Choose one of the old testament prophets - describe their life and teachingOld Testament prophets.
Choose one of the Old Testament prophets.
-Describe their life and teaching.
-How can their teaching be of use to the modern reader?
There are seventeen books in the section of the Bible called 'The Prophets'. The first five books are called the major prophets and the remaining twelve books are called the minor prophets. This essay will consider the third of the minor prophets, Amos. In order to gain a better understanding of Amos and his works, I intend to firstly describe his life and give an outline of his teachings putting them in the context of the times in which he lived which was approximately 750BCE. Then, given the great expanse of time from then to present day I propose to examine if his teachings can have any relevance to the modern reader.
Amos is recognized as the first of the Israelite prophets whose words were recorded on a scroll [a]. He was not a prophet all his life and never prophesied professionally. Amos earned his living as a "herdsman and dresser of sycamore figs." (Amos 7:14). Amos was not a poor sheep herdsman. The word herdsman, used to describe his occupation, was not the common Hebrew word used to refer to shepherds. The Hebrew word means sheep-master, and refers to the owners of a special breed of sheep, famous for their wool. Amos may have been one of the more important men in his region, Tekoa. Tekoa was a village about ten miles south of Jerusalem. It was situated atop a large hill some 2800 feet above sea level. Since he already had an occupation he did not have to prophesy for money. He prophesied because God had called him to do so.
Like many other prophets Amos was called directly by God through some divine intervention. God "took" him from his flocks and said, "Go and prophesy to my people Israel."(Amos 7:15) In the eyes of the humble shepherd this must have appeared a very difficult mission. At the time when the call came to him, he was "not a prophet, nor the son of a prophet" (vii, 14). There were other reasons which might well cause Amos to fear to accept the divine mission. He, a Southerner, was bidden to go to the Northern Kingdom, Israel, and carry to ...
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Like many other prophets Amos was called directly by God through some divine intervention. God "took" him from his flocks and said, "Go and prophesy to my people Israel."(Amos 7:15) In the eyes of the humble shepherd this must have appeared a very difficult mission. At the time when the call came to him, he was "not a prophet, nor the son of a prophet" (vii, 14). There were other reasons which might well cause Amos to fear to accept the divine mission. He, a Southerner, was bidden to go to the Northern Kingdom, Israel, and carry to its people and its leaders a message of judgment to which, from their historical circumstances, they were particularly ill-prepared to listen. . This condemnation of Israel would come as a surprise to listeners in Amos' time, because the people of Israel were the chosen people. In his writings Amos goes on to list some of the sins of Israel. The underlying theme behind many of the sins was that the wealthy and powerful were alienating the poor and the weak. Amos lived during the long and prosperous reign of Jeroboam II. During this time many people became very wealthy. There were, however, some who remained poor. The wealthy exploited the weakness and vulnerability of the poor. "Because they sell the just man for silver, and the poor man for a pair of sandals." (Amos 2:6) Amos goes on to criticize the Israelites for their disingenuous religious services and festivals. Amos makes it clear to his listeners that God is especially upset with Israel more so than its neighbours. This is because God had traditionally favoured the Israelites.
"Yet it was I who destroyed the Amorites before them, who were as tall as the cedars, and as strong as the oak trees. I destroyed their fruit above and their roots beneath."(Amos 2:9)
Another reason God was upset with the Israelites was because God made a covenant with the Israelites. The Israelites, instead, stopped obeying Jewish Law. If they lived by Jewish law they would care for the poor and weak. God abhors the pride of the Israelites who had come to regard their prosperity as works all of their own hand. They forgot that God makes all this happen and they ignored those less fortunate than themselves. Their pride meant they replaced God as the foundation for their existence.
Amos then elaborates on this condemnation of Israel in the succeeding chapters. Having proclaimed God's Word against Israel, detailing their sins and detailing their impending punishment, Amos then gives his invitation to repentance. This is his only invitation in the book.
XXXXXXXXThe call is to Seek the LORD and live (5:4, 6, 14). Punishment may be imminent and inevitable. But here Amos states that by seeking God and forsaking the pursuit of false religion, the punishment may be revocable. The book finishes with a series of five visions revealed to Amos. After the first two visions (locusts and fire), God relents after Amos' plea for mercy. In the second two visions (plumb line & summer fruit), Amos does not make a plea, nor does God relent. The people are off the plumb line and now the Lord refuses to relent. The final vision, that of the Lord himself at the altar, proclaims their destruction, and then finishes with the hope of restoration.
Relative to the other prophets, Amos' call for repentance is fairly short in relation to the proclamations of judgment and destruction. Nonetheless, the purpose of these proclamations is to encourage the people to seek after God. Likewise, Amos' prophecies of Israel's future restoration are relatively short. But, following in the pattern of the other prophets, Amos concludes the book with the hope of a time when Israel does repent, and the Lord brings back the people, restores the land, and establishes them.
Today, in our society we continue to have those who are less fortunate. Their lives are in stark contrast to those who are wealthy. Television, movies, and music idealize wealth, power, and material things as being most important and as necessary for happiness. Advertisements equate material possessions with happiness. If the media is to be believed, then acquiring things is more important than caring for one's neighbour. Someone of wealth but without compassion is often portrayed as someone to emulate. Social justice was an important aspect of the Israelite religion, as was love of one's neighbour and love of God. During Amos' life, these aspects of the religion were undermined if not completely lost. . The condemnations of Amos are as applicable today as they were in the time of the Israelites. The teachings of Jesus in the Gospels have similar meanings and themes throughout. In the book of Amos, God condemns, through the words of Amos, the Israelites for their sins such as pride, insincerity in religious services, and lack of compassion. In Matthew's Gospel, Jesus tells his listeners that the humble, the merciful, and those who desire to do what God requires should be hopeful because God will watch over them. He promises them a reward in heaven.
a] http://www.divineplan.org/htdbv5/r5805.htm
http://www.edenucc.com/sermons/20030713.html?word
http://www.catholiccincinnati.org/tct/Overtures/25suninordinary04.html
This is a passage about social justice, that is, about how people are supposed to relate to one another in the context of the use of the world's goods. God is not content to let each of us strike the best deal we can get at the expense of the dignity and well-being of our brothers and sisters. The bottom line is not making a profit. The bottom line is treating other human beings like human beings
