Category: Amos

Amos: The Lord Roars (IX)

What was next for Israel? What would come after that? Amos 9 shows a picture of a just God who responds to willful sin and a merciful God who extends grace even where undeserved.

A Vision Of Judgment And A View After Judgment (9:1-14)

Neal Pollard

Amos 9 contains the prophet’s fifth and final vision about the fate of the northern kingdom. We would classify Amos’ book as one of the hardest-hitting among the Minor Prophets. The message of Israel’s demise due to their apostasy is graphic and certain. Now, the prophet’s warning reaches its climax as Amos sees the Lord standing beside the altar (1). This appears to be the altar at Bethel, in the place instituted by Jeroboam I (1 Ki. 12:31-33). Amos has previously mentioned it (3:14; 5:5-6), and it makes more sense for the Lord to stand in judgment there rather than Jerusalem where the southern kingdom’s place of worship was. 

The prophet pictures total, thorough punishment. God is revealed as being in pursuit of the people, destroying their false place of worship (1), slaying inhabitants and finding every refugee, fugitive, and person who tries to hide and conceal himself (1-3). Even those who go into captivity would be slain (4). One shudders to read God’s final words in this vision: “And I will set My eyes against them for evil and not for good” (4b). God’s eyes are depicted as seeing everything everywhere (Prov. 15:3; 2 Chron. 16:9; see 9:8). Here, His eyes are against Israel for their harm! The price of sinful rebellion is eternally high!

Amos strengthens the force of the warning by reminding Israel of who this judge is. His omnipotence is highlighted in verse five, and His work in creating, sustaining, and acting through nature is showcased in verse six. This all-powerful God, whose judgment they had witnessed against foreign nations (7), is now turning His efforts and energy on “the sinful kingdom” (“the house of Jacob” or “the house of Israel”)(8-9). Pay attention to the message. While the nation itself will be dismantled and the kingdom would come to an end (8), God is portrayed as sifting its inhabitants. 

While God’s just wrath will be poured out against “all the sinners of [His] people” (10), His undeserved mercy is also promised. Starting in verse 11, Amos mentions what would happen “in that day.” He also says “behold, days are coming” (13). Notice encouraging words and phrases like “raise up” (11), “rebuild” (11), “possess” (12), “restore” (14), and “plant” (14-15). For whatever literal and physical hopes the nation had of reclaiming lands in Palestine, God’s promise is much loftier. At the Jerusalem meeting in Acts 15, Jesus’ half-brother, James, quotes verses 11-12 and applies it to the Gentiles (Acts 15:16-18). The Lord’s kingdom, spiritual Israel (the church), would include “all the nations who are called by My name.” 

Amos had no words of consolation for the northern kingdom. Soon, Assyria would slaughter them and sweep them away. They were being judged for their wholesale apostasy. Yet, for the righteous who heeded the prophet’s warning, there was escape (2 Chron. 30). Beyond this gloomy judgment, there was future hope to be found in those who heeded the teaching of Christ and His apostles and prophets. That is the message Amos ends with, the message we can read about upon the pages of the New Testament. It is a hope that fuels our lives today! 

Amos: The Lord Roars (VIII)

What would be so serious that it would be the cause of Israel’s destruction? How does it apply to us, over 2700 years later?

The Vision Of The Ripe Fruit (8:1-14)

Neal Pollard

The fourth vision illustrates a terrible problem of covetousness. The people’s dysfunctional relationship with money was so corrupt that it contributed greatly to the pending demise of the northern kingdom. The vision (1-3) is followed by an oracle (4-14) that appears to explain why such judgment loomed. 

In the vision, God presents the object–a basket of summer fruit. The Lord God shows this to Amos and calls him by name, asking him what he saw. The prophet answers and God tells him what it means. As the fruit is ripe, so the time is ripe. Donald R. Sunukjian explains, “’Ripe fruit’ (qāyiṣ) was ‘summer fruit’ or ‘end-of- the-year fruit’—the last fruit of the season, fully ripened, with a short edible life. ‘Ripe time’ (qēṣ) was ‘end time’ or ‘cutting time’—the ‘reaping time’ of death (BKC, Walvoord and Zuck, 1447). Israel’s time was about to come, and weeping and wailing over the profuse volume of death would follow. That the songs were being sung in the temple indicates the grief of the southern kingdom over the demise of their brethren in the northern kingdom.

