1. Amos is the third minor prophet chronologically speaking, the two before him are Jonah and Joel(?).
2. Amos means "burden-bearer". His home was Tekoah a town of Judah, six miles south of Bethlehem. A wild desert country, the influence of which is seen in the prophet's preaching.
3. His occupation: a shepherd of a specie of sheep called "nakads", small and rugged, but prized for its fine wool. He also was "a dresser of sycamore trees", a tree producing a small fig, which had to be pinched or bruised before it would ripen.
4. His character: He might well be called "the first great reformer". He was not of the school of the prophets, who, by this term, were disposed to cry what the people wanted to hear, but he was chosen of God. He seems to have been called for a one-time purpose. Maybe "a time such as this", Esther 4:14.
A. There was not sympathy, love, and feeling of the states of man or citizen, but a cold sense of justice and right.
B. His very attitude breathes the desert air of his life's environment. He was the stern prophet of justice and righteousness.
5. The date of his prophesying is probably around 755 B.C.
A. Brother Hailey puts Obadiah, Joel and Jonah before Amos chronologically.
6. This was a time of great prosperity for both Israel and Judah.
A. This prosperity brought great peril to both sections.
7. The religion of Jehovah was threatened by two perils:
A. Moral and religious corruption, due to a wrong conception of the character of Jehovah.
B. The successes of the Assyrians, which were to the great mass of people an evidence of the superiority of the Assyrian deities, and might lead to apostacy from Jehovah.
8. Amos, though a native of Judah, prophesied in Israel.
I. NOW, WE SHALL CONSIDER THE BOOK OF AMOS CHAPTER BY CHAPTER:
A. CHAPTER ONE:
1. Uzziah was king of Judah and Jeroboam the son of Joash was king of Israel.
2. Amos tells of God's punishment of the nations that border Judah and Israel.
a. The judgment of Damascus. The capital of Syria, about 135 miles northeast of Jerusalem.
1) They were very cruel in war. vss. 3-5.
b. The punishment.
1) It was irreversible and wide-spread.
2) The royal palaces were destroyed. The capital was made defenseless. The inhabitants greatly suffered.
c. Gaza of Philistia, trafficked in slavery, vss. 6-8.
1) They were destroyed by fire.
d. Tyre, sold human souls, vss.9,10.
1) They too were destroyed by fire.
e. Edom, had a perpetual anger and hatred for Israel, vss. 11,12.
1) They also would be destroyed by fire.
f. Ammon, committed intense and uncalled for cruelty, vss. 13-15.
1) A destroying fire would be kindled in their midst.
g. Moab, burned the bones of the King of Edom into lime, 2:1-3.
1) They would meet with tumultuous destruction.
3. Three of the six nations, Damascus, Gaza, and Tyre, were not closely related to Israel and judah. But three of them, Edom, Ammon, and Moab were.
B. CHAPTER TWO:
1. Beginning with verse 4, we have Judah under consideration.
a. Charge against Judah. Notice the difference in the charges placed against Judah and Israel and the six other nations.
1) They had contempt for the law of God.
2) They worshipped idols.
a) Idolatry is a lie.
b) Lies lead men astray.
c) Lies are sometimes defended by the customs of the fathers.
3) Human opinion must not be exalted above God's word. Scripture and scripture alone, is the law of truth, and the rule of life.
b. Jerusalem was to be burned with fire and they were to be punished other ways.
II. EVEN THOUGH AMOS SPOKE CONCERNING SIX OTHER NATIONS AND JUDAH AS WELL, HIS MAIN PROPHETIC STATEMENTS HAD TO DO WITH ISRAEL AND HER JUDGMENT AND PUNISHMENT.
A. The judgment of Israel starts in CHAPTER 2 and verse 6.
1. They perverted justice. The magistrates neither feared God nor regarded man.
2. They oppressed the poor.
3. They practiced incest and prostitution.
4. They desecrated the sanctuary. By unlawfully keeping the pledges of the poor. And by drunken feasts in idolatrous temples.
