Amos

Author: Amos

Audience: Primarily the idolatrous and indulgent people of the northern kingdom of Israel

Date: About 760–750 bc

Theme: God speaks through the prophet Amos to call for social justice as the indispensable expression of true piety and announces judgment for Israel’s injustice.

Introduction

Author

Amos was from Tekoa (1:1), a small town in Judah about 6 miles south of Bethlehem and about 10 miles from Jerusalem (see photo). He was not a man of the court like Isaiah, or a member of a priestly family like Jeremiah or Ezekiel. He earned his living from the flock and the sycamore-fig grove (1:1; 7:14–15). Whether he owned the flocks and groves or only worked as a hired hand is not known. His skill with words and the strikingly broad range of his general knowledge of history and the world preclude his being an ordinary peasant. Though his home was in Judah, he was sent to announce God’s judgment on the northern kingdom (Israel). He probably ministered for the most part at Bethel (7:10–13; see 1Ki 12:28–30 and notes), Israel’s main religious sanctuary, where the upper echelons of the northern kingdom worshiped.

The book brings his prophecies together in a carefully organized form intended to be read as a unit. It offers few, if any, clues as to the chronological order of his spoken messages—he may have repeated them on many occasions to reach everyone who came to worship. The book is ultimately addressed to all Israel (hence the references to Judah and Jerusalem).

Date and Historical Situation

According to the first verse, Amos prophesied during the reigns of Uzziah (also known as Azariah, 2Ki 15:1) over Judah (792–740 bc) and Jeroboam II over Israel (793–753). The main part of his ministry was probably carried out c. 760–750. Both kingdoms were enjoying great prosperity and had reached new political and military heights (cf. 2Ki 14:23—15:7; 2Ch 26). It was also a time characterized by Israel’s disregard for the law (2:4), resulting in idolatry, extravagant indulgence in luxurious living, immorality, corruption of judicial procedures and oppression of the poor. As a consequence, God would soon bring about the Assyrian captivity of the northern kingdom (722–721).

Israel at the time was politically secure and spiritually smug. About 40 years earlier, at the end of his ministry, Elisha had prophesied the resurgence of Israel’s power (2Ki 13:17–19), and more recently Jonah had prophesied their restoration to a glory not known since the days of Solomon (2Ki 14:25). The nation felt sure, therefore, that they were in God’s good graces. But prosperity increased Israel’s religious and moral corruption. God’s past punishments for unfaithfulness were forgotten, and his patience was at an end—which he sent Amos to announce.

With Amos, the messages of the prophets began to be preserved in permanent form, being brought together in books that would accompany Israel through the coming debacle and beyond. (Since Amos was a contemporary of Hosea and Jonah, see Introductions to those books.)

Theological Theme and Message

The dominant theme is clearly stated in 5:24, which calls for social justice as the indispensable expression of true piety. Amos was a vigorous spokesperson for God’s justice and righteousness, whereas Hosea emphasized God’s love, grace, mercy and forgiveness. Amos declared that God was going to judge his unfaithful, disobedient, covenant-breaking people. Despite the Lord’s special choice of Israel and his kindnesses to them during the exodus and conquest and in the days of David and Solomon, his people continually failed to honor and obey him. The worship centers that King Jeroboam I had set up in Bethel, Dan and elsewhere (1Ki 12:28–33) became thoroughly paganized. The Israelites came to believe that the observance of religious rites at the sacred places was all that God was interested in and that outside their worship activities they could do whatever they pleased—an essentially pagan notion. Without commitment to God’s law, they had no basis for standards of conduct. Furthermore, as God’s chosen people, Israel’s behavior should have shown the world something of God’s own character. But Amos makes clear that this was not happening. Thus he condemns all who make themselves powerful or rich at the expense of others. Those who had acquired great wealth at the expense of the poor and powerless through fraud in the marketplace and corruption of the courts would lose everything.