Amos follows this vision with a message explaining its meaning. In other words, Amos wants the people who are the object of the vision to “hear this” (4a). This vision is for those who rob the poor, trample down the needy, can’t wait for the Sabbath and feast days to be done so they can get back to cheating the helpless, use dishonest measures and scales to cheat the buyers, dilute their grain with chaff, and enslave the poor for the smallest amounts of money (4-6, NLT). Rightly, James Smith asserts, “these verses contain one of the strongest indictments against covetousness found anywhere in the Bible” (OT Survey Series: Minor Prophets, 195). Israel was so consumed with materialism that it caused them to demolish the two greatest commandments. It became their god and it trumped their love and concern for their brethren, especially the most vulnerable and helpless among them. The Bible warns repeatedly of the grave dangers that follow such a mindset, as common as it is (Mat. 6:19-21; Luke 12:15-21; 1 Tim. 6:9-10, 17-21). 

In response, God relates His judgment against such sin. He uses apocalyptic (catastrophic) language to depict what would follow this behavior:

  • God would never forget it (7).
  • The land would quake and all would mourn (8).
  • Their worship would resemble a funeral (10).
  • The people would experience a spiritual famine (11).
  • The people would be lost and aimless (12).
  • The young would suffer (13).
  • They would all fall along with their idols (14).

Within this judgment are various figurative images to paint the picture more vividly. It is pictured as the flooding of the Nile (8), a solar eclipse (9), a funeral for an only son (10), and a famine (11). Collectively, the point is made unmistakably. The end, for Israel, was coming. It would be cataclysmic and complete. What precipitated it? The maker was misplaced by money. God’s people had worshipped the creature over the Creator. With full clarity, God had told them since Sinai, “You shall no other God before Me” (Ex. 20:3; Deut. 5:7). So, today, it is instructive for us to consider the stewardship of our things and the steadfastness of our hearts when it comes to monetary matters. Across the ages, Jesus pleads, “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions” (Luke 12:15). 

Amos: The Lord Roars (VII)

What is Amos doing with these visions and why does Amaziah react so violently to it? What do we learn from Amos’ response to that wicked priest? Let’s look closer at Amos 7 together.

Three Visions And A Protest (7:1-17)

Neal Pollard

The style of teaching changes in chapter seven. Amos presents three visions consecutively, the first about locusts (1-3), the second about fire (4-6), and the third about a plumb line (7-9). Each begins with “the Lord God showed me.” The third vision differs from the first two, in that as God presents the first two to Amos he pleads on behalf of the people and God changes His mind about what He will send to punish the people. They are threats, but the prophet pleads on behalf of “Jacob” (Israel). Isn’t it interesting to note that, though his message is rather hard and full of rebuke, Amos has a heart for the people. He pleads, prays, and intercedes for them. His love for them is obvious to us, if it was not apparent to them. His intercession for the nation touches and influences the heart of God. 

After presenting the threat of locust and fire, God overwhelms the prophet with logic. God measures the northern kingdom, as a carpenter or stonemason plumbs a wall. He proves to Amos that the people are “out of plumb,” that they are measured by God’s perfect standard and are irredeemable! He will spare them no longer (8). Their places of worship will be demolished and the royal line of Jeroboam II will be destroyed (9). This judgment is incontrovertible and immutable. It is obvious from the rest of the chapter that Amos shared this vision.

The latter half of Amos seven is dedicated to the clash between the false priest of Bethel, Amaziah, and the true prophet of God, Amos. First, Amaziah reports to Jeroboam II what Amos has prophesied. Amaziah casts Amos as a traitor with a message of doom for the northern kingdom (10-11). Then he taunts the prophet, warning him to go home to Judah and do his prophetic work there (12-13). It is at this point that Amos utters his well-known words, some of the most identifiable in the whole book. He says, “I am not a prophet, nor am I the son of a prophet; for I am a herdsman and a grower of sycamore figs. But the Lord took me from following the flock and the Lord said to me, ‘Go prophesy to My people Israel'” (14-15). Note the humility and deference of Amos. He does not presume himself to be anyone of importance (side note: This is always an attractive quality in a spokesman for God; beware of the boastful or the humble bragger). He defers his own preferences to the divinely-given mission of Jehovah, who chose Amos and gave him this unpleasant duty of warning Israel. 

