1717 BIBLE STUDIES
Minor Prophets Study
Minor Prophets (Hosea, Amos & Micah)
“Your Word Is Truth” (John 17:17)
Download PDFStart Week 1Weeks
4
Format
Study • Apply • Discover
Reading
Long-form
Overview
Study: Minor Prophets (Hosea, Amos & Micah)
Theme: I’ve Been Unfaithful
Unfaithfulness is a painful word. It is painful for the wounded party, for sure, but it is also painful for the one who wounded. Recognizing one’s unfaithfulness just might be the first step toward grace. The earlier of the Minor Prophets—Amos, Hosea, and Micah—will help us understand that. These eighth-century BC Minor Prophets cried out against Israel’s (and Judah’s) unfaithfulness. God’s punishment for his people’s unfaithfulness would come from Assyria and Babylon. Students will learn the progression of returning to God by seeking God’s forgiveness and mercy, getting help for one’s brokenness, and getting back on the trail of righteousness.
How To Use
- Each week has a lesson aim, lesson text, and supplemental text.
- Tabs indicate the week of each lesson.
- Each week features three sections: Study, Application, and Discovery.
- Use the Discovery questions to study, discuss, and apply the Scripture passages in a group or class.
Introduction
Author
The first verse of each of these three books begins with a statement of authorship. Hosea 1:1 describes this book as “The word of the Lord that came to Hosea son of Beeri.” Amos 1:1 says, “The words of Amos, one of the shepherds of Tekoa.” And Micah 1:1 refers to this book as “The word of the Lord that came to Micah of Moresheth.” There is no reason to assume that the prophets after whom these books are named did not write the books.
Audience
Hosea and Amos were prophets to the northern Kingdom of Israel, beginning their ministries in the years shortly before Israel’s fall to Assyria. Micah’s prophetic message was to both the southern Kingdom of Judah and the northern Kingdom of Israel.
Date
Hosea – Hosea 1:1 informs the reader that Hosea’s ministry was during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and during the reign of Jeroboam son of Jehoash king of Israel.” This would place his ministry around 755-715 BC.
Amos – Amos 1:1 says that he received his vision concerning Israel “two years before the earthquake, when Uzziah was king of Judah and Jeroboam son of Jehoash was king in Israel.” This places his ministry around 760- 750 BC.
Micah – Micah 1:1 tells readers that Micah preached “during the reigns of Jothan, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.” This would put his ministry around 740 to 687 BC.
Setting
The eighth century BC was a period of great prosperity for both the northern Kingdom of Israel and the southern Kingdom of Judah. As is too often the case, this period of materialistic prosperity resulted in a time of spiritual bankruptcy. God’s prophets were sent to remind these people of his desires for their lives.
Theme
Hosea – Hosea’s prophecy stressed the unfaithfulness of Israel to God, while highlighting God’s mercy, steadfast love, forgiveness, and desire for Israel to repent. A key verse is Hosea 6:6, “For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.”
Amos – Amos focuses on God’s demand for social justice and righteousness, stressing that true religion results in righteous living. A key verse is Amos 5:25, “But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!”
Micah – Micah blends the ideas of God’s judgment for unfaithfulness with his loving forgiveness and a coming messiah from Bethlehem. A key verse is Micah 6:8, “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
Why Study Hosea, Amos, and Micah?
These prophetic messages provide timeless lessons about God’s constant love and mercy for his people, God’s desire to see social justice and faithfulness, the consequences of idolatry and injustice, and God’s never ending promise of hope and redemption.
Week One
LESSON AIM: Return to the Lord, you who are wise and discerning.
STUDY: Minor Prophets (Hosea, Amos, & Micah)
THEME: I’ve Been Unfaithful
LESSON TEXT: Hosea 11:1-7; 14:1-9; Psalm 32:1-7
SUPPLEMENTAL: Psalm 51:7-19; Luke 19:1-10; 1 John 1:8-10
STUDY
WEEK 1
forgive my unfaithfulness
by Mark Scott
Tap to expand/collapse
The theme for Hosea might be, “Good News from a Troubled Home.” God’s love for his people was on display at Hosea’s house. This minor prophet had married Gomer, who was unfaithful to him. But Hosea had purchased her back as an object lesson for Israel. Hosea 11 is one of the great love chapters of the Bible. Hosea 14 is one of the stronger confessional chapters of the Bible. Psalm 32 celebrates the liberation that comes when one goes from unfaithfulness to confession.
Love Behind Forgiveness
Hosea 11:1-7
Repentance toward God is something we do, but his love creates the environment that causes people to want to respond favorably to him. Hosea 11 is one of the most tender chapters in Scripture. God bares his heart in this text. God likened his love for Israel to that between a father and son. Even though the son rebelled against his father with idolatry (Baals and incense) and unhealthy political alliances, God still loved them, delivered them, taught them, and cared for them.
