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Amos – An Introduction
Background
Date: 755 B.C. Although not generally thought to be the earliest Minor Prophet, Amos is the earliest of the ones which date themselves.
Name: Amos (Burden); only Amos mentioned in the Bible.
Personal History: Shepherd and dresser of Sycamore Trees; was not previously a prophet, nor the son of a prophet (1:1; 7:14,15); from Tekoa, twelve miles south of Jerusalem.
Prophet: Prophesied many to the north, although from the south.
Preaching Style: Straightforward; Blunt; Hell, fire, and brimstone; Hosea, preaching to the same people about the same topic (Assyrian Conflict) preached more emotionally, about love, while Amos preached pure judgment.
Judah: Uzziah, king of the Southern Half.
Important Dates
793-753 B.C., Jeroboam II and Israel’s “Indian Summer”
(2 Kgs.14:23-29; Amos 8:1-2).
780 B.C., Jonah preaches to Ninevah, capital of Assyria.
755 B.C., Amos preaches to Israel concerning Assyrian Captivity.
753 B.C, Jeroboam II dies.
745 B.C., Tiglath-Pileser (Pul) becomes king over Assyria.
743 B.C., Tiglath-Pileser starts conquering Israel.
(2 Kgs.15:19, 29; 6:7,10; 1 Chron.5:6,26; 2 Chron.28:20)
726 B.C., Shalmanesar V becomes king over Assyria.
723 B.C., Tiglath-Pileser takes Israel into captivity (2 Kgs.17:6).
Conditions of Israel[1]
•Material Prosperity (3:5; 6:1ff)
•Moral Deterioration (2:6-7; 3:9-10; 4:1ff; 5:10,12)
•Continuous Religious Apostasy
- Calf Worship (3:14)
- Formalistic Ritualism (5:21)
- Hypocrisy (5:23)
•Pride and Arrogance (5:18; 6:1)
Judgment on Israel[2]
•Irrevocable (4:6-12; 5:4)
•Deserved (7:7-9)
•Severe (2:13-15; 3:11-12; 4:2)
•Unexpected
Permanent Lessons of the Book[3]
1.Justice between man and man is one of the divine foundations of society.
2.Privilege implies responsibility. Israel had enjoyed special privileges; therefore, she had been given special responsibilities.
3.Failure to recognize and accept responsibility is sure to bring punishment.
4.Nations – and by analogy, individuals, are obligated to live up to the light and knowledge granted to them.
5.The most elaborate worship is but an insult to God when offered by those who have no mind to conform to his commands.
“We sometimes make the mistake of asking God as believers for an easier life, or as preachers asking God for an easier `work’ instead of simply praying to be stronger people. We should not pray for God to send us `tasks equal to our present strengths, but for strength to meet whatever tasks God has set before us.'”[4]
Questions
1.If God used two diametrically opposed preaching styles in Amos and Hosea, what lesson(s) can we learn?
2.What advantages/disadvantages would there be in God using a Southern Kingdom prophet to condemn the Northern Kingdom?
3.What is the meaning of “prepare to meet thy God” in Amos 4:12, as opposed to in our hymnal?
4.What does privilege imply in Amos?
5.What is one of the divine foundations of society?
6.Is judgment opposed to love?
7.What is the lesson we can learn from the section on important dates?
[1]Brent Hunter, “Amos,” Minor Prophets for Every Man.
[3]Homer Hailey, The Minor Prophets, p.87.
[4]Brent Hunter, “AMOS: The Man and His Message, `Prepare to Meet They God!’ Amos 4:12,” Minor Prophets for Every Man, Florida College Annual Lectures, 1989, p.144.
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