Amos Simplified

Title & Author

This Book is Named After the Prophet Amos

We Know Very Little About Amos

But What We Do Know is Interesting

Amos 1:1 (NASB)

The words of Amos, who was among the sheepherders from Tekoa, which he envisioned in visions concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.

Amos is a Shepherd From a Place Called Tekoa

Tekoa was a Town in the Southern Kingdom of Judah

But He was Given Visions Concerning Israel

Amos 7:14–15 (NASB)

Then Amos replied to Amaziah, “I am not a prophet, nor am I the son of a prophet; for I am a herdsman and a grower of sycamore figs. But the Lord took me from following the flock and the Lord said to me, ‘Go prophesy to My people Israel.’”

Amos was Just a Country Boy From Judah

He Wasn’t a Prophet, and His Fathers Before Him Weren’t Prophets

He was Just a Shepherd and Gardener

But God Called Him to Prophecy to the Northern Kingdom of Israel

Date

The First Verse Tells Us He Prophesied During the Reigns of:

Uzziah, King of Judah

And Jeroboam, King of Israel

This Would Put Him a Couple or More Decades Away From Israel’s Fall to Assyria

Structure

The First 6 Chapters of Amos are Made Up of Oral Messages of Judgment From God Through Amos to Israel

They are Categorized into 2 Groups

The 1st Group of Messages of Judgment Begins in Amos 1:2 and Goes Through Amos 2:16

It is Composed of Poetic Sayings that Begin with “Thus Says the Lord”

At First, They are Addressed to All of the Nations Surrounding Israel, Including Judah

They Deal with the Cruelty and Oppression of the Gentile Nations…

And the Rejection of the Law of God by Judah

The Israelites Were Probably Loving Hearing About the Judgment Coming On All the Other Nations

But Then the Last and Longest Judgment that is Made is Made Against Israel

The 2nd Group of Messages of Judgments Goes From Amos 3:1 to Amos 6:14

These Messages Expand Upon the Accusations of Israel’s Sins and Their Judgment

They All Begin with “Hear this Word”

The Final Section of the Book is Focused On 3 Visions that Amos is Given Concerning the Coming Judgment of Israel

This Section Goes From Amos 7-9

Here’s an Outline to Help Us Make Sense of All that:

Outline

Messages of Judgment (Ch. 1-6)

Judgments on Israels Neighbors (1:2-2:5)

Judgments on Israel (2:6-6:14)

Introductory Anouncement of Judgments on Israel (2:6-16)

Detailed Announcements of Judgment on Israel (3-6)

A Message of Warning (3)

A Message of Doom (4)

A Message of Plea (5:1-17)

A Message of Woe (5:18-6:14)

Visions of Judgment (7-9)

A Vision of Inescapable Judgment (7)

A Vision of the Terrible End (8)

A Vision of the Lord Standing Beside the Altar (9)

Purpose

At this Point in Time, the Northern Kingdom of Isreal is Experiencing Great Wealth and Prosperity

They Believed this Prosperity to Be a Sign of God’s Blessings On Them

But Amos is Sent to Tell the People of Israel a Different Story

They Were Not Being Blessed By God, But Would Be Cursed By God

Why?

Because the Wealth They Had Gained was at the Expense of the Poor

The Wealthy and Powerful of Israel Were Systematically Oppressing the Poor

Their Worship of God was Insincere and Only for the Purpose of Manipulating Him into Doing Their Will

They Believed the Day of the Lord was Coming

But They Believed it Would Be the Day that God Blessed Them

But it was Going to Be the Day God Punishes Them with Assyria

They Weren’t Going to Become the Most Powerful Nation on Earth

Their Kingdom was No Longer Going to Exist

Key Themes

The Overall Theme of Amos is Justice

Some Sub-Themes Are:

Justice and Righteousness in Our Treatment of Others is Evidence of a Right Relationship with God

Religious Rituals and Practices in the Absence of Just and Righteous Treatment of Others is Disgusting to God

Israel is Held to a Higher Standard Than the Gentile Nations Around Them Because They are in a Covenant Relationship with God

The Day of the Lord Will Be a Day of Destruction for Unrepentant Israel, Not a Day of Deliverance

But a Faithful Remnant Will Be Preserved to See a Day of Glorious Restoration and Blessing

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