A key point when reading the Old Testament is to understand that often isn’t always written chronologically. The books are not in an ordered timeline. So, to better understand, let’s kick off by going back to David as a reference point we can lean on.

History Lesson

David (1010 - 970)
Solomon (970 - 931)
Rehoboam (931 - 928)

Then ISRAEL & JUDAH SPLIT, about 3 years after Rehoboam's reign began. From there, it looks like this:

Kings of ...		Start of reign	Prophets to ...
Judah	Israel	Start of reign	Judah	Israel
1. Rehoboam		931 BC
	1. Jeroboam	931 BC		(Ahijah)
2. Abijah		913 BC
3. Asa		911 BC
	2. Nadab	910 BC
	3. Baasha	909 BC		(Jehu)
	4. Elah	886 BC
	5. Zimri	885 BC
	6. Omri	885 BC
	7. Ahab	874 BC		(Elijah)
4. Jehoshaphat		870 BC		(Micaiah)
	8. Ahaziah	853 BC		(Elisha)
	9. Joram	852 BC
5. Jehoram		848 BC
6. Ahaziah		841 BC
	10. Jehu	841 BC
7. Athaliah		841 BC
8. Joash		835 BC	Joel (guesswork)
	11. Jehoahaz	814 BC
	12. Jehoash	798 BC
9. Amaziah		796 BC		Jonah (to Nineveh)
	13. Jeroboam II	782 BC		Amos, Hosea
10. Uzziah		767 BC	Isaiah (MAJOR)
	14. Zechariah	753 BC
	15. Shallum	752 BC
	16. Menahem	752 BC
	17. Pekahiah	742 BC
	18. Pekah	740 BC
11. Jotham		740 BC	Micah
12. Ahaz		732 BC
	19. Hoshea	732 BC
13. Hezekiah		716 BC
14. Manasseh		687 BC
15. Amon		642 BC		Nahum (to Nineveh)
16. Josiah		640 BC	Zephaniah, Jeremiah
17. Jehoahaz		609 BC
18. Jehoiakim		609 BC	Habakkuk (approx)
19. Jehoiachin		597 BC
20. Zedekiah		597 BC
		592 BC	Ezekiel, Daniel
		587 BC	Obadiah (to Edom)
		520 BC	Haggai, Zechariah
(Esther)		478 BC
(Ezra)		458 BC
(Nehemiah)		445 BC
		433 BC	Malachi

What was happening leading up to Amos?

Though there are a few “good” kings, most are pretty horrible (example: Jehu in 2 Kings 9-10)
Through most of the kings up to Amos’s time, Judah and Israel are constantly warring with each other, trying to reclaim territory
Uzziah (Azariah’s) and Jeroboam’s fathers warred bitterly over territory
However, in Amos’s time, Israel was experiencing relative peace and prosperity

NOTE: I highly recommend reading Kings to get an understanding of this part of the history of Israel

So, who are the prophets?

The Lord sent prophets as a means of warning the people so they might have an opportunity to experience the mercy of God instead of the judgment of God.

Major v.s. Minor

You may think Major and Minor have to do with the importance of the prophet or their writings, like I did. In actuality, it’s based on pretty simple literary differences. The Minor prophet books are shorter, and their audience is narrower, while the Major prophet books are much longer, and their audience is more broad, even global.

The purpose of the prophets message…

Proclaim the coming judgment
Call the people to repent
Declare a coming hope

Tips for reading the prophets…

Prepare yourself by understanding that reading the prophets can be difficult.
Find out when each was written to help understand the context of the book.
Find out to whom they were writing. This also gives some insight into the book. Many of the prophets were writing specifically to Judah or Israel. For example: Amos wrote specifically to Israel, before the exile.
Take your time. Again, the reading can be difficult, and full of analogy.

NOTE FROM TY: I actually open up my computer, and use tools like BibleGateway.com and the Googles to find reasonably accurate history, interpretation, sermons, etc. Amos is very specific in his warning, and mentions a lot of people and places. These prophetic writings (especially the minor, specific ones) can get pretty difficult to follow if you don’t take it super slow and embrace the research and history.

What is God doing through the prophets?

Reminding the people of the covenant He made with them and they made with Him.
Showing them what happens when holiness is met by rejection.
Using judgment as a means of bringing His people back to Himself and moving them toward redemption.
He is reaffirming that whatever they face, there will be a day of restoration coming so they should not give up hope.

Three primary areas of judgment seen throughout the prophets:

Idolatry
Greed
Injustice
We will see all three of these in Amos.

Why do prophetic books matter today?

They show us how to live as exiles and foreigners in another land.
They show us that there is a day of restoration coming.
They show us where we need warnings. Read them regularly and be reminded.

Why should we get excited about Amos?

