Feb 2018

Summary:

  • See Amos 9:9-10 – God must judge Israel (primarily the northern kingdom) to refine her, and preserve a faithful remnant.

Insights:

  • 1:1 –
    • “the words of Amos”, yet also God’s words.  
    • “the words…he saw” – prophets (also called “seers” – see 7:12), see things by God, and their words record what they see
    • “among the shepherds”…lowly job for a mighty prophet.  Most in Bible are likewise in lowly jobs.  If we think “mighty” jobs are needed for mighty acts of God, we are sorely mistaken.
    • “two years before the earthquake” – a comment written later, presumably
  • 1:2 – Jerusalem = Southeastern Israel // Mount Carmel = Northwestern Israel — the message is for all of Israel
  • 1:3 – “for three transgressions…and for four” – common refrain in Amos.  2-3 witnesses confirm a matter.  If you have 3-4 instances, it is past time for judgment.
  • 1:3 – Damascus is capital of Syria (see Isaiah 7:8); Gilead = Israelite land East of Jordan (2 Kings 10:33) – Syria thoroughly hurt and destroyed Gilead: occurs in 2 Kings 10:32 (cf. 13:7)
    • Syria = Northeast of Israel
  • 1:4 – Hazael was king of Syria when it happened (2 K 10:32); Ben-hadad = the name of multiple kings following Hazael in Syria during time of Amos
  • 1:5 – “Aven” = “vanity”; refers to a valley in Syria where idols were worshipped
    • Kir is where Syria originally came from (see Amos 9:7)
  • 1:6 – Gaza – a chief town of Philistia, southwest of Israel
  • 1:8 – Ashdod, Ashkelon, Ekron – 3 other chief towns of Philistia
  • 1:9 – Tyre = town northwest of Israel
    • “Brotherly covenant” = covenant made between Tyre and Israel in past
  • 1:11 – Edom = southeast of Israel
  • 1:12 – Teman – city of Edom
    • Bozrah – city of Edom (capital?)
  • 1:13 – Amon = East of Israel
    • “Ripped open pregnant women” – a cruel warfare tactic (cf. 2 K 15:16)
    • Rabbah = city of Amon
  • 2:1 – Moab – immediately North of Edom
    • Acts of cruelty that are done to non-Israelites are also judged by God
  • 2:2 – Kerioth – city in Moab
  • 2:4 – after addressing 6 neighboring locations, God now focuses on Israel itself, first the southern kingdom (2:4-5), then northern (2:6-16)
  • 2:9-10 – “Amorites” = name of people who inhabited Canaan and surrounding territories before Israel came to Canaan (see Josh. 2:10; 7:7)
  • 2:11-12 – they didn’t listen to voice of young men God was raising up; instead they taught them to compromise like they had
  • 3:2…wow!…”You only have I known…THEREFORE I will punish you…”  – totally contradicts modern culture that says God as our Father would never punish us….No, on the contrary, God as our Father will punish/discipline his children more because He loves us as His very children (cf. Heb. 12)
  • 3:3-8 – essentially, God seems to be saying, “I do not speak these things without reason.”  –a lion doesn’t roar without reason, a trap doesn’t spring without reason, 2 don’t walk together without reason, etc.
  • 3:6-7 – God, on some level, oversees every disaster, but does not flippantly bring disaster–first, He warns his people (via prophets).
  • 3:8 – “the Lord GOD has spoken; who can but prophesy?”…in other words, we will proclaim God’s word boldly when we know it as God’s word
  • 3:9 – Samaria = capital of Israel’s Northern kingdom
  • 3:9-10 – the rebellion of God’s people is so terrible that even outside nations would view it as shameful
  • 3:11 – even adversaries coming against us can be part of God’s punishment and discipline for sin (see Isaiah 10, for instance)
  • 3:14 – Bethel was a city of Northern Israel, where Israel made idolatrous altars (e.g. 1 K 12:32)
  • 4:1 – “cows of Bashan” – Bashan is Israelite region East of Jordan (in Northern Kingdom) where cows flourished (see similar words in Ps. 22:12)
  • 4:4 – Gilgal = city in Northern Kingdom of Israel
  • 4:6-13 – Not only does it show that God is trying to draw us back to Him by bringing suffering to us.  But it also shows that when people meet God out of right-standing with Him, even the “people of God” (at least they thought they were), it is a SCARY thing (4:12)
    • 4:10 – part of God’s discipline to us as a corporate entity includes death to individuals (even see 1 Cor. 11 on this)
  • 5:3 – ten percent remnant is consistent theme (Isaiah 1; ten lepers and Jesus, etc)
  • 5:4, 6 – “Seek me and live” – God is our only refuge against God (cf. 5:9)
  • 5:5 – Beersheba = city 50 miles southwest of Jerusalem; an idolatrous shrine the northern kingdom sought (see 8:4)
  • 5:8 – God is over all
    • the water cycle
  • 5:13 – there can be times of great wickedness where it is wise to be silent (especially after they reject; like shaking the dust off our feet – 5:10)
  • 5:16-20 – how many people will be unpleasantly surprised then?
  • 5:21-24 – justice/righteousness is what pleases God over outward action (cf 6:12)
  • 6:1-7 – israel rulers chose comfort over grieving for sin, they set a precedence in this way, and so will be judged harshly
  • 6:14 – God will bring Assyria against Israel
  • 7:1 – God “was forming locusts” (those that devour came from Him)
  • 7:2-3, 6 – one mans prayer changed what God did to a whole group of people (cf. 3:7)
  • 7:8 – “plumb line” = Gods righteous standard
    • “Pass by” = excuse their sin
  • 7:9 – Jeroboam = Israels king (cf. 1:1)
  • 7:12-13 – Gods corrupt leaders reject hard words spoken against their people
  • 7:17 – response of God not favorable toward those who reject His words (even the hard ones)
  • 8:1 – A basket of summer fruit could have a dual meaning here, in the Hebrew it sounds like the word for “end”, but it also could speak to the end of their fruitfulness, this summer fruit signaling the fall and final harvest.
  • 8:7 – God says here that he will never forget their sins, but in first Corinthian’s 13 it says love does not keep record of wrongs. I think the Key to understanding this is found in the cross. Jesus had to die, and his wounds are still before the father continually. This is because the sins of us cannot be brushed under the rug, and in this sense he never forgets the payment of the Son that was for our sins.  But since they have been paid in Christ, he does not count them toward us, and at the cross he shows love in doing what he can do on his part to not keep a record of wrongs against us.  This interpretation has even more merit, when we consider verse nine, which was literally fulfilled at the crucifixion
  • 8:9 – The day of God’s judgment is described here, which fits precisely with Jesus crucifixion
  • 8:11-14 – God’s word is more food and drink to us then eating bread and drinking water.  This also seems to indicate, that the judgment over Israel will be so profound that no more words of God will be left, because they will cease to exist. Which is ironic, because in chapter 7, they wanted Amos to stop speaking Gods word, but he said he cannot help himself. So later there will be a day when they want to God’s word, but it will not be found.
  • 9:4 – not that God is originating the evil, but he is, essentially, giving them what they have earned and all the evil they have sown, for now they are reaping evil
  • 9:8-10 – God still, after all Amos exposes, has long suffering toward Israel; so the judgment will sift and refine, not obliterate

For Brian to obey:

  • 3:8 – teach people God’s word in all boldness, by the Holy Spirit
  • 5:4 – seek God for life (in me and others)
  • Speak boldly to professing Christians denying God