INTRODUCTION TO AMOS
1. If you have ever worked among people who were difficult, you can appreciate the book of Amos.
2. Even if you have not worked among or for difficult people the book of Amos is practical.
3. Many Christians can identify with Amos because he was not a professional prophet.
4. This man was an ordinary fellow who cared for animals and fig trees.
5. His life, before becoming a prophet, might be compared to the average faithful Christian.
6.
Amos was from the southern section of
7. Thus, he did a job that was somewhat out of his field and he worked an area a ways from home.
8. He worked with some people who were not too pleasant.
9.
The people in
10. Even the rulers were disobedient.
11. Amos 1:1 says that this prophet lived during the days of “Jeroboam.”
12. In future lessons I hope to look at some of the specific things from this book.
13. In order to study this book we need to know what the background of this man and his message was.
14. Since Amos lived during the days of Jeroboam a study of Jeroboam will help us.
15. The book that gives a lot of information about King Jeroboam is First Kings.
16. At the end of 1st Kings 11 God made a promise.
17. He said to King Jeroboam, “hearken to what I command you. Walk in my ways.”
18. “Do what is right in my eyes, and I will be with thee.”
19. God
promised that he would bless and prosper the northern section of
20. God said he would build “build a sure house” as he had built for David.
21. The
northern section of
JEROBOAM WAS THE FIRST KING OVER THE NORTHERN SECTION OF
A. Let’s start with verse 26-27 in 1 Kgs. 12.
B. King Jeroboam started to worry.
C. He
thought that if those in his kingdom went to
D. His citizens would not return to the place where he was king.
E. He also thought his subjects would become so angry at him that he would be killed.
F. This king must have been extremely paranoid and had a very limited faith.
G. At the close of 1 Kgs. 11 God said He would be with Jeroboam and help him.
H. Jeroboam thought he could do better on his own.
I. Instead of trusting in God he came up with his own plan.
i). Bear in mind that this was during the time of Amos.
ii). In our day and time many also believe they can improve on God’s way of doing things.
iii). This
is another similarity between modern
J. Jeroboam made two calves of gold (28a).
K. He then said to his people, 28b.
L. The king even put the calves at convenient places.
M. One
idolatrous shrine was placed in Dan and the other was located at
N. Dan
was at the top of the kingdom and
O. Jeroboam made two significant changes.
i). He changed the object of worship.
ii). Instead of worshipping God the people were turned to idols.
iii). Jeroboam
also changed the place of worship. The
cities of Dan & Bethel replaced
iv). A third change is found in verse 31.
v). God specified that people from the tribe of Levi be used for the priesthood.
vi). Jeroboam changed that. He used people who were from any tribe but Levi.
vii). He completely reversed God’s will concerning the priesthood.
P. Since things were being changed it should not surprise us to find a change in the feasts.
Q. Those
in southern
R. Those in the north had previously participated in these feasts.
S. Jeroboam decided that feasts needed to continue but he would make new ones.
T. Thus, verse 32 says, READ.
U. The apostasy in the north was virtually complete.
i). The true God was no longer the sole object of worship.
ii). People were worshipping at the wrong place.
iii). The wrong people were being used to conduct the services.
iv). The feasts were altered so they were no longer what God wanted.
v). Things
didn’t get a whole lot better in the Northern section of
vi). The next thirteen kings were ____________
vii). Finally Jeroboam the Second came into power—the king Amos knew.
2. IMAGINE
FOR A MOMENT THAT YOU ARE A PREACHER.
