1. Major Lessons from the Minor Prophets
Amos  Hosea  Zephaniah  Zechariah

2. (J. Sidlow Baxter, Explore The Book, vol. 4, pg. 129.)
Introduction to Amos
The name Amos literally means "burden bearer".
The message he was sent to deliver was burdensome!
Amos was a simple country boy – a shepherd and dresser of sycamore trees from the small town of Tekoa in the hill country of southern Judah (1:1; 7:14).
He was sent to Bethel in the northern Kingdom of Israel to proclaim a message of condemnation (7:10ff.).
He was less well received than a Yankee would have been in Montgomery during the Confederacy.
Yet, he forthrightly proclaimed the message of God.
Amos was a "dauntless messenger of God," and is viewed by many as one of the greatest and most courageous reformers of all time.
(J. Sidlow Baxter, Explore The Book, vol. 4, pg. 129.)

3. Tekoa Jeremiah 6:1 refers to Tekoa
Apparently, it was located on an escape route about 11 miles south of Jerusalem, “upon the very border of the desert, where the fugitives would halt.” (Albert Barnes)
“It was renowned, above all, as the birthplace of the prophet Amos” (1:1)
In later times, his tomb was worshiped there and in the Byzantine period, a church was built in his honor, remains of which are still visible.

4. Sheep near Tekoa A sycamore fig tree.
Close up of the fruit. The sycamore fig is inferior to the fig produced by the fig tree; it was eaten by the poorer people of the land.
Photos by Leon Mauldin

5. Date & Historical Background of Amos
Amos prophesied "in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam, the son of Joash, king of Israel" (1:1).
This would be between B.C.
Uzziah King reigned in Judah from BC, and Jeroboam II reigned in Israel from BC.
This time period was one of economic and national security in both Judah and Israel.
Assyria, which would conquer the Northern Kingdom within one generation, was at this time a sleeping giant, without any strong leadership.
Judah was "at ease in Zion" and Israel had put its "trust in Mount Samaria" (6:1).
These conditions helped foster the luxurious living, idolatry, and moral corruption that Amos condemned.

6. Israel was ripe for God's judgment of doom.
Theme of Amos
Israel was ripe for God's judgment of doom.
Thus the Lord GOD showed me: Behold, a basket of summer fruit.  And He said, "Amos, what do you see?" So I said, "A basket of summer fruit." Then the LORD said to me: "The end has come upon My people Israel; I will not pass by them anymore.” (Amos 8:1-2)

7. Outline of Amos
Judgment on Eight Nations, "For three transgressions and for four“ (1:3‑‑2:16)
On Damascus (1:3‑5)
On Gaza of Philistia (1:6‑8)
On Tyre (1:9‑10)
On Edom (1:11‑12)
On Ammon (1:13‑15)
On Moab (2:1‑3)
On Judah (2:4‑5)
On Israel (2:6‑16)

8. Outline of Amos
II. Three Sermons Pronouncing the Judgment of Israel (3:1‑‑6:14)
Sermon to the "whole family" of Israel ‑ A sermon of present warning (3:1‑15)
Sermon to the "cows of Bashan" ‑ Past judgments have gone unheeded (4:1‑13)
Sermon of "lamentation" and "woe" ‑ The future judgment of God on Israel would be overwhelm­ing (5:1‑‑6:14)
III. Five Visions of the Judgment of Israel (7:1‑‑9:10)
Locust (7:1‑3)
Fire (7:4‑6)
The plumb line (7:7‑9)
[Historical Parenthesis] (7:10‑17)
The summer fruit (8:1‑14)
The door posts of the sanctuary (9:1‑10)
IV. Promises of a Bright Future for Spiritual Israel (9:11‑15)

10. God’s Judgments "For three transgressions and for four“ (1:3‑‑2:16)
On Damascus, capital of Syria (1:3-5)
The Syrians had “threshed” Gilead, the homeland of the half-tribe of Manasseh, with implements of iron.
The cruelty of Hazael, the usurper of Ben-Hadad, to Israel was prophesied by Elisha in 2 Kings 8:7-15.
These past atrocities would be punished by God when the Palaces of Damascus were razed by the Assyrians and Syrians taken away into captivity.

11. God’s Judgments "For three transgressions and for four“ (1:3‑‑2:16)
On Gaza, and all of Philistia (1:6-8)
The Philistines had captured Israelites and sold them as slaves to the Edomites
The Lord would burn their palaces, break their power, and remove their inhabitants.
On Tyre, the capital of Phoenicia (1:9-10)
For selling out Israel, as the Philistines had done, Tyre’s walls and palaces would be burned (see Joel 3:3-6)

12. God’s Judgments "For three transgressions and for four“ (1:3‑‑2:16)
On Edom (1:11-12)
Edom, kinsmen of Israel through Esau, had been a constant enemy of Israel’s – “kept his wrath forever”
God would destroy its chief cities with fire – Teman to the south and Bozrah to the north.
On Ammon (1:13-15)
The Ammonites (related to Israel through Lot) had also committed atrocities against the children of Israel in Gilead
Their chief city Rabbah would be burned, their palaces destroyed, and their royals taken captive.

13. God’s Judgments "For three transgressions and for four“ (1:3‑‑2:16)
On Moab (2:1-3)
Moab (also related to Israel through Lot) had committed atrocities against her brother Edom.
As a consequence, Moab would come to a violent end – its palaces burned, its judges removed, and its princes slain.