Amos

By Mary Jane Chaignot

Most of what we know about Amos comes from the book that bears his name. He is credited with being one of the first "classical" or writing prophets, yet he does not identify himself as a prophet. He claims to be "one found among the shepherds." It suggests that he might have been a humble herdsman or a common laborer. But scholars are quick to point out that his oracles and poetry are quite profound, indicating he must have been a man of some standing and, at the very least, well informed on the subjects of kings and nations. He is thought to have preached to both the northern and southern kingdoms.

Scholars are quite confident they can locate Amos in history. They agree that he began preaching 770-760BCE. He was the first to do so. True, there had been other "prophets" – Elijah, Elisha, and the like. But they were non-writing prophets, who earned their daily bread by prophesying and who were members of a professional guild. Amos had no guilds or bands. He was alone, happy with his sheep – until the day God called to him and commissioned him to proclaim God's judgment against the evil nations. Unlike other prophets who spoke "in the Spirit of the Lord," Amos was given the words to speak. And when the words came to him, he was compelled to speak them. In addition to being the first writing prophet, Amos was the first to speak to an expanded audience. Previously, prophets spoke to individuals (mostly rulers), but Amos addressed the nation. His speeches were mostly judgment oracles against Israel, filled with specific details of their sins. To Amos fell the task of announcing the end of Israel's life. God's patience had run out. The time for repentance had passed; God would wipe them out. (Indeed, Assyria conquered and annihilated Israel in 722BCE.) This is a message we've heard before among the Major Prophets, but Amos predated them all. One can only imagine how foreign those words must have sounded to Israelite ears that were enjoying a good life.

Historically, Amos began preaching during the latter years of King Jeroboam's reign (793-753BCE). It was a time of unparalleled prosperity. The Assyrians had just crushed the Syrians, who had previously subjugated Israel to them. Egypt and Babylon were too weak to be of concern to anyone. While the international powers were sorting things out, the kings of Judah and Israel were able to restore their borders to a level commensurate with what had been achieved during the time of David and Solomon – known as the "Golden Age." Both Jeroboam in the north and Uzziah in Judah enjoyed long reigns, which provided peace and stability and years of growth.

But not all people benefited equally from these prosperous times. Gradually the gap between the rich and poor grew larger. The rich soon distanced themselves from their less fortunate neighbors, ignoring their needs and spending most of their time trying to increase their own wealth. Amos was told this was a breach of their covenantal agreement with Yahweh. Not only had they turned to idol worship over the years and followed pagan customs, but they had also rejected God's calling in caring for each other. That was evidenced in the injustices being heaped upon the poor, the corruption of the courts, and unthinking, mechanical worship. Needless to say, Amos' message was rather unpopular, but that in no way deterred him from speaking the words he was told to say.

His oracles follow a covenant-lawsuit model, comparable to those found in the annals of Hittite kings (ca. 1325BCE). Amos was called to "bring a lawsuit" against Israel for breaking the covenant. Comprised of four parts, these lawsuits introduced the plaintiff and judge, as well as the defendant, presented the indictment, and rendered the judgment. As the messenger, he commonly used the prophetic formula, "Thus says the Lord," as though he and God were one. Yet God wanted a relationship with all of his people, so he pleaded with them through his prophet. Hence, Amos' oracles are carefully reasoned arguments. He has been described as an artist, who painted pictures with words.

His book has three main divisions: chapters 1-2 are comprised of an introduction and a long poem against Israel and her neighboring nations; chapters 3-6 consist mainly of covenant lawsuits with a few additional oracles of judgment; chapters 7-9 describe a series of visions with their interpretation and a story about Amos' meeting with the high priest, Amaziah, at Bethel.

Introduction and Poem of Judgment – 1:1-2:16

1:1-2

Introduction
Biographical, historical information re: Amos
Summary statement explaining tone of oracles
The Lord is compared to a lion roaring after its prey
Prey = covenant people

1:3-2:3

Oracles against the foreign nations

1:3-5

Sins of Damascus
Sin was that they were overly cruel in times of war
Judgment: I will send fire on the house of Hazael
People will go into exile

1:6-8

Sins of the Philistines
Sin was that they sold captives to Edom
Judgment: I will send fire on the house Gaza
People will be destroyed

1:9-10

Sins of Tyre
Sin was that they also sold captives to Edom
Judgment: I will send fire upon the walls of Tyre
Fortresses will be consumed

1:11-12

Sins of Edom
Sin was that they were constantly warring against others
Judgment: I will send fire upon Teman
Fortresses will be consumed

1:13-15

Sins of Ammon
Sin was that they killed pregnant women to extend borders
Judgment: I will set fire to walls of Rabbah
King will go into exile

2:1-3

Sins of Moab
Sin was that he desecrated the bones of Edom's king
Judgment: I will send fire upon Moab
Ruler will be destroyed

2:4-16

Oracles against Judah and Israel

2:4-5

Sins of Judah
Sin was that they rejected the law of the Lord
Judgment: I will send fire upon Judah
Fortresses of Jerusalem will be consumed

2:6-16

Sins of Israel (Notice how much longer the section is) Sins were many (selling the righteous, trampling the poor, idolatry, etc.)
Listing of God's past saving acts on their behalf
Judgment: I will crush you
No one will escape the punishment

Covenant Lawsuits – 3:1-6:14

3:1-12

Witnesses are summoned against Israel

3:1-2

Summons for all the people to "hear"

3:3-8

Defense of Amos' ministry
Opposition was certainly heightened due to harsh message
Series of rhetorical questions highlighting the need for a prophet

3:9-11

Summons to foreign nations to act as jury

3:12

Description of the awful fate that awaits Israel

3:13-4:13

The indictment of Israel

3:13-15

Accusation is false worship and injustice to poor

4:1-3

Pampered, indolent women as symbol of injustice to poor
They live in luxury while others struggle to survive

4:4-5

People believed lavish (but hollow) cultic rituals would keep God happy

4:6-11

God repeatedly tried to chastise them through discipline
Famine, drought, pestilence, sword – All fell on deaf ears

4:12-13

Warning of impending judgment

5:1-17

The death sentence

5:1-2

Lament for the dead (Israel is dead to the Lord)

Army has been decimated

5:4-9

Divine Speech

5:4-6

"Seek me and live" is what they should have done

People are given a choice: seek the Lord or experience doom
(They chose the second alternative!)

