June 28th, 2026: Amos the Courageous Prophet | Amos 1:1, Amos 2:11-12, Amos 3:7-8, Amos 7:10-15

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (1John 1: 8-10).

How many times as a child did you hear the phrase “You can learn this the easy way or the hard way!”  As human beings, we tend to default to the “hard” way!  Pridefully, we value our opinions, our worth, and our education, and use it to create status among our peers.  We believe that we can “reason” our way to alternative answers, and being created in God’s image,  many times we can.  However, that doesn’t work with God’s word.  When we avoid His word, the results are disastrous.  As you study, compare the events of our lesson to our day.  You may be amazed to see, yet again, that there is nothing new under the sun.  The same public discourse we struggle with today occurred at least as far back as 755 BC, at the time of our lesson. 

  Our lesson today comes from one of the 12 minor prophets. Being a minor prophet is not about a degree of importance. All of the writings of the Old Testament prophets are inspired by God.  Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. (1 Peter 2:20-21).  The major prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, and Daniel) show us a broad, even global, word from God and tend to be much larger in volume. The minor books are referred to as minor because of their length and the more limited focus of the writings.   

Amos 1:1

The words of Amos, who was among the herdmen 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. 

The nation of Israel has been divided for approximately 150 years.  The Northern Kingdom has set up it own areas of worship in Bethel, Dan, and Gilgal.  Why you ask?  Because at the time of the split, Jeroboam, (first of the northern Kings), did not want the 10 tribes in the north  to travel to Jerusalem to worship.  Jerusalem was the dedicated place that God had promised to meet with His people.  In Jerusalem they offered their sacrifices and prayed at the temple. If the children of Israel were in a distant land or in distress they were to pray toward the Temple.  Jeroboam's fear was that if the people returned to worship, they would eventually desire to reunite.

And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David: If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah. Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. (1 Kings 12: 26-28). 

So King Jeroboam created places to worship within the northern kingdom. He made priests out of people who were not Levites.  He created shrines and high places for his people.  He made duplicate feasts and new feasts that they could celebrate without the travel to Jerusalem.  Jeroboam created a people friendly and preferred alternative to what God had commanded. His alternative, created a fake/apostate religion not based on God but on man.  Can you hear his defense?  “Its the same worship just not in Jerusalem.”  “God is reasonable”.  “He understands that travel every year to Jerusalem is a hardship”. “God won’t mind that there is a few differences - to meet our preferences and needs”.  “Our feast days are built upon the same principles that God set forth- isn’t that enough?” “ Did God really say that?” “ You don’t think God meant that literally do you?”  Sound familiar?   This is frequently referred to in scripture as the sin of Jeroboam.  It cost him everything. And this thing became sin unto the house of Jeroboam, even to cut it off, and to destroy it from off the face of the earth. (1Kings 13:34)  This alternative worship will  bring judgement from a righteous God on the northern kingdom of Israel. None of the Kings of Israel undid this wrong that was instituted by Jeroboam.

But God sends a man. His  name is Amos. He is a common man.  He is not elaborate, wealthy, or highly educated. He is not from the Northern Kingdom.  He is from Judah. He is a herdsman and a farmer.  He is not from a family of prophets.  He is simply called by God to deliver a message. Scripture gives us a time line to verify his existence and the date of his message.  Jeroboam II is king of Israel and Uzziah is King of Judah.  Archeologist cannot define the specifics of the great earthquake but there have been recent excavation to confirm such an occurrence.

Amos 2: 11-12

And I raised up of your sons for prophets, and of your young men for Nazarites. Is it not even thus, O ye children of Israel? saith the Lord. But ye gave the Nazarites wine to drink; and commanded the prophets, saying, Prophesy not.

  By the time of Amos, it has been around 155 yrs with Jeroboam’s new worship system in place. God did not zap them with lightning or kill them outright for their disobedience.  God patiently and in long suffering sent men of God, to bring them back to a right relationship with Him. They have refused both the prophets and the Nazarites. In fact, they have not only refused, but they have demanded that the men of God not speak at all about God’s messages. 

