Lesson 2: Amos
Let’s start with Amos. We know very little about his life. He shows up at Bethel in the northern kingdom of Israel, proclaiming God‘s judgment right before Assyria crushes her. Because he is from Judah, the king’s priest tells him to go home where he belongs. Amos responds that he is just an ordinary shepherd whom God called to speak for him.
He is likely the first to put prophecy into writing. If you read his text aloud, you sense that it is an oral pronouncement. When the prophet says, “Thus says the Lord”, he literally means God is speaking through his spoken words. In fact, Amos often sounds like a black preacher repeating phrases to make them strike home. “Woe are those people, woe are those people, and woe are you!”
He primarily attacks the rich for corrupting society, repeatedly accusing them of dragging the poor into slavery. They sell needy people because being poor, they have no money to buy anything.
Amos claims the wealthy can’t wait until the Sabbath is over so they can get back to cheating honest people with their false weights. Their violence and robbery, disrespect for the courts, and lying enable them to build huge houses and lounge on ivory beds.
Although he barely mentions sexual abuse, his examples are also brutal. A father and a son both enjoy sex with the same woman. Soldiers rip open a pregnant woman to get her land. (Amos 1:13 states: “Thus says the LORD: For three transgressions of the Ammonites, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment; because they have ripped open pregnant women in Gilead in order to enlarge their territory.”)
Amos assumes a strict monotheism in which the all-powerful God holds all nations accountable. Because he has favored Israel with special care, he is especially disgusted with her disobedience. Many of her people seek worldly success by worshipping pagan idols. Even those who engage in biblical liturgies live immoral lives.
This brings up the hallmark of prophecy that gives righteous living priority over ritual worship. Certainly, the most frequently quoted words from the book are his call to “let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream.” And perhaps his most colorful illustration pictures the temple collapsing on its worshipers in the coming judgment.
The kings come under special fire, because they use their office to make money. They take the first part of the harvest even in famine. Remember the first fruit is supposed to go to religious institutions. Their high taxes impoverish the poor they should be helping. On top of that, they silence the prophets whom God sends to warn his people.
God ‘s last resort is to send hard times such as famine and warfare. When these do not wake up his people, God threatens a judgment destroying all. Amos’ pleas for mercy receive differing reactions. At times, God maintains he will not change his mind. At others, he promises to judge all individually. In a famous passage, he drops a plump line to measure all fairly. In the end, He decides to save a few.
God promises to use this Remnant to rebuild David’s kingdom where all people will have enough and enjoy justice.
Most of Amos’ prophecy could be directed at our situation. Let’s just emphasize his main judgment. Our present society, just like Amos’, gives the love of wealth priority over everything else. Make America Great Again clearly means make her wealthy again.
The increasing separation of the rich and poor is a major symptom of how this is corrupting our society. The Wall Street Journal reports there were 927 American billionaires in 2020 and 1,135 in 2024. The 100 richest of these control more than half of the total wealth of the nation. Yet the current administration is giving them tax breaks and taking away programs for the needy poor.
The wealthy might not be dragging the poor off into slavery, but they certainly are taking advantage of them. For instance, the Epstein files reveal many wealthy men use their power to exploit poor girls. President Clinton’s affairs first brought this to our attention. President Trump’s bragging about it make clear those who should be models for our children are anything but that. Amos would warn even though this might escape the nation’s justice system, it will bring God’s judgment.
Amos lays out most of the prophetic themes. Next week, I’ll look at Hosea who develops the one about God’s mercy.
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