Tyre will be judged too for delivering entire communities over to Edom, forgetting the covenant of kinship (treaty), Edom/Teman for retaining wrath and killing brothers1:11-12, Ammonites for killing (pregnant women) for territory, 1:13 Moab for burning king's bones to lime, 2:1-3
• PROPHECY: God will punish what is happening in Israel. Judah will be punished for rejecting law and being led astray by the same lies as the ancestors. Israel will be punished for trampling the head of the poor, 2:7 pushing afflicted out of the way, 2:7 temple prostitution [maybe], 2:7-8 and drink wine bought with fines they imposed.
• PROPHECY: God offers amnesty. Seek Lord over idols, 4:17 Put away immorality 8-9,10-13, 'Justice must roll like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream' 5:21-27
• CURSE: To Amaziah: Amos is scathing in his curse on the priest Amaziah in Bethel 7:16-17. Amaziah reports him to king Jereboam, for prophesying the death of the king in war, and judgement with Israel's exile 2:4-11. Judah's exile is also prophesied 2:4-5. Amos reveals that God will speak through the prophets, and natural disasters [like those in Egypt] and destruction 4:6-13 to make Israel turn in dependence on Him.
• PROPHECY: The Day of the Lord. What was for Israel was considered a day of vindication would become a curse. Amos says: 'Why do you want the day of the Lord ? It is darkness, not light, ' 5:18 'Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them...' 5:22 'But let justice roll like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.' 5:24
• NEGOTIATES WITH GOD: Amos negotiates with God for Jacob and God relents 7:3,6
• GOD JUDGES BY WITHDRAWAL: God says he will make it impossible to hear His words. 8:11
• PROPHECY: Judgement harder on the elect Covenant no guarantee of protection if you don't keep your part of the agreement with God. High priveledges (2:9-11;3:2) mean higher responsibilities and more severe judgement (2:4;3:2;4:12).
• PROPHECY: Restoration of Davidic Kingdom: A prophecy of comfort and consolation, blessing and salvation, describing the glorious future of Israel which will be reunited with abundance, fertility, never to be uprooted from the land. (9:11-15)

ACTION SCRIPTURE

'I will send a famine on the land; not a famine of bread, or a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord.' 8:11

How can two walk together if they are not agreed ? NKJV 3:3

And I raised up some of your children to be prophets and some of your yoths to be Nazirites...But you made the Nazirites drink wine 2:12

Surely the Lord does nothing without revealing His secret to His servants the prophets. 3:6

SIGNIFICANCE

General
God shows that he will judge and punish through prophets, devastation of the land and famine in order to turn his people to Him. God cares for what is happening with all people, his judgement of the surrounding nations is based on their horrific actions. This means he has concern for them. God judges the 'elect' with a harsher standard than others. This carries to the new testament. Rituals require heart and good works to the people around.

8thC PROPHETS CHAMPIONED SOCIAL JUSTICE (2 Prophets)
Abraham's Promise included a blessing to the nations. If the people can't bless themselves, how can they bless other nations. This may be why Amos says

THE DAY OF THE LORD (AMOS vs JOEL)
In Amos, "The day of the Lord" is used to mock the expectation of Israel in their sin.

WHO IS KING ?

GENERAL
God wants to be king always. He is the only one who actually has the real power, love and knowledge to guide us. If he isn't king, something or someone will be, this is idolatory. In the sense of Israel, the king was a sort of idol in itself, or following the other nations. No one should want to be a teacher because God judges these with a harsher standard. One can tempt the Lord till he lets go with full destruction. Amos, does not consider the office important denying being a disciple or training as a prophet. God just called him, maybe like Moses. God is sovereign in power, will, plans for them, the future and the whole earth.

ISRAEL WANTS A KING WHICH DISPLEASES GOD [Samuel, Elders, God]
Then the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, and said to him, "You are old and your sons do not follow in your ways; appoint for us, then a king to govern us, like the nations." But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, "Give us a king to govern us." Samuel prayed to the Lord, and the Lord said to Samuel, "Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them. Just as they have done to me, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so also they arte doing this to you. Now then listento their voice; only- you shall solemly warn them, and show them the ways of the king whoshall reign over them...the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel;they said, "No !" but we are determined to have a king over us, so that we may be like the other nations, and that our king may govern us and go out before us and go out before us and fight our battles. 1 Samuel 8:4-20

EVERLASTING KINGDOM [Nathan to David]
He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. When he commits iniquity I will punish him with a rod such as mortals use, with blows inflicted by human beings. But I will not take my steadfast love from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you.Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure before me; your throne shall be established forever. In accordance with all these words and with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David. 2 Samuel 7:17

GIVEN A KING IN ANGER [God/Hosea to Israel]
Where now is your king to save you ? Where in all your cities are your rulers, of whom you said, 'Give me a king and rulers.' I gave you a king in my anger and I took him away in my wrath. Hosea 13:10

WHO IS SUPERIOR ?
His message centers around Israel's high privilege 2:9-11; 3:2 which comes with high responsibility and hence greater judgement. This principle is carried into the New Testament 2:4; 3:2; 4:12. Romans 2 shows Gods righteous judgement, that God shows no partiality, and uses the same standard with which one judges others.