Author: Our author is Amos, “the herdsmen”. His occupation was carried out in the rugged terrain south of Jerusalem (Tekoa). In addition, he was also the tender of sycamore fruit ( 7:14 ). It was in the process of fulfilling his occupational efforts that God called him to be His mouthpiece ( 7:14 -17 ). His name means, “burden bearer” and he lived up to his name, as God placed on him the burden of declaring His oracles to apostate Israel .

Date: Amos prophesied during the reign of Uzziah (Azariah), king of Judah and at the end of the reign of Jeroboam II, king of Israel ( II Kings 14 ; II Chronicles 26 ). Amos came to Israel during a period of about sixty years of ease and peace from foreign trouble and influence. During this time, Israel enjoyed wealth and decadence and it was during this luxury that moral, political, and religious corruption engulfed the land.

Message: Unlike his contemporary Hosea (who was the prophet of compassion); Amos was an extremely direct mouthpiece for the Lord. He saw Israel 's state in a single shade of pure apostasy which necessitated God's righteous judgment. The message of the book of Amos is simply, “ doom !”

Amos 5:20 “Is not the day of the Lord darkness, and not light? Is it not very dark, with no brightness in it?”

Amos 6:3 “Woe to you who put far off the day of doom, Who cause the seat of violence to come near;”

Amos 6:14 "But, behold, I will raise up a nation against you, O house of Israel ,"

Says the Lord God of hosts; "And they will afflict you from the entrance of Hamath To the Valley of the Arabah."

A universal and all too important message from the book can be seen in the elaborate worship that was offered by the house of Israel . Although there was great pomp and circumstance in their presentation, they had no real interest in conforming to the will of God. Thus everything they did simply insulted God!

Amos 5:21-24 "I hate, I despise your feast days, And I do not savor your sacred assemblies. 22 Though you offer Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them, Nor will I regard your fattened peace offerings. 23 Take away from Me the noise of your songs, For I will not hear the melody of your stringed instruments. 24 But let justice run down like water, And righteousness like a mighty stream.”

Only those who seek the Lord in affirming His will, shall live!

Amos 5:4 “For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel : " Seek Me and live ;”

Amos 5:14 “Seek good and not evil, That you may live ; So the Lord God of hosts will be with you, As you have spoken.”

Good Reading !