Amos 1-9 Devotional

Today, we’re looking at the Old Testament prophetic book of Amos.  These 9 chapters may seem intimidating, but they pretty short with a profound message about Judgment.  The Sovereign Lord roared, spoke against Israel, and showed Amos.

 

When we walk away from our time together today, I want you to know The Lord’s relentless judgment of sin is coming: NOW is the time to repent!

 

Heavenly Father, would you open our eyes and hearts to see and receive what you have for us today?  Would you bring understanding and conviction and humility to the heart of each of us?  Show us something new and mind blowing in Your Word.  In Jesus’ name. Amen.

 

We have three divisions:

1.The Lord roars: For sins I will not relent (Amos 1-2)

2.What the Sovereign Lord has spoken against Israel (Amos 3-6)

3.What the Sovereign Lord showed me (Amos) (Amos 7-9)

 

Let’s dive right in to this amazing book of prophecy.

 

Read Amos 1:1-2.

 

Let’s talk a little bit about Amos.  Verse 1 tells us he is a shepherd from Tekoa.  Tekoa was a village in Judah about 10 miles south of Jerusalem.  Amos received a vision concerning Israel.  So he was from Judah, but came to prophesy to the northern kingdom of Israel.  Interesting.  We are also given several time-frame markers:  this was during the reigns of King Uzziah in Judah and King Jeroboam II in Israel.  We know it was Jeroboam II because he is referred to as Joash’s son.  We are also told that this prophecy was given to Amos two years before THE earthquake.  So, the original audience of this written work would have

 

This is a beautiful picture showing God can use ANYONE to do His work!  He chose a shepherd and fig farmer to be His messenger.  He can use you, too.  How is God using you?  How does He want to use you, but you are resisting?

 

God sent Amos to Israel in a time of prosperity.  God is declaring that judgment is coming.  Why declare it?  To give Israel an opportunity to repent and be saved.  God now gives eight indictments against the sins committed by several nations.

 

Read Amos 1:3-5.

 

In each of these indictments, there is a common phrase: “for three sins… even for four, I will not relent.”  This is an indication that there is a long list of sins that could have been cited against each of these nations, but only a sampling is mentioned.  The indictment in verses 3-5 is against Damascus.  Damascus is the capital of Aram.  The sin revealed was that Damascus threshed Gilead with sledges having iron teeth.  Damascus mistreated Gilead.  So God was going to punish Damascus by sending fire on the house of Hazael, king of Damascus.  The fortresses would be consumed.  God would break down the gate and destroy the king, and the people would be exiled to Kir.

 

Read Amos 1:6-8.

 

This indictment is against Gaza.  The sin revealed was that Gaza took communities captive and sold them to Edom.  So God was going to send fire on the walls of Gaza and consume her fortresses.  God would destroy the king and turn His hand against the Philistines until the last of them is dead.

 

Read Amos 1:9-10.

 

The indictment against Tyre was for selling whole communities of captives to Edom, disregarding a treaty of brotherhood.  What brotherhood, you might wonder.  In 2 Samuel 5:11, you can read about a treaty between King David of Israel and King Hiram of Tyre.  That brotherhood.  Ouch!  So God was going to send fire to consume her fortresses.

 

Read Amos 1:11-12.

 

The indictment against Edom was for pursuing his brother with a sword and slaughtering the women of the land, because his anger raged continually and his fury flamed unchecked.  The Edomites were the descendants of Esau.  Esau was Jacob’s older brother.  Jacob is also known as Israel.  So God was going to send fire on Edom’s two major cities: Teman and Bozrah.

 

Read Amos 1:13-15.

 

The indictment against Ammon was for ripping open the pregnant women of Gilead in order to extend his borders.  The Ammonites were also related to Israel.  They were descended from Lot.  They had a long history of fighting against Israel.  God was going to set fire to the walls of Ammon’s capital, Rabbah, that would consume her fortresses amid war cries on the day of battle, and amid violent winds on a stormy day.  Her king and his officials would go into exile.

 

Read Amos 2:1-3.

 

The indictment against Moab was for burning to ashes the bones of Edom’s king.  Seems excessive mistreatment of a body knit together by God Himself and created as a bearer of His image!  The Moabites were also related to Israel through Lot.  So God was going to send fire to consume her fortresses.  Moab would go down in great tumult amid war cries and the blast of the trumpet.  God will destroy her ruler and kill all her officials.  Wow!

 

Now, the indictments take a chilling turn.

 

Read Amos 2:4-5.

