He warned the israelites that destruction was impending, and he described god as angry, crouching, and focused like a lion stalking the sinful, carefree nations. When god had a message for the people, he gave his message through the prophets. Will we eventually exhaust gods longsuffering and patience if we persist in our transgressions of his laws. Tekoa was located about twelve miles south of jerusalem. The pressure of duty upon the prophet compared to the roaring of a lion in his ears 3. The book of amos is a series of prophecies by the prophet amos, who predicted the fall of judah by the invading assyrians. Amoss ministry may have been the earliest of the minor prophets. He prophesied in israel at the great cult center of bethel, from which he was finally expelled by the priest in charge of this royal sanctuary 7. In the hebrew bible and christian old testament, amos hebrew. The prophet amos lived in the eighth century bc and was a common herdsman and keeper of sycamore fig trees 7.
Instead of choosing between prayer and service, the book of amos teaches us that both are essential. The prophet amos explains some more judgments to the people from god and in chapter 5. He was not a prophet no formal role in prophesying nor the son of a prophet no formal training in prophesying, just as they were uneducated and untrained. As with hosea, amos preached against the social and moral decline of israel. Book of amosend times prophecy news end times prophecy news. May 07, 2016 watch our overview video on the book of amos, which breaks down the literary design of the book and its flow of thought. His major themes of justice, gods omnipotence, and divine judgment became staples of prophecy. John ahn may 16, 2018 11 comments 7987 views share. Bible names had meanings, and often, when a prophet s name was given to him or her, it described the work that god had called the prophet to do. Amos was a sheepbreeder of tekoa in judah, who delivered his oracles in the northern kingdom during the prosperous reign of jeroboam ii 786746 b. Amos dated his prophecy by reference to which two kings. The book of amos is the third of the twelve minor prophets in the tanakhold testament and the second in the greek septuagint tradition. His given name was prophetically significant to the work that he was called to do.
The book of amos was written in a time when the people of israel have reached a low point in their devotion to jehovah, the god of israel. God sent the prophet amos to the nation of israel saying, time is running out. Not all of the material found in these chapters came from amos himself. Book of amos, the third of 12 old testament books that bear the names of the minor prophets, collected in one book under the jewish canon titled the twelve. The book of amos, the third of the twelve minor prophets, has been one of the most under the impact of powerful visions of divine destruction of the hebrews. The book of amos records gods assessment of ancient israels internal condition some forty years before she fell.
The most popular bible verses from amos found 146 verses amos 4. The book of amos is not an easy work to read and understand. How does the message of an out of step sheepherder relate to america at this critical moment in. Amos, an older contemporary of hosea and isaiah, was active c. Both kings jeroboam ii of israel 793753 bc and uzziah of judah 791739 bc enjoyed long and prosperous reigns. Amos, the first hebrew prophet to have a biblical book named for him. It is a stirring warning to all of the dangers of apostasy, rebellion and complacency. Find out what true worship looks like in the book of amos. Our study of the old testament prophetic books this year will cover these writings in chronological, not canonical, order. Jun 14, 2016 the words of amos, who was among the sheepbreeders 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. The book of amos is one of the least understood in the holy scriptures.
The ethical teaching of amos, its content and relevance. Unlike some of the prophetsjonah or hoseaamos doesnt tell a story that is easy to remember. All the biographical information we do have comes from his book, particularly todays passage, which tells us he was among the shepherds of tekoa amos 1. The book of amos is an intriguing scripture from a unique individual, amos, a shepherd and fig tree farmer dwelling in southern judah who is called by god to go to bethel and announce warnings of judgment to the northern kingdom of israel. Where god has brought material blessing to his people through honest hard work and diligence, such blessing should be received gratefully and enjoyed. The book of amos, which is the earliest of the prophetic writings to be preserved in book form, consists of nine chapters. Amos lived in the kingdom of judah but preached in the northern kingdom of israel. The prophet amos lived among a group of shepherds in tekoa, a small town approximately ten miles south of jerusalem. Learning to sift prophecy there is so much that is socially, morally and politically relevant to the situation in which we ourselves live.
His major themes of social justice, gods omnipotence, and divine judgment became staples of prophecy. Book of amosend times prophecy news end times prophecy. Rather, he was a grower of sycamore figs as well as a shepherd amos 7. In order to comprehend the theology of the book that bears his name, one must have a basic understanding of that context. Mathew bartlett and derek williams skillfully bring out the historical background, the meaning, and the applications in the prophecy of amos. The prophet amos the bible brief the best bible summary.