A. You job is to go to the place where terrible things are happening and speak for God.
B. You job is to tell these people they are guilty of sin and they will be punished.
C. Your mission is to tell people that God deplores their church attendance and worship.
D. I’m not sure that too many of us would have wanted to be Amos.
E. Leaving behind a secular job for this task was a big change and challenge.
F. In fact, the very structure of this book shows what a difficult job this man had.
G. The
prophet did not start off by condemning
H. The first chapter in Amos and some of the second talks about other nations.
I. The
prophet first spoke against
J. Then
he spoke against the Philistines (the people of
K. Those
of
L. The
Edomites were then criticized (
M. Then
the Ammonites and Moabites were judged (
N. Amos
got a little closer to home by condemning southern
O. The
people in northern
P. Amos condemned people the north didn’t like and they people must have been overjoyed.
Q. We can almost those in the north saying, “Preach on brother.” “Great sermons.”
R. The prophet did continue to preach. He finally got personal in 2:6f.
S. He
began to describe the situation where he was (northern
T. He said the people in the north were also guilty of sin and punishment was coming.
3. IN
LOOKING AT THIS MAN AND HIS DIFFICULT
A. People can be religious but this does not make their religion acceptable to God.
B. Amos worked among people who worshipped.
C. They had feasts and a priesthood. They were churchgoers. However, God rejected their worship.
D. Many in our day and time cannot fathom how this can be true.
E. It is thought that if we direct worship to God He will accept it.
F. A quick study of the Old Testament shows this is faulty thinking.
G. Jeroboam was warned that his kingdom would only prosper if he obeyed God.
H. Worship would only be accepted if God placed his stamp of approval on it.
I. The same is still true.
J. If we try to tell people they are worshipping incorrectly, the sparks begin to fly.
K. Telling someone that their religious service does not please God usually makes the blood boil.
L. When we have this experience we can turn back to Amos.
M. This prophet was not a very popular man.
N. God’s people have often not been winners in popularity contests.
O. Some may think, “I am not a preacher so I don’t need to tell people about religious error.”
P. Who was Amos?
Q. A passage found in the 7th chapter of this book tells us.
R. Amos 7:14.
i). This fellow was an average man who was faithful to God.
ii). He was, shall we say, a regular guy.
iii). Yet God used him to communicate heaven’s will to many people.
iv). It’s easy to think, “I’m just a Christian. I have never been to Bible school.”
v). “I have never taken a college class on the Bible.”
vi). “How can God use me or how can He expect much from me”?
vii). God has used the so-called average man in times past.
viii). God does not need “professionals” to do His will.
ix). One man (Yates, p. 32) observed that Amos (an average man) inspired others.
x). This prophet appears to have a positive effect on 3 younger men (Isaiah, Hosea, & Micah).
xi). We do not need to be an expert in religion to serve God.
xii). We do not need a degree in religion to correct religious error.
xiii). We do not need to be an eloquent spokesman to speak for God.
xiv). At different times others and I are asked, “What must be done to become a preacher”?
xv). The answer, if we look at the life of Amos, is be willing to serve God.
xvi). God doesn’t need the best speakers or the most knowledge students of the Bible.
xvii). He needs people who know the truth and are willing to share it with others.
xviii). This is what Amos did.
xix). This is one more reason that most can so fully identify with this man.
4. WE
CAN APPRECIATE AND IDENTIFY WITH AMOS FROM ANOTHER STANDPOINT.
A. This
man lived in a time when
B. Money was flowing freely. People had winter houses and summer houses.
C. Hewn stone and ivory were used in the construction of buildings.
D. Wine was plentiful, houses were furnished with rich furniture.
E. There was stirring music during the many feasts and banquets.
F. Life for many was easy and extravagant.
G. The people were too happy to care about God and right worship.
5. If we have ever tried to teach someone about the gospel but they were satisfied with life…
6. This is a book that will make us feel better. Amos had this same problem.
7. Time and time again this book can be related to our society.
8. Some in our day and time seem to have an interest in stifling religious speech.
9. God, religion…these things ought not to be discussed in some places.
10. Amos faced a similar predicament.
11. An examination of this man’s life reveals that he was finally turned away.
12. People didn’t want to discuss religion with him any longer.
13. He eventually left for Judah (southern Israel) and put his message into a book.
14. This act may also be applied to our day and time.
15. This book has points of application in other areas too.
A. Amos showed that God was not limited to being God of Israel.
B. God was also the God over all the other nations described in Amos 1.
C. Today some have the idea that they belong to themselves.
D. We have heard of those who have “their own faith” and “their own way.”
E. The God of heaven says that this approach to life is unacceptable.
F. He is God of all and that means our own religion (faith) is useless.
G. If God is the God of all He has the right to prescribe what religion is right and He has used this right.
H. Even though this book was written close to 3,000 years ago it filled with helpful information.
I. If there is any Old Testament book that is comparable to Christians and modern America this is it.
16. There is a call from different quarters of America that we should teach proper human conduct.
17. Basis qualities should be taught to our children in school.
A. Guess what the book of Amos deals with? Proper conduct.
B. The prophet addresses such subjects as integrity, honesty, purity, and fairness.
18. This is a great book and I hope you will be here for the studies and read ahead.
A. Tonight we close with this thought.
B. We may be religious but not religiously right.
C. Is our relationship with God right?
D. Have we been baptized into Christ for the forgiveness of sins?
E. Are we living as a faithful Christian?