Reminiscent of other prophets, like Jeremiah (see his response to Passhur in Jer. 20:1-6, as an example), Amos tells Amaziah that his wife will be a harlot, his children will be killed by Assyria, his property would be seized, and he would die in Assyria. He punctuates this startling prophecy be reiterating his original message: “Moreover, Israel will certainly go from its land into exile” (17b). Amaziah would learn the very hard way that it is foolish to oppose God’s truthful message! When faithfully presented, Scripture should be humbly and circumspectly internalized and applied. Resisting or rebelling against it will not change its potency and fulfillment, but it will put us on the wrong side of its warnings and promises. Amos seven is one such reminder of this vital reality. 

Amos: The Lord Roars (VI)

What drew God’s warnings against Israel? Isn’t it surprising to see what God takes notice of that we might overlook? We mentioned complaining yesterday. What about being at ease when others are hurting? What observations do you see in Amos 6?

At Ease In Zion (6:1-14)

Neal Pollard

There are some passages in Amos with which many are more familiar: Amos 3:3, 4:12, 5:24, and 8:11. Yet, for some, Amos 6:1 is well-known. The prophet warns, “Woe to those who are at ease in Zion…” It pictures complacency, people who are comfortable despite their service of sin. God addresses this explicitly, before He through Amos turns to a series of visions to illustrate what this nation faces because of their sin.

The Deceit of Ease (1-3). Israel was smug and secure as they looked at their position geographically and socially (1). God invites them to look at their neighbors and understand that they were no better, worse, or different than them. Sin is costly, no matter who you are. This immutable truth is true of nations (Prov. 14:34) and individuals (Rom. 6:23). The leaders of Israel denied that calamity and violence were not only possible, but near. This capacity to ignore the warning signs entrenched their inclination for ease. 

The Signs of Ease (4-6). In addition to smug complacency (1-3), Israel’s leadership was guilty of self-indulgence (4) and revelry (5-6; they drank wine from bowls rather than cups), all while ignoring the plight of their devastated brethren whose doom was impending (6b). Self-centered self-indulgence blinds one to others as well as one’s own spiritual peril. 

The Price of Ease (7-10). Amos signals the cost of such deceit and symptoms with the word “therefore” (7). Bluntly, Amos tells Israel they are going into exile. Assyria is going to destroy the nation and carry off captives. The leaders of the nation would lead the trail of tears (7). The banqueters’ partying would abruptly end (7b). God rests His promise on His perfect character (8). He hates their arrogance and citadels (8), and because of their confidence in such things God was going to bring them to an end (8b). Death and destruction would ravage them to the point that they possibly feared that uttering God’s name would draw His attention to someone He overlooked punishing (9-10). Sin was wreaking havoc. 

The Response to Ease (11-14). Twice, God warns Israel about what He was going to do (cf. 4:12). Amos speaks in third person of what the Lord’s command would be, smashing houses to fragments and pieces (11). Then, God speaks in first person, saying, “I am going to raise up a nation against you” (14). They had turned justice into poison and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood (bitterness) (12), and they trusted in themselves alone (13). Thus, God would afflict them through this foreign invader (14).

1 Corinthians 10:11 cannot be forgotten as we study texts like Amos six. What does God want the 21st Century Bible reader to glean from this study? First, beware of allowing complacency to get a foothold. It leads you to ignore spiritual warning signs. Second, there are no exceptions to God’s law of sowing and reaping (cf. Gal. 6:7). Third, God has elevated expectations of spiritual leaders–elders (Heb. 13:17), preachers (1 Tim. 4:16), teachers (Js. 3:1), and more mature Christians (Luke 17:1-3). We should not take this mantle of responsibility lightly. We must not get comfortable, whoever we are, to the neglect of our duty to God and others (Mat. 22:37-40). 

