The prophet s name, amos, has been variously explained, and its exact meaning is still a matter of conjecture. The words of amos reveal jehovahs mercy towards an unworthy people. Social justice in the book of amos the marcus j borg. The prophet amos lived among a group of shepherds in tekoa, a small town approximately ten miles south of jerusalem. This article is about amos, a minor prophet in the hebrew bible and christian bible. In the book of amos, we find two uses amos performed. Amos meaning burden or burdenbearer was an inhabitant of the rugged region of tekoa, located in the territory of judah about 12 miles south of jerusalem. Amos was a shepherd in a region called tekoa, about six miles south of bethlehem. Amos prophesied during the reign of uzziah 788736 bce. Like the apostles, amos had no theological credentials cf.
We find two quotations from the book of amos in the acts of the apostles. In chapter 7 of the book of amos god gives him a series of visions and the first vision was about locusts destroying israels land. Amos made clear in his writings that he did not come from a family of prophets, nor did he even consider himself one. God will confront evil and create a restored family in a new world. Although he hailed from judea, amos preached in the northern kingdom of the neighboring nation, israel. The book of amos amos was a sheepbreeder of tekoa in judah, who delivered his oracles in the northern kingdom during the prosperous reign of jeroboam ii 786746 b. This amos should not be confused with amoz, the father of isaiah. A teaching outline for the book of amos expository. In the midst of gloomy judgment, a hopeful promise rings out.
Introduction the old testament prophets were adept at luring hostile audiences into listening to their judgment speeches. As in the book of hosea religion was prospering but faith in the one true god yhwh was on the decline. He was a shepherd and tended to sycamore fig trees. He accurately foretold the destruction of the northern kingdom of israel although he did not specify assyria as the cause and, as a prophet of doom, anticipated later old testament prophets. He prophesied in israel at the great cult center of bethel, from which he was finally expelled. As with hosea, amos preached against the social and moral decline of israel. His major themes of social justice, gods omnipotence, and divine judgment became staples of prophecy. Find out what true worship looks like in the book of amos. Amos was a simple shepherd in the southern kingdom of judah am 1. Lessons from the book of amos, part i steps to life. The lord sent warnings to israel in the form of hunger, thirst, blight, locusts, plagues, and military defeat, but the people had refused to see his hand in these amos 4. Amos 12 contains a great example of this entrapment technique, and recognizing. Please expand the article to include this information. Not one of the recognized prophets of israel, nor was he a priest, not even a native of israel but a farmer called of the lord from judah to warn the northern kingdom of the coming judgement.
He prophesied in israel at the great cult center of bethel, from which he was finally expelled by the priest in charge of this royal sanctuary 7. Amos 3 god explains that he sends warning before judgment. For the father of isaiah, a prophet in the hebrew bible, see amoz. The days are coming, declares the sovereign lord, when i will send a famine through the land not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the lord. The worship of assyrian deities and the huge gulf that had emerged between the haves and the have nots. Behold, the days are coming, says the lord god, when i will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water. Watch our overview video on the book of amos, which breaks down the literary design of the book and its flow of thought. Amos mission is directed to his neighbor to the north, israel.
The book of amos, which is believed to have been written in the eighth century b. Amos a prophet of israel amazing bible timeline with. What we know of amos derives solely from the book that he himself authored. The prophet amos lived in the eighth century bc and was a common herdsman and keeper of sycamore fig trees 7.
The book of amos is one of the minor prophets in the old testament, and a great place to begin looking at prophetic literature in christianity. He was a herder of sheep and possibly cattle and a cultivator of sycamore figs amos 1. Amos, an older contemporary of hosea and isaiah, was active c. This makes it hard to know who the historical amos truly was.
God raised up the prophet amos, as an act of his great mercy. While hosea only prophesied regarding israel amos also prophesied concerning the neighbouring nations of israel. Amos is a contemporary of the prophet hosea and so the social and religious problems that hosea faced were the same. Amos was from tekoa, a small town in judah about 6 miles south of bethlehem and 11 miles from jerusalem. The book of amos is the third of the twelve minor prophets in the tanakhold testament and the second in the greek septuagint tradition. God had made israel his chosen people back in exodus, and he was to be their god. As with each of the minor prophets, the title comes from the name of the prophet to whom god gave his message 1. Fearlessly, the prophet admonishes the kine beasts of bashan, that are in the mountains of samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy. Not all of the material found in these chapters came from amos himself.
