Amos: Seek God & Live. Amos 3 Unrepentant Hearts

Amos: Seek God & Live. Amos 3 – Unrepentant Hearts

Read Amos 3

Remember that the original text was not divided by chapter and verse numbers. To put Amos 3 in context, it may be helpful to review the crimes that God was offended by:

Read Amos 2:6-12

Some information that might help us understand this section better:

At the start of v7, the phrase “turn aside the way of the afflicted” (ESV) or “deny justice to the oppressed” (NIV) likely refers to poorer people having their cases thrown out of court when they tried to sue richer people who had ripped them off.

Garments taken in pledge were supposed to be returned overnight so their owners had something warm to wear to bed.

The term translated “girl” in verse 7 could also be read as “maid” or “female servant.”

The wine taken as a fine was meant to be used for temple rituals, not for getting drunk!

Nazirites were a religious order, and as a part of their vows they refused to touch alcohol.

Now look again at Amos 3.

• How do the first two verses connect back to what Amos has already been saying?
• What does this teach us about God’s judgements?
• How do the punishments in verses 11-15 connect back to the reading in Amos 2?
• What does this show us about God?

One thing we learn about Amos was that he did not see himself as some kind of professional prophet. (See Amos 7:14-15.) Yet, in Chapter 3:8, we see that Amos is responding in obedience to the fierce roaring of God. “Who can but prophesy?” Amos wonders. It’s almost as if Amos feels he has no other option but to respond to the burden God is laying on him.

• So what about you? Is there a calling that God has laid on you?
• Is there something, whether it be a ministry, a role, a relationship, where you feel like Amos? “Who can but _____?”
• If so, how did this come about?
• If not, could the group pray for you? Would you give God permission to place something new in your heart, if he chose to?