Amos

Overview

The book of Amos delivers a resounding message from God to Israel regarding judgment coming against the northern kingdom for its sin. The Lord roars like a lion from Zion, declaring through the prophet his message of condemnation of the people. God can no longer tolerate the idolatry, hypocrisy, social injustice, and complacency of his chosen nation. Amos 3:2 sums up the central message of the book: “You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.” The point is clear: the Lord’s distinct grace toward Israel makes its infidelity especially reprehensible. The prophet thus preaches a series of messages that both indict Israel for its sin and descriptively convey the impending doom.

Although Amos preaches a message of destruction, the devastation that God would bring is not the last word. The book ends with a promissory note of mercy and restoration. God loves his people and remains faithful to his covenant, particularly his oath to David (9:11). He promises a day is coming in which he will save a remnant and restore the fortunes of his people (9:11–15). This concluding statement of hope provides assurance to believers: God has not forgotten his promise to be merciful to those who call upon him.

Title and Author

The name of the book derives from the prophet Amos. He was a shepherd (1:1), a self-professed herdsman and “dresser of sycamore figs” (7:14), with apparently no formal training in the prophetic ministry (7:14). He resided in Tekoa, a town just south of Jerusalem. Though apparently from Judah, he was called to minister in the northern kingdom of Israel. There is no mention of his family or genealogy, and no mention of Amos outside of this book.

Date and Occasion

The length of time during which Amos ministered is uncertain, but the superscription of the book provides some information to aid in dating his ministry. Amos 1:1 notes that he served sometime during the reigns of Uzziah, king of Judah (792–740 BC), and Jeroboam II, king of Israel (793–753). This indicates that Amos was among the earliest of the writing prophets.¹ We also know that Amos’s ministry occurred “two years before the earthquake” (1:1). Determining when this particular earthquake took place has been a challenge for modern scholars, but the initial audience would apparently have been familiar with this exceptional event.

During the reign of Jeroboam II, the northern kingdom of Israel (as well as Judah) experienced a burgeoning of wealth and success unparalleled by any other period in Israel’s history. Much of this growth was due to the political landscape of the time. Between 805 and 796 BC, the Assyrian king Adad-nari III gained control over much of Syria. However, this control was short-lived, as Assyria became occupied on its northern and western borders with other military confrontations. It was not until the ascent of Tiglath-pileser III to the Assyrian throne in 743 BC that the empire’s control over the ancient Near East began to grow.² This allowed great latitude and occasion for Israel during the time of Jeroboam II to flourish in trade and commerce amid the power vacuum formed by Assyria’s lack of dominance.

The prosperous economic climate in Israel unfortunately provided fertile ground for apostasy and immorality to flourish. Syncretism became prevalent as Israelite worship mixed with surrounding pagan practices. Other deities were venerated in the belief that the blessings experienced by their worshipers came from these false gods. The material comforts enjoyed by the people led to great complacency, as very little concern was expressed over the immorality and social injustice pervading the nation. Amos addressed and condemned each of these issues as violations of the nation’s covenant with God (2:6–8; 5:10–12; 8:4–6). He declared that the Lord’s judgment was coming for the northern kingdom of Israel, as God saw their deeds and would bring them to account. Israel would face destruction, and the Assyrian captivity (722 BC) served as the consequence of their unfaithfulness. However, Israel was not the sole object of God’s wrath; Judah would also pay for its sins, as would other nations for theirs (1:3–2:3).

In wrath, however, God remembered mercy (Hab. 3:2). The concluding chapter of Amos highlights the Lord’s faithfulness to his covenant promises, even in light of his people’s unfaithfulness. Though Israel would be destroyed, God would raise up “the booth of David” and rebuild it (Amos 9:11). A remnant would experience restoration, and eternal blessings would come to Israel (vv. 13–15). The Lord himself would restore the fortunes of his people (v. 14).