God’s love prompted him to redeem them out of Egyptian slavery. Matthew 2:15 quotes this verse and, through typological interpretation, applies it to Jesus’ coming out of Egypt. Jesus is, after all, the New Israel. God performed the duties of a good dad by teaching his children how to walk. All the time it was God who healed them, led them (with cords of human kindness), and eased the yoke from their jaws so they could eat. The NIV might take too many liberties by saying, “I was like one who lifts a little child to the cheek.”
Israel continued to court help from Assyria and Egypt. But that was like asking for help from one’s enemies. God would use the enemies’ swords to punish Israel. The people called on God Most High, but it was only lip service—not heartfelt faith. God was ready to give up on Israel, but alas, he could not (Hosea 11:8-9). He loved them too much.
Wisdom Behind Repentance
Hosea 14:1-9
God compassionately pleaded with Israel to repent in Hosea 14. He wanted them to return to him. The word means to “turn around.” Even though their sins had caused their downfall (stumbling), God coached them to ask for forgiveness and admit that making alliances with the enemy and worshiping idols (what our own hands have made) would not end well.
God agreed to heal their waywardness and love them freely if they would just show the wisdom to turn to him. God would turn his anger away from them. He even likened his tenderness toward their repentance to several similes. He would be like dew in the morning—refreshing (unlike the use of that same figure of speech in Hosea 6:4 concerning Israel’s loyalty). He would cause Israel to blossom like a lily. He would be like one of the cedars of Lebanon that would grow majestic and tall in addition to smelling nice. He would be like an olive tree (one of the main crops in Israel). He would be like flourishing grain and abundant wine. Some of these similes even have messianic connections. He would be like a flourishing juniper (like a cypress or fig tree).
Wise (cunning) people and discerning (perceptive) people understand the right ways of the Lord. They will walk in these ways even when the rebellious (transgressor) stumble in them. Wisdom always lies behind genuine repentance.
Confession Behind Freedom
Psalm 32:1-7
Here we move from the book of Hosea to a Psalm that celebrates the joy of pleading for and receiving God’s forgiveness. Some scholars believe that thematically this Psalm comes after David’s repentant song of Psalm 51. The first two verses declared the happiness of the forgiven person. When God covers their sin and does not count their sins against them it is a blessed moment.
But David looked back to his unconfessed state in verses 3-4. Life was not good. His bones wasted away, he went about groaning (roaring) all day long, he felt God’s heavy hand on him, and he felt as if his strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. But once David came clean and acknowledged (knew) his sin, he felt freedom that only God could give. His transgressions and guilt were forgiven.
The freedom experienced through forgiveness gave David tremendous security. He likened it to not feeling afraid when mighty waters rose up. He knew God had become his hiding place (think Corrie Ten Boom). David experienced songs of deliverance and protection. There is no unfaithfulness that God’s forgiveness cannot reach.
Mark Scott serves as preaching minister with Park Plaza Christian Church in Joplin, Mo. For 35 years, until 2021, he served as professor of preaching and New Testament with Ozark Christian College in Joplin.
APPLICATION
WEEK 1
the older ones first
by David Faust
Tap to expand/collapse
Do you remember the story about Jesus’ encounter with a woman caught in adultery? In many English Bibles, the account in John 8:2-11 appears in italics to show it’s supported by weak manuscript evidence. Personally, I’m content to let scholars debate the textual questions while I ponder what the story tells us about Jesus’ wisdom and courage.
The Scribes and Pharisees wanted to trap Jesus, so they brought a woman they had caught in the act of adultery. (Question: Why didn’t they also bring the man?) This was a tricky situation. If Jesus went against the Law of Moses and let adulterers off the hook, he would appear weak and unrighteous; but if he agreed to stone the woman, it would seem harsh. Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with his finger, and then stood up and gave his famous answer: “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her” (John 8:7). The accusers left one at a time. When only Jesus and the terrified woman remained, he said, “Neither do I condemn you. . . . Go now and leave your life of sin” (8:11).
Blending Justice and Mercy
An unholy part of us—with a careless attitude about sin—wants to do whatever we please, hoping God will overlook our misdeeds. On the other hand, a guilty conscience makes us wonder if our sins are unpardonable, and that leads to despair. Jesus addresses both sides of the equation. “Go and sin no more” upholds God’s righteousness and calls us to obedience. “Neither do I condemn you” underscores God’s mercy and relieves our guilt.
Another detail in the story stirs my curiosity. After Jesus’ words about casting the first stone, the bystanders stood in silence, wondering what to do. Finally, they “began to go away one at a time, the older ones first . . .” (John 8:9). The younger ones in the group followed the example of the older, laying down their stones and walking away. Why do you suppose the older accusers left first?
Insight That Comes with Age
We can only guess what was in their hearts, but it’s clear that something vexed the consciences of the older men and tugged at their hearts.
Could it be that with age, we become more aware of our own frailties?