Amos: The Lord Roars (V)

What does want from us when we’ve gone astray? Tears? Sacrifices? Amos’ answers may surprise you!

Seek The Lord That You May Live (5:1-27)

Neal Pollard

As full of the tone of rebuke that this prophecy is, there is a loving motivation. The Lord roars to get the people’s attention. He warns to turn them back from wickedness. Notice that the warnings and exhortations are “that you may live” (4,6,14). Jeremiah understand why: “I know, O Lord, that a man’s way is not in himself, Nor is it in a man who walks to direct his steps” (10:23). So, Amos sets out to disclose this divine “dirge” (1) (a poem of bereavement, sung by mourners at a funeral; cf. Amos 8:10). So, Amos is leading a sorrowful song about death in the hopes that the people will live.  Without repentance, things looked grim–fallen, neglected, and decimated (2-3). The remedy is to “seek the Lord that you may live” (4). What would this look like?

Seek refuge in God, not men (5-9). The cities mentioned in these verses all held national significance in their past, either as places of victory, memorial, or worship. Simply patronizing these places would not save them. Instead, God requires actively seeking Him (4,6). Otherwise, He would bring bitter judgment and fire (6-7). The reason for seeking God revolves around His character (8-9). He created and continues to be at work in nature. He is able to take even the elements and use them to execute His judgment on men. Therefore, Amos’ argument goes, “Seek the Lord that you may live.”

Get your values right (10-15). They hated those who preached the truth (10). They mistreated the disadvantaged (11). They poured their investments into big houses and vineyards that they would not be allowed to enjoy because their sins and transgressions were great (11-12). They distressed the righteous and denied the people in this “evil time” (13). God tells them that their only hope is to invert their warped values. “Seek good and not evil” (14) and “hate evil, love good” (15). “Perhaps,” God says, you will be saved if you will establish justice in the gates. 

Do not let tears be a substitute for turning (16-27). Not that there were not tears. They flowed profusely. Wailing, mourning, and lamentation abounded at the thought of God’s judgment (16-17). Though they longed for “the day of the Lord,” Amos warns that it will be a day of darkness and not light for them (18-20). He hated their worship, rejected their offerings, and deplored their singing (21-23). What did He want instead? “Let justice roll down like waters And righteousness like an ever-flowing stream” (24). But, because they would not do this, they should anticipate another “wilderness wandering” (25), exile north of Damascus (27). They had leaned on idols (26), and God tells them to take those with them as they are carried away from their homes. 

God shows us what He wants when we have strayed. First, renewed trust in His power to save. Second, moral choices that reflect His word rather than that of the world. Third, genuine repentance rather than sorrow at the wages of sin. Isn’t it interesting that, though times have changed drastically from Amos’ day, little has changed from heaven’s perspective!

Amos: The Lord Roars (IV)

What does it take to turn me around? What does God need to show me to bring me back to Him? That’s the question for Amos’ audience. What does chapter four say?

The Sin Of Stubbornness (4:1-13)

Neal Pollard

Sometimes, God punishes and chastises His people out of a merciful attempt to turn them around (Neh. 1:9) and He always does so as a loving Father (see Heb. 12:4-17). Chapter three begins chronicling the reasons for God’s judgment on the northern kingdom, then chapter four brings the discussion to a crescendo. If you have (had) a stubborn child or ever saw one, you might have at least a slight mental picture of what the prophet describes in this chapter. Notice how the people respond to God’s chastening.

The women were stubborn (1-3). How’s this for a flattering address? “Hear this word, you cows of Bashan who are on the mountain of Samaria” (1a). Israel’s women were cruel to the poor and needy. They pressured their husbands to sin. In response, Amos foretells the horrific cruelty the Assyrian invaders would inflict on these women, treating them in unthinkable ways. The place “Harmon” is not known, but the word is used of a manure pit in Isaiah 25:10. This would fit with the overall message that these women who bathed themselves in luxury would be disgraced and degraded in a total sense. 

