Context: Prophet Amos (Amos 1:1, 2 Kings 14:23-24, 2 Chronicles 26:16-20)
- Amos was a herdsmen
- Timeline: Uzziah king of Judah and Jeroboam king of Israel
- 2 years before the earthquake around king Uzziah’s time
- Uzziah was initially an OK king. But when he became strong – he became proud
- He tried to burn incense – which was the job of the priests
- Became a leper right in front of the priests, in God’s house
- He tried to burn incense – which was the job of the priests
- Jeroboam was an evil king right from get go
- He did everything that the first king of Israel, Jeroboam did
- Taking people away from the true God
- He did everything that the first king of Israel, Jeroboam did
What were Judah’s transgressions? What was the punishment? (v2:4-5)
- Transgressions:
- Rejected God’s law
- Didn’t keep His statues
- Got led away by their lies
- Followed after their fathers evil ways
- Punishment
- Fire on Judah – devour the palaces of Jerusalem
What were Israel’s transgressions? What was the punishment? (v2:6-13, Deut 24:12-13)
- Transgressions:
- Oppressive against the most vulnerable
- Sold people for silver
- Needy people for a pair of sandals
- Kept the clothes of people against the law
- Needy people for a pair of sandals
- Trampled the poor
- God sent Prophets and Nazarites but
- They forced Nazarites to drink wine and
- Commanded prophets to not prophecy
- Sold people for silver
- Injustice
- Deny justice to the oppressed –
- Immorality
- Sexual & Spiritual
- Oppressive against the most vulnerable
- Punishment
- Will be crushed just like grain is crushed
- Even somebody who is fast or has a horse – can’t run away
- Strong and mighty people won’t be able to deliver themself
- Courageous ones will be scared and run away naked
- Will be crushed just like grain is crushed
Why should Israel follow God? (v 2:9-10)
- God destroyed their enemies – even the tall and strong ones like the Amorites
- God brought them out of the land of Egypt and led and sustained them for 40 years
- God raised up / sent prophets and Nazirites
Conclusion / Application
- Micah 6:8 He has shown you, O man, what is good. What does Yahweh require of you, but to act justly,to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?
Main Passage Amos 2:4-16 – World English Bible (WEB)
4 Yahweh says: “For three transgressions of Judah, yes, for four, I will not turn away its punishment;
because they have rejected Yahweh’s law, and have not kept his statutes,
and their lies have led them astray, after which their fathers walked;
5 but I will send a fire on Judah, and it will devour the palaces of Jerusalem.”
6 Yahweh says: “For three transgressions of Israel, yes, for four, I will not turn away its punishment;
because they have sold the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals;
7 They trample on the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, and deny justice to the oppressed;
and a man and his father use the same maiden, to profane my holy name;
8 and they lay themselves down beside every altar on clothes taken in pledge;
and in the house of their God[a] they drink the wine of those who have been fined.
9 Yet I destroyed 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.
10 Also I brought you up out of the land of Egypt, and led you forty years in the wilderness,
to possess the land of the Amorite.
11 I raised up some of your sons for prophets,and some of your young men for Nazirites.
Isn’t this true,you children of Israel?” says Yahweh.
12 “But you gave the Nazirites wine to drink, and commanded the prophets, saying, ‘Don’t prophesy!’
13 Behold,[b] I will crush you in your place, as a cart crushes that is full of grain.
14 Flight will perish from the swift; and the strong won’t strengthen his force;
neither shall the mighty deliver himself;
15 neither shall he stand who handles the bow; and he who is swift of foot won’t escape;
neither shall he who rides the horse deliver himself;
16 and he who is courageous among the mighty will flee away naked on that day,” says Yahweh.
Footnotes
- 2:8 The Hebrew word rendered “God” is “אֱלֹהִ֑ים” (Elohim).
- 2:13 “Behold”, means look at, take notice, observe, see, or gaze at. It is often used as an interjection.
Notes / Cross References
Amos 1:1 The words of Amos, who was among the herdsmen 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.
2 Kings 14:23-24 23 In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah, Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel began to reign in Samaria for forty-one years. 24 He did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight. He didn’t depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin.
2 Chronicles 26:16-20 16 But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up, so that he did corruptly, and he trespassed against Yahweh his God; for he went into Yahweh’s temple to burn incense on the altar of incense. 17 Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him eighty priests of Yahweh, who were valiant men. 18 They resisted Uzziah the king, and said to him, “It isn’t for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to Yahweh, but for the priests the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Go out of the sanctuary, for you have trespassed. It will not be for your honor from Yahweh God.” 19 Then Uzziah was angry. He had a censer in his hand to burn incense, and while he was angry with the priests, the leprosy broke out on his forehead before the priests in Yahweh’s house, beside the altar of incense. 20 Azariah the chief priest, and all the priests, looked at him, and behold, he was leprous in his forehead, and they thrust him out quickly from there. Yes, he himself also hurried to go out, because Yahweh had struck him.
2 Chronicles 25:14-15 14 Now after Amaziah had come from the slaughter of the Edomites, he brought the gods of the children of Seir, and set them up to be his gods, and bowed down himself before them, and burned incense to them. 15 Therefore Yahweh’s anger burned against Amaziah, and he sent to him a prophet, who said to him, “Why have you sought after the gods of the people, which have not delivered their own people out of your hand?”
Zechariah 14:5 You shall flee by the valley of my mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azel; yes, you shall flee, just like you fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Yahweh my God will come, and all the holy ones with you.
Deuteronomy 24:12-13 12 If he is a poor man, you shall not sleep with his pledge. 13 You shall surely restore to him the pledge when the sun goes down, that he may sleep in his garment and bless you. It shall be righteousness to you before Yahweh your God.
