Major Wisdom from the Minor Prophets

Week 3 : Amos

Scripture: The Book of Amos

Background: Amos lived about 150 years after the reign of King Solomon. Amos was living as a shepherd who also took care of fig trees near the northern border of Judah, when God called him north to the city of Bethel in Israel to be a prophet to the people of Israel. The king of Israel at the time was King Jeroboam II, who won many battles, took land, and gained wealth for Israel. However, King Jeroboam II did not follow God or His ways, and allowed injustice, sin, and idolatry to overtake Israel.

Optional: Watch this 7 minute video: https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/amos/

Insights:

Amos 5:24 – “But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!”
Justice (Hebrew = Mishpat) – judicial judgment/verdict that upholds or restores righteousness
Righteousness (Hebrew = Tsedaqah) – all that is objectively, ethically, and morally right for mankind to do in light of God’s ultimate/perfect righteousness

Questions:

Amos 1:3 thru 2:3 reveals God’s accusations and judgments against the nations surrounding Israel. These are nations that God called His people to separate from so Israel could be a light and witness to them.
What are some of the accusations & judgements that God brings against these nations?
What do these accusations & judgements reveal about God?
Amos 2:4-5 reveals God’s accusations and judgments against the nation of Judah.
What is different about these accusations & judgements? Why the difference?
Amos 2:6 thru 6:14 reveals God’s accusations and judgments against the nation of Israel, as well as His call for them to repent and to seek Him.
Read Amos 2:9-11 and 3:1-2. Why does God judge Israel differently than the other nations?
In reading through chapters 2-6, what insights are given into what life was like in Israel:
for the poor and needy? for the wealthy and powerful?
what did worship look like (both to God and to idols)?
What does Hosea 4:6-11 teach us about God’s purposes when using negative circumstances in the lives of the people of Israel? How can we apply this to our lives today?
Read Amos 5:4-15. God is calling Israel to repent. In verse 4 He says “Seek me and live”… as opposed to seeking the false gods at the temples and high places in Bethel, Gilgal, and Beersheeba. Verse 14 parallels this with “Seek good, not evil, that you may live.”
The rest of these verses discuss seeking the true God vs. idols and seeking good (justice & righteousness) vs. evil. How are these two concepts related? (How does our worship impact our actions, our culture, justice in society, etc.)
Read Amos 5:18-26. Israel desired the “Day of the Lord”, which they viewed as God’s rescue of Israel and judgment against their oppressors and evil neighboring nations. This passage highlights the hypocrisy of having this desire without considering that the Day of the Lord would also be a judgment against Israel’s sins.
What can we learn from this passage as Christians in the modern day American church?
What does Amos chapter 6 reveal about relying on comfort, security, wealth & pride?
Read Amos 7:1-9. What does this teach us about intercessory prayer (man praying to God on behalf of other people)? What does it tell us about how God measures His judgment? (What is the plumb line?)
Read Amos 7:10-17. What might have been the heart/motive of the priest Amaziah in this passage? How about the heart/motive of Amos? What can this teach us about prophecy?
Amos 8:1 thru 9:10 reveals more of God’s harsh accusations and judgments against Israel. Now read Amos 9:11-15. What does this passage reveal about God’s grace?

CHALLENGE:

Let’s each take time this week to prayerfully consider who and how we worship.
Do we worship authentically or with hypocrisy?
Do we worship God alone, or are there idols in our life?
Do our everyday lives, relationships, and actions reflect justice & righteousness?
Where we fall short, let’s consider how we may repent (seek God, not idols & seek good, not evil) and let’s remember that God extends His amazing grace to us!