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Around 760 B.C.

This book opens with very precise markers for both time and place. Amos ministers during the reigns of Uzziah and Jeroboam, an almost 40-year span of prosperity for the region, when the northern kingdom of Israel was at the zenith of its influence. Amos says he lived among the shepherds of Tekoa, a Judahite village south of Jerusalem.

The first two chapters follow a defined rhythm of condemnation against the nations for their treachery. Assyria is not mentioned – it is, in fact, in a period of decline – and in this vacuum the smaller nations around Israel have been flexing their muscles. Notice that the LORD’s condemnation is impartial: Edom is condemned for buying slaves from Philistia and Tyre, and Moab is condemned for its treachery against that same Edom.

The only departure from the formula comes when attention is directed toward Judah and especially Israel. Listen to the charges that the LORD levies against them, and listen as He grounds those charges against their unique status: “…It was I who brought you up out of the land of Egypt and led you forty years in the wilderness, to possess the land of the Amorite… You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.”

The focus remains on Israel through the following chapters. Amos transitions with the call, “Hear this word that the LORD has spoken against you…,” in chapter 3 addressing the whole nation and in chapter 4 the women of Samaria specifically. The exact charges are latent – looking back to warnings the LORD has given them, to how He’s chastised them in hope of repentance – and looking forward to the complete indictment that is to come.

As you read this first half of the book, listen for how the LORD communicates with His people: what has He done, what will He do, and what does He expects. “For,” He proclaims, “the LORD GOD does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets.

Our verses for this week are Psalm 37:4-5: Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him, and He will act.

Amos 1 through 4. Now let’s read it!