 

God turns to accuse Judah!  Because they have rejected the law of the Lord and haven’t kept His decrees, because they have been led astray by false gods.  God will send fire on Judah that will consume the fortresses of Jerusalem!

 

But wait, there’s more.

 

Read Amos 2:6-16.

 

Now the Lord speaks against the northern kingdom of Israel.  The list of Israel’s sins is considerably longer than those mentioned about the nations surrounding Israel.  First, they sell the innocent for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals.  Wow!  This sounds like trafficking!  They trample the heads of the poor and deny justice to the oppressed!  They are actively abusing the poor!  Father and son use the same girl and so profane my holy name.  They lie down beside every altar on garments taken in pledge. In the house of their god, they drink wine taken as fines.

 

Then Scripture contains an interlude where God reminds Israel what He has done for them.  He has destroyed the Amorites completely despite their size and strength.  He brought them up out of Egypt and led them through the wilderness for forty years to give them the land of the Amorites.  He raised up prophets and Nazirites from among their young people.  But Israel made the Nazirites drink wine and commanded the prophets not to prophesy.  They corrupted the Nazirites and refused the blessing of the prophets.

 

So God would crush them as a cart crushes when loaded with grain.  Oy!  The swift would not escape, strength could not save them, the warrior would not save himself.  The archer wouldn’t stand his ground, even a horseman couldn’t get away.  The bravest warrior would flee naked!

 

This leads us to our first principle:

 

Principle 1:  The Lord forgives – and will judge – all sins.

 

To what sins are you clinging from which the Lord wants to free you, and what godly disciplines might you exchange for them?

 

Let’s keep moving along.  There is still so much to cover as we discuss what God spoke against Israel.

 

Read Amos 3:1-8.

 

Again, God reminds Israel of His deliverance out of Egypt.  He reminds them of the covenant and the intimacy they are privileged to share.  God is holy and cannot be in the presence of sin.  He must punish sin.  All sin.  Even Israel’s sin.  God speaks of alliances made by agreement.  Being captured and trapped with the use of bait.  Israel’s failure to stand apart from the worldly culture around them is a historical record of these illustrations in their lives which led to a depraved nation that God must punish along with the surrounding nations.

 

Read Amos 3:9-15.

 

The people don’t know how to do right.  Wow!  Wallowing in sin definitely has consequences.  This behavior rendered Israel incapable of doing right!  Sin was second nature.  So the Lord would use an enemy to punish them.  Pagan altars will be destroyed.  Worship would be impossible for them.  Houses would be demolished!  The people would be taken into captivity.

 

Read Amos 4:1-3.

 

Now we read about rich women who oppress the poor, crush the needy, and boss their husbands around.  Not exactly Proverbs 31 women!  They would be captured and dragged into captivity.

 

Read Amos 4:4-5.

 

These verses are a bit sarcastic as Amos speaks about going to the two cities set up in the northern kingdom as worship centers by Jeroboam to keep the people from going to Jerusalem to worship.  Idolatry  was the behavior Israel wanted to indulge in.

 

Read Amos 4:6-13.

 

God reminds Israel of His past discipline for their idolatry.  Yet, in each case, with each punishment, Israel did not turn back to God.  Well, God has had enough.  He warns them to “prepare to meet your God.”  Then proceeds to remind them Who He is in verse 13!  He is the Lord God Almighty!!!

 

Read Amos 5:1-9.

 

No there is a song of lament for Israel.  Fallen, never to rise.  Yet, these verses contain some hope!  A destruction of population, yet a remnant preserved.  A chance to seek God and live.  A warning NOT to seek Bethel of go to Gilgal.  A warning to seek the Lord and live or suffer punishment by the Lord, Who, with a blinding flash brings fortified cities to ruin!

 

Read Amos 5:10-16.

 

God is Justice!  Israel would be judged – their enemies would be judged – we will be judged – for the mistreatment of others.  God knew their sins.  God knows our sins.  I urge you to make an honest confession to Him.  Ask Him to reveal your sin to you so you can confess it to Him, so nothing stands between you.  Take time to do this every day.  Sit in His presence until He reveals something to you.  Do it now.  Yes, right now.  If you have time to read this, you have time to ask Him to reveal your sin, and let Him show it to you.  Don’t wait another minute.  Confess.  It will draw you so much closer to Him!  Otherwise, there will be distance between you, which leads to more sin, and eventual wailing.  Go.  I’ll wait right here for you.

 

Read Amos 5:17-20.

