The Book of Amos

Amos was a shepherd who lived in Judah. He received a series of visions during the reign of king Jeroboam II of the northern kingdom and king Uzziah of the southern kingdom.

At least chronologically, he is the first prophet who's Biblical record is principally an apocalyptic writing. There were other prophets, like Elijah and Elisha, who were associated with major miracles as they pronounced judgment.

Amos' ministry was principally to pronounce the judgment of God. If anything, God has given up on trying to miraculous demonstrations of power to convince the people to turn back to him. No, that did not work.

This ministry is similar to Jonah. But there are two major differences between Jonah and Amos. First, Jonah's prophecy was directed solely to the people of Nineveh, enemies of Israel. The book of Amos covers God's judgment on Israel's neighbors, but mostly focuses on Israel itself.

Likewise, the book of Jonah primarily focuses on what Jonah did with the message - he ran away. In contrast, Amos largely focuses on the receipt and interpretation of the message itself.

Later in the book, we find Amos in Bethel. So, it sounds like Amos went from Judah north to Bethel where he proclaimed God's judgment. I will explain the significance of Bethel later.

God's message

The first judgments in the book of Amos are against Israel's neighbors and enemies. The Edomites, Philistines, Arameans, Ammonites, Moabites, and the city of Tyre each have a judgment of God.

Intriguingly, it says that God will send down fire to smite their walls and cities. It is easy to picture a Sodom and Gomorrah type destruction, but it is not clear how literal we should take that either. Even if literal, the fire of God's judgment could come from invading armies setting fire to buildings. Or, it could be a spiritual fire that does not necessarily manifest in actual fire that leaves the place spiritually vulnerable to destruction from anything else.

One notable neighbor is absent from the list of calamities - the people of Nineveh/Assyria. It could be because they are repenting from Jonah's message or because God plans to use them to fulfill some of these judgments.

The people of Judah do not escape this either. God's fire will destroy all the fortifications of Judah.

However, the primary focus on Amos' message is the northern kingdom. God is angry that they have forsaken vast sections of the Mosiac law and worship idols at Bethel. Bethel was one of the two places that Jeroboam I had placed golden calves to prevent his people from going to Jerusalem to worship at the temple. At the time, Jeroboam had said that this was the god that brought them out of Egypt. Likewise, God had sent a prophet who proclaimed that the altar of Bethel would be destroyed by a descendant of David.

The judgment of Amos refers to Bethel and the worship of idols on a number of occasions. The description of Amos makes it sound like the grain offerings and sacrifices required by the Mosiac law that they should do in Jerusalem were brought to the golden calf at Bethel.

Nevertheless, God offers a chance for repentance. Otherwise, the day is coming when they will taken as exiles to a "land east of Damascus" (5:27). We know from history it is the Assyrians that do this. Part of the way the Assyrians subjugated people they conquered was to relocate them within their empire.

The end of the book describes specific visions that Amos received and his reaction to them. First was a swarm of locusts that ate every green plant in Israel. Amos begs for God's forgiveness on behalf of Israel and pleads to God to not do this. God relents and says "I will not do this."

Second, a great fire comes and consumes Israel. Amos again pleads to God and God relents from this plan.

Third, Amos sees God testing Israel with a plumb line to determine if it is still straight. God does not relent from this plan and God will test Israel. In particular, the shrines and temples will be destroyed and king Jeroboam II will die.

This vision makes its way to Jeroboam and Amos is accused of hatching a plot against the reigning monarch. Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, tells Amos to go back to Judah. If Amaziah was priest of Bethel, then he probably was a priest of the golden calves set up by Jeroboam I. Amos then proclaims a specific prophecy on Amaziah. Specifically, Amaziah's wife will become a prostitute, his children will die, and he will did in exile.

Amos then received a fourth vision of ripe fruit. The interpretation was the Israel was ripe for punishment. God also plans to do famine of speaking to Israel. People will recognize the dearth of God's word, look for it, but not be able to find it.

The final vision is God destroying the Temple. In the context of the rest of the book, it sounds it could be temple at Bethel housing the golden calf. But it is a little nebulous but it probably refer s to the temple of Jerusalem.

This is further supported because the book concludes with a restoration of the house of David and bringing the people of Israel back from exile. We know from history that this happened explicitly with the people of Judah after the Babylonian captivity. However, an unrecorded return from exile could have happened with the "Lost 10 Tribes". The conclusion of Amos gives some indication that might have been on God's mind.