Amos was a prophet of Judah, the southern kingdom,

• with a message to Israel, the northern kingdom, during the reigns of Uzziah, king of Judah (792–740 b.c.), and Jeroboam II, king of Israel (793–753 b.c.; 1:1).
• Yet Amos would also today be called a layman, for he was neither a priest nor a professional prophet, but a shepherd who also took care of sycamore trees (7:14,15).
• The sycamore was a species of fig of poor quality, a cross between fig and mulberry.

• was 10 miles southwest of Jerusalem,
• five miles from Bethlehem
• at an elevation of 2,700 feet
• at the edge of the pasturelands
• overlooking the bleak wilderness of Judea.

• Within 30 years these predictions were fulfilled!
• Israel went from the zenith of its power to destruction and exile.

• Amos's prophecy is dated approximately in about 750  b.c.
• This prophecy seems to have been delivered on a visit to Bethel ( Amos 7:10–14 ), about 30 years before the fall of Israel.
• It is obvious from reading here, what Amos had to say was not very well received!
• According to Josephus, a large earthquake ( 1:1 )
• The  earthquake  (1:1) must have been very severe, for it was remembered for 200 years (Zechariah 14:4-10) and was ominously compared to God's Day Christ's Second Coming.
• occurred at the time when Uzziah was struck by leprosy
• 2 Chronicles 26:16–21

• The kingdom had been considerably enlarged (2 Kings 14:23–29).
• Israel was in the high tide of prosperity, but extra bold in its idolatry and reeking with moral rottenness.
• It was also a land of swearing, stealing, injustice, oppression, robbery, adultery, and murder.

• ...since the Ten Tribes had set up the northern kingdom, with calf worship as its religion (1 Kings 12:26–33).
• During part of this time, Baal worship also had been adopted, and many of the abominable practices of Canaanite idolatry were still rampant.
• God had already sent the prophets Elijah, Elisha, and Jonah.
• But to no avail, Israel, hardened in its idolatry and wickedness, was speeding toward ruin when God sent Amos and Hosea in a final effort to stop the nation's mad dash toward death.

• The prophets of the Old Testament did not work in total isolation from one another.
• Some of the writing prophets could have known each other, although we have no indication that they in fact did.
• We can speculate that...
• ...as a boy, Amos could have known Jonah and heard him tell of his visit to Nineveh.
• Amos could also have known Elisha and heard him tell of his association with Elijah.
• Jonah and Elisha were passing off the stage as Amos was coming on.
• Joel also may have been Amos's friend or acquaintance or a near predecessor.
• It may have been Joel's plague of locusts to which Amos refers (Amos 4:9).
• Hosea may have been in Bethel at the time of Amos's visit.
• Hosea was the younger and continued his work after Amos was gone.
• Isaiah and Micah were also beginning their prophetic ministry as Amos was ending his.

• 1:3 - Damascus
• because they have threshed gilead with threshing instruments of iron.
• God's judgment: verses 4,5
• 1:6 - Gaza
• because they carried away captive the whole captivity, to deliver them up to Edom.
• God's judgment: verse 7
• 1:9 - Tyrus
• because they delivered up the whole captivity to Edom and remembered not the brotherly covenant:
• God's judgment: verse 10
• 1:11 - Edom
• 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:...
• God's judgment:  verse 12
• 1:13 - Ammon
• because they have ripped up the women with child of Gilead, that they might enlarge their border:
• God's judgment: verses 14,15
• 2:1 - Moab
• because he burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime
• God's judgment: verses 2,3
• 2:4 - Judah
• because they have despised the law of the LORD and have not kept his commandments, and their lies caused them to err, after the which their fathers have walked:
• God's judgment: verse 5
• 2:6 - Israel
• because they sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes; that pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, and turn aside the way of the meek: and a man and his father  will go in unto the same maid, to profane my holy name: And they lay themselves down upon clothes laid to pledge by every altar, and they drink the wine of the condemned in the house of their god.
• God's judgment: verses 9-16

• Samaria , the capital of the northern kingdom
• was situated on a hill 300 feet high,
• in a valley of surpassing beauty,
• surrounded on three sides by mountains.
• It was as impregnable as it was beautiful.
• Its palatial residences had been built on the backs of the poor (2:6–7; 3:10; 5:11; 8:4–7),
• ...with a heartlessness that would shock even the heathen Egyptians and Philistines (3:9–10).
• Bethel  (v. 14), where Amos was speaking (7:13), was one of the religious centers of the northern kingdom, 12 miles north of Jerusalem.
• Jeroboam I had set up a golden calf here to be worshiped (I Kings 12:25–33)
• the other golden calf was set up at Dan in the north, which was still there (Hosea 13:2).
• To this degenerate center of idolatry came Amos with God's final warning.
• God told him so: vs 7 - Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.

