Amos Summary

Amos Summary

Introduction

Amos and Jonah are earliest prophetic books in the Bible.

Judah and Israel are experiencing peace as prosperity. Judah because of King Uzziah, Israel because of Jonah the prophet.

Amos was a sheepbreeder and grower of sycamore figs, not a traditional prophet, possibly wealthy.

Outline

Prophecies of Judgment (1:2 – 6:14)

Against Israel’s neighbors (“The Lord roars from Zion” 1:2 – 2:5)

All of Israel’s neighbors no longer exist as people groups.

Literal vs. spiritual interpretations (Tyre and Ammon)

Those who bless Israel will be blessed

Law is written on their hearts

God the lion, God the warrior

Permissible doesn’t mean acceptable (slavery, divorce)

Social justice

Love and forgive your enemies, but trust and celebrate God’s judgments

Keep your commitments (honor your covenants)

Paul’s 5 characteristics of evangelism:

Sympathy with hearers (people are scared of the gods)

Courage in preaching the Gospel (God is sovereign)

Respect (Don’t belittle their beliefs)

Confidence (don’t dilute main Gospel points)

Expectation of a response (cutting threads, removing idols, enduring black magic, trust the Holy Spirit)

Lying to protect our idols (pride, power, laziness, acceptance, comfort, self-righteousness)

Question our traditions, study the Word

Against Israel itself (2:6 – 6:14)

A prophecy of warning (“if a disaster (or evil) occurs in a city, has the Lord not brought it about?” 3:1-15)

Knowing God does not save us from Him, knowing Jesus does

Secret will vs. revealed will

Does God speak to us today about all his plans?

Quite, digital detox, prayer journal, our conscience, be with God physically emotionally and spiritually, confirm with others, do not demand that God speaks, practice it, read, obey

“Who can but share the Gospel?”

Social Justice

Our honesty with money

A prophecy of doom (“Prepare to meet your God” 4:1-13)

Women held equally responsible to men

You become what you worship: cows

Accepting God’s discipline

Worship God like he instructs, not like we love to do

A prophecy of entreaty (“Seek Me so that you may live” 5:1-17)

Seek God

A prophecy of woe (“Woe to you who are longing for the Day of the Lord” 5:18 – 6:14)

Hasten the Day of the Lord, live holy lives, share the Gospel

Humility in ministry numbers and spiritual gifts

Luxury and ignoring the poor

Visions of Judgment (7:1 – 9:10)

Intercession against two judgments (“The Lord relented” 7:1-6)

Practice intercession (worship God, forgive those you pray for, quote God’s mercy back to Him, name specific people, stand in the gap, propitiation, friends/family/leaders/nations/enemies)

The necessity of judgment (“The plumbline” 7:7-9)

Jesus is the plumbline.

A sign of the visions (Amaziah 7:10-17)

If God tells you to preach/prophesy, do not let logic stop you

The time of judgment (“Basket of summer fruit” 8:1-14)

Plans flipped (money leads to expensive problems, comfort to illness, power to burden)

God’s silence is worse than his judgments

The Holy Spirit keeps God’s word in our hearts

Fasting = refusing gain and seeking God and His word

Reading, meditating, memorizing, teaching, journaling, obeying.

The agent of judgment (“I saw the Lord standing beside the altar” 9:1-15)

God’s sovereignty over mythology.

God put Nepalis in Nepal and trees in Nepal.

Hope of Restoration (9:11-15)

Jesus on a physical throne, reunited 12 tribes of Israel into a single kingdom, protection and inclusion of Gentiles as Gentiles, economic prosperity

I destroyed the Amorite 2:9. You only have I known, therefore I will punish you 3:2. The Lord does nothing without revealing his secret plan to the prophets. Who can but prophesy? 3:7-8. Yet you have not returned to me 4:6-11. You build houses of stone but won’t live in them, planted vineyards but won’t drink their wine 5:11. They shall rebuild ruined cities and inhabit them, plant gardens and eat their fruit 9:14. Hate evil, love good, establish justice in the gate 5:15. Let justice roll out like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream 5:24. Woe to those who are carefree 6:1. A famine of the Word 8:11-12. The Lord is his name 9:6.