The Country Bumpkin Prophet (Amos 1-2)

Introduction

A. Welcome and Prayer

B. Opening Illustration

The Speaker’s Quote Book Problems

A man and his wife were taking a bus trip through the mountains, and the bus broke down right in front of a backwoods grocery store. The woman there apparently had seldom been anywhere else.

The wife said, “I don’t believe she knows what’s going on in the world outside.”

Her husband replied, “Well, don’t tell her. I wouldn’t want the poor soul to know. Let her die in peace.”

Like that sales clerk in a backwoods grocery store, Amos was a bit of a “country bumpkin.” I believe he would have been perfetly content living as a farmer, with no need to travel more than ten or fifteen miles from the place he was born. But God had another plan.

Amos was from Tekoa, a small village 10 mi. S of Jerusalem. He was the only prophet to give his occupation before declaring his divine commission. He was not of priestly or noble descent, but worked as a “sheepherder” (1:1; cf. 2 Kin. 3:4) and a “tender of sycamore fruit” (7:14). He was a contemporary of Jonah (2 Kin. 14:25), Hosea (Hos. 1:1), and Isaiah (Is. 1:1). The date of writing is mid-eighth century BC, during the reigns of Uzziah, king of Judah (ca. 790–739 b.c.) and Jeroboam II, king of Israel (ca. 793–753 b.c.), two years before a memorable earthquake (1:1; cf. Zech. 14:5, ca. 760 b.c.). (Source: MacArthur Study Bible)

C. The book of Amos forecasts disaster for the northern kingdom of Israel in the form of Assyrian invasion and exile as a result of entrenched religious hypocrisy and social injustice. The prophet also calls the people to repentance and promises hope for the future in the form of messianic restoration and blessing. (Survey of the Old Testament)

D. Key verses in Amos you may want to highlight: 5:14-15, 24; 8:11-12; 9:11-12

Judgment on the Nations (Amos 1-2)

In the opening two chapters, God sends a message to Israel and the surrounding nations. Each indictment begins with the formula, “For three transgressions and for four.” In each of these sections, list the nation, the indictment, and the punishment. As you complete this exercise, it would be helpful to have a Bible Atlas nearby or use the map on back.

Passage/Nation/Indictment (Crime)/Punishment

1:3-5

1:6-8

1:9-10

1:11-12

1:13-15

2:1-3

2:4-5

2:6-16

Application

A. Like Amos, we must be willing to step out of our comfort zone and go where God calls.

B. God is fully aware of the evil, corruption, and injustice in our world today. He may not act immediately, but he keeps a tally of wrong, and will judge in his perfect time.

We must never grow callous to the needy, or trample those weaker than us. It is not our treatment of the rich and powerful, but of the weak and silent that reflect our character. Who is someone less fortunate that could use a Christian act of love this week?