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67 lines
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<title>Blue Letter Bible: Text Commentaries</title>
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<h2><a onclick="return mV('Amo',1,'1-');">Amo 1</a> - Judgment on the Nations</h2>
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<p>A. The man and his message.</p>
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<p class="c1">1. (<a onclick="return mV('Amo',1,1);">1</a>) Amos the man.</p>
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<p class="c2">The words of Amos, who was among the sheepbreeders 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.</p>
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<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">The words of Amos</span></b>: This book of the prophet Amos is the only mention we have of this man in the Old Testament. The books of 1 and 2 Kings or 1 and 2 Chronicles do not mention this prophet, and he should not be confused with <i>Amoz</i>, the father of Isaiah the prophet (<a onclick="return mV('Isa',1,1);">Isa 1:1</a>).</p>
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<p class="c5">i. The name <b><span class="c3">Amo</span></b> means <i>burden</i> or <i>burden bearer</i>. Since most of the prophecies of Amos concern coming judgment on either the nations surrounding Israel or judgment on Israel itself, he was a man with a <i>burden</i>.</p>
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<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">Who was among the sheepbreeders of Tekoa</span></b>: It seems that Amos had no “formal” theological or prophetic training, though there was a “school of the prophets” known as the <i>sons of the prophets</i> at that time (<a onclick="return mV('1Ki',20,35);">1Ki 20:35</a>; <a onclick="return mV('2Ki',2,'3-15');">2Ki 2:3-15</a>; <a onclick="return mV('2Ki',4,1);">2Ki 4:1</a>; <a onclick="return mV('2Ki',4,38);">2Ki 4:38</a>). Amos was a simple man, a farmer, who had been uniquely called to ministry.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. Amos spoke of his background and calling in <a onclick="return mV('Amo',7,'14-15');">Amo 7:14-15</a>: <i>I was no prophet, nor was I a son of a prophet, but I was a sheepbreeder and a tender of sycamore fruit. Then the <span class="c6">Lord</span> took me as I followed the flock, and the <span class="c6">Lord</span> said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to My people Israel.’</i></p>
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<p class="c5">ii. Amos uses an unusual word to describe his occupation. Instead of calling himself a “shepherd,” the literal ancient Hebrew calls Amos a “sheep raiser.” Amos probably chose this title to emphasize the fact that he really was a shepherd, and that he did not mean “shepherd” in a symbolic, spiritual sense. The way God used Amos reminds us of the way He used the twelve disciples of Jesus - common, workingmen used to do great things for God.</p>
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<p class="c5">iii. Amos was from Tekoa, a city about ten miles from Jerusalem. It seems that he delivered his prophetic message at Bethel (<a onclick="return mV('Amo',7,13);">Amo 7:13</a>), one of the southernmost cities of Israel - not very far from Tekoa.</p>
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<p class="c4">c. <b><span class="c3">Which he saw concerning Israel</span></b>: Amos was primarily a prophet to <b><span class="c3">Israel</span></b>, though he will speak to many nations. He served in the days of the divided monarchy (<b><span class="c3">the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash</span></b>). Most researchers date the ministry of Amos somewhere between 760 <span class="c6">b.c.</span> and 750 <span class="c6">b.c.</span></p>
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<p class="c5">i. When Amos served as a prophet, the people of God had been divided into two nations for more than 150 years. The southern nation was known as <b><span class="c3">Judah</span></b>, and the northern nation was still known as <b><span class="c3">Israel</span></b>. Through the period of the divided monarch Judah saw a succession of kings, some godly and some ungodly (<b><span class="c3">Uzziah</span></b> was one of the better kings of Judah). The northern nation of <b><span class="c3">Israel</span></b> saw nothing but a succession of wicked kings. <b><span class="c3">Jeroboam the son of Joash</span></b> was one of the better kings among these wicked men - especially in a political and military sense - but he was still an ungodly man (<a onclick="return mV('2Ki',14,'23-29');">2Ki 14:23-29</a>).</p>
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<p class="c5">ii. For most of its history, the northern kingdom of Israel struggled against Syria - her neighbor to the north. But around the year 800, the mighty Assyrian Empire defeated Syria, and neutralized this power that hindered Israel’s expansion and prosperity. With Syria in check, Israel enjoyed great prosperity during the reign of Jeroboam II.</p>
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<p class="c4">d. <b><span class="c3">Two years before the earthquake</span></b>: “We have no independent record of this earthquake, so <i>that</i> phrase is no help to us in dating.” (Boice)</p>
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<p class="c1">2. (<a onclick="return mV('Amo',1,2);">2</a>) The message of Amos.</p>
