This week we
will be finishing the study of the Book of Amos and will also study the
shortest book in the Old Testament, the Book of Obadiah.
The rest of the book distinguishes itself from the first part in that the message is presented through five visions that Amos saw. We shall look at the first three visions today:
7:1-3; 4-6—The 1st and 2nd Visions:
(1) The 1st vision is a vision of utter destruction of vegetation in Israel:
a. Who was the one who orchestrated the locust for the destruction?
b. Is natural disaster (i) always, (ii) sometimes, or (iii) never a tool of judgment of God? Why?
c. Whose harvest was spared? Why?
d. Who were the sufferers of this disaster?
(2) The 2nd vision is a judgment by fire:
a. In what way does this 2nd judgment represent a far greater destruction than the 1st?
b. Who, again, was the originator of this disaster?
(3) Why did the prophet (who is a shepherd and farmer himself) cry to the Lord and on what bases did he plead with the Lord?
(4) On both times, how did the Lord respond to the prophet’s intercession? Why?
(5) What do you think was the reason the Lord chose to show this vision to the prophet?
(6) What important lesson(s) might we learn about intercession and the character of the Lord?
7:7-9—The 3rd vision
(7) The imagery of the kingdom of Israel was a wall “built true to plumb”: What does it depict?
(8) But now, God is using His plumb line to measure it: Why does the Lord ask the prophet what He was holding in His hand?
(9) Why did the Lord specifically point out that judgment would fall upon (a) the high places, (b) the sanctuaries and (c) the house of Jeroboam? (See Lev. 26:30; 1 Ki. 3:2; 12:25-31)
(10) Why didn’t the prophet intercede this time for Israel?
(11) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
(1) Although we have referred to 1 Kings 12:25-31, read this passage again to gain an understanding of who Amaziah might be:
a. Why would Amaziah be bothered by the words of prophecy spoken by Amos?
b. If you were Amaziah, how would you respond to the words of Amos?
(2) Why did Amaziah send a message to the king? What did he charge Amos with?
(3) Presumably, for whatever reason, the king did not arrest Amos or drive him away. What might the reason be?
(4) Now Amaziah chose to confront Amos himself and tried to stop him. Read vv. 12-13 carefully and consider the following:
a. Instead of asking Amos simply to stop prophesying, why did he ask him to get out?
b. What did he insinuate as the reason for Amos being a prophet?
c. How did it reflect his attitude toward his own priesthood?
d. In saying that Bethel was the king’s sanctuary and the temple of the kingdom, how did he condemn himself?
(5) In Amos’ reply (vv. 14-15):
a. Why did he mention who he was, and why did he deny that he was a prophet? Was he not a prophet?
b. What was the point he was trying to make?
(6) The judgment on Amaziah was pronounced in vv. 16-17:
a. What was the judgment specifically about?
b. Was it too severe a judgment? Why or why not?
(7) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
The 4th Vision—the Ripened Fruit
(1) In showing Amos a basket of ripened fruit, what was the Lord trying to tell Amos? (See Joel 3:13)
(2) Even in pronouncing this seemingly irreversible judgment, what did the Lord call Israel? (v. 2)
The Judgment—The message can be divided into sections based on the reference to “day”:
8:3-8—In that day: Sins and Judgment
(3) The judgment:
a. Why did the Lord refer to the “songs in the temple”?
b. What kind of horror is depicted in v. 3?
(4) The sins:
a. What kind of sin is being rebuked in v. 4?
b. New Moon and Sabbath are both times for rest and worship:
- How did they observe these times of worship?
- How does this speak to their relationship with God?
- Do you think our day-dreaming at worship or thoughts of where to eat after Sunday service deserve the same rebuke?
c. What might be the modern-day sins equivalent to the sins described in v. 5b?
d. What might be the modern-day sins equivalent to the sins of v. 6
e. Why did the Lord say He “will never forget”?
(5) The judgment symbolized: What does the Lord use to symbolize the coming judgment? What is the point He was trying to make?
8:9-10—In that day—Judgment symbolized (II)
(6) What kind of judgment is the darkening of the earth? (See Matt. 27:45; Rev. 6:12; 8:12)
(7) What does the analogy of mourning for an only son depict?
8:11—The days are coming—a different kind of judgment
(8) Should a famine (i.e. a hungry searching) of the word not be a good thing?
(9) Why would God not allow them to find it?
(10) Why was it a judgment?
8:13-14—In that day—sin and judgment
(11) What does the fainting of young people signify?
(12) What kind of sin is being rebuked in v. 14?
(13) What is their final destiny?
(14) Take some time to recap the various kinds of sin highlighted by the Lord:
a. What kind of a community has Israel turned into as people of God?
b. How horrific a judgment will they face as a result?
(15) What is the main message to you today and how can you apply it to your life?
The Last Vision:
(1) What is the significance of the Lord appearing “by the altar” in delivering this final message?
9:1-4—The judgment of death
(2) To whom is this judgment directed primarily? (v. 1)
(3) What kind of horror is being depicted by these verses for those who turn God into their enemy?
9:5-6—The certainty of the judgment
(4) What is God’s relationship with both the heavens and the earth (v. 6)
(5) What will happen when He touches this sinful earth?
(6) What will happen when He touches the rivers and seas whose waters He has poured out on the land?
(7) How then does His name speak to the judgment He has pronounced above?
9:7-10—The Promise of a remnant
(8) 9:7 is a rhetorical question:
a. In what way(s) is Israel the same to God as the other nations mentioned?
b. In what way(s) is Israel not the same as the other nations?
(9) In declaring once again their total destruction, what does the use of a sieve seek to signify?
(10) Amidst this declaration of total destruction, what is being promised at the end of v. 8? (You may wish to do a search in a Concordance on the word remnant, or see Amos 5:15, Isa. 10:20-22, Rom. 11:5.)
9:11-12—The Promise of a restored kingdom
(11) Why does the Lord refer to the restoration of “David’s fallen shelter (or tent)”? (See God’s promise to David in 2 Sam. 7:12-16)
(12) How does the Apostle James understand Amos 9:11-12? (see Acts 15:13-18)
9:13-15—Abundance promised
(13) What kind of abundance is being depicted in this restored kingdom?
(14) Now that Israel has literally been brought back to their homeland (in 1948), do you think the promise in the rest of vv. 14-15 is to be literally interpreted or is it just a spiritual metaphor? Why? (see Isa. 65:21-24)
(15) Pause and review the main messages that God has impressed upon you through this book. How may you apply them to your life?