The worshippers were stubborn (4-5). While God calls for His people to bring sacrifices, tithes, and offerings, they were sinning in doing so. First, Bethel and Gilgal were not the right places of worship. Second, while what they were offering may have been appropriate according to the Law and even showing some level of dedication, they were hypocrites. They came and worshipped, then left to live in willful sin. They may have been in the habit of worship, but they were not submitting their lives to God. They insisted on living rebellious lives, then sprinkling in some worship “at the appointed times.”

The woeful were stubborn (6-12). In the next several verses, God speaks of ways He tried to correct them. However, in verses six, eight, nine, ten, and eleven, God says that in the wake of the punishment, “Yet you have not returned to Me.” Famine did not turn them back (6). Localized drought did not do it (7-8). Lack of drinking water did not do it (8). Blight on their crops did not do it (9). Plague did not do it (10). He even compares His hand being against them as likened to what He did to Sodom and Gomorrah (11). Despite all of that, they would not return. So, God prepares them for what is to come with the hair-raising, “Because I will do this to you, Prepare to meet your God, O Israel” (12). Do you remember the invitation song, “Careless soul, why will you linger, wandering from the throne of God…”? Imagine God saying those words to you? Through Amos, this is just what happens.

And just who is saying this? See verse 13. It is our very Creator. The One who tells us our thoughts. The One who controls light and darkness and goes wherever He desires. It is “the Lord God of hosts.” This is a significant name in this book. It “designates the most awesome Warrior. Throughout these chapters which describe Israel’s violations (chaps. 3–6) the Lord is repeatedly presented (3:13; 4:13; 5:14–16, 27; 6:8, 14) as a mighty Suzerain who commands vast forces, whose power to punish rebels is both massive and irresistible” (Sunukjian, BKC, 1435).

Amos: THE LORD ROARS (III)

Why would a people who had in their heritage the exodus from Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, the awe-inspiring giving of the Law at Sinai, the conquest, and so much more get to the point which Amos shares? Do we ever do the same?

Hear The Word Spoken Against The Sons Of Israel (3:1-15)

Neal Pollard

Having revealed that God’s judgment was against Israel as much as on the surrounding nations, Amos lays bare the charges of the nation’s guilt. This whole chapter makes a perfect speech, a dialogue between God and the people whom He is accusing. Notice the word God speaks to them.

THE DECLARATION (1-2). Amos calls for Israel to “hear this word” (1). He reminds them of the special bond between Himself and this people, from the day of exodus (1-2). He chose them from among all the nations, which makes their rebellion all the more audacious! God declares that He will punish them for all their iniquities (2b).

THE DEFENDANTS (3-6). Israel is one of the two walking in verse three, unable to walk with God because they are going different directions. Israel is the prey of the lion and young lion (4), the bird who took the bait (5), and the people trembling at the sound of the trumpet (6). Amos asks a series of rhetorical questions, all which demonstrate cause and effect. What is the cause of their entrapment, capture, and the trumpet blowing? Sin! The predators and invaders represent God’s judgment.

THE DUTY (7-8).  Amos refers to himself in these verses, one of God’s servants the prophets. This unpleasant task Amos has, to preach to his northern brethren, is in response to the roar of the lion. “The Lord has spoken! Who can but prophesy?”

THE DETAILS (9-12). Whereas verses three through six speak in figurative terms, Amos gives the details of the people’s sins in these verses. Samaria, Israel’s capital, is the place where the people are assembled to stand in God’s courtroom (9). There He presents the charges. These include spiritual amnesia (10; cf. Hos. 4:6) and ill-gotten gain obtained through robbery and violence (10). Forgetting what was right, nothing was off-limits. God depicts their retribution with two pictures, one of an invader defeating and plundering them (11) and one of a saddened shepherd retrieving parts of a sheep from a lion’s mouth (12). It is a horrific, harrowing description of judgment!

THE DECISION (13-15). Restating His initial declaration (1-2), God declares Israel’s fate (13). Punishment was inevitable (14). Their idolatrous altars would be torn down (14) and the opulent homes of their wealthy would perish (15). As the rest of the book unfolds, it will build on this irreversible promise. Israel would be destroyed!

