What are some lessons from the Book of Amos?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Bible readers can glean several lessons from the book of Amos, lessons that are echoed throughout Scripture including the New Testament. By choosing the shepherd and farmer Amos as His prophet, God showed that no one is too lowly for Him to use for His purposes (Amos 7:14-15). This message is reinforced in other parts of Scripture, including the New Testament (Luke 14:11; 1 Corinthians 1:26-27; 2 Corinthians 12:9; James 2:5). Amos and other parts of the Bible also teach that God loves His children enough to discipline them so that they return to Him (Amos 4:6-11; 1 Corinthians 11:32; Hebrews 12:10-11; Revelation 3:19). The book of Amos also indicates that God wants us to reach out to Him, to seek Him (Amos 5:4). Jesus taught this as well (Matthew 7:7; Luke 11:9). That seeking must be of the heart, though, and not mere empty ritual (Amos 5:21-23; Matthew 15:1-20, Matthew 23; John 4:23).

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• One lesson from the book of Amos is that God can use even the most humble people for His purposes. As Amos tells Amaziah, "I was no prophet, nor a prophet's son, but I was a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore figs. But the Lord took me from following the flock, and the Lord said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel'" (Amos 7:14-15). Other examples in the Old Testament are David and Gideon (1 Samuel 16:11-13; Judges 6:15-16).
• Another lesson from Amos is that God's discipline is often meant to bring His children back to Him. In chapter four, God points out the hardships He has placed on Israel so that they would return to Him, including lack of food, rain, blight on their crops, pestilence, and enemy attack (vv. 6-11).
• An important message from the book of Amos is God's exhortation to His people, "Seek me and live" (Amos 5:4). This message is as pertinent today as it was then.
• According to Amos, ritual without the right heart condition toward God, means nothing. God says to Israel, “I hate, I despise your feasts, . . .your solemn assemblies. . . .your burnt offerings and grain offerings,. . . the peace offerings of your fattened animals, . . . your songs;" (5:21-23).

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• Many of the lessons of Amos are evident in other parts of Scripture, including the New Testament. For example, Jesus' words to "seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you" (Matthew 7:7; cf. Luke 11:9) are similar to Amos 5:4. Paul echoed this lesson in his speech to the men of Athens (Acts 17:26-27).
• The New Testament shows that God often uses those the world considers lowly, as Amos was. Paul writes to the Corinthians, "For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong" (1 Corinthians 1:26-27; cf. Luke 14:11; 2 Corinthians 12:9; James 2:5).
• God disciplining His people to bring them back to Him is seen in Amos (e.g., 4:6-11) and many parts of the New Testament (1 Corinthians 11:32; Hebrews 12:10-11; Revelation 3:19). In fact, a key reason for church discipline is to restore the sinner Galatians 6:1).
• God's message through Amos about His rejection of empty rituals (e.g., Amos  5:21-23) is also present in the Gospels. Jesus often criticized the Jewish religious leaders for their adherence to ritual but their harness of heart toward God and others (Matthew 15:1-20; Matthew 23). Jesus' message to the Samaritan woman was that "true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him" (John 4:23).

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

A grain of sand seems insignificant—unless it gets in your eye or in a machine. A seed is so small you might miss it, but it can grow into a hardy plant. The light switch on your wall is barely noticable, but it makes the difference between getting your midnight snack in peace or in pain from a stubbed toe.

Small doesn't mean insignificant. This is the case with the books of the Bible called the "minor" prophets, including Amos. Though just a humble shepherd and fruit picker, Amos was used by God to warn Israel to turn back to them. And the book is still being used today to reinforce messages in the Bible that can make a big impact, spiritually.

Have you ever thought, "I'm just one person. What difference can I make?" If so, remember that God can and does use the "insignificant" things of the world to make an eternal difference.

UNDERSTAND

• The book of Amos demonstrates that God uses even those the world thinks of as insignificant.
• Amos also teaches that God's discipline is meant to bring repentance, ritual means nothing if one's heart isn't set on God, and that God wants us to seek Him.
• Many of the lessons from the book of Amos are reinforced throughout Scripture.

REFLECT

• What are the lessons from Amos that seem most significant to your life?
• How does God's choice of the lowly impact how you view your role in His kingdom?
• How do you ensure that the rituals of your faith (e.g., communion) don't become emptied of their meaning?

ENGAGE

• What lessons can Christians glean from the book of Amos?
• Why might books like Amos be a worthy subject for Bible study groups?
• Which lessons from Amos might be most encouraging to believers? To unbelievers?