Friday, July 2, 2021

Amos Bible Study: Chapter 3 Summary and Questions

 

            God speaks to all the tribes who were brought up out of Egypt in chapter 3. Their relationship with God had begun with Abraham. It was Jacob’s sons that would make up the twelve tribes of Israel. Jacob’s name was changed to Israel by God. They are God’s chosen people, called by His name. There are five covenants that were made between God and man. The Noahic, Abrahamic, Mosaic, Priestly, and the Davidic covenant. There is also the covenant that was given in the New Testament. When a person receives Christ as his or her savior he is then in covenant with God.  A covenant is a binding agreement between two or more parties and is taken very seriously even today. It has responsibilities and promises on both sides. They were in covenant with God, and they had broken that covenant. He is going to punish them for all their iniquities. The people of Israel were chosen for special blessings, and God had cared for them and blessed them. He had revealed himself to them in a special way. He was their Father and had lovingly tended to their every need. He had given them a land flowing with milk and honey, they had been provided for richly, but as children that rebel against their parents they had turned their backs on Him and worshipped other gods, and had walked in their own ways disregarding Him, and now there is no turning back. He has given them many chances, but they chose to go forward in their disobedience. The die is cast. God is a just and equitable judge, and he will move forward with the punishment.

            Verses 3-8 asked rhetorical questions. The effect is dramatic. Amos gives us cause and effect. God sent his prophets to the people and the people disregarded what they said. They turned a deaf ear to the word of God. Amos’s prophesy was given during a prosperous time. They were comfortable and Amos’s words were hard to hear. “Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? Shall there be misfortune in the city, and the Lord has not done it?” The sound of the trumpet meant war and brought fear. The punishment of God would come upon the people, but not before the prophets had warned them to turn from their evil ways. Not before they were given a chance to repent and reverse the punishment and gain blessing. “The lion hath roared, who will not fear? The Lord God has spoken, who can but prophesy”(Amos 3:8)?  They needed to ask themselves these questions and discuss the answers among themselves. This would bring them to the same conclusion that God had come too.  Matthew Henry says it clearly, “The distinguishing favors of God to us, if they do not serve to restrain us from sin, shall not serve to exempt us from punishment; nay, the nearer any are to God in profession, and the kinder notice he has taken of them, the more surely, the more quickly, and the more severe will he reckon with them.”[1] 1 Peter 4:17 tells us, “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begins at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?” They had dishonored God among the nations. It was their own sin that was bringing this judgment upon them and it would continue until it had finished its work. God was faithful in his care of Israel. They were his chosen people, and their relationship with Him was personal and committed on God’s side of the covenant, but they did mouth service to Him, but their hearts were far off. Their godliness was just a form and they worshipped other gods and trampled the poor and righteous.

            In verses, 9-10 God calls Philistia, which was where Ashdod was located, and Egypt to witness His judgment of Israel. It is a sad state when the ungodly are more righteous than God’s people. They had not been given a revelation of God, but Israel who had a personal relationship with Him had repeatedly violated that relationship. “Let them see how black the charge is, and how well proved. Let them observe the behavior of the inhabitants of Samaria; let them look from the adjacent hills, and they may see how rude and boisterous they are and hear how loud the cry of their sin is, as was that of Sodom.” [2] God calls the nations to judge between Him and His people. Their sin was so blatant and open that the other nations could see the equity of God’s judgment.

            Verses 11-13 begin the sentencing of Israel. The godless nations have been called to witness this and to see that God is justified in his judgment of His people. The Assyrians literally sapped the strength of Israel and completed the destruction in 722 BC. Samaria was a beautiful place where the Ivory palaces of Ahab and Jezebel were built. They could look over the land and enjoy the beauty. Today it is laid waste, and people visit the ruins. The destruction of a sheep by a lion was the way Israel would be destroyed. There would be nothing left but small pieces to prove their existence. A shepherd that cared for a flock had to prove the lion had destroyed it with a bone or ear or some small part. The destruction of the Northern Kingdom would be complete. God calls them to hear and to testify against the house of Jacob. By using the house of Jacob he includes all 12 tribes. Jacob whose name had been changed to Israel bore the sons that would be the 12 tribes of Israel.

