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AMOS - Outline / Study Guide

BASIC OUTLINE
1.                  Historical Context
2.                  Amos - the Messenger
3.                  God - the Judge
4.                  Basis of Judgment
5.                  Pre-judgment warnings
6.                  The judged - who are they?
7.                  Consequences of God's judgment
8.                  Reasons for God's judgment
9.                  Response to God's judgment

AMOS - The Book - Scofield says the theme of this book is God’s judgment of sin
(Based on the factual premise that sin DOES bring judgment!)
God reveals the horror of sin - are we even fazed by it at all?
Selah - pray for a fresh horror at sin

I.                   HISTORICAL CONTEXT

DISCUSSION - What would you consider to be the worst time of human history in which to live?          
The Great Flood?
Sodom & Gomorrah?             
Dark Ages?
The Inquisition ?
Time of Christ's crucifixion and the persecution that followed for many years ?
The holocaust ?
Today ?    See Ephesians 5:15-16 (the days are evil)
The future Great Tribulation ?

What were the times like in Amos' day?

BACKGROUND TO THE TIMES OF AMOS
c.762 B.C.

Contemporary 
of Jonah          2 Kings 14:25
of Hosea         Hosea 1:1        (In Israel - north)
Of Isaiah        Isaiah 1:1         (In Judah - south)

Interesting ? That God sends one from the south to prophesy to the north (7:15) (If you say that "Israel" is generic here, that is probably not so because elsewhere Israel is used in contradistinction to Judah)

1:1   Uzziah was king of Judah (south) (791-740 B.C.)
     See 2 Kings 15:1-7
     2 Chronicles 26:1-21 (esp. v. 16-18)

1:1   Jereboam II was king of Israel (north) (793-753 B.C.)
     See 2 Kings 14:23-29

He did not exclude God-worship, just paganized it.
Hosea 10:2   divided heart ?

Politically - Time of political security
Under Jereboam II, times of prosperity under a long and secure reign (he had already reigned for 30 years when Amos is sent)
It was also a time of peace for Israel (with Judah & other neighbors)

Spiritually -
It was a time of rampant corruption, moral decay (adultery, robbery, murder) and also
religious formalism (habits without meaning)
Amos 4:1
Amos 5:10-13
2 Kings 14:24

II.        AMOS  - The Messenger of God

No references to Amos, the man, outside of the book of Amos
From Tekoa - 10 miles? South of Jerusalem
Name means "burdened"; Strong's says "burdensome" (like the people he went to were to God)

References  
1:1       Herdsman, breeder
7:14     Gatherer - Sycamore - (wild figs ? - poor peoples= food )
7:15     Layman turned prophet ?  You? Me? Dad Z.?

Amos declared God's word  (see I Peter 4:11 re: speaking as the oracles of God)
Sometimes prophets told new things, but very often they reminded!
God uses ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things.
Whom did Jesus select to be His disciples?
Everyday people ?
Abraham - see Joshua 24:2
Moses - not born in a palace; born of slaves, under the sentence of death
Yet God took this nobody and used him mightily
David - see I Sam. 16:1-13
Is. 66:2   to this man will I look......
See I Cor. 1:26-29

Amos (as did the other prophets) obeyed God and went to the people with a message of judgment. He was called upon to take an uncompromising (and unpopular) stand in a day of materialism and injustice (sound familiar ? ? ?) 
[We too have been commanded to go with a message of Good News and we don't go!]

His "acceptance" - 7:10-13
cf I Kings 12:25-33
cf I Kings 13:33-34
cf 2 Kings 17:6-23

DISCUSS - OPPOSITION TO THE LORD'S WORK 
Nehemiah

Does it happen in our day ?  How?
Petty-ness     Speck vs Beam in our own eye
Fault finding - SO very easy to do ! ! !
Undermining instead of edifying
Making self look good at the expense of someone else (pride)
Lack of encouragement
Seeing potential in others and waiting patiently while it develops
Ignorance (lack of understanding) accounts for much opposition ?

Three tests for Amos
1. Test of Misrepresentation   7:10-11
(The message which Amaziah sent to Jereboam was not an accurate quote (like Satan in Eden - Hath God said...???) -  Amos DID prophecy exile, but not Jereboam's death)

2. Test of Self-Interest
Amaziah is involved in a state religion - he earns his living from it - and he is in it for the money. Therefore, he figures Amos is likewise a paid prophet and so he gives Amos good financial counseling - you'll do a lot better prophesying against Israel in Judah than you will in Israel.

