DBG - September 22 - Amos 1-5

Amos (“burden bearer”) was a shepherd (1:1) and fig harvester (7:14) from the small town of Tekoa, about 12 miles south of Jerusalem.  He is careful to mention that he was not trained as a prophet (7:14).  His message is primarily for the Kingdom of Israel.  It highlights their sins, calls for repentance, and announces judgment against them. 

A few quick facts about:

In this chapter judgments are announced against the nations surrounding Israel.

vs. 1-2 – We are introduced to Amos and his message.  Note the time marker of the earthquake in vs. 1, which is also mentioned in Zechariah 14:5.  There is abundant historical and archaeological for this event, which occurred around in the 8^th century B.C.  Various dates are given, but the fact that it occurred is indisputable.  It also sets something of a theme for the book.

vs. 3-5 – Damascus (Syria) is the first nation targeted by Amos.  Its crime is recorded in II Kings 10:32-33, and their judgment in II Kings 16:9 (740 B.C.).

vs. 6-8 – Gaza (Philistia) is the next target.  Its crime is possibly recorded in II Chronicles 21:16, and its judgment in Isaiah 20:1 (and possibly II Kings 18:8).

vs. 9-10 – Tyre (Phoenicia) is next.  Its crime is probably the breaking of treaties made with David and Solomon (II Samuel 5:11 and I Kings 5:1-18), and its judgment is likely its destruction by Alexander the Great in 332 B.C.

vs. 11-12 – Edom is next.  Its crime is continuous hostility despite kinship with Israel (II Chronicles 28:17 is one example), and its judgement is being conquered by Nabateans around 550 B.

vs. 13-15 -  Ammon is the next target.  Its crime is possibly being allied with Syria (compare vs. 3, II Kings 8:12, and II Kings 10:33), and its judgment is its destruction by Nebuchadnezzar, maybe around 601 B.C.

In this chapter the judgments get closer to home.

vs. 1-3 – The next target is Moab.  Its crime is possibly the events of II Kings 3:26-27, and its judgment is being destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar.

vs. 4-5 – The next target is the Northern Kingdom’s rival of Judah.  Its crime is forsaking God’s commandments, and its judgment is destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar in II Kings 25:8-12.

vs. 6-16 – Now the audience in the Northern Kingdom is targeted.  Much greater detail is given in the indictment of their present sins in vs. 6-8.  The blessings of the past are recalled in vs. 9-12.  Finally, the future judgment is announced. This judgment is realized in II Kings 17:6 when Samaria fell to Assyria in 721 B.C.

In this chapter God calls on the Jews to repent before judgment came.

vs. 1-8 – The entirety of the Jewish people, and not just one of their divided kingdoms, is addressed.  God proves His righteousness in sending judgment but would not do so without a warning and space for repentance. 

vs. 9-15 – The coming judgment is described.  Only a remnant would survive.  Their foreign alliances, false gods, and finances could not deliver them from what was to come.

In this chapter God shows their state and how He tried to turn them.

vs. 1-5 – The people of Samaria are compared to dairy cows.  They were fat, lazy, and content.  The day was coming when they would be caught and dragged away.  There would be no escape in the roundup.  Their polluted sacrifices to false gods, or even the true God, would not deliver them.

vs. 6-11 – There are five ways God tried to get their attention: famine (possibly the one in II Kings 8:1), drought, mildew, pestilence, and military defeats.

vs. 12-13 – The High and Holy God would surely judge His people.

In this chapter God provides a means of escape from judgment.

vs. 1-3 – Amos laments the fate of the Northern Kingdom in the coming judgment. 

vs. 4-15 – God was providing a means of escape.  If the people would turn from their sins and embrace Him, they could be saved.  No false idols could aid them.  In vs. 8 God appeals to His own power in creating constellations of stars (Pleiades and Orion).  The terms God offers Israel to surrender and be saved are given in vs. 14-15.

vs. 16-20 – Wailing and woe would fill Israel in the day of judgment.

vs. 21-27 – The nation would be taken captive in judgment.  They had tried in vain to appease God without repentance.  He reminds them that even their fathers in the Exodus tried to worship both Him and false gods.  Nothing new was happening.  Just as they had been judged before for their unfaithfulness, so would they be judged now.

One of my favorite features of the Book of Amos is its opening.  He is preaching to the Northern Kingdom, but starts by calling out the surrounding nations.  With each of these, his audience probably shouted, “Amen!”  Then he called out their rival, the Southern Kingdom of Judah.  This probably lead to even louder shouts of, “Amen!”  But then he sets his sights on the audience.  There were not any more shouts of approval.  Thus it is with human nature.  We like seeing everyone else’s sins pointed out, but not our own.  Learn to be gracious to others in their faults.  One day, it will be you that is being called out. 

Our hymn today is “National Judgments Deprecated, and National Mercies Pleaded”, written by Samuel Davies.

While o’er our guilty land, O Lord,
We view the terrors of thy sword;
Oh! whither shall the helpless fly?
To whom but thee direct their cry?

The helpless sinner's cries and tears
Are grown familiar to thine ears;
Oft has thy mercy sent relief,
When all was fear and hopeless grief.

On thee, our guardian God, we call,
Before thy throne of grace we fall;
And is there no deliv'rance there?
And must we perish in despair?

See, we repent, we weep, we mourn,
To our forsaken God we turn;
O spare our guilty country, spare
The church which thou hast planted here.

We plead thy grace, indulgent God;
We plead thy Son’s atoning blood;
We plead thy gracious promises,
And are they unavailing pleas?

These pleas, presented at thy throne,
Have brought ten thousand blessings down
On guilty lands in helpless woe;
Let them prevail to save us too!