Amos Book of Amos Amos - to bear a load Prophecy of Amos - outrage - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Amos

Amos - “to bear a load” Prophecy of Amos - outrage at the violence that had been done to the justice and righteousness of God Prophecy of Hosea - unfaithfulness of Israel to the love of God

Book of Amos

Amos 1:3 Damascus – expansionist / brutal military policy (the oppressed) Amos 1:6 Gaza - the saleable were sold - whole communities including men, women and children (exiled refugee and slave) Amos 1:9 Tyre - managed the business side of the slave-trade - no sense of the covenant of brotherhood - (failure to value human rights)

Sins Against Society by Surrounding Cities

Amos 1:11 Edom - ceaseless remorseless animosity (remorseless anger) Amos 1:13 Ammon - valued the material over the human (inhuman treatment of women and children - the most vulnerable) Amos 2:1-3 Moab - violence to the corpse of the King of Edom

Sins Against Society by Surrounding Cities

Wherever crimes against humanity are committed they are crimes against the Lord God of all.

Sins Against Society by Surrounding Cities

• sell the righteous for silver - innocent party at law - judges open to

bribery - sold for the highest price

• the needy - socially helpless and defenseless - they have no

recourse but to submit

• ppression of the poor - coveting property - denying the poor man

even the dust on his head as a sign of mourning - this a clear

• ppression of the wealthy over the poor
• sexual acts carried out in the name of religion

Sins Against Society by Israel (Amos 2:6-8)

You twist justice, making it a bitter pill for the oppressed. You treat the righteous like dirt. … How you hate honest judges! How you despise people who tell the truth! You trample the poor, stealing their grain through taxes and unfair rent. Therefore, though you build beautiful stone houses, you will never live in them. Though you plant lush vineyards, you will never drink wine from them. For I know the vast number of your sins and the depth of your rebellions. You oppress good people by taking bribes and deprive the poor of justice in the courts. So those who are smart keep their mouths shut, for it is an evil time.

Sins Against Society by Israel (Amos 5:7-13)

More pronounced judgement against Israel since they were people who had been provided with divine revelation Amos 2:8 The lion has roared - who will not fear? The Sovereign Lord has spoken

• who can but prophesy?

Israel will go into exile Judgement at the 2nd coming of Christ. An affront to the holiness of God.

The Consequence - Judgement

“I hate all your show and pretense - the hypocrisy of your religious festivals and solemn assemblies. I will not accept your burnt offerings and grain offerings. I won’t even notice all your choice peace offerings. Away with your noisy hymns of praise! I will not listen to the music of your harps.” Worship without righteousness is an abomination to God.

The Problem - Religion without Spirituality (Amos 5:21-23)

Amos 5:4-6 Now this is what the LORD says to the family of Israel: “Come back to me and live! Don’t worship at the pagan altars at Bethel; don’t go to the shrines at Gilgal or Beersheba. For the people of Gilgal will be dragged

• ff into exile, and the people of Bethel will be reduced to nothing.”

Come back to the LORD and live! Otherwise, he will roar through Israel like a fire, devouring you completely. Your gods in Bethel won’t be able to quench the flames.

Call to Repentance, Right Living and Social Justice

Amos 5:24 But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!

Call to Repentance, Right Living and Social Justice

Righteousness - Tsedeqah

A standard of right equitable relationships between people no matter their social differences.

(In)justice - Mishpat

Concrete actions that you take to correct injustice and create righteousness.

Call to Repentance, Right Living and Social Justice

The inherent dignity of each person. Genesis 1:27 So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

Made in the image of God

The Pharisees. The beam in our own eye. Matthew 7:3 Luke 4:18,19 “The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the LORD’s favor has come. ”

Gospel of Jesus Christ

Matthew 22:36-40 “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?” Jesus replied, “‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest

• commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as

yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based

• n these two commandments.”

Gospel of Jesus Christ

Social Justice Stemming from the Heart of God

Po Poverty / / the Homeless Th The Environ

• nment

Re Refugees Pe People with disabilities ………..? Ra Raci cism In Indige genous Righ ghts ts

For more. details on Westview’s Social Justice Team contact Lucie: lucie.perezmoncada@gmail.com

Social Justice Stemming from the Heart of God

.....w .....what is God’s heart leading you u to today?