5:8-9

Sovereignty of the Lord
The Lord really does have the capability to destroy them

5:10-13

Reasons for judgment
Corruption of the courts
The poor cannot get a fair hearing
"The prudent man remains silent, for the times are evil"

5:14-15

Exhortation to seek good not evil
They thought God would always be with them, not to worry

5:16-17

Result will be funeral lamentations
All will fall victim to the judgment of the Lord

5:18-27

The Day of the Lord

5:18-20

God's day of judgment will rain upon their heads
God will not fight on their behalf, but against them

5:21-24

Unacceptable worship
God renounces their cultic practices
If they don't practice justice and righteousness as a community, God will not accept their worship "in church"
What they do with each other affects their relation to God

5:25-27

Historical comment: Israel did not sacrifice in the wilderness
God did not ordain sacrifice per se
Israel will be exiled beyond Damascus
(This would happen within 40 years, but at the time people probably thought he was deranged.)

6:1-7

A warning to the complacent (wealthy)
Fame and wealth will not be able to save them
He mocks their banquets and amusements
Despite appearances, their society is rotten to the core
Therefore they will be the first to go into exile

6:8-14

The Lord abhors their pride

Pride leads them to believe they are self-sufficient

6:9-10

They believe their army will protect them
But when God is the enemy, no army will withstand against Him

6:11

God's forces are already in motion through the words Amos speaks

6:12-13

People were bragging about their victories
But they continue to pervert justice in the courts

6:14

Judgment will come from the north

The Prophetic Visions – 7:1-9:15

7:1-9

Vision of locusts, fire, and a plumb line

7:1-3

Vision of locusts
Amos intercedes for the people, Yahweh relents
Judgment is turned aside for the time being

7:4-6

Vision of relentless fire
Amos intercedes for the people, Yahweh relents
Judgment is turned aside for the time being

7:7-9

Vision of a plumb line
Interpretations vary, possibly means that Israel once was straight
In a sense, the Lord was testing the "straightness" of the people
Since they failed against this standard, judgment could not be waived
Judgment would fall on high places, dynasty of Jeroboam

7:10-17

Historical interlude between Amos and Amaziah (Priest of Bethel)

7:10-13

Priest accuses Amos of conspiracy
Prophesied death of Jeroboam; exile for Israel

7:14-15

Amos responds he wasn't a professional prophet
He had been called by God

7:16-17

Pronounces judgment on Amaziah's family
Wife would be violated; children would be killed
Amaziah would die in Gentile lands
And Israel would go into exile

8:1-14

Vision of Summer Fruit

8:1-2

Wordplay between basket of fruit and "end"
Joy of ripe fruit is mocked with judgment claiming "the time is ripe"

Joyous songs will be turned into wailing

8:4-6

Reasons for judgment
Merchants were cheating the poor

8:7-8

The Lord swears by the Pride of Jacob
The Lord's oath is as inviolate as their sense of pride
The very ground will tremble at its coming judgment

8:9-10

The coming of the Day of the Lord
Life as they know it will end

8:11-14

A famine of God's words
The day will come when they will seek the Lord but He will be silent
They have repeatedly refused to listen
They will reap the consequences of what they have sown
God will withdraw His words

9:1-15

Vision of the Lord by the altar

9:1-6

The Lord orders the destruction of the temple

9:1-4

Represents the whole religious system of the northern kingdom

9:5-6

Hymn re: the Lord's power to do as He says This Lord is named Yahweh

9:7-10

Israel is now like the other nations who have rebelled against God
They will be shaken like grain in a sieve
But unlike grain, none will fall to the ground
All the sinners will die by the sword

9:11-15

The final words

9:11-12

Promise of restoration of Davidic kingdom
"In that day" (of judgment) David's fallen tent will be restored

9:13-15

Blessings that await restored kingdom
Despite the fact that the northern kingdom will end, there is hope
God's people have a future
Abundance will be manifested (wine will drip from the mountains)
The exiled people will return
Cities will be rebuilt, and they will never leave the land again

The book of Amos, then, ends with a message of hope. Even though judgment was inevitable, judgment would not be the last word. Sin cannot prevail. In due course, God's promises to Abraham (blessed to be a blessing) and David (your kingdom will last forever) are secure. It is the nature of God to bring His ultimate purpose for humanity to completion. Because He is a merciful and loving God, "the final word will always be one of hope, restoration, and salvation."¹

¹Achtemeier, Elizabeth. "Minor Prophets I." New International Biblical Commentary. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1996. p 235.

Bibliography

Birch, Bruce. "Hosea, Joel, and Amos." Westminster Bible Companion. Louisville, KY: Westminster Press, 1997.

Craigie, Peter. "Twelve Prophets." Daily Study Bible Series. Philadelphia, PA: Westminster Press, 1984.

McComiskey Thomas. The Minor Prophets." Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1992.

Stuart, Douglas. "Hosea-Jonah." Word Biblical Commentary. Dallas, TX: Word Books, 1987.

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