Key Themes

The book of Amos is a prophetic work in the Old Testament attributed to the prophet Amos, who delivered God’s messages to the northern kingdom of Israel during a time of relative prosperity and complacency. Amos’s prophecies focus on social justice, divine judgment, and the need for true worship. The key themes include:

1. Social Justice and Oppression: A central theme in Amos is the call for social justice. Amos condemns the exploitation of the poor, the corruption of the legal system, and the widespread injustice in Israel. The prophet denounces those who oppress the vulnerable, warning that their mistreatment of others violates God’s commandments and will lead to divine judgment. This theme emphasizes that true righteousness involves treating others with fairness, compassion, and equity.
2. Divine Judgment: Amos delivers a powerful message of impending judgment against Israel and the surrounding nations. He warns that because of their persistent sins—particularly social injustice, idolatry, and complacency—God’s judgment is imminent. This theme underscores the certainty of divine retribution for sin and the idea that no nation is exempt from God’s justice, regardless of its wealth or power.
3. True Worship vs. Hypocrisy: The book of Amos critiques the superficial religious practices of the Israelites, who outwardly perform rituals and sacrifices while neglecting the ethical demands of the covenant. Amos declares that God despises their empty rituals and desires righteousness and justice instead. This theme highlights the importance of sincere worship that is reflected in ethical behavior, rather than mere outward observance of religious rituals.
4. The Sovereignty of God: Amos emphasizes God’s sovereignty over all nations, not just Israel. The prophet declares that God holds all people accountable for their actions, and His judgment extends beyond Israel to the surrounding nations. This theme reinforces the idea that God’s authority and justice are universal, and that He governs the destinies of all nations.
5. The Day of the Lord: Amos introduces the concept of the "Day of the Lord," a time when God will execute judgment on Israel and the nations. Contrary to the expectations of many Israelites, who saw the Day of the Lord as a time of deliverance, Amos warns that it will be a day of darkness and destruction because of their sins. This theme serves as a sobering reminder that the Day of the Lord brings accountability, not automatic salvation.
6. Hope and Restoration: Despite the harsh pronouncements of judgment, Amos concludes with a message of hope. The prophet foretells that after the period of judgment, God will restore the remnant of Israel, rebuild the fallen house of David, and bring blessings to the land. This theme underscores God’s ultimate desire for restoration and the renewal of His people, even after they have faced the consequences of their sins.

The book of Amos is a powerful and challenging call to justice, righteousness, and true worship. It confronts the complacency and hypocrisy of the people of Israel, reminding them—and all readers—that God values justice and righteousness above ritual observance and that His judgment is impartial and inevitable. At the same time, Amos offers a vision of hope, pointing to the possibility of restoration for those who repent and return to God.

What I Noticed Today (Amos 1-5)

Amos 1

In verse 1, Amos records the vision he saw regarding Israel during the reign of Uzziah in Judah and Jeroboam in Israel.

In verse 2, Amos establishes the theme for the book. God is roaring like a lion (sending a message of judgment) from Jerusalem (in Judah) to Carmel (in Israel).

Amos 1:3-2:16

This is the first of six major sections in the book. There are a series of eight oracles (messages) against six Gentile nations plus Judah and Israel: Damascus (Syria) 1:3-5), Gaza (Philistia) 1:6-8, Tyre (Phoenicia) 1:9-10, Edom (1:11-12), Ammon (1:13-15), Moab (2:1-3), Judah (2:4-5), and Israel (2:6-16).

Each oracle begins with the phrase “Thus says the Lord,” in which the Lord charges them with specific sins against His people, then He renders specific judgment upon them, and concludes the oracle with “says the Lord.”

Oracle 1. In verses 3-5, the oracle against Damascus (Syria), because they threshed Gilead in Israel, God would break down the city gate, end the reign of the king, and exile the people to the city of Kir (where they came from).

Oracle 2. In verses 6-8, the oracle against Gaza, and other cities in Philistia: Ashdod, Ashkelon, and Ekron. They had captured whole cities and exiled them to Edom.

Because of this, God would set fire to their city walls, devour their strongholds, and the people would all perish.

Oracle 3. In verses 9-10, the oracle against Tyre because they delivered whole cities into exile in Edom in violation of a treaty between the two nations. Because of this, God would set fire to their strongholds, and the people would perish.

Oracle 4. In verses 11-12, the oracle against Edom because they pursued their brother (looking back to the relationship between Esau and Jacob) and killed them with the sword. Because of this, God would send fire upon Teman and Bozrah (both major cities. Teman in the south, and Bozrah in the north.).

Oracle 5. In verses 13-15, the oracle against Ammon. Because they ripped open pregnant women (a particularly cruel practice in ancient warfare to decimate an enemy). Because of this, God would set fire to the walls of the city of Rabbah, destroy the city, and the kings and his officials would be sent into exile.

Amos 2

Oracle 6. In verses 1-3, the oracle against Moab because they opened the grave of the king of Edom and burned his bones. Because of this, God would set fire to Moab, destroy their strongholds, and kill their kings and officials.

Oracle 7. In verses 4-5, the oracle against Judah because they rejected the Law of the Lord and had listened to lies that led them astray. Because of this, God would set fire to Judah and destroy Jerusalem.

