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Amos Summary

by Jay Smith

The purpose of the book of Amos was to announce Gods 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.
Chapter 1-3, Amos came as the days of the wicked Northern Kingdom were winding down. The people were religious but it was
sadly superficial. Amos announces that the neighboring nations would be punished. There were many of these wicked nations
including Damascus, Gaza, Edom, and Tyre.
In chapters 4-8, Amos warns that Israel will be destroyed, and gives examples of this judgment. Amos comes, announces Gods
coming judgment to the Northern Kingdom and uses the phrase, the day of the Lord referring to God intervening to punish and
judge the wicked city, which would eventually be exile by the Assyrians.
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! (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).













Summary
The Book of Amos, which is the earliest of the prophetic writings to be preserved in book form, consists of nine chapters. Not all of
the material found in these chapters came from Amos himself. Editors and copyists added comments to the prophet's original
oracles that they deemed appropriate in light of events that occurred after his death. Whether Amos' words constitute a series of
speeches or belong to one single address is unknown. The theme that runs through all of the material is one of protest against the
social injustices that prevailed in northern Israel during the reign of Jeroboam II. Along with this protest is the warning that Yahweh
will surely punish the nation for violating the demands of justice. The punishment will be nothing short of captivity by a foreign power
and the end of Israel's national existence.
Amos was a shepherd who lived in the region of Tekoa, not many miles from the city of Jerusalem. He made his living by raising
sheep and taking care of sycamore trees. When his produce was ready for market, he went to the towns and villages of Israel. His
journeys took him through the country districts, where he observed the hardships imposed on the working class of people by the
wealthy landowners who lived in the towns or cities in the midst of comparative luxury. While in the cities, Amos was deeply troubled
not only by the contrast between the rich and the poor but by the way in which the political and religious leaders tried to justify this
disparity. These leaders insisted that Yahweh materially rewards those who are faithful in the performance of their ritualistic
obligations to him. Hence they interpreted their own prosperity and that of the nation as a whole as evidence that the divine favor
rests on them and will continue to do so for all time to come. At the same time, they reasoned that poor people deserve their hard lot
in life because they do not regularly participate in the sacrifices and other religious activities practiced at the established places of
worship. Amos was not impressed by this kind of argument. He was raised in an environment where it was understood that loyalty to
Yahweh involves fair dealings among people rather than observance of religious rites and ceremonies.
As Amos pondered the situation that prevailed in northern Israel, he began to have dreams and visions, three of which he recorded.
In one of them, Amos sees a man with a plumb line measuring a wall that is about to fall. The man is told that the bulging wall is
none other than the house of Israel: Just as a wall of this kind will soon collapse, so the nation that it represents will surely go into
captivity. In a second vision, Amos sees a basket of summer fruit that represents the people of Israel, whose material prosperity is
like the fully ripe fruit. But ripe fruit lasts only a little while and then rots and decays. So the peaceful years of the Israelite nation are
about to come to an end. The third vision is one in which Amos sees a swarm of locusts about to devour the produce of the land.
This vision is also interpreted as a warning of the evil days that lie ahead.
After a time, Amos reaches the point where he can no longer keep quiet about his dreams. Addressing a group of people who have
gathered at the place of worship known as the Bethel sanctuary, he declares that Yahweh has this to say to them:
I hate, I despise your feasts; I cannot stand your assemblies. Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not
accept them. . . . Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. But let justice roll on like a river,
righteousness like a never-failing stream! Did you bring to me sacrifices and offerings forty years in the desert, O house of Israel?
Amos' statements are daring for him to make because they directly challenge the generally accepted religious practices of his time.
Strong opposition to Amos developed at once when Amaziah, a priest, sent word to King Jeroboam that Amos was a dangerous
character and should be expelled from the land. Although Amos insisted that he spoke only the words that Yahweh told him to
proclaim, Amaziah told him to leave the country and never to prophesy again in the land of Israel.
The coming downfall and the utter collapse of the northern kingdom are two major themes in the Book of Amos. The basis for these
predictions is not the rise in power of the Assyrian empire, with its threat of invasion from the north, but rather the immorality
expressed in the political, economic, and religious life of Amos' contemporaries. Amos is convinced that Yahweh is a god of justice;
Yahweh's power over the nations of the earth is evidenced by the fact that transgression of the principles of justice and social
righteousness will inevitably be followed by ruin and decay. This cause and effect is illustrated in the book's first two chapters, which
record oracles concerning Damascus, Gaza, Tyre, Edom, Judah, and Israel. The first four of these oracles tell of calamities that
have fallen upon the respective kingdoms because of their utter disregard for what is just and right. The last two indicate that both
Judah and Israel are subject to the same kind of treatment.
The nation of Israel, because it "sells the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals," and because of the many other
instances in which it violated the principles of justice, is doomed.
The luxurious homes of the rich will be spoiled, the women who have spent their time in idleness and pleasure will be dragged away
into exile, and the entire country will be laid waste, a point about which Amos is especially emphatic. He insists that the coming
captivity is a certainty and will mean final and complete destruction. He declares, "Fallen is Virgin Israel, never to rise again."
Whatever remnants remain after the approaching invasion from the north will be insufficient for rebuilding the nation. These
remnants will be comparable to "only two leg bones or a piece of an ear" that a shepherd rescues from a sheep that has been torn
to pieces by a lion or a bear.
According to Amos, Israel's fate is fully deserved. That its religious and political leaders have overconfidently believed that their
manner of worshiping Yahweh will bring them continued peace and prosperity avails them nothing at all. They had the opportunity to
learn from the experiences of the past that Yahweh's relationship to them is conditional on their obedience to his moral
requirements. Because their opportunities in this respect have been greater than those of other nations, they must bear the greater
responsibility. Yahweh, no longer obligated to protect them, will not be influenced by their prayers, offerings, or solemn assemblies.
Amos interprets the coming of the Day of Yahweh God's kingdom on earth in sharp contrast to what generally was accepted
by the priests and other contemporary rulers of the land, in whose opinion the coming Day of Yahweh will be a triumphant day of
gladness for the people of Israel, a time when their enemies will be subdued and their own peace and prosperity made permanently
secure; these acts will be the final realization of the divine purpose that from the very beginning has guided the destiny of Israel. But
for Amos, the coming Day of Yahweh means nothing of this kind. If Yahweh is indeed the god of justice, he cannot show special
favor to the Israelites by allowing them to escape the type of punishment that he brought down upon other peoples for exhibiting the
same kind of irreverent and disrespectful conduct. The Day of Yahweh will, therefore, be a dark day for the Israelites: "Woe to you
who long for the day of the Lord. . . . That day will be darkness, not light." The nation's captivity will not mean the overthrow of the
god of Israel but rather the supremacy of the god of justice.
Analysis
The prophecies of Amos mark an important point in the development of the religion of the Old Testament. The prophet was indeed a
spokesman for Yahweh. That he was not speaking for himself or trying to please his listeners is made clear by the content of the
message he delivered. Critics have often maintained that the Old Testament prophets created the god of whom they spoke out of
their own imaginations. However, had these prophets done so, it does not seem at all likely that Yahweh would have spoken so
critically of what was being done by the prophets' own people.
In the ancient world, each nation customarily had its own god, a deity whose power and influence were limited by the boundaries of
the country over which it presided. Evidence indicates that Yahweh was so conceived by the Hebrew people. But for Amos, Yahweh
is not subject to these limitations. As a god of justice, Yahweh's demands are universal and consequently affect all nations alike.
Israel is no exception. Dishonesty and transgression of the rights of people will bring about the destruction of this nation just as
surely as they did in the cases of Tyre, Moab, Damascus, and Gaza. The implication is clear enough that Yahweh is the god of all
nations. If Amos is not to be regarded as a pure monotheist, we can at least say that his thought is moving in that direction.
The opposition of the priests toward Amos can be understood in light of what Amos says concerning the solemn assemblies,
sacrifices, public prayers, and other ritualistic observances. One function of the priests was to ensure that these activities were
maintained; Amos insists that these rituals are worthless and should be abolished entirely. His position appears to be extreme, for
properly used ritual can be an aid toward spiritual ends. On the other hand, when observance of ritual becomes a substitute for
morality, nothing less than its total abolition seems to be appropriate undoubtedly the case with Amos.
Several passages in the Book of Amos, especially in the last chapter, indicate that the Israelites will return from captivity and will be
happy and prosperous in their own land. Whether these passages are from Amos or were added to the original by persons who
lived at a later time is a question concerning which there is some difference of opinion. However, the weight of the evidence seems
to indicate that such passages are later additions. As the manuscripts were copied from time to time, Amos' message inevitably was
viewed from the perspective of later events; naturally, insertions were made in order to bring his message into harmony with such
subsequent events. Furthermore, the type of restoration that is indicated in the closing chapter of the book is not the kind that one
would expect from Amos since it indicates material prosperity rather than a moral transformation.
