            Verses 14-15 begin with a reference to Bethel. Jeroboam had built idols in both Bethel and Dan to keep the people from traveling to Jerusalem and possibly losing their political allegiance to the house of Rehoboam who was heir to the throne through Solomon, his father, and David his grandfather. This was discussed in chapter 1. Horns represent strength and to cut them off would be to destroy the strength of their false worship. “Some make the horns of the altar to signify all those things which they flee to for refuge, and trust in, and which they make their sanctuary: they shall all be cut off, so they have nothing to take hold of.”[3] Verse 15 discusses the destruction of all of the houses that represent power and wealth which were obtained off the backs of the poor and the righteous. They gained their wealth through dishonesty and misuse of the justice system. There was no honor left and judgment was coming.

 I want to once again stress the influence a government has over its people. We need to be vigilant especially today. As a nation, we need to be conscious of the relationship that we have with God. “In God we trust” is written on our money, but maybe it should be written in our hearts. It is concerning that we as a country are piling up sin upon sin.

 

Questions: Chapter 3

1.      Who is God speaking to in chapter 3?

2.      What does verse 1-2 tell us about the relationship between God and Israel? What had God done for Israel?

3.      What are the issues with this relationship?

4.      Verses 3-6 are a list of rhetorical questions. What is God’s purpose in asking these questions? What lesson can be learned?

5.      Why would they blow a trumpet in the city? What would be the people’s response to it in verse 6?

6.       How would the prophet’s message be similar to the trumpet being blown in the city?

7.      What are the duties of a prophet according to the Scriptures? What other prophets can you think of and what works did they do?

8.      What is the assurance in verses 7-8?

9.      What were the differences between Ashdod and Egypt and Israel?

10.  What is the message that is to be proclaimed, and why in Ashdod and Egypt? What is their significance?

11.  In verse 10 what reason is given for Samaria’s punishment?

12.  The Lord speaks in verse 11 and what is to be the punishment brought against them?

13.  In verse 12 the Lord speaks again. What conclusion can be drawn from this illustration?

14.  What is to be testified against the house of Jacob (Israel)?

15.  What is the significance of the horns of the altar at Bethel?

16.  Why are the houses of verse 15 mentioned?

 

           

           

 

 



[1] Ibid., 970.

[2] Ibid., 972.

[3] Ibid., 973

Monday, February 22, 2021

Amos Bible Study: Chapter Two Plus Questions

 

Amos: Chapter 2 Summary

            Ammon and Moab were descendants of Lot. These two nations were given their land by God as was Edom who was the descendants of Esau. When the children of Israel left Egypt they were not allowed to take the lands of these people. It says in Deuteronomy  2:5: “Do not meddle with them, for I will not give you any of their land, no, not so much as one foot step, because I have given Mount Seir to Esau as a possession.” Deuteronomy 2: 9 and 19 states that they are not to contend, harass or meddle with Moab and Ammon “because I have given Ar to the descendants of Lot as a possession”. These nations once occupied Jordon and the area beyond. They drove out the people of that area and possessed it (Deut. 2: 10-12).

Moab will face God’s judgment. The first line of the chapter states, “Thus says the Lord:” Once again it is “For three transgressions of Moab and for four, I will not turn away its punishment,”. The king of Moab burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime. In ancient times this was considered a despicable act. It was profane to dishonor a person in this way. Matthew Henry said, “ It is barbarous to abuse human bodies, for we ourselves are in the body; it is senseless to abuse dead bodies, nay, it is impious, for we believe and look for their resurrection;, and to abuse, the dead bodies of kings (whose persons and names ought to be in a particular manner respected and had in veneration) is an affront to majesty; it is an argument of a base spirit for those to trample upon a dead lion who, were he alive, would tremble before him.”[1] The people often suffer for the sins of their government. The people are impacted at every level by their government. In the ninth century, the leaders could be heirs to the throne or they conquered the people.

 We as Americans should prayerfully vote for our leaders and once in office continue to hold them up in prayer that we might live peacefully. Our government effects our lives at every level. We have felt this on a very personal level with the Covid-19 issues.  

