Amos

We begin this chronological journey through the bible with Amos.  While plenty of oral and written source material which made its way into the Hebrew Bible predates Amos, it likely represents the earliest (relatively) unadulterated original work included in the canon.  While certain sections of Amos, particularly the dispute with Amaziah in verses 7:10-17 and the concluding promise of restoration in 9:11-15, are later additions, most of this work likely comes from the prophet himself.

18th Century Icon of Amos - Iconostasis of Transfiguration Church, Karelia, Russia

Summary & Themes

Amos did not appear to consider himself a prophet, at least not a professional one.  More than once Amos is referred to not as a prophet, but a simple herdsman (1:1, 7:14).  He justifies his prophecy as not a choice, but a vocation which Yahweh has forced upon him by speaking to him:  "Lord Yahweh has spoken; who can but prophesy?" (3:8).  Amos considers himself a man of the people, chosen by his god to deliver a message.  He does not wish to prophesy, but is left no recourse - his lord commands it (7:15).  I believe this presentation would have lent more credence to his declarations.  Much like modern politicians who run on a platform of "not being a politician", Amos is "not a prophet".  He's just a regular guy, bearing a message he cannot help but relay to his people - a message of doom.

Retribution is the order of the day for Amos.  Yahweh is promising that classic "Old Testament God" fire and brimstone.  Chapter 3 compares Yahweh to a ravenous lion, leaving nothing to salvage but scraps.  Chapter 4 describes a host of calamities including famine, drought, blight, plague, war, and military defeat.  Chapter 6 promises ruin, captivity, and catastrophic casualties.  But Yahweh's wrath is not directed solely at his enemies, but primarily toward Israel itself.

The book begins with oracles against many of Judah and Israel's neighbors.  Yahweh promises to punish the nations for a litany of crimes (1:2-2:3).  Ancient audiences likely would have lapped up this message of doom for their enemies, reveling in promises of death and destruction for others.  That is until Amos reverses direction and points the finger squarely at the chosen people (2:4-16).  The sons of David are not innocent and will receive no special treatment from Yahweh.  In fact, Amos claims Yahweh will especially punish his people, for they knew better, yet sinned anyway (3:2).

Interestingly, and perhaps somewhat uniquely in the literature of the Hebrew Bible, Amos is neither so concerned with ritual sin like the priestly writers of the Pentateuch, nor does he rail against the Israelites for infidelity toward Yahweh as the Deuteronomic school might.  Amos is chiefly concerned with mistreatment of the poor and disadvantaged.  I will be honest here: it's actually very encouraging to start this bible journey off with a message which is immensely relevant for everybody, everywhere, any time.  (And maybe even more so today, as wealth and income inequality continue to expand at a dangerous and worrisome pace in this country.)  Amos might be preaching doom and gloom, but he is also preaching a message of fairness, justice, and compassion.  His primary concern is for the righteous poor.    His anger is pointed toward the corrupt.

They hate the one who reproves in the gate, and they abhor the one who speaks the truth.  Therefore because you trample on the poor and take from them levies of grain, you have built houses of hewn stone, but you shall not live in them; you have planted pleasant vineyards, but you shall not drink their wine.  For I know how many are your transgressions, and how great are your sins - you who afflict the righteous, who take a bribe, and push aside the needy in the gate. (Amos 5:10 - 12)

Yahweh is so sickened by the behavior of his people that he openly mocks their worship - their rituals, their sacrifices, their festivals & holidays (4:4-5, 5:21-27).  The "Day of Yahweh" they claim to yearn for will come, but it will not be a day of victory.  The Day of Yahweh will be a day of judgment (5:18-20, 8:9-14).   If Israel does not live in justice, charity, and righteousness, their praises, worship, and religious practices are nothing but hypocrisy.  Israel's status as the chosen people of Yahweh does not make them immune from punishment (9:10).  Yahweh may have raised Israel to a place of prominence, but this does not make them special.  "Are you not like the Ethiopians to me, O people of Israel? - says Yahweh.  Did I not bring Israel up from the land of Egypt, and the Philistines from Caphtor and the Arameans from Kir?" (9:7)  If the chosen people do not repent, Amos argues they can be made un-chosen.  But there is still hope for the future, if the house of Jacob turns from its corrupt ways and establishes a culture of justice:

Seek good and not evil, that you may live; and so Yahweh, God Sabaoth, will be with you, just as you have said.  Hate evil and love good, and establish justice in the gate; it may be that Yahweh, God Sabaoth, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph. (Amos 5:14-15)

A Plumb Line

The Plumb Line and the City - Sculpture at Coventry Cathedral, Coventry, UK

In addition to the major themes and message of the text, two items stood out to me in my reading:  First is the vision of the plumb line in 7:7-9.  Mostly this stood out because I simply had no idea what a plumb line was.  It turns out a plumb line is a tool used to measure the straightness of a wall (basically a line with a weight at the bottom).  This vision of the plumb line follows two prior visions of more conventional horrors - locusts and raining fire (7:1-8).  Amos objects and pleads with Yahweh not to bring these disasters upon Israel, and Yahweh relents.  However, when Yahweh declares to Amos
"See, I am setting a plumb line in the midst of my people Israel; I will never again pass them by" Amos remains silent.  He understands now that Yahweh is holding his people to a standard.  They must be upright as a wall - true to their purpose as Yahweh's chosen people.  He will no longer ignore their sins.  Crimes must be punished for justice to be served.  Amos does not protest.

A Trace of Polytheistic Tradition

I overthrew some of you, as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and you were like a brand snatched from the fire; yet you did not return to me, says Yahweh. (Amos 4:11)

What is going on here?  Is Yahweh talking about himself in the third person?  That's kind of strange isn't it?  Actually, not really.  In many places in the bible there exist traces of polytheistic thought.  Prior to the development of monotheism, Yahweh was member of a pantheon of gods, or a "divine council".  Eventually he became conflated with and replaced the high god El.  In many places El or the generic plural elohim are actually the words used for God in the bible, not Yahweh.  Amos 4:11 is a vestige of this earlier understanding of the divine realm.  Here Yahweh is not claiming to have overthrown Sodom and Gomorrah, but instead attributes that feat to a different deity, the high god of the Canaanite/Ugartiic pantheon El, who he would eventually merge with during the development of ancient Israelite theology.  It's fun to find these sorts of remnants from a time before Yahwistic5monotheism became the cultural cornerstone of ancient Israel.
Well, that about does it for my take on Amos.  Feel free to share your perspective in the comments below. Now onto our first psalm...

Psalm 1

How fitting to have a psalm contrasting the wicked and the upright to accompany Amos!  Not much else to say here.  Pretty straightforward.  Those who practice keeping the Torah will be rewarded, sinners will be punished.

Next up: First Isaiah (Isaiah 1-39)

First Isaiah will probably be covered in 4 to 6 separate posts, depending on the natural breaks in the text.  Due to the brevity of Amos I decided to just cover the entire book in one post, but this will be rare.