Lessons from the Book of Amos

 

 

Timeline of the Old Testament Prophets:

 

 {1}   Amos 1:2 — The Roar of God

And he {Amos} said, “The Lord roars from Zion, and utters His voice from Jerusalem; the pastures of the shepherds mourn, And the top of Carmel withers." 

 

Application: God doesn’t take sin lightly, H doesn’t wink at it, or ‘let it slide.’ His voice against sin of all types is like that of a roaring lion – fierce and powerful. It is not something to trifle with.

 

 {2}   Amos 1:3 — When Sin Piles Up

Thus says the Lord: "For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, Because they have threshed Gilead with implements of iron. 

 

Application: We need to fully understand that sins against a perfect and all-holy God cannot go unpunished, because His perfect justice must be enacted. We should pray to God to reveal any “secret” sin in my life and give me the strength to break those cycles of sin permanently.

 

 {3}   Amos 2:4 — Despising God’s Law

Thus says the Lord: "For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, Because they have despised the law of the Lord, And have not kept His commandments. Their lies lead them astray, Lies which their fathers followed. 

 

Application: Let us commit to not despising the law of the Lord, but to loving it, to believing it, to revering it and to obeying it. It should guide all of our actions. Recall Psalm 119:97 - Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.

 

 {4}   Amos 2:6 — Exploiting the Vulnerable

Thus says the Lord: "For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, Because they sell the righteous for silver, And the poor for a pair of sandals. 

 

Application: I need to emulate Jesus’ compassion for the poor and downtrodden. I need to understand that God shows no partiality and that he loves those people as much as he loves me, and that we were all created in the image of God.

 

 {5}   Amos 3:2 — Responsibility Comes with Relationship

You only have I known of all the families of the earth; Therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.

 

Application: As members of the church that Jesus built, we are the “called out ones”, special in God’s sight and heart, because of our faith and obedience to His only begotten Son. As such we have great responsibility to follow God and not swerve off the path of righteousness. This is a life-long pursuit.

 

 {6}   Amos 3:3 — Agreement with God

Can two walk together, unless they are agreed? 

 

Application: Our steps, our actions, our speech, our whole lives need to be consistent with God’s Word in order for us to truthfully say that we are walking with God.

 

 {7}   Amos 3:7 — God Reveals His Heart

Surely the Lord God does nothing, Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets. 

 

Application: We have the benefit of so many prophets and inspired writers who have communicated God’s words to us via the Bible – only a fool would want to ignore or rebel against them.

 

 {8}   Amos 3:8 — Prophets Are Compelled to Speak

A lion has roared! Who will not fear? The Lord God has spoken! Who can but prophesy?

 

Application: We must heed the messages of all of God’s prophets that He inspired throughout the ages. And we, ourselves, need to boldly speak God’s truth whenever necessary in a gentle and humble, yet courageous way, pushing our personal fears and discomfort out of the way.

 

 {9}   Amos 4:6 — Ignored Warnings

Also I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities. And lack of bread in all your places; Yet you have not returned to Me," Says the Lord. 

 

Application: We need to see hardships not as punishments from God, but as his way of showing us our weaknesses and perhaps our sin, so that we can correct them and return to doing the will of God.

 

 

 {10}   Amos 4:11b-12 — Prepare to Meet God

“Yet you have not returned to Me," Says the Lord.  "Therefore thus will I do to you, O Israel; Because I will do this to you, Prepare to meet your God, O Israel!" 

 

Application: We must continually examine ourselves, our motivations, our intentions, our beliefs, our faithfulness, and our obedience to determine if we are truly “ready to meet our God.”

 

 {11}   Amos 5:4 —Seeking God Leads to Life

For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel: "Seek Me and live; 

 

Application: We need to be of the same heart and mind that the author of Psalm 119 was:

Psalm 119:10 -   With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!

 

 {12}   Amos 5:14 — Choosing Good Intentionally

Seek good and not evil, That you may live; So the Lord God of hosts will be with you, As you have spoken. 

 

Application: We always have the choice between doing good and doing evil. As we understand God’s Word more deeply, we should be dissuaded from the paths of evil. We should pray for discernment and wisdom in recognizing and avoiding sin.

 

 {13}   Amos 5:15 —What God Loves and Hates

Hate evil, love good; Establish justice in the gate. It may be that the Lord God of hosts Will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph. 

 

Application: To be a godly person, my heart must be in harmony with God’s Word. What God loves (purity, obedience, humility) I should love, what God hates (all forms of evil) I must hate and reject.

 

 {14}   Amos 5:21 — Empty Devotion

I hate, I despise your feast days, And I do not savor your sacred assemblies. 

 

Application: I need to sing with understanding and with a pure heart. My life must be consistent with the songs I sing.

 

 {15}   Amos 5:23 — The Noise of Song Without Heart

Take away from Me the noise of your songs, For I will not hear the melody of your stringed instruments. 

 

Application: My heart must be right with God in order for my singing and worship to be pleasing to Him. Recall Matthew 5:23-24 - Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 

 

 

 {16}   Amos 6:1 — Warning Against Complacency

Woe to you who are at ease in Zion, And trust in Mount Samaria, Notable persons in the chief nation, To whom the house of Israel comes! 

 

Application: We must guard against complacency. Complacency is another word for lukewarmness, and God is clear about how he feels about lukewarmness: Revelation 3:16 – So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.

 

 {17}   Amos 7:7–8 — The Plumbline of God

Thus He showed me: Behold, the Lord stood on a wall made with a plumb line, with a plumb line in His hand. And the Lord said to me, "Amos, what do you see?" And I said, "A plumb line." Then the Lord said: "Behold, I am setting a plumb line In the midst of My people Israel; I will not pass by them anymore. 

 

Application: We must always stay aligned with God’s standard, His Word. And we must keep ourselves on the straight line of righteousness, never veering off the path.  

 

 {18}   Amos 7:14–15 — God Uses Ordinary People

Then Amos answered, and said to Amaziah: "I was no prophet, Nor was I a son of a prophet, But I was a sheepbreeder And a tender of sycamore fruit. Then the Lord took me as I followed the flock, And the Lord said to me, 'Go, prophesy to My people Israel.' 

 

Application: Regardless of who I am or what my talents are, I can serve the Lord in some capacity.

 

 {19}   Amos 8:11 — A Famine of the Word

Behold, the days are coming," says the Lord God, "That I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine of bread, Nor a thirst for water, But of hearing the words of the Lord. 

 

Application: My soul can starve if not nourished regularly with God’s Word. Many in the world are physically fat, but spiritually malnourished.

 

 {20}   Amos 9:8 — Mercy Within Judgment

Behold, the eyes of the Lord God are on the sinful kingdom, And I will destroy it from the face of the earth; Yet I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob," Says the Lord. 

 

Application: God’s mercy is based on justice and is never overly severe.