Thursday
Evening Bible Study
April 6, 2006
Amos 1
Introduction
It is thought that this book is aimed primarily at the northern kingdom of Israel
and that Amos initially gave these messages to King Jeroboam II at the king’s
chapel in the city of Bethel.
:1 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.
Amos – ‘Amowc = “burden”. His
ministry was around 750 BC.
sheepbreeder – noqed –
sheep-raiser, sheep-dealer, sheep-tender. This word is only found in one other
place:
2Ki 3:4 Now Mesha king of Moab
was a sheepbreeder, and he regularly paid the king of Israel
one hundred thousand lambs and the wool of one hundred thousand rams.
Some suggest that this is some sort of “master-shepherd”, with other
shepherds under him.
Amos is not a “professional” prophet. He was not trained at the “prophet
school” (7:10-17). He’s an ordinary
guy who has been tapped by God to give a message.
Tekoa – a village ten miles south of Jerusalem.
Uzziah – reigned over the southern kingdom
of Judah 791-740 BC. He was one of
the longest reigning kings of Judah.
His was a time of stability and prosperity.
Jeroboam – reigned over the northern 793-753 BC. He oversaw the
northern kingdom coming to it’s zenith. The kingdom was great and prosperous. But
it was also filled with much wickedness. Thirty years after Jeroboam, the
northern kingdom will be wiped out by the Assyrians.
the earthquake –
mentioned by Zechariah (Zech. 14:5)
Josephus mentions an earthquake in relation to Uzziah’s act of rebellion in
going into the Temple to perform
the functions of a priest (2Chr. 26:16)
Apparently these prophecies were given to Amos, but he didn’t write them
down right away. He writes them down some time after the earthquake.
Outline of Amos:
The Prophecies of Amos (chs. 1-2)
The Sermons of Amos (chs. 3-6)
The Visions of Amos (chs. 7-9)
:2 And he said: "The LORD roars from Zion,
And utters His voice from Jerusalem;
The pastures of the shepherds mourn, And the top of Carmel
withers."
Carmel – a mountain in
northern Israel,
a picture of what was green.
If Amos is giving this message at Bethel,
it’s interesting that God roars from “Zion”
(Jerusalem).
Amos will launch into a series of prophecies against the nations around the
northern kingdom of Israel.
I’m sure King Jeroboam was thrilled to hear this beginning …
:3 Thus says the LORD: "For three transgressions of Damascus,
and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, Because they have threshed Gilead
with implements of iron.
For three … for four – Amos will use this type of phrase throughout
the next couple of chapters as a way of saying, “for lots and lots of sins
these things will happen…”
It is interesting to note that even though there is a mention of lots and
lots of sins, the nation that actually has a lot of sins listed is Israel
(2:6-8, 12).
threshed Gilead – The Syrians of
Damascus literally threshed and mangled the bodies of prisoners under heavily
studded threshing sledges.
:4 But I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, Which shall devour the
palaces of Ben-Hadad.
Hazael – founder of the Syrian dynasty and ruler in Amos' time.
Ben-Hadad – Hazael's son and successor.
:5 I will also break the gate bar of Damascus, And cut off the inhabitant
from the Valley of Aven,
And the one who holds the scepter from Beth Eden. The people of Syria
shall go captive to Kir," Says the LORD.
bar – used to keep the gate closed
Damascus – capital of Syria
Beth Eden – the summer palace of the Syrian king
Kir – unknown place, but this is where the Assyrians took the Syrians into
exile (2 Kings 16:9)
:6 Thus says the LORD: "For three transgressions of Gaza,
and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, Because they took captive
the whole captivity To deliver them up to Edom.
Gaza – a main city of
the Philistines, same as the “Gaza Strip” today.
The Philistines practices slavery.
:7 But I will send a fire upon the wall of Gaza,
Which shall devour its palaces.
:8 I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod,
And the one who holds the scepter from Ashkelon; I will
turn My hand against Ekron, And the remnant of the Philistines shall
perish," Says the Lord GOD.
More Philistines cities. All would be wiped out by Nebuchadnezzar during
the Babylonian invasion.
