Book Report-Amos

Notes taken from New Spirit Filled Life Bible

Author: Amos
Date: 760-750 B.C.
Theme: The Judgment of God is About to Fall on Israel
Key Words: Judgment, Righteousness, Justice

Amos, whose name means "Burden-Bearer" was a shepherd and one who tended sycamore-fig trees. He prophesied during the reigns of Uzziah of Judah and Jeroboam 11 of Israel. His ministry lasted about two years.

There was much prosperity in Judah and Israel during this time and they thought it was a sign of God's blessing on them. It was Amos' job to warn them that God was displeased with them and would destroy their nation if they didn't have a change of heart.

"Amos stresses that righteousness and justice are essential to a healthy society. Religion is more than observing feast days and holding sacred assemblies; true religion demands righteous living. The way a man treats his neighbor reveals his relationship with God. Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love God. The second is to love our neighbor as ourselves. This is the message of Amos. This is the message needed today. We also are living in a prosperous, materialistic society. Because we are prosperous, we may deceive ourselves into believing that we have God's blessing on us..."

Several verses in Amos that stand out to me:

3:7-"Surely the Lord God does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets."

4:8b-"...But they were not satisfied; yet you have not returned to Me," says the LORD.

5:15a-"Hate evil, love good; Establish justice in the gate."

8:11-"Behold, the days are coming," says the Lord GOD, "That I will send a famine on the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD."

9:13-"Behold, the days are coming," says the LORD, "When the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him who sows seed; the mountains shall drip with sweet wine, and all the hills all flow with it."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
It is interesting to me how current the words of Amos are for us today.
He who has ears to hear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches.