Survey of the Bible - Amos


Text: Amos 9:5-10

 

I.         Amos prophecies during the reigns of Uzziah in Judah and Jeroboam II in Israel, somewhere between 767 to 753 BC.

            A.        The Assyrian destruction of Israel was in 722 BC, so Amos was written about 30 to 40 years in advance.

            B.        He mentions that it was two years before an earthquake, which is also mentioned in Zechariah 14:5, which was written 200 years later. It must have been a very significant quake.

            C.        These are days when everything was going well. The economy was booming, the borders were being expanded. But it brought a false sense of security.

                        1.         People became careless - Deuteronomy 32:15

                        2.         The people had a hard time imagining the disaster looming over them.

            D.        Amos, a herdsman and grower of figs (Amos 7:14), was selected to warn the people

                        1.         Amos means “to carry a burden”

                        2.         His work came after Obadiah, Joel, and Jonah, but before Isaiah, Hosea, Micah

                        3.         Though he came from Tekoa (Amos 1:1), which is 12 miles south of Jerusalem, his message was for Israel, the northern kingdom (Amos 7:15)

                        4.         His message was to foretell of the judgment and to explain why it had to come. The entire book is a condemnation, until you get to the last five verses.

II.        Divided into types of messages

            A.        Eight prophecies - “Thus says the Lord” - Amos 1-2

                        1.         The Lord roars - Amos 1:2

                        2.         Each prophecy starts out “for three transgressions ... and for four.”

                                    a.         Three to show it wasn’t an accident, but repeated sin

                                    b.         Three was enough to provoke God, but they went beyond provocation.

                                    c.         In other words, “this is the last straw!”

                        3.         The response to the provocation is “I will not revoke its punishment!”

                                    a.         That is God will not reverse His course.

                        4.         Psalms 83:3-8 tells us of a conspiracy against Israel

                        5.         Damascus - Amos 1:3-5

                                    a.         Several years prior, the king of Damascus had heavily damaged Israel - II Kings 13:7

                                    b.         God was going to punish them in return - II Kings 16:9

                        6.         Gaza - Amos 1:6-8

                                    a.         Refers to the attacks in II Chronicles 21:16-17

                                    b.         Apparently they took too much and then turn their captives over to Edom as slaves.

                                    c.         The punishment was either by Uzziah (II Chronicles 26:6-8), Hezekiah (II Kings 18:8) or Sennacherib (Isaiah 20:1)

                        7.         Tyre - Amos 1:9-10

                                    a.         Tyre had helped the Philistines in their plunder - Jeremiah 47:4, Joel 3:4-5

                                    b.         They did not honor the covenant made with David and Solomon

                                    c.         Tyre was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar

                        8.         Edom - Amos 1:11-12

                                    a.         Edom could never make peace with Israel, but constantly looked for ways to harass Israel - Psalms 137:7

                        9.         Ammon - Amos 1:13-15

                                    a.         The Ammonites killed women and children so they could take more territory

                                    b.         God saw to it that they received in kind - Jeremiah 49:1-2

                        10.       Moab - Amos 2:1-3

                                    a.         For unusual cruelty to the dead in a war not recorded elsewhere in the Bible.

                        11.       Judah - Amos 2:4-5

                                    a.         For following lies (idolatry) - Psalms 40:4

                                    b.         Not following the commandments - Hosea 8:14

                        12.       Israel - Amos 2:6-16

                                    a.         They sold their own people (took bribes) often for a paltry amount

                                    b.         They took everything from the poor (even wanting the dust on their heads)

                                    c.         Did injustice

                                    d.         Incestuous prostitution

                                    e.         Idolatrous feasting financed from the poor and those injustly fined - Exodus 22:26

                                    f.         God destroyed mightier nations, so Israel will be an easy target. God made them who they are and He will take it away.

                                    g.         There will be no escape

            B.        Three sermons - “Hear this word” - Amos 3-6

                        1.         They ought to fear- Amos 3

                                    a.         God has spoken and they should tremble - Amos 3:1-8, especially verse 8

                                    b.         It is deserved - Amos 3:9-10

                                    c.         God will destroy- Amos 3:11-15

                        2.         They would not change - Amos 4

                                    a.         The rich are oppressing the poor and will be taken away - Amos 4:1-3

                                    b.         God punished their idolatry with successively greater punishments and they never returned - Amos 4:4-11

                                    c.         Thus it is time to face God - Amos 4:12-13

                        3.         Seek the Lord before it is too late - Amos 5-6

                                    a.         Seek out God and righteousness - Amos 5:1-15

                                    b.         Lament for the destruction - Amos 5:16-20

                                    c.         God has rejected and will send them into captivity - Amos 5:21-6:14

            C.        Five visions - “God showed me” - Amos 7-9

                        1.         Locust - Amos 7:1-3

                                    a.         God prepares a judgment, but because of Amos’ plea, there is mercy

                        2.         Fire - Amos 7:4-6

                                    a.         God prepares a greater judgment, but because of Amos’ plea, there is mercy

                        3.         Plumb line - Amos 7:7-9

                                    a.         Israel is out of line and God will no longer spare

                        4.         Opposition by Amaziah - Amos 7:10-17

                                    a.         Rejection of the message makes matters worse and will not stop it.

                        5.         Summer fruit - Amos 8

                                    a.         It is the end of Israel, she is ripe for punishment - Amos 8:1-3

                                    b.         The reason - Amos 8:4-6

                                    c.         What God will do about their sins - Amos 8:7-

                                                (1)       Verse 11-13, God will stop talking (the years of silence)

                        6.         Stricken doorposts - Amos 9

                                    a.         God appears in the idol temple and commands the door be broken, thus sealing off any escape - Amos 9:1

                                    b.         There is nowhere to escape from God - Amos 9:2-4

                                    c.         God has the power to destroy, but Judah will be allowed to escape - Amos 9:5-10

                                    d.         But the destruction will not be permanent. There is hope - Amos 9:11-15

Print Friendly, PDF & Email