As I read this, I am so thankful that God has not issued such a warning for man so long as the earth stands. While nations continue to rise and fall (cf. Prov. 14:34), individuals can escape the kind of judgment Amos warns Israel about. However, there is coming a great day of reckoning at which all will appear (Mat. 25:31-34). For those who neither believe nor obey (2 Thes. 1:7-9), it will be more horrific and horrifying than Amos predicts here. This is why God writes down in His Word that the day will come. He wants us all to prepare and be ready for that day to come. 

Amos: THE LORD ROARS (II)

“For Three Transgressions…And For Four” (Part 2)(2:1-16)

Neal Pollard

Amos two represents a poor chapter break. The judgments on the five nations in chapter one shared in common that they were Semitic people who were not God’s promised people. Amos 2:1-3 mentions one more such people, then Amos 2:4-16 deals with judgments on Judah and Israel (His covenant people who were divided). It becomes apparent that the major focus of the prophet’s writings is Israel, as he saves his worst and his most for last. 

Moab is guilty of atrocities against Edom, much like Tyre and Philistia. They burned the bones of the king of Edom, and for this God was going to render judgment with fire (2). He bluntly says that Moab would die and her leaders are specifically identified (2-3). 

Then, God turns His gaze to Abraham’s descendants, the children of promise (4-16). First, there is Judah. Notice that the nature of their sin is connected to their relationship to the Law. They rejected it, neglected it, and forsook it (4). Thus, they faced a judgment of fire (5).

What you will notice is that Amos is now ready to concentrate his message to his primary audience, Israel (6-16). The thoroughness, detail, and specifics are withering. The central issue is greed and covetousness. As the inspired apostle later writes, “But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs” (1 Tim. 6:9-10). Look at the sorts of evil Amos mentions concerning Israel.

  • They sell the righteous for money (6).
  • They sell the needy for a pair of sandals (6).
  • They take advantage of the helpless (7).
  • They shove the oppressed out of the way (7, NLT).
  • Father and son slept with the same woman (7).
  • They corrupted their religious practices (8).
  • They ignored God’s judgment upon others (9).
  • They forgot God’s past deliverance (10). 
  • They rejected their God-given privileges and blessings (11), even abusing them (12).

Therefore, they faced an inescapable judgment (13-16). They would groan, not escape, lose strength, and their military would collapse and desert their posts. Every earthly thing they rested their trust in would fail them. The old hymn, Stand Up For Jesus, admonishes, “The arm of flesh will fail you, you dare not trust your own.” But that is exactly what Israel did. Just because they were God’s people did not insulate them from His absolutely righteous judgment. 

Amos: THE LORD ROARS (I)

What do you know about the prophet Amos? Let’s begin our study together of this unique Bible book

“For Three Transgressions…And For Four” (1:1-15)

Neal Pollard

Amos was the first of the writing prophets, with best estimates placing his work between 783-746 B.C. That would place him as earliest among three other writers, Hosea, Isaiah, and Micah, who would have been roughly contemporaries. Amos, like Hosea, focuses on Israel (northern kingdom), and Isaiah and Micah prophecy to Judah (southern kingdom). These dates are derived from the reigns of Uzziah and Jeroboam II (1), as ancient historians do not give a date for the apparently famous earthquake (1; Zech. 14:5).

Amos has no pedigree preceding his prophetic preaching. He is a herdsman (1) and a farmer who tended to fig trees (7:14). While some have concluded that this made him either poor or uneducated, the text does not back up such a claim. As James Smith notes, at least five things from his writing suggest a formidable thinker and writer:

(1) He was well acquainted with the world of his day. He mentions the names of at least thirty-eight towns and districts of the ancient Near East. (2) He had a keen awareness of the history, not only of his own people, but of foreign peoples as well. (3) He possessed a note of objectivity and sternness. (4) He was forthright in the presentation of the word of God. (5) He was a literary master and an incomparable preacher” (OT Survey Series, 129). 

The prophet, though he hails from Judah, speaks resoundingly of God’s judgment against Israel and other, surrounding nations. It would come violently. He will present this message within a series of visions, making application as he goes. Donald Sunukjian outlines the book as containing the roar of judgment (ch. 1-2), the reasons for judgment (ch. 3-6), and the results of judgment (ch. 7-9)(BKC, 1427). When the Lord roars in judgment, man withers and wails (2). 