Is it possible that the longer we walk with the Lord, the more we recognize our need for grace?
Might it be that the longer we live, the more compassion we can show to others as we recognize our own struggles and weaknesses?
If the Scribes and Pharisees read the book of Hosea, they knew that God compares himself to a loving father who bends down to feed his children (Hosea 11:3-4). Hosea’s marriage to an unfaithful wife illustrated God’s persevering love for his wayward people. The Lord longed to “heal their waywardness and love them freely” (14:4).
The longer we follow the Lord, the better we should grasp both God’s justice and his grace. Christ died for our sins, and through the Holy Spirit, he empowers us to die to sin and live godly lives (Romans 6:1-7; 8:1-13). He calls us to pursue righteousness, receive mercy, and be more tenderhearted toward others. Maybe it’s time for us to lay down some stones ourselves.
Personal Challenge:
What do God’s righteousness and mercy mean to you? Do you live in fear of judgment, wondering if he will forgive you? Does your attitude toward others lean more toward mercy or toward judgment?
David Faust serves as senior associate minister with East 91st Street Christian Church in Indianapolis.
DISCOVERY
WEEK 1
QUESTIONS FOR GROUP DISCUSSION
Tap to expand/collapse
1. To what or whom have you committed (or devoted) yourself over the last week?
2. Have you ever turned away from God or a person in your life and then later turned back to them? What happened?
Ask two people to read aloud Hosea 11:1-7; 14:1-9; Psalm 32:1-7 one after the other, preferably from different Bible versions. Then ask a third person to summarize the main points from the passages in two minutes or less.
3. What central themes do you see in these three passages? (What ties them together?)
4. How is God portrayed in these passages and what do you learn about him? (Don’t miss the similes used in Hosea 14:5-8.)
5. How are people described in these passages and what do you learn about yourself from this?
6. In what specific ways had God’s people turned away from God?
- What were the consequences for their waywardness (sin)?
- While they were still sinners, God responded to them with grace. What words and phrases in this passage describe this grace?
7. The people were called to turn back to God. What did that return entail? (What parts do our confession and repentance play?)
8. Let’s try to personalize this: How has God’s forgiveness affected your life?
- Whom will you tell about God’s grace and forgiveness this week?
9. Based on our study and discussion, complete the sentence: “I will . . .”
10. Reread Psalm 32:6-7 (keeping the context of vv. 1-5 in your mind). For what will you trust God in prayer over the next week?
For Next Week: Read and reflect on Hosea 6:6; Micah 6:6-8; 7:8-19; Matthew 9:9-13; 1 John 1:1-2.. You can also read next week’s supplemental texts and the Study and Application sections as part of your personal study.
Week Two
LESSON AIM: Love mercy and walk humbly with our God.
STUDY: Minor Prophets (Hosea, Amos, & Micah)
THEME: I’ve Been Unfaithful
LESSON TEXT: Hosea 6:6; Micah 6:6-8; 7:8-19; Matthew 9:9-13; 1 John 1:1-2
SUPPLEMENTAL TEXT: Psalm 25:4-9; Zechariah 3:1-5; Ephesians 2:4-7
STUDY
WEEK 2
grant me mercy
by Mark Scott
Tap to expand/collapse
People who have been unfaithful need mercy, and mercy truly is a redemptive word. Paul often began his Epistles with the sanctified wish of grace, mercy, and peace. Someone said, “We need grace when we feel worthless, we need mercy when we feel helpless, and we need peace when we feel restless.” Early in the history of the church, the believers said (or sang), “May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life. Lord, have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy on us.” Mercy is that empathy in God that causes him to express his loyal love for his people.
Mercy Shown
Micah 7:8-19
The eighth-century BC prophet Micah (like his counterparts Amos and Hosea) prophesied against the northern and southern kingdoms. Micah cried out against idolatry, immorality, leadership crises, and family deterioration. But his prophecy had some bright spots—like in 4:1-2, where Micah predicted a time would come when the mountain of God would be established as the highest mountain and the nations would stream to it; and like in 5:2, where it says out of a little town called Bethlehem a ruler would emerge to shepherd God’s people.
Micah urged his people to wait for the God of his salvation to act (7:7). Two things would result when God showed his mercy. First, Israel would be victorious over their enemies. Therefore, the enemies should not gloat (rejoice). Micah prophesied that God would raise his people up (v. 8a), would be their light (v. 8b) and bring them into the light (v. 9b), would plead their case and uphold their cause (v. 9a), and would cover the enemies with shame and trample them like mire in the streets (v. 10). This victory, he said, would allow God’s people to build their walls and extend their boundaries (v. 11). The enemies (Assyria and Egypt), he said, would actually flock to Israel (v. 12). Israel would feed in enemy territory— Bashan and Gilead (v. 14). God would defeat the enemies as he did in Egypt long ago (vv. 15-16), and they would turn in fear of Israel (v. 17).