Amos was a prophet during the reign of Jeroboam ben Joash (Jeroboam II), ruler of Israel from 793 BC to 753 BC, and the reign
of Uzziah, King of Judah, at a time when both kingdoms (Israel in the North and Judah in the South) were peaking in prosperity. He
was a contemporary of the prophet Hosea, but likely preceded him. Many of the earlier accounts of prophets found in
the Tanakh are found within the context of other accounts of Israel's history. Amos, however, is the first prophet whose name also
serves as the title of the corresponding biblical book in which his story is found. Amos also made it a point that before his calling he
was a simple husbandman and that he was not a "professional" prophet of the prophetic guild.

Most scholars believe that Amos gave his message in the autumn of 750 BC or 749 BC.
[citation needed]
Leading up to this time, Assyrian
armies battled against Damascus for a number of years, which greatly diminished Syria's threat toIsrael. As a result of the fighting
amongst its neighbors, Israel had the benefit of increasing its borders almost to those of the time of David and Solomon.
It should also be noted that Amos preached about two years before a very large earthquake, and made reference to it twice in his
book. Zechariah (Zechariah 14:5b) remembers this earthquake over 200 years later.

Some scholars believe that Amos' message was recorded after he delivered it to the Northern Kingdom, upon returning to his
southern homeland of Tekoa, a town eight kilometres south of Bethlehem. It is mentioned many times in
theTanakh (Joshua 15:39, 2 Samuel 14:9 and 23:26, 1 Chronicles 11:28). Rehoboam is reported to have fortified Tekoa along with
other cities in Judah in 2 Chronicles 11:56.
There are some differing opinions as to the location of the Tekoa Amos was presumably from. It is believed by most that Amos was
a southern farmer who chose to deliver his prophetic message in the North. However, some believe that Amos was actually from a
Tekoa in the North, near Galilee. They believe that it is more probable that Amos was from the North because it has conditions more
suitable for the cultivation of sycamore figs than the Tekoa of the South. Sycamore figs grow at a low elevation, lower than the
Tekoa of Judah, which is at a relatively high elevation of 850 metres (overlooking both Jerusalem and Bethlehem). Others have
discredited the theory about the Galilean Tekoa, citing that the difference in elevation between the two locations is not significant.
Scholars in support of the idea of Amos being from the North also say it makes more sense because of Amaziah's accusation of
conspiracy found in chapter seven, verse 10. A conspirator, they argue, is more likely to be a national.
Two other opinions of where Amos' writings were recorded deserve mention. They are that 1) disciples of Amos followed him and
recorded his message and 2) that someone in his audience in the North recorded his message.


The Book of Amos is set in a time when the people of Israel have reached a low point in their devotion to the God of Israel the
people have become greedy and have stopped following and adhering to their values. The wealthy elite are becoming rich at the
expense of others. Peasant farmers who once practiced subsistence farming are being forced to farm what is best for foreign trade,
mostly wine and oil. (Amos 6:6)
[citation needed]

God speaks to Amos, a farmer and herder, and tells him to go to Samaria, the capital of the Northern kingdom. Through Amos, God
tells the people that he is going to judge Israel for its sins, and it will be a foreign nation that will enact his judgment.
The people understand judgment as the coming of "the Day of the LORD." "The Day of the LORD" was widely celebrated and highly
anticipated by the followers of God. However, Amos came to tell the people that "the Day of the LORD" was coming soon and that it
meant divine judgment and justice for their own iniquity.

"The Day of the LORD"[edit]
Amos is the first prophet to use the term "the Day of the LORD".
[2]
This phrase becomes important within future prophetic and
apocalyptic literature. For the people of Israel "the day of the LORD" is the day when God will fight against his and their enemies, and
it will be a day of victory for Israel. However, Amos and other prophets include Israel as an enemy of God, as Israel is guilty of
injustice toward the innocent, poor, and young women.
[3]
To Amos "the day of the lord" will be a day of doom

The book of Amos has three major sections plus an epilogue.
[4]
Chapters one and two look at the nations surrounding Israel and
then Israel itself through an ethical lens. Chapters three to six are a collection of verses that look more specifically at Israel's
transgressions. Chapters seven to nine include visions that Yahweh gave Amos as well as Amaziah's rebuke of the prophet. The
last section of the book (7:1 to 9:8), commonly referred to as the Book of Visions, contains the only narrative section. In the first two
visions, Amos is able to convince God not to act out the scenes of discipline presented to him. The ideas of discipline and justice,
although not enacted here, correspond to the central message in what some refer to as the Book of Woes (5:1 to 6:14). This
message can be seen most clearly in verse 24 of chapter five. The plagues in the preceding chapter, chapter four, were supposed
to be seen as acts of discipline that turned Israel back to God. However, the people did not interpret the acts this way, and the
discipline turned into judgment for the people's disobedience. In the second set of visions (7:79) there is no intercession by Amos,
and God says that he "will never pass by them again." The plight of Israel has become hopeless. God will not hold back judgment
because Israel refuses to listen to the prophets and even goes so far as to try to silence them (2:12, 3:8, 7:1017).
The central idea
[citation needed]
of the book of Amos is that God puts his people on the same level as the surrounding nations God
expects the same purity of them all. As it is with all nations that rise up against the kingdom of God, even Israel and Judah will not
be exempt from the judgment of God because of their idolatry and unjust ways. The nation that represents YHWH must be made
pure of anything or anyone that profanes the name of God. God's name must be exalted.
Other major ideas in the book of Amos include: social justice and concern for the disadvantaged; the idea that Israel's covenant with
God did not exempt them from accountability for sin; God is God of all nations; God is judge of all nations; God is God of moral
righteousness; God made all people; God elected Israel and then liberated Israel so that He would be known throughout the world;
election by God means that those elected are responsible to live according to the purposes clearly outlined to them in the covenant;
if God destroys the unjust, a remnant will remain; and God is free to judge whether to redeem Israel.





