Amos - A Neo-Assyrian Prophet

Amos, a minor prophet in the Christian Bible, lived during a time of expansion and blessing for both Judah and Israel. He was not a trained prophet but was called by God to deliver a message to the northern tribes of Israel. Amos prophesied judgment upon various nations, including Judah and Israel, for their idolatry and social injustice. The Lord showed Amos visions and dreams, and he pleaded with God to spare Israel, but judgment was inevitable. Amos also encountered opposition from a priest at Bethel, who was warned of the consequences for his actions. The book ends with the destruction of Israel and a famine of hearing the word of the Lord. I'm Julie Callio, your host, and thanks so much for taking time out of your busy schedules to tune in with me today. If by chance you want to contact me, you can do that at bab.bc.pc at gmail.com. Today we're covering Amos, the third minor prophet in the Christian Bible. Chapter 1 verse 1 reads, The word of Amos, one of the shepherds of Tekoa, what he saw concerning Israel two years before the earthquake, when Uzziah was king of Judah and Jeroboam son of Jehoash was king of Israel. This is the time frame where we ended in 2 Kings chapter 14. King Uzziah is also called Azariah and he reigned around 792-740 BC in Judah and Jeroboam son of Jehoash is usually referred to as Jeroboam II who reigned around 793-753 BC. Back in chapter 14 of 2 Kings we learn that this was an era of expansion of the land and blessing to both Judah and Israel. One reason for that is that Assyria was becoming a world power and Israel's border enemy Aram also known as Syria was busy dealing with Assyria instead of Israel or Judah. Uzziah expanded the area of Judah to the south as far as the Red Sea and Jeroboam II expanded the area of Israel to the north to Hamath and he recaptured the city of Damascus. This verse also tells us that Amos was not one who went to prophet school which were located in Elijah and Elisha's days in Gilgal, Bethel, and Jericho in Israel but he was a shepherd plus he took care of sycamore fig trees when the Lord called him. This shows us that the Lord can call anyone he desires. The city of Tekoa was in Judah south of Jerusalem and he saw the word of the Lord so it may have been visions or dreams but it does not specify. We do not know when the earthquake happened but the dates of the two kings help give us the general era. Even though Amos lived in Judah he was sent by the Lord to proclaim his message in the northern tribes of Israel. We learn that Jonah was a prophet of Israel like Elijah and Elisha were in the past and he spoke during Jeroboam II's reign about the expansion of the land. We also know from the book of Jonah that the Lord sent him to prophesy to the city of Nineveh the major city of Assyria a non-Jewish nation. One thing Dr. Betz said in class is even if the Lord sent the prophets to other nations the message still was also for Israel. One thing that seems clear with the story of Jonah the Lord was trying to get Jonah's heart as well as the Assyrians. After explaining who Amos was his first statement in verse 2 says the Lord roars from Zion and thunders from Jerusalem. The pastors of the shepherds dry up and the top of Carmel withers. If you remember when the nation of Israel split from Judah their first king was Jeroboam who set up two golden calves one in the north at Dan and one in the southern border of Israel at Bethel because he did not want his people to go to Jerusalem to worship the Lord at the temple. The nation of Israel began and ended in idolatry. Here the Lord is not giving a touchy feely message instead he roars like a lion from the place where his temple stands on Mount Zion in the city of Jerusalem. One interesting thing is way back in Genesis 49 when Jacob the patriarch whose name was changed to Israel who had 12 sons who became the 12 tribes of Israel well right before he died he blessed his 12 sons and Judah was described as a lion cub which is where we get the phrase the lion of Judah. One other thing that is interesting is that in Genesis 48 Jacob also blessed the two sons of Joseph Manasseh and Ephraim as if they were Jacobs so they were both given land in place of Joseph. To make the 12 the tribe of Levi did not receive land but various cities throughout the nation because their job was to take care of the temple and the Lord was their inheritance. Dr. Betz explained in class they were like the pastors in the local communities throughout all Israel. One of the things I have enjoyed with reading the prophets in the order of when they were written instead of in the canonical order of the Christian Bible is that the back story is so fresh in my mind that I know where all the places are that the Lord mentions through Amos. Chapter 1 and 2 call down judgment upon the nations surrounding Israel. For those of you who have been reading 2 Kings we know King Hazael was the king of Aram also known as Syria and Elisha went there and spoke to Hazael and he cried because he knew how much damage he would do to Israel. The next day Hazael suffocated the king of Aram and he became king. The Lord spoke judgment upon them as well as the Philistines on the west border with the cities of Gaza, Ashtar and Ekron. Tyre is the northwest on the coast in the land of Phoenicia. Edom was south and east and were descendants of Esau, Jacob's brother. Ammon was beyond the Jordan River on the east. Moab was on the east by the salt sea and they were descendants of Lot, Abraham's nephew. Each of these judgments to other nations started, this is what the Lord says for three sins of the nation even for four I will not turn back my wrath. Then in chapter 2 verse 4 it says this is what the Lord says for three sins of Judah even for four I will not turn back my wrath because of idolatry. If you remember even Judah thanks to Solomon brought in idolatrous worship because of his many wives from other nations and they turned his heart from the Lord. The Lord says in verse 5 I will send fire upon Judah that will consume the fortresses of Jerusalem. Then starting with verse 6 of chapter 2 the majority of the Lord's