Amos
A shepherd who became a prophet, calling for justice to "run down as waters."
Old Testament · c. 760 BC · Amos
About Amos
Amos was not a professional prophet: "I was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit: And the LORD took me as I followed the flock." From Tekoa in Judah, he was sent north to Israel in a time of wealth and comfort, and he named what was hidden beneath it: "they sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes." His great cry was "let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream." The priest of Bethel told him to go home, but Amos’ book ends in hope: "they shall no more be pulled up out of their land."
Amos prophesied "in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel, two years before the earthquake." Israel was prosperous; Amos spoke against luxury built on unfairness, and against worship without justice. Bethel was a royal sanctuary of the northern kingdom, which is why its priest Amaziah wanted him gone.
The story
Taken from the flock
"The words of Amos, who was among the herdmen of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel." He would later say, "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."
Amos 1:1
Sold for a pair of shoes
Amos spoke for God against Israel, "because they sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes." He warned the comfortable: "Woe to them that are at ease in Zion." And he told them what God wanted instead: "But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream."
Amos 5:21-24
Amos prays
God showed Amos visions of locusts and fire, and Amos pleaded for the people: "O Lord GOD, forgive, I beseech thee: by whom shall Jacob arise? for he is small." And "The LORD repented for this: It shall not be, saith the LORD."
Amos 7:1-6
The plumbline
"Behold, the Lord stood upon a wall made by a plumbline, with a plumbline in his hand. And the LORD said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumbline." A plumbline shows whether a wall is straight, and God would measure his people by it.
Amos 7:7-9
Go home, seer
Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, sent word to the king: "the land is not able to bear all his words." He told Amos, "O thou seer, go, flee thee away into the land of Judah... But prophesy not again any more at Bethel." Amos answered that God himself had sent him: "Go, prophesy unto my people Israel."
Amos 7:10-17
They shall no more be pulled up
Amos ends in hope: "I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards... and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God."
Amos 9:14-15
Key moments
- Herdman of Tekoa: "Among the herdmen of Tekoa." (Amos 1:1)
- Justice like a river: "Let judgment run down as waters." (Amos 5:24)
- Prays for Israel: "O Lord GOD, forgive, I beseech thee." (Amos 7:2)
- The plumbline: "Amos, what seest thou?" (Amos 7:8)
- Told to leave Bethel: "Prophesy not again any more at Bethel." (Amos 7:13)
Questions about Amos
In meetBible these answers are given in Amos’s voice. They are written by hand and checked against Scripture.
Were you a trained prophet?
No. I told the priest of Bethel, "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."
What did God care about most in your message?
Justice for the poor, and worship that matched it. I spoke against those who "sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes." God said he would not accept their feasts and songs while injustice went on, and gave his answer: "But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream."
What was the plumbline?
"Behold, the Lord stood upon a wall made by a plumbline, with a plumbline in his hand. And the LORD said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumbline." A plumbline is a weight on a cord that shows whether a wall stands straight. God said, "I will set a plumbline in the midst of my people Israel."
Did you only bring bad news?
No. I also prayed for Israel, "O Lord GOD, forgive, I beseech thee," and my book ends with God’s promise: "I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities... and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land."
Connected people
Read it yourself
Start with Amos 5:14-24; 7:7-17.