27. Amos

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27. AMOS

I. OUTLINE

1. Oracles against Nations. 1:1-2:16.

A. Motto. 1:1,2.

B. Against Neighbors. 1:3-2:3.

C. Against Judah. 2:4,5.

D. Against Israel. 2:6-16.

2. The Doom of Israel. 3:1-6:14.

A. Israel and God. 3:1-8.

B. Corruption of Samaria. 3:9-4:3.

C. Israel's Guilt. 4:4-5:3.

D. Exhortation and Denunciation. 5:4-15.

E. Coming of God. 5:16-25.

F. Invasion and Exile. 5:26-6:14.

3. Visions and Ministry. 7:1-9:15.

A. Visions and Narrative. 7:1-8:3.

B. Impending Doom. 8:4-14.

C. Finality of Doom. 9:1-7.

D. Epilogue. 9:8-15.

II. AUTHORSHIP

1. Amos was the first of the prophets who left us a record of his message.

2. Amos came from Tekoa-six miles south of Jerusalem. Now a cluster of ruins on a hill.

3. Amos was a shepherd and a dresser of sycamores-wild fig trees. He was not an untutored rustic-he was an educated man.

4. While he came from the south, he preached in the northern kingdom.

5. He taught during the reign of Jeroboam II, 786-746 B.C.

6. Amos was a great student and observer of nature.

7. He was not a prophet by profession-he did not belong to the "school of the prophets."

8. Amos did not write the book as we have it, but he supplied the material. From writings and tradition his disciples compiled the book.

9. A later optimist made bold to add three passages of hope-4:13, 5:8,9, and 9:5,6.

10. Date: Around 750 B.C.

III. THE MESSAGE OF AMOS

1. Amos denounced the neglect of the poor and the sensuality of the rich.

2. He was a "prophet of doom." He proclaimed the downfall of the kingdom.

3. The Israelites thought that they were the "chosen people"-that Yahweh belonged to them.

4. Yahweh was "Lord of nature" as well as "Ruler of nations."

5. Yahweh is a "God of righteousness."

6. He proclaimed a doom that was final and complete.

7. The "ivory embellishments" denounced by Amos have recently been excavated and are to be found in the Palestine museum.

8. Amos said: The ritual cannot take the place of righteousness.

9. Amos extended the moral jurisdiction of Yahweh over all nations.

10. He planted the roots of universal monotheism as it pervaded Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

11. Amos was the Martin Luther of the Jewish religion.

12. His reforms were so radical that Amaziah accused him of sedition.

13. Amos proclaimed the new and unlimited sovereignty of God.

14. His originality was complete.

IV. SELECTED TEXTS

1. Revealing his secrets. "'Surely the Lord God does nothing, without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets.'" 3:7.

2. The God of nature. "He who made the Pleiades and Orion, and turns deep darkness into the morning, and darkens the day into night, who calls for the waters of the sea, and pours them out upon the surface of the earth." 5:8.

3. Seeking the good. "Seek good, and not evil, that you may live." 5:14.

4. Hating evil. "Hate evil, and love good, and establish justice in the gate." 5:15.

5. Justice and righteousness. "Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an overflowing stream." 5:24.

6. Ease and security. "'Woe to those who are at ease in Zion, and to those who feel secure on the mountain of Samaria.'" 6:1.

7. Again the dark sun and moon. "'I will make the sun go down at noon, and darken the earth in broad daylight.'" 8:9.