Amos message must not be lost on our modern generation. In this book, amos accuses israel of breaking their covenant with god and highlights how their idolatry has led to injustice and the neglect of the poor. The prophecy of amos is characterized by great boldness coupled with great tact. Amos a prophet of israel amazing bible timeline with. The people have become greedy and have stopped following biblical values. I am no prophet, protested amos, nor a prophet s son. The prophetic books are anthologies of oracles the sequence of which is often determined by literary rather than chronological considerations. The book of amos is a prophetic book in the old testament. Amos is a shepherd and a fruit picker from the judean village of tekoa when god calls him, even though he lacks an education or a priestly background. This summary of the book of amos provides information about the title, authors, date of writing, chronology, theme, theology, outline, a brief overview, and the chapters of the book of amos.
He spoke against an increased disparity between the very wealthy and the very poor. Amos prophecy fulfilled after they finished speaking, james replied, brothers, listen to me. The book is an anthology of his oracles and was compiled either by the prophet or by some of his disciples. Amos, a judaean prophet from the village of tekoa, was active in the northern kingdom of israel during the reign of jeroboam ii c. The straining of gods mercy compared to the overloading of a wagon 2. Amos was not the first bible prophet, but he was the first prophet to have his prophecies recorded in a separate book of the bible, that being the book of amo.
Simeon has related how god first visited the gentiles, to take from them a people for his name. Jul 29, 2010 does what we see happening to our western world today relate to bible prophecy. Whether amos himself committed any of his sayings to writing is not certain. Like most of the apostles, amos had no theological credentials cf. The prophecy of amos amos prophesied in israel about the same time as osee. The book of amos was likely written between 760 and 753 b. The wealthy elite are becoming rich at the expense of others. The bible speaks of his ministry and prophecies concluding around 762, two years before the earthquake that is spoken. In the delivery of his prophecy he is very courageous while being unusually stern and severe. Amos was from tekoa, a small town in judah about 6 miles south of bethlehem and 11 miles from jerusalem. He was a shepherd and farmer, but had the special commission to proclaim gods message to the people of israel more precisely, to the northern kingdom of israel, since the people of israel had split into two kingdoms some 150 years before amos days. This lecture introduces the literary prophets of both the northern and southern kingdoms. Amos was a herdsman who lived in the village of tekoa, before becoming a prophet during the reign of king uzziah. He accurately foretold the destruction of the northern kingdom of israel although he did not specify assyria as the cause and, as a prophet of doom, anticipated later old testament prophets.
He has been referred to as the first of the classical prophets, 1 philip hyatt, the book of amos, interpretation, iii, no. This prophetic idea was shocking to the popular conception of religion, which imagined god smiting israels enemies and then redeeming israel regardless of israels. The purpose of the book of amos was to announce gods holy judgment on the kingdom of israel the northern kingdom, call them to repentance, and to turn from their selfrighteous sins and idolatry. The prophecy of this hebrew book of the bible was directed primarily to the northern kingdom of israel. Amos is the 30th book of the bible and has nine chapters. The book of amos consists of nine chapters, but despite his severe admonitions in most of the book, he finishes his prophecies on a happy note, of the wonderful things that will happen to the jewish people on that day, on the day of the true redemption. The calling of amos the christ in prophecy journal. We personally assess every books quality and offer rare, outofprint treasures. God raised up the prophet amos, as an act of his great mercy to a.
God has called christians not only to be in relationship with him but also to be in relationships with others. Amos made clear in his writings that he did not come from a family of prophets, nor did he even consider himself one. In this book, amos accuses israel of breaking their covenant with god and. It can not be proved that hosea knew the book of amos, though there is no reason to doubt that he was.
The book of amos records some of the prophecies and teachings that the. A significant portion of biblical prophecy, including much of the book of revelation, refers to this period of endtime events. Sep 09, 2015 this book certainly has many applications and warnings for the people of god today. As in the book of hosea religion was prospering but faith in the one true god yhwh was on the decline. Hear this word, you cows of bashan on mount samaria, you women who oppress the poor and crush the needy and say to your husbands, bring us some drinks.
And we must never forget that amos is speaking to us, the church of god, the israel of god. The book of amos is the earliest of the book of the twelve prophets, and is relevant today, as it addresses social injustice, so prevalent in our world. The worship of assyrian deities and the huge gulf that had emerged between the haves and the have nots. The twelve include hosea, joel, amos, obadiah, jonah, micah, nahum, habakkuk, zephaniah, haggai, zechariah, and malachi. The book is ultimately addressed to all israel hence the references to judah and jerusalem. Amos was a shepherd who lived in the region of tekoa, not many miles from the city of jerusalem. Amos, flourished 8th century bc, the first hebrew prophet to have a biblical book named for him.
The book of amos amos is the 30th timesandseasonsbible. While most of the prophets interspersed redemption and restoration in their prophecies against israel and judah, amos devoted only the final five verses of his. In chapter 7 of the book of amos god gives him a series of visions and the first vision was about locusts destroying israels land. The book of amos is a stinging rebuke of a nation that has rejected and forgotten god. Apparently it was first delivered orally during the reigns of jeroboam ii and uzziah, kings of israel and of judah respectively, whose periods of kingship overlapped between 829 and about 804 b.
