amos

Background

Authorship.   There is little dispute concerning authorship. The unique stamp of a non-professional prophet living in the time of Israel’s ‘Golden Age’ is readily recognized (5:11; 8:5f).

The author tells us that he is a vocational farmer (1:1; 7:14), from the Judaic city of Tekoa. He apparently received a distinct call from God while pursuing his work to trek north to Bethel[1] and personally and orally deliver this stinging message of judgment to the northern kingdom (cf. 7:12–15).

Date of composition.   The years when Jeroboam’s and Uzziah’s reigns overlapped (1:1) were c. 767–752 B.C. The reference to the great earthquake (1:1) gives us no help in dating the prophecy, though it surely provided sufficient information to original readers. A date of about 760 is reasonable. Hints from 1:1 along with 7:10–17 seem to say Amos’s entire prophetic career spanned this single season only.

Historical setting.   As the eighth century dawned, Assyria was tilting with Syria for control of the mideast. Assyria had dealt Syria a staggering defeat in 802 under Adad-nirari, but then turned her attention elsewhere, and the powerful king was succeeded by a series of inept rulers. At the same time both kingdoms of Israel and Judah came to be ruled by strong rulers: Jeroboam II in the North and Uzziah in the South. This combination of factors produced an environment conducive to political strength and economic prosperity in both kingdoms, the so-called Golden Age. However, spiritual and moral decay was also well set, manifesting itself in greed and social injustice, which Amos attacked vehemently, and which eventually led to the downfalls of both kingdoms, Israel within only a couple decades (722) and Judah about a century and a half later (586). The people had misinterpreted their good fortune for divine pleasure—an understandable mistake in light of the Mosaic Covenant—when in fact God was highly displeased.

Message.   The message of the prophet Amos was first that Israel (1:1; 5:6, 15; 7:17) would come under the judgment of God, and that right soon; and second that that judgment would not spell the final end of the nation, but that there would be an eventual and eternal restoration according to the Davidic promise. The prophet offered no hope of escape from the impending downfall except on the level of the individual, whose only hope was to turn from the institutionalized heathenism and ritualism and “seek the Lord” (5:4, 6) and provide righteousness (5:24). Only such a person could expect to escape with his life (5:4, 6). Indeed, the burden of the prophecy was not sadistic doomsday-ism, but, as with all the prophets, he was imploring the people to repent (5:4–6, 14–15, 24).

Another key factor in Amos’s message however is Davidic and Jerusalem primacy. He seems to have barely crossed the border of Israel, stationing himself at Bethel, the southern worship center of the northern kingdom (3:14), just a few miles from Jerusalem. He challenged the legitimacy of Israel’s king and of the worship system, accounting for the verbal conflict with the priest Amaziah in 7:10–17. Like virtually every writing prophet his last words are words of hope. But Amos’s are distinctively and emphatically Davidic (9:11–15), and thus implicitly Jerusalem centric (cf. 1:2).

Argument

The structure of the book is uniquely clear, as the prophet has loaded his work with code words and expressions, marking out three main sections, which are themselves neatly subdivided. (See the outline and the following argument.)

The introduction (1:1–2) identifies the author and historical setting, and sets the tone for the prophecy by conveying the attitude of God—roaring—and the effective power and threat implied by his attitude.

The first major section consists of God’s ‘roarings’ against the sins of six neighbor Gentile nations (1:3—2:3), Israel’s sister nation, Judah (2:4–5), and last and most extensively, Israel herself (2:6–16), the main object of the prophecy. The judgment announced on each of the first seven includes fire consuming the citadels. (“Citadel” also occurs in 3:9, 10, 11; 6:8.) The clue to the point of these judgments is in the particular sins being condemned: in the cases of the (Sinai) Covenant nations the sins are directly related to the Mosaic Covenant, while in the cases of the Gentile nations the sins have to do with respect for the sanctity of human life, suggestive of the Noahic covenant’s provision for capital punishment (Gen. 9:5–6). The message then to Israel (and all readers of the book) is that God’s judgment is according to the revelation committed to a given group of people. And since he had committed the Mosaic Covenant to her, she was accountable for it to him. The particular sins in view can be traced to the Mosaic Covenant (2:6–8). Their guilt was compounded further by the fact that they had witnessed the gracious, saving acts of God on their behalf (2:9–11), and spurned the provision of Nazirites (2:12). For these reasons judgment would come, and not even the fleetest or strongest could escape it (2:13–16).

With the basis of judgment established—the revelation committed—Amos establishes in the next section (3–6) that Israel has had special privilege—the Sinai Covenant—and has violated it. Chapters 3, 4 and 5 all begin with “Hear this word.” In the first message (3) Amos affirms Israel’s privileged status as the redeemed and known of God bearing special responsibility (3:1–2). The rhetorical questions that follow (3:3–8) establish that the condemnation to follow is God’s announcement and fair warning. The guilt of Israel is apparent for all to see (3:9–10). Such guilt cannot go unpunished, and destruction is the sentence (3:11–15).

