Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have despised the law of the LORD, and have not kept his commandments, and their lies caused them to err, after the which their fathers have walked (Amos 2:4)
Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. (Amos 3:7)
But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream. (Amos 5:24)
Thus he shewed me: and, behold, the Lord stood upon a wall made by a plumbline, with a plumbline in his hand. And the LORD said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumbline. Then said the Lord, Behold, I will set a plumbline in the midst of my people Israel: I will not again pass by them any more (Amos 7:7-8)
And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. (Amos 9:14)
Overview
[1] Amos, from Thru The Bible Radio with Dr. J. Vernon McGee ©, with free downloads Notes & Outlines (PDF), Complete 5-Year Study (MP3)
Amos was God’s man giving God’s message. Simply because Israel was being religious on the surface did not guarantee that God would not judge their sin. Because of their rejection of His law—their deceit and robbery and violence and oppression of the poor—God said, “I hate, I despise your feast days…. Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them…. Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs…. But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream” (Amos 5:21–24).[2] Book of Amos, from gotquestions.org (this website is also available in Afrikaans, Arabic, Bengali, Burmese-Myanmar, Cebuano, Chinese - Simplified, Chinese – Traditional, Hausa, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Malaysian, Persian-Farsi, Portuguese, Quechua, Sesotho, Spanish, Swahili, Tagalog, Tamil, Thai, Urdu, Vietnamese, Zulu, and 70 other languages)
It was a day of false peace. In the north was Assyria hanging like the sword of Damocles ready to fall, and in the next half century it would destroy this little kingdom. Israel was trying to ignore it, and they kept talking about peace. But Amos said, “Behold, the eyes of the Lord GOD are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth” (Amos 9:8). His message was not a popular message. He warned that it was God’s intention to punish sin. (Read the complete article)
Amos can see that beneath Israel’s external prosperity and power, internally the nation is corrupt to the core. The sins for which Amos chastens the people are extensive: neglect of God’s Word, idolatry, pagan worship, greed, corrupted leadership and oppression of the poor. Amos begins by pronouncing a judgment upon all the surrounding nations, then upon his own nation of Judah, and finally the harshest judgment is given to Israel. His visions from God reveal the same emphatic message: judgment is near. The book ends with God’s promise to Amos of future restoration of the remnant.[3] Amos, from Scofield Reference Notes (1917 Edition)
The Book of Amos ends with a glorious promise for the future. “I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them,’ says the LORD your God” (9:15). The ultimate fulfillment of God’s land promise to Abraham (Genesis 12:7; 15:7; 17:8) will occur during Christ’s millennial reign on earth (see Joel 2:26,27). Revelation 20 describes the thousand-year reign of Christ on the earth, a time of peace and joy under the perfect government of the Savior Himself. (Read the complete article)
Amos, a Jew, but prophesying (B.C. 776-763) in the northern kingdom (Amos 1:1; 7:14-15) exercised his ministry during the reign of Jeroboam II, an able but idolatrous king who brought his kingdom to the zenith of its power. Nothing could seem more improbable than the fulfillment of Amos’ warnings; yet within fifty years the kingdom was utterly destroyed. The vision of Amos is, however, wider than the northern kingdom, including the whole “house of Jacob.”[4] Amos, from Easton’s Bible Dictionary
Amos is in four parts:
1. Judgments on the cities surrounding Palestine, Amos 1:1 - 2:3.
2. Judgments on Judah and Israel, Amos 2:4-16.
3. Jehovah’s controversy with “the whole family” of Jacob, Amos 3:1 - 9:10.
4. The future glory of the Davidic kingdom, Amos 9:11-15.
The Book of Amos consists of three parts:[5] No Escape Clause For God’s Own People – Sin Brings Judgment, by Paul G. Apple
(1.) The nations around are summoned to judgment because of their sins (Amos 1:1-2:3). He quotes Joel 3:16.
(2.) The spiritual condition of Judah, and especially of Israel, is described (Amos 2:4-6:14).
(3.) In Amos 7:1-9:10 are recorded five prophetic visions. (a) The first two (Amos 7:1-6) refer to judgments against the guilty people. (b) The next two (Amos 7:7-9; Amos 8:1-3) point out the ripeness of the people for the threatened judgements. Amos 7:10-17 consists of a conversation between the prophet and the priest of Bethel. (c) The fifth describes the overthrow and ruin of Israel (Amos 9:1-10); to which is added the promise of the restoration of the kingdom and its final glory in the Messiah’s kingdom.