3. Test of Authority    7:13
"Don't prophesy any more at Beth-El"
see Acts 4:12-20;  5:17-29
see Amos 3:6, 8

His response       7:16-17
Amaziah's rejection of Amos message did not affect the message nor its outcome !                                              
III.       GOD  - The Judge

References to God as Judge
notice the sampling from Genesis, from the law, from the psalms, from the prophets

Ps. 50:6 "And the heavens shall declare his righteousness; for God is judge himself. Selah."
Rom 3:5-6 "But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance...God forbid; for then how shall God judge the world?"
Gen 18: 22-25
1 Sam. 2:1-10
Judges 11:27 "...the Lord, the Judge, be judge this day between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon."
1 Chr. 16:31-33 (part of David's psalm)
Ps. 75:7 "But God is the judge; he putteth down one, and setteth up another."
Is. 33:22 "For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our King..."
Ezek. 33:20 "...O ye house of Israel, I will judge you every one after his ways."
Joel 3:12 ALet the nations be wakened, and come up to the Valley of Jehosh-aphat; for there will I sit to judge all the nations round about.@
Acts 10: 38-43
Rev. 18:1-8

1:1   2 years before the earthquake
cf Zech. 14:5
Josephus connects this earthquake with Uzziah's sin of usurping the role of the priest (2 Chr. 26:16-23)
Historically, a severe earthquake occurred c. 760 B.C.

EARTHQUAKES IN SCRIPTURES
Earthquakes clearly manifest the presence and power of God
Mat. 27:51
@ Crucifixion             Matt 27:54
@ Resurrection           Matt. 28:2
Paul & Silas(prison)    Acts 16:26
Most times, associated with judgment
Is. 29:6
Joel 2:10
Nahum 1:5
Rev. 6:12,  8:5,  11:13,  11:19,  16:18

1:2   He will roar (moan) and utter his voice

Anger implied
Does God get angry ??

STUDY GOD'S ANGER IN SCRIPTURES

For those whose view of "God is love" to the exclusion of other characteristics (which we might call "emotions"), it may surprise some how often the Scriptures mention the anger of God and the wrath of God - too many times for us to consider even very many of them. But we will look at enough to give you a flavor:
Exodus 4:14    God's anger kindled at Moses
Numbers 11:1
Numbers 11:10
Numbers 12:9
Numbers 22:22
Numbers 25:3-4
Numbers 32:10, 13, 14
Deut.  29: 20, 23-24, 27
Deut.  32: 16, 17, 21
Josh 7: 1, 26
Judges 2:12, 14, 20
2 Sam 6:7; 24:1
1 Kings 14:9, 15
2 Kings 17:11     angry at the disobedience !
2 Kings 17:17-18
Isaiah 65:3
Jer 7:18-20
WRATH
Ezra 8:22
Jer 10:10

Lest we think God is only angry in the O.T. -
John 3:36        
Rom. 1:18
Eph 5:6
Rev. 15:1

Consider
Psalm 90:11
Psalm 78:38
Psalm 30:5
Psalm 103:8     slow to anger
Micah 7:18

Why do we care about God being angry?
It is because He is a "person" that we see "emotion"
If you don't care, why get angry over something?  - (but God cares ! ! !)
We generally don't intentionally anger the ones we love ! !
Knowing what angers God is good for us to know.
Knowing that God gets angry is important for us to know !


1:3   He will not turn away

He will send a FIRE - 1:4, 1:7, 1:10, 1:12, 2:2, 2:5 There is no mistaking God's intentions
Damascus, Gaza, Tyre, Edom, Ammon, Moab, Judah - all get fire !

REFERENCES TO FIRE - 33 of 39 O.T. books refer to fire - but none as much as Amos
Fire does not ALWAYS signify judgement
Burning bush (Ex.3:2)
pillar of fire led Israel
Daniel - fiery furnace
But normally, fire devours
Ex. 24:17
Deut. 4:23-24
Deut. 9:3
Heb. 12:28-29
Jer. 4:3-4
2 Peter 3:1-7

So much of what God has given man has been turned against God. God will take fire, given to man for good, and use it for judgment against him.

See Nahum 3:13 for transition from fire to bars
1:5  He will break the bar of Damascus
Bars - like a jail = strength, security, defense
See Psalm 147:12-13

Kir - original home of the Syrians

Prophecy fulfilled 732 B.C.  See 2 Kings 16:9 ?

1:8    He will turn His hand against
Fulfilled - 
Gaza fell 734 B.C.
Ashdod fell 711 B.C.
Ashkelon & Ekron fell 701 B.C.

