Amos: Introduction (7)
Opening Prayer: Psalm 116.4-6
Then I called upon the name of the LORD:
“O LORD, I implore You, deliver my soul!”
Gracious is the LORD, and righteous;
Yes, our God is merciful.
The LORD preserves the simple;
I was brought low, and He saved me.
Sing Psalm 116.4-6
(Mit Freuden Zart: All Praise To God Who Reigns Above)
I called to God, “O Lord, I pray, my soul redeem with favor!”
The Lord is gracious in His way, and righteous is our Savior.
His mercy to the simple flies; He lifted me up to the skies –
I rest in Him forever!
Read Amos 9.11-15; meditate on verses 11, 12.
Preparation
1. What did God promise to do?
2. Who was to be included in this?
Meditation
Let’s have a quick overview of the message of Amos. The primary recipients of Amos’ prophesy are the people of Israel during the reign of Jeroboam II. As we have seen, despite Jeroboam’s scorning the ways of the LORD, God blessed His people, increasing their boundaries and keeping them safe from enemies. But this would not last long.
In chapters 1 and 2 Amos announced that the patience of God had run out. The nations, including Judah but especially Israel, had accumulated a debt of sin of one kind or another, and God was calling them to account.
Chapters 3 and 4 provide more detail concerning the thoroughness of judgment to be wrought against Israel, together with the reasons for God’s wrath. He chose Israel out of all the nations of the world, yet they departed His path and scorned His covenant. God fired several warning shots across Israel’s bow, but they didn’t get the message. They would now.
Chapters 5 and 6 are a call to repentance and a lamentation of woes for all who refuse that call. Three visions relating to the judgment of Israel are next (7.1-9). This is followed by the priest Amaziah’s attempt to discredit Amos, together with the prophet’s response (7.10-17).
Finally (chapters 8 and 9), God determined to send a famine of His Word to the land, leaving them totally alone and without Him, before He then promised to restore His people “in that day”. As with nearly every other prophet of the Old Testament, the wrath of God is not the last Word. His promise to bless His people endures, but not because of anything in them; only because of His grace.
Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
We have had a quick overview of Amos’ message, now we should look for a moment at Amos, the man.
Per the NKJV book notes his name is derived from the Hebrew root amas meaning to lift a burden, or to carry. Thus, his name means Burden or Burden-bearer. And his day job? Sheepbreeder, sheep farming or sheep husbandry—the raising and breeding of domestic sheep. It takes a lot of knowledge, care, and energy to safely keep a lot of sheep. So, Amos was a busy man, with a full-time job, and yet God knew that he could be trusted to convey His message of judgment, repentance, and promise to His people.
Also, per the NKJV notes: “Amos…lashes out at sin unflinchingly, trying to visualize the nearness of God’s judgment and mobilize the nation to repentance. The nation, like a basket of rotting fruit, stands ripe for judgment because of its hypocrisy and spiritual indifference.”
Amos was a regular man. A person just like you and me. Called by God to deliver His Gospel message to the people in his Personal Mission Field. God just happened to expand his mission field to all of Judah, Israel, and the Gentiles. But Amos was up to the task. His opening line? “The LORD roars from Zion…” (Amos 1.2).
Besides Jesus, God’s precious, perfect, beautiful Son, all man and all God, His other means of spreading the Good News message is to choose regular folks, filled with His Holy Spirit, to convey it.
As Jesus said, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nation, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I AM with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matt. 28.18-20).
As we study the book of Amos, we must first hear the message ourselves and repent if we find we are behaving at all like the people of Israel and Judah.
But we should also study this book, keeping in mind that God can use us in the same way He used Amos.
And that we are equally as called to God’s work as he was. The same works that God prepared beforehand for him to do, He has also prepared for us to do (Eph. 2.10).
Now that the message and the man have been previewed, all that is left is for us to imitate his willingness to serve the eternal God and King and speak His words of warning and promise to those in our Personal Mission Field. Amos had the time to work God’s message into his busy day, and so do we!
Reflection
1. How strong is your sense that God has called you to be His witness and ambassador?
2. What does being the Lord’s witness and ambassador require of you?
3. How do you expect to serve in these roles today?
God marvelously preserves his elect amidst the most fearful confusions and miseries. When all seems desperate, he wonderfully revives his church, and blesses her with all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus. And great shall be the glory of that period, in which not one good thing promised shall remain unfulfilled. Matthew Henry (1662-1714), Commentary on Amos 9.11-15
Closing Prayer: Psalm 116.7-19
The Lord has kept His promise. Give Him thanks and praise for the salvation we have in Jesus Christ. Renew your commitment to Him, to know, love, and serve Him all your days.
Sing Psalm 116.7-19
(Mit Freuden Zart: All Praise to God Who Reigns Above)
Full well the Lord has dealt with me; my soul from death He delivered.
My weeping eyes, my stumbling feet, He has redeemed forever.
Forever I before His face shall walk with those who know His grace,
and dwell with them forever.
Afflicted, I believe His Word, though lying men would undo me.
What shall I render to the Lord for all His blessings to me?
Salvation’s cup I lift above and call upon the God of love
and pay my vows most truly.
How sweet to Him when saints depart – make me, Your servant, Savior!
From sin You loosed my wand’ring heart; I praise Your Name forever!
On You I call, my vows to pay; here in Your presence I would stay
Your praise to offer ever.
T. M. and Susie Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.