• The pampered ladies of Samaria (vv. 1–3) were living in sumptuous indulgence on gains squeezed out of the poor.
• Kine (cows) of Bashan  (v. 1) were fatted animals, pampered until taken away for slaughter.
• Within a few years these women would be taken away  with hooks  (v. 2).
• Assyrians literally led their captives by ropes attached to hooks through the lip.
• Ironically, the Israelites were pitiless in their cruelty, yet intensely religious (vv. 4–5). What a satire on religion!
• God's repeated efforts to save them had been in vain.
• The time had come for the nation to meet its God (vv. 6–13).
• yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.
• vv. 6, 8, 9, 10, 11

• A lament over the fall of Israel (vv. 1–3)
• another appeal to turn to God (vv. 4–9)
• and another denunciation of their evil ways (vv. 10–27).
• Verses 18–26  seem to indicate that they were willing to turn and offer sacrifices to God instead of to the calf.
• However, what Amos wanted was not sacrifices but a reformation of the heart, a radical change in the way they lived.
• Worship can actually not please God!
• Amos 5:21-23 - during OT times
• Acts 17:22-26 - TO us today!
• As to be expected, folks don't like to hear the pastor / preacher tell them the truth!
• vs 10 - They hate him that rebuketh in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly.
• Good advice even for us today... but not the same consequences... well, not unless...
• 13-15 - Therefore the prudent shall keep silence in that time; for it is an evil time.  Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the LORD, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken.  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.
• A seriously dark day is coming
• vss 18-20 - Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD!  to what end is it for you?  the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light. As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him. Shall not the day of the LORD be darkness, and not light?  even very dark, and no brightness in it?

• Over and over Amos contrasts the voluptuous ease, palatial luxury, and feeling of security of the leaders and the rich with the intolerable sufferings that are about to befall them.
• What a verse that affects our 'musical Christianity today - especially Christian couch potatoes!
• 1a, 4a, 5, - Woe to them that are at ease in Zion ... That lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, ... That chant to the sound of the viol, and invent to themselves instruments of musick, like David;
• Modern bibles change this verse to prove that music for themselves is ok because david did it, too!  See any modern bible EXCEPT the KJB!

• vv. 1–3
• The grasshoppers (why 'locusts' in modern bibles) symbolize the destruction of the land. Amos interceded, and God repented.
• vv. 4–6
• The  fire  is another symbol of the coming destruction. Again Amos interceded, and again God repented
• vv. 7-9
• The  plumb line  indicates that the city is being measured for destruction.
• Twice God had repented - but no more.
• He had punished and punished, and forgiven and forgiven.
• Their case was hopeless (vv. 7–9).

• But his repeated denunciations and warnings had a great impact on the land (v. 10).
• Amaziah, the priest at Bethel,  reported to Jeroboam II that Amos was “raising a conspiracy” (vv. 10–17).
• But Amos grew bolder and bolder, telling Amaziah that the priest himself would be a captive. (vv. 16,17)

• This is another symbol that the sinful kingdom was ripe for ruin.
• And Amos reiterates the causes:
• greed
• dishonesty
• merciless brutality toward the poor.
• Over and over, through many images, the Bible makes it plain that there is no possible way to escape the consequences of continued and persistent sin.
• It came once, it will come again...
• Amos 8:11-13
• famine of hearing the words of the LORD
• part of what apostasy is!

• Further prediction of exile (vv. 1–8).
• Within 30 years it came to pass, and the apostate kingdom ceased to exist.
• The restored throne of David (vv. 8–15).
• An ever-recurrent prophetic vision of radiant days beyond the gloom.
• Amos lived near Bethlehem, the city of David.
• He took it to heart that the Ten Tribes had renounced the Davidic throne, which God had ordained for His people, and that for 200 years they had obstinately declined to return to its fold.