 The people have no regard, at this point, for the purpose of prophets or for the sacredness of vows made to God.  They are content with their version of pleasing God.  They have fooled themselves into believing their way is just as good. God has tried by sending men to help them see their error.  They are spiritually self sufficient.  They have “reasoned out” their own rules.  They unfortunately will suffer the same fate as many.  They will have to learn “the hard way.”

Amos 2: 7-8

Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord God hath spoken, who can but prophesy?

Amos delivers his message in an unusual fashion.  Before Amos says anything about Judah and Israel, he directs his pronouncements of God’s judgement to the nations surrounding God’s people.  He declares that Syria, Moab, Ammon, the Phoenicians, and the Philistines  will suffer destruction for their sins. It is possible that this news was received well and in gratitude. After all you might say, who wouldn’t want the enemies vanquished.  However, when the lion roars should we not all be a little concerned?  If God will judge the nations around them, he will also judge his own.  They are not exempt from being accountable for what they know and do. Amos will begin to tell Judah and Israel their sins. 

We cannot say we have no sin. The difference between us and the nations of Israel and Judah, is Jesus. Had they tried the easy way, they would have heard the prophets and the Nazarites. Today, when the word convicts our hearts, our actions, and especially our beliefs, run toward God not away from Him.  All have sinned.  God knows our sin and God is just.  Our only escape from the wrath to come is our confidence is in the finished work of Jesus.  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.(Romans 3:23-26) Jesus is the “easy way.”

Amos 7:10-15

Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, Amos hath conspired against thee in the midst of the house of Israel: the land is not able to bear all his words. For thus Amos saith, Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of their own land.

Amos is delivering a message of destruction during a very prosperous time for the Kingdom of Israel.  They are doing well.  The economy is good. Harvests are good. There is abundance.  Along comes Amos the naysayer. The religious leader of the day immediately runs to King Jeroboam II to inform him of the “bad” things that the prophet Amos declares.  For all intents and purposes they have quieted all of the other prophets forbidding them to speak, but this guy,  a nobody, from Judah, won’t stop! The priest of Bethel says that the people of the Kingdom cannot bear his words.  Meaning, there is too much for the people to do.  Can you hear it?  “ He wants to go back to the old ways!”  “ This guy thinks we are wrong and that God doesn’t have special provision for us!” “He is too literal!”  “ After all we have done to reverence God!” “God would not bless us so if we were wrong!” 

Yet Amos, continues.  The king will be killed and the people will go into captivity.  The price of sin/disobedience is very high.  The consequences are in fact, unbearable. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)  Choose eternal life!

 Also Amaziah said unto Amos, O thou seer, go, flee thee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there: But prophesy not again any more at Bethel: for it is the king's chapel, and it is the king's court. Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet's son; but I was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit: And the Lord took me as I followed the flock, and the Lord said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel.

The religious leader of the Bethel tells Amos to go home and prophesy to Judah.  Can you hear him? “ There are people in your own back yard that need to be more dedicated to God!”  “We are not as bad as you think; but look at Judah!”  Interestingly, all the excuses in the world won’t hold up when it is time for judgement. Amaziah the priest, reminds Amos that this is the King’s church, the King’s dominion. He is very right.  It is the King that set up this establishment not God.  

Amos doesn’t deny the difference between the King of Israel and his role.  He admits that he is a man on a mission and simply doing what God has asked him to do. The nation of Israel will be taken captive by the Assyrians and King Jeroboam II will die by a sword. The opportunity was missed.  They chose not to learn at all and suffered the consequences. The alternate systems of religious belief have not gone away. Many still try to tell God what He really meant and how their ideas best support His intentions. The lesson is as old as creation.  “Did God really say…..” That is a question you cannot relegate to anyone else.  The answer you choose  and the resulting consequences are yours. 

The lesson calls Amos a courageous prophet.  Are you courageous? Are you undaunted by the criticisms of the world around you? Do you recognize the excuses from millennia past?  It is the same battle.  The same God.  The same commitment required  to trust in Him instead of ourselves.  God used a shepherd/farmer to stand up to a nation.  What is he calling you to do?  Let Amos be your example.  He knew what he was but most importantly, he knew who God was.  

Thank you for studying with us! God bless!