Genre and Literary Features

Amos was clearly a gifted preacher and writer. As James Mays notes, “No prophet surpasses him in the combination of purity, clarity, and versatility that characterize his language.”³ Even if some of the particulars of the book may be somewhat vague, its overall clarity offers a lucid picture of the overall message of the prophet. Amos functioned as a covenant prosecutor, representing the Lord. He was God’s emissary who brought the message of the King to his subjects, a message consisting primarily of charges against Israel for its violations of the covenant.

The prophetic techniques employed by Amos set the tone for Israel’s severe judgment. The book consists primarily of speeches and oracles of judgment for sin. These speeches are poetic in genre and occur in various formats. In the first two chapters, speeches commence with the expression, “For three transgressions of . . . and for four, I will not revoke the punishment . . .” (1:3, 6, 9, 11, 13; 2:1, 4, 6). This poetic expression builds a somber and grave atmosphere for the accusations and verdicts that follow. Two oracles are introduced with the troubling cry “Woe” (5:18; 6:1). Some scholars refer to these passages as “oracles of woe,” viewed as a distinct category within prophetic literature. These passages convey a tenor of impending doom for the recipients in view of their heinous actions. Other speeches contain the imperative “Hear” (3:1, 13; 4:1; 5:1; 8:4), calling for the recipients not only to listen to the prophet’s message but also to respond appropriately.

Amos also records four visions illustrating the Lord’s condemnation of Israel. These passages provide a visible picture of the dire situation that has come upon the nation. The first two visions consist of a locust plague (7:1–3) and a judgment by fire (7:4–6), and from each of these the Lord relents when the prophet intercedes. Not so with the next two: the third vision is of the Lord holding a plumb line beside a wall (7:7–9), revealing that as God measures Israel, he finds them failing to meet the standard—they are crooked! Therefore, he will not withhold his judgment but will destroy the idolatrous places of Israel and the house of Jeroboam. Amos’s final vision from the Lord consists simply of a basket of summer fruit (8:1–3). This image may at first seem harmless, even pleasant, until it is realized that the Hebrew root for “summer fruit” (qayits) sounds like the Hebrew root for “end” (qets), which is exactly the point of the vision: the end has come for Israel (8:2). The devastation will be great, with dead bodies strewn far and wide (8:3).

The book also contains a brief autobiographical narrative of Amaziah’s confrontation with Amos (7:10–17). Amaziah, the priest of the idolatrous shrine at Bethel, reports the words of the prophet to King Jeroboam and then tells the “seer” (Amos) to leave Israel, go back to Judah, and never again prophesy at Bethel. Amos responds by stating that he has come by the Lord’s calling and that Amaziah’s wife will become a prostitute and his household and possessions will be lost. The priest himself will also die, and the nation will go into exile (7:17). While this narrative section is relatively brief, it (along with the rest of the book) portrays the prophet as a bold messenger of God who has come not on his own initiative but by divine commission.

Theology of Amos; Its Relationship to the Rest of the Bible and to Christ

The Sovereignty of God

Amos joins the other writing prophets in declaring the sovereignty of God over everything in creation. He rules over the affairs of the nations and of Israel, including judging them for their sin. Amos emphasizes that God will bring about the coming destruction: “He who made the Pleiades and Orion” (5:8) will “pass through [their] midst” (5:17) and bring “darkness, and not light” (5:18). The coming judgment is an act of God against the wickedness of his people, and while the instrument of wrath will be foreign nations, it is clear that this will be the “day of the LORD” (5:19, 20). The “day of the LORD” appears frequently within prophetic literature, conveying both the negative sense of judgment and the positive sense of making things right (i.e., restoration; cf. 9:11, 13). In Amos, the former sense is primary. The prophet paints the image of God as a roaring lion (1:2; 3:8) preparing to pounce upon its prey. This lion will wreak immeasurable devastation upon Israel, leaving those who remain fearful to even mention “the name of the LORD” (6:10).

