Amos

A Common Man With An Uncommon Purpose

In our study of Amos chapter one, we see how God chose a common man to share an uncommon message with His people. He was a simple herdsman from a backwater town but God sent him to the big city to warn the elite of society about the coming judgment.

** Note ** In this study, we will be using the Complete Jewish Bible (CJB) translation which was translated directly from Hebrew into English. You can get your own hardback or paperback copy on Amazon where we will earn a small commission.

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For a deep dive discussion of this chapter, you can listen to The Olive Grove Podcast on Youtube.

Amos 1:1


The words of 'Amos, one of the sheep owners in T'koa, which he saw concerning Isra'el in the days of 'Uziyah king of Y'hudah and Yarov'am the son of Yo'ash, king of Isra'el, two years before the earthquake;


We are introduced to this unlikely prophet and told that he was a shepherd from Tekoa. Tekoa was located about twelve miles southeast of Jerusalem which was in the southern kingdom of Judah. It was on the edge of a wilderness (desert) and was like the last stop before you entered into this hard place. He was a shepherd of a particular type of desert sheep that most would have considered lower than other breeds but they grew long wool as it gets very cold in the desert at night. We also see here that God took this common man and sent him to the big city in a foreign land.

Amos 1:2


he said: ADONAI is roaring from Tziyon thundering from Yerushalayim; the shepherds' pastures will mourn, and Mount Karmel's summit will wither.


He gets right to the point as he proclaims that judgment is coming. A lion will let out a big roar just before it pounces on its prey and that is what he says is happening. This would let those that heard it know that this judgment is coming quickly. Then, he gives them the first indication that it is coming which is a drought that causes a famine. Carmel was a beautiful and fertile area but the prophet says that God is removing his hand of blessing from the land. We may ask ourselves what this has to do with us today and the simple answer is that the northern kingdom of Israel had descended into idolatry where they even replaced God with a golden calf. This is much the same thing that is happening in many parts of the world today. We may not forge our gold into the form of a calf but it may take the form of our ridiculously large homes, our bigger and bigger cars, or our retirement accounts. The warning that Amos delivers should speak to our hearts as well. (This same thing is what Jesus was speaking about in Matthew 6).

Amos 1:3


Here is what ADONAI says: "For Dammesek's three crimes, no, four - I will not reverse it - because they threshed Gil'ad with an iron-spiked threshing-sledge;


This verse speaks of the modern country of Syria (Damascus is its capitol) and, although God could have given a long list of their offenses, he uses the numbers three and four. We should remember that, throughout the Bible, the number three is associated with the display of God's will and the number four with trials/temptations. We see here that it is God's will to judge Syria because He used them to deal with Israel but they chose to do so harshly. (They failed this test of their hearts.) The iron sledges that the verse talks about were used to beat the grain to separate it from the chaff (which is a kind of refining). God was wanting to refine (purify) his people but Syria wanted to destroy them and so was cruel. This is also what happened to Assyria in Isaiah 10. As His children, we can find comfort in this passage and the fact that God may use a bad situation to correct us but the purpose is refinement and not destruction. This refining process is also described in the tribulations of Revelation 6.

Amos 1:4 & 5


I will send fire to the house of Haza'el, and it will consume the palaces of Ben-Hadad. I will break the bars of Dammesek's gates. I will cut off the inhabitants from Bik'at-Aven, and him who holds the scepter from Beit-'Eden. Then the people of Aram will go into exile in Kir," says ADONAI.


Because of the way they dealt with the people of Israel, God decrees that he will destroy their king and their capitol. God even says that he is going to use the Assyrians to do this. (Kir was a province of Assyria)

Amos 1:6


Here is what ADONAI says: "For 'Azah's three crimes, no, four - I will not reverse it because they exiled a whole population and handed them over to Edom;


Now, Amos turns to the judgment on Gaza and God could have given a list of charges but He gives a specific reason for the judgment. Gaza was the land of the Philistines who were constantly battling God's people. God's charge against them is simple in that they conquered Israel and sold entire villages into slavery. We know the people of this area as Palestinians today and even now they continue to battle with Israel (God's people).

Amos 1:7 & 8


I will send fire to the wall of 'Azah, and it will consume its palaces.I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, and him who holds the scepter from Ashkelon. I will turn my hand against 'Ekron, and the rest of the P'lishtim will perish," says ADONAI, God.


Because of their treatment of God's people, the judgment is severe and will fall on all of the people and their rulers. Once again, God says that he is going to send fire and that is a reminder that God is purifying the land with this judgment.

Amos 1:9


Here is what ADONAI says: "For Tzor's three crimes, no, four - I will not reverse it because they exiled a whole population to Edom and did not remember the covenant with kinsmen;


Now the Lord turns to the Phoenicians which inhabited the coastal areas. Tyre was one of their city-states and had broken a covenant of peace with God's people. This reminds us of what is to come as we see in Revelation that there will be a false peace before the judgment of God.

Amos 1:10


I will send fire to the wall of Tzor, and it will consume its palaces."


The judgment on the Phoenicians is simple. God is sending fire and the palaces (rulers) will be destroyed.

Amos 1:11 & 12


Here is what ADONAI says: "For Edom's three crimes, no, four - I will not reverse it because with sword he pursued his kinsman and threw aside all pity, constantly nursing his anger, forever fomenting his fury; I will send fire on Teman, and it will consume the palaces of Botzrah."


Edom is another name for Esau which was Jacob (Israel's) brother. Although Esau was older, Jacob had been chosen by God to be the father of the tribes of Israel and this caused jealousy (see Genesis chapters 25 - 27). Amos tells us that this jealousy (sin) has led to anger (not righteous anger) and, therefore, God is going to judge Edom.

Amos 1:13


Here is what ADONAI says: "For the people of 'Amon's three crimes, no, four - I will not reverse it - because they ripped apart pregnant women just to expand their territory,


The Ammonites joined with Syria to conquer Israel. We see that they did so to increase their borders and now they are going to give an accounting for their actions.

Amos 1:14 & 15


I will set fire to the wall of Rabbah, and it will consume its palaces amid shouts on the day of battle, amid a storm on the day of the whirlwind. Their king will go into exile, he and his princes together," says ADONAI.


Like the rest, God's judgment on the Ammonites begins with their leaders and ends with the people in exile. That is also a picture of the coming judgment on all of mankind but that exile will be permanent separation from God. That judgment will also begin with those leaders who are leading the people astray.

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