Who wrote the book?
The prophet Amos lived among a group of shepherds in Tekoa, a small town
approximately ten miles south of Jerusalem. Amos made clear in his writings that he
did not come from a family of prophets, nor did he even consider himself one. Rather,
he was a grower of sycamore figs as well as a shepherd (Amos 7:1415). Amoss
connection to the simple life of the people made its way into the center of his
prophecies, as he showed a heart for the oppressed and the voiceless in the world.
Where are we?
Amos prophesied two years before the earthquake (Amos 1:1; see also Zechariah 14:5),
just before the halfway point of the eighth century BC, during the reigns of Uzziah, king
of Judah, and Jeroboam, king of Israel. Their reigns overlapped for fifteen years, from
767 BC to 753 BC.
Though he came from the southern kingdom of Judah, Amos delivered his prophecy
against the northern kingdom of Israel and the surrounding nations, leading to some
resistance from the prideful Israelites (Amos 7:12). Jeroboams reign had been quite
profitable for the northern kingdom, at least in a material sense. However, the moral
decay that also occurred at that time counteracted any positives from the material
growth.
Why is Amos so important?
Amos was fed up. While most of the prophets interspersed redemption and restoration
in their prophecies against Israel and Judah, Amos devoted only the final five verses of
his prophecy for such consolation. Prior to that, Gods word through Amos was directed
against the privileged people of Israel, a people who had no love for their neighbor,
who took advantage of others, and who only looked out for their own concerns.
More than almost any other book of Scripture, the book of Amos holds Gods people
accountable for their ill-treatment of others. It repeatedly points out the failure of the
people to fully embrace Gods idea of justice. They were selling off needy people for
goods, taking advantage of the helpless, oppressing the poor, and the men were using
women immorally (Amos 2:68; 3:10; 4:1; 5:1112; 8:46). Drunk on their own economic
success and intent on strengthening their financial position, the people had lost the
concept of caring for one another; Amos rebuked them because he saw in that lifestyle
evidence that Israel had forgotten God.
What's the big idea?
With the people of Israel in the north enjoying an almost unparalleled time of success,
God decided to call a quiet shepherd and farmer to travel from his home in the less
sinful south and carry a message of judgment to the Israelites. The people in the north
used Amoss status as a foreigner as an excuse to ignore his message of judgment for a
multiplicity of sins.
However, while their outer lives gleamed with the rays of success, their inner lives sank
into a pit of moral decay. Rather than seeking out opportunities to do justice, love
mercy, and walk humbly, they embraced their arrogance, idolatry, self-righteousness,
and materialism. Amos communicated Gods utter disdain for the hypocritical lives of
His people (Amos 5:2124). His prophecy concludes with only a brief glimpse of
restoration, and even that is directed to Judah, rather than the northern kingdom of
Israel (9:1115).
How do I apply this?
Injustice permeates our world, yet as Christians we often turn a blind eye to the
suffering of others for more important work like praying, preaching, and teaching. But
the book of Amos reminds us that those works, while unquestionably central to a
believers life, ring hollow when we dont love and serve others in our own lives. Do you
find yourself falling into that trap at timesprioritizing prayer over service?
The prophecy of Amos should simplify the choices in our lives. Instead of choosing
between prayer and service, the book of Amos teaches us that both are essential. God
has called Christians not only to be in relationship with Him but also to be in
relationships with others. For those Christians whose tendency has been to focus more
on the invisible God than on His visible creation, Amos pulls us back toward the center,
where both the physical and the spiritual needs of people matter in Gods scheme of
justice.
- See more at:
http://www.insight.org/resources/bible/amos.html#sthash.LEcAdf66.dpuf

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