The Lord Roars!

Amos not only delivers a powerful message to Israel and a timeless message for NT believers, he also reveals much about the nature of Yahweh. The broad message of Amos centers on the idea that God roars like a mighty lion in judgement because of sin.

Commentators widely agree that judgement of sin is center to the message of Amos, but there are many other nuances to Amos’ message as well. Stephen J. Bramer condenses these varied themes well,

“The message of the book is that God Almighty will come as a mighty, sovereign Warrior to judge justly, righteously, and decisively all peoples and specifically the covenant nation of Israel because of her covenant violations; however, a few of the line of Jacob will survive and form the nucleus of a restored, blessed, and secure future Israel in keeping with God’s covenant promises.” “Analysis of the Structure of Amos,” BSac 156:622 (Apr 99): 171-72.

Although he states the message of Amos more succinctly as “a warning to Israel of God’s impending judgment.” “The Literary Genre of the Book of Amos”, BSac 156:621 (Jan 99): 57.

George Stibitz summaries the message of Amos with several different thoughts, “The same God lives today. The same sins prevail today. The same message, therefore, comes to us to-day, viz. sin brings ruin, and return to God gives us a share in the Kingdom of God’s redeemed.” “The Message Of The Book Of Amos,” BSac 68:270 (April 1911): 342.

While James L. Kelso emphasizes God’s judgement by way of repentance, “And down through the centuries this Amos call for men to be reconciled to God has been echoing and to-day it challenges us to consider both our faith and our works to see if they are of Jehovah or of Ba’al.” “Amos: A Critical Study,” BSac 85:337 (Jan 1928): 63.

Background Information

Amos the Prophet

a shepherd of Tekoa (1:1)

Amos 1:1 ESV

1 The words of Amos, who was among the shepherds of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.

and a dresser of sycamore figs (7:14)[1] in the southern kingdom of Judah

Amos 7:14 ESV

14 Then Amos answered and said to Amaziah, “I was no prophet, nor a prophet’s son, but I was a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore figs.

Older commentators tend to view Amos as a lonely poor ordinary shepherd (e.g. Stibitz, 309). While newer commentators speculate that Amos might have been a sheep breeder and may have been the owner or manager of large herds of sheep and goats along with having an oversight position with other shepherds. Also, the mention of the sycamore figs, because these trees did not grow in the heights of Tekoa, could indicate that Amos supervised the care of the fig crop.

Thus is the view of Donald R. Sunukjian “The three terms together indicate that Amos, as a breeder, rancher, and farmer, was a substantial and respected man in his community.” “Amos,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 1425. See also Billy K. Smith and Franklin S. Page, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, vol. 19B, The New American Commentary(Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1995), 26–27.

God sent the prophet Amos to prophesy and preach a message of judgment and repentance to the northern kingdom of Israel.

Historical Setting

Amos ministered around 760-755 B.C. or three to four decades before the Assyrian conquest.

Timeline of Amos’ ministry.

Extremely important to understanding the message of the prophets in the OT is who the prophet was sent to: Northern Kingdom of Israel, and when the prophet ministered!

Key date to keep in mind for the book of Amos is 722 BC.

What significant event happened to the Northern Kingdom of Israel in 722 BC?

Key Dates you should know that will greatly help you in your understanding of the OT.

Israel was enjoying a time of prosperity (for the wealthy class) and relative peace, what some call its silver age. Yet while Israel enjoyed an economic incline, the hearts of its people suffered from a moral and spiritual decline.

These conditions brought about a false sense of security for the people of Israel (6:1-3).

Amos 6:1–3 ESV

1 “Woe to those who are at ease in Zion, and to those who feel secure on the mountain of Samaria, the notable men of the first of the nations, to whom the house of Israel comes! 2 Pass over to Calneh, and see, and from there go to Hamath the great; then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are you better than these kingdoms? Or is their territory greater than your territory, 3 O you who put far away the day of disaster and bring near the seat of violence?