Chapter one begins Amos’ message of judgment against the transgressions of five of Israel’s neighbors. Each time, the prophet begins the rebuke with the phrase, “For three transgressions…and for four.” This is a literary device often found in the Old Testament. It is as if God has been compiling a list, and the last item on the list is like the straw that breaks the camel’s back. The last is a bridge too far, the violation that causes God to act. Read Proverbs 30 for several examples of this stylistic device. Some have suggested that 3 plus 4 equals 7, a perfect number meaning that the sin was so complete and full that God would act. In this chapter, only the final sin is specifically mentioned.

  1. Syria, led by Hazael and Ben-hadad, did wicked and sinister things against Israel (2 Kings 8:12; 13:7). For this, God would allow them to suffer greatly and go into exile (3-5).
  2. Philistia deported God’s people into slavery, and this would lead to their own destruction (6-8). 
  3. Phoenicia, like Philistia, deported Israel the Edomites. For this, these traitors of brethren would be destroyed with fire (9-10).
  4. Edom, who brokered with slave traders for Israel, is condemned for selling out their “brother” (Edom descended from Esau, and of course Israel was the name of Jacob). Rather than being compassionate and supportive, they were treacherous against Israel (11-12).
  5. Ammon, in violence against Israel, attacked pregnant mothers and aborted their babies. God would vanquish them and cause them to go into exile (13-15).

A theme emerges against nations like these, surrounding Israel. Though Israel had sins of her own which God would judge, these nations would fall to the Assyrians for their own wickedness. Their time had come, and they had not repented. God would not allow it to go unchecked. 

Major Message: Minor Prophets

Tuesday’s Column: Dale Mail

blond man with goatee smiling at camera with blazer on
Dale Pollard

MAJOR MESSAGES FROM A MINOR PROPHET: AMOS 

Who’s The Prophet?

  • Shepherd and fig tree farmer. 
  • Lived on the border of northern and southern kingdoms 
  • The North was ruled by Jeroboam the 2nd who brought wealth and prosperity to the people 

What Are His predictions?

  • Warning Israel, Judah, Benjamin and all nations of a coming destruction described as “the Day of the Lord.” 

What Was His Purpose?

  • He about the oppression of the poor, sexual immorality, greed, and corrupt government In the Northern kingdom 
  • The wealthy Israelites had become apathetic and spiritually lazy 

SIMPLE CHAPTER BREAKDOWN 

  • 1-2 messages to the nations and Israel 
  • 3-6 poems expressing the message to leaders and people 
  • 7-9 God’s judgment is explained 

SKY HIGH SNAPSHOTS 

  1. The 9 chapter book spends time circling the surrounding nations and pointing out their evil. He starts with the nations furthest away from the people and works his way closer to the target, the Northern tribes.
  2. Amos expresses God’s anger towards Damascus, Gaza, Ammon, Moab, Edom, and even Judah 
  3. Finally, the primary audience is shocked to hear that they (Northern territory) are the source of God’s anger as well 

Top 2 Practical Lessons From The Book 

Our lives will also be lessons for future generations. When they look back they will either say, 

“we ought to live as they did” or 

“we ought not live as they did.” 

PLUGGING IT IN 

“WHAT DOES GOD NEED FROM US?”

  1. God needs more fig tree farmers. He needs community preachers in the form of plumbers, school teachers, electricians, nurses, surveyors, dentists, accountants, mechanics, and engineers. 
  2. We need more preachers. It’s more common than it was, but there’s a great need for gospel preachers in the LORDs church. Amos spoke for God, but he was in the minority.
  3. We need more elders. Great elders are rare. It’s been said and proven to be true, “The church will never outgrow the shadow of her leadership.” 
  4. We need more seriousness. Not more piety, not an immovable allegiance to man’s tradition, more people who take their God seriously. 

Amos in a sentence: 

“Service does not mean salvation if our service is not from the heart.” 

Real faithfulness means worship that is holy— not habitual. He wants committed people, not costume parties. He wants our attention to be placed on our purity, not our performance.