Oracle 8. In verses 6-16, the oracle against Israel because they sold the righteous and the poor into slavery, they denied justice to the poor, men and their sons had sex with the same woman (perhaps a concubine or a temple prostitute), they violated God’s law about taking certain kinds of pledges against debts, and they drank wine taken from the poor in honor of foreign gods.

God had brought them up out of Egypt and given them the land of the Amorites, and He had raised up prophets among them. They added to their transgressions by making the Nazarites drink wine (forbidden for them) and commanded them not to prophesy. The Israelites rejected God and His prophets. Because of all this, God would crush them so quickly and harshly that their best soldiers would drop their weapons and flee.

Amos 3-6

Having rendered the oracle of judgment against Israel, Amos now expands the reasons for the judgment in a series of five messages. The first three begin with the phrase “Hear this word” (3:1, 4:1, 5:1), the next two begins with “Woe to you” (5:18, 6:1).

Amos 3

Message 1. In verses 1-2, God reminds the people of Israel that it was He who brought them up out of Egypt. Out of all the families on earth, He had chosen them. Therefore, He will punish them for their sins.

In verses 3-6, Amos asks a series of seven rhetorical questions known as epigrams: if one thing is true, the other thing is true (example: can two walk together without agreeing to meet?).

In verses 7-8, Amos explains the Lord does nothing without explaining His purpose to His prophets first. But the lion (God) has roared, so judgment will most certainly follow.

In verses 9-10, Amos calls on the strongholds of Ashdod and Egypt to assemble in the mountains of Samaria to see the oppression, and how sinful they are because they have rejected God.

In verses 11-15, the Lord says because of this, He would bring an adversary who would surround them, conquer them, and plunder their riches. God’s judgment would be complete (only bits of evidence would remain, e.g., parts of a leg or an ear), and those who lie on their couches and beds should not think they will escape judgment.

God would destroy the altars in Bethel (sanctuary of Jeroboam II). He would destroy the king’s winter house and summer house, and all the other great houses.

Amos 4

Message 2. Amos 4 is the second of the six major sections of the book. It is directed at the wealthy aristocratic women of Israel because they had exploited the poor and for their refusal to repent.

In verse 1, Amos referred to the women as the “cows of Bashan” (Bashan was in Samaria, east of the Sea of Galilee). They oppress the poor and crush the needy, and they demand more drink from their husbands.

In verses 2-3, the Lord swears by himself that these women will be dragged away with hooks to Harmon.

In verses 4-5, Amos sarcastically calls on Israelites to go to Bethel and Gilgal to sin, to bring tithes and offerings of leavened bread (unleavened was required), and proclaim their freewill offering (not supposed to make a big deal or brag about giving their offerings).  They pretend to love the Lord, but it is all outward show.

In verses 6-11, Amos offers seven examples in which the people had suffered judgment by God and had refused to repent. Each example follows the formula, “I (God) did this to you…. yet you did not return to me, declares the Lord”: hunger/famine (v. 6), drought (vv. 7-8), blight and mildew (v. 9), locusts (v. 10), military defeat (v. 10), and finally devastation (v. 11).

In verses 12-13, because they had resisted God’s chastening, they must be ready for God’s judgment (prepare to meet your God), the God who formed the mountains, creates the wind, and declares His word to man, the Lord of Hosts is His name!

Amos 5

Messages 3 & 4. In Amos 5, Amos gives the third (vv. 1-17) and fourth messages (vv. 18-27) to highlight the sovereignty of God to judge those who rejected Him while allowing time for people to acknowledge their sin and repent.

The parallel structure of verses 1-17: the message of vv. 1-3 is repeated in vv. 16-17, vv. 4-6 is repeated in vv. 14-15, v. 7 is repeated in vv. 10-13, and in the middle vv. 8-9 are the most important.

1. Judgment is coming. In verses 1-3, Amos calls the people of Israel to hear this lament in which virgin Israel falls with no one to rescue her.
2. Call for repentance. In verses 4-6, seek God and live for judgment is coming
3. The charge of injustice. In verse 7, some have turned justice into bitterness (wormwood).
4. God is sovereign. In verses 8-9, God made the universe, and His dominion is certain.
5. The charge of injustice. In verses 10-13 you abhor righteousness and truth, you oppress the poor, you take bribes, and turn away the needy.
6. Call for repentance. In verses 14-15, seek good, not evil that you might live.
7. Judgment is coming. In verses 16-17, there will be wailing and mourning in the streets, fields, and vineyards because of God’s judgment.

The parallel structure of verses 18-27: the message of vv. 18-20 is repeated in v. 27, vv. 21-23 is repeated in vv. 25-26, and v.24 in the middle is the most important.

1. Judgment is coming. In verses 18-20, woe to those who look forward to the Day of the Lord (judgment).
2. The charge of hypocrisy. In verses 21-23, God rejects their religious offerings and offerings.
3. Call for repentance. In verses 24, become righteous and support justice.
4. The charge of hypocrisy. In verses 25-26, your sacrifices and offerings were made to foreign gods.
5. Judgment is coming. In verse 27, because of their hypocrisy, God would send them into exile in Damascus (Syria).

Tomorrow: Amos 6-9