Bible Study Notes on Amos

Here are the notes that I used for our Bible Study on Amos 1-12-12

The Minor Prophets Bible Study I: Amos – a shepherd

January 12, 2012

BMC- Amos

Series Intro

- What is a prophet? {Ask and Record on the board}

a. Theologians: “they claim to be able to explain what Yahweh, God of Israel and Judah, was doing in the midst of those events.” (Gowan pg. 1)

b. Any inspired person: in postexilic Judaism (ie Abraham and Moses) (Gowan pg 1)

c. Martyrs/examples of faithfulness in the midst of suffering and persecution (Gowan pg 1)

d. Predictors of the coming Christ or eschaton (Gowan pg 2)

e. Teachers of Torah (Gowan pg 2)

f. One who sees visions: nebi’im (Gowan pg 2)

g. Prosecutors of God’s Covenant Law (Gowan pg 3)

h. The Prophetic Imagination

1. “It is the task of the prophet to bring to expression the new realities against the more visible ones of the old order.” Pg. 14

2. “The task of prophetic ministry is to nurture, nourish, and evoke a consciousness and perception alternative to the consciousness and perception of the dominant culture around us.” Pg. 3

3. In Three parts:

1. To Offer Symbols to confront experiences

2. To Bring to Public Expression those very fears and terrors that have been suppressed

3. To Speak Metaphorically but concretely about the real deathliness that hovers over us and gnaws within us. Pg. 45

- What do we mean by “The Minor Writing Prophets” or “Minor Canonical Prophets?” (Prophets from the scroll of The Book of the Twelve – see Miller 7 & 9 other prophet scrolls Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel)

- What is the difference between “To Prophecy” & “Being Prophetic”: “To ‘prophesy’ is still regularly used to mean ‘predict the future,’ but to be ‘prophetic’ now means to take a lonely stance for truth and justice, against popular opinion. This corresponds with the scholarly understanding of the canonical prophets as the virtual creators of ethical monotheism, lonely individualists who stood for spiritual religion and against organized religion’s ritualistic observances, which were devoid of concern for justice.” (Gowan pg. 2)

- Brueggemann pg. 9 “Yahweh makes possible and requires an alternative theology and an alternative sociology. Prophecy begins in discerning how genuinely alternative he is.

- It’s about the Prophecy not the Person (what they say not who they were) (Gowan pg 4)

- Time Line (Gowan Table 1 and Table 2 pg. 8) (See Handout)

“The approach taken here, which is to show that these books are unified by the prophets’ intention to explain what God was doing in the midst of these events, and that the unifying theme can be identified, with Ezek. 37:1-14, as the death and resurrection of Israel.” (Gowan pg. 9)

a. 722 BCE Fall of Samaria

b. 587 BCE Fall of Jerusalem

c. 538 BCE Cyrus’ Decree

- Read book summary (Gown pgs 9-10): Reflections

Amos: Background

Call: He didn’t prophesy for a living, ‘God had summoned him to do so’ (Miller 44) See Amos 7:14-17

When: 760 BCE Where: Israel (prob. from Judah)

To Whom: Israel

Characteristics:

- Speeches (“Yahwey says…”)

- Prophesy (“Listen to this word…”)

- Biography

- Lament/funeral song

- Visions (ex. 7:1-3, 4-6, 7-9; 8:1-3; 9:1-4)

- “Holy War Oracles” to announce judgment

Relationship with Kings & Others: Uzziah of Judah and Jeroboam II (HCSB 1355) were kings at the time but he had no definite relationship with them.

Important Events: Reoccupation of the Transjordan (6:13-14)

Outline: (Sweeney pg. 184)

I. Introduction (1:1-2)

B. Superscription (1:1)

C. Motto: YHWH roars from Zion (1:2)

II. Exhortation Proper (1:3-9:15)

A. Oracles against the nations (Culminating in northern Israel) (1:3-2:16)

1. Damascus/Aram (1:3-5)

2. Gaza/Philistia (1:6-8)

3. Tyre/Phoenicia (1:9-10)

4. Edom (1:11-12)

5. Ammon (1:13-15)

6. Moab (2:1-3)

7. Judah (2:4-5)

8. Israel (2:6-16)

B. Indictment of northern Israel (3:1-4:13)

C. Call for repentance of northern Israel (5:1-6:14)

D. Amos’ vision reports: call for destruction of Beth El and rise of the house of David (7:1-9:15)

Observations by Chapter:

Amos 1: Shepherd

From Tekoa

Sent to Israel

Uzziah King of Judah & Jereboam King of Israel

Names the sins of others to win over the audience and builds up to Israel

Amos 2: More of the buildup

After all God did for them, they should know better.

Amos 3: More of they should know better

Imagery to describe the role of the prophet

Calls for an audience to watch what God will do to them

Israel had great wealth

Amos 4: Their sacrifices are hypocrisy

God tried to call them back

Amos 5: Israel is not caring for the poor

Their longing for the Day of the Lord is crazy. They don’t understand what that will mean for them

Their religious practices are no good. They are empty

Amos 6: Israel is living the highlife

Those who are hiding will be found

Their justice is a poison and their fruit is bitterness

Amos 7: There is a progression of Amos interceding for Israel

Plumb line: Judged by known standards?

Amaziah’s accusations

Amos 8: Atrocities against the poor

What is coming

Amos 9: More of what is coming

Others were also brought to new lands not just Israel

Restoration

Themes/Issues:

- Complacency in a period of peace & prosperity

- Luxury above justice/care for the poor (selling into slavery & claiming debts)

- Alternate places of worship (Bethel, Gilgal, & Beersheba)

- Idolatry

- Acts of Worship without showing any regard for what God expects of his people daily.

- Death and Resurrection of Israel

- Impending Exile

- The chosen are held to high standards/responsibility

- Advocate for the widow, the orphan, the alien

So What?

- Israel was to be a witness to the nations and failed and is being held responsible. How are we doing?

- Israel is wealthy and living in luxury but not sharing with everyone. How are we doing?

- God advocated for Israel when they were slaves but Israel is not advocating for the widow, the orphan, the alien (poor, immigrant) in their midst. How are we doing?