The destruction of Moab is spoken of in Isaiah 15 and 16 and in Jeremiah 48. The palaces of Kerioth would be devoured because the temples to their God Chemosh were located there. The judgment on Moab is death. God would cut off the judge and slay their princes. The king dealt cruelly with others. He sacrificed his son to appease his gods (2 Kings 3:26-27), and the end would be brought through war. 

Judah and Israel would stand in judgment, but their offenses were different from the nations Amos had just spoken judgment against. They were in covenant with God and were to be held to a higher standard. At Sinai God had revealed himself to them and created a special covenant relationship. Judah was accused of despising God's law and not keeping his commandments. “The other nations were reckoned with for injuries done to men, but Judah is reckoned with for indignities done to God.”[2] They worshipped other gods and denied the truth of God. They walked in lies and led others astray. Their fathers walked in lies and they followed after them. “But I will send a fire upon Judah, and it will devour the palaces of Jerusalem” (Amos 2:5). Jerusalem God’s holy city had been defiled with the lies created by idolatry. God would not spare Jerusalem. In Jeremiah 9:26 Judah and Israel are listed with the uncircumcised nations that will be judged. Circumcision is only beneficial if it is circumcision of the heart. It had become an outward meaningless symbol as they despised God’s laws.

Amos was prophesying in Bethel which was in Israel and verse 6 begins the prophecy against Israel. They were in covenant with God, and they had broken the covenant.  Israel was accused of perverting justice. The courts took advantage of the righteous. They broke God's law which allowed for indentured service to work off debts and it was to be regulated and dispersed justly and only for a limited time. Lev. 25:39-43 points out that they are not to be treated as slaves and will be released when the debt is paid. They were selling their brethren into slavery for a pittance. The righteous had become the victims of a corrupt system. The poor could expect no justice as the rich and powerful were greedy for gain and oppressed them at every turn.

Where justice is lost other sins creep in. Loathsome immoralities were done. “A man and his father go into the same girl to defile My Holy name” (Amos 2:7b). They made God’s name to be profaned among the heathen. They pretended to honor God with their ill-gotten gain. They worshipped idols and laid down on clothes taken in pledge that was to be returned by evening (Duet. 24;12,13). God will not be mocked, and they sealed the judgment that would come. They were blinded by their lust and pride. There was no justification for their sin. They would have to give an account for the violation of their covenant with God. A promise in the covenant was, “And all these blessings will come upon you and overtake you because you obey the voice of the LORD your God” (Deut. 28:2). If you would like to read the blessings they are in Duet. 28:1-14. If you continue to read to the end of that chapter you will also read the results of breaking the covenant.

God reminds Israel of what he had done for them. He had brought them out of slavery and given them “a land flowing with milk and honey”. They had ungrateful hearts forgetting where their blessings came from. God gave them prophets and Nazarites and they sought to silence them. “If God loads us daily with his benefits, and we, notwithstanding that, load him with our sins, how can we expect any other than that he should load us with his judgments? And it is here threatened in the last three verses that, when God comes forth to contend with this provoking people, they shall not be able to stand before him, to flee from him, nor to make their part good with him, for when God judges he will overcome.”[3]

 

Questions: Chapter 2

1.      What nations are prophesied against in chapter 2?

2.      Who did Moab and Ammon descend from?

3.      What was the offense of the King of Moab?

4.      What is the importance of Kerioth?

5.      Where else are they prophesied against?

6.      How is their punishment described?

7.      What was the transgression of Judah?

8.      Why were Judah and Israel’s judgment different from that of the other nations Amos prophesied against?

9.      How was Judah’s punishment described?

10.  What were Israel’s four transgressions?

11.  Find biblical passages that speak about the treatment of the poor, passages that speaks of a man and his father having the same woman, and passages that explain the regulations for garments taken as a pledge?

12.  What had God done for Israel?

13.  How does God describe the Amorites that he had destroyed before Israel?

14.  What else had God done for them?

15.  What did God raise up the sons of the people to be and do?

16.  What did the people do to the prophets and Nazarites that God raised up?

17.  What is a Nazarite?

18.  How does God respond to the sins of the people?

19.  What will happen to the men in battle?

20.  Do you see any similarities between their society and our society today?

 

 

 

 



[1] Ibid., 966.

[2] Ibid., 967.

[3] Ibid., 969.