(The Book of Amos was the third book of the twelve books that made up the minor prophet section of the Old Testament. Amos was a prophet that chronologically preceded Joel. Amos' message focused on God's judgment upon all nations. Amos was specific as to why judgment would come upon each nation. While the tone of this book was dire, this book did finish with an encouragement that Israel would be regathered and restored during Christ's Millennial Reign.)
Amos 1
1 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.
(Amos was a herdsman (shepherd) from Tekoa (a town in the hill country of Judah). The "earthquake" mentioned here happened during Uzziah's reign (See Zechariah 14:5). Hosea covered the time from Uzziah through Hezekiah (four kings of Judah). The Book of Joel occurred within Hosea's time-frame. The Book of Amos occurred near the beginning of Hosea's time-frame.)
2 And he said, Jehovah will roar from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the pastures of the shepherds shall mourn, and the top of Carmel shall wither.
(Verses 3-5: judgment on Damascus.)
3 Thus saith Jehovah: For three transgressions of Damascus, yea, for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron:
4 but I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, and it shall devour the palaces of Ben-hadad.
5 And I will break the bar of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitant from the valley of Aven, and him that holdeth the sceptre from the house of Eden; and the people of Syria shall go into captivity unto Kir, saith Jehovah.
(Verses 6-8: judgment on the Philistines.)
6 Thus saith Jehovah: For three transgressions of Gaza, yea, for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they carried away captive the whole people, to deliver them up to Edom:
7 but I will send a fire on the wall of Gaza, and it shall devour the palaces thereof.
8 And I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, and him that holdeth the sceptre from Ashkelon; and I will turn my hand against Ekron; and the remnant of the Philistines shall perish, saith the Lord Jehovah.
(Verses 9-10: judgment on Tyre.)
9 Thus saith Jehovah: For three transgressions of Tyre, yea, for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they delivered up the whole people to Edom, and remembered not the brotherly covenant:
10 but I will send a fire on the wall of Tyre, and it shall devour the palaces thereof.
(Verses 11-12: judgment on Edom (from Esau).)
11 Thus saith Jehovah: For three transgressions of Edom, yea, for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he did pursue his brother with the sword, and did cast off all pity, and his anger did tear perpetually, and he kept his wrath for ever:
12 but I will send a fire upon Teman, and it shall devour the palaces of Bozrah.
(Verses 13-15: judgment on Ammon (from Lot).)
13 Thus saith Jehovah: For three transgressions of the children of Ammon, yea, for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have ripped up the women with child of Gilead, that they may enlarge their border.
14 But I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah, and it shall devour the palaces thereof, with shouting in the day of battle, with a tempest in the day of the whirlwind;
15 and their king shall go into captivity, he and his princes together, saith Jehovah.
(Rabbah was the capitol of Ammon.)
Amos 2
(Verses 1-3: judgment on Moab (from Lot).)
1 Thus saith Jehovah: For three transgressions of Moab, yea, for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime:
2 but I will send a fire upon Moab, and it shall devour the palaces of Kerioth; and Moab shall die with tumult, with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet;
3 and I will cut off the judge from the midst thereof, and will slay all the princes thereof with him, saith Jehovah.
(Again, the Amalekites were not mentioned.)
(Verses 4-5: judgment on Judah (by Babylon).)
4 Thus saith Jehovah: For three transgressions of Judah, yea, for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have rejected the law of Jehovah, and have not kept his statutes, and their lies have caused them to err, after which their fathers did walk:
5 but I will send a fire upon Judah, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem.
(Verses 6-8: judgment on Israel (by Assyria).)
6 Thus saith Jehovah: For three transgressions of Israel, yea, for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have sold the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of shoes-
7 they that pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, and turn aside the way of the meek: and a man and his father go unto the same maiden, to profane my holy name:
8 and they lay themselves down beside every altar upon clothes taken in pledge; and in the house of their God they drink the wine of such as have been fined.
(Verses 9-11: some blessings God had done for Israel.)
9 Yet destroyed I 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.
(The Amorites were a people of Canaan, the land God promised to the Israelites.)
10 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.
(God delivered the Israelites out of Egypt, the Exodus.)
11 And I raised up of your sons for prophets, and of your young men for Nazirites. Is it not even thus, O ye children of Israel? saith Jehovah.
12 But ye gave the Nazirites wine to drink, and commanded the prophets, saying, Prophesy not.
(The Israelites hindered God by facilitating the breaking of the Nazarite vow and by telling God's prophets to not prophesy.)
13 Behold, I will press you in your place, as a cart presseth that is full of sheaves.
14 And flight shall perish from the swift; and the strong shall not strengthen his force; neither shall the mighty deliver himself;
15 neither shall he stand that handleth the bow; and he that is swift of foot shall not deliver himself; neither shall he that rideth the horse deliver himself;
16 and he that is courageous among the mighty shall flee away naked in that day, saith Jehovah.
(In the King James Version, verse 13 was interpreted: "Behold, I am pressed under you, as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves." The implication being that God was getting weary of the stress and strain of Judah's and Israel's sins.)
Amos 3
1 Hear this word that Jehovah hath spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up out of the land of Egypt, saying,
(This word was spoken against the children of Israel, against the whole family which included Judah.)
2 You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will visit upon you all your iniquities.
3 Shall two walk together, except they have agreed?
(In order to walk (make progress) with God you must be in agreement with God: 2 Corinthians 6:14-18. Can Christians be friends with non-Christians? This verse from Amos stated that this could only happen when two were in agreement. The way to determine this is to ask the Christian if they are becoming more like the non-Christian or if the non-Christian is becoming more like them.)
4 Will a lion roar in the forest, when he hath no prey? will a young lion cry out of his den, if he have taken nothing?
5 Can a bird fall in a snare upon the earth, where no gin is set for him? shall a snare spring up from the ground, and have taken nothing at all?
6 Shall the trumpet be blown in a city, and the people not be afraid? shall evil befall a city, and Jehovah hath not done it?
7 Surely the Lord Jehovah will do nothing, except he reveal his secret unto his servants the prophets.
(God revealed His secrets to His prophets before He did anything.)
8 The lion hath roared; who will not fear? The Lord Jehovah hath spoken; who can but prophesy?
9 Publish ye in the palaces at Ashdod, and in the palaces in the land of Egypt, and say, Assemble yourselves upon the mountains of Samaria, and behold what great tumults are therein, and what oppressions in the midst thereof.
10 For they know not to do right, saith Jehovah, who store up violence and robbery in their palaces.
(Verses 11-15: the captivity of Israel to Assyria.)
11 Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: An adversary there shall be, even round about the land; and he shall bring down thy strength from thee, and thy palaces shall be plundered.
12 Thus saith Jehovah: As the shepherd rescueth out of the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear, so shall the children of Israel be rescued that sit in Samaria in the corner of a couch, and on the silken cushions of a bed.
13 Hear ye, and testify against the house of Jacob, saith the Lord Jehovah, the God of hosts.
14 For in the day that I shall visit the transgressions of Israel upon him, I will also visit the altars of Beth-el; and the horns of the altar shall be cut off, and fall to the ground.
15 And I will smite the winter-house with the summer-house; and the houses of ivory shall perish, and the great houses shall have an end, saith Jehovah.
(Verse 12 showed that a very small remnant would saved.)
(This post covered judgments from God pronounced on various nations.)
Day 267
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