As God is sovereign in judgment, so he is sovereign in salvation. He will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob (9:8) but will remember his steadfast love toward them. He promises to restore and renew them after this time of chastisement (9:13–15). In this way, Amos reveals that God is sovereignly faithful in keeping his covenant with Israel.

Ultimately, this promise of restoration and renewal has been fulfilled through Jesus Christ, who will bring about the final restoration of all things (i.e., the new heavens and new earth; Revelation 21–22). Having accomplished his work, Christ has been made Lord over all (Phil. 2:9–11). He is building his kingdom, and nothing stands against him (Matt. 16:18). All things are under his kingly rule, and he will be the great Judge on the final day (Acts 17:30–31).

The Covenant

The covenant instituted at Sinai provided the framework for the relationship between the Lord and his people (Exodus 19–24; the book of Deuteronomy). God chose Israel to be his special people, and they were called to serve him by loving him and obeying his commands. The nation willingly entered into this relationship, accepting the stipulations of the covenant (Ex. 19:7–8). Israel’s obedience to the covenant would lead to blessing (Deut. 28:1–14), but disobedience (i.e., breaking the covenant) would lead to cursing (Deut. 27:15–26; 28:15–68).

The covenant provides the backdrop for Amos’s message to Israel, as God brings the people to account for their unfaithfulness to him. For instance, Amos 3:2 states, “You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.” Addressing Judah, Amos states that they will be punished “because they have rejected the law of the LORD, and have not kept his statutes, but their lies have led them astray, those after which their fathers walked” (2:4). The Lord brought Israel up out of Egypt (2:10; 3:1) and drove out the inhabitants of the land for them (2:9) so that they might live for the Lord and his ways. Since the people failed to do this, they would face the consequences for their infidelity.

The NT makes it clear that Jesus Christ is the head of the new covenant (Heb. 8:1–13; 10:1–18). He fulfilled the requirements of God by completely obeying God’s law (Rom. 5:19; Gal. 3:10–15; Heb. 4:15). Then, in his death and resurrection, both the curses and the blessings of the covenant are displayed. He received the judgment for sin (i.e., the curse of death) at Calvary (Isa. 53:4–6; Rom. 3:25; 1 John 2:2) and, having been raised from the dead, provides salvation (i.e., the blessing of life) to all who believe in him (Rom. 10:9). In short, Jesus accomplished the faithfulness his people lacked, received the consequences they could not bear, and became the ultimate source of blessing from God. As the apostle Paul said, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:21).

Idolatry and Social Injustice

The book of Amos highlights the covenant unfaithfulness of Israel in two main areas. First, Israel was guilty of idolatry. They turned away from the only true God to worship the false gods of the surrounding pagan society. This is prominently seen in Amos’s frequent mention of Bethel (3:14; 4:4; 5:5, 6; 7:10, 13). When Israel broke away from Judah after Solomon’s reign, Jeroboam the son of Nebat⁴ set up golden calves in Bethel and Dan for worship in the northern kingdom (1 Kings 12:25–33). Israel was thus cut off from the worship of God at the temple in Jerusalem, the worship God had commanded. This allowed for syncretism and idolatry to increase throughout the centuries, leading to a society basically indistinguishable from the pagan nations.

Since idolatry was at the heart of the nation’s unfaithfulness, it is not surprising that their turning from God led them away from his moral standards (i.e., his law) of righteousness, goodness, and equity. Since they failed to love God, they inevitably failed to love their fellow man. Thus social injustice is another major issue addressed in the book. The rich were oppressing the poor, corruption was pervasive, self-aggrandizement was the norm, and remarkable indifference to the plight of others and the immoral state of society was common. Amos emphasizes that the injustice occurring in the land revealed the nation’s rejection of Yahweh, and the people would be severely judged for it. In this way, Amos reveals the intimate connection between love for God and love for man. When God’s people love him, they will love their fellow human beings by treating them according to his word.

