Once again, let’s remember that following the reign of Solomon, the northern 10 tribes left the “union,” leaving just 2 tribes to the south. While Judah in the south had many “good” kings who drew the people to the Lord, her “sister” to the north, Israel, had only “evil” kings who led the people away from God. Although Amos was from Judah, the Southern Kingdom, God called him to prophesy to the Northern Kingdom of Israel.   

Amos prophesied during the reigns of Uzziah in Judah (767-739 B.C) and the reign of Jeroboam II (782-753 B.C) in Israel. If you remember just a bit of Old Testament history, it was in 722 B.C that the Assyrian army under Sennacherib overwhelmed the Northern Kingdom and dispersed the Israelites throughout their empire, but left some on the land who later intermarried with the Assyrians. These people were later called Samaritans (because their former capitol was in Samaria), and were greatly despised during Jesus’ day.

Amos was a “farmer turned prophet,” and his name means “burden-bearer.” He was gripped by God and bore the burden of bringing the message of repentance as he lashed out at the rampant sin among the people. As all of the prophets, Amos called the people to repentance and announced judgment if they failed to do so. Using appropriate metaphors throughout his ministry, Amos described the nation as a basket of “rotting” fruit that is “ripe” for judgment because of its greed, injustice, self-righteousness, and indifference to God (remember, Amos was a “farmer turned prophet,” so he knew about rotten fruit). Sadly, the people failed to heed Amos’ words, nor did they recognize the dark cloud of judgment that was rising in the north. 

Even though Amos predicted the coming destruction by the Assyrians, he prophesied during a period of national optimism. The people had no need to heed his warnings as the economy was booming, and they were at relative peace with their neighbors. Things were status quo, so the people became complacent! But below the surface, greed and injustice were rampant. The people were going through religious motions without really connecting with the One whom they were supposed to be worshiping. This attitude created a false sense of security and a growing callousness toward God.

Amos’ prophesy is uniquely organized. He begins with 8 prophecies (chapters 1-2); then moves to 3 sermons (chapters 3-6); then to 5 visions (chapters 7-8); and finally, to 5 promises (chapter 9). He uses the phrase, “Prepare to meet your God” (4:12); and the repeated phrase, “For three transgressions and for four…” with the fourth transgression being equivalent to saying, “this is the last straw.” He also repeatedly says, on behalf of God, “….yet you have not returned to Me” (4:6-11).

Two of my favorite passages come from his second sermon found in Chapter 5:

“Seek good and not evil, that you may live…Hate evil and love good, and establish justice in the gate” (Amos 5:14-15).

Notice how Amos calls the people to a life of righteousness, learning to hate evil and love good. But he also hones in on establishing justice. And then, in the concluding part of his sermon, notice how God rejects their attempts at worship with songs and the sound of harps as He continues to look for justice and righteousness,

I hate and reject your festivals, nor do I delight in your solemn assemblies. Even though you offer up to Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them;…take away from Me the noise of your songs; I will not even listen to the sound of your harps. But let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream” (Amos 5:21-24).

 This is a good time for all of us to take a look at our own times of worship, whether we join with others in a church setting or simply worship alone with hymns and/or spiritual songs playing through our phones or sound system. It’s not about the music in our ears, but the response in our hearts to God, and that includes both  justice and righteousness. Yes, we can condemn those in our own country who fail to exhibit these qualities, but let’s not forget about our own lives as we ask the question: “Am I just listening to words in a song or am I committed to living a life that honors God and exhibits righteousness and justice?”

Maybe we should all heed the words of the Prophet Amos, and respond by hating evil and loving good, and be committed to practicing righteousness and justice in all of our thoughts, words, and actions. Blessings to each of you as we all respond to Amos’ message.