AMOS CHAPTER 1

Scripture goes to such great detail, it must be true. In verse 1 we see Amos notating all of the different aspects of the time period he was writing in. This lines up with our historical records and puts him beginning no matter what with truth. This chapter has five of the oracles against nations outside of Judah and Israel. This teaches us that God is concerned with sin, even the sins of the outsiders. He is a just God and His wrath comes against the people who sin against Him. He does not deal with sin lightly, the fundamental attribute of God is His holiness. Verse 2 says that the Lord roars from Zion and thunders from Jerusalem. I am sure God is not playing when He says that He will rain down fire on their fortresses. Remember here that Amos is a herdsman, and the sound of a lion would be to him one of the most fearful sounds on the earth.

-Three & Four sins – refers to repetitive sins and very, very exceedingly. The Lord’s judgments against these nations was not due to three or four sins, or that same judgment would apply every day to every nation. Still sin is serious before a holy God. One historian described it as using a finite number to more likely apply to the infinite.

-Jeroboam II’s army did execute the judgment that Amos predicted later as they threw open the gates and destroyed the fortress.

-Ezekiel 26 recounts the destruction of Tyre and its desecration.

-The treaty of brotherhood between Tyre and the Jews was very tight nit, in that they were descendants of Jacob and Esau.

-The Edomites and the Jews were always enemies, and this probably refers to the time when Jerusalem was sieged by the Chaldeans and they continued to exploit the Jews.

Things I learned from this chapter:
It helps me get a better view of God and His holiness. He is a just God and His wrath is unbearable. What God wills to happen will happen, sometimes his justice is delayed, but it will come. It was amazing to see how history accounted for the follow through of these warnings issued by God. It also made me look and think of our nation and the sins that would be very, very, exceedingly prevalent. I want to walk in the way of the Lord and allow Him to use me to proclaim truth to our generation in the way of Amos.