Introduction
What
appeals enough to consider studying an Old Testament prophet? What use is
studying such a writing? If you are one of those who believes history repeats itself
that alone would make studying an Old Testament prophet’s writings important. If
you consider today’s political and economic climate disconcerting, then what
occurred to ancient Israel would interest you.
Whatever
the appeal, the study of Amos’ prophecies from Yahweh God is important even
today. From considering the political climate, the economic standards, and the
apathy toward and disobedience to God’s laws, we can note similarities of that
day to ours today. When studying this small book of prophecies given by God to
Amos, we will realize how much of what the people of Israel were doing is
similar to how people today live. From this, we should note the judgment due us
from God, and repent and renew a right relationship with Him.
In the
study of Amos, we will learn about the political climate of Israel and its neighbors.
We will understand how the people strayed from the laws and precepts of Yahweh
God and how that continued from hundreds of years of disobedience to His laws
and precepts. Besides these, recognition of the religious climate of the times
will occur. Finally, we will understand who Amos was and possibly why God chose
him to prophesy to His people, the northern kingdom called Israel.
Brief History of Israel
Before the Divided Kingdom
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Almost 500
years before the kingdom of Israel split into northern and southern kingdoms,
God sent a man, Moses, to rescue His chosen people, the Israelites, from the Egyptian
Pharaoh’s bondage. He promised and provided for them a great land flowing with
milk and honey. Over time, the twelve tribes of Israel wanted a king like the surrounding
nations. God sent His prophet, Samuel, to anoint the man, Saul, to be king over
His people though having a human king over His people was against His will.
Saul became king over the Israelites in 1050 BCE then David and his son,
Solomon, succeeded him in 1010 BCE and 970 BCE, respectively.
Each of
these kings, though allowed and chosen by God, sinned against Him. Saul did not
repent and God removed him and his descendants from the throne. David repented
and his son, Solomon, succeeded him. God gave Solomon the gift of wisdom. During
the time of his reign, Solomon considered his wisdom greater than God’s and
disobeyed His laws and commandments. Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines from Israel and other countries. He erected altars for the gods of his wives
and they and Solomon worshiped at those altars. The gods they worshiped were
Ashtoreth, Milcom, Chemosh, and Molech (1 Kings 11:1-11). Solomon angered God
because he turned away from worshiping Him, Yahweh the One true God. God told
Solomon twice he should not turn away from Him and worship other gods, but he
did not repent and return to Him as his only God. Because of this, God’s judgment
on Solomon was that He would tear the kingdom from him and his descendants and would
give it to his servant. He said his son’s kingdom would consist of one tribe
and his servant’s kingdom would contain ten tribes of Israel. The judgment would
occur during Solomon’s son’s reign (1 Kings 11:12-13).
The Dividing of the Kingdom
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After
Solomon’s death, Rehoboam, his son, went to Shechem of Israel, north of
Jerusalem, for the people to crown him king of the Israelites (1 Kings 12:1).
Before his ascension to the throne, the people of the northern tribes asked him
if he would give them as heavy a yoke to carry as his father, Solomon.
Rehoboam consulted his advisors and said he would continue what his father
started. Through Rehoboam’s decision to keep a heavy yoke on the Israelites,
God established His word to Solomon about giving his servant part of his kingdom
(1 Kings 12:15).
Who was
this servant to whom God would give ten tribes of Israel? Jeroboam was his
name. Solomon put Jeroboam in charge of the forced labor. On his journey
outside the walls of Jerusalem, Ahijah, the prophet of God, found Jeroboam on
the road, cut his cloak into twelve pieces, which represented the twelve tribes
of Israel, and told him to take ten pieces for himself. He explained to
Jeroboam God’s judgment on Solomon and that the ten pieces of cloth he chose
represented the ten tribes of Israel over whom he would rule as king (1 Kings
11:29-39). Ahijah explained to Jeroboam this came as God’s judgment of Solomon.
He continued by saying if he would listen to the LORD and obey His statutes and
commandments, then He would build a strong house and give him and his
descendants the northern tribes of Israel as their kingdom (1 Kings 11:37-38). Jeroboam
rebelled against Solomon (1 Kings 11:26-27, 40). Solomon wanted to kill him so
Jeroboam left Jerusalem and went to Egypt for safety.