The second result of God showing his mercy was that God would extend his forgiveness to his people. Micah’s name means “What is God like?” So, what is God like (v. 18a)? He pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant. He puts his anger on hold (v. 18b). God will delight to show mercy, express compassion, and put the people’s sins under his feet or in the ocean (v. 19).
Mercy Embraced
Hosea 6:6; Micah 6:6-8
If God’s people receive mercy, then they should embrace mercy in a visible way that others can see. The goal here is to capture the heart of God, which goes beyond mere obedience. Burnt offerings, baths of olive oil, and taking care of firstborn responsibilities were not all that God was looking for. No amount of hoop jumping would get God to like the people more.
The way to know if God’s mercy has been embraced is the famous Micah 6:8. What was on God’s desired checklist? Three things—acting justly (according to God’s standards), loving mercy (God’s loyal love), and walking humbly with God— serve as genuine proof that mercy has been embraced. The religious hoops are not bad; they are just inadequate.
The widely known Hosea 6:6 is added to the mercy embraced section. God would rather have mercy embraced and God acknowledged than to have all the sacrifices and burnt offerings in the world. Obedience is never enough when left alone.
Mercy Came
Matthew 9:9-13; 1 John 1:1-2
The stark reality is that mercy showed up in person and in time and space. God’s mercy was on 24/7 display with the coming of Christ to the world. One place where the mercy of God “broke out” was Jesus calling Matthew to be a disciple. Matthew’s humility was evident by not describing his calling until the Gospel’s ninth chapter; the apostle’s boldness was displayed by his accepting Jesus’ call even though he was conscious of his reputation as a tax collector.
When Jesus called Matthew, the latter left his tax booth (remembering to take his pen!) and followed Jesus. Matthew wanted to spread the joy about his calling to all his friends, so he invited them to a party. When he was criticized by the religion police for celebrating the mercy of God, Jesus justified it by quoting Hosea 6:6. This Old Testament text occurs twice in Matthew (cf. Matthew 12:7).
The reality of mercy coming was underlined by John in his first Epistle. Jesus appeared, and people heard him, saw him, and touched him. He was no illusion. Mercy really came (cf. Titus 2:14).
Mark Scott serves as preaching minister with Park Plaza Christian Church in Joplin, Mo. For 35 years, until 2021, he served as professor of preaching and New Testament with Ozark Christian College in Joplin.
APPLICATION
WEEK 2
a guide for the journey
by David Faust
Tap to expand/collapse
Recently I led a group on a Holy Land tour, but I should qualify the word led. My job was to lead devotions, encourage travelers, and provide biblical insights along the way. But our group also needed a leader who knew the customs, language, and traffic patterns of Israel and Jordan. We needed a guide! Fortunately, we had well-qualified guides who made our journey safe, fun, and educational.
Which Road?
In Jordan we walked through a 3,900-foot gorge (the Siq) at ancient Petra, a city carved out of red sandstone. One side of the path was paved with rough stones laid during the time of Christ, while the other side was paved with smooth modern concrete.
Our guide quipped, “You can walk on the 2,000-yearold path or the 12-year-old path. It’s your choice!” I wondered, Do we “ask for the ancient paths” (Jeremiah 6:16), or take whatever road seems easier?
Which Values?
In a Bethlehem gift shop, our guide advised us to buy authentic olive wood, not waste money on knock-off trinkets made in other countries. Likewise, competent spiritual leaders help us distinguish godly values from cheap, misleading counterfeits.
Micah 6:8 mentions some authentic spiritual treasures. A Christian woman I know considers it her favorite verse in the Old Testament. There was a time in her life when serving God seemed like a burden. The demands of being a mother, a minister’s wife, and an active church member made her feel like God required more than she could give. Exhausted and overwhelmed, she almost gave up. Then one day in church, the worship leader introduced a song that refreshed her soul like spring rain after a long drought. The words of the song came from Micah 6:8: “And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” My friend thought, With God’s help, I can do those things! By guiding her toward the timeless values of justice, mercy, and humility, the Lord refreshed her to continue on the journey of faith.
Which Cause?
Our tour group visited the mountaintop fortress of Masada, where in the early 70s AD a determined band of Jewish zealots held off advancing Roman legions before the zealots decided to choose death over slavery. On that hilltop I asked myself, What am I willing to die for? Many today are passionate about politics and money. Are we zealous for things that matter most to God? Romans 12:11 says, “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.”
Which Leader?
When we arrived at the Garden of Gethsemane, the Garden Tomb, ancient Jericho, and other sites, our guide would step off the bus and say enthusiastically, “C’mon. Let’s go.” Our job was to follow him, just as the first-century disciples followed Jesus.
We toured the remains of a first-century synagogue in Magdala, northwest of the Sea of Galilee. It was easy to picture the Lord teaching there, for we know “Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues” (Matthew 4:23). A famous woman considered Magdala her hometown. Jesus freed Mary Magdalene from demon possession and later she became a witness of his resurrection. She needed the Lord to guide her, and so do we.