Amos, a judaean prophet from the village of tekoa, was active in the northern kingdom of israel during the reign of jeroboam ii c. He warned the rich who had amassed their fortunes by cheating and robbery, that they would not enjoy their riches, but would lose everything when the land went down in doom. Transcribed and edited by david sielaff, february 20. He is not to be confused with amoz stout, strong, the father of isaiah isaiah 1. The prophet amos was a simple shepherd called by god to speak to the northern kingdom of israel. Amos, the first hebrew prophet to have a biblical book named for him. The people of israel had fallen into great sinfulness including. The latter prophets follow psalms and the wisdom books in the greek septuagint, as well as our christian old testament of the bible. The book identifies the author as the prophet amos, who wrote probably between 760 and 753 bc, during the reign of jeroboam ii in israel. Uzziah reigned in the southern kingdom while jeroboam ii ruled the northern kingdom 789748 bce. Amos was a sheepbreeder of tekoa in judah, who delivered his oracles in the northern kingdom during the prosperous reign of. Amos 4 6 judgments from god with a brief call of repentance in chapter five.
The purpose of the book of amos was to announce gods holy judgment on the kingdom of israel the northern kingdom, call them to repentance, and to turn from their selfrighteous sins and idolatry. Book of amos, the third of 12 old testament books that bear the names of the minor prophets, collected in one book under the jewish canon titled the twelve. The book of amos, which is the earliest of the prophetic writings to be preserved in book form, consists of nine chapters. The book of amos was written during the era of divided kingdoms of israel but in an age which is much prosperous than the previous times especially the northern kingdom of isreal with ruler jeroboam ii reached at such a level of growth and prosperity as was not seen after david and solomon. The book of amos is the earliest of the book of the twelve prophets, and is relevant today, as it addresses social injustice, so prevalent in our world. Amos, a judaean prophet from the village of tekoa, was active in the northern kingdom. Rather, he was a grower of sycamore figs as well as a shepherd amos 7. The prophet amos lived among a group of shepherds in tekoa, a small town. Book of amos bible survey what was the significance of the horns of the altar amos 3.
The book of amos is one of the least understood in the holy scriptures. According to the heading of his book i, 1 amos was a herdsman of thecua, a village in the southern kingdom, twelve miles south of jerusalem. Amos was a prophet to israel in the days of uzziah the king of judah and in the days of jeroboam the. The book of amos niv audio holy bible high quality and best speed book 30 duration. Despite the fact that he lived in the southern kingdom of judah, god sent him as his prophet to the northern kingdom of. Editors and copyists added comments to the prophets original oracles that they deemed appropriate in light of events that occurred after his death. Editors and copyists added comments to the prophet s original oracles that they deemed appropriate in light of events that occurred after his death. Tekoa was a village in the southern kingdom of judah, not far from jerusalem and bethlehem, and we read about tekoa in passages such as 2 samuel 14 and 2 chronicles 11. The book of amos is a prophetic book in the old testament. The prophets denounced moral decay and false piety as directly responsible for the social injustice that outrages god. Shepherds in that region had to make extensive trips to feed their flocks. This lecture studies the literary features and major themes of classical israelite prophecy as evidenced in particular in the book of the eighthcentury northern prophet amos.
Amos pleads with the people of israel to turn from canaan idols and worship the one true god, who made everything and delivered them out of egypts bonds. The prophet amos explains some more judgments to the people from god and in chapter 5. The book of amos is written by the prophet amos, he was a herdsmen before god called him. Amos is a shepherd and a fruit picker from the judean village of tekoa when god calls him, even though he lacks an education or a priestly background. This article is missing information about evidence as to whether amos was a historical person. The book of the prophet amos the prophet amos lived in the eighth century bc and was a common herdsman and keeper of sycamore fig trees 7.
And nathan tricked david into declaring his own guilt by the artful use of a parable 2 sam. Jeroboam ii reigned 41 years, the longest ever for a northern monarch. Social justice in the book of amos march 24, 2014 by the marcus j borg foundation 0 categoryies. Marcus borg speaks on the topic of social justice in the bible, specifically book of amos, he looks at the societal context and world orders contemporary to jesus and his disciples to help understand their views of. But god had a message for the rebellious northern kingdom of israel, and he chose amos to deliver it am 7. The septuagint renders this prophet s name as amos was not prophetically trained or endorsed by the church leaders. Commentaries describe the area as somewhat rugged, rocky, and with sparse grazing fields. This summary of the book of amos provides information about the title, authors, date of writing, chronology, theme, theology, outline, a brief overview, and the chapters of the book of amos. Book of amos overview insight for living ministries. The book of amos was likely written between 760 and 753 b. Amos lived in the kingdom of judah but preached in the northern kingdom of israel.
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