Next he proceeds to finger three specific areas of sin justifying the announced condemnation (4). The popular concern for self and acquisition which outweighed concern for people, exemplified in the “cows of Bashan” (4:1–3), the illegitimate religious observances devoid of righteousness (4:4–5), and the consistent failure to respond to divine circumstantial warnings to repent (4:6–11) were all sins even the Philistines and Egyptians (3:9) could recognize. Israel’s God, the God of creation, is he to whom Israel must give account (4:12–13).

It is debated whether there is one message or three in chapters 5–6. Preferring to see one message (headed by the formula, “Hear this word,” 5:1) in three parts, the message goes the next step beyond the previous one, indicating the root cause behind the flagrant sins of chapter 4: violation of the Sinai Covenant. The first two parts (5:1–17, 18–27) are both arranged chiastically, and with similar components and messages. The first is framed by visions of the impending destruction of Israel (5:2–3, 16–17), and is developed with divine appeals to repent and find individual deliverance from judgment (5:4–6, 14–15), and divine accusations of sin (5:7, 10–13). The climax is in the middle verses which focus on Israel’s God’s power—being Master of the universe—to judge (5:8–9).

The second part is framed by visions of judgment (exile in Damascus, 5:18–20, 27), and developed with divine accusations of sins (5:21–22, 25–26). This part, however, finds its central focus in the appeal to repentance (5:23–24).

This final message concludes with a special condemnation against those who defy God to raise his hand against a son of Abraham (6:1). If the heathen are not above the judgment of God for sin, neither is Israel (6:2–3). In fact, the revelry of arrogance will suffer greatest shame (6:4–7). The result will be that any who seem to escape judgment will be few and terrified (6:8–11). The reason for such unprecedented judgment is the unthinkable sin (6:12–14).

The last major section of the book consists mainly of five visions in which impending judgment is formally announced (7:1—9:10). The first two visions are a matched pair, in both of which Amos pleads for divine mercy for Israel, and God willingly grants a stay, demonstrating the reluctance of both God and the prophet to destroy Israel (7:1–6). The third vision—the plumb line—demonstrates that Israel’s impending judgment is well deserved (7:7–9). At this point the prophet anticipates the objections of his readers—that he would well mind his own business—and inserts the account of another objector (7:10–17). The point is that the authenticity of his message is proved by the fact that he is unaccustomed to prophesying.

The fourth vision (ripe fruit) says that the deserved judgment will come soon (8:1–3). Then before describing the climactic vision the prophet condemns sins yet again, as if to urge the guilty one last time to acknowledge their guilt and turn from it (8:4–6), before they fall victim to grief (8:7-10), and God turn from them in silence (8:11–14).

In the final vision destruction is portrayed from which none will escape (9:1–4). Once again Israel’s God, Yahweh, is shown to have the power necessary to bring such a judgment (9:5–6). The completeness of the judgment is then underscored (9:7–10), while at the same time an element of hope is introduced (9:8b), based on the Abrahamic Covenant, anticipating the concluding promise of hope (9:11–15) that the Davidic Covenant will be fulfilled, reversing the curses of the Mosaic.