It was the job of the prophet to warn people in covenant rebellion of the coming judgment of Almighty God.

Amos 6:4–7 ESV

4 “Woe to those who lie on beds of ivory and stretch themselves out on their couches, and eat lambs from the flock and calves from the midst of the stall, 5 who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp and like David invent for themselves instruments of music, 6 who drink wine in bowls and anoint themselves with the finest oils, but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph! 7 Therefore they shall now be the first of those who go into exile, and the revelry of those who stretch themselves out shall pass away.”

The Message of the Prophets

Nature of the Prophetic Office: covenant enforcement mediators

Deuteronomy 28:1–2 ESV

1 “And if you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. 2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God.

Deuteronomy 28:15 ESV

15 “But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord your God or be careful to do all his commandments and his statutes that I command you today, then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you.

The prophets applied the covenant to their situation and/or focus. “Israel’s law constituted a covenant between God and his people. This covenant contains not only rules to keep, but describes the sorts of punishments that God will necessarily apply to his people if they do not keep the Law, as well as the sorts of benefits he will impart to them if they do. The punishments are often called ‘curses’ of the covenant, and the benefits ‘blessings.’ The name is not important. What is important is that God does not merely give his law, but he enforces it. Positive enforcement is blessing; negative enforcement is curse. This is where the prophets come in. God announced the enforcement (positive or negative) of his law through them, so that the events of blessing or curse would be clearly understood by his people” (Fee and Stuart, How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth, 2nd edition, 167) [emphasis added].

The message of the prophets was not new- they preached the message of the covenant. However, their message was unique and gripping and shocking to the hearer. Their preaching was like a bucket of ice-water thrown on the heads of the people. God gave His people every chance to hear, understand, and obey through the preaching of prophets like Amos!

Purposes (from Message of the Twelve, 1)

i) To call to repentance

ii) To warn of judgment

iii) To offer hope

Functions

a) Preaching (forth-telling)

b) Prediction (foretelling)

“Less than 2 percent of Old Testament prophecy is messianic. Less than 5 percent specifically describes the New Covenant age. Less than 1 percent concerns events yet to come….1 The prophets did indeed announce the future. But it was usually the immediate future of Israel, Judah, and other nations surrounding them that they announced, rather than our future. One of the keys to understanding the Prophets, therefore, is that for us to see their prophecies fulfilled, we must look back upon times which for them were still future but for us are past.” (Fee and Stuart, 165-66).

It was the job of the prophet to warn people in covenant rebellion of the coming judgment of Almighty God.

Amos communicated this message through many theological themes during his ministry.

A Biblical Theology of the Book of Amos

The Names of God

The weightiness of the message of Amos is underscored repeatedly through the repetition and variation of the names of God. The frequency and choice of the names of God used in Amos is as follows:

1. The most utilized name of God is that of Yahweh (81 times). The theological significance of this name is meant to underline God’s covenant name and relationship with Israel.

2. Amos also used the title “Lord” (אֲדֹנָי, ’Adonai, 24 times) which underscores God’s sovereignty and authority.

3. “God” (אֲלֹהִים, ’Elohim, 11 times) which highlights God’s power.

4. The compound name Yahweh Adonai occurs twenty-one times. This combination (lit. “sovereign LORD”) speaks to the Lord’s royal authority.

5. The identification of the Lord as “God of Hosts” is a significant theological message in Amos.[2] Seven times Amos uses LORD (‘Yahweh’) in conjunction with “God of Hosts” (or “Armies”) (4:13; 5:14, 15, 16, 27; 6:8, 14). One time Amos uses the compound “The Lord God of hosts” (וַאדֹנָ֨י יְהוִ֜ה הַצְּבָא֗וֹת). The full form of this name occurs in 3:13, “the Lord God, the God of hosts” (אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהוִ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֥י הַצְּבָאֽוֹת).

6. Finally, Amos simply uses the term “name” (שֵׁם, shem) in reference to God (2:7, 4:13, 5:8, 5:27, 6:10, 9:6, and 9:12).