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<p class="c2">And he said: “The <span class="c6">Lord</span> roars from Zion, and utters His voice from Jerusalem; the pastures of the shepherds mourn, and the top of Carmel withers.”</p>
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<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">The <span class="c6">Lord</span> roars from Zion</span></b>: Amos brings a message of judgment. The first two chapters of Amos describe the judgment of the <span class="c6">Lord</span>, first against Gentile nations then against Judah and Israel.</p>
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<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">And utters His voice from Jerusalem</span></b>: Israel - in direct disobedience to God - established rival centers of worship in Dan, Bethel, and Gilgal. When Amos says that the Lord speaks from Jerusalem, he reminds all of Israel where the center of true worship is.</p>
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<p class="c4">c. <b><span class="c3">The pastures of the shepherds mourn</span></b>: Since Amos was a shepherd himself (<a onclick="return mV('Amo',7,14);">Amo 7:14</a>) he knew how the judgment of God could effect the land. If God withheld rain, sent plagues, or allowed conquering armies to come upon the land, it made <b><span class="c3">the pastures of the shepherds mourn</span></b>.</p>
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<p class="c4">d. <b><span class="c3">The top of Carmel withers</span></b>: <b><span class="c3">Carmel</span></b> was a prominent mountain in the north of Israel, the site of Elijah’s dramatic confrontation with the prophets of Baal (<a onclick="return mV('1Ki',18,'19-40');">1Ki 18:19-40</a>). Since Elijah served before the time of Amos, it may be that Amos is reminding Israel of this victory of the Lord <span class="c6">God</span> over idolatry.</p>
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<p>B. Judgment on the nations.</p>
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<p class="c1">1. (<a onclick="return mV('Amo',1,'3-5');">3-5</a>) Judgment on Damascus, the capital of Syria.</p>
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<p class="c2">Thus says the <span class="c6">Lord</span>: “For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, because they have threshed Gilead with implements of iron. But I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, which shall devour the palaces of Ben-Hadad. I will also break the gate bar of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitant from the Valley of Aven, and the one who holds the scepter from Beth Eden. The people of Syria shall go captive to Kir,” says the <span class="c6">Lord</span>.</p>
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<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment</span></b>: This “formula” will introduce God’s announcement of judgment against each nation. It doesn’t mean that <b><span class="c3">Damascus</span></b> only committed three sins, and then God thought of a fourth; it simply has the idea of “sin upon sin upon sin.”</p>
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<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">Because they have threshed Gilead with implements of iron</span></b>: The region of <b><span class="c3">Gilead</span></b> belonged to Israel, and God will judge Damascus and the Syrians for coming against the land of God’s people, and coming with such complete destruction that it is as if a deep plow had been run through the land.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. “<i>Threshing sledges</i> with iron prongs or teeth are probably a figure of speech implying extreme cruelty and utter thoroughness in the treatment of those who opposed.” (Hubbard)</p>
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<p class="c4">c. <b><span class="c3">The people of Syria shall go captive to Kir</span></b>: This was fulfilled in <a onclick="return mV('2Ki',16,9);">2Ki 16:9</a>, which describes when the Assyrians attacked Syria because King Ahaz of Judah paid them. <i>So the king of Assyria heeded him; for the king of Assyria went up against Damascus and took it, carried its people captive to Kir, and killed Rezin</i>. (<a onclick="return mV('2Ki',16,9);">2Ki 16:9</a>)</p>
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<p class="c1">2. (<a onclick="return mV('Amo',1,'6-8');">6-8</a>) Judgment on Gaza, a city of the Philistines.</p>
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<p class="c2">Thus says the <span class="c6">Lord</span>: “For three transgressions of Gaza, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, because they took captive the whole captivity to deliver them up to Edom. But I will send a fire upon the wall of Gaza, which shall devour its palaces. I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, and the one who holds the scepter from Ashkelon; I will turn My hand against Ekron, and the remnant of the Philistines shall perish,” says the Lord <span class="c6">God</span>.</p>
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<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">Because they took captive the whole captivity to deliver them up to Edom</span></b>: <b><span class="c3">Gaza</span></b> was a city of the Philistines, on the coast to the west of Israel and Judah. Because they came against God’s people and did <b><span class="c3">deliver them up to Edom</span></b>, God will bring judgment against <b><span class="c3">Gaza</span></b> and the other cities of the Philistines (<b><span class="c3">Ashdod</span></b>, <b><span class="c3">Ashkelon</span></b>, and <b><span class="c3">Ekron</span></b>).</p>