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God’s Word and Law is the mirror that helps us pursue righteousness and sanctification
If we don’t use that mirror daily, how can we know what needs to change in our life?
Amos (and other minor prophets) are a fantastic mirror we can use to see God’s definition of righteousness, and how other people in the past missed this mark

A little about Amos…

He was a sheep herder and arborist (took care of sycamores)
He was from Tekoa, a desert in Judah
God called him directly to “prophecy to Israel” (Amos 7:14-15) …even though he was from Judah

Amos 1-2:3 - The Six Judgments of Other Nations

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Judgment #1: Damascus

Their problem: Trampling the people of Gilead (v.3). This would be devaluing other people and trampling on them to get what they wanted.
The consequence: Damascus will be destroyed, the king will be killed, and the people will go into exile. (vv.4-5)
The lesson: God values all people who have been made in His image and every person is to be treated as an image bearer of God. Those with less money, those with more money, refugees, the homeless, your enemies, people who bother you, the opposite political party etc...
Personal question: Is there anyone in my life I am devaluing? (Do not fly past this question and dismiss it. Force people to actually wrestle with it. The answer may not come to them immediately. But if we are all truly honest we can find people we value less than others. This should be a place of repentance for us.)

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Judgment #2: Gaza

Their problem: Gaza took captives entire communities and sold them to Edom. This is profiting off the enslavement of other people. (v.6)
The consequences: The Lord will ultimately turn His hand against them to their destruction (vv.7-8)
The lesson: Similar to Damascus - People are not resources to exploit, but instead they are valued image bearers of God. Other people are not our competition. Let that sink in...Other people are not our competition. They are fellow image bearers of God who we have an opportunity to serve and help them find and follow the Lord. Everything changes when we stop seeing other people as our competition and start seeing them through the lens of the Holy Spirit.
Personal question: Am I using anyone for my own gain instead of seeing them as image bearers of God to be loved and valued? How can I value and serve every person I come in contact with?

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Judgment #3: Tyre

Their problem: They sold people after lying and breaking their word. (broken promises) (v.9)
The consequence: Tyre will be destroyed. (v.10)
The lesson: What we say matters. We are to be a people of our word. The Lord values a promise and a covenant. So we learn two things:
1. God takes it seriously when He makes a promise or covenant. So we know we can trust Him that He will not break His promises. (Psalm 145:13)
2. We are to be a people who reflect the God who is a promise keeper. So our word is to matter to us, even if it becomes costly to us. (Philippians 2:3&4)
Personal question: What is the value of your word? How have you been a reflection of a promise keeping God?

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Judgment #: Edom

Their problem: They were led by their unchecked anger and rage (v.11)
The consequence: They will be destroyed (v.12)
The lesson: Anger and rage will never lead to what is right and good (James 2:19-20). The cost of anger will always be born not only by ourselves, but by others around us. Contrast this with the Lord (who holds righteous anger) and see that He is slow to anger. (Psalm 86:15)
Personal Question: How has anger impacted your life? What have been the consequences to others because of your anger?

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Judgment #5: Ammon

Their problem: The thirst for more (power, control, resources) led them to unspeakable brutality. (v.13)
The consequence: Destruction will occur among the land and the king and his officials will go into exile.
The lesson: Greed and a desire for more will lead to devaluing others to a point where just about anything can be justified against them. (Just look at our history of wars and even current global conflicts.) Apart from the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives any of us are capable of far more evil than we can imagine.
Personal question: Where has greed crept into your life? This can be tricky to spot because we think in terms of looking at other people. So if we do not have as much as others around us, we expect that greed is not playing a role. Comparison is not the right measuring stick. Greed is measured by asking ourselves, is there anything I believe I am missing that I think I need? In Christ we are to find all we need. Greed is regularly sending shoots deep into our hearts that are hard to identify.

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Judgment #6: Moab

Their problem: The overthrow and killing of the Edomite king. (v.1)
The consequence: Destruction along with the death of the rulers and officials. (vv.2-3)
The lesson: (Similar to others) People are to be seen as valuable image bearers of God.
Personal question: Similar questions as Damascus and Gaza

Painting a Target?

Review the map below. Here are the 6 Judgements outlined in the beginning of Amos. What’s the target pointing at? What do you think might be coming next?

Table Discussion

What has been your experience with the Old Testament prophetic books? What are you excited about as we start the Amos study? Which of the six judgements on the nations stood out to you in Amos 1? Why?

Questions from the 6 Judgements

What does devaluing someone else look like in your life or in others around you? What does it look like today to use someone for your own gain instead of treating them as image bearers of God? What does it look like to value and serve each person you come in contact with as image bearers of God? How have you been a reflection of a promise keeping God with your words and actions? (truth telling and covenant keeping) How has anger impacted your life (yours or someone else’s)? What have been the consequences in these situations? Where do you see greed creep into your life? Does today’s society make it easier or harder to focus on things other than financial security? How do you typically respond when someone gives you a warning about what they see in your life? How can you prepare to listen to what the Lord wants to show you through this study of Amos?

Next Week: Read Amos 2:4-16

Read it several times, slowly
Don’t hesitate to research & meditate on it