To allow the various names of God to have their full effect each one must be understood within the context of the prophetic message to Israel.

Amos 4:12 ESV

12 “Therefore thus I will do to you, O Israel; because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel!”

In Amos 4:12, after God had listed all of the gracious attempts to bring the people back to Himself through means of discipline (4:6-11), God forewarns of coming judgment. To give weight to the seriousness of this message Amos preaches, “prepare to meet your God, O Israel.” What kind of God would they have to meet?

Amos 4:13 ESV

13 For behold, he who forms the mountains and creates the wind, and declares to man what is his thought, who makes the morning darkness, and treads on the heights of the earth— the Lord, the God of hosts, is his name!

Yahweh, the covenant making God, He is the Sovereign One, the Master of all. He is the creator of the mountains and the One who exercises perfect control over all His domain. He is Yahweh, the God of armies (4:13)! Israel needed to sit up and pay attention.

In Amos 5:1-9 God laments over Israel and calls her to repentance. He levels the charge against her of turning justice into wormwood (5:7).

Amos 5:7 ESV

7 O you who turn justice to wormwood and cast down righteousness to the earth!

The call to hear this message of judgement and to respond with repentance is connected to the name of the Lord (5:8).

Amos 5:8 ESV

8 He who made the Pleiades and Orion, and turns deep darkness into the morning and darkens the day into night, who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out on the surface of the earth, the Lord is his name;

He is one who made the stars and turns darkness into bright morning light. He causes the waters of the sea to pour down upon the earth and He sends lightning flashes of destruction upon His enemies. “The Lord is his name” (5:8).

Through the name of the Lord Amos teaches many topics of theology including God’s omnipotence, sovereignty, providence, covenant faithfulness, judgement, and God’s role as creator. This is an important theological topic for Amos.

God is Speaking

Closely related with the theme of the names of God is the idea that this all-powerful majestic warrior-king is the One who is speaking to the people of Israel. This theme is especially significant give Amos’ former occupation and location. He is not of the prophet class. He is not even a local resident of Israel. He is a shepherd from Judah. Why should the people listen to his message? Because God is the one doing the speaking! The description and variation of this theme is strongly repeated throughout Amos.

“The Lion Roars” - 2 x’s

“Thus says the Lord” - 17 x’s

The idea that God is speaking through His prophets - 4 x’s

“Declares the Lord” - 13 x’s

“Hear the word of the Lord” - 3 x’s

The Lord showing something to the prophet - 5’s

God stressed the idea that He was speaking to His people 44 different times and in 15 different variations in just 9 chapters of the book of Amos. Surely, one cannot help but feel the voice of the Sovereign Lord of Hosts roaring in Amos! Four times God specifically connects the idea that He speaks through the words of the prophets, again legitimizing Amos’ ministry. God commands the people to “hear” and to “listen” to what He says. Amos speaks nothing of his own authority, only what the Lord showed him or directly said to him. Each of these different 44 repeated ideas of God speaking argues for the divine inspiration of Scripture.

Sin

The major thrust of the book of Amos is God’s judgement because of sin. It is only logical that God takes extra care to list the covenantal transgressions of the people that will soon bring His judgement.

The summary of Israel’s sins is shocking:

1. Devaluing of Human Life

Amos 2:6 ESV

6 Thus says the Lord: “For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals—

Israel was selling human beings for a price. This most likely is speaking of corrupt judges or jurors who were willing to accept bribes, even a ridiculously low payment (a pair of sandals), in order to take advantage of the innocent (righteous) and the poor (needy). Amos is highlighting the low value that Israel’s elite was placing on human life. Many great atrocities throughout history have their roots in the devaluing of human life (e.g. the holocaust or abortion).

2. Circumventing Justice

Amos 2:7 (ESV)

7 those who trample the head of the poor into the dust of the earth and turn aside the way of the afflicted;

The rich and powerful people in Israel were stepping on the poor by using the courts to pervert justice. They treated the poor as no better than dirt to be crushed under foot. When the afflicted or needy people sought justice, they were pushed to the side. Israel loved to circumvent justice.

