Amos 1-4 Questions Thursday, September 19, 2013

Amos 1-4 Questions Thursday, September 19, 2013

Amos 1

v. 1 What burden did Amos have to bear in seeing what was to happen to Israel? As Christians, we are called to be witnesses. What revelation has been made to us that we must bear witness to?

vv. 3-4 “The crime that provoked the judgment against Damascus was that the people had threshed Gilead with iron threshing sledges. Gilead, an extensive region east of the Jordan River, was known for its rich forests (Jer 22:6-7) and the balm produced there (Jer 8:22)…The incident Amos referred to here is most probably the one recorded in 2 Kings 13:1-9. There an incursion of the Syrians into Israel during the reign of Jehoahaz is described as making the army of Jehoahaz "like the dust at threshing time" (v. 7)… The intensity of the metaphor, however, implies the most extreme decimation and may hint at especially cruel or inhuman treatment.”[1] What can I learn about how God is from the fact that he “will not turn back [his] wrath?” Why does God concern himself with sin in such a way that it incurs his wrath?

v. 4 Hazael was a Syrian king (841 to 806BC) who committed monstrous crimes against the Israelites (c.f. 2 Kings 8:12).[2] God judges (sends fire upon) the House of Hazael for what he did. Why is judgment the appropriate response to Hazael and how he lived?

vv. 5-8 “These slave raids set gangs of armed thugs against defenseless rural villages, who had no one to protect them. These innocent people are suddenly deprived of all rights, treated like cattle and sold to the highest bidder. The size of this atrocity and the motive for doing it condemned the Philistines. Their desire for wealth has led them to dismiss the basic value of human dignity for every person.”[3] What is God’s view towards sin? Why does God bring complete destruction to these cities? What can I learn about the nature of Gaza’s sin that incurs God’s wrath to this level?

v. 9 The crime of Tyre also involved the enslavement of whole communities (v. 9), but to this Amos added a reference to its "disregarding a treaty of brotherhood." The treaty (berit) that this slave commerce violated may refer to the pact made between Hiram, king of Tyre, and Solomon (1 Kings 5:12; cf. brother in 1 Kings 9:13). This relationship was strengthened further by the marriage of Jezebel, daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians, to King Ahab (1 Kings 16:31). While Jehu's purge of the family of Ahab (2 Kings 10) interrupted the good relationship between the two states, Amos may have been referring to the generally amicable relations that characterized these nations over their long histories.[4] Despite our modern vantage point, we understand and agree with Amos’ condemnation for Tyre’s crime: “disregarding a treaty of brotherhood.” In what ways do people “disregard brotherhood” today? Have I valued lesser things over “brotherhood?”

vv. 10-11 “Edom was another name for Esau, the twin brother of Jacob. The Edomites and Israelites thus had close ethnic ties. These are reflected in the use of the word "brother" in reference to the Israelites (cf. Num 20:14; Obad 12; cf. Deut 23:7, where the Israelites were commanded not to hate an Edomite, "for he is your brother"). The bitter relations between Jacob and Esau were perpetuated in the affairs of the two countries.”[5] Edom’s sin is described as, among other things, “stifling all compassion.” In what ways does compassion “get in the way” of what modern people feel they need to do? Are there things that rage unchecked in my life which causes me to “stifle” qualities that God desires to see growing in my life?

vv. 12-13

“The crime Amos accused the Ammonites of was like that of the other nations, a crime against humanity. The Ammonites "ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead." This evidently took place in one of their attempts to expand their territorial holdings at Israel's expense.”[6] Reflect on the relationship between the Ammonites’ desired ends—“to extend his borders”—and the atrocities they committed in order to achieve such ends. What kind of desires do I have which, unchecked and unexamined, might lead to such disastrous actions?

Amos 2

vv. 1-3 “It is not the complex legal code of Sinai for which the Moabites were held liable but the law of social responsibility, respect for human dignity and for the rights of all people.”[7] What was at the heart of God’s objection towards Moab’s treatment of Edom’s King, and what does this show about what God values?

vv. 4-5 “The willful sin of Judah is [...] they are breaching covenant responsibilities with God [...] they have been given the full revealed truth of what God wants them to do; they do not have to wonder what is right and wrong based on their conscience. In spite of such privileges and extraordinary knowledge of God’s will, many Judean people have turned to follow “lies,” which leads them astray from God.”[8] What is the relationship between Judah “reject[ing] the law of the LORD and [not keeping] his decrees” and being “led astray by false gods?” What are the “false gods” that my “ancestors followed?” In what ways can I be “led astray by [the] false gods” of today? Why does the fact that Judah was given prior knowledge of God and His will make their sin more offensive?

vv. 6-8 In what ways do people today engage in the selling of the “righteous for silver” and “the needy for a pair of sandals?” What can I learn about God’s heart for the poor and the oppressed?

v. 7 How does the sin of “Father and son [using] the same girl” profane God’s holy name? What has become people’s view towards sexual sins?

vv. 10-11 What past events does the LORD remind the Israelites of? In what way is remembering the true, historical facts of God’s work in my life vital to my relationship with God? What are some of the relevant facts about God’s work in my life he may recount, about which he can say: “Is this not true?”

vv. 11-12 “In the years since the Exodus God graciously sent various prophets (Samuel, Nathan, Gad, Ahijah, Elijah, Elisha) to communicate messages from God, to encourage the people to maintain their covenant relationship with him, and to call them back from their sinful ways. God also raised up Nazirites (Samson in Judg. 13; Samuel in Sam. 1) to be examples of holy living.”[9] “Nazirites were Hebrews who made extraordinary lifestyle sacrifices to God, usually for a limited time (Num. 6:1-21). One such sacrifice was to abstain from alcohol. Forcing Nazirites to abandon their vows to God was an act of defiance, an intentional destruction of something sacred.”[10] In what ways is the crime of the Israelites being committed in today’s world? How does the mainstream culture attempt to corrupt and compromise my vows to God or silence God’s truth in my life? What are the vows to God that I need to renew and God’s truth that I need to accept today? Are there some ways in which I feel hostility or resentment toward the “Nazirites” and the “prophets?”

vv. 9, 13-16 How does this passage describe the inescapability of God’s judgment?