The NT further draws out the connection between true worship and obedience. Jesus says that the law depends upon the two great commandments regarding love for God and love for neighbor (Matt. 22:37–40). He says that if we love him, we will love our neighbor (Luke 10:25–37) and one another (John 15:12–17). Paul says that love is the fulfillment of the law (Rom. 13:10), and James reveals that true worship of God leads to caring for the poor and the less fortunate of society (James 1:27–2:13), not social injustice (James 5:1–4). In this way, true worship of God in Jesus Christ leads to loving concern for others.

Preaching from Amos

The book of Amos is well suited for exposing congregations to prophetic literature (especially the Minor Prophets) and lends itself well to preaching. It is concise enough (nine chapters) for the preacher to work through it in a consecutive manner without committing to a significantly extensive period of time. Some may even be able to preach on an entire chapter in each sermon. However, it may be best to divide some of the chapters into smaller units in order to draw out some of the distinct themes and issues of a given passage. Alternatively, a preacher may choose to preach on a selection of passages from the book in order to highlight its central points. The overall message of the book is easy to grasp, so an expositor can get at the heart of Amos’s message if thoughtful care is used in selecting passages. Single texts may also be chosen for specific messages, especially to address matters of idolatry, social injustice, God’s sovereignty, and God’s mercy/faithfulness.

However, caution should be taken and careful discernment employed when preaching a series on Amos. It would be easy to fatigue a congregation with the book’s heavy and pervasive message of judgment. There remains a great need for the church today to hear the prophet’s message in a plain and direct manner. However, the goal of preaching is to let God’s word convict of sin so that the good news of Christ will transform those who hear. Without a steady reminder of what God has done through the death and resurrection of Christ for repentant sinners, a tender heart may become distressed, with little sense of hope. Judgment of sin is a serious matter, and it is essential for it to be clearly proclaimed, to which Amos lends itself. Thus care must be given to remind our hearers that God is gracious and merciful, wonderfully proving himself to be so in his Son.

Outline

1. I. The Lion Roars in Judgment of the Nations and Israel (1:1–2:16)
   1. A. Superscription (1:1)
   2. B. The Lord Roars from Zion (1:2)
   3. C. Coming Judgment (1:3–2:16)
      1. 1. Judgment for Damascus (1:3–5)
      2. 2. Judgment for Gaza (1:6–8)
      3. 3. Judgment for Tyre (1:9–10)
      4. 4. Judgment for Edom (1:11–12)
      5. 5. Judgment for Ammonites (1:13–15)
      6. 6. Judgment for Moab (2:1–3)
      7. 7. Judgment for Judah (2:4–5)
      8. 8. Judgment for Israel (2:6–16)
2. II. Guilt and Judgment of Israel (3:1–6:14)
   1. A. Israel’s Iniquities and Its Consequences (3:1–11)
   2. B. A Remnant Rescued (3:12)
   3. C. Bethel Punished (3:13–15)
   4. D. Injustice Punished (4:1–3)
   5. E. False Worship Condemned (4:4–5)
   6. F. Failure to Return to the Lord (4:6–13)
   7. G. Seek the Lord and Live (5:1–17)
   8. H. First Oracle of Woe (5:18–27)
   9. I. Second Oracle of Woe (6:1–7)
   10. J. The Lord’s Oath (6:8–14)
3. III. Destruction but Hope (7:1–9:15)
   1. A. Vision of Locusts (7:1–3)
   2. B. Vision of Fire (7:4–6)
   3. C. Vision of Plumb Line (7:7–9)
   4. D. Confrontation with Amaziah the Priest (7:10–17)
   5. E. Vision of Basket of Summer Fruit (8:1–3)
   6. F. Judgment for Sin (8:4–14)
   7. G. The Lord Standing by the Altar (9:1–10)
   8. H. Restoration Promised (9:11–15)