Amos

From Tekoa in Judah, twelve miles south of Jerusalem, Amos ministered as shepherd and gatherer of sycamore fruit before God called him to prophesy against northern Israel during the prosperous but morally corrupt reign of Jeroboam II (c. 760-750 BC). Unlike professional prophets trained in prophetic guilds, Amos declared, 'I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet's son; but I was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit: and the LORD took me as I followed the flock, and the LORD said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel.' This rustic background, far from disqualifying him, authenticated his message as coming purely from divine commission rather than institutional credentials or inherited office. His prophecies exposed Israel's social injustices during an era of unprecedented prosperity—the wealthy who 'sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes,' oppressed the needy, perverted justice in the gates, and combined luxury with religious formalism. He pronounced oracles against six surrounding nations—Damascus, Gaza, Tyre, Edom, Ammon, Moab—before focusing judgment on Judah and especially Israel, showing that proximity to God brings greater accountability. Amos's famous declaration 'let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream' established the prophetic principle that God values justice and righteousness over religious ritual. When confronted by Amaziah the priest of Bethel, who commanded him to flee back to Judah, Amos fearlessly proclaimed Israel's coming exile. His visions—locusts, fire, plumb line, summer fruit, the Lord standing upon the altar—conveyed divine judgment's certainty. Yet even Amos concluded with restoration promises: the tabernacle of David raised up, Israel replanted in their land never to be uprooted.Amos's rhetorical style employs numerical parallelism ('For three transgressions...and for four') and rhetorical questions demonstrating cause and effect. His humble occupation as 'gatherer of sycamore fruit' involved piercing the figs to hasten ripening—detailed agricultural knowledge pervading his prophecies through metaphors of plowing, threshing, sifting, and harvest. James's quotation at the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15:16-17) of Amos's promise concerning David's tabernacle validated Gentile inclusion in God's purposes. Archaeological evidence confirms the eighth century BC prosperity and injustice Amos condemned.