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Guide to the Book of. Amos. One important aspect of the ancient TaNaK order of the Hebrew Bible is that the 12 prophetic works of Hosea through Malachi, sometimes referred to as the Minor Prophets, were designed as a single book called The Twelve. Amos is the third book of The Twelve. Amos was a shepherd and fig tree farmer (Amos 7:14 ) who ...
1 hour ago · The Book of Amos is the third of the Twelve Minor Prophets in the Old Testament (Tanakh) and the second in the Greek Septuagint tradition. [1] According to the Bible, Amos was an older contemporary of Hosea and Isaiah , [ 2 ] and was active c. 750 BC during the reign of Jeroboam II [ 2 ] (788–747 BC) of Samaria (Northern Israel), [ 3 ] while Uzziah was King of Judah.
May 9, 2024 · Date of Writing: The Book of Amos was likely written between 760 and 753 B.C. Purpose of Writing: Amos is a shepherd and a fruit picker from the Judean village of Tekoa when God calls him, even though he lacks an education or a priestly background. Amos' mission is directed to his neighbor to the north, Israel.
- Amos in Redemptive History
- Universal Themes in Amos
- The Global Message of Amos For Today
The Purpose of Prosperity
God created humanity to flourish. When sin entered the world, the ground was cursed so that only through toil and hardship would mankind’s work prove fruitful (Genesis 3:17–19). Yet in his great kindness, or as a hint of the prosperity to come in the new earth, or to test his people, or for other reasons, God often allows human beings to flourish in terms of material prosperity. During such times of prosperity, God’s people are called to embody his character, gladly extending mercy, compassio...
Israel’s Misuse of Prosperity
In Israel and Judah during the eighth century BC, at the time of Amos’s prophecy, the people of God were prospering materially. Yet as was so often the case down through Israel’s history, they failed to love one another as they had been called to do (Amos 3:10; 5:7, 12; 8:4). God had redeemed Israel in mercy from Egypt (Amos 2:10; 3:1), and the Israelites were now to act in mercy toward one another accordingly. Yet, lazily indulging in God’s gift of prosperity, their worship of God had turned...
Judgment for Israel’s Lack of Mercy
Because of all this, the Lord will exile his people (Amos 5:27; 7:17) and will bring upon them the “day of the Lord,” a day of climactic judgment. More than any other prophet, Amos describes this coming day of judgment in terms of darkness. “Why would you have the day of the Lord? It is darkness, and not light. . . . Is not the day of the Lorddarkness, and not light, and gloom with no brightness in it?” (Amos 5:18, 20; compare Amos 4:13; 5:8). Toward the end of Amos we even hear the Lord say...
God’s Impartial Justice
The Lord does not overlook injustice on the part of his own people simply because they are his. Indeed, God’s covenant relationship makes justice and righteousness in the lives of his people all the more crucial, for they are representing the Lord to the nations (see Romans 2:17–24). Thus when his people “trample on the needy and bring the poor of the land to an end” (Amos 8:4), God will certainly not exempt them from the judgment that such selfishness deserves. Amos reminds the global church...
The Dangers of Wealth
“Woe to those who are at ease in Zion,” says the Lord in Amos 6. “Woe to those who lie on beds of ivory and stretch themselves out on their couches . . . who drink wine in bowls and anoint themselves with the finest oils” (Amos 6:1, 4, 6). Not only are God’s people living in luxurious ease, however, but in their self-satisfied greed they are also trampling on the needs of the poor, dealing deceitfully in business transactions, and profaning the sabbath to make more money (Amos 8:4–6). Such is...
The prophecy of Amos carries an urgent message for the global church in the twenty-first century. Where God has brought material blessing to his people through honest hard work and diligence, such blessing should be received gratefully and enjoyed. Yet in light of massive worldwide needs such as poverty, lack of clean water, malnutrition, and inade...
The book of Amos asks us these questions. Amos was a shepherd of sorts—a rural man, sent by God to speak to the northern kingdom of Israel a very long time ago. The people of Israel enjoyed prosperity, comfort, and success. They were religiously cleaned up on the outside—keeping festivals, honoring certain holy days, not missing a Sunday ...
More than almost any other book of Scripture, the book of Amos holds God’s people accountable for their ill-treatment of others. It repeatedly points out the failure of the people to fully embrace God’s idea of justice. They were selling off needy people for goods, taking advantage of the helpless, oppressing the poor, and the men were ...
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Ultimately, the Book of Amos issues a call for repentance and transformation. Amos urges his audience to turn away from wrongdoing and embrace righteousness, proclaiming, “Seek good, not evil, that you may live. Then the Lord God Almighty will be with you, just as you say he is” (Amos 5:14, NIV). This call to repentance echoes through the ...
