Background Information
According to the first verse, Amos prophesied during the reigns of Uzziah over Judah (792-740 B.C.) and Jeroboam II over the Israel (793-753). After the reign of Solomon the Kingdom of Israel was split into two kingdoms. The Northern 10 tribes were called Israel (nick-named Ephraim) and the Southern two tribes were called Judah.
In the North the religious shrines had become centers of vice and by Amos’s day the people had become pagan at heart. The Dan and Bethel shrines were about calf worship and Idolatry. Into this situation God chose as his spokesman a simple shepherd and itinerant orchard worker who was an enthusiastic Jehovah worshiper. He was from the working class of people but he understood human nature. This Tekoan shepherd launches out in his prophecy like a boiling pot he takes on such issues as social injustice and economic issues. His messages touched people, politics and purses.
Highlights of Amos: Amos was like a roaring lion. This true man of God takes on the establishment. Ritualism had supplanted religion. They sneered at the thought of a rugged country man pouring out his messages like muriatic acid on a concrete floor. His messages were plain and simple he likens their escape to a shepherd yanking back a leg or an ear from a lion’s mouth, or to a person escaping with only a table leg or a corner of a blanket. His messages were bad news. He portrays God as being sick and fed up with their brand of religion.
Keys to Open Amos
The people Amos addressed had plenty of "religion." They went regularly to shrines for worship (sex and religious shrines). They looked forward to "the day of the LORD," when God would fulfill all their expectations for their country. But Amos brought unexpected bad news from God: "I hate, I despise your religious feasts" (5:21).
God didn't want sacrifice or singing. He demanded justice. Amos listed all Israel's neighbors, announcing God's judgment for their crimes against humanity. Israelites liked this kind of talk; they felt superior to all these nations. But having caught the Israelites' attention, Amos circled like a rabbit being chased by a beagle hound and dramatically tracked down Israel. God would judge Israel too. The people, their beautiful homes, their sacred altars all would be destroyed.
Survey of Amos
Amos declared that God was going to judge his unfaithful, disobedient, covenant-breaking people. The shrines at Bethel and other places of worship were pagan. Their brand of religion was pagan to the core. It was also a time of idolatry, extravagant indulgence in luxurious living, immorality, corruption of judicial procedures and oppression of the poor. As a consequence, God would soon bring about the Assyrian captivity of the northern kingdom.
Society and religion were as bankrupt as Fanny Mae. It was a day when there was expansion, freedom, activity, prosperity, and peace. The rich gained their wealth by injustice and oppression. Wealth abounded, life of luxury and good music, rich furnishings and banquets, ease and extravagance was contrasted with misery and suffering of the poor and slaves. Sex and religious shrines abounded, songs, offerings, attendance, elaborate ceremonies, since they controlled the crucial trade routes, merchants piled up big profits. Luxuries became readily available—new stone houses, ivory-inlaid furniture, top-grade meat and fine wine, the best body lotions.
Gross immorality was aided and abetted by religious leaders, instead of plain living, they knew extravagance, carousals, lolling on soft couches, and idling precious time away while their country was going to ruin.
Inspirational Introduction
Amos was not a man of the court like Isaiah, or a priest like Jeremiah. He earned his living from the flock and the sycamore-fig grove. His skill with words and knowledge of history leaves us breathless. Though his home was in Judah, he was sent to announce God's judgment on the northern kingdom (Israel). He ministered for the most part at Bethel, Israel's main religious sanctuary, where the upper class of the northern kingdom worshiped.
Perhaps because he was a farmer, Amos used a plain writing style, filled with strong country language. Amos predicted that Israel would be punished, and this commentary will explore all of his predictions. After King Jeroboam, the government deteriorated. Five kings took the throne in the next 13 years; four were assassinated. In 30 years Israel was permanently dismantled by Assyrian armies they were deported beyond the Euphrates River and never heard from again. Amid such peace and prosperity, one lone voice scraped like a wire brush on raw flesh. Amos spoke bluntly with a farmer's vocabulary, calling the city socialites "cows".
Memorandum
Their religious system was centered on two calf-idols. But Amos wasted little breath on that. He focused on the facts that met his eyes and ears in every marketplace: oppression of the poor, dishonest business, bribery in court, privilege bought with money. God showed himself through Amos that he must be master over all of life, including business affairs. Main text is from the King James Version and some quotes are from the New American Standard 1977 Version.
Witness the Divine Judgment on Damascus and the Nations
If we submit ourselves to the passionate reading of the Prophets it will draw us into a spiritual life. Follow with me thru the book of Amos who spends his time on the front lines of defending the downtrodden and the poor. The prophet reveals that God’s feelings have intensified and that he is going to destroy the nations that have destroyed his people.
So, he sends Amos to Damascus, Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Ekron, Tyre, Edom, Bozrah, Ammon, Rabbah, Moab, Samaria, and Jerusalem to warn them of the coming punishment and dire consequence if they do not repent. Amos knew these places like the back of his hand. It was as if he had been in the detective business. He knew of their materialism, luxury, ease, drinking, bribery, extortion, shallow thinking and actual immorality. Within about 50 years his prophecies regarding these nations would be fulfilled.
Amos 1:1
The words of Amos, who was among the herdmen of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.
Amos was not a professional prophet he had not attended the school of the prophets he was a herdsman and a tree trimmer (Cf. Amos 7:14). He lived in Tekoa which was about ten miles south of Jerusalem. This earthquake must have been of considerable magnitude because they were still talking about it 200 years later. Josephus, 2,000 years ago, speaks about this earthquake in his book. The following quote will give us insight into this verse:
“Accordingly, when a remarkable day was come, and a general festival was to be celebrated, he put on the holy garment, and went into the temple to offer incense to God upon the golden altar, which he was prohibited to do by Azariah the high priest... In the mean time a great earthquake shook the ground and a rent was made in the temple, and the bright rays of the sun shone through it, and fell upon the king's face, insomuch that the leprosy seized upon him immediately.” — Josephus Ant: Book 9 Ch. 10
Zechariah makes mention of this earthquake in his prophecy: Zec 14:5 And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains... like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah.
