Amos

Amos was apparently the first of these prophets. Verse 1 says he was around in the time of Jeroboam and Uzziah which would put him as a contemporary with Hosea and slightly earlier than Isaiah (Isaiah started his prophecy in the year Uzziah died [Isaiah 6:1]). The point is that it is very obvious there is not a lot of precedence for someone speaking as the mouthpiece of God. Forty-three times in this nine chapter book, Amos tells the people who is speaking by saying "thus says Yahweh" or "this is what Yahweh showed me" or finishing something with "declares Yahweh." He keeps reminding the people that these things are from God, not Him. Actually in chapter 7, Amos has to defend himself against Amaziah the priest. To his charges Amos says, "I was no prophet, nor a prophet's son, but I was a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore figs. But Yahweh took me from following the flock, and Yahweh said to me, 'Go, prophesy to my people Israel.'" So that was a huge theme in this book.

The background is that things are going very well for Israel and Judah right now. So when Amos starts speaking I am sure it is a surprise to them. They think they are doing well. It seems like God/Amos even kind of toys with them a little bit. He tells them He's going to punish Damascus, then Gaza, then Tyre, then Edom, then the Ammonites, then Moab, and you can just picture everyone in Israel agreeing and being super happy about this. "Yeah those people should be judged for what they've done." Then Amos turns and looks at them, and tells them the judgments that are coming to Judah and to Israel. Boom.

The issue seems to be the problem of social justice. The people have no problem sacrificing in the temple and tithing and all those religious things, but they are selling people for things (2:6), and disregarding the poor, turning away the afflicted, etc. So God is going to judge them. So all the way through chapter 8 is this telling of judgment that is coming to these people. In chapter 5, there is a call to "seek God and live" (5:4). At the end of chapter 7 is the instance that I talked about with Jeroboam's priest confronting Amos. And finally in chapter 9 there is restoration. He will restore the fortunes of Israel "in that day."

Amos is another one of these minor prophets. They seem to all be telling the same story even though they are at different times in history. They are all judgment, but they end with restoration at the end of days. A promise of the coming day when Christ will redeem all things. I'm enjoying reading these books. They are things that I have never gotten in and read before. I've just heard about them. They are normally a lot different than I have heard. So read them. Be encouraged by learning more about our God.

All for His glory,

Mitchell