“For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end” (Psalm 48:14).
Personal Challenge:
On a piece of paper or in your personal journal, write three areas of your personal life where you need the Lord’s guidance right now. As you pray about these issues, ponder these words from Isaiah 58:11: “The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land.”
David Faust serves as senior associate minister with East 91st Street Christian Church in Indianapolis.
DISCOVERY
WEEK 2
QUESTIONS FOR GROUP DISCUSSION
Tap to expand/collapse
1. With whom did you share God’s grace and forgiveness last week?
2. What should we take with us when we go to worship God?
Ask two people to read aloud Hosea 6:6; Micah 6:6-8; 7:8-19; Matthew 9:9-13; 1 John 1:1-2, one after the other, preferably from different Bible versions. Then ask a third person to briefly summarize the passage.
3. After reading and hearing these passages, how would you answer the questions in Micah 6:6?
4. What do you learn about God’s nature from these passages? (And how does Jesus embody God’s nature?)
5. Justice and mercy are more than just biblical concepts. They took on flesh in Jesus. How did Jesus personify both justice and mercy in Matthew 9:9-13?
6. What do you learn about yourself, especially regarding your relationship with God, from these passages?
7. The God of mercy (see especially Micah 7:18-19) desires mercy from us (Hosea 6:6; Micah 6:8). How will you act justly and show mercy to another person as you walk humbly with God this week?
8. Jesus’ first disciples saw and heard Jesus, and then they testified (proclaimed) to others about him. How will you use the passages we’ve studied today to proclaim to others the eternal life Jesus came to give?
9. Based on our study and discussion, complete the sentence: “I will . . .”
10. Conclude your time together by rereading Micah 7:18-19 as a group prayer. To go deeper, allow others to add to this prayer in their own words.
For Next Week: Read and reflect on Amos 9:5-15. You can also read next week’s supplemental texts and the Study and Application sections as part of your personal study.
Week Three
LESSON AIM: Eat of God’s garden in wholeness.
STUDY: Minor Prophets (Hosea, Amos, & Micah)
THEME: I’ve Been Unfaithful
LESSON TEXT: Amos 9:5-15
SUPPLEMENTAL TEXT: Isaiah 10:20-23; Ezekiel 37:1-14; Revelation 2:5-7; 3:19-20
STUDY
WEEK 3
mend my brokenness
by Mark Scott
Tap to expand/collapse
In C.S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Lucy asked Mr. Beaver, “Is he [Aslan, the lion] safe?” Mr. Beaver said, “No, he’s not safe, but he’s good.” That line fits the content of Amos’s prophecy. God is not safe—he comes with a plumb line of judgment—but he is good. And when he judges, he also builds restoration into his judgment.
Amos was not from a priestly family. He was a farmer (fig nipper) from Tekoa, a town 10 miles south of Jerusalem. He prophesied around 755 BC. Uzziah, who was a pretty good king, was reigning in Judah, and Jeroboam, who was a pretty bad king, was reigning in Israel. Amos was from the south but carried on his prophetic ministry in the north—which did not sit well with the northerners. But the nations around Israel (Amos 1–2) and Israel herself were very broken (Amos 3–9). God addressed the brokenness through Amos’s oracles and visions.
The Brokenness Was Severe
Amos 9:5-10
How severe was the brokenness? Very! The people of Israel had majored in minors (Amos 5:21-24) and were experiencing the worst kind of famine—one from the Word of God (8:11). They would not be able to escape judgment from the Lord of Hosts.
Through Amos, God appealed to his people about this judgment by leaning back into creation (Amos 9:5-6), reminding them of their redemption (v. 7) and making them aware of his omniscience (vv. 8-10). The Lord Almighty is so powerful that when he judges, the earth melts and the people cry. The land goes topsy-turvy when God judges. The Nile River—i.e., the River of Egypt—rises for about one month during the spring. Then it falls (recedes) again. The lofty palace in the heavens (upper chambers of the firmament) stores up rain, and then, at God’s command, floods the face of the land. Creation seemed to know that God is in control, but the people of Israel seemed clueless.
God often reminded his people of their redemption when they were in Egypt. But God was not myopic about Israel. He was also aware of other nations. He brought the Philistines from Caphtor (Crete), and he brought the Arameans from Kir (East of the Persian Gulf). God spread his sovereignty over his redemptive purposes throughout the world (Acts 17:26-27).
No one can pull the wool over God’s eyes. Nothing catches God by surprise. His eyes search throughout the earth (2 Chronicles 16:9). The Sovereign Lord had his gaze fixed on the sinful kingdom. He would punish Israel severely. In fact, he would shake the people of Israel among the nations. This probably means cause them to be disrespected among the nations. They would be shaken like grain . . . in a sieve. Sinners and presumptuous people who thought disaster would not overtake them would die by the sword (by enemy armies).