:9 Thus says the LORD: "For three transgressions of Tyre,
and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, Because they delivered up
the whole captivity to Edom,
And did not remember the covenant of brotherhood.
Both David and Solomon had treaties with the king of Tyre.
He was the one that helped build the Temple
for Solomon. But now they are selling Israelites as slaves.
:10 But I will send a fire upon the wall of Tyre,
Which shall devour its palaces."
Tyre was finally conquered by
Alexander the Great in 332 BC.
:11 Thus says the LORD: "For three transgressions of Edom,
and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, Because he pursued his
brother with the sword, And cast off all pity; His anger tore perpetually, And
he kept his wrath forever.
:12 But I will send a fire upon Teman, Which shall devour the palaces of
Bozrah."
Teman … Bozrah – some of the main cities of the Edomites.
:13 Thus says the LORD: "For three transgressions of the people of
Ammon, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, Because they ripped
open the women with child in Gilead, That they might
enlarge their territory.
One of the cruelest things to happen in ancient battles.
:14 But I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah, And it shall devour its
palaces, Amid shouting in the day of battle, And a tempest in the day of the
whirlwind.
Rabbah – capital of Ammon
:15 Their king shall go into captivity, He and his princes together,"
Says the LORD.
Assyria conquered Ammon in 734 B.C.
Amos 2
:1 Thus says the LORD: "For three transgressions of Moab,
and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, Because he burned the bones
of the king of Edom
to lime.
God is going to punish the Moabites for how they treated the Edomites.
burned the bones – In ancient times much importance was placed on a
dead man’s body being peacefully placed in the family burial site, so that he
could be “gathered to his fathers” and find rest in the grave. To rob, disturb,
or desecrate a grave was an offense of the highest order. Many surviving tomb
inscriptions utter violent curses against anyone who would commit such an
outrage.
:2 But I will send a fire upon Moab,
And it shall devour the palaces of Kerioth; Moab
shall die with tumult, With shouting and trumpet sound.
God will give them what they gave the Edomites.
Reaping and Sowing …
:3 And I will cut off the judge from its midst, And slay all its princes
with him," Says the LORD.
Moab was
conquered by Assyria under Tiglath-Pileser III.
:4 Thus says the LORD: "For three transgressions of Judah,
and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, Because they have despised
the law of the LORD, And have not kept His commandments. Their lies lead them
astray, Lies which their fathers followed.
Keep in mind that these words are aimed at the northern kingdom. Judah
is just one of the other nations surrounding Israel.
Lesson
Despising the Law
The heathen nations were accountable to God because He was their Creator. They
should have known about God through what we call “general revelation”.
(Rom 1:18-20 NKJV) For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven
against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in
unrighteousness, {19} because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for
God has shown it to them. {20} For since the creation of the world His
invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are
made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,
But the Jews were on a different ground with God. They had more than just
general revelation. They had the Word of God.
God had spoken to Moses and given specific instructions on Who He was and
how the people were to relate to God.
There are some churches that almost act as if the Old Testament doesn’t
even exist. The Law is good.
(Mat 5:17-19 NKJV) "Do not think that I came to destroy the
Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. {18} "For
assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle
will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. {19} "Whoever
therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so,
shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches
them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Don’t despise the law. It’s God’s Word. There is plenty to learn from it.
(Psa 119:97 NKJV) Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all
the day.
We are no longer “under” the law, we are not going to be judged by the
standard of the law because Jesus has fulfilled the requirements of the Law. But
it’s still God’s Word just the same.
There are laws aimed at the nation of Israel
– like the Sabbath. We can learn from the principles of the Sabbath, but we
aren’t required to follow it.
There are laws that have been superceded – there are newer principles to
follow – like the dietary laws.
(Mark 7:18-19 NKJV) So He said to them, "Are
you thus without understanding also? Do you not perceive that whatever enters a
man from outside cannot defile him, {19} "because it does not enter his
heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?"
(Acts 10:15 NKJV) And a voice spoke to him again the
second time, "What God has cleansed you must not call common."
There are laws that no longer apply because of the sacrifice of Jesus – all
the sacrificial laws.