God’s imminent judgment on Israel would not be a mere punitive blow to warn (as often before; see 4:6–11 and note), but an almost total destruction. The unthinkable was about to happen: Because they had not faithfully consecrated themselves to his lordship, God would uproot his chosen people by the hands of a pagan nation. Even so, if they would repent, there was hope that “the LORD God Almighty [would] have mercy on the remnant” (5:15; see 5:4–6,14). In fact, the Lord had a glorious future for his people, beyond the impending judgment. The house of David would again rule over Israel—even extend its rule over many nations—and Israel would once more be secure in the promised land, feasting on wine and fruit (9:11–15). The God of Israel, the Lord of history, would not abandon his chosen people or his chosen program of redemption.

The God for whom Amos speaks is Lord over more than Israel. He is the Great King who rules the whole universe (4:13; 5:8; 9:5–6; see Introduction to Psalms: Theology: Major Themes). Because he is all-sovereign, the God of Israel holds the history and destiny of all peoples and of the world in his hands. Israel must know not only that he is the Lord of their future, but also that he is Lord over all, and that he has purposes and concerns that reach far beyond their borders. Israel had a unique, but not an exclusive, claim on God. They needed to remember not only his covenant commitments to them but also their covenant obligations to him. (See further the prophecy of Jonah.)

Prosperity increased Israel’s religious and moral corruption. God’s patience was at an end—which he sent Amos to announce. Amos was a vigorous spokesperson for God’s justice and righteousness.

Outline

I. Superscription (1:1)

II. Introduction to Amos’s Message (1:2)

III. Prophecies Against the Nations, Including Judah and Israel (1:3—2:16)

A. Judgment on Aram (1:3–5)

B. Judgment on Philistia (1:6–8)

C. Judgment on Phoenicia (1:9–10)

D. Judgment on Edom (1:11–12)

E. Judgment on Ammon (1:13–15)

F. Judgment on Moab (2:1–3)

G. Judgment on Judah (2:4–5)

H. Judgment on Israel (2:6–16)

1. Ruthless oppression of the poor (2:6–7a)

2. Unbridled profanation of religion (2:7b–8)

3. Contrasted position of the Israelites (2:9–12)

4. The oppressive system will perish (2:13–16)

IV. Prophecies Against Israel (3:1—5:17)

A. Judgment on the Chosen People (ch. 3)

1. God’s punishment announced (3:1–2)

2. The announcement vindicated (3:3–8)

3. The punishment vindicated (3:9–15)

B. Judgment on an Unrepentant People (ch. 4)

1. Judgment on the socialites (4:1–3)

2. Perversion of religious life (4:4–5)

3. Past calamities brought no repentance (4:6–11)

4. No hope for a hardened people (4:12–13)

C. Judgment on an Unjust People (5:1–17)

1. The death dirge (5:1–3)

2. Exhortation to life (5:4–6)

3. Indictment of injustices (5:7–13)

4. Exhortation to life (5:14–15)

5. Prosperity will turn to grief (5:16–17)

V. Announcements of Exile (5:18—6:14)

A. A Message of Woe Against Israel’s Perverted Religion (5:18–27)

B. A Message of Woe Against Israel’s Complacent Pride (6:1–7)

C. A Sworn Judgment on the Proud and Unjust Nation (6:8–14)

VI. Visions of Divine Retribution (7:1—9:10)

A. Judgment Relented (7:1–6)

1. A swarm of locusts (7:1–3)

2. A consuming fire (7:4–6)

B. Judgment Unrelented (7:7—9:10)

1. The plumb line (7:7–17)

a. The vision (7:7–9)

b. Amos challenged and vindicated (7:10–17)

2. The basket of ripe fruit (ch. 8)

a. The vision (8:1–3)

b. The exposition (8:4–14)

3. The Lord by the altar (9:1–10)

a. The vision (9:1–4)

b. The exposition (9:5–10)

VII. Restored Israel’s Blessed Future (9:11–15)

A. Revival of the House of David (9:11–12)

B. Restoration of Israel to an Edenic Promised Land (9:13–15)