Yet, he was chosen to do a great work for God. Upon receiving his divine call, the prophet left Judah to go to Israel and probably centered his work in Bethel, the location of the principal calf temple and the summer palace of the king. There he denounced the worship of the calf and was opposed by Amaziah, the idolatrous high priest, who charged him before the king as being a dangerous conspirator ch.
Amos was called to serve in a time when both Israel and Judah were prosperous. Under Jeroboam II, Israel was at the height of its power ch. Jeroboam had overcome the Syrians and had enlarged the territory of the northern kingdom to the northern boundary of the original united kingdom. As for Judah, King Uzziah had subdued the Edomites and the Philistines, put the Ammonites under subjection, encouraged agriculture and the domestic arts of peace, raised a large, powerful army, and fortified Jerusalem strongly 2 Chronicles — Apparently safe from outside enemies and secure internally, Israel was not living in fear of danger or destruction.
This prosperity led to pride and spiritual decline. This situation was worsened with the calf worship, which had been established by its first king, Jeroboam I 1 Kings — This calf worship called for the ministry of both Amos and Hosea.
Both of their prophesying was directed towards the northern kingdom. Amos can be ranked among the most important of the prophets because of his simple style and the strength and nobility of thought. Few prophets are more penetrating in comprehending the foundations of the natural and moral worlds, or show greater discernment into the power, wisdom , and holiness of God.
There is no indication in the book as to the length of his active prophetic work nor to the closing days of his life. Check out our Bible Answers page for more information on a variety of topics. They contain three kinds of composition: oracles telling of impending doom against Judah, Israel, and the neighboring peoples; a brief description of the life of the prophet; and a few verses that scholars generally agree are later additions.
Amos was particularly preoccupied with the moral corruption of his generation and their theological misconceptions.
He denounced the corrupt aristocracy and its total neglect of the poor. He criticized those who made sacrifices to God but hypocritically neglected the moral law.
He inveighed against those who presumed that they need give no accounting to God for their actions because they were His Chosen People. Above all, Amos shocked his contemporaries by dissociating his message and work from the prophets of his day and by foretelling doom and destruction for Israel.
As a counterbalance to this apocalyptic message, Amos also predicted the restoration of the Davidic kingdom and the return of the Exiles. It is at this point that one can find a universalism in Amos which appears again for the first time in vivid form in the writings of Deutero-Isaiah. The God of Amos was not limited to one nation. Amos has always been important in both Jewish and Christian theology and beliefs.
The Talmud Makkot 24a states that all commandments of Judaism are contained in one admonition of Amos: "Seek Me and live. Discussions of Amos include R.
Abraham J. Heschel, The Prophets , devotes a chapter to Amos. Background information is in Bernhard W.
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