Amos lesson 1

I am filling in as the Adult Sunday School Teacher at our church for the Summer. After preparing this lesson I thought some of you might be interested in reading it, so I posted it. Let me know what you think.

Background to the book (which covers Ch1 vs 1 and 2 as well as other resources)

1. Who was Amos?

   1. Probably not the father of Isaiah, this Amos was a poor herdsman, Isaiah's father was a courtier.

   2. Amos means “Burden” Amoz means “Strong”

   3. Matthew Henry says that “Burden” could refer to a speech impediment or lack of skill in public speaking or the burden, or weight, of the words Amos spoke.

   4. Probably from the tribe of Judah from the area of Tekoa

2. What did he do?

   1. Prophesied

      1. against Israel, the ten northern tribes, and king Uzziah

      2. against the countries round about that did not follow God and had persecuted his people

3. When did this happen?

   1. Contemporary to Hosea, Joel, and Isaiah

   2. 2 years before the earthquake

      1. That is probably the earthquake mentioned by

         1. Josephus, Antiq. 9.225, and says, "By it half of a mountain was removed and carried to a plain four furlongs off; and it spoiled the king’s gardens.’

         2. Zechariah 14:5

         3. Isaiah 6:4

         4. 
            

4. Why did he prophesy?

   1. To call Israel to repentance and show the nations that God is the God of the whole world

   2. The words of Amos which he saw concerning Israel-implies a vision from God

5. Where did he prophesy?

   1. In Israel and concerning Israel as well as Judah and the nations around about.

6. Where was he from?

   1. Tekoa in the tribe of Judah

Chapter 1:3 through 2:3

The form of the passage is a literary device that repeats for each of the nations that God is judging. It follows this layout:

Thus sayeth the Lord, for three transgressions of insert country and for four, I will not turn away [the punishment] thereof; because insert specific charge: insert specific punishment

What does the form of the indictment tell us?

1. From Matthew Henry regarding the nations:

   1. The indictment drawn up against them all is thus far the same, (1.) That they are charged in general with three transgressions, and with four, that is, with many transgressions (as by one or two we mean a few, so by three or four we mean many, as in Latin a man that is very happy is said to be terque quarterque beatus—three and four times happy); or with three and four, that is, with seven transgressions, a number of perfection, intimating that they have filled up the measure of their iniquities, and are ripe for ruin; or with three (that is, a variety of sins) and with a fourth especially, which is specified concerning each of them, though the other three are not, as Prov. 30:15, 18, 21, 29, where we read of three things, yea, four, generally one seems to be more especially intended. (2.) That the particular sin which is fastened upon as the fourth, and which alone is specified, is the sin of persecution: it is some mischief or other done to the people of God that is particularly charged upon every one of them, for persecution is the measure-filling sin of any people, and it is this sin that will be particularly reckoned for—I was hungry, and you gave me no meat; much more if it may be said, I was hungry, and you took my meat from me.

   2. Which means it could be either:

      1. 3 and 4 = 7 which would imply a perfect combination of offenses that God has to judge

      2. Or, it could be three unspecified charges and one (the fourth) specific charge

I am not sure which of these ideas is correct and they could both be correct, but the major point is that these nations had committed crimes against Israel and God chose to judge them for it.

So lets look at the specific countries and the specific charges against them:

1. Country-Damascus

   1. Charge-they have threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron

   2. Punishment-But I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, which shall devour the palaces of Benhadad. I will break also the bar of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitant from the plain 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 the LORD.

2. Gaza

   1. they carried away captive the whole captivity, to deliver [them] up to Edom

   2. But I will send a fire on the wall of Gaza, which shall devour the palaces thereof: And I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, and him that holdeth the sceptre from Ashkelon, and I will turn mine hand against Ekron: and the remnant of the Philistines shall perish, saith the Lord GOD.

3. Tyrus (Tyre)

   1. they delivered up the whole captivity to Edom, and remembered not the brotherly covenant

   2. But I will send a fire on the wall of Tyrus, which shall devour the palaces thereof.

4. Edom

   1. 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:

   2. But I will send a fire upon Teman, which shall devour the palaces of Bozrah.

5. Ammon

   1. they have ripped up the women with child of Gilead, that they might enlarge their border:

   2. 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: And their king shall go into captivity, he and his princes together, saith the LORD.

6. Moab

   1. 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: And I will cut off the judge from the midst thereof, and will slay all the princes thereof with him, saith the LORD.

   The theme of this poetic passage is God's judgment on nations that have oppressed others. I don't know the exactly the line that these countries crossed, but it is clear that God chose to punish them for their multiple sins.