(Amos 1:1 NKJV)  The words of Amos, who was among the sheepbreeders of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.

Who he is: “Amos, who was among the sheepbreeders of Tekoa.”  No one special.  Just an ordinary man—he owned sheep, but he was used of God as a prophet.

The heart of his message: “which he saw concerning Israel,” but there is much more.

The time, or date of his writing: “in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel,”

(Amos 1:2 NKJV)  And he said: "The LORD roars from Zion, And utters His voice from Jerusalem; The pastures of the shepherds mourn, And the top of Carmel withers."

(Amos 1:3 NKJV)  Thus says the LORD: "For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, Because they have threshed Gilead with implements of iron.

(Amos 1:6 NKJV)  Thus says the LORD: "For three transgressions of Gaza [better known as the Philistines], and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, Because they took captive the whole captivity To deliver them up to Edom.

(Amos 1:9 NKJV)  Thus says the LORD: "For three transgressions of Tyre, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, Because they delivered up the whole captivity to Edom, And did not remember the covenant of brotherhood.

 (Amos 1:11 NKJV)  Thus says the LORD: "For three transgressions of Edom, [Esau – Jacob’s brother] and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, Because he pursued his brother with the sword, And cast off all pity; His anger tore perpetually, And he kept his wrath forever.

 (Amos 1:13 NKJV)  Thus says the LORD: "For three transgressions of the people of Ammon, [Lot’s daughter’s son, and Lot was the father (Gen. 19:38)] and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, Because they ripped open the women with child in Gilead, That they might enlarge their territory.

 (Amos 2:1 NKJV)  Thus says the LORD: "For three transgressions of Moab,

[This is Lot’s other grandson/son (Gen 19:37)]

and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, Because he burned the bones of the king of Edom to lime.

 What can we say about all these countries?  They are the neighbors of the Children of Israel and Judah.  Why does God tell about all of these?  He doesn’t want Israel saying, “But what about them?”

(Amos 2:4-16 NKJV)  Thus says the LORD: "For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, Because they have despised the law of the LORD, And have not kept His commandments. Their lies lead them astray, Lies which their fathers followed. {5} But I will send a fire upon Judah, And it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem."

(Amos 2:6) Thus says the LORD: "For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, Because they sell the righteous for silver, And the poor for a pair of sandals. {7} They pant after the dust of the earth which is on the head of the poor, And pervert the way of the humble. A man and his father go in to the same girl, To defile My holy name.

“They pant after the dust of the earth which is on the head of the poor,”  -- How does this make any sense?  It doesn’t!  That is the point.  This is just pure greed.  It’s like Ahab who has everything wanting the vineyard of Naboth. 

“A man and his father go in to the same girl, To defile My holy name.”  -- A compounded sin.  The father leads his son in the wrong way and that way is a sexual sin, and most likely a sin of idolatry as well.  (1 Cor 6:18 NKJV)  Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.

{8} They lie down by every altar [idolatry] on clothes taken in pledge,[this, probably in violation of the law which said the clothes were to be returned by sundown] And drink the wine of the condemned in the house of their god. {9} "Yet it was I who destroyed the Amorite before them, Whose height was like the height of the cedars, And he was as strong as the oaks; Yet I destroyed his fruit above And his roots beneath.

(Amos 2:10) Also it was I who brought you up from the land of Egypt, And led you forty years through the wilderness, To possess the land of the Amorite.

 (Amos 2:11) I raised up some of your sons as prophets, And some of your young men as Nazirites. Is it not so, O you children of Israel?" Says the LORD.

{12} "But you gave the Nazirites wine to drink, And commanded the prophets saying, 'Do not prophesy!' {13} [God says, ‘You weary me’] "Behold, I am weighed down by you, As a cart full of sheaves is weighed down. {14} Therefore   [I will take away all your defenses] flight shall perish from the swift, The strong shall not strengthen his power, Nor shall the mighty deliver himself; {15} He shall not stand who handles the bow, The swift of foot shall not escape, Nor shall he who rides a horse deliver himself. {16} The most courageous men of might Shall flee naked in that day," Says the LORD.

(Amos 3:1-2 NKJV)  Hear this word that the LORD has spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying:

{2} "You only have I known of all the families of the earth; Therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities."

One more time, it is the principle:

 You had greater opportunities, so I will require more of you!

A classic rhetorical question:

(Amos 3:3 NKJV)  Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?

God is in control of nature, and He clearly says, I used what was happening through nature to get your attention, but you paid no attention!

(Amos 4:7-8 NKJV)  "I also withheld rain from you, When there were still three months to the harvest. I made it rain on one city, I withheld rain from another city. One part was rained upon, And where it did not rain the part withered. {8} So two or three cities wandered to another city to drink water, But they were not satisfied; Yet you have not returned to Me," Says the LORD.

(Amos 4:12 NKJV)  "Therefore thus will I do to you, O Israel; Because I will do this to you, Prepare to meet your God, O Israel!"

(Amos 5:21-24 NKJV)  "I hate, I despise your feast days, And I do not savor your sacred assemblies. {22} Though you offer Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them, Nor will I regard your fattened peace offerings. {23} Take away from Me the noise of your songs, For I will not hear the melody of your stringed instruments.

What Does God Want?

(Amos 5:24) “But let justice run down like water, And righteousness like a mighty stream.”

The Problem Continues!

(Amos 6:1 NKJV)  Woe to you who are at ease in Zion, And trust in Mount Samaria, Notable persons in the chief nation, To whom the house of Israel comes!

(Amos 6:3 NKJV)  Woe to you who put far off the day of doom, Who cause the seat of violence to come near;

(Amos 9:8 NKJV)  "Behold, the eyes of the Lord GOD are on the sinful kingdom, And I will destroy it from the face of the earth; Yet I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob," Says the LORD.

(Amos 9:9 NKJV)  "For surely I will command, And will sift the house of Israel among all nations, As grain is sifted in a sieve; Yet not the smallest grain shall fall to the ground.

(Amos 9:10 NKJV)  All the sinners of My people shall die by the sword, Who say, 'The calamity shall not overtake nor confront us.'

(Amos 9:11 NKJV)  "On that day I will raise up The tabernacle of David, which has fallen down, And repair its damages; I will raise up its ruins, And rebuild it as in the days of old;

(Amos 9:14 NKJV)  I will bring back the captives of My people Israel; They shall build the waste cities and inhabit them; They shall plant vineyards and drink wine from them; They shall also make gardens and eat fruit from them.

(Amos 9:15 NKJV)  I will plant them in their land, And no longer shall they be pulled up From the land I have given them," Says the LORD your God.

(Amos 3:7 NKJV)  Surely the Lord GOD does nothing, Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.