Amos and Obadiah.
Amos.
The Prophet. His name means "Burden," and he is called the prophet of
righteousness. His home was at Tokea, a small town of Judea about
twelve miles south of Jerusalem, where he acted as herdsman and as
dresser of sycamore trees. He was very humble, not being of the
prophetic line, nor educated in the schools of the prophets for the
prophetic office. God called him to go out from Judah, his native
country, as a prophet to Israel, the Northern Kingdom. In obedience to
this call he went to Bethel, where the sanctuary was, and delivered
his bold prophecy. His bold preaching against the land Of Israel while
at Bethel aroused Amaziah the leading idolatrous priest, who
complained of him to the king. He was expelled from the kingdom, after
he had denounced Amaziah who had perhaps accused him of preaching as a
trade, 7:10-14, but we know nothing more of him except what is in this
book, which he perhaps wrote after he returned from Tekoa.
The Time of the Prophecy. It was during the reign of Uzziah, king of
Judah and of Jereboam II, king of Israel, and was outwardly a very
prosperous time in Northern Israel. But social evils were everywhere
manifest, especially the sins that grow out of a separation between
the rich and poor, 2:6-8, etc. Religion was of a low and formal kind,
very much of the heathen worship having been adopted.
The Significance of the Prophecy. One need but read the book of Amos
to see that he expects doom to come upon foreign nations, that he
foretells the wickedness of the Jews and their coming doom, showing
how the nation is to be dissolved and sold into captivity and that he
predicts the glory and greatness of the Messianic kingdom. He thinks
of Jehovah as the one true God, an all wise, all-powerful,
omnipresent, merciful and righteous person whose favor can only be
secured by a life of righteousness. He sees that justice between men
is the foundation of society, that men are responsible for their
acts, that punishment will follow failure to measure up to our
responsibility, that worship is an insult to God, unless the worshiper
tries to conform to divine demands.
I. The Condemnation of the Nations. Chs. 1-2.
1. Introduction, 1:1-2.
2. Israel's neighbors shall be punished for their sins. 1:3-2:5.
3. Israel's sins shall he punished, 2:6-16.
II. The Condemnation of Israel, Chs. 3-6.
1. For civil iniquities, Ch. 3.
2. For oppression of the poor and for idolatry, Ch. 4.
3. Repeated announcements of judgment with appeals to return and
do good, Chs. 5-6.
III. Five Visions Concerning Israel, Chs. 7:1-9:10.
1. The locusts, 7:1-3.
2. The fire, 7:4-6.
3. The plumb line (a testing), 7:7-9, a historical interlude (the
conflict with Amaziah), 7:10-17.
4. A basket of summer fruit (iniquity ripe for punishment), Ch. 8.
5. The destruction of the altar (No more services), 9:1-10.
IV. Promised Restoration and Messianic Kingdom, 9;11-15.
For Study mid Discussion, (1) Gather from the book a list of
illustrations, sayings, etc., that are taken from the rustic or
agricultural usages. (2) Make a list of the different nations against
which he prophesies and point out the sin of each and the nature of
the punishment threatened. (3) Make a list of the different
illustrations used to show the greatness and power of God. (4) The sin
of wrong inter-relation of nations. (5) The responsibility of national
enlightenment. (6) Repentance as seen in this book. (7) The book's
evidence of the luxury of the time.
Obadiah.
The Prophet. His name means "servant of the Lord," but we know nothing
of him except what we can gather from his prophecy.
The Time. It was doubtless written after the fall of Jerusalem under
Nebuchadnezzar, 587 B. C. and before the destruction of Edom, five
years later, which would make the date about 585 B. C. This would make
him a contemporary of Jeremiah.
The Occasion of the prophecy is the cruelty of the Edomites in
rejoicing over the fall of Judah.
The Jews. It is said to be a favorite book with the Jews because of
the vengeance which it pronounces upon Edom, their brother. Its chief
importance lies in its predictions of doom upon Edom the descendants
of Esau, the twin brother of Jacob and the type of the unchangeable
hostility of the flesh to that which is born of the spirit.
The Teachings. (1) Jehovah is especially interested in Israel. (2) He
will establish a new kingdom, with Judea and Jerusalem as the center
and with holiness as the chief characteristic.
Analysis.
I. Edom's punishment, 1-9.
1. She must fall, 1-4.
2. Her allies will desert her, 5-7.
3. Her wisdom will fail her, 8-9.
II. Edom's sin, 10-14
III. Guilt of the nations, 15-16.
IV. Judah shall be restored,
For Study and Discussion. (1) The sin of pride. (2) The sin of
rejoicing in another's misfortune. (3) Punishment according to our sin
and of the same kind as was our sin.
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