But there is still plenty there to study and learn from. I have a hard time
seeing how anyone can be serious about studying the New Testament without
paying any attention to the Old Testament. The New Testament is built upon the
principles set out in the Old Testament.
Illustration
Who Shot The Buck
Three men went deer hunting, and as they crossed the field
going to the woods, a huge buck jumped up in their path. All three fired at the
same time. The buck dropped, and as they came up on the buck, they realized
they had a problem. Which one of them shot the deer? As they discussed the
problem, a game warden came along to check for hunting licenses. He offered to
sort out the problem, examined the deer, and said, “One of you guys is a
preacher, right?” And sure enough, one of them was. “Well, preacher, your shot
is the one that got the buck.” Amazed, the guys asked how he knew one of them
was a preacher and that the preacher’s shot was the one that scored. “Simple,”
the game warden said, “It went in one ear and out the other.”
Don’t let God’s laws “go in one ear and out the other”!
Lesson
Following Lies
Following their father’s lies let them astray.
What are some of our own “father’s lies” that lead people astray?
-
You can get to heaven if you’re “good enough”
-
We are all descended from apes
-
All roads lead to heaven
-
“It’s the way we’ve always done it …”
God wants us following after truth.
(Eph 4:15
NKJV) but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who
is the head; Christ;
(John 14:6 NKJV) Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth,
and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
We have no reason to fear anyone searching for the truth.
I think about what our Mormon friends are following.
:5 But I will send a fire upon Judah,
And it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem."
Judah was
conquered by the Babylonians in 586 BC.
:6 Thus says the LORD: "For three transgressions of Israel,
and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, Because they sell the
righteous for silver, And the poor for a pair of sandals.
There have been judgments pronounced against seven nations – a pretty
complete (seven=complete) judgment.
Now the indictment comes against the northern kingdom …
:7 They pant after the dust of the earth which is on the head of the poor,
And pervert the way of the humble. A man and his father go in to the same girl,
To defile My holy name.
(Amos 2:7 NLT) They trample helpless people in the dust and deny
justice to those who are oppressed. Both father and son sleep with the same
woman, corrupting my holy name.
:8 They lie down by every altar on clothes taken in pledge, And drink the
wine of the condemned in the house of their god.
When taken as security for loans, a man's cloak was to be returned at night
because the poor needed it for a covering (Ex. 22:25-26).
wine of the condemned – wine taken when foreclosing on a property.
:9 "Yet it was I who destroyed the Amorite before them, Whose height
was like the height of the cedars, And he was as strong as the oaks; Yet I
destroyed his fruit above And his roots beneath.
God had given victory to Israel
as they conquered the kings like Og as they got ready to cross the Jordan
and take the Promised Land:
(Deu 3:11
NKJV) "For only Og king of Bashan
remained of the remnant of the giants. Indeed his bedstead was an iron
bedstead. (Is it not in Rabbah of the people of Ammon?) Nine cubits is its
length and four cubits its width, according to the standard cubit.
:10 Also it was I who brought you up from the land
of Egypt, And led you forty years
through the wilderness, To possess the land of the Amorite.
:11 I raised up some of your sons as prophets, And some of your young men
as Nazirites. Is it not so, O you children of Israel?"
Says the LORD.
Nazirites – nazir – one
consecrated, devoted
It’s the idea very similar to the word “holy”, which means “set apart for a
specific use”.
There were conditions to being a Nazirite (Num. 6)
1. Consecration
to God.
2. No
Alcohol/grapes
3. No
touching dead bodies
4. No
haircuts
Speaking of haircuts …
A few years ago a refugee from Laos
came to the US
in one of the resettlement influxes. He had been an announcer in radio back in Laos,
and he wanted to get into the same line of work here. The first thing he did
was join AFTRA (American Federation of Television and Radio Announcers). He
tried to pursue a job, but of course, he had problems with the English
language, being a new resident. In order to keep body and soul together while
going to English classes, he took up barbering. Soon, he became a very good
barber, giving haircuts, stylings, and shaves. He seemed to be an artist with
the straight razor. In fact, the shop where he worked made him specialize in
giving shaves.
Thus, he became known as an AFTRA shave Laotian.
Can you name some famous Nazirites?