Based on
Rehoboam’s decision, the people of the northern tribes chose Jeroboam to be
their king. The tribes of Israel except Judah, of which Benjamin was a part,
made up the northern kingdom of Israel. Judah with Benjamin made up the
southern kingdom of Judah. (1 Kings 12)
The Northern Kingdom–Israel
Israel
had nineteen kings during their 210 years of independence from Judah before the
Assyrian empire overtook them. Each of the kings following Jeroboam I did not
follow the LORD God. They were evil in the sight of the LORD. The Bible notes
they "walked in the ways of Jeroboam." What did Jeroboam I do?
Jeroboam
I began his reign as king of the northern tribes in 931 BCE. His reign ended in
910 BCE. For his twenty-two years, he caused the people of Israel to worship
manmade gods. Jeroboam I influenced them into idolatry. He made two golden
calves for the Israelites to worship so they would not go to Jerusalem to worship
and experience the influence of the people of Judah (1 Kings 12:27-28). Jeroboam
I put one calf in the southern half of Israel in Bethel and one in the northern
half in Dan. (Remember, Bethel was the place Jacob began his relationship with
Yahweh when he saw the staircase descending from heaven. Bethel means “house of
God”. (Genesis 28:19)) Jeroboam I made temples in high places, in Bethel and
Dan, and appointed priests from among the people (1 Kings 12:30-31). He
established the feasts of these houses of worship. God warned Jeroboam I not to
lead the people to worship idols, but he persisted (1 Kings 13:1-2). The people
of Israel knew this idolatry as the sin of the house of Jeroboam. The writers
of the Old Testament wrote it in the history of the kings like that, too. God
told Jeroboam I He would blot out his house and destroy it from the face of the
earth (1 Kings 13:11-34) because of leading His people to sin against Him.
The
succeeding eighteen kings followed the way of Jeroboam I. Only one king
provoked the LORD to anger more than Jeroboam I. That king was Ahab, who
reigned from 874 BCE to 853 BCE (1 Kings 16:30-33). The king who reigned in
Israel during the ministry of Amos was the sixth king after Ahab and the
thirteenth king of Israel, Jeroboam II.
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Jeroboam
II, son of Jehoash, reigned over Israel from 793-753 BCE (2 Kings 14:23). The
Bible records Jeroboam II did evil in the sight of the LORD and did not turn
away from the sins of Jeroboam I. During Jeroboam II’s reign, he restored the
boundaries of Israel by rescuing Damascus and Hamath from Aram. Aram was later called
Syria (2 Kings 14:25, 28). God saw the affliction of His people in Aram and
sent Jeroboam II to free them and take back the former lands of Israel (2 Kings
14:26-27). Jeroboam II stole God’s glory by taking the glory for reclaiming the
former lands of Israel. Besides reclaiming the lands of Israel from Aram, Jeroboam
II led the people of Israel to continue their idolatry, luxurious living,
immorality, corruption, and oppression of the poor. They did evil in the sight
of the LORD and did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam I.
The Prophets to Israel
From
king Jeroboam I to king Jehoash, Jeroboam II’s father, God sent five prophets-Ahijah,
Elijah, Micaiah, Elisha, and Jonah. He sent them to call the people of Israel
back to Him. From the beginning of the reign of Jeroboam II until the Assyrians
captured Israel, about 72 years, God sent two more prophets to Israel, Amos and
Hosea. Before Amos’ ministry, the people of Israel sometimes repented and
returned to worshiping Yahweh when the earlier prophets proclaimed God’s
prophecies. Still, they returned to worshiping idols eventually.
The two
final prophets-Amos and Hosea, who ministered to Israel before their captivity,
came from the two different kingdoms of the Israelites. Amos lived in the
southern kingdom and Hosea in the northern kingdom. They were contemporaries
and came with two points of view to give the same call to repent and return to
God or receive His judgment for turning away from Him.
Amos
prophesied for God during the reigns of Uzziah, king of Judah, and Jeroboam II,
king of Israel (2 Kings 14:21). That means his ministry occurred between 796
and 753 BCE. In Amos 1:1, Amos said he prophesied two years before the earthquake
which scientists calculate was about 750 BCE (http://www.icr.org/article/scientific-scriptural-impact-amos-earthquake/). Zechariah 14:5 speaks of this earthquake, too. So Amos’
ministry most likely occurred between 760 and 750 BCE.
Who
was Amos? Amos’ name means “burden”. He says in chapter one verse one he was
from Tekoa. Tekoa is in Judah near Hebron in the hill country. It was a town king
Rehoboam built. Amos said he was a sheepherder in 1:1. In Amos 7:14, he stated
he was a grower of sycamore figs, too. Amos was a physical laborer, but one who
understood what it meant to take care of things. He knew living beings needed
to a leader. Amos understood the role of a shepherd, and his ministry as a prophet
for the great Shepherd was familiar. He called God’s sheep to return to him,
just as he expected his sheep to follow him. Amos knew sheep needed a shepherd who
would go after his sheep should their own mind continue to lead them astray
from safety and truth. God calling Amos to prophesy to Israel used his
understanding of being a shepherd. It rang strongly in Amos because he was a
faithful follower of Yahweh and wanted his Israelite brothers and sisters to
return to the one true God.