Amos 3

vv. 2-3 “Amos surprisingly expresses a different understanding of God’s relationship to Israel. He does not deny their special status but suggests that this statement carries with it an extraordinary responsibility. If the Israelites are God’s people, they are to be “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” (Ex. 19:6)[11] What was the Israelites’ response to the fact that God had “chosen [them] of all the families of the earth (cf. 1 Samuel 8:6-20)? Why does God remind them in v. 3 of the voluntary nature of this covenant (cf. Exodus 19:3-8)? What is revealed about God’s view towards his covenant and toward his covenant partner (the Israelites) from the fact that God will “punish” when the covenant is violated? What has been my response to the special privilege of being “chosen” by God? Why is this privilege an awesome responsibility?

vv. 1, 4-8 “God does not just destroy cities or nations on a whim. He does not take any pleasure in the death of the wicked but instead desires that they turn from their evil ways (Ezek. 18:23)….perhaps he will reveal his plans to one of his prophets and send him to warn a city of those plans. God’s secret plans about the Flood were revealed to Noah, and his plans to destroy Sodom were made known to Abraham.”[12] How does this passage show that men are without excuse when receiving God’s judgment? Does the Lord have a word that he is speaking against me that I need to hear? What kind of burden do “his servants the prophets” bear? Who are the prophets in my life that reveal God’s plans to me and what has been my response to them? What is the already revealed plan of the LORD that I need to “prophesy” today?

vv. 9-11 “The Israelites are full of “unrest” and “oppression” (3:9) which characterize the lifestyle of the rich and famous. The two Hebrew words used here point to confusion, violence, and panic. The nobles and royal families have produced a disorientation to what a secure way of life should be. The exploitation and intimidation of the poor and powerless have allowed the upper class to live in luxury. Their lust for power and status have led to violence and a disrespect of human values.”[13] What basic moral laws are violated by those who “hoard plunder and loot” (i.e. those who try to amass riches at the expense of others)? What is the relationship between hoarding wealth and oppression of others? What will happen to those who pursue unholy gain according to v. 11 (cf. 1 Timothy 6:9-10)? In what ways can my desire to “hoard plunder” lead to “great unrest,” “oppression,” and “not know[ing] how to do right?” What is the “plunder” I desire to hoard which causes widespread damage in my life?

vv. 12-15 What is so tragic about this picture of the Israelites being saved barely “as a shepherd saves from the lion’s mouth only two leg bones or a piece of an ear?” What was God’s issue “against the house of Jacob?” What is the relationship between the fact that Israel worshipped at the “altars of Bethel” (i.e. idolatry) and their enjoyment of winter and summer mansions adorned with ivory? i.e., why are material prosperity and an indulgent, luxurious lifestyle so often the cause of God’s rebuke? How is the sin of the house of Jacob being committed by so many modern day Christians today? What is my true source of security?

Amos 4

vv. 1-3 What does the description of the women of Israel reveal about the spiritual state of Israel at that time? How does this description clash with the holiness of God that should have been displayed through the people of God? What is revealed about what attitudes and lifestyle God detests from the description of the women in v. 1, and in what ways do I value such things?

vv. 4-5 “…the prophet sarcastically calls for more sinful worship at Israel’s temples, an obvious put-down of what has been happening in their “wonderful” worship services […] He does not just encourage people to go to the temples in Bethel and Gilgal, in 4:4a he sarcastically exhorts them to multiply their “rebellious acts” of worship. This paradoxical statement reveals the value of the people’s useless praise. Their sacrifices do not bring forgiveness of sin but add to the people’s sinfulness before God.”[14] Under what conditions, and in what ways can even acts of worship be sinful? What are the various acts of piety that I love to “boast about” and “love to do” that may not be directed at God? What am I doing to engage in genuine worship and relationship building with God?

vv. 6-13 What are the five measures the Lord took to get the Israelites to repent and turn to Him? How did the Israelites respond to each warning? What does God ultimately decree because of their lack of repentance? What measures has God used and is using today to draw me back to Him? What has been my response? Who is God according to v. 13 and am I “prepare[d] to meet [my] God?”

[1] Frank E. Gaebelein, Gen. Ed. Expositor’s Bible Commentary CD, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1992), notes on Amos 1.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Gary V. Smith. Amos. The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2001) 241.

[4] Frank E. Gaebelein, Gen. Ed. Expositor’s Bible Commentary CD, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1992) notes on Amos 1.

[5] Ibid.

[6] Ibid.

[7] Gary V. Smith, Amos, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2001).

[8] Ibid.

[9] Gary V. Smith, The NIV Application Commentary: Hosea, Amos, Micah (Grand Rapids, Mi: Zondervan, 2001) 260.

[10] Quest Study Bible, study notes (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1994)

[11] Gary V. Smith, Amos, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2001), 271.

[12] Gary V. Smith, Amos, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2001), 273.

[13] Gary Smith, Hosea, Amos, Micah, The NIV Application Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2001) 284.

[14] Gary V. Smith, Hosea, Amos, Micah, NIV Life Application Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2001) 298-299.