3. Sexual Immorality

Amos 2:7 (ESV)

7 a man and his father go in to the same girl, so that my holy name is profaned;

God accused Israel of vile sexual sins where a son and a father were involved with same woman, possibly a female slave purchased by either party. Such an act profaned the holy name of God!

4. Greedy Oppression

Amos 2:8 ESV

8 they lay themselves down beside every altar on garments taken in pledge, and in the house of their God they drink the wine of those who have been fined.

God condemns Israel for unjust and oppressive fines and taxes. The description could also have involved sexual acts (lay themselves down) fueled by drunkenness (they drink the wine of those who have been fined). Such debauchery was somehow used as pagan worship (in the house of their God).

5. Rejection of God’s Message and Messengers

Amos 2:12 ESV

12 “But you made the Nazirites drink wine, and commanded the prophets, saying, ‘You shall not prophesy.’

God condemns Israel for defiling His servants and closing the mouths of His prophets. They did everything they could to silence the Word of God in their country.

6. Unquenchable Violent Greedy Practices

Amos 3:10 ESV

10 “They do not know how to do right,” declares the Lord, “those who store up violence and robbery in their strongholds.”

The leaders in Samaria were hording their plunder and loot in their strongholds. The means by which they acquired this wealth was through violence and robbery. They had become so greedy and twisted and desirous of more possessions that they no longer knew how to do right.

7. Extravagant Materialism

Amos 3:15 ESV

15 I will strike the winter house along with the summer house, and the houses of ivory shall perish, and the great houses shall come to an end,” declares the Lord.

The wealthy elite were using the wealth acquired through oppression of the poor and perversion of justice to build for themselves a luxurious lifestyle. They were extravagant in their desire for earthly goods.

8. Extreme Selfishness

Amos 4:1 ESV

1 “Hear this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who say to your husbands, ‘Bring, that we may drink!’

Pampered wealthy women with insatiable indulgent lifestyles at the expense of the poor.

9. A Pretend Piety

Amos 4:4–5 ESV

4 “Come to Bethel, and transgress; to Gilgal, and multiply transgression; bring your sacrifices every morning, your tithes every three days; 5 offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving of that which is leavened, and proclaim freewill offerings, publish them; for so you love to do, O people of Israel!” declares the Lord God.

wicked motives for performing religious activities (4:4-5).

10. A Stubborn Hardheartedness (Amos 4:6-11)

11. Perversion of Justice and Casting Righteousness to the Ground (5:7)

12. They silenced people who wanted to give honest testimonies in the court system so that they could take away the produce of the poor farmer (5:10-11)

13. Blatant Idolatry (5:26)

14. Arrogantly believed they were safe from God’s judgement (6:1)

15. Self-Indulgent (6:4-6)

16. Proud (6:5)

17. Despised and Rejected God’s Message (7:10-16)

18. Superficial Worship (8:5)

19. Greedy and Dishonest in Business (8:5-6)

This carefully detailed list of Israel’s sins tells the reader much about the nature and character of God. God is omniscient. All the transgressions and sins of the people of Israel were accounted for. God is long-suffering and willing to forgive the repentant. Two times the Lord sends Amos visions of destruction and the prophet prays for Yahweh to spare the people. Both times Amos finds the Lord ready to patiently wait for repentance (7:1-6). Sadly, that repentance never comes. Yet God suffered long his judgement of sin for nearly two centuries before Amos even came on the scene (c. 930-760 B.C.). God is faithful in keeping His covenant obligations. God is righteous and just and will not pardon even His own people for their sin. The Almighty, Sovereign, God of Armies roars against sin.

Judgement

God not only knows and remembers the sins of the nations, He is also faithful in executing judgment because of sin toward the unrepentant. Amos uses a variety of words to describe the judgment of God upon the nations. These include words like fire, devour, break, cut off, turn my hand against, perish, shouting, tempest, die, uproar, shouting and the sound of the trumpet, kill, and destroyed.