In
visions, God showed Amos the truth about Israel and told him what to say-repent
and return, or God’s judgment will come upon them. Amos either knew of Israel’s
rebelliousness against God or learned of it in visions from God. About two hundred years before Amos’ time of
ministry, Israel’s idolatry occurred, so he probably knew of that sin. Through
God’s enlightenment of him in visions he learned of Israel’s other sins. He
spoke of them throughout the book. The sins he noted are-
·
Taking
God’s glory – (2 Kings 14:23)
·
Giving
self the glory; pride – Amos 6:8, 13; 7:9
·
Break
fellowship with God – Amos 1:6 (Joel 2:12)
·
Not
obedient in relationship with God; unrighteous; no offering or sacrifices to
God – Amos 4:6, 5:7, 5:26
·
Un-compassionate
– Amos 1:11
·
Sold
the just and right. Chose riches over God and His laws. Unjust. – Amos 5:7, 12;
8:5-6
·
Sold
the needy. Riches over compassion. Enslaved the poor. – Amos 5:3, 12; 8:5-6
·
Oppressed
the poor. Crushed the needy – Amos 4:11; 5:11
·
Unjust
fines. Bribery – Amos 5:12
·
Sexual
immorality – Amos 2:7
·
Desire
for pleasure and luxurious living greater than their desire for God. Made their
desires into their gods. – Amos 5:26; 6:4
·
Drunkenness
·
Idolatry
– Amos 3:14; 6:8; 7:9
·
Loans
– took man’s clothes as promissory – (Deuteronomy 23:19; 24:12)
·
Defiled
God’s consecrated people (Nazarite and prophets) – Amos 2:12
·
Un-compassionate
about Israel and the abominations happening in Jerusalem – Amos 6:6 (Ezekiel
9:4)
The
Israelites had lived in the Promised Land for almost 650 years when God called Amos
to prophesy to the northern tribes. This list of sins against God that Amos
brought before the people appears staggering in their enormity. How would
Israel consider them? Would they hear, repent, and return to their relationship
with Yahweh?
General Outline of Amos
God did
with Amos something he seldom did. Before prophesying against the Israelites, God
told him to prophesy against the surrounding nations. For over one chapter, Amos
prophesied against Damascus, Gaza, Tyre, Edom, Ammon, and Moab. These nations
had been enemies of the Israelites for hundreds of years. With each prophecy
against these nations, God’s judgment drew physically closer to the northern kingdom
of Israel.
Before
God’s judgment of Israel occurred, He drew closest to Israel by proclaiming His
judgment and call to repentance of Judah. That prophecy would cause Israel to
draw in a breath in anticipation in what judgment God would bring on them. The
final prophecy Amos spoke was against Israel. The first seven prophecies, when
plotted on a map, drew around and closer to Israel. It let Israel know God will
judge their enemies, but they were not without reproach either. God demands judgment
and righteousness from His people, too. In the first six prophecies, the sins
of the nations were short and succinct. For Israel, God listed their sins to
them. He wanted them to know He saw everything they did. The Israelites had
broken relationship with Him for hundreds of years and now judgment would come.
Though it might seem to tarry, God’s judgment would come upon them.
Conclusion
As
people of the twenty-first century, we may not consider these actions of Israel,
as noted by God through Amos, sins. We may consider ourselves more evolved and
advanced from that time 2800 years ago. Yet, we can learn from the prophecies
of Amos. We can learn again of the God Who created each of us and calls us to a righteous love relationship with Him. We can recognize Who God is again and
return to a right relationship with Him that affects our actions and obedience
each day.
Amos’ time
is like our own today. Political turmoil and unrest continues today. Many
people live luxurious and lavish lifestyles and do not care for the needy. They
trample the needs of people to get what they want. Other people are corrupt and
take bribes to be agents of influence benefitting certain people and taking
away from other people. Each of these actions shows we have made things and
positions our gods. We have become idolaters of our desires. The blessings God initially
gave us have become our gods and jailors because they mean more to us than God,
the One who blesses.
Join me
and others as we study the book of Amos, understand God’s words of judgment
against Israel, and decide for ourselves how we will let the lessons of this
small book of prophecy from God affect our lives.
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