People with an impressive spiritual pedigree or important ministry position or years of fruitful Christian service can imagine at times that they are exempt from God’s standards. They excuse themselves when they sin – thinking they will not be held to the same high standard of righteousness or that they will somehow escape God’s judgment. Here in Amos, God demonstrates that the same severity and justice that He applied to the surrounding nations will be applied to His own people as well. God does not play favorites. In fact privilege and accessibility to God’s revelation bring greater accountability, not less. “For to whom much has been given, much will be required.” (Read the complete article)Discussion
[1] Amos and the promises of God, by Ken Boa
Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.[2] Visions of Amos
The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord GOD hath spoken, who can but prophesy? (Amos 3:7-8)
For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the windd, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, The LORD, The God of hosts, is his name. (Amos 4:13)
Seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night: that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The LORD is his name (Amos 5:8)
I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies. Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts. Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols. But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream. (Amos 5:21-24)
Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt. And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God. (Amos 9:13-15)
- Grasshoppers, Amos 7:1-3
- Fire, Amos 7:4-6
- Plumbline, Amos 7:7-9
- Historic interlude, Amos 7:10-17
- Basket of summer fruit, Amos 8
- Worldwide dispersion, Amos 9:1-10
- Worldwide re-gathering and restoration of kingdom, Amos 9:11-15
Genesis 6:6-7; Exodus 32:14; Deuteronomy 32:36; Judges 2:18; 1 Samuel 15:11, 29, 35; 2 Samuel 24:16; 1 Chronicles 21:15; Psalm 106:45; 110:4; 135:14; Jeremiah 15:6; 18:8, 10; 26:3; 42:10; Joel 2:13; Amos 7:3, 6; Jonah 3:9-10[4] General references to “repentance”:
Leviticus 26:40-42; Deuteronomy 4:29-31; 10:16; 30:1-3,8-10; 32:29; 1 Kings 8:33-50; 2 Chronicles 6:36-39; 7:14; 30:6-9; Nehemiah 1:9; Job 11:13-15; 22:23; 33:26-28; 34:31-32; 36:10; Psalm 22:27; 34:14, 18; 51:17; 95:7-8; 147:3; Proverbs 1:22-23; 9:6; 28:13; Isaiah 10:21; 22:12; 31:6; 44:22; 46:8; 55:6-7; 57:15; 59:20; 61:1-2; Jeremiah 3:4, 12-14,19; 4:1-4, 14; 6:8, 16; 7:5, 7; 13:15-16; 18:8, 11; 24:7; 25:5; 26:3, 13; 31:9; 36:3, 7; 50:4-5; Ezekiel 7:16; 11:18-20; 12:3; 14:6; 16:61-63; 18:21-23, 27-28, 30-32; 20:43; 33:10-12, 14-16,19; 36:31; 37:23; Daniel 4:27; Hosea 2:7; 3:5; 5:15; 10:12; 12:6; 14:1,2; Joel 1:14; 2:12,13,15-18; Amos 4:12; 5:6,15; Jonah 3:8,9; Haggai 1:7; Zechariah 1:3; 12:10; Malachi 3:7; Matthew 3:2,7-8; 4:17; 5:4; 9:13; Mark 1:4, 15; 2:17; 6:12; Luke 3:3; 5:32; 6:21; 10:13; 13:1-5; 15:1-10; 18:10-14; 24:47; Acts 2:38, 40; 3:19; 5:31; 8:22; 17:30; 20:21; 26:20; Romans 2:4; 11:23; 14:11; Ephesians 5:14; 2 Timothy 2:25; Hebrews 6:1; James 4:8-10; 1 John 1:9; Revelation 2:5; 3:2-3, 19Further study (Be like the Bereans! Acts 17:11)
[1] Materials by David Mailick
[2] Materials by by Hampton Keathley IV
[3] Materials by John F. Walvoord
Sermons on Amos (Be like the Bereans! Acts 17:11)
Overview of Amos, by Peter L. Dorn
Amos, by Jason W. Miller
The Roar of God/Amos 1, by Douglas James Wilson
Amos 2
God Is Not Silent, by Steve Littlefield
The Sins of Seven Nations/Amos 2, by Douglas James Wilson
The Judgment of Nations, by William A. Ebert
Brought to Book, by James A. Basinger
Amos 1, by Paul Hawkins
Amos 5
Amos, by Chad Oltman
Amos 7
For He is Small/Amos 8, by Douglas James Wilson
Amos 7, by Paul Hawkins
Reflecting on Amos, by Keith Bucknall
Amos 9
Righteous & Just, by Steve Littlefield
Anointing Of Increase 08-01-04, by Randy Ietto
Advent 2001 -3 The Coming Restoration, by Richard DeRuiter
The Fallen Booth of David/Amos 9, by Douglas James Wilson
His Strange Deed, by James A. Basinger
Amos 10, by Paul Hawkins
Sermon illustrations on justice, by Jim L. Wilson
For other available sermons, please surf to Sermon / Preaching resources. Sermons are also available from South McGehee Baptist Church, McGehee, Arizona; Central Baptist Church, Lowesville; First Baptist Church, Mountain View, Missouri; Swift Creek Baptist Church; Word of Life Baptist Church, Pottsville, Philadelphia; Palm Springs Baptist Church, California; South Woods Baptist Church; Grove Baptist Church, Ulster; Dudley Baptist Church, United Kingdom; Independent Fundamental Baptist Sermons, Fundamental Christian Radio Broadcasts, Off-Site Audio Page and The Christian Radio Tuner
Notes: (1) This ministry does not necessarily endorse or share all the views and opinions expressed in the materials, resources or links mentioned in these posts. Please always refer to the Articles of Faith and Biblical distinctives of Baptists when you study these materials.
(2) This lesson is part of the projected 300 plus lessons. From time to time, the lessons will be updated, revised, combined, formatted, and edited to comply with the VOA Simplified English word list. Later on, these lessons will be categorized, numbered sequentially, and made available as PDF downloads.
(3) “A plumb bob or a plummet is a weight, usually with a pointed tip on the bottom, that is suspended from a string and used as a vertical reference line, or plumb-line. The instrument has been used since the time of the ancient Egyptians by bricklayers, masons, and carpenters to ensure that their constructions are “plumb”, or perfectly upright. It may also be used in surveying to sight a point on the ground that is not readily visible.” (Wikipedia). The two-minute video below shows, at the 1:32 mark, how a plumb bob or plumbline is used.
(4) Heartlight graphics for Amos 4:13, Amos 5:4-5, Amos 5:14, Amos 5:24(non-KJV; please read Rules of Use)
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