Introduction to the book of Amos

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 8/17/2015 9:29 PM

My Worship Time                                                                            Focus:    Introduction to Amos

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                            Reference:  Amos 1:1

            Message of the verses:  “1 The words of Amos, who was among the sheepherders from Tekoa, which he envisioned in visions concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.”

            Today we move into the third of the thirteen Minor Prophets as we look at the introduction to the book of Amos.  The first verse tells us who Amos is, as he is a sheepherder and he came from a town called Tekoa, and he also informs his readers that he was prophesying in the land of Israel, the Northern Kingdom and then gives the time that he was prophesying by naming both the kings of Judah and also Israel during the time that he was prophesying.  John MacArthur in his study Bible writes that Tekoa was a small town that was ten miles south of Jerusalem.  He also writes that his name means “burden” or “burden-bearer” and this seems to be a good name for a prophet.

            MacArthur writes “Amos addressed Israel’s two primary sins:  1) an absence of true worship, and 2) a lack of justice.” 

            Under the heading of “Interpretive Challenges” John MacArthur writes:  “In 9:11, the Lord promised that He ‘will raise up the fallen booth of David.’  At the Jerusalem Council, convened to discuss whether Gentiles should be allowed into the church without requiring circumcision, James quotes this passage (Acts 15:15, 16) to support Peter’s report of how God had taken ‘from among the Gentiles a people for His name’ (Acts 15:14).  Some have thus concluded that the passage was fulfilled in Jesus, the greater Son of David, through whom the dynasty of David was reestablished.  The Acts reference, however , is best seen as an illustration of Amos’ words and not the fulfillment.  The temporal allusions to the future time (‘In that day,’ 9:11), when Israel will ‘possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations’ (9:12), when the Lord will ‘plant them on their land, and they will not again be rooted out from their land which I have given them’ (9:15), all make it clear that the prophet is speaking of Messiah’s return at the Second Advent to sit upon the throne of David (cf. Is. 9:7), not the establishment of the church by the apostles.”

            Since we will be following the outline that Dr. Warren Wiersbe has in his commentary it is best to at least look at the bold part of the outline:

I.                     Look Around and See God’s Judgment (1-2).

II.                 Look Within and See the Corruption (3-6).

III.               Look Ahead and see the End Coming (7-9).

It is good to know that when the Lord called Amos to be a prophet that both the Southern and Northern Kingdoms of Israel were enjoying prosperity and security.  As we can see in  or own country this is good for the people living here, but as far as promoting a good spiritual culture for Christians to grow closer to the Lord it presents great problems because believers do not have to rely on the Lord and since they have many “things” they can feel little need to worship the Lord as they should, and perhaps we will see this kind of behavior from this book of Amos.  Living in prosperity can also bring about corruption in the government and also cause the rich to exploit the poor.

            As Dr. Wiersbe begins his commentary he mentions some similar things that I have just written when he writes “If the Prophet Amos were to come to our would today, he would probably feel very much at home; for he lived at a time such as ours when society was changing radically.  Both Israel and Judah were at peace with their neighbors, which meant that their wealth and energy could be used for developing their nations instead of fighting their enemies.” 

            Dr. Wiersbe quotes an English poet who lived way back in 1770 and it took me a while to understand the meaning of the verse that he quotes:

              Ill fares the land, to hast’ning ills a prey,

             Where wealth accumulates, and men decay…”

            From what I have learned about some of, or for that matter, most of the prophets is that they had “guts” and would say what they were suppose to say even if it meant that they would die for teaching the truth.  Amos was that type of man and what he said he said to not only Israel’s two kingdoms, but also Gentile nations as well.  We have mentioned several times before as we studied the OT prophets that when they speak to the Gentile nations they speak differently than when the speak to Israel, and the difference is that Israel is God’s child or wife, but the Gentile nations were not. 

8/17/2015 11:02 PM