Amos

Name means: bearer or borne (by God), He was a herdman from Tekoah, with no professional training, but God took him and commissioned him–ch. 7. 14, 15.

Theme: Divine government, not only of Judah and Jerusalem but of all nations.

Outline: Denunciations, eight in number–chs. 1 and 2 Discourses, three in number–chs. 3 to 6

Dreams (visions), five in number–chs. 1 to 9

1. Denunciations–eight–fold repetition of ”for three trans-
transgressions and for four”

PATIENCE AND JUSTICE OF GOD–When mercy fails, judgment falls

1. 3. 6. Gaza – “they carried away captive the whole captivity”

9. Tyre – ”remembered not the brotherly covenant”

11. Edom– ”he pursued his brother with the sword and cast off all pay”

13. Amman– “cruelty” to enlarge their border”

Ch. 2. 1. Moab – ”burned the bones of king of Edom into lime”

4. Judah – “despised the law of Jehovah”

6. Israel – “sold righteous for silver …”

PRIVILEGE AND RESPONSIBILITY. Amos included Judah and Jerusalem among the nations – Greater light means graver responsibility.

2. Discourses–three–fold repetition of ”Hear this word”

PUNISHMENT – The privilege – “You only have I known … therefore I will visit your iniquities” Ch. 3. 1, 2.

PREPARATION – “Prepare to meet thy God” – this was a summons to judgment, not to repentance. Ch. 4. 1, 12

Note the sarcasm in the words of Amos (v. 5), for freewill offerings were not obligatory but to be the result of secret devotion to God. These People were ”proclaiming and publishing them.” Cf. Scribes and Pharisees–Matt. 23. 5.

PERSONAL REWARD– ”Woe unto you that desire the Day of the Lord”–Why? Because they sought it for personal reward.

Note Jehovah’s words– ”I hate, I despite” (v. 21)

PROCRASTINATION– “Woe to them that are at case in Zion, and to them that are secure in the mountains of Samaria.”Ch. 6. 1 (R.V.)

Their attitude was to put far away the evil day.

vv. 4–6 describe their interests– ”they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph” (v. 6).

3. Visions.

PROCESS OF DIVINE JUDGMENT against Israel–chs. 7 to 9

Ch. 7. 1. Locusts and fire (4.) – judgment threatened and restrained

7. Plumbline:– hopeless failure of nation and inevitable judgment

Ch. 8. 1. Summer fruit–consummation of judgment

Ch. 9. 1. Lord beside the altar–judgment reasonable and discriminative

Note Ch. 8. 11–a famine, not of the words of Jehovah, but of ”hearing” the words; that is, spiritual insensibility.

FINAL MESSAGE–ultimate Restoration of Israel and ultimate Triumph of Love. Ch. 9. 11–15.

“I will bring again the captivity of My people Israel, and I will plant them upon their land … which I have given them.”