Amos 1 - 4

The words of Amos, who was among the herdsmen 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. He said: "Jehovah will roar from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the pastures of the shepherds will mourn, and the top of Carmel will wither." Jehovah says: "For three transgressions of Damascus, yes, for four, I will not turn away its punishment, because they have threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron; but I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, and it will devour the palaces of Ben Hadad. I will break the bar of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitant from the valley of Aven, and him who holds the scepter from the house of Eden; and the people of Syria shall go into captivity to Kir," says Jehovah. Jehovah says: "For three transgressions of Gaza, yes, for four, I will not turn away its punishment, because they carried away captive the whole community, to deliver them up to Edom; but I will send a fire on the wall of Gaza, and it will devour its palaces. I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, and him who holds the scepter from Ashkelon; and I will turn my hand against Ekron; and the remnant of the Philistines will perish," says the Lord Jehovah. Jehovah says: "For three transgressions of Tyre, yes, for four, I will not turn away its punishment; because they delivered up the whole community to Edom, and didn't remember the brotherly covenant; but I will send a fire on the wall of Tyre, and it will devour its palaces." Jehovah says: "For three transgressions of Edom, yes, for four, I will not turn away its punishment, because he pursued his brother with the sword and cast off all pity, and his anger raged continually, and he kept his wrath forever; but I will send a fire on Teman, and it will devour the palaces of Bozrah." Jehovah says: "For three transgressions of the children of Ammon, yes, for four, I will not turn away its punishment, because they have ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead, that they may enlarge their border. But I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah, and it will devour its palaces, with shouting in the day of battle, with a storm in the day of the whirlwind; and their king will go into captivity, he and his princes together," says Jehovah. Jehovah says: "For three transgressions of Moab, yes, for four, I will not turn away its punishment, because he burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime; but I will send a fire on Moab, and it will devour the palaces of Kerioth; and Moab will die with tumult, with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet; and I will cut off the judge from among them, and will kill all its princes with him," says Jehovah. Jehovah says: "For three transgressions of Judah, yes, for four, I will not turn away its punishment, because they have rejected Jehovah's law, and have not kept his statutes, and their lies have led them astray, after which their fathers walked; but I will send a fire on Judah, and it will devour the palaces of Jerusalem." Jehovah says: "For three transgressions of Israel, yes, for four, I will not turn away its punishment, because they have sold the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals; They trample the heads of the poor into the dust of the earth and deny justice to the oppressed. A man and his father use the same maiden, to profane my holy name. They lay themselves down beside every altar on clothes taken in pledge. In the house of their God they drink the wine of those who have been fined. Yet I destroyed the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars, and he was strong as the oaks; yet I destroyed his fruit from above, and his roots from beneath. Also I brought you up out of the land of Egypt and led you forty years in the wilderness, to possess the land of the Amorite. I raised up some of your sons for prophets, and some of your young men for Nazirites. Isn't this true, you children of Israel?" says Jehovah. "But you gave the Nazirites wine to drink, and commanded the prophets, saying, 'Don't prophesy!' Behold, I will crush you in your place, as a cart crushes that is full of grain. Flight will perish from the swift. The strong won't strengthen his force. The mighty won't deliver himself. He who handles the bow won't stand. He who is swift of foot won't escape. He who rides the horse won't deliver himself. He who is courageous among the mighty will flee away naked on that day," says Jehovah. Hear this word that Jehovah has spoken against you, children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up out of the land of Egypt, saying: "I have only chosen you of all the families of the earth. Therefore I will punish you for all of your sins." Do two walk together, unless they have agreed? Will a lion roar in the thicket, when he has no prey? Does a young lion cry out of his den, if he has caught nothing? Can a bird fall in a trap on the earth, where no snare is set for him? Does a snare spring up from the ground, when there is nothing to catch? Does the trumpet alarm sound in a city, without the people being afraid? Does evil happen to a city, and Jehovah hasn't done it? Surely the Lord Jehovah will do nothing, unless he reveals his secret to his servants the prophets. The lion has roared. Who will not fear? The Lord Jehovah has spoken. Who can but prophesy? Proclaim in the palaces at Ashdod, and in the palaces in the land of Egypt, and say, "Assemble yourselves on the mountains of Samaria, and see what unrest is in her, and what oppression is among them." "Indeed they don't know to do right," says Jehovah, "Who hoard plunder and loot in their palaces." Therefore the Lord Jehovah says: "An adversary will overrun the land; and he will pull down your strongholds, and your fortresses will be plundered." Jehovah says: "As the shepherd rescues out of the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear, so shall the children of Israel be rescued who sit in Samaria on the corner of a couch, and on the silken cushions of a bed." "Listen, and testify against the house of Jacob," says the Lord Jehovah, the God of Armies. "For in the day that I visit the transgressions of Israel on him, I will also visit the altars of Bethel; and the horns of the altar will be cut off, and fall to the ground. I will strike the winter house with the summer house; and the houses of ivory will perish, and the great houses will have an end," says Jehovah. Listen to this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who tell their husbands, "Bring us drinks!" The Lord Jehovah has sworn by his holiness, "Behold, the days shall come on you that they will take you away with hooks, and the last of you with fish hooks. You will go out at the breaks in the wall, everyone straight before her; and you will cast yourselves into Harmon," says Jehovah. "Go to Bethel, and sin; to Gilgal, and sin more. Bring your sacrifices every morning, your tithes every three days, offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving of that which is leavened, and proclaim free will offerings and brag about them; for this pleases you, you children of Israel," says the Lord Jehovah. "I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and lack of bread in every town; yet you haven't returned to me," says Jehovah. "I also have withheld the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest; and I caused it to rain on one city, and caused it not to rain on another city. One field was rained on, and the field where it didn't rain withered. So two or three cities staggered to one city to drink water, and were not satisfied; yet you haven't returned to me," says Jehovah. "I struck you with blight and mildew many times in your gardens and your vineyards, and the swarming locusts have devoured your fig trees and your olive trees; yet you haven't returned to me," says Jehovah. "I sent plagues among you like I did Egypt. I have slain your young men with the sword, and have carried away your horses. I filled your nostrils with the stench of your camp, yet you haven't returned to me," says Jehovah. "I have overthrown some of you, as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and you were like a burning stick plucked out of the fire; yet you haven't returned to me," says Jehovah. "Therefore I will do this to you, Israel; because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, Israel. For, behold, he who forms the mountains, creates the wind, declares to man what is his thought, who makes the morning darkness, and treads on the high places of the earth: Jehovah, the God of Armies, is his name."

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