The Judgement of Nations
I. Introduction
A. Amos means "burden"
B. This is a book about the death of Israel and about God’s role in that death.
C. That is not an understanding of God that the New Testament “corrected,”, The New Testament also has a great deal to say about death and punishment.
D. We are challenged to take the terror that rings through this book as part of the reality of the way God and God’s people are related in times of disobedience.
E. The prphecy seems to come about 30 years before the fall of Israel (722) A prosperous time!
II. The Prophet and the Epigram 1:1-2
A. He was a herdsmen, he either owned the sheep or cared for them
B. He lived in Tekoa — Tekoa was twelve miles south of Jerusalem;
1. Tekoa was one of the cities fortified by Rehoboam in order to guard the eastern border of Judah (2 Chr 11:5-6). It is also mentioned in Jer 6:1.
2. He lived in Judah but was called as a prophet to Israel
C. His ministry was during the reign of King Uzziah of Judah (773 - 736), and King Jeroboam of Israel (785 - 745 BC).
D. His calling was two years before a great earthquake.
1. The earthquake must have been severe, since Zech 14:5, written several hundred years later, refers to it.
2. Evidence for substantial earthquake damage at Hazor, which excavators have dated to 760 BC, correlates well with other evidence for the date of Amos.
E. The Epigram: — here a short poem that is witty and concise
1. These two powerful lines introduce the God of the book of Amos as the one who has come to judge the earth, waging holy war against the enemies of justice and compassion.
2. It introduces two of its major themes: the overwhelming power of God and mourning on the earth.
3. Its poetic structure, with two exactly balanced lines, and with a surprise element in the second line, identify it as an epigram.
4. The comparison of God’s voice with the roar of a lion might lead one to expect a description of fear and flight or of the taking of prey, but the second line speaks instead of drought.
III. The eight oracles or Judgment speeches 1:3-2:16
A. Introduction:
1. Each oracle begins with the messenger formula: “Thus says the LORD.”
2. Each reason has two parts:
a. First the formula, “For three transgressions of ____________, and for four, I will not turn away”
b. Then a citation of a single crime (except for Israel, where a sequence of crimes is listed).
3. The numerical formula is a fairly common literary technique in Old Testament lists. Here for three —no four:
a. It may best be understood as an effective way of referring to the multiple offenses for which the nations are responsible to God.
b. Usually the formula is followed by a list corresponding to the second number, in this way emphasizing the final item in the list.
c. Yet in the first seven oracles, the list never exceeds two except the last one, this then emphasizes Israel's sin. Where we see four listed.
B. The eight nations: It seems to start with outright foreign nations (3); blood relatives (3); Judah and then Culminating with Israel. (Remember Amos was a prophet to Israel: by delaying his message against Israel he would have gotten their attention and interest as they cheered on the destruction of their enemies.)
1. Syria (vv. 3-5)
2. Philistia (vv. 6-8)
3. Phoenician, of which Tyre was the most important city (9-10)
4. Edom (11-12): Genesis 25:30 And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom.
5. Ammon (13-15): Genesis 19:36 Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father. . . . . 38 And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name Benammi: the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day.
6. Moab (2:1-3): Genesis 19:36 Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father. 37 And the firstborn bare a son, and called his name Moab: the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day.
7. Judah (2:4-5)
8. Israel (2:6-16)
C. The Sins of the First Seven Nations: The term Gilead often used to refer to all Israelite territory east of the Jordan River. (Note often used important city first)
1. Syria has threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron (vs. 3)
2. Philistia carried away captive the whole captivity (vs. 6)
3. Phoenicians delivered up the whole captivity (vs. 9)
4. Edom pursued his brother with the sword and cast off all pity, and his anger tore perpetually, and he kept his wrath forever. (vs. 11)
5. Ammon have ripped open pregnant women in Gilead, that they might enlarge their border. (vs. 13)
6. Moab because he burned to lime the bones of the king of Edom (2:1)
7 Judah has rejected the law of the LORD, and have not kept his statutes, but their lies have led them astray, those after which their fathers walked. (vs. 4)
a. It differs from the six previous oracles in that the reason for judgment does not cite a war crime.
b. Both Judah and Israel are judged by different standards from the surrounding nations, this is seen in a statement that follows this section Amos 3:2. " You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities"
c. Judah’s special relationship with Yahweh gave its people standards to live by, and since they have rejected them, now they must be judged by them.
D. The Sins of Israel, to whom the prophecy came! (2:6-16) 2:6-8
1. They sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes — Slavery
2. That pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, and turn aside the way of the meek: — Injustice
3. A man and his father will go in unto the same maid, to profane my holy name — Immorality
4. They lay themselves down upon clothes laid to pledge by every altar, and they drink the wine of the condemned in the house of their god. — False Worship
a. This is the fourth, it takes emphasis
b. It is about improper worship
c. They are sleeping in the house of God, on that which should have been returned
d. They are drinking in the house of God, with wine taken from fines making the house of God a place to party.
e. They have an improper relationship to God.
E. What God has done in the past and Israel's Ingratitude: 2:9-12
1. Gave them the land of Canaan vs. 9
2. Led them out of Egypt and protected them vs. 10
3. Provided the leadership needed vs. 11
4. But you have rejected my leaders, my prophets vs. 12
F. The punishment that will Come 2:13-16
1. God is feed up with their disobedience and will crush Israel vs 13.
2. One of Amos’s patterns of seven appears in these verses. vs 14
a. The swift, the strong, the mighty, the bowman, the swift of foot, the horsemen, and the courageous
b. will all become weak and their efforts futile.
c. This is a vivid way of describing the panic that was to strike into their hearts.