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The book of Amos is classified as a Minor Prophet in the Christian Bible and part of the Twelve in the Tanakh—the Minor Prophets were once considered a single collection in the Jewish canon. Although Amos, the author, hailed from Judah, the prophecies contained in this book are spoken to the northern kingdom of Israel (Amos 1:1). During the period addressed in Amos, the northern kingdom enjoyed a measure of prosperity. The affluence led to materialism, arrogance, idolatry, and oppression.
Many prophets were sent to warn the Israelites to repent, and Amos was one of them. The difference was that he ventured from the southern kingdom of Judah to deliver God’s Word to them. Similar to Joel several other prophetic books, Amos touches on the day of the Lord. While the Israelites eagerly awaited that day, Amos portrays it as one of judgment on nations, including Israel (Amos 5:18–20).
Amos the man was a quiet shepherd from Tekoa, as his book’s superscription reveals (Amos 1:1). Some commentators suggest that the final work was compiled by some unknown scribes, but, either way, Amos was the author. He prophesied during the reigns of Uzziah (in Judah) and Jeroboam II (in Israel), making him a contemporary of Hosea and Isaiah.
Interestingly, Amos “was neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet”; rather he “was a shepherd, and [he] also took care of sycamore-fig trees” (Amos 7:14). God’s choice of a simple shepherd from Judah to prophesy against prosperous Israel is consistent with His counterintuitive wisdom. As Paul stated, “God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him” (1 Corinthians 1:27–29). Amos’ emphasis on justice for the marginalized is a reflection of God’s heart for the downtrodden (see Deuteronomy 10:18).
The various passages in the book of Amos are loosely connected, but the overall emphasis is on justice and righteousness. Christians today are challenged to uphold these values and to look after the disadvantaged: “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world” (James 1:27).
Amos was a humble prophet simply going where God told him to go and speaking what God told him to say. His meekness is a model for anyone and is blessed by God: “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5).
