Book of Amos

BACKGROUND:

Prophet: Amos of Tekoa, called from a shepherd's quiet life to a confrontational ministry at the political capital of the nation
Setting: Prosperous Israel/Northern Kingdom in reign of Jeroboam, 783-745 B.C.
Message: “God is about to destroy his people because of their sins”!

MESSAGE:

“The Lord roars from Zion and from Jerusalem he utters his voice; and the shepherds’ pasture grounds mourn, and the summit of Carmel dries up.” (1:2) At this time in the history of the Northern Kingdom, God's people are getting fat and happy at the expense of the poor. Their theology was twisted: they had come to see and relate to Yahweh as a simple God who needed only to be appeased by extravagant worship in order for them to keep receiving blessings of prosperity.

“Those who recline on beds of ivory and sprawl on their couches, and eat lambs of the flock and calves from the midst of the stall who improvise to the sound of th harp, and like David have composed songs for themselves, who drink wine from sacrificial bowls while they anoint themselves with the finest of oils, yet they have not grieved over the ruin of Joseph.” (6:4-7)

Amos proclaimed the true identity and expectations of Yahweh, likening him to a roaring lion, wild and powerful; declaring him to be the God of the powers of nature; and proclaiming his stern expectation of social justice and absolute obedience.

We discussed the uncomfortable familiarity of this message . . . perhaps in our times, now, a few are prospering at the expense of many impoverished people. What kind of a God do WE believe in? As a prosperous nation, are we confused about who God is and what God expects of us?

One of Amos' powerful images is a plumb line. He declares that God will drop a plumb line among his people: a measure of uprightness. We are challenged to consider how "straight and true" we are!

Book of Nahum

Little is known about Nahum, whose name means COMFORT or COMPASSION. He was from Elkosh, southwest of Jerusalem, and close to the Egyptian/Philistine border, and during the time of the fall of Assyria and the rise of Babylon. He may have been a temple priest for the book has the character of priestly curse against the enemy. In that way it is different from the other literary prophets of the Old Testament, since he concerns himself not with national corruption, but with the defeat of a hated oppressor. He is animated by an intense faith in Yahweh, who is the universal judge, whose jealousy and avenging wrath will not fail to destroy the guilty. The prophet does show the importance of a dedicated leadership and ultimate failure of injustice in a national policy and practice.

Book of Micah

Micah was a Judean, whose prophetic career was contemporary with Isaiah, Amos, and Hosea. He came from a small town (Moresheth-Gath) near the Philistine border and the fact that this area was on the road for foreign invaders may help to explain two prominent features of his message:

1. His view of international affairs
2. His love for poor farmers and shepherds, whom he felt were the backbone of the nation

Some Jewish scholars believe he was a descendant of the prophet Eliezer (II Chron. 20:37) and led by circumstances to reactivate the old family prophetic tradition. He and Isaiah strongly influenced Hezekiah to institute a reform that later inspired Josiah in the Deuteronomic temple reforms.

Micah believed prophecy was not a possession but a possessor and his major message THE WORD OF THE LORD saw that the complacency and corruption of the religious structure emanating out of Jerusalem was incurable.

Book of Daniel

Purpose of the book:

In a time of misgivings and anxiety after the success of the Maccabean Revolt (c. 165 B.C.), under the persecutions of Antiochus Epiphanes, the allegorical Book of Daniel offered encouragement for the Jewish national cause, encouraged loyalty to God in the face of persecution, and promoted hope for a future that could be even more wonderful than the golden past.

Hero of the Book: Daniel (“God is my judge”)

“This man and his companions were loyal to God, faithful in observing the law, and God saw them safely through their trials.”

Chapters 1-6 are stories about Daniel and his friends in the foreign court. Each one depicts Daniel and company remaining faithful in their obedience to religious practices prescribed in the law of Moses, in spite of threat to life and limb. In all these, Daniel and his friends are blessed by God amidst persecution and adversity.

Chapters 7-12 are a compilation of visions and prophesies.

The Book of Ezekiel

Ezekiel was a prophet of the Babylonian exile. He grew up in the environs of the Jerusalem temple; he was the son of a Zadokite priest, Buzi. Ezekiel probably was trained for the priesthood, or had already become one.