B. The great benefits from God made their guilt ever worse.
1. They were indebted to God gor their national existence.
2. He had redeemed them from bondage.
3. He had defended them in danger.
4. He had led them in their journeys.
5. He had given them inspired teachers.
6. They had great examples set before them by the prophets and by their young men as Nazarites.
C. But Israel did not acknowledge their indebtedness to God.
1. But rather, they tempted the Nazarite to break his vow.
2. They sought to silence the prophets in their teaching.
D. Their punishment would be most crushing. It could not be escaped.
1. The swift could not flee from it.
2. The strong could not defend themselves against it.
3. The courageous could not withstand the attack.
III. IN CHAPTER THREE, VERSE THREE, THERE IS THE STATEMENT: "SHALL TWO WALK TOGETHER, EXCEPT THEY HAVE AGREED?"
A. Agreement with God is necessary to walking with God.
1. Agreement in; disposition, character, and in conduct.
B. Agreement with God will show itself in walking with God.
C. Disagreement with God will interrupt walking with God.
1. Sin is disagreement with God, separates from Him, and puts us in opposition to His will and Word.
D. National calamities came upon Israel or were to come.
1. National guilt.
2. National disorder.
3. National disgrace.
4. National invasion.
E. But these calamities were forewarned of before hand. God always warns His people of his coming judgments.
IV. IN CHAPTER FOUR WE SEE THE SAD PICTURE OF THE LIFE OF THE ISRAELITES.
A. Their insolent use of prosperity.
B. Might ruling over right.
1. In oppressing the poor.
2. In crushing the needy.
C. They banded together in their wickedness.
D. Their life would terminate with great calamity.
E. Even their worship ungodly.
1. They were self-righteous.
2. They had an infatuation for having their own way.
3. Their worship was corrupt.
4. They had a formal worship but an insincere heart.
F. God would bring corrective measures upon them.
3. Blasting and Mildew.
4. Pestilence and Sword.
5. Earthquake and Burning.
G. Many of these chastisments would go unheeded.
H. "Therefore, prepare to meet thy God."
V. IN CHAPTER FIVE, AND CHAPTER SIX, WE HAVE THE PROPHECY OF THE OVERTHROW OF THE KINGDOM OF ISRAEL.
A. Lamentation--Israel is fallen.
B. Seek Jehovah, forsake idolatry and live.
C. But Israel turns righteousness into unrighteousness.
D. This unrighteousness God must punish, unless they seek Jehovah.
E. A woe upon Israel in the day of Jehovah.
F. Their heartless worship will not avert the day.
G. They have followed the steps of their fathers.
H. The second woe is upon the heads of the nation.
I. The luxury-loving wealthy rulers.
J. Exile and destruction are certain.
K. It cannot be averted by their foolish trust in power.
VI. IN CHAPTERS SEVEN, EIGHT, AND NINE, WE HAVE FIVE VISIONS DISCUSSED.
A. The vision of the locusts, in which God averts the catastrophe.
B. The vision of the devouring fire--a severer judgment than that of the locusts, again averted by the mercy of God.
C. The vision of the plumb-line--destruction on the idolatrous nation of Israel.
D. An interlude: Antagonism by Amaziah the idolatrous priest.
E. The vision of the basket of summer-fruit--ripeness of Israel for judgment.
F. The time of mercy is now past, destruction is at hand.
G. The final eclipse of the nation--her sun sets at noon.
H. The vision of the smitten sanctuary--destruction of the sinful kingdom. Psa. 9:17.
I. Promise of a bright future--the Messianic hope.
J. This conclusion is the only optomistic note in the book.
1. Yes, every cloud has a silver lining if we don't wait until the storm breaks upon us.
2. If we wait until the storm closes in upon us before we make a move to rectify ourselves, then we will not be able to receive the silver lining. Nor even see it.
3. What about you, my friend, are you looking and preparing for the silver lining?
4. I truly hope so. If you are not, why not start today?
By Jim Sasser
Return to Jim Sasser's Outlines page
Return to the Old Testament study of Amos
Return to the Sermon Outlines page
Home / Bible studies / Bible Survey / Special Studies / General Articles / Non-Bible Articles / Sermons / Sermon Outlines / Links / Questions and Answers / What Saith The Scriptures /Daily Devotional / Correspondence Courses / What is the Church of Christ / Book: Christian Growth / Website Policy / E-mail / About Me /