The luxury of the wealthy class in Israel is clearly indicated by the prophet as he speaks of their “couches” and “silken cushions” (3:12), of their “winter house” and “summer house,” and the “houses of ivory” (ivory inlay and ornamentation), and of “the houses of hewn-stone” (3:15; 5:11). The voluptuous women were spoken of as “kine [cows] of Bashan,” who insisted that their husbands provide ample wine and other luxuries for their feasts, even if the poor had to be crushed in order to provide them (4:1–3). Their feasts were characterized by revelry, songs, music, choice meats, and the best of wines to satiate their lusts, and by cushions and silken tapestries upon which to recline (6:1–7). These luxuries were enjoyed by the wealthy, whose eyes were closed to the afflictions and needs of the poor (6:6).
Amos begins his prophecy with a description of God roaring like a lion about to attack. The Lord is fiercely angry with each of the nations that surround his people — as well as with Judah and Israel themselves (1:1–2:3).
- Damascus, the capital of Syria, is criticized for her aggression and cruelty. God’s judgment will fall on her when she is conquered by Assyria in 732 bc.
- Gaza, a Philistine city, is condemned for her pitiless slave trading. She will fall to Assyria in 734 bc. Other Philistine strongholds, Ashdod, Ashkelon and Ekron are also sentenced. They will be defeated by successive Assyrian emperors.
- The port of Tyre has also been involved in slave trading, breaking every law of humanity. She will become subject to Assyria, and eventually be captured in 573 bc.
- Edom, Judah’s neighbour to the south, is found guilty of remorseless and uncontrolled anger. ‘Teman’ is Edom by another name, and Bozrah its capital.
- Amman has been utterly barbaric in its treatment of pregnant women. God will avenge them with fire and storm.
- Finally, Moab has desecrated the body of the king of Edom. Even though this action is nothing to do with Israel or Judah, it affronts God. God’s moral standards apply to everyone, and he will destroy Moab’s ruler in return.
- All the nations, capitals and kings that Amos has mentioned are pagan. They don’t acknowledge the God of Israel or observe his law. But God still holds them responsible for their actions and decides their fates.
The words of Amos, who was among the shepherds 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.
God chooses “the weak things of the world to confound the mighty,” and makes a humble shepherd reprove the arrogance of Israel and her king arising from prosperity (compare 1Sa 17:40).
Proper credentials for God’s spokespersons have always been more than formal training, formal ordination, and an official title. These things do not qualify one to speak for God. Biblically speaking, only one who has a word (revelation) from God has proper credentials to speak for God
1:1 the earthquake. Mentioned by Zechariah (14:5), Josephus (Antiquities, IX:10:4) connects it with Uzziah’s sin of usurping the role of a priest (2 Chr. 26:16–23). An earthquake of severe magnitude occurred ca. 760 b.c.
(2 Chronicles 26:16-23 But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction. For he was unfaithful to the LORD his God and entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense. But Azariah the priest went in after him, with eighty priests of the LORD who were men of valor, and they withstood King Uzziah and said to him, "It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the LORD, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Go out of the sanctuary, for you have done wrong, and it will bring you no honor from the LORD God." Then Uzziah was angry. Now he had a censer in his hand to burn incense, and when he became angry with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead in the presence of the priests in the house of the LORD, by the altar of incense. And Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and behold, he was leprous in his forehead! And they rushed him out quickly, and he himself hurried to go out, because the LORD had struck him. And King Uzziah was a leper to the day of his death, and being a leper lived in a separate house, for he was excluded from the house of the LORD. And Jotham his son was over the king’s household, governing the people of the land.2 Chr. 26:16–23 Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, from first to last, Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz wrote. And Uzziah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the burial field that belonged to the kings, for they said, "He is a leper." And Jotham his son reigned in his place.)
Some conjecture that this earthquake was at the time of Isaiah’s vision, when the posts of the door were moved, Isa. 6:4. The tradition of the Jews is that it happened just at the time when Uzziah presumptuously invaded the priest’s office and went in to burn incense, 2 Chr. 26:16. Josephus mentions this earthquake, 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.’’ God by this prophet gave warning of it two years before, that God by it would shake down their houses, ch. 3:15.
Archaeologists have dated traces of an earthquake at Hazor to 765 to 760 b.c.13 This dating accords with the reference to Uzziah’s reign in the Zechariah passage.
With this introduction, Amos announces the theme of his prophecies. And if, instead of proceeding at once to describe still further the judgment that threatens the kingdom of Israel, he first of all enumerates the surrounding nations, including Judah, as objects of the manifestation of the wrath of God, this enumeration cannot have any other object than the one described in our survey of the contents of the book. The enumeration opens with the kingdoms of Aram, Philistia, and Tyre (Phoenicia), which were not related to Israel by any ties of kinship whatever.
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