The force of Amos’s preaching resides in his use of satire. This rhetorical strategy produces a “fragmentation” effect when blended with other subgenres like metaphor, proverb, woe oracle, and doom song. “Satire is a subversive genre,” and when coupled with the sudden shifts in literary technique and topic Amos keeps his audience “disoriented and assaulted.”
Amos, the third of the Twelve Minor Prophets, lived during the eighth century before Christ. He was from Judah, and was born at Tekoah in the land of Zebulon, six miles south of Bethlehem.
Amos, the third of the Twelve Minor Prophets, lived during the eighth century before Christ. He was from Judah, and was born at Tekoah in the land of Zebulon, six miles south of Bethlehem.
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Amos 1:1:
The words 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. |
Among many other Prophets that God raised up to admonish the Israelites of his plagues for their wickedness and idolatry, he stirred up Amos, who was a herdman or shepherd of a poor town, and gave him both knowledge and constancy to reprove all estates and degrees, and to make known God’s horrible judgments against them, unless they repented in time. And he showed them, that if God did not spare the other nations around them, who had lived as it were in ignorance of God compared to them, but for their sins punished them, then they could look for nothing, but a horrible destruction, unless they turned to the Lord in true repentance. And finally, he comforts the godly with hope of the coming of the Messiah, by whom they would have perfect deliverance and salvation. Before becoming a prophet, Amos was a sheep herder and a sycamore fig farmer. Amos’ prior professions and his claim “I am not a prophet nor a son of a prophet” (7:14) indicate that Amos was not from the school of prophets, which Amos claims makes him a true prophet (7:15). His prophetic career began in 750 BCE out of the town of Tekoa, in Judah, south of Jerusalem. Despite being from the southern kingdom of Judah Amos’ prophetic message was aimed at the Northern Kingdom of Israel, particularly the cities of Samaria and Bethel. |
Little is known about the prophet Amos other than what is written here; that he worked as “one of the shepherds” in Tekoa. The word translated “shepherds” can refer to various kinds of livestock and it is by no means clear whether Amos was the owner of the livestock or just a hired hand. Not much is known of Tekoa, either, except that it was a town in Southern Judah, near Bethlehem. It was fortified by Rehoboam (2 Chron 11:6) and surrounded by rocky desert (2 Chron 20:20).
God calls the weak and ordinary instead of the wise and strong (1 Cor 1:26–27). Amos was a nobody, but God revealed himself to Amos through His word, just as today he reveals himself to all who put their faith in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. -Bible Studies Online |
The prophet Amos is mentioned in connection with Uzziah and the latter days of Jeroboam II (Amos 1:1). Though he was a Judean, Amos’s message concentrated mostly on the northern Israelites, to whom he announced that captivity was coming. Secondarily he addressed the sins of Judah and several surrounding nations. Amos is listed among the Bible’s 12 minor prophets (from the Latin minor, “smaller” [in length of book]).
In Uzziah’s final year, the well-known major prophet Isaiah was commissioned (Isaiah 6:1–9). He spoke during the subsequent reigns of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah (Isaiah 1:1), delivering messages about the coming downfall of Judah and Jerusalem, its expected Messiah, and the future kingdom of God. -David Hulme; Vision |
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Amos 1:2:
He said: “The LORD roars from Zion and thunders from Jerusalem; the pastures of the shepherds dry up, and the top of Carmel withers.” |
When God speaks it is often described by the prophets as sounding like a roaring lion (Hosea 11:10; Joel 3:16). Jer. 25:30 “Therefore you shall prophesy against them all these words, and you shall say to them, The LORD will roar from on high, And utter His voice from His holy habitation; He will roar mightily against His fold. He will shout like those who tread {the grapes,} Against all the inhabitants of the earth. Amos describes that voice as coming from Zion, the mountain which sits atop Jerusalem, what we today call Temple Mount. This place is near and dear to God’s heart, it has the focus of His attention. The psalms say, Ps. 9:11 Sing praises to the LORD, who dwells in Zion… Ps. 87:2 The LORD loves the gates of Zion more than all the {other} dwelling places of Jacob. Ps. 135:21 Blessed be the LORD from Zion, Who dwells in Jerusalem. Praise the LORD! And Isaiah wrote, Isa. 8:18 …the LORD of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion. And the Lord Himself has said, Joel 3:17 …I am the LORD your God, dwelling in Zion My holy mountain… His voice is proclaimed from this mountain. This is one reason why a trip to Israel is such a spiritual experience. Israel has been, and will one day again, be the center of His kingdom, the location of His habitation. |
Amos warns his hearers of impending judgment. A lion does not roar unless it has a prey, and Israel is the prey that God is about to take in judgment. The picture of God making his voice heard from Jerusalem, the place which He had appointed for worship, is significant. Under the leadership of Jeroboam I, Israel had forsaken this place of worship and instead worshipped the golden calves at Bethel and Dan. Jeroboam had even appointed his own priests, contrary to God’s command. This entire system of idolatry was designed by Jeroboam to prevent his subjects being reunited with Judah. He reasoned, quite shrewdly, that if the people had the same religion and worshipped in the same place, then a national reunion, based on repentance toward God, would be more likely to occur (1 Kings 12:26–33).