But there is a glimmer of hope in this judgment. God would not totally destroy the descendants of Jacob but would have mercy on them because he so desires to mend their brokenness.
The Mending of the Brokenness Was Thorough
Amos 9:11-15
With God, mercy always triumphs over judgment (James 2:13). God wanted to restore David’s fallen shelter. King David had passed away 245 years earlier. Is the fallen shelter then the tabernacle or is it something else? Whatever it refers to, the restoration will be complete. Broken walls will be repaired, and even the neighboring nations will recognize that God was at work in it all.
God spoke of mending the brokenness in glorious terms. Food will be in abundance (described in terms of simultaneous harvesting and planting—in other words, crops will still be growing when new ones can be planted). Wine will also exist in abundance (John 2:1-12). And the people deported to exile will come home. Cities will be rebuilt. Vineyards and gardens will flourish. Israel will experience security in the land never to be uprooted again.
The question remains, “What is being envisioned here?” The first meaning surely includes Israel (and perhaps also Judah) returning from their literal and physical exiles in Assyria and Babylon (cf. 2 Chronicles 36:17-22). Some would suggest it refers to the time of the Jews’ return to the “Holy Land” before Christ returns. But in light of James’s use of the book of Amos in Acts 15:16-17, it seems it is spiritually (or metaphorically or typologically) referring to the church age where Jew and Gentile experience such goodness. The literalistic interpretation breaks down because God mends our lives in ways that exceed physical boundaries.
Mark Scott serves as preaching minister with Park Plaza Christian Church in Joplin, Mo. For 35 years, until 2021, he served as professor of preaching and New Testament with Ozark Christian College in Joplin.
APPLICATION
WEEK 3
the lowest place on earth
by David Faust
Tap to expand/collapse
In Jesus’ story about the Good Samaritan it was no coincidence he said, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho” (Luke 10:30). Jericho is located down by the Dead Sea, approximately 1,400 feet below sea level. Residents of Jericho have turned their low elevation into a marketing opportunity, proudly labeling their city “The Lowest Place on Earth.” A sign near the beach at the Dead Sea invites customers to buy a drink at “The Lowest Juice Bar on Earth.”
Living in Low Places
Moral Low. Joshua 2 tells about a prostitute named Rahab who lived by Jericho’s city wall. She was hardly a paragon of virtue, but this morally flawed woman recognized the Lord was with the Israelites and risked her life by hiding two spies. A scarlet-colored cord in the window identified her house so the invading soldiers would spare her family. The New Testament lifts up Rahab as a positive example of faith (Hebrews 11:31) and obedience (James 2:25), and she appears in Jesus’ genealogy as an ancestor of the Messiah (Matthew 1:5).
Physical Low. Centuries after Rahab, a blind man named Bartimaeus lived in Jericho, and his physical condition brought him down. Unable to see or work, he sat by the roadside begging until Jesus told him, “‘Go, . . . your faith has healed you.’ Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road” (Mark 10:52)—the same road where he used to beg.
Social Low. Zacchaeus was short in stature, but not short on funds. His job as a chief tax collector earned him a lucrative income but made him a social outcast in Jericho. Determined to see the Lord, Zacchaeus climbed a tree, and to everyone’s surprise, Jesus called him by name and invited himself to dinner at the tax collector’s house. Jesus transformed Zacchaeus from a taker to a giver, from a cheater to a benefactor, from a social outcast to a member of God’s family.
Circumstantial Low. To this day, the road to Jericho isn’t a safe place to hike by yourself at night. In Jesus’ story in Luke 10, that road became a crime scene where thieves attacked a traveler and left him half dead. Unwilling to get involved, religious leaders walked past the wounded man, but a good Samaritan stepped in to provide kindness and care.
When you find yourself in low places—morally, physically, relationally, or circumstantially—the God of grace is able to repair your “broken walls” and restore what seems ruined (Amos 9:11).
Stepping Down from High Places
Near Jerusalem today you can see the remains of Herodium (also known as Herodian). King Herod’s workers built him an elaborate, well-fortified mountaintop palace there complete with gardens, pools, and a theatre. The imposing fortress towers over the valley below, with Bethlehem a short distance away. Standing on the hilltop at Herodium, with the wind whistling past my face, I thanked the Lord for his willingness to step down from high places.
Jesus wasn’t born in a mountaintop palace. He came down to the valley, to a Bethlehem manger. To restore us, Christ stepped down to the lowest place on earth. “He humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:8). Whatever circumstances bring you down, the Lord’s invitation remains: “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up” (James 4:10).
Personal Challenge:
What has been dragging you down lately? Meditate on 1 Peter 5:6-7 and give your worries to the Lord. “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”
David Faust serves as senior associate minister with East 91st Street Christian Church in Indianapolis.
