Amos

AN INTRODUCTION Amos: (1) ‘Amos’ is a Hebrew word, meaning (A bearer of burden), or (a burden); As according to the Jewish tradition, the prophet Amos was slow of speech and slow of tongue. And his name, as well, conforms with the goal of his book, which is to reveal the heavy burden of sin, un-endurable and unacceptable to God, whoever the sinner may be; He who will punish both the Jews and the Gentiles for their sins. (2) Amos is considered the first of the ‘Writing prophets’; He wrote his prophecies in a poetic, sweet, and simple way; albeit being less eloquent than that of ‘Joel’. His book came loaded with homologies; And having lived in an agricultural atmosphere, very close to the wilderness; it was also loaded with portraits drawn from the life of the dwellers of villages, on one side, and of the wilderness on the other. (3) From his talk (1: 1; 7: 10), it is evident that he was a contemporary of the reigns of Uzziah king of Judah, and of Jeroboam the second son of Joash, king of Israel; before the famed earthquake (1: 1; 5: 9), to which the prophet Zechariah referred 300 years later (Zechariah 14: 5). Most probably he prophesied around the year 760 B.C.; a contemporary of the prophets Hosea (in the last years of his life); of the early ministry of the prophet Isaiah; And in his days, as well, the prophet Jonah the son of Amittai prophesied in Israel (2 Kings 14: 25) 1. (4) He lived in Tekoa, about 12 miles south of Jerusalem, a member of a poor unknown family, who humbly described himself: “I am no prophet, nor was I a son of a prophet, but I am a herdsman, and a tender of sycamore fruit. Then the Lord took me as I followed the flock, and the Lord said to me, ‘Go prophesy to My people Israel’” (Amos 7: 14, 15). (5) Although he was raised in Tekoa – in the kingdom of Judah – yet he went to Bethel, where the main temple of the north kingdom of Israel has been. His prophesies about the devastation of that kingdom because of its sins stirred up Amaziah, the chief priest of Bethel, who reported him to Jeroboam the second, king of Israel, as a traitor; and ordered him to leave town. He probably wrote his book after going back to his home town Tekoa2. The circumstances around him: (1) On the political side, the prophet Amos has been a contemporary of Jeroboam the second, the grandson of Jahu the great leader who killed the evil queen Jezabel and her descendants. Jeroboam was famed for his power and might, that caused his kingdom 1 J. H. Raven: O.T. Introduction N.Y., 1910, P. 219. 2 Ibid., 218. 3 to extend and flourish. At the same time ‘Uzziah’ king of Judah, famed, as well for his power and success, his kingdom was also well established. As another support on the political side; The kingdom of Aram (Syria), at that time, was preoccupied with, and exhausted by war against Assyria; Israel got back much of her land that Aram has previously taken by force. And Assyria, during the days of Amos, peacefully coexisted with Egypt, and no longer carried out attacks against it, going through Israel, killing and plundering its people. (2) That political stability and prosperity of the two kingdoms of Israel and Judah, led to the flourishing of their foreign trade, that extended to Damascus; leading to a rise in the economic level of the two kingdoms; and, at the same time, to the appearance of two categories of people: an extremely rich category of traders; and an extremely poor one of farmers, who moaned under the great cruelty and oppression of the rich category. As Amos was raised among those poor people, practicing a life of deprivation and intense poverty; and, at the same time, watching from afar, the intense riches lived by the other category; his prophesies came like a social revolution against injustice, oppression, and corruption; It was difficult and painful for him to see the rich lying on ivory beds, while his poor brethren were sold for a pair of sandals! That great social and wealth gap, led, as well, to bitter corruption, as is clear in Amos’ prophesies, that revealed horrible portraits of adultery, deception, bribes, and lies, etc. (3) That enormous wealth of the rich, made them practice the worship of God, as mere offerings of money and sacrifices to the temple; As though God could be bought by their money, or bribed by their offerings… Something that created a break between the rite and the spirit; The life of worship became too far from the practical spiritual behavior; And the sacrifices lost their theological and spiritual concept. (4) That political stability, together with the enormous wealth, also led to a sort of fanatic nationalism without a spirit; that made them assume that Jehovah is a God, special for them, who shows partiality for them at the expense of the Gentiles; whatever their evil is. That is why this prophet came to confirm that God is the “God of all”, who do not endure sin, whoever the one who commits it, whether a Jew or a Gentile; and presenting salvation, “all the Gentiles are called by His name” (Amos 9: 12). Attributes of the prophet Amos: This book reveals the following aspects of the attributes of this prophet: (1) His humility: Responding to a question by Amaziah the chief priest of Bethel about his true identity, he said: “I was no prophet, nor a son of a prophet, but I was a herdsman and a tender of sycamore fruit. Then the Lord took me as I followed the flock” (Amos 7: 14, 15); not ashamed to reveal his lowly and humble profession. 4 (2) His courage: Before Amaziah, with such high authority and power, because of his connection to the king, Amos remained faithful to his mission; He never faltered nor feared him, but testified to the truth, prophesied about the devastation of his house, and spoke the word of God, faithfully, and without any compliment or flattery. (3) His wisdom: He spoke, not only to the rulers and the elite, but to all categories of the people, for the sake of the penitence of all. (4) His job as a herdsman and a tender of sycamore fruit, gave him the chance of a life of contemplation; that led him to portray the atmosphere in which he lived, with a flaring spirit and a serious and faithful heart. Themes of the book of Amos: Beside proclaiming the judgment of God on Israel because of their corruption, this book also reveals God’s justice in His condemnation of all the Gentiles that follow lead. Yet, at the same time it presents reproach and threat, it opens the doors of hope before all. 1- Judgment of the Gentiles 1 – 2 2- Sermons to Israel 3 – 6 3- Visions and the promises of salvation 7 – 9