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<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">The whole captivity</span></b>: “The condemnation here is not against slavery in and of itself, just as the previous oracle was not against war in and of itself. The crime is not that soldiers were enslaved after being taken in battle, which was the standard practice, but that the Philistines used their temporary supremacy to enslave whole populations - soldiers and civilians, men and women, adults and children, young and old - for commercial profit. Gaza did not even need the slaves. She merely sold them to Edom for more money.” (Boice)</p>
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<p class="c1">3. (<a onclick="return mV('Amo',1,'9-10');">9-10</a>) Judgment on Tyre, a city of Lebanon.</p>
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<p class="c2">Thus says the <span class="c6">Lord</span>: “For three transgressions of Tyre, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, because they delivered up the whole captivity to Edom, and did not remember the covenant of brotherhood. But I will send a fire upon the wall of Tyre, which shall devour its palaces.”</p>
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<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">Because they delivered up the whole captivity to Edom</span></b>: Since the city of <b><span class="c3">Tyre</span></b> (of Lebanon, to the north of Israel) sinned against God’s people like the Philistines did (<a onclick="return mV('Amo',1,'6-8');">Amo 1:6-8</a>), they will receive like judgment (<b><span class="c3">fire upon the wall of Tyre</span></b>).</p>
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<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">A fire upon the wall of Tyre</span></b>: The walls of a city were her defense and strength. If the walls were burnt, the city was defeated.</p>
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<p class="c1">4. (<a onclick="return mV('Amo',1,'11-12');">11-12</a>) Judgment on Edom.</p>
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<p class="c2">Thus says the <span class="c6">Lord</span>: “For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, because he pursued his brother with the sword, and cast off all pity; his anger tore perpetually, and he kept his wrath forever. But I will send a fire upon Teman, which shall devour the palaces of Bozrah.”</p>
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<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">Because he pursued his brother with the sword</span></b>: The people of <b><span class="c3">Edom</span></b> descended from Essau, the brother of Jacob (later named <i>Israel</i>). In this way, the Lord can speak of the people of <b><span class="c3">Edom</span></b> as <b><span class="c3">brother</span></b> to the people of God, in that they share common ancestors in Abraham and Isaac. God promises judgment against <b><span class="c3">Edom</span></b> because they attacked Judah (<a onclick="return mV('2Ki',8,'20-22');">2Ki 8:20-22</a>).</p>
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<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">And cast off all pity; his anger tore perpetually, and he kept his wrath forever</span></b>: Edom held on to <b><span class="c3">anger</span></b> and <b><span class="c3">wrath</span></b> when they should have long before put it away. For this, the judgment of God is coming against them. We need to learn to give our <b><span class="c3">anger</span></b> and <b><span class="c3">wrath</span></b> to God, and let Him be our avenger.</p>
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<p class="c1">5. (<a onclick="return mV('Amo',1,'13-15');">13-15</a>) Judgment on Ammon.</p>
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<p class="c2">Thus says the <span class="c6">Lord</span>: “For three transgressions of the people of Ammon, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, because they ripped open the women with child in Gilead, that they might enlarge their territory. But I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah, and it shall devour its palaces, amid shouting in the day of battle, and a tempest in the day of the whirlwind. Their king shall go into captivity, he and his princes together,” says the <span class="c6">Lord</span>.</p>
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<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">Because they ripped open the women with child in Gilead</span></b>: The area of <b><span class="c3">Gilead</span></b> belonged to Israel, and suffered attacks not only from Syria (<a onclick="return mV('Amo',1,3);">Amo 1:3</a>), but also from their neighbor to the west, <b><span class="c3">Ammon</span></b>. We could say that Ammon sinned against the <i>future</i> by killing babies in the womb.</p>
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<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">Their king shall go into captivity, he and his princes together</span></b>: Because of their attacks against Israel, God promises judgment again Ammon.</p>
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