The most common words for judgement are “fire” and “devour” (1:4, 7, 10, 12, 14, 2:2, 5; 5:6) which are always used in parallel with each other. God would bring the judgment of fire upon the sinful nations and its purpose was to devour.

Set in contrast to the words of judgement in Amos are words of strength. These include words like house, strongholds, gate-bar, scepter, wall, kings, princes, ruler, height, strong, defenses, and fortress. The most common word for the idea of strength is “stronghold(s)” (1:4, 7, 10, 12, 14; 2:2, 5; 3:9, 10, 11). The idea of these two categories of words set in contrast with one another (judgment vs. strength) is that there is no human might powerful enough to withstand or escape the awesome judgment of God.

The main message of Amos begins with a section of God’s judgment on the nations (Syria, Gaza, Tyre, Edom, Ammon, Moab) for their sins (Amos 1-2). God ends the list of nations who deserve his judgment with His own people (Judah and Israel). Even though they were in covenant relationship with God and His own chosen people that did not insulate them from judgment.

In fact, the stunning poetry of this section indicates that God holds His own people more responsible to follow the Lord’s commands than the rest of the nations.

The repeated phrase, “For three transgressions and for four,” seems to indicate the idea that the nations were storing up wrath for themselves because of their repeated sins. Amos 3:10 seems to support this notion when the prophet states, “those who store up violence and robbery in their strongholds.” With three transgressions they have filled to the brim the cup of God’s wrath, and with four transgressions that cup has overflowed. Therefore, judgement must soon follow (c.f. Rom. 2:5).

This vivid description of God’s judgment also speaks to His omniscience in knowing exactly what transgressions have been committed by the nations and that a record of those transgressions is being stored up for the day when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. It also speaks to God’s sovereignty and omnipotence to bring all nations into judgment. It also speaks of God’s justice when one day God will bring perfect righteous judgement upon the wicked. Amos speaks to this again in 5:12 when he speaks the words of Yahweh, “For I know how many are your transgressions and how great are your sins.”

The severity of God’s judgment is found in places like Amos 9:1-8.

Amos 9:1 ESV

1 I saw the Lord standing beside the altar, and he said: “Strike the capitals until the thresholds shake, and shatter them on the heads of all the people; and those who are left of them I will kill with the sword; not one of them shall flee away; not one of them shall escape.

In v. 1 God sends Amos a vision of the pillars of a temple collapsing on the heads of the people of Israel. If any happened to escape God would kill them with the sword of their enemies. He ends this declaration of judgment with the pronouncement, “not one of them shall escape.”

Amos 9:2–4 ESV

2 “If they dig into Sheol, from there shall my hand take them; if they climb up to heaven, from there I will bring them down. 3 If they hide themselves on the top of Carmel, from there I will search them out and take them; and if they hide from my sight at the bottom of the sea, there I will command the serpent, and it shall bite them. 4 And if they go into captivity before their enemies, there I will command the sword, and it shall kill them; and I will fix my eyes upon them for evil and not for good.”

In vv. 2-4 Amos uses poetic hyperbole to inform Israel that there is nowhere they can run to escape God’s coming judgement. His eyes were upon them for evil and not for good (9:4). This is the devastating picture of God roaring like a mighty lion in judgment because of sin.

Messianic Hope

The primary message of Amos is that of sin and judgement. That is not to say that the book of Amos lacks accounts of the grace of God both in repentance for sin and in hope for the future through the coming Messiah and His kingdom. The first thread of grace that is woven through the message of Amos is found in the message of repentance.

Amos 4:6 ESV

6 “I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and lack of bread in all your places, yet you did not return to me,” declares the Lord.

In Amos 4:6-11 the phrase “yet you did not return to me,” is used five times. Before God sent devastating judgment, He sent less severe forms of discipline (famine, drought, blight, pestilence, defeat in battle) in order to draw the nation of Israel back to Himself in repentance. Yet, five times God condemns Israel by noting that they hardened their hearts and did not return to the Lord. If the nation had just repented of their sin the disaster of judgment could have been avoided.

