Amos 1:1 - The words of Amos

1:1

“The words of Amos ...which he saw”. It is interesting that it speaks of Amos seeing the word of God. This primarily pointing to chapter 7 onwards. In the earlier parts the prophecies are primarily words of judgement, both on surrounding nations, and on Israel and Judah. In this we see two essential elements of prophecy. On the one hand it speaks to the immediate situation, often pointing out what is wrong, and what is wrong with us. But it doesn’t stop there, it looks ahead, it sees ahead. God is fully aware of our sin, but that is not the end of the story. Where sin abounds, grace abounded all the more (Rom 5:20), but we need both parts. Any message that jumps straight to the salvation without looking at what we are saved from is unbiblical. Likewise, any message that delights in pointing out the sins, but offers no salvation is equally unbiblical. [This is not to say that any single message will not focus on one or the other, but the overall message must include both.]

Amos was not a professional prophet. He was “among the shepherds”, or “maong the sheep breeders”. He prophesied because he was called by God. Today not all preachers need be formally trained. Indeed one could argue biblically that to insist on formal training is deeply unbiblical! Jesus was not formally trained, His disciples were not formally trained. However, this is definitely not to say that formal training is of no value, nor that people should not be formally trained. Thank goodness that many people do devote themselves to deep biblical and theological study, and to learning the Biblical languages, and church history. If they did not, then those of us who are not formally trained would not be able to make use of their work! The point is that we must not make an idol out of it, and God will use all sorts of people in all sorts of ways.

Amos was from Tekoa, a town twenty kilometers south of Jerusalem, ie in the southern kingdom of Judah. And he was going to prophecy to the northern kingdom of Israel. Unsurprisingly, he fairly soon outstayed his welcome (Amos 7:12). He lived in the reign of Uzziah king of Judah (792-740 BC) and Jeroboam the second of Israel (793-753 BC).

An earthquake followed a couple of years after his preaching, and is seen as a sign of God’s judgement. This earthquake is referred to in Zechariah 14:5.