We know little about him in exile at Tel-Abib ("Hill of the Storm God") except that he was married. In 593 during a thunderstorm he had a wondrous vision of God and received the call to be a prophet.

The Zadokite priesthood rose to power during Josiah's reform movement and became the recognized priesthood in charge of true worship at Jerusalem. Without getting into all of the arguments about dates and authorship, the text cites Ezekiel as living and prophesying in the first half of the 6th century while in Babylon. We do know that the book was heavily edited so it is diffiicult to ascertain whether he wrote in poetry or prose.

Nebuchadnezzar besieged the city of Jerusalm (597 B.C.) and carried the young king, Jehoiachin, with 10,000 (II Kings 24:14) or 3,023 (Jeremiah 52:28) fellow Hebrews (probably royalty) into captive exile. He appointed Zedekiah as a puppet king. Many Hebrews hoped and prayed that Jehoiachin would soon return to rule. But rebellion in Jerusalem led to its destruction in 586.

Thirteen oracles are included in the book with some basis for dating them although they do not appear in chronological order over a period of 23 years.

Notes by Harrell Guard

Isaiah, Part II, Second and Third Isaiah

These are notes from Sunday, April 6:

SECOND ISAIAH

Two centuries have passed (it is now the 6th century B.C.) since Isaiah was delivering his message. During that time the exiles had followed Jeremiah's counsel and had settled down in the communities where they had been placed. With industry, thrift, and skill they had become a vigorous element in the economy. Now all was uncertainty because Cyrus, the Persian king, had conquered Babylon, upsetting everything, even allowing some Jews to return to their ruined homeland. It was a time of religious perspectives. The sinful generation that had prompted the exile was long gone. Why were the new generations suffering when they had not been involved? (Jer. 31;29) Why were they fated to pass their lives in a land not their own? For those who returned home, the realities were grim. Has God forgotten or neglected his people? Why were God's promises unfulfilled? (Only a few came home).

The writer was a master poet who used his literary skills to articulate his theology and message. We find a collection of poems which are dramatic and impassioned in style. His message focuses on 5 distinct areas: God, the people, the event, the prophet, and the word. (Eschatologically based: creation (40:12), redemption, and history).

THIRD ISAIAH

The exiles are back home in Israel, and there are new issue, regarding the basic character of the universe, the meaning of human history, and freedom.

Discussion:
1. Why should the righteous suffer with the guilty (Jeremiah 31:29)
2. The suffering of the "best" -- a baffling problem

Next week we will study the Book of Ezekiel
Notes by Harrell Guard

Isaiah, Part I

These are notes from Sunday, March 30.

Isaiah chapters 1-39 (pre-exile): composed of the literary records of the major prophetic figure for whom the book is named.

The distinction between Isaiah, the prophet, and the Book of Isaiah must be kept in mind. Almost all of the material is of unusual interest and value, both literary and religious. But each part has to be studied for itself to see what it says, what it means, and what it implies.

The contents can be clearly divided into parts or sections but the core of the first 39 chapters undoubtedly consist of the literary records of Isaiah's ministry (8th century B.C.).

The following divisions are provided with some references to other Biblical writings:
Chapter I: A booklet of prophecies
Chapter 2-12: A collection of prophecies mainly about Judah and Jerusalem with some narrations (Hebrews chapters 8 and 9 have some specific references to this section).
Chapter 13-23: A collection of doom oracles on foreign peoples
Chapter 24-27: A booklet of late eschatological (having to do with end times) prophecies
Chapter 28-33: A collection of oracles that begin with "Woe"
Chapter 34-35: Two eschatological prophecies
Chapter 36-39: Narratives concerning the activities of the prophet toward the end of Hezekiah's reign

ISAIAH, THE MAN

He may have been a priest and was most certainly an aristocrat. He prophesied during the reigns of 4 kings: Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. His understanding of God (his theology) was based on God as the one and only exalted, sovereign Lord whose nature was unique goodness and righteousness. His ultimate purpose was to establish a personal relationship with people.

Next week: Chapters 40-66
Notes by Harrell Guard