In Amos 5:4-14 three times (5:4, 6, 14) God tells the people of Israel that if they would only seek Him they would live!

Amos 5:4 ESV

4 For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel: “Seek me and live;

Amos 5:6 ESV

6 Seek the Lord and live, lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and it devour, with none to quench it for Bethel,

Amos 5:14 ESV

14 Seek good, and not evil, that you may live; and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you, as you have said.

Seeking God meant turning from their sin and instead pursing justice. It meant hating evil and loving good (5:14-15). If the people would have repented of their sin, God graciously would have forgiven them and allowed them to live.

The second thread of grace found in Amos centers on God graciously preserving a remnant and giving that small remnant of people hope for the future through the coming Messiah. On the whole the nation of Israel did not repent and turn back to God in order that they might live. But, a small remnant did (5:15).

Amos 5:15 ESV

15 Hate evil, and love good, and establish justice in the gate; it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.

Even in the midst of the most severe pronouncement of judgement upon the people (9:1-8a) God graciously foretells of a small remnant that He will not utterly destroy (9:8b).

Amos 9:8 ESV

8 Behold, the eyes of the Lord God are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from the surface of the ground, except that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob,” declares the Lord.

Judgement would be severe, bitter, and inescapable for the wicked in the nation, but God would providentially discriminate in his judgement of Israel and preserve a remnant (9:9-10).

Amos 9:9–10 ESV

9 “For behold, I will command, and shake the house of Israel among all the nations as one shakes with a sieve, but no pebble shall fall to the earth. 10 All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword, who say, ‘Disaster shall not overtake or meet us.’

No matter how small the remnant God always leaves His people with a message of hope. Amos ends his prophetic ministry by foretelling of the day when God would restore the “booth of David” (9:11).

Amos 9:11 ESV

11 “In that day I will raise up the booth of David that is fallen and repair its breaches, and raise up its ruins and rebuild it as in the days of old,

The word “booth” refers to a makeshift kind of dwelling similar to a tent. The same word is used in Leviticus 23 where God commanded the Israelites to keep the feast of booths. Even though the once mighty house of David was now nothing more than a tattered tent, one day God is going to repair its breaches and raise up its ruins. In fact, God will one day restore the house of David to its former glory. This hints at the coming Messiah who will sit on the throne of David forever. Because God’s offer of repentance has been repeatedly rejected, there is no way for Israel to save herself. “Yahweh must act directly to restore their fortunes, and the Davidic ruler must take charge of the land, or there can be no renewal.” When Messiah comes and establishes His kingdom there will be unparalleled peace and prosperity (9:13-15).

Amos 9:13–15 ESV

13 “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when the plowman shall overtake the reaper and the treader of grapes him who sows the seed; the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and all the hills shall flow with it. 14 I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine, and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit. 15 I will plant them on their land, and they shall never again be uprooted out of the land that I have given them,” says the Lord your God.

Conclusion

Amos 3:8 ESV

8 The lion has roared; who will not fear? The Lord God has spoken; who can but prophesy?”

The Lord roars like a mighty lion in judgement because of sin. God used Amos to communicate an important message of judgement and repentance. Yet, despite thundering and speaking the very words of the Lord God, the God of Hosts, the majority of the nation of Israel did not turn back to God.

Being in the privileged position of God’s chosen people did not excuse them from judgment. Turing to God in repentance, not presuming on the forbearance of the Lord are topics for NT believers.

One must view sin the way God does. One must learn to stand in fear before the mighty lion who roars against sin. He is not a tame lion. God is rich in kindness and forbearance and patience over sin, so that one might turn to Him in repentance (Rom. 2:5). “For three transgressions and for four” is just another way of saying “because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.” Turn to God and live.

God is a mighty lion, and we must sit up and pay attention, but he only roars against those who do not repent. For everyone else there is grace and hope!

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