 

I recently read a commentator’s comments on this passage that said “woe” could also be read “whoa,” as in STOP!  This passage brought me to an absolute halt!  I will do my own confessing right here.  I have often said that I longed for the Day of the Lord.  But I truly longed to escape having to deal with an unpleasant issue here on earth.  It’s not that I don’t want to see Jesus face to face, but I didn’t really consider that the Day of the Lord would bring a time of darkness to some people I really care about.

 

Read Amos 5:21-27.

 

The One True God condemns false worship.  When we blend true worship with worldliness, that’s false worship!  That’s idolatry.  That’s about us, not about God!  Israel was supposed to reveal God to the world.  But Israel became like the world, so they couldn’t reveal God.  What does your worship look like?

 

Read Amos 6:1-14.

 

The woes continue in chapter 6!  Beware of complacency!  Beware of security in the wrong things!  Beware of indulging in illicit sex, inappropriate entertainment and excessive drinking!  Exile is coming.  God hates pride.  Israel pridefully lived their way rather than God’s, so God would stir up a nation to oppress Israel.

 

And here is our second principle:

 

Principle 2:  The Lord speaks now to bring His people to repentance.

 

What is the Sovereign Lord saying to you in this study, and how will you respond to what He is telling you?

 

Now let’s take a quick look at what God showed Amos in the last two chapters.

 

Read Amos 7:1-9.

 

God showed Amos three visions.  The first is a swarm of locusts that stripped the land clean.  Amos called out to God to forgive.  And God relented.  Then the Lord showed Amos a vision of a judgment by fire.  Amos called out to God again, and God said this would not happen either.  God showed Amos a third vision.  The Lord was standing by a wall that had been built true to plumb.  He held a plumb line in His hand.  God declared that Israel did not measure up and would be spared no longer.  God would destroy the high places.

 

Read Amos 7:10-17.

 

Israel did not measure up.  And Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, sent a message to King Jeroboam II that Amos was conspiring against the king.  Amaziah misquotes Amos to Jeroboam and then tells Amos to go home and prophesy there!  Some priest!  Amaziah definitely didn’t have God’s will in mind.  He refused to hear the warnings and the pleas to seek the Lord and return to Him.

 

Amos’ response reinforces that he is about God’s business.  He was not a prophet, or even the son of a prophet.  He was a shepherd and a fig farmer.  God called him to serve.  God can call you to serve Him, too.  No matter who you are!  And when people challenge you not to live out the call God has upon your life, pray for them.  Pray for yourself.  Pray God’s will is done.

 

Read Amos 8:1-14.

 

The next vision is a basket of ripe fruit.  The Lord explained to Amos that the people were ripe and He would spare them no longer.  Israel had trampled the needy.  They cheated by using dishonest scales.  So God would send a famine – not of food, but of hearing the words of God!

 

Read Amos 9:1-10.

 

The third vision was of the Lord standing next to the altar, giving His final summation, His closing statement at Israel’s “trial”.  There will be nowhere for Israel to hide from God’s judgment.  There will be no escape no matter what they claim.

 

Read Amos 9:11-15.

 

“But God.”  I love those two words.  God leaves us with hope.  In spite of His judgment, He will not forget His people.  He will not forget His covenants.  He will restore David’s fallen shelter.  Jesus will come.  Jesus will rule and reign.  His kingdom will never be uprooted.  Hallelujah!

 

And here is our final principle:

 

Principle 3:  The Lord gives revelation where He wants change and growth.

 

Where is the Lord growing you in your study of Amos’ prophecy?

 

I frequently find myself living the Scriptures I am studying.  While studying these chapters, I had an encounter with my supervisor that I didn’t expect.  I made a comment about how I thought a statement made in a meeting by a manger to our customer about a group of our employees was inappropriate.  I saw it as a betrayal by that manager.  My supervisor didn’t agree with me.  She said she saw “both sides,” and tried to justify the manager’s comments by saying, “that’s just the relationship they have.”  I think what hurt most was that my supervisor is a Christian, and she was okay with our manager speaking badly in front of our customer about one of our teammates.  I could be off-base in this situation, but I don’t think so.  I don’t want to be like Israel.  I don’t want to turn a deaf ear to the Lord.  I don’t want a non-believer to teach me a lesson about how a Christian should behave.  I want to be a good example to others.  I want to cling to Jesus in good times and bad, and not seek comfort from worldly pleasures.  What about you?

Lord, this is a lot to absorb.  Would You water the seeds You’ve planted in us today and grow them to maturity?  Change us, Father, into the likeness of Your Holy Son.  It’s in His name I ask this.  Amen.