Outline

I. Introduction  1:1

A. Author of the prophecy: Amos, shepherd, from Tekoa

B. Focus of the prophecy: Israel

C. Setting of the prophecy: in the days of Jeroboam and Uzziah, two years before the earthquake

II. God’s universal judgment on sin announced  1:2—2:16

A. Introduction: God’s roar from Jerusalem  1:2

B. Judgment against Damascus  1:3–5

1. Declaration of judgment  1:3a

2. Reason for judgment: threshed Gilead  1:3b

3. Description of judgment  1:4–5

C. Judgment against Gaza  1:6–8

1. Declaration of judgment  1:6a

2. Reason for judgment: deported people to Edom  1:6b

3. Description of judgment  1:7–8

D. Judgment against Tyre  1:9–10

1. Declaration of judgment  1:9a

2. Reason for judgment: (like Gaza)  1:9b

3. Description of judgment  1:10

E. Judgment against Edom  1:11–12

1. Declaration of judgment  1:11a

2. Reason for judgment: mercilessly pursued Israel  1:11b

3. Description of judgment  1:12

F. Judgment against Ammon  1:13–15

1. Declaration of judgment  1:13a

2. Reason for judgment: ripped open pregnant women  1:13b

3. Description of judgment  1:14

G. Judgment against Moab  2:1–3

1. Declaration of judgment  2:1a

2. Reason for judgment: burned the bones of the king of Edom  2:1b

3. Description of judgment  2:2–3

H. Judgment against Judah  2:4–5

1. Declaration of judgment  2:4a

2. Reason for judgment: Covenant violation  2:4b

3. Description of judgment  2:5

I. Judgment against Israel  2:6–16

1. Declaration of judgment  2:6a

2. Reason for judgment  2:6b–12

a) Israel’s sins  2:6b–8

(1) Greed  2:6b

(2) Injustice  2:7a

(3) Violation of God’s holiness  2:7b–8

(a) Whoremongering  2:7b

(b) Profaning the sanctuary  2:8

b) God’s kindnesses to Israel  2:9–11

(1) Defeat of Amorites  2:9

(2) Reed Sea and wilderness deliverances  2:10

(3) Provision of Nazirites  2:11

c) Israel’s repudiation of Nazirites  2:12

3. Description of judgment: None will escape  2:13–16

III. God’s indictment of Israel described: Three messages  3–6

A. First message: Announcement that Israel’s sin must be punished  3

1. Introduction: God’s unique relationship with Israel  3:1–2

2. The certainty of the announced judgment  3:3–8

3. God’s invitation to examine Israel’s sin  3:9–10

4. Description of the coming devastation  3:11–15

a) Its completeness  3:11–13

b) Its foci  3:14–15

(1) The sanctuary at Bethel  3:14

(2) The opulent houses  3:15

B. Second message: Indictment of Israel’s depravity: her sins’ symptoms listed  4

1. Three indictments against Israel  4:1–11

a) Her uppity women  4:1–3

(1) Their sin  4:1

(2) Their judgment  4:2–3

b) Her multiplied sacrifices: ritualism  4:4–5

c) Her failure to respond to divine warnings  4:6–11

(1) Famine  4:6

(2) Drought  4:7–8

(3) Mildew and caterpillars  4:9

(4) War  4:10

(5) Supernatural destruction  4:11

2. Israel’s accountability to Yahweh  4:12–13

C. Third message: Indictment of Israel’s Covenant failure: The root cause of her degeneracy  5–6

1. Part one (chiastically arranged)  5:1–17

a)  Israel’s devastation  5:1–3

 b)  God’s demand to seek Him  5:4–6

  c)  God’s accusation of injustice  5:7

   d)  God’s power to judge  5:8–9

  c’)  God’s judgment in kind for Israel’s injustice  5:10–13

 b’)  God’s renewed call to repentance  5:14–15

a’)  Israel’s devastation portrayed again  5:16–17

2. Part two (chiastically arranged)  5:18–27

a)  Israel’s certain judgment  5:18–20

 b)  God’s accusation of religious ritualism  5:21–22

  c)  God’s demand for repentance and justice  5:23–24

 b’)  God’s renewed accusation of religious unfaithfulness  5:25–26

a’)  Israel’s exile beyond Damascus  5:27

3. Part three  6

a) God’s indictment against Israel’s arrogance  6:1–7

(1) Woe pronounced  6:1

(2) God’s judgment exemplified  6:2–3

(3) Indictment for luxuriousness  6:4–6

(4) Announcement of their shame  6:7

b) God’s judgment on Israel for arrogance  6:8–14

(1) Universal terror at the death  6:8–11

(2) Unprecedented sin answered with unprecedented judgment  6:12–14

IV. God’s judgment on Israel predicted: Five visions  7:1—9:10

A. The vision of the swarming locusts  7:1–3

1. The locusts’ devastation described  7:1

2. The prophet’s prayer for mercy  7:2

3. God’s mercy  7:3

B. The vision of the devouring fire  7:4–6

1. The fire’s destruction described  7:4

2. The prophet’s prayer for mercy  7:5

3. God’s mercy  7:6

C. The vision of the plumb line  7:7–9

1. The vision described  7:7–8a

2. The vision explained: Israel will be examined and judged  7:8b–9

D. The argument with Amaziah  7:10–17

1. Amaziah’s attempt to silence Amos  7:10–13

a) His accusation to King Jeroboam  7:10–11

b) His message to Amos: Go home!  7:12–13

2. Amos’s reply  7:14–17

a) The vindication of his call  7:14–15

b) The judgment on Amaziah  7:16–17

E. The vision of the ripe fruit  8

1. The vision described  8:1–2a

2. The vision explained: Judgment can delay no more  8:2b–3

3. The judgment described  8:4–14

a) Indictment for abusive greed  8:4–6

b) Calamity and grief  8:7–10

c) Divine silence  8:11–14

F. The vision of the Lord’s wrecking crew  9:1–10

1. The command to destroy  9:1a

2. The completeness of judgment  9:1b–4

3. The power of Yahweh  9:5–6

4. The devastating judgment, yet not final  9:7–10

V. God’s faithful restoration of Israel promised  9:11–15

A. Political renewal  9:11–12

B. National blessings  9:13–15

1. Prosperity  9:13

2. Regathering  9:14

3. Permanence  9:15