The Tav Blog

Amos

Name means Burden or Burden-bearer.  Amos tended sheep and sycamore figs – likely a poor man.

Main Idea(s)

Israel is a nation filled with wealthy people who do what they want and don’t want to hear the Word of God.  God will be a roaring lion to them, if they might be properly frightened into returning, but they will not listen.

Target: Mostly about Israel, but Amos was from Judah

Time Period

• Contemporary of Hosea, Isaiah and Micah, and maybe Joel.
• The book takes place in the reigns of Jeroboam II and Uzziah.

Famous verses and fragments

3:3, 3:6-7, 5:18-20, 5:24, 8:11-12

Notes

Chapters 1-2   Total Judgment on the Near East

1. Syria – attacking Israel , the judgment is exile
2. Philistia – 2Chr 21:16, the judgment is destruction
3. Tyre – possibly same incident; Hiram – destruction
4. Edom – Hatred of Israel; Envy; Wrath – destruction
5. Ammon – brutal attacks on Israel – exile
6. Moab – revenge for 2Ki 3:27 against Edom – destruction
7. Judah – rejected the Law of the Lord – exile
8. Israel –
   • slavery, cruelty, adultery, idolatry
   • appeals to past care of Israel
   • Silencing the prophets
   • Leading to destruction and exile

Themes

• For Three transgressions and Four, I will not turn away its punishment
• Sennacherib and Nebuchadnezzar level the Near East
• Judges the others, then comes in for the target, Israel
• Not exhaustive but representative sins

Chapters 3-6     Calls for Repentance

1. 3-4 The Case and the Warning Shots
   1. What do you think about verse 3:2?
   2. What is the point of the questions in 3:3-6?
   3. How can 3:7 be abused?
   4. Why go proclaim in foreign lands? 3:9
   5. How bad will the destruction be?
   6. 4:1-5 – What’s the attitude of the well-off in Israel?
   7. Fivefold “yet you have not returned to me.”
   8. What do verses 4:12-13 tell us about God?
2. 5:1-17 The Lament
   1. V 1-3, how bad will it be?
   2. What is he telling them to avoid in v 4-7?
   3. 5:8-9 Why does God appeal to his roles as Creator and Sustainer to support his judgment?
   4. V 10-15, what sins are rebuked, and what does God ask them to do?
3. 5:16-6:14 You don’t really want the Day of the Lord…
   1. What do verses 5:16-20 tell you about the Day of the Lord?
   2. V 21-27 What does God think of their worship?
   3. 6:1-8 What does God think of their personal peace and affluence?
   4. What does 6:9-10 mean?
   5. 6:11-14 What will the judgment be?

Chapters 7-9    Five Visions

1. Locusts, Fire, and Plumb Line – what is the point of these three visions as a group?
2. Interaction with Amaziah – what is Amaziah’s point? Amos’ response?
3. Basket of Summer Fruit – must be used immediately – God will not delay
   1. What problems does God have with their religiosity? What will He do?
   2. What is a famine of hearing the words of the Lord? 8:11-12
4. The Lord at the Altar
   1. 9:1-4 What does He threaten?
   2. V 5-6 On what basis, or because He is what?
   3. V 7-10 Why does God recall what he did for Israel?

Restoration – 9:11-15

1. Who will God restore?
2. Why?
3. Will the blessing be great or small?
4. What great promises are given?