4:12-13            
God's right to judge
God's Power to judge
God's reason to judge (God is just)

5:8     
who maketh...                 God's creative power
turneth the shadow..        God's transforming power
who calleth for the water   God's judging power

5:12     God knows    (9:8a)
8:7       God doesn't forget    
9:1-4    Far reaching - no hiding from God
9:6
9:9-10 

Blood thirsty/punitive God?  No. God is merciful.   God pleads with men first - 5:4-6

Paul persuaded men
and begged believers (Rom 12:1)

Note - Tekoa comes from Hebrew word for trumpet
cf I Cor. 14:8
Rev. -   Trumpet judgments
Day of the Lord          5:18-20
This term is not newly introduced by Amos
Often (generally) a term of religious optimism and hope - generally looked forward to as a time of judgment against the enemies of Israel

RESEARCH DAY OF THE LORD
see Boice p. 159-161

The Visions of Amos

1.  Locusts  - Multiple levels of prophecy
a) Local / immediate / literal - real plague, real locusts
b) Regional / soon / figurative - Assyrian invasion (Joel 1 ? )
c) Broader / future / figurative and/or literal - Armageddon ? ?

2.  Fire
Remember ch.1&2
cf Is. 66:15-16 ?
cf 2 Peter 3:4-14 ?
This fire is not annihilation, but refinement !
Some say this "fire" is severe drought caused by such intense heat that rivers, etc. dry up.

3.  Plumb Line     
4.  Summer Fruit   cf Jer 24:1-10
Israel was ripe for judgment

5.  The Lord at the Altar
6.  Darkness  - Prophetic of Calvary
7.  Famine     - of the Word of God

IV.        GOD's BASIS OF JUDGEMENT

God's justice
4:2       God's holiness
6:8       Swore by Himself (all that He is)
      cf   Gen 22:16
Josh 9:18 ?
Ps. 89:35 ?
Is. 45:23
Jer. 44:26; 49:13; 51:14

7:8       Plumb line (Christ) - HIS ! Standard ! ! ! !   (We all fall short of the glory of God (Christ)

Absolute standard - not floater  - It's what He says it is, not what we want it to be

Ps. 9:8 et al      He shall judge the world in righteousness

V.        PRE-JUDGMENT WARNINGS

3:7       The very fact that there were prophets sent by God speaks volumes regarding God=s marvelous love. Consider this - In Deut. __:__ God warned the people not to forget (Him, in particular) Yet God sends prophets to REMIND the forgetful hearers (with no obligation to do so). I see prophets as ambassadors of reconciliation. Be ye reconciled to God (2 Cor. 5:20). Typical cry of prophets is to repent - God reaching out to people to return to Him)

?          [note - Gabelein says it is man's thoughts, not God's, which are revealed/exposed - cf Gen 18:17 ?]

5:4       In the midst of declaring judgment, God issues a call to repentance 5:14-15 also

5:5       Go/Come to the right place - not Bethel, not Gilgal, not Beersheba, but GOD -
see 5:4 Seek ME and live ! ! !

5:6       If God sends it, there's no stopping it !


VI.          THE JUDGED       The objects of God's judgment          Whom does God judge ?

[REVIEW THE MAP AS YOU GO THRU THESE]

Damascus        capitol of, therefore = Syria
Gaza               main city of, therefore = Philistines
Tyre                = Sidonians
Edom              descendants of Esau - remember enmity between Jacob and Esau
                               Obadiah 1-16 prophesies judgment against Edom
Ammon           Son of Lot by Lot's younger daughter (Gen 19:36-38)
Moab              Son of Lot by Lot's older daughter (Gen 19:36-38)
People of Chemosh - Numbers 21:29,  I Kings 11:33

Then Judah and Israel - This may all seem harsh
but - benefits imply greater obligation/responsibility
Luke 12:48 - "To whom much is given, much shall be required."

3:1-3    Judgment begins at the house of God ? ?  (At the altars of BETH-EL 3:14)
Deut. 32:36 - Afor the Lord shall judge his people...@  (Same appears in Ps. 135:14)

Israel became unresponsive to God's Word  - like us?  - When challenged by God's Word perhaps we say, I wonder what the Hebrew means (never searching to really find out, just looking for an out) or we argue that it was written for another age, not ours, or that it simply isn't relevant to me or to my times.

See Romans 14:10

CONSIDER ESCHATOLOGICAL STUDY OF GREAT WHITE THRONE vs. BEMA SEAT


VII.          THE CONSEQUENCES OF GOD's JUDGMENT

so as not to take lightly the judgment of God

Mourning  1:2    Habitations of the shepherds shall mourn
(weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth ?)
Withering 1:2    the top of Carmel shall wither
Carmel = fertility; a planted & fruitful(plentiful) field/orchard/vineyard
Ruin          palaces devoured        1:4, 1:7, 1:10, 1:12, 2:2, 2:5
Cut off     1:8       inhabitants from the plain of Aven
(Cut off from the land of the living ?)

