Some prophets were priests, some were from prophetic families and some, like Daniel, lived in kings courts. Not so, Amos who we read in verse one was among the shepherds of Tekoa, 12 miles south of Jerusalem. Living, as he did, in the times of Uzziah and Jeroboam (v1), Amos was a contemporary of Hosea and probably saw the early days of Isaiah and Micah.

Amos reminds us that God is always looking deeper than the surface of our lives. He looks at our hearts. Israel was outwardly successful at the time but inwardly sinful and God has to deal with unrepented sin or his kingdom cannot grow. In this book of Amos we can see clearly the matters that trouble God’s heart.

GOD REMEMBERS THE ABUSERS OF HIS PEOPLE
The first chapter tells us that God is not blind to the times when His people are abused by others. He had not forgotten the times when Damascus had attacked Israel (v3) or when Edom, pitilessly, pursued them (v11), assisted by the Philistines (v6) and Tyre (v9). The Ammonites (v13) were judged for their attacks on Gilead, and Moab for it’s repulsive heathen practices (2v1). There are many countries in the world, so why was God so interested in these tiny tribes on Israel’s borders? The reason, I believe, was that God wanted to grow His kingdom, starting with israel, and it was these enemies who were hindrances to His wonderful plans for the world.

BUT WHAT WHEN HIS PEOPLE DO WRONG
God’s kingdom is also held back by the backslidings of His people and Judah was set on a wrong course (2v4) because they had rejected the law of the Lord and gone the wrong way. Although Amos lived in Judah, he was asked by the Lord to prophesy in Bethel, a centre of pagan worship in Israel (remember the golden calf). The words spoken by Amos shone a light on those who were proud and self satisfied.

GOD REMEMBERS ABUSES TO THE POOR
The treatment of poor people is very important to the Lord (v6,7) “for they sell the righteous for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals-they who trample the head of the poor into the dust of the earth, and push the afflicted out of the way”. They even wore garments, taken from the poor, while worshipping the Lord (v8) and drank wine in the house of God bought with money from fines they had imposed, probably on those who could least afford them.

GOD REVEALS SECRETS TO HIS PROPHETS
God had led his people out of Egypt (v10) but sadly now, even the good people had been corrupted (v12) and the prophets silenced. Well almost all the prophets, for they could not silence Amos (3v1,2) who was compelled to speak the words God had given him. We read in verse 7 that God reveals his secrets to his servants, the prophets; the secrets this time were, sadly, a message of a coming judgement for all the oppressions in their midst (v9). Verse 10 tells us that “they do not know how to do right, says the Lord,those who store up violence and robbery”. For these things Israel would be invaded by an adversary (v11). God was willing to use violent nations, especially the Assyrians, to bring His people back into line.
The women were so depraved that God calls them “cows of Bashan (4v1); notice again it is because they oppress the poor, crush the needy and crave for drink. Not to mention their worship of other gods in places like Gilgal and Bethel (v4).

EVEN IN TROUBLE THEY WOULD NOT RETURN
In chapter 4 we can clearly see the reason why God allowed his people to go through difficult circumstances; it was just to encourage them to return to Him. He allowed them to go hungry (v6), He withheld rain (v7), struck them with blight and mildew (v9) and laid waste their gardens and vineyards (v9). Like the time of Joel, locusts were tools in the hand of the Lord to devour fig and olive trees (v9), “yet you did not return to me, says the Lord”. The people had been given opportunity after opportunity to change their ways but this time Israel would be “fallen” (5v2), “no more to rise”.

God is always pleading for His people and three times, in chapter 5, they are are encouraged to seek God and live (verses 4, 6, 14); to seek good and not evil for only then would the Lord be with them (v14).

GOD WANTED JUSTICE NOT RELIGION
The Lord, using the words of Amos, exposed their many injustices. People hated the truth (v10), they trampled on the poor (v11), took grain levies from them, afflicted the righteous, took bribes (v12) and pushed aside the needy. The sad thing was that they looked in eager anticipation for the day of the Lord which, sadly for them, would be a day of darkness (v18,20). They made offerings, as required by the law, and sang their worship songs but God did not want their pretence and He would not accept them or listen to them (22, 23). God wanted “justice” to “roll down like waters, and righteousness like and everlasting stream” (v24). Because they were more interested in their pagan idols, God announced that He would send them into exile (v27).

THE UNCONCERNED RICH
The reign of Jeroboam had been a successful one, so the people were “at ease in Zion” (6v1) and felt “secure”. This message of Amos may have been a surprising one. The rich had their luxuries-“alas for those who lie on beds of ivory (6v4), and lounge around on couches” for they ate fine meats, made improvised music and enjoyed drinking and revelry. They would be the first to go into exile (v7).

Then God showed Amos a series of prophetic pictures: the first that He was forming a locust swarm (7v1) and the second (v4) a shower of fire but in desperation Amos interceded, successfully, on behalf of the people. God is always quick to forgive and relent (v6) but in the next picture the Lord showed himself standing with a plumbline in His hand (v7). The plumbline is still used by many builders and if a wall is shown by the plumbline to be crooked it has to come down. Sadly, in the same way, God would have to allow Israel to be destroyed. Amaziah, the priest at Bethel, was uncomfortable with these words and informed king Jeroboam that Amos had conspired against him (v10); in particular, by prophesying that Jeroboam would die by the sword and Israel would go into exile (7v11). Amaziah suggested to Amos that he flee back to Judah and prophesy back in his own homeland. Amos, bravely confident of his calling, explained that he was not a professional prophet as such, just a herdsman; the only reason he was there was because the Lord had taken him away from his flock and given him this message to speak (v14,15). Amaziah was trying to hinder the work of the Lord and for this his family would come to a sad end (v17).

THE END FOR ISRAEL WOULD COME
Amos was next shown a basket of summer fruit (8v1), with fruit so ripe that it would not last much longer.  In the same way, the end would soon come for God’s people Israel. They were condemned for trampling the needy (v4), bringing ruin to the poor, using false balances (v5), buying the poor for a pittance (v6) and selling the wheat sweepings which rightfully belonged to them. God’s day, when it came, would be a time of mourning and, far worse than a food famine (v11) because there would be a “famine of hearing the words of the Lord”. It would be a terrible thing when the Lord withdrew his presence.

In Chapter 9 Amos is shown his final picture of the Lord standing beside the altar and explaining how many people would be destroyed; they would try to flee but there would be nowhere to go.  Israel would be destroyed from the face of the earth (v8) and although the people would be shaken among the nations they would not be utterly destroyed (v8).

HOPE FOR THE FUTURE
Just like the other prophets, Amos prophesied that, one day, there would be a rebuilding from the ruins (v11), leading to a future time of prosperity and fruitfulness. Once again, they would be planted in their land and no one would ever pluck them out of it again (v15). The people did return, after exile, to their own land and verse 11 foresaw that the “dwelling of David” would be repaired, rebuilt and, in verse 12, possess “all nations.” It is helpful that James, in Acts 15v 13-17, and one of the early church leaders, quotes Simeon and this Amos passage to confirm that the expansion of the Lord’s kingdom referred to the taking of the gospel to the Gentiles. Surely, it is Jesus (descended from king David), and everything He has done for us, who brought about this restoration.

So in this short book we see a brave ordinary man taken away from his herds to speak similar prophesies of the future to those of other prophets, like Isaiah and Hosea. God had revealed his secrets once again. To Amos, though, was given a special revelation of God’s heart for the poor and needy, as well as his hatred of injustice. As James tells us many years later, faith without works is dead.