Book of Amos

Compiled by WD Kemner February 2024

 

 

 

Chapters 1 and 2

Judgments on Nations

 

 

 

Amos Chapter 1 verse 1

 

The words of Amos, who was among the herdmen 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.

 

 

 

 

Amos also states that it was two years prior to an earthquake that was apparently significant enough to the area, that most people recall it. Zechariah also references the earthquake years later in Zechariah 14:5.

 

 

 

 

PRONOUNCEMENT OF JUDGMENTS

 

 

 

Amos Chapter 1 verse 2

 

And he said, The LORD will roar from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the habitations of the shepherds shall mourn, and the top of Carmel shall wither.

 

 

 

 

Joel 3:1-8 Judgment of Nations will occur in the Valley of Jehosaphat AFTER Christ has returned and is ruling from Jerusalem.

 

 

All it will take is for Him to raise His voice and they WILL come running.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kingdoms in Canaan area about 830 BC

 

 

Map depicting the nations that surround the area of Israel and Judah about 830 BC.

(source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10876701)

 

 

 

DAMASCUS

See also Isaiah chapter 17

 

 

Amos Chapter 1 verse 3-5

 

Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron:

 

But I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, which shall devour the palaces of Ben-hadad.

 

I will break also the bar of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitant from the plain of Aven, and him that holdeth the sceptre from the house of Eden: and the people of Syria shall go into captivity unto Kir, saith the LORD.

 

 

 

“…fire into the house of Hazael…”  occurs in the book of 2Kings 8:12; 10:32-33; 13:3.

 

palaces = Hebrew “armown” – to be elevated, the height of a citadel, so a castle or fortress.

 

“…house of Eden…” listed in 2Kings 19:12 as one of the areas destroyed by Assyrians.

 

 

PHILISTINES

See also Isaiah chapter 14:28-32

 

 

Amos Chapter 1 verse 6-8

 

Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Gaza, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they carried away captive the whole captivity, to deliver them up to Edom:

 

But I will send a fire on the wall of Gaza, which shall devour the palaces thereof: And I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, and him that holdeth the sceptre from Ashkelon, and I will turn mine hand against Ekron: and the remnant of the Philistines shall perish, saith the Lord GOD.

 

 

“him that holdeth the sceptre” = king or ruler

 

 

TYRUS

 

 

Amos Chapter 1 verse 9-10

 

Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Tyrus, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they delivered up the whole captivity to Edom, and remembered not the brotherly covenant:  But I will send a fire on the wall of Tyrus, which shall devour the palaces thereof.

 

 

See also:  2 Samuel 5:11; 1 Kings 5:1; 9:11-14

 

 

EDOM

 

See also Isaiah chapter 21

Includes also the area of Idumea Isaiah 34

 

 

Amos Chapter 1 verse 11-12

 

Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he did pursue his brother with the sword, and did cast off all pity, and his anger did tear perpetually, and he kept his wrath for ever: But I will send a fire upon Teman, which shall devour the palaces of Bozrah.

 

 

Edom – land of Esau

 

“his brother” = house of Jacob - Israelites

 

 

AMMOM

 

 

Amos Chapter 1 verse 13-15

 

Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of the children of Ammon, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have ripped up the women with child of Gilead, that they might enlarge their border:

 

But I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah, and it shall devour the palaces thereof, with shouting in the day of battle, with a tempest in the day of the whirlwind: And their king shall go into captivity, he and his princes together, saith the LORD.

 

 

 

MOAB

See also Isaiah Chapter 15

 

 

Amos Chapter 2 verse 1-3

 

Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Moab, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime:

 

But I will send a fire upon Moab, and it shall devour the palaces of Kerioth: and Moab shall die with tumult, with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet:

 

And I will cut off the judge from the midst thereof, and will slay all the princes thereof with him, saith the LORD.

 

 

 

2 Kings 3 records Israel, Judah and Edom going to battle against Moab. This particular event is not mentioned.  There had to be quite the hatred between the two nations.

 

 

JUDAH AND ISRAEL NOT GUILTLESS

 

 

JUDAH

 

Amos Chapter 2 verse 4-5

 

Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have despised the law of the LORD, and have not kept his commandments, and their lies caused them to err, after the which their fathers have walked: But I will send a fire upon Judah, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem.

 

 

 

ISRAEL

 

 

Amos Chapter 2 verse 6-8

 

Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes;

 

That pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, and turn aside the way of the meek: and a man and his father will go in unto the same maid, to profane my holy name:

 

And they lay themselves down upon clothes laid to pledge by every altar, and they drink the wine of the condemned in the house of their god.

 

 

 

History of What God had Done for them

 

 

Amos Chapter 2 verse 9-12

 

Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars, and he was strong as the oaks; yet I destroyed his fruit from above, and his roots from beneath.

 

Also I brought you up from the land of Egypt, and led you forty years through the wilderness, to possess the land of the Amorite.

 

And I raised up of your sons for prophets, and of your young men for Nazarites. Is it not even thus, O ye children of Israel? saith the LORD. But ye gave the Nazarites wine to drink; and commanded the prophets, saying, Prophesy not.

 

 

 

They have not followed the one that gave them their freedom.

 

 

Amos Chapter 2 verse 13-16

 

Behold, I am pressed under you, as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves. Therefore the flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not strengthen his force, neither shall the mighty deliver himself:

 

Neither shall he stand that handleth the bow; and he that is swift of foot shall not deliver himself: neither shall he that rideth the horse deliver himself.

 

And he that is courageous among the mighty shall flee away naked in that day, saith the LORD.

 

 

 

They will not have the strength or power to stand alone.

 

Imagine the power and might Israel may have been with God’s backing, if they had followed God when arriving in the land where He brought them.