Book of Amos

So we read Yerushalayim, they took a long time.

The 12 prophets that we're about to read are They span that time plus, for example, they say the earliest of the 12 prophets that we were about to encounter is a prophet named Amos.

He starts even before Yeshaya.

And then at the end of the book of the 12 prophets, we have Chagai, Zechariah, and Malachi, that they come during the beginning of Beit Shini.

Yeah, yeah, after Yechazkel and Yirmiyahu, we're around the same time.

So now you have, within these 12 prophets, a span of history that's more than the prophets that we've already read.

So why are they here? Why don't we put Amos before Yeshayah, and Hosea before Yeshayah, and then put, after Yirmiyahu, have Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi.

So the reason is because these are all very small.

He rips open the pregnant women.

I mean, Amos, who prophesied in the days of Uzziah, just thundered in rage against Amon for this exact crime.

They ripped open the pregnant woman of Gilad to enlarge their borders.

And now a king of Israel does it to the Israelites.

It's just the most disillusioning part of the Tanakh that I can think of are these chapters.

Well, you know, what's really important to note here is that Hosea and Amos, Hosea and Amos, They're living through these chapters now.

And Hosea sums it up in one line.

They have made kings, but not for me.

We also do see, however, that God is often referred to as a lion against his own people.

So this happens in Amos and also in the book of Hosea.

I will never forget, like I keep referring to Lessing today for some reason, but Lessing's introduction to the book of Amos, and I know you remember this very well, Restore the Roar, right? He talks about that quite a bit, that God has punishment for his people who walk away from him.

for the purpose of bringing them back, right? They totally rejected him.

And he's going to be like a lion with them so that a little bit only is left away.

We could be living in Putin's Russia where nobody cares what we say or they do to send us to siberia you know what i mean i think we're obliged to take advantage of living in a democratic society to advocate for god's heart as part of our christian inheritance secondly although it's God's word to God's people, on occasion they did bring accusations against nations outside the covenant community.

Amos and Jeremiah and Nahum and Obadiah prophesy against Syria and Tyre and Ammon and Moab for their violence.

They call them to abandon their violent ways because these violate the heart of God.

And as the prophetic writings unfold, Future-facing prophecies like Isaiah's remind the covenant people that ultimately God's desire is that the nations would be blessed, the whole world, all the nations, by God's people living out justice and righteousness.

Joel, he's the outpourer of the Holy Spirit.

Amos is the burden bearer.

Obadiah, he's our judge and savior.

Jonah, he is the risen prophet that comes out of the grave.