May 18, 2017 the book of amos is a prophetic book of the hebrew bible largely dating to the 8th century bce and considered to be scripture by modernday jews and christians. It is always a prophets responsibility to remind the people that the future is inextricably bound to the present. The book of amos amos was a sheepbreeder of tekoa in judah, who delivered his oracles in the northern kingdom during the prosperous reign of jeroboam ii 786746 b. Jul 10, 2016 on the series of how to read the bible, this message on the book of amos by bro. Lessons from the book of amos, part i steps to life. It is a prophecy for the period just ahead of us, a prophecy dealing with a specific twoyear span of time just prior to the second advent of christ.
What the bible says about amos, prophecies of from forerunner commentary amos 1. Watch our overview video on the book of amos, which breaks down the. His prophecy can be dated before 750 bc, since uzziahs son, jotham 750731 bc, who reigned as coregent with his father for eleven years, is not mentioned. The only time the name of amos appears in the old testment is in the book of amos. May 22, 2019 the details of life in ancient israel were the foundation on which amoss prophecy was built, and they are his starting point for conveying a different way of thinking. Mays, words about the words of amos, interpretation. The main part of his ministry was probably carried out c. The book of the twelve prophets was originally on one parchment roll because of the brevity of the text, and originally formed one book of the 24 books of hebrew scripture. The book of the prophet amos the prophet amos lived in the eighth century bc and was a common herdsman and keeper of sycamore fig trees 7. Scholars have emphasized the importance of amos among the great prophets of the old testament by means of various expressions. God raised up the prophet amos, as an act of his great mercy to a people who repeatedly shunned and disobeyed him.
Nearly three millennia ago in the eighth century b. Amoss worldview was both familiar and different, embedded in the theology of ancient israel but also a dramatic departure from it. Unlike most of the other writing prophets of the old testament, amos lifelong calling was not that of a prophet but involved agriculture. He made his living by raising sheep and taking care of. The prophet was sent to warn the people and lead them to repentance, but they would not change. Thriftbooks sells millions of used books at the lowest everyday prices. So wrote the prophet amos, concerning the message he had for the northern kingdom of israel cf.
Like all biblical prophets, amos spoke the oracles of yahweh, israels god, to people in a particular context. The prophecy of amos carries an urgent message for the global church in the twentyfirst century. Amos wrote at a very significant time in israels history. Amos is a contemporary of the prophet hosea and so the social and religious problems that hosea faced were the same. Although he hailed from judea, amos preached in the northern. The prophet gains the attention of his audience by pronouncing judgment on israels enemies before delivering the main burden of judgment against israel herself.
Not one of the recognized prophets of israel, nor was he a priest, not even a native of israel but a farmer called of the lord from judah to warn the northern kingdom of the coming judgement. Book of amos overview insight for living ministries. Yet it is a prophecy which has all of its geographical, political, and chron. The book of amos is named after the prophet whose words are collected in this book. As punishment for her spiritual and moral decay, israel was invaded by assyria in 721 bc and crushed in a devastating war. Prophecy for today from the book of amos kindle edition by flurry, gerald, church of god, philadelphia. The prophecy of amos should simplify the choices in our lives. Amos mission is directed to his neighbor to the north, israel. The book of amos, the third of the twelve minor prophets, has been one of the most significant and influential books the book is a collection of individual sayings and reports of visions.
Editors and copyists added comments to the prophets original oracles that they deemed appropriate in light of events that occurred after his death. It stares us in the face if we read the book of amos with honest and open hearts. When possible, some historical information will be included in the study guide to increase reading comprehension and enhance application. Amos was a prophet of judgments against nations damascus, edom, gaza, tyre, moab, ammon, israel, and judah.
According to the first verse, amos prophesied during the reigns of uzziah over judah 792740 b. These messages came in visions, oracles, dreams, parables, and the like. What are some of the main principles we should learn from the old testament book of amos. The book of the twelve prophets was originally on one parchment roll because of the brevity of the text, and originally formed one book of the 24 books of hebrew. Amos is the third of the minor prophets, the last twelve books of the old testament. He moved from tekoa in judah to the northern kingdom of israel during the reign of jeroboam ii and prophesied the destruction of the northern kingdom.
Amos wrote at a time of relative peace and prosperity but also of neglect of gods laws. Amos, like many of the other prophets of god, prophesied of the day of the lord. The prophecy of amos the words of amos, who was among the shepherds 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. With each verse, commentary is provided to help the reader understand and apply the text. Abraham david john, world tamil christian fellowship, london, united kingdom. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Amos, theology of bakers evangelical dictionary of. This prophecy relates back to the series of prophecies against other nations at the beginning of the book, which reaches its climax with amos prophecy against israel. A teaching outline for the book of amos expository. The book identifies the author as the prophet amos, who wrote probably between 760 and 753 bc, during the reign of jeroboam ii in israel.
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