Beth-EL became Beth-aven (literally house of nothingness)

To exert one's self in vain; trouble, vanity, wickedness (specifically idolatry)
So house of God becomes the house of idols
(House of prayer became a house of thieves)

De-throned  1:5       scepter removed
Captivity         1:5, 1:15
Death           1:8       remnant of Philistines shall perish      

2:14-16
a) Flight perishes from the swift
b) Strong weakened
c) Mighty overcome
d) Bowman not spared
e) No running away
f) No getting away
g) Courage will be gone

In THAT day  - who can stand against God ?

Fellowship with God impaired  - 2:3

3:14     Truth is made plain as the false is cut off
5:16-17 (18-20)
6:12    No Escape
It is as futile to do the things Israel did and not expect judgment as it is to plow a rock cliff

8:3
8:8
8:9
8:10
8:11 (-13)

721 B.C.          Samaria falls to the Assyrians - ten tribes carried into captivity


VIII.            THE REASONS FOR GOD's JUDGMENT

DEVELOP COUNTERPART FOR EACH (SOMETHING POSITIVE TO DO INSTEAD)

[i.e balance all the negatives of judgment with that which is the desired behavior]

overcome evil with good ! ! !(Rom.         )

"For three transgressions, and for four" 1:3,6,9,10,13;  2:1,4,6   (8 Times) ....BECAUSE...

Explain the phrase (see SRB note)

Sin multiplied upon sin.  (3 is more than enough to establish guilt - 4 is above question)

In this there is the sense of God's longsuffering!

We will look at many of the sins listed in Amos, but if we tried to summarize/categorize/etc. as best we could, we might identify two - absence of true worship and lack of justice. In the midst of their ritual performance, they were not pursuing God, and they were not following God=s standard of justice. (6:12(b))

1:3       Damascus threshed Gilead      see 2 Kings 8:7-15
Threshing instruments were agricultural tools with points and edges to drag over the ground
Issue - Cruelty              

1:6       Gaza carried away the captivity - delivered them to Edom (1:9) one of Israel's worst enemies
Sin of using others for own gain (slavery in particular) Phil 2:3-4 ?
? [abuses of slavery vs. kind masters of bondservants or hired servants]

Gen 9:25 1st mention ?
Gen 6:5,9-13
Lev. 25:35-43 

1:9       Remembered not the brotherly covenant - see I Kings 5:1-12
Fulfilled - Tyre became a tributary to Assyria,
then fell to Nebuchadnezzar 575 B.C.
Then destroyed by Alexander the Great 332 B.C.

1:11     Edom pursued his brother with the sword.......(list out)
Brotherly love ? ? ?
1:13     Ripped up the women with child 
2:1       Moab burned the bones of Edom=s king
2 Kings 3:26-27
Severe hatred  Lev. 19:17-18
Matt 5:43-44
Gal. 5:19-21 

2:4       Despised the Law of God        (America ? ?)
Numbers 15:30-31
Rom. 11:16-24
Heb.  10:26-31
Prov. 13:13
Ps. 19:7

A.)       Did not keep (heed and obey) God's commands
Ps. 71:3(b)
Lev. 4:13-14
Deut. 5:29                                                                                                                                                

B.)       Lies led to path of error
Is. 28:14-15                                  
Prov. 19:5,9
Jer. 23:9-32                                                                                                                                                  
If you reject God's Word, error will surely follow;
And if you reject God Himself, idolatry will surely follow.
  
Israel rejected God's morality, so what follows?  Being just like the heathen.

2:6       Sold the righteous for silver     (Joseph ?)
Perhaps - not selling as slavery, but "selling someone out"-betrayal, cheating, using
Sold the poor for shoes
Judges were open to bribes - poor had nothing with which to bribe, therefore no chance!

2:7       Turn aside the way of the meek

Man& his father go in unto the same maid  - Immorality (prob. Cultic prostitution)

Profaning God's holy name

2:8       ? ? see Boice p. 145 col. 2
2:9       Hard to understand the sins in light of what God had done   ( same for us ?)
2:13     God is pressed under
2:12     They gave Nazirites wine to drink

Explain Nazirites (NOT Nazarenes)
See Numbers 6:1-8
Hebrew nazar = separated one (set apart; devote; abstain)

STUDY SEPARATION

2:12     They rejected the prophets
research - Jesus saying you killed God's prophets

He came unto His own and...