Samson
Probably the most famous Nazirite (Judges 13-16)
Samuel
1SA 1:11 And she made a vow
and said, "O \Lord\ of hosts, if Thou wilt indeed look on the affliction
of Thy maidservant and remember me, and not forget Thy maidservant, but wilt
give Thy maidservant a son, then I will give him to the \Lord\ all the days of
his life, and a razor shall never come on his head."
John the Baptist
LUK 1:15 "For he will be great in the sight of the
Lord, and he will drink no wine or liquor; and he will be filled with the Holy
Spirit, while yet in his mother's womb.
Paul
(Acts 18:18 NKJV) So Paul still remained a good
while. Then he took leave of the brethren and sailed for Syria,
and Priscilla and Aquila
were with him. He had his hair cut off at Cenchrea, for he had taken a vow.
:12 "But you gave the Nazirites wine to drink, And commanded the
prophets saying, 'Do not prophesy!'
Lesson
Causing others to stumble
(Rom 14:13-23 NKJV) Therefore
let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a
stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother's way. {14} I know and am
convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him
who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. {15} Yet if your
brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do
not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died. {16} Therefore do not
let your good be spoken of as evil; {17} for the kingdom of God is not eating
and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. {18} For
he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men.
{19} Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by
which one may edify another. {20} Do not destroy the work of God for the sake
of food. All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with
offense. {21} It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by
which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak. {22} Do you have
faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself
in what he approves. {23} But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he
does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.
It’s not walking in love.
:13 "Behold, I am weighed down by you, As a cart full of sheaves is
weighed down.
:14 Therefore flight shall perish from the swift, The strong shall not
strengthen his power, Nor shall the mighty deliver himself;
:15 He shall not stand who handles the bow, The swift of foot shall not
escape, Nor shall he who rides a horse deliver himself.
:16 The most courageous men of might Shall flee naked in that day,"
Says the LORD.
This is what happened to the northern kingdom when the Assyrians invaded in
722 BC.
Amos 3 – Amos’ Sermons begin (chapters 3-6)
:1 Hear this word that the LORD has spoken against you, O children of Israel,
against the whole family which I brought up from the land
of Egypt, saying:
whole family – not just the northern 10 tribes, but all the tribes.
:2 "You only have I known of all the families of the earth; Therefore
I will punish you for all your iniquities."
Some might think that because Israel
was chosen by God and close to God, that they were not going to be punished. But
in reality a greater knowledge brings greater responsibility.
:3 Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?
(Amos 3:3 NASB) Do two men walk together unless they have made an
appointment?
(Amos 3:3 NLT) Can two people walk together without agreeing on the
direction?
This is a verse I hear quoted quite often in terms of human relationships. It’s
hard for people to be friends when they’re going in opposite directions. But
this isn’t talking about human friendship, it’s talking about friendship with
God.
Lesson
Fellowship with God
Are we going in the same direction that God is going?
This is the case when it comes to doing good or sinning.
(1 John 1:5-7 NKJV) This is the message which we have heard from
Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. {6}
If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do
not practice the truth. {7} But if we walk in the light as He is in the light,
we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son
cleanses us from all sin.
I think this is bigger than just whether or not we are in sin.
Do we have the same heart as God does about situations?
Illustration
The Obstacle in Our
Path.
In ancient times, a king had a boulder placed on a
roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge
rock. Some of the king’s wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply
walked around it. Many loudly blamed the king for not keeping the roads clear,
but none did anything about getting the big stone out of the way. Then a
peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. On approaching the boulder,
the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the
road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. As the peasant
picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where
the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the
king indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from
the roadway. The peasant learned what many others never understand. Every
obstacle presents an opportunity to improve one’s condition.
The peasant also found out that he was in “agreement” with
the king. His heart was inclined to the same thing the king was.
Do we have the same heart as God does about people?
Illustration
A woman went to a doctor with both ears
severely burned. The doctor said, “In all of my years of practice, I have never
seen anything quite like this. How did you burn your ears?” “Well,” she said, “I
was ironing and watching television. Suddenly, the telephone rang. I answered
the iron instead of the phone and burned my ear.” “That is horrible,” the
doctor said. “But how did you burn your other ear?” “Can you believe it?” she
said. “The idiot called back!”
