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AMOS
INTRODUCTION
The northern kingdom of Israel reached its greatest heights in the first half of the 8th century BC (2 Kings 14:23-25), during the forty-one-year reign of the powerful Jeroboam II. Confident in their nation’s victories, their worship, and their heritage, the people adopted the motto, “God is with us!” They were anticipating the day of the Lord, when God would strike down all their enemies and establish Israel as the undisputed ruler of the region.
Into this atmosphere of overconfident nationalism steps Amos, a shepherd from the southern kingdom of Judah. He stands in the great royal temple at Bethel and announces that God is stirring up a nation to conquer Israel. The day of the Lord, he insisted, will be darkness, not light. God isn’t impressed with Israel’s wealth, military might, or self-indulgent way of life. He is looking for justice, while the rich and powerful are taking advantage of the poor. God is calling Israel to repentance as the only way to avoid destruction.
The message causes an uproar. Amaziah, the high priest at Bethel, accuses Amos of treason. Amos is banished from the kingdom, but his oracles are recorded, creating one of the earliest collections we have from any Hebrew prophet. The book consists of roughly three dozen separate oracles, plus the story of his expulsion. Most of the book is loosely assembled, but it conveys one strong and consistent message: Let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!
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Amos 1 (ESV)
1 The words of Amos, who was among the shepherds 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.
Judgment on Israel’s Neighbors
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.”
3 Thus says the Lord:
“For three transgressions of Damascus,
and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,
because they have threshed Gilead
with threshing sledges of iron.
4 So I will send a fire upon the house of Hazael,
and it shall devour the strongholds of Ben-hadad.
5 I will break the gate-bar of Damascus,
and cut off the inhabitants from the Valley of Aven,
and him who holds the scepter from Beth-eden;
and the people of Syria shall go into exile to Kir,”
says the Lord.
REFLECTION:
- Amos was a shepherd and mulberry tree repairer in the southern kingdom of Judah, but was called to prophesy to the northern kingdom of Israel (1). At that time, Israel’s politics was at its peak and the economy was prosperous, but the spiritual situation was a mess. Idols are worshipped everywhere in the country, especially in the religious center of Bethel. Like Hosea, Amos was sent by God to denounce this kind of social and religious corruption. About 30 to 40 years after the prophecy of Amos, Assyria sent troops to destroy Samaria, the capital of the northern kingdom and conquered Israel (722 BC). From 792 to 740 BC, Uzziah was king of Judah, and from 793 to 753 BC, Jeroboam II was king of Israel.
- Amos both shepherds sheep and repairs mulberry trees for people. These do not seem to be some so-called “spiritual” work, but he has become the spokesperson of God. Similarly, your work does not necessarily make you feel spiritual or successful, but as long as you stand firm in the position God has given you, your work is very important; because no matter how ordinary your occupation is, God can use you to achieve all kinds of extraordinary things.
- In verse 2, God is described as a roaring lion, ready to devour all evil and unfaithful (see Hosea 11:10). “Carmel” means a fertile field, an extremely rich land. If the whole land dries up, the drought must be very serious.
- When God condemned each nation one by one, they are all said to have sinned “for three transgressions and for four,” i.e. again and again (3, 6, 9, 11, 13), which shows that every nation is constantly opposed to God and refuses to obey His commands. Over time, sinful acts can become a way of life. Ignoring or denying our sins is actually useless. We must confess our sins before God, pray for His forgiveness, and truly reform ourselves; otherwise, we will only continue to sin and hopeless to be saved.
PRAYER:
Oh God! Please tell me to serve You faithfully and keep to the post You gave me, no matter how ordinary my work and service are, I can bear witness to Your name.
HYMN:
Find Us Faithful – youtu.be/MKT5BCmvmq0
