Amos 2 - Listen to God

Introduction

Christians often divide the prophetic books of the Old Testament into Major Prophets and Minor Prophets. The Minor Prophets are known in Jewish tradition as the Book of the Twelve because in ancient times they circulated on a single scroll. They are Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. - Lexham Bible Dictionary

In what way are the minor prophets “minor”? In size only, not in importance

Mic 5 2 “2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.”

(how important is that?)

Not only are the books small, the commentaries on the books are also small (typically)

Commentaries/books passed on from my parents - several single volumes on the prophets, minor prophets

Logos - Amos/Obadiah/Jonah, Joel/Amos, Hosea-Malachi; just one single -volume 385 page commentary on Amos(!)

Our focus this quarter - Amos/Jonah/Hosea/Micah

Brief survey of these four, with a bit more detail on Amos and Jonah

When did they live/minister?

Jonah - in the reign of Jereboam 2, 771-754

Amos - also in the reign of Jereboam 2, 760’s

Hosea - 760-725

Micah - 750-690

Where did they live?

Jonah - Israel

Amos - Teckoa (Judah)

Hosea - Israel

Micah - Judah

Whom did they prophecy against?

Jonah - Nineveh

Amos - Nations, Judah, Israel

Hosea - Israel (mostly)

Micah - Judah, Israel

Jonah - “dove”

God’s concern and grace to all peoples. Repentance and forgiveness are significant themes (LBD)

Also, God’s sovereignty

Amos

Not mentioned elsewhere in scripture; all we know of him comes from this book

Amos means “to carry” (by God?)

Tekoa, six miles south of Bethlehem, 12 miles south of Jerusalem

Amos The Prophet Amos

He was not a lowly shepherd but a man of some responsibility. He also worked with sycamore trees, probably in the area of the Dead Sea, but it is not clear what his responsibilities were

Amos The Prophet Amos

Amos was an educated person who had a wide understanding of the political affairs of his day (1:3–2:3). He had a grasp of international relationships which included details about foreign kings (1:4), major cities in different countries (1:5, 8, 12, 14; 2:2), previous battles (1:3, 13; 2:1), and some ancient history (1:5; 9:7). He also understood the social and religious situation of his audience in Israel (6:2, 13–14). He had observed the way the poor were being treated by the wealthy (2:6–8; 3:9–10; 4:1), how the merchants managed to dishonestly conduct business (8:4–6), how the courts operated on the basis of bribery instead of integrity (5:10, 12, 15), and how the landlords drove people into slavery through heavy rents (5:11). In his eyes the beautiful palace-fortresses of the rich stood out as landmarks of greed and luxury (3:15). Their opulent banquets were but another evidence of the degenerate state of Israel’s upper class (6:1–7). With these insights into the thinking and social behavior of his audience, Amos was able to deliver a message which addressed the deep spiritual depravity within the nation.

Timeline

A remarkable time of peace and prosperity for both Israel and Judah; similar to fall of the Soviet Union

Theme?

Minor Prophets, Hosea-Malachi Major Themes

The opening proclamation of the prophet’s message serves as the theme verse for the entire book: “The LORD’s voice will roar from Zion” (1:2). Beyond this, the oracles against the nations (1:3–2:16) set the tone for the message of the book in that they all emphasize destruction and in some cases exile

Amos 3 8 “8 The lion has roared; who will not fear? The Lord God has spoken; who can but prophesy?””

Outline

Complement sandwich

A message to Israel - that starts by announcing judgment on Israel’s enemies/rivals

Damascus - boo!

Gaza , Philistines - boo!

Tyre, Edom, Ammonites, Moab, Judah - boo!

Israel (gulp!)

1. Wrongs Reviewed

Amos 2:4–8 CSB

4 The Lord says: I will not relent from punishing Judah for three crimes, even four, because they have rejected the instruction of the Lord and have not kept his statutes. The lies that their ancestors followed have led them astray. 5 Therefore, I will send fire against Judah, and it will consume the citadels of Jerusalem. 6 The Lord says: I will not relent from punishing Israel for three crimes, even four, because they sell a righteous person for silver and a needy person for a pair of sandals. 7 They trample the heads of the poor on the dust of the ground and obstruct the path of the needy. A man and his father have sexual relations with the same girl, profaning my holy name. 8 They stretch out beside every altar on garments taken as collateral, and in the house of their God they drink wine obtained through fines.

v. 4 “three, even four” - a literary device; “crime after crime”, the fourth is the last straw, which is mentioned. The specifics are debated. “Three strikes and you’re out!”

“they have rejected the instruction of the Lord” - this is actually rebellion and treason; in some sense a worse sin than the other nations (did *they* have the law of God?)

v. 5 “I will send fire” - figurative for judgment, but also literal; Jerusalem destroyed in 586 BC.

So Judah is judged for breaking her covenant with God, including idolatry. What is the concern with Israel? They did the same thing, but now we are past that!

v. 6-8 - a full quartet of wrongs!

v. 6b - selling the poor into slavery

v. 7a - perverting the justice of the oppressed

v. 7b - illicit sex / immorality; contradiction of...

Lev 18 15 “15 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law; she is your son’s wife, you shall not uncover her nakedness.”

Leviticus may get a “bad rap” today, but this verse shows how seriously God takes His revealed moral code.

v. 8 taking financial advantage of the unfortunate

What is the common denominator? Abuse of power, and in a time of peace/prosperity(!)

2. History Relived

Amos 2:9–12 CSB

9 Yet I destroyed the Amorite as Israel advanced; his height was like the cedars, and he was as sturdy as the oaks; I destroyed his fruit above and his roots beneath. 10 And I brought you from the land of Egypt and led you forty years in the wilderness in order to possess the land of the Amorite. 11 I raised up some of your sons as prophets and some of your young men as Nazirites. Is this not the case, Israelites? This is the Lord’s declaration. 12 But you made the Nazirites drink wine and commanded the prophets, “Do not prophesy.”

v. 9 Amorite - near synonymous with Canaanite

To add insult to injury:

Israel did this in the land that God graciously gave to them

They tried to “shut up” the prophets (as they would try to do to Amos)

Amos 3 8 “8 The lion has roared; who will not fear? The Lord God has spoken; who can but prophesy?””

3. Judgment Reckoned

Amos 2:13–16 CSB

13 Look, I am about to crush you in your place as a wagon crushes when full of grain. 14 Escape will fail the swift, the strong one will not maintain his strength, and the warrior will not save his life. 15 The archer will not stand his ground, the one who is swift of foot will not save himself, and the one riding a horse will not save his life. 16 Even the most courageous of the warriors will flee naked on that day— this is the Lord’s declaration.

v. 13 crush - “a very rare word” - something you never want to hear. An earthquake? I heavily loaded wagon would make ruts in the road, similar to splitting the earth.

v. 14 the metaphor changes - “Escape is impossible”; an army is being overrun

Amos b. Escape Is Impossible (2:14–16a)

Death and naked shame await the army and the nation. By the repetition of the parallelism Amos emphasized the awesomeness of God’s terror upon the powerful. If these cannot endure the day of God’s judgment, the rich and powerful who oppress the weak have no chance of survival and are not even worthy of mention in this context

Applications

Keeping God’s covenants is serious business

We can’t be right with God if we are mistreating others

Matt 22 37-39 “37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”