It seems that too often
we’re just bothered by the “idiots” in life.
When sometimes it’s really us!
(Luke
7:36-50 NKJV) Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He
went to the Pharisee's house, and sat down to eat. {37} And behold, a woman in
the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the
Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, {38} and stood at
His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and
wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them
with the fragrant oil. {39} Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this,
he spoke to himself, saying, "This man, if He were a prophet, would know
who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a
sinner." {40} And Jesus answered and said to him, "Simon, I have
something to say to you." So he said, "Teacher, say it." {41}
"There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred
denarii, and the other fifty. {42} "And when they had nothing with which
to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will
love him more?" {43} Simon answered and said, "I suppose the one whom
he forgave more." And He said to him, "You have rightly judged."
{44} Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this
woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed
My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. {45} "You
gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I
came in. {46} "You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has
anointed My feet with fragrant oil. {47} "Therefore I say to you, her
sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is
forgiven, the same loves little." {48} Then He said to her, "Your
sins are forgiven." {49} And those who sat at the table with Him began to
say to themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?" {50} Then He
said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you. Go in peace."
Jesus wasn’t “bothered” by
the “sinner” woman. He showed
compassion.
Are we in agreement with
God?
:4 Will a lion roar in the forest, when he has no prey? Will a young lion
cry out of his den, if he has caught nothing?
:5 Will a bird fall into a snare on the earth, where there is no trap for
it? Will a snare spring up from the earth, if it has caught nothing at all?
:6 If a trumpet is blown in a city, will not the people be afraid? If there
is calamity in a city, will not the LORD have done it?
:7 Surely the Lord GOD does nothing, Unless He reveals His secret to His
servants the prophets.
God always warns His people.
God’s people can’t ever say, “I never saw it coming” when it comes to God’s
judgment. There is always plenty of warning.
Pay attention to the warnings.
But they had been telling the prophets to be quiet (2:12).
:8 A lion has roared! Who will not fear? The Lord GOD has spoken! Who can
but prophesy?
The coming judgment is so obvious, Amos can’t be quiet.
:9 "Proclaim in the palaces at Ashdod,
And in the palaces in the land of Egypt,
and say: 'Assemble on the mountains of Samaria;
See great tumults in her midst, And the oppressed within her.
The heathen (Ashdod of the
Philistines, and Egypt)
are called to witness the judgment that is going to take place in the northern
kingdom (Samaria).
:10 For they do not know to do right,' Says the LORD, 'Who store up violence
and robbery in their palaces.'"
Illustration
We have too many men of science, too few men of God. We have grasped the
mystery of the atom and rejected the Sermon on the Mount. ... Ours is a world
of nuclear giants and ethical infants. We know more about war than we know
about peace, more about killing than we know about living.
-- Gen. Omar N. Bradley in a 1948
Armstice Day address. Christianity Today, Vol. 32, no. 4.
:11 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: "An adversary shall be all
around the land; He shall sap your strength from you, And your palaces shall be
plundered."
:12 Thus says the LORD: "As a shepherd takes from the mouth of a lion
Two legs or a piece of an ear, So shall the children of Israel be taken out Who
dwell in Samaria; In the corner of a bed and on the edge of a couch!
The Assyrians were going to come against the northern kingdom. They will be
torn to shreds like a lion tears a lamb. All that will be left will be “two
legs” or “a piece of an ear”.
Yet despite these warnings, the leaders of the kingdom continue to live
unmoved, lying on their sofas…
:13 Hear and testify against the house of Jacob," Says the Lord GOD,
the God of hosts,
:14 "That in the day I punish Israel
for their transgressions, I will also visit destruction on the altars of Bethel;
And the horns of the altar shall be cut off And fall to the ground.
Bethel – the center of
the idol worship for the northern kingdom.
horns of the altar – it was a place people would run to and grab
when they were seeking mercy from God.
But there would be no help from God.
:15 I will destroy the winter house along with the summer house; The houses
of ivory shall perish, And the great houses shall have an end," Says the
LORD.
The luxury will be taken away.