Introducing Amos

Intro; When God wants to get the attention of people or nations, He does so in an unusual manner. Instead of making a big splash with flashing lights and great fanfare, God works through and with the simple things of life to get our attention.

John the Baptist, camels hair clothes, locusts and wild honey, preaching in the wilderness repentance instead of in the temple among the religious leaders

Jesus came being born of simple parents in a manger in Bethlehem instead of coming down from heaven in the splendor and glory of which is accustomed for a King

All the disciples were simple men, fishermen and God used them to turn the world upside down

Billy Graham being born of humble beginnings on a farm in North Carolina and God used him to become one of the most successful international evangelists of our time.

1 Corinthians 1:27 NKJV

27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;

This morning we’re going to start a study in the Book of Amos. Amos is one of those simple people that God used to get the attention of 7 nations including Judah and Israel.

Amos is called a Minor Prophet but he has a major message, God Judges Sin!

Text; Amos 1:1-2

Amos 1:1–2 NKJV

1 The words of Amos, who was among the sheepbreeders of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake. 2 And he said: “The Lord roars from Zion, And utters His voice from Jerusalem; The pastures of the shepherds mourn, And the top of Carmel withers.”

1. The Man; 1a

Amos- “burden bearer”, to carry a load, he will bear the burden of bad news to the nations concerning their sin

Herdsman- [nōqēḏ] breeder rather than a shepherd [rō‘eh]. The only other Old Testament occurrence of nōqēḏ is in 2 Kings 3:4 where Mesha, king of Moab, is said to have engaged in sheep-breeding on such a scale that he was able to supply the king of Israel with 100,000 lambs and the wool of 100,000 rams.

Tender of Sycamore Fruit- [7:14] The sycamore-fig tree was a broad heavy tree which produced a fig-like fruit three or four times a year. [Jesus cursing fig tree]

Mark 11:13–14 (NKJV)

13 And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.

14 In response Jesus said to it, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.” And His disciples heard it.

Tekoa- a village about 10 miles south of Jerusalem going towards the Dead Sea. It was hill country and rough terrain [hill country of Texas]. Tekoa was about 5 miles southeast of Bethlehem. You know, the one we sing about: “Oh little town of Bethlehem.” Well, little tiny Bethlehem was where folks from Tekoa went when they went to town. It was back-woods. Nothing went there and nothing of any value came from there.

Summary of Amos- J. Vernon McGee says that “Amos was truly a farmer. He was a country rube. He was a rustic. He was a yokel and a hayseed [redneck]. But before you laugh at Amos, may I say this? He was one of God’s greatest men, and he was a remarkable individual. Listen to what Amos says: “And the LORD took me as I followed the flock, and the LORD said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel” (Amos 7:15). God sent Amos all the way from down there in the desert and the wilderness up to Bethel, one of the capital cities of the northern kingdom where he found city folk living. God called him to preach, God gave him a message, and God sent him to Bethel.”

McGee, J. V. (1991). Thru the Bible commentary: The Prophets (Amos/Obadiah) (electronic ed., Vol. 28, p. xi). Thomas Nelson.

God can use any of us regardless of our backgrounds, education are lack thereof if we will be like Amos, willing!

Ephesians 3:20 (NKJV)

20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,

2. The Time; 1b

Amos lived in a time of great prosperity and military success during the reigns of Uzziah and Jeroboam II. This was in the eighth century BC (793-740). The kingdoms of Israel were divided at this time and Amos lived in the southern kingdom.

Uzziah was king of Judah, southern kingdom [Judah/Benjamin]. The Southern Kingdom had subdued the Philistines to the west, the Ammonites to the east, and the Arab states to the south. Uzziah’s political influence was felt as far as Egypt [2 Chron. 26:1-15].

Jeroboam II was king of the northern kingdom [10 tribes of Israel]. Jeroboam II was able to extend his borders northward and reclaim land in the Transjordan area giving Israel control over trade routes that began to accumulate much wealth and the cities became places of commerce and religion. Northern Israel became like China is to us today, they controlled much of the worlds economy.

Most of the kings who ruled the southern kingdom were good kings who followed the Lord, while most of the kings of the north were bad kings who followed the way of the world.

It was also a time that is marked by a certain incident, an “earthquake”. Around the year 760 BC, there was a devastating earthquake in that area that served as a historical reference point for Amos and his immediate readers. So Amos preached around 762 BC.

Why is this important?

If you wanted to talk about a trip you took to New Orleans in 2003, you might say: “I went to New Orleans two years before the hurricane.” Everybody in our timeframe would know what you were talking about, hurricane Katrina in 2005!

If you mention 9/11, everybody knows about that time in history, where they were, what they were doing on that Tuesday when we heard of that tragedy!

240 years after that earthquake, the prophet Zechariah refers to that time as symbolic of the Second Coming of Christ.

Zechariah 14:5 NKJV

5 Then you shall flee through My mountain valley, For the mountain valley shall reach to Azal. Yes, you shall flee As you fled from the earthquake In the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Thus the Lord my God will come, And all the saints with You.

Timing is important. We live in a time similar to what Amos lived in. Though we are going through some inflation scares, America is wealthy, strong militarily and in some ways like Israel was then, very religious and full of sin!

America is ripe for the message of Amos!

3. The Message; 2

Judgment has come!

The Lord roars from Zion- God is roaring like a lion against it’s prey. That prey is sin and the people who commit it! A lion’s roar is for the purpose of paralyzing its victim with fear, making it helpless before the lion’s charge. Then the pounce, the tearing, and death are inevitable.

Utters His voice from Jerusalem- God’s voice is a thundering voice from Jerusalem through the prophet Amos. God will be heard!

His judgment will come upon the the land through drought so as the pastures will wither and the shepherds will mourn. Famine would arise from the drought and economic collapse will take hold and destroy the god of “mammon” that which the nations had turned too.

The nations had violated their covenants with God. The treaty or covenant between a suzerain lord and a vassal people was common in Near Eastern societies.

Suzerain- a sovereign or state having some control over another state that is internally autonomous.

Vassal- a holder of land by feudal tenure on conditions of homage and allegiance.

God is the suzerain Lord having control over vassal Israel through His covenant He made with Abraham. In exchange for the suzerain’s protection and provision, the vassal would pledge loyalty and obedience. The terms of the covenant, spelled out and mutually agreed on, were binding on both parties. Failure of the vassals to abide by the terms would cause the curses or punishments written in the treaty to descend on them.

Turn to [Deut. 28]

God is judging the nations based upon a covenant that they broke. In all 7 nations God judges, He makes a statement concerning their fault.

“For three transgressions of ....and for four, I will not turn away its punishment.” [and then He names their specific sin]

There comes a point when God’s patience wears out and God’s irrevocable judgment will come upon sin.

I can’t help but believe that America is close to this same judgment!

2 Peter 3:8–12 NKJV

8 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. 11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?

Nations are made up of people and if the nations are corrupt its because the individuals are corrupt!

America has broken its covenant with God and Judgment is at the door!

Close;

Sharing a message of doom during a time of plenty is not the way to inspire people and win friends, yet this is what Amos was to do. Unfortunately today from the pulpits and the pews the message of the Cross comes as a message of tolerance and acceptance of all ways of life because God is a God of love.

God is a God of love, He proved that by giving His Son for our sin. But that love comes at a price. If you love Him you will keep His commands. If you don’t then you will be judged by Him.

God’s trying to get your attention this morning through a minor preacher with a major word, “Repent and be saved!”