The devil still uses the same strategy of keeping Christians apart through division, as this weakens their effectiveness and reduces the threat to his kingdom. -Bible Studies
The devil still uses the same strategy of keeping Christians apart through division, as this weakens their effectiveness and reduces the threat to his kingdom. -Bible Studies
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Amos 1:3-4:
Thus saith the Lord; For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron: 4 But I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, which shall devour the palaces of Benhadad. |
Hate, in proper context, can actually be an excellent family value. Murder, rape, kidnapping, and brutality are just four examples of many things that every family should hate and refuse to tolerate.
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Amos 5:15:
Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that the Lord God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph.
Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that the Lord God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph.
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Amos 5:24:
But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.” |
Bible References in Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” Speech: Amos 5:24 (NIV): “But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!”
USA Today: James Comey has honed the art of the subtweet.
Shortly after ex-Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn pleaded guilty Friday to lying to FBI agents, the former FBI director took to Twitter to reference the biblical verse Amos 5:24: "But let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream."
The tweet linked to Comey's Instagram post of, you know, a flowing stream. The shade makes sense. Since he was unceremoniously fired by President Trump in May, Comey has become a vocal critic of the president and the administration, including giving highly-publicized testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee.
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Amos 7: 14-15:
Then Amos answered, and said to Amaziah: “ I was no prophet, Nor was I a son of a prophet, But I was a sheepbreeder And a tender of sycamore fruit. Then the LORD took me as I followed the flock, And the LORD said to me,‘ Go, prophesy to My people Israel |
According to the heading of his book (i,1) Amos was a herdsman of Thecua, a village in the Southern Kingdom, twelve miles south of Jerusalem. Besides this humble avocation, he is also spoken of in vii, 14, as a simple dresser of sycamore-trees. Hence, as far as we know, there is no sufficient ground for the view of most Jewish interpreters that Amos was a wealthy man. Thecua was apparently a shepherd's town, and it was while following his flock in the wilderness of Juda, that, in the reigns of Ozias and Jeroboam, God called him for a special mission: "Go, prophesy to My people Israel" (vii, 15). In the eyes of the humble shepherd this must have appeared a most difficult mission. At the time when the call came to him, he was "not a prophet, nor the son of a prophet" (vii, 14), which implies that he had not yet entered upon the prophetical office, and even that he had not attended the schools wherein young men in training for a prophet's career bore the name of "the sons of a prophet". |
Amos did not train to be a prophet, nor was he one by profession. He was a shepherd who heard the voice of God.
Amos disavowed any contact with the prophetic guilds of the day or with those who practiced prophecy professionally. Having established his lay status in religious affairs, Amos described himself as a herdsmen and a dresser of sycamore trees. While engaged in his primary occupation of keeping his flock, Amos became conscious of a definite call from God, As he faithfully watched over his sheep and their needs, he was awake to the word of God as it spoke of Israel's need. God command to him was specific: "Go, be a prophet to my people Israel."
Amos disavowed any contact with the prophetic guilds of the day or with those who practiced prophecy professionally. Having established his lay status in religious affairs, Amos described himself as a herdsmen and a dresser of sycamore trees. While engaged in his primary occupation of keeping his flock, Amos became conscious of a definite call from God, As he faithfully watched over his sheep and their needs, he was awake to the word of God as it spoke of Israel's need. God command to him was specific: "Go, be a prophet to my people Israel."