judgment is upon Israel. It says for three sins of Israel even for four I will not turn back my wrath and here the Lord focused on the injustice found in Israel. The Lord reminds them of all that he has done for them. He brought them out of Egypt, he destroyed the Amorites and he brought them prophets and Nazarites to bring them to the Lord but they would not. Amos prophesied that an enemy would overtake the land chapter 3 verse 11. There are two main issues with Israel social injustice and idolatry. Chapter 4 verses 12 through 13 say therefore this is what I will do to you Israel and because I will do this to you prepare to meet your God oh Israel. He who forms the mountains created the wind and reveals his thoughts to man. He who turns dawn to darkness and treads the high places of the earth the Lord God Almighty is his name. Chapter 5 verses 1 through 17 are written in a poetic style of chiasm and it is a song of lament for their destruction but it is also a call to repentance because we have seen over and over and over again in the Old Testament story of the kings that the Lord is quick to respond if we repent of our sin even with the most evil king of Israel Ahab in Kings chapter 21 verses 28 and 29. Here in chapter 5 verse 5 it says seek the Lord and live or he will sweep through the house of Joseph like a fire it will devour and Bethel will have no one to quench it. Verses 14 and 15 seek good not evil that you may live then the Lord God Almighty will be with you just as you say he is hate evil love good maintain justice in the courts perhaps perhaps the Lord God Almighty will have mercy on the remnant of Joseph. Verses 18 through 27 of chapter 5 talk of the day of the Lord this day does not bring victory but defeat the Lord detests their false worship and instead of worship the Lord says but let justice roll on like a river righteousness like a never failing stream. Chapter 6 covers the complacency of the people while they live in luxury and the pride of the people. Verse 12b says but you have turned justice into poison and the fruit of righteousness into bitterness and because of their sin chapter 7 verse 1 says this is what the sovereign Lord showed me. Again Amos saw this probably either a vision or dreams the first vision was swarms of locusts but Amos cried out sovereign Lord forgive how can Jacob survive he is so small so the Lord relented. The next was a judgment by fire and Amos cried out sovereign Lord I beg you stop how can Jacob survive he is so small so the Lord relented. One thing Dr. Betts wrote in his book Amos the ordinary man with an extraordinary message it is the prophet's responsibility to stand in the breach when God's people are in harm's way. Then the Lord showed Amos a plumb line in a sense it means he drew a line in the sand and said up to this point I will show mercy but Israel crossed the line it was time for judgment. The rest of chapter 7 gives a little story about Amaziah the priest at Bethel. One thing I noticed when reading about Elijah the religion of Israel's kings was mainly worship of other gods especially Baal and Elijah had to stay away from King Ahab and he was more of an outsider but after Elijah met with the prophets of Baal on the top of Mount Carmel and fire came down from heaven upon the altar of the Lord and the people killed all the prophets of Baal it seems there was more acceptance of the prophets of the Lord yet they did not get rid of pagan gods so there was intermingling between them. Amaziah was a priest at Bethel but a priest for whom he commanded Amos to stop his prophecies and he told him to go back home to Judah but the Lord told Amos who told Amaziah your wife will become a prostitute in the city and your sons and daughters will fall by the sword your land will be measured and divided up and you yourselves will die in a pagan country and Israel will certainly go into exile away from their native land. In chapter 8 Amos saw a basket of ripe fruit which represented that the time is ripe for my people Israel I will spare them no longer. Verse 11 says the days are coming declares the Sovereign Lord when I will send a famine through the land not a famine of food or a thirst for water but a famine of hearing the word of the Lord but they will not find it. Chapter 9 continues Israel's destruction and verse 8 says surely the eyes of the Sovereign Lord are on the sinful kingdom I will destroy it from the face of the earth yet yet yet yet I will not totally destroy the house of Jacob declares the Lord. Another thing Dr. Betts used to say when you see God's word of judgment don't miss God's word of restoration and that is how Amos ends. Verse 11 in that day I will restore David's fallen tent I will repair its broken places restore its ruins and rebuild it as it used to be. Then verse 14 I will bring back my exiled people Israel they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them they will plant vineyards and drink their wine they will make gardens and eat their fruit I will plant Israel in their own land never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them says the Lord your God. Even in their rebellion against the Lord hear Amos says the Lord your God. Ladies let me ask you are you prepared to meet the Lord your God are you willing to have an open heart and hear what he's trying to say or are you like Amaziah the priest at Bethel who doesn't want to hear. As the prophecy about him and his family shows that never ends well. If you don't feel prepared to meet God let me share with you the only way we truly can approach him is through Jesus the one who restored David's fallen tent. He did that when he died on the cross for our sins we can never work hard enough to please him no one keeps all the law that is why we need a savior. Second Corinthians chapter 5 verse 21 says God made him who had no sin meaning Jesus to be sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. Then we have access to God Almighty it is through Jesus that we have redemption. Today if you heard his voice please don't harden your heart instead let's be women who hear and obey like Amos. Until next time and thanks so very much for listening.