20160110 Sunday, January 10 2016
Amos 01: What Did The Prophet Of The LORD From Tekoa Say?

by Wayne Blank
See also 1 Year Holy Bible Reading Plan

"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"

Amos, from the Hebrew name pronounced aw-moce (the surname "Ames" is another English rendering of the same Hebrew name for "Amos"), meaning to carry, or a burden, was a prophet of the LORD (see The Identity Of The LORD God and The LORD God Our Saviour), from the Kingdom of Judah, who was given to prophesy to the Kingdom of Israel (see Israel In History and Prophecy: Israel and Judah) at the time that Judah was still righteous, while Israel was becoming corrupt (see Iniquity In History And Prophecy).

Amos was a shepherd from Tekoa (as variously rendered into English as Tekoa, Tekoah, Tekota, Tekua and others), an ancient city that was located a few miles south of Bethlehem (see also Bethlehem In History And Prophecy) in the tribal territory of Judah (see Judah's Homeland; also The Israel Lottery).

After the division of the united kingdom of Israel into "Israel" and "Judah" (see A History Of Israel's United And Divided Kingdoms and How Many Kings Reigned In The United Kingdom?), Rehoboam, who was the last king of united Israel and thereafter the first king of Judah (see Rehoboam Of Israel And Judah and Jews - Three Tribes and Three Meanings), fortified Tekoa, along with other cities, as sector garrisons. It was also during that time that the faithful Levites in Israel moved south to join the Levites in Judah (see The Inheritance Of The Levites and No Levites In The Lost Ten Tribes?), to escape the idolatry of Israel's first king, Jeroboam (see Jeroboam Of Israel and the Fact Finder question below).

"11:5 And Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and built cities for defence in Judah. 11:6 He built even Bethlehem, and Etam, and Tekoa, 11:7 And Bethzur, and Shoco, and Adullam, 11:8 And Gath, and Mareshah, and Ziph, 11:9 And Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah, 11:10 And Zorah, and Aijalon, and Hebron, which are in Judah and in Benjamin fenced cities. 11:11 And he fortified the strong holds, and put captains in them, and store of victual, and of oil and wine. 11:12 And in every several city he put shields and spears, and made them exceeding strong, having Judah and Benjamin on his side.

11:13 And the priests and the Levites that were in all Israel resorted to him out of all their coasts. 11:14 For the Levites left their suburbs and their possession, and came to Judah and Jerusalem: for Jeroboam and his sons had cast them off from executing the priest's office unto the LORD: 11:15 And he ordained him priests for the high places, and for the devils, and for the calves which he had made. 11:16 And after them out of all the tribes of Israel such as set their hearts to seek the LORD God of Israel came to Jerusalem, to sacrifice unto the LORD God of their fathers." (2 Chronicles 11:5-16 KJV)

Amos was a shepherd from Tekoa. He tended his flocks in the same area that King David had, as did the shepherds who were the first to witness the birth of the Messiah. It was from Tekoa that the LORD called Amos to serve as a prophet of His Word to the northern kingdom, about 140 years after the division of Israel i.e. Uzziah was the tenth king of Judah, while Jeroboam (i.e. Jeroboam II) was the thirteenth king of Israel (see Kings of Israel and Judah; also Old Boys Versus Greenhorns).

As with the other true prophets of the LORD, their message was a warning, with a clearly-stated course of events that would follow, along with, and moreover, the ultimate coming of Zion (see When Zion Awakes and What Is Jesus Going To Do In Zion?) in the "day of the LORD" (see What And When Is The Day Of The LORD? and What Happens After The Day Of The LORD?). The prophecy wasn't merely about Israel or Judah, or the kingdoms around them in the ancient time - it was and is about everyone, everywhere (see Where Is The Valley Of Decision?).

"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.

1:2 And he said,

The LORD will roar from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the habitations of the shepherds shall mourn, and the top of Carmel shall wither.

1:3 Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron: 1:4 But I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, which shall devour the palaces of Benhadad. 1:5 I will break also the bar of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitant from the plain of Aven, and him that holdeth the sceptre from the house of Eden: and the people of Syria shall go into captivity unto Kir, saith the LORD.

1:6 Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Gaza, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they carried away captive the whole captivity, to deliver them up to Edom: 1:7 But I will send a fire on the wall of Gaza, which shall devour the palaces thereof: 1:8 And I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, and him that holdeth the sceptre from Ashkelon, and I will turn mine hand against Ekron: and the remnant of the Philistines shall perish, saith the Lord GOD.

1:9 Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Tyrus, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they delivered up the whole captivity to Edom, and remembered not the brotherly covenant: 1:10 But I will send a fire on the wall of Tyrus, which shall devour the palaces thereof.

1:11 Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he did pursue his brother with the sword, and did cast off all pity, and his anger did tear perpetually, and he kept his wrath for ever: 1:12 But I will send a fire upon Teman, which shall devour the palaces of Bozrah.

1:13 Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of the children of Ammon, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have ripped up the women with child of Gilead, that they might enlarge their border: 1:14 But I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah, and it shall devour the palaces thereof, with shouting in the day of battle, with a tempest in the day of the whirlwind: 1:15 And their king shall go into captivity, he and his princes together, saith the LORD." (Amos 1:1-15 KJV)

Fact Finder: How did the self-made politics and religion of the Kingdom of Israel result in their self-inflicted ruin?
See The Politics And Religion Of The Lost Ten Tribes; also What Happens To A Nation When God's Law Is Forsaken?