AMOS

Amos Chapter 1

• 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. 

Amos was a shepherd and someone who worked at picking fruit. He didn't see himself as a prophet but someone ordinary. The earthquake he is referring to was a great earthquake that was really frightening to those alive at the time. Zechariah mentions it in Zechariah chapter 14.

God uses ordinary people. We don't have to assume that He only uses what we normally think of as the prophetic types that major in prophecy. Anyone who loves God and loves His word can be a vessel for the Holy Spirit to use to reach the lost, those in error, bring comfort to believers, or warning to those that have fallen away from God.

Judgment on Israel's Neighbors

• Amos 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. 
• 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: 
• 4  But I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, which shall devour the palaces of Benhadad. 

Hazael was the king of Syria who was one that was cruel. He ripped up women that were with child and was really out for blood. Gilead was where the people of Gad, Rueben and the half tribe of Manasseh settled. Amos was warning here that God was going to bring judgment against Damascus Syria.

As I proofread this study today in May 2025, just a couple of years ago in October of 2023, there was a severe attack from the area of Gaza upon many families in Israel. It was horrible. They ripped up women that were pregnant with babies and did many horrible things. Many of us were horrified to see this happen to innocent people who were just trying to live their lives and mind their own business.

There has always been wars but the cruelty that sometimes come from those that are full of rage and hate, is hard to understand. I never can understand why someone would kill a little unborn baby or a woman with child. Why the cruelty? Of course I don't believe in abortion either and to me a child in the womb is just as important and has a right to live as much as one already born.

As a result of this attack, Israel struck back and defended their own people. It is still going on today as I write. Will this ever stop? Yes it will at the coming of Jesus to rule and reign over the earth.

• Amos 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. 
• 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: 
• 7  But I will send a fire on the wall of Gaza, which shall devour the palaces thereof: 

I just mentioned Gaza above. This was the same place that is now suffering total destruction as Israel searches for those that attacked them back in October 2023. It is in ruins right now. Strange that I out of the blue picked this book to study. I had no idea that it had any connection between then and what is happening now when I started writing about it. Again it is amazing that Israel is also being attacked from Damascus Syria from the north at the same time. Talk about coincidence.

At the time of Amos those in Gaza delivered up the captives to Edom. We remember Edom were the descendents of Esau the brother of Jacob. Jacob we know is the one whose name was changed to Israel. So sad to see the descendants of two brothers hating and fighting each other. Some have said though that there are no descendants of Esau living today and others claim to be desendants of Esau. So we just don't know.

Syria is the place where Abraham was first called by God to leave that country and go south into the land of Caanan. God promised Abraham that his descendants would inherit that land but not in the lifetime of Abraham but many years later after the Israelites escaped the captivity in Egypt. So even Syria has descendents who are from the kinfolk of Abraham.

• Amos 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. 

The Philistines once lived in the area of Gaza, Ashdod and Ashkelon. This prophecy is completely fulfilled according to some writers. There are no Philistines existing today.

• Amos 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: 
• 10  But I will send a fire on the wall of Tyrus, which shall devour the palaces thereof. 

The king of Tyre was once a friend to King David and Solomon. They even helped Solomon in the building of the temple by supplying cedars for Solomon and also for David when he was building his house. They later broke the covenant they made with David.

• Amos 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: 
• 12  But I will send a fire upon Teman, which shall devour the palaces of Bozrah. 

Trouble from Edom is really sad because Esau was the twin brother of Jacob. In Numbers chapter 20 they threaten Israel and would not let them pass by their place of dwelling to enter the land God promised them.

• Amos 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: 
• 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:
• 15  And their king shall go into captivity, he and his princes together, saith the LORD. 

The children of Ammon lived east of the Jordan. They along with Moab are descendants of Lot the nephew of Abraham. Again brother and against brother. So sad to read these things. Fear and hate is so dangerous. It gets in our spirit and causes people to do things they normally would not do. Ripping up women with child is mentioned in Hosea 13, 2 Kings 8 and 15. Sadly like I mentioned before, it happened in Israel by terrorists in October of 2023.

Yet we just don't see that God will certainly bring judgment upon those that do these things. Will He not also judge those that allow the practice of abortion under the pretense of it being a woman's health issue. Abortion started out as just in the 1st trimester, then it was allowed when the baby was a few months older, then just before birth when they could live outside the womb and a couple of states now rejoice that they can allow a baby to die just after they are born if the mother chooses not to keep her baby. Is it not equally evil? The mother's life isn't taken like in the past but it is still murdering an innocent baby just the same. What is the difference?

In all these things we read about though, through faith in Jesus Christ, we can be healed, forgiven and saved from sin and become new creatures in Christ. There is hope but it is only in Jesus who God sent to save the lost and grant us eternal life with Him. We can live forever in the presence of the Lord. There is a way out of this mess. -DC

Amos Chapter 2