Amos 1:2
And he said, The LORD will roar from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the habitations of the shepherds shall mourn, and the top of Carmel shall wither.
When the Lord roars it signifies the intense feelings he has against the wrong of the heathen nations as well as those of his own people. As you read this book you will get the feeling of God roaring like a lion as he attacks the nations of whom Amos identifies. Carmel is located near the port of modern Haifa. The term Carmel shall wither refers to a drought that would curb the growth of plant life and orchards and forests. Sharon, Lebanon, Bashan and Carmel were known as places of fertility and scenic beauty. God thus says he will bring it to devastation. Jerusalem is mentioned because it is the capitol.
Amos 1:3
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:
He now turns to Damascus the capitol of Syria. For repeated transgressions or as Amos says three, yes make it four. They had committed the Galeadites to capitol punishment under the threshing instrument. This threshing instrument was made of heavy planks fastened together and armed beneath with sharp iron points and was drawn by oxen. They took this machine and drug it over people tearing them from limb to limb. It was similar to the Iron tooth harrow.
Isaiah and Jeremiah both deliver a message denouncing Damascus and telling that the city will be removed and become a place of ruins. This was fulfilled by Tiglath-pilneser in 2 Kings 16:9.
Amos 1:4
But I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, which shall devour the palaces of Benhadad.
Hazael and Benhadad were father and son and reigned in succession over Syria and God threatens to destroy their palaces with fire. Hazel was the founder of the reigning dynasty of Syria and Benhadad was his son. This was fulfilled when Assyria invaded Syria.
Amos 1:5
I will break also the bar of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitant from the plain of Aven, and him that holdeth the sceptre from the house of Eden: and the people of Syria shall go into captivity unto Kir, saith the LORD.
A bar was used to fasten one door to the other one in order to keep the intruder out. Cities would close the gates and doors and place a long bar in brackets located on the inside of the door. The meaning is clear that God would allow an intruder such as an invading army to break through the defenses of Damascus and carry its citizens into Captivity. Kir was a fortress on the eastern side of the Euphrates river and they were kept there as slaves.
Amos 1:6-7
Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Gaza, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they carried away captive the whole captivity, to deliver them up to Edom: But I will send a fire on the wall of Gaza, which shall devour the palaces thereof:
Gaza was one of the 5 principal cities of the Philistines. They were not content until they had removed the whole population and sold them to the Edomites for slaves. Edom was located in Mount Seir and was guilty not only of receiving slaves but also of excessive brutality in war. Gaza is also called Azzah (Deut. 2:23).
Amos 1:8
And I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, and him that holdeth the sceptre from Ashkelon, and I will turn mine hand against Ekron: and the remnant of the Philistines shall perish, saith the Lord GOD.
Ashdod was a stronghold and a Philistine city, about midway between Gaza and Joppa. It was one of the chief seats of the worship of Dagon (1 Sam 5:5). Ekron was located about 11 miles north of Gath. Josephus records the remarkable fulfillment of this prophecy when Jonathan and Simon (Maccabees) besieged these areas, burning the temple of Dagon and destroying those who fled to it.
Amos 1:9-10
Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Tyrus, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they delivered up the whole captivity to Edom, and remembered not the brotherly covenant: But I will send a fire on the wall of Tyrus, which shall devour the palaces thereof.
Tyre was a principal city of the Phoenicians on the East Coast of the Mediterranean. They had delivered some of God’s people over to Edom who had long been bitter foes of Israel. The brotherly covenant was an understanding between two nations living near each other. Tyre was eventually captured and destroyed, first by Nebuchadnezzar (mainland) and later by Alexander the Great (island).
Amos 1:11
Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he did pursue his brother with the sword, and did cast off all pity, and his anger did tear perpetually, and he kept his wrath for ever:
Edom is the brother of Israel through Esau. The land of Edom was mountainous and called “the mountain of Seir.” It is a wild and rugged region, and its old capital was Bozrah. From the very beginning (Gen 25) to the time of the Exodus, Edom maintained an attitude of hostility toward Israel. Though Edomites were often subject to the Jews, their rivalry and cruelty never ceased. Today, Edom is a desolate ruin, a standing testimony to the inspiration of these prophecies.
“Where kings kept their court... there no man dwells; it is given by lot to birds, and beasts, and reptiles.” God has deeded all the land of Edom to be a wildlife refuge forever. Petra, the city of rock, stands in desolation.
Amos 1:12
But I will send a fire upon Teman, which shall devour the palaces of Bozrah.
Teman is the region of Idumaea. Bozrah is the capital of Idumaea. This was fulfilled under Nebuchadnezzar when he invaded Edom.
Amos 1:13
Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of the children of Ammon, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have ripped up the women with child of Gilead, that they might enlarge their border:
The Ammonites were descendants of Lot. They were so greedy for territory that they committed brutal acts, such as ripping open pregnant women, to seize the territory of Gilead for themselves. They worshipped Moloch (Milcom), offering human sacrifices.
Amos 1:14-15
But I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah, and it shall devour the palaces thereof, with shouting in the day of battle, with a tempest in the day of the whirlwind: And their king shall go into captivity, he and his princes together, saith the LORD.
Rabbah was the capital of Ammon. In the war that followed between Nebuchadnezzar and the Ammonites, Rabbah was burned and its nobles were carried into captivity.