Today we bring you the first chapter of the book of Amos from the Old Testament of the Bible. It contains prophecies attributed to the prophet Amos and belongs to the book of the 12 minor prophets.
We will try to explain and analyze these beautiful words in order to know how to interpret the messages they want and wanted to convey.
First, we will show you Amos 1 complete with its respective explanations and on the other hand, throughout the article you will have the opportunity to enjoy some beautiful images with some of the most beautiful and profound phrases of Amos 1 as well as some very interesting videos.
Let’s cut the small talk and let’s get down to business.
Amos 1 with explanation and meaning
Having made an introduction to Amos 1, we want you to enjoy each of the words below. Go ahead:
1
“The words of Amos, who was one of the shepherds of Tekoa, concerning what he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam son of Joash king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.”
Let’s start with the first paragraph and the name of our protagonist. Amos means “bearer” or “burden” and refers to the responsibility Almighty God gave Amos to warn the people of Israel.
Amos was a humble shepherd who lived near Bethlehem, who without being known was a good observer, cultured and not at all ignorant.
2
And he said, The LORD shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the pastures of the shepherds shall mourn, and the top of Carmel shall be dried up.
Here we are told how Jehovah warns from Zion (Jerusalem) that difficult times are coming, but that we must keep the faith.
3
Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Damascus, and for the fourth, I will not reverse their punishment, because they threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron.
Amos was sent exclusively to Israel, but he spoke for God against the evils of all nations, warning the people of the misfortunes that were coming if they continued in this way. Later on, all these territories were defeated, having ignored the warnings…
4
And I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, and it shall devour the palaces of Ben-hadad.
5
And I will break the siege of Damascus, and will cut off the inhabitants of the valley of Aven and the rulers of Betheden; and the people of Syria shall be carried away captive to Kir, saith the LORD.
In verses 4 and 5 it is announced that fire will fall on King Hazael, his palaces and his kingdom, and that the people of Syria will be transported to Kir. (This phrase means that they would be taken captive by the Assyrians. Kir was a province of the Assyrian empire).
6
Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Gaza, and for the fourth, I will not reverse his punishment, because he carried away captive a whole people to deliver them to Edom.
7
And I will send a fire upon the wall of Gaza, and it shall devour the palaces thereof.
8
And I will cut off the inhabitants of Ashdod and the rulers of Ashkelon; and I will turn my hand against Ekron, and the remnant of the Philistines shall perish, saith the Lord GOD.
And again, we find three sins committed by Gaza warning that with the fourth one the limit would have been exceeded and they would be punished. The sin that triggered God’s wrath was basically the sale of Israelite slaves to other peoples.
Immediately, they were punished as God had warned, with fire on their walls and palaces. The prophecy announced by Amos was fulfilled to the letter and was the precedent for many that followed.
9
Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Tyre, and for the fourth, I will not revoke their punishment, because they delivered a whole people captive to Edom, and remembered not the covenant of brothers.
How in verses 3 and 6 the warning is repeated for the sins committed in this case by Tyre. Highlighting among many sins that of having broken the covenant between the Phoenicians and Israel.
10
And I will send a fire upon the wall of Tyre, and it shall devour the palaces thereof.
Nebuchadnezzar forced Tyre to go to an island where they rebuilt their city, and then Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the old city. Later (250 years later), Alexander the Great saw the city located on the island, and appreciating that it was very rich and prosperous, he built a causeway to reach it.
With these events the prophecy of Ezekiel was again fulfilled in which God said that the invaders would completely raze and sweep away the land of the ancient city. The prophecy about Tyre was literally fulfilled.
11
Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Edom, and for the fourth, I will not reverse his punishment, because he hath persecuted his brother with the sword, and hath had no pity; and in his wrath he hath been continually hot, and hath kept his anger continually.
12
And I will send a fire upon Teman, and it shall devour the palaces of Bozrah.
Judgment fell this time on the people of Edom for their vengeful behavior, produced by the jealousy they felt against their brothers (the Israelites). Palaces and the kingdom of Bosra were also annihilated and destroyed.
13
Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of the children of Ammon, and for the fourth, I will not revoke their punishment, because they have opened the wombs of the women of Gilead that were with child, to enlarge their borders.
14
And I will kindle a fire on the wall of Rabbah, and it shall devour his palaces with a noise in the day of battle, with a storm in the day of tempest;
15
And their king shall go into captivity, he and all his princes, saith the LORD.
In these last verses it is highlighted how the Ammonites were also punished in this case for initiating fights for the simple fact of expanding their territory and borders. God’s fury was again employed to destroy a new kingdom.
Amos 1 complete spoken
Let’s stop reading for a moment, relax and bFind a quiet place where you can pray and think without being disturbed. Whenever you want, play the video!
Reflection on Amos 1 from the King James Bible
We have repeated many times, that every text, verse, … can have many interpretations. There are a lot of hidden messages that you will not be able to discover with just one reading. It is necessary to analyze each paragraph in depth, reread it, share your vision or interpretation in order to enrich yourself and help others to do the same. Having made the reminder, let us go on with our reflection and explanation of Amos 1.
From our humble point of view, I think we can extract a very powerful message that is repeated throughout the different verses. This message is none other than to know that God always forgives us, but not infinitely. If we look at it, all the peoples were warned that they should end their sins and ignoring the messages sent through Amos they were punished with fury.
Moreover, the sins are all due to selfishness and wickedness, making us contemplate how we should always behave in the right way guided by values and principles that are explained throughout the Bible.
Therefore, we must know that God was, is and will be just with those who behave properly following Christian values, and that all those who decide to do evil will be punished and annihilated.
We hope you liked our interpretation of Amos 1 of the Bible very much!
And remember that you can find many more articles to continue learning and enjoying the teachings of God our Lord.
See you soon!