Mini-lesson on STUMBLING BLOCKS ! ! !

3:10(a) They do not know how to do right
Ignorance
Will
Willful Ignorance

3:13-15     Idolatry           No other gods !   God is a jealous God !

4:1       (LIST)
4:4-5    Sin multiplied by covering them with RELIGION (cf 5:21-26)
See Boice p. 156-157 *
4:6-11   UNHEEDED CHASTENING !
4:6   is not a dental hygienist's life verse :)
v.6       Famine
v.7-8    Drought
v.9(a)   Mildew (Crop Disease)
v.9(b)   Locusts(Pestilence)
v.10(a)Sickness, disease, epidemics,

After the manner of Egypt - WOW - pretty severe !
v.10(b)War
v.11     Natural calamity

YET THEY DID NOT RETURN ! ! ! ! (and this is what God wanted !)

Why does God chasten? - God is determined that His people Will be holy and Will walk in His ways
Cf Haggai 1:6-11,12-14
Notice - in all this, God is at work to bring them back!  What Grace ! ! !
Cf Job 33:19-33
Prov. 3:11
Heb. 12:5-11
see Hosea 5:12-14 - first comes as a moth, then when no response, comes as a lion
see Boice  p.150 col.2

"Prepare to meet thy God" implies a greater judgment to come than what has already come !

?  This is not likely a last call to repentance - they have already ignored numerous warnings - both verbal and otherwise. Now comes the declaration of the sentence ? 

5:7
5:10(a)
5:10(b)
5:11
5:12
6:1       cf Zeph 1:12, 3:1-2
Trust in Mount of Samaria - implies all places where we put our confidence in the place of God.
6:3                               Complacency
Put off doom  see 9:8-10

RESEARCH VERSES RE: God's judgment not being immediate

6:4(a)   Laziness
Sleeping when we should be working

6:4(b)  Hedonism - beds of Ivory, luxury (and worsened by doing so at expense of others)
Stretching out on couches rather than on knees before God
Indulgent; consumed with self.

6:5    rationalized disobedience ?
Compare/contrast to David in I Chr. 23:5
"Lesser men justify their faults by comparing to the weaknesses of greater men"

6:6(b)  moral indifference ?
6:1-6   Improper priorities
Not at all grieved by what was really going on

Go over and see....   - are you any better? [could this be true of the church today in comparison to the world in which we live?] 

6:8   ?
6:10        vain words ?    Cf Hab. 2:20   Zeph.  1:7
6:13                             Pride (confidence in Aven, i.e. nothing !)
8:4
8:5       cf Deut. 25:13-16
Lev. 19:35-37

Religion resented because it interfered with THEIR commerce, plans, life, etc.

Major Problems -

MATERIALISM - prosperity distorted Israel's view of God and worship of God.
PREOCCUPATION WITH THINGS - Ignored God's person and purposes

8:6       Loan sharks

IX.            RESPONSE TO GOD's JUDGMENT

see Boice p. 170-171 and p. 178 last paragraph

4:12     Prepare
5:1       Lament = song or poem mourning the death of a relative or friend
one again, God's judgment is serious, not to be taken lightly

5:4,6,8  Seek Him
cf Is. 55:1-7
seek = Hebrew daresh = to follow in pursuit; to search; to worship

5:6   Repent to prevent the fire of God's wrath
5:14-15   Repent

"Amos made the ironic observation that the people thought that the Lord was with them. They thought that their privilege as YAHWEH's elect and their lip service to Him guaranteed their protection"

Light creates responsibility  - to whom much is given, much shall be required

Ex. 19:1-8
2 Peter 2:1-21
Deut. 4:23-40
Ex. 19:5-8

5:24     Roll On  - "This is one of the greatest metaphors of the Old Testament and one the church needs to ponder. A momentary flow...will not do; these virtues are to keep on in the social order like a stream that does not dry up in the summer heat."

5:24     Manifest changes
Based on proper choices  -  "Choices are the hinge of destiny"
("Destiny determined by choice not by chance")
1.  Decision to believe, for salvation
2.  Decision to live a life distinct from the world - 2 Cor. 6:17
3.  Decision to seek good and not evil - Amos 5:14

X.        END NOTES                                          

Remnant          Elijah
God's mercy    9:8(b)
9:11-15
Seeking true values     5:4-17
5:4 vs. 5:5
5:4  seek - ye - me - and live !
5:5  seek not
enter not
neither pass by     (Abstain from all appearance of evil) (flee from ....)

Unacceptable Worship            5:21-27
Warning against Complacency  6:1-7
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