Categoria: Amos

Amos 8 contains another vision which Amos received – this time of a basket of ripe fruit because God had run out of patience with Israel so they were ripe and ready for judgement. God said to Amos after showing him the basket of ripe fruit: “The time is right for my people Israel, I will spare them no longer… the songs in the temple will turn to wailing… hear this you who trample the needy… I will never forget anything they have done… in that day declares the Lord I will make the sun go down at noon… I will make all of you wear sackcloth and shave your heads… I will send a famine… a famine of hearing the word of the Lord… they will search for the word in every direction but won’t find it… they will fall never to rise again”.  

Amos 7 relates 3 visions which Amos had and of his confrontation with Priest Amaziah at Bethel. In the first vision God shows Amos “he was preparing swarms of locusts and Amos interceded saying it would be unsupportable for Israel, and God relented. Then in the second vision God showed a devastating fire to devour the land, but Amos interceded and God changed his mind and relented again. However with the 3rd vision of the plumb-line God did not relent but decreed judgement on the temple and on the dynasty of King Jeroboam II. Finally Amaziah the priest denounced Amos before the king for conspiracy and ordered him to leave the country. Amos retorted that the priest’s wife would become a prostitute, his children would be killed, his land would be divided up and he would die in a pagan country. He finally confirmed that Israel would indeed go into exile”.

Amos 6 warns the complacent leaders of Israel and Judah who think everything is fine despite the widespread spiritual corruption in the land. “Woe to you who are complacent in Zion… you notable men of the nation… you put off the evil day and bring near a reign of terror… you lie on beds inlaid with ivory… you dine on choice lambs… you drink wine by the bowlful… but you do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph… therefore you will be first into exile and that will put an end to your feasting… I abhor the pride of Jacob… the Lord has given the command and he will smash the great house into pieces… for you have turned justice into poison… I will stir up a nation against you, O house of Israel!”

Amos 5 brings a fervent call for Israel to genuinely repent and not present an empty façade of a form of religion. The chapter starts with a sad lament: “Fallen is virgin Israel never to rise again… and God says seek me and live!… Gilgal will go into exile and Bethel will be reduced to nothing… seek the Lord and live!… you despise him who tells the truth… you trample on the poor… I know how many are your offenses… you oppress the righteous… seek good not evil… then God will be with you like you say he is… hate evil, love good… there will be wailing in all the streets… woe to you who long for the day of the Lord… for it will be darkness not light… I hate your religious feasts… away with the noise of your songs… rather let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream… I will send you into exile says the Lord”. 

Amos 3 points to God’s unique relationship with Israel and his reasons for judging them within this context. The message starts “You only have I chosen… therefore I will punish you”. Privilege comes with responsibility. Amos then shows that every effect has a cause. “The lion has roared – who will not fear? The Sovereign Lord has spoken – who can but prophesy? Then Amos lays bare the situation saying “They do not know how to do right, declares the Lord”. So God will judge and “an enemy will overrun the land… on the day I punish Israel for her sins I will destroy the altars of Bethel… and the mansions will be demolished, declares the Lord”.

In Amos 2 God’s judgment moves on to Moab before addressing Judah and Israel. “I will send fire upon Moab because he burned, as if to lime, the bone’s of Edom’s king”. Then comes Judah which God condemns because they have rejected the law of the Lord… and because they have been led astray by false gods”. Finally comes Israel who were condemned because they sell the righteous for silver… they trample on the heads of the poor… they deny justice to the oppressed… father and son practice immorality using the same girl… you made the Nazirites break their vows and stopped the prophets prophesying… now then I will crush you… the strong will not escape and the warrior will not save his life”. For human strength cannot prevail for those who persist in rebellion against God. 

The Book of Amos calls Israel to repentance, justice and authentic worship. The prophet Amos was a Judean shepherd and a fig farmer sent by God to prophesy to the northern kingdom of Israel in a period of prosperity, though dogged by idolatry, corruption and oppression of the poor. Amos received a revelation from God “two years before the earthquake when Uzziah was king of Judah and Jeroboam was king of Israel”. The revelation clearly shows that God is sovereign over all nations and not just Israel, and he announces judgement on several nations. Initially Damascus (Syria) is condemned for brutally crushing the people of Gilead: “She threshed Gilead with sledges having iron teeth”. Then came Gaza and the Philistines who were condemned “because she took captive whole communities and sold them to Edom”. Next came Tyre (Phoenicia) who were involved in slave trade “disregarding a treaty of brotherhood”. Then came Edom who was condemned “because he pursued his brother (Israel) with a sword”. Also came Ammon which practiced barbarities like “ripping open the pregnant women of Gilead”. So God’s righteousness is universal and no country is beyond his jurisdiction.