DISCOVERY
WEEK 3
QUESTIONS FOR GROUP DISCUSSION
Tap to expand/collapse
1. How did you act justly and show mercy to another person over the past week?
2. What is the best (or your favorite) thing you have built or rebuilt?
Ask two people to read aloud Amos 9:5-15, one after the other, preferably from different Bible versions. Then ask a third person to briefly summarize these verses.
3. What characteristics of God do you see in or infer from this passage?
4. What traits of humans do you see in or infer from what God says (vv. 7-15)?
5. In what ways can people be presumptuous about how God will work?
6. One word used to describe God in this passage is Sovereign (v. 8), which means he has supreme authority and power over all creation as well as the absolute right to exercise his will. How do you see his sovereignty played out in this passage?
7. The Lord has the power to repair, restore, and rebuild. How have you seen (or are you seeing) him do that in your own life or in the lives of others around you?
8. Who among your friends and family needs to hear about the Lord Almighty, the Sovereign Lord, our Creator and Redeemer, who repairs, restores, and rebuilds? (How will you share the message from this study with them?)
9. Based on our study and discussion, complete the sentence: “I will . . .”
10. What are you seeking and praying for the Lord to repair, restore, and/or rebuild in your life?
For Next Week: Read and reflect on Amos 5:6-15, 21-24. You can also read next week’s supplemental texts and the Study and Application sections as part of your personal study.
Week Four
LESSON AIM: Live out righteousness like a never-failing stream.
STUDY: Minor Prophets (Hosea, Amos, & Micah)
THEME: I’ve Been Unfaithful
LESSON TEXT: Amos 5:6-15, 21-24
SUPPLEMENTAL TEXT: Isaiah 45:5-8; James 2:21-26
STUDY
WEEK 4
lead me to righteousness
by Mark Scott
Tap to expand/collapse
The beauty of Amos 5:24 is hard to surpass: “But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream.” Two of the most significant words in the Hebrew Bible are in the verse, namely justice (right judgment) and righteousness (rightness and conforming to a standard). The water metaphor also stands out. One of the most famous uses of the verse was in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. Amos continued to plead with Israel to embrace righteousness and to jettison unrighteousness.
Unrighteousness that Needs to Be Eradicated
Amos 5:6-7, 10-13, 21-23
The farmer prophet pleaded with Israel to seek (inquire or pursue with care) the Lord and live. Heeding Amos’s plea might just avert God’s judgment. Several unrighteous deeds were identified as needing to be eradicated. The most pronounced was idolatry. Bethel is mentioned. The name of the city means “house of God,” but Bethel was not acting godly. Bethel became the seedbed of disobedience. Jeroboam II had built a false sanctuary there and urged Israel to worship there instead of Jerusalem. God said he would sweep through the idolatrous tribes like fire.
In addition to worshiping idols, the people disregarded justice and righteousness. Justice was turned into bitterness (wormwood or bitter pulp), and righteousness was being cast to the ground (cf. Daniel 8:12). The casting aside of these great standards showed up in people who disdained those who sought justice. Some also detested truth tellers.
Mistreatment of the poor was further evidence of unrighteousness. They were being unduly taxed. The judges who should have defended them were accepting bribes and depriving justice to the poor. God had little patience for such abuse. Some people had built fancy and expensive houses (stone mansions), but God would see to it they would not live in them. Some also had planted lush vineyards, but God would see to it they would not drink wine from them. Even prudent people (wise or those who acted circumspectly) were hesitant to speak up. The times were just too evil.
A final unrighteousness was religious hypocrisy. This was a constant problem in pre-exilic Israel. They were just going through the religious motions. Their hearts were far from God (Isaiah 29:13). The religious festivals and assemblies that God had commanded were offensive (a stench) to him. They were obeying Leviticus 1–7 about the sacrifices and offerings but not in ways acceptable to God. He would not accept them or have regard for them. Even the songs that were part of these religious festivals were odious to God. All of these had to be eradicated if Israel was to be led to righteousness.
Righteousness that Needs to Be Vindicated
Amos 5:8-9, 14-15, 24
At day’s end, God will always have the last word. He will be vindicated even if every person were held to be a liar (Romans 3:4). After all, he is Creator. He made Pleiades (a constellation in the heavens that signaled spring when it was high) and Orion (a constellation that signaled winter when it was high)—see Job 9:9; 38:31. Daylight becomes longer or shorter based on how God arranged the seasons. Another aspect of his creative genius is what he does with the earth’s waters. God can certainly make a flood if he so chooses (Genesis 6–9). In a moment, God can bring down strongholds and fortified cities with water or fire.
So, the only thing that makes sense is to seek good, not evil. This would guarantee life and the presence of the Lord God Almighty. (This phrase can also be translated “the God of hosts” or “the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies.”) To love the things God loves requires that his people hate the things God hates. Evil is to be hated and good is to be loved. Justice in the courts for all will bring mercy from God to the remnant of Joseph (a rare occurrence of Joseph’s name as a metonymy for Israel).
God is more than pleased when his people long for his righteousness. When this happens, God reverses his judgment and vindicates his people and their cause in the world. And when that happens, justice and righteousness will roll down on creation and people like a river and a never-ending stream.
Mark Scott serves as preaching minister with Park Plaza Christian Church in Joplin, Mo. For 35 years, until 2021, he served as professor of preaching and New Testament with Ozark Christian College in Joplin.
APPLICATION
WEEK 4
services even god doesn’t want to attend
by David Faust
Tap to expand/collapse
Church attendance is declining in America. The Hartford Institute for Religion Research estimates that in the 314,000 Protestant churches in the United States, fewer than one member out of four (23 percent) attends worship services every week. When a Pew Research Center survey asked why people stay away from church, the answers included these:
- “I practice my faith in other ways.”
- “I don’t like the sermons.”
- “I don’t have time to go.”
- “I don’t feel welcome there.”
- “I haven’t found a church I like.”
- “My health prevents me from attending.”
Adding to the list, Lifeway Research notes that our nation’s economic turmoil and social unrest cause people to stay away because they “disagree with the church’s stances on political/social issues” and “work responsibilities prevent them from attending.”
Here is a troubling thought. What if the Lord himself doesn’t like our services and would rather not attend? Through the prophet Amos, God left no doubt how he felt about the Israelites’ gatherings. The Lord declared, “I hate, I despise your religious festivals; your assemblies are a stench to me” (Amos 5:21). Why was God so displeased?
They professed faith, but didn’t live it. There’s a big difference between being a “professor” and a “possessor” of faith. Jesus reserved some of his harshest words for the Pharisees who “do not practice what they preach” (Matthew 23:3). It does little good to talk about faith on Sunday if we don’t practice it the rest of the week. The Israelites talked blithely about the approaching “day of the Lord,” but for them it would be a day of judgment, not mercy (Amos 5:18-20).
They mistreated their neighbors. Selfish and unmerciful, the Israelites turned “justice into bitterness and cast righteousness to the ground” (Amos 5:7). They misused the court system, taking bribes and depriving the poor of justice (5:12). Showing up for weekend worship doesn’t give us a license to mistreat our neighbors during the week. Amos urged, “But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!” (5:24).
They gave offerings, but their hearts weren’t right. Complacent and obsessed with personal comfort, the Israelites lounged around on beds and couches and ate fancy food, but they showed little concern about the spiritual health of their nation (Amos 6:1, 4-7). The Lord said, “Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Though you bring me choice fellowship offerings, I will have no regard for them” (5:22).
Their music may have pleased them, but it didn’t please God. Sick of their fake worship, the Lord said, “Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps” (Amos 5:23).
Amos’s prophecy is a wake-up call for the church. It’s good if big crowds show up at our services, but are we doing everything we can to make sure our assemblies please the Lord? The apostle Paul told the Corinthians their meetings did “more harm than good” (1 Corinthians 11:17). Instead, let’s put our faith into action, care for the needy, and speak up for justice. Let’s sing what we believe and believe what we sing. Let’s give our offerings with glad and grateful hearts.
“Seek good, not evil, that you may live. Then the Lord God Almighty will be with you, just as you say he is” (Amos 5:14).
Personal Challenge: How do you think the hard-hitting prophecies of Amos relate to the American church? What can you do to ensure that your church’s worship assemblies please the Lord?
David Faust serves as senior associate minister with East 91st Street Christian Church in Indianapolis.
DISCOVERY
WEEK 4
QUESTIONS FOR GROUP DISCUSSION
Tap to expand/collapse
1. How and with whom did you share the message about the Lord who repairs, restores, and rebuilds last week?
2. What injustice in our culture would you most like to eradicate?
Ask two people to read aloud Amos 5:6-15, 21-24, one after the other, preferably from different Bible versions. Then ask a third person to briefly summarize these verses.
3. What do you learn about justice (and injustice) and the role of God’s people in pursuing it?
4. What are the consequences for those who do not seek God and his desire for justice?
5. What do you learn about God from this passage?
6. What do you learn about people?
7. How does God respond to people whose religious practices are insincere, ritualistic, and superficial, and whose hearts are not in it—whose hearts are far from God? (See Isaiah 29:13, Mark 7:6-7.)
- What does God truly desire of his followers?
8. This passage includes several commands (see vv. 6, 14, 15). Pick one of these, and then share specifically the actions you will take this week to do what God says to do.
9. Based on our study and discussion, complete the sentence: “I will . . .”
10. What do you need from God to fight for justice and live righteously this week?
For Next Week: This week’s lesson bring this unit of study to a conclusion. Look for additional “1717: Your Word Is Truth” studies, for use with your Sunday School classes, small groups, or personal studies, at ChristianStandard.com.
