Amos the Prophet

Amos was a prophet in the Old Testament. He lived about 800 years before Jesus. He came from a small town called Tekoa in the southern kingdom of Judah. But God sent him to speak to the northern kingdom of Israel.

Amos was not a priest. He was not trained to be a prophet. He worked as a shepherd. He also took care of sycamore trees. He had a simple life. But God chose him to speak hard truths.

The people of Israel were doing well at the time. The land was rich. The cities were strong. But under the surface, things were wrong. Many people were poor and suffering. The leaders were greedy and unfair. The people went to worship, but their hearts were far from God.

God gave Amos a mission. He had to tell Israel to repent. He had to warn them about judgment. He had to speak even when people did not want to listen. Amos was faithful to this call. He spoke with courage and honesty.

Amos teaches us that God can use anyone. You do not need to be rich or powerful. You do not need special training. What matters is that you listen to God and do what He asks. That is what Amos did.

His story is recorded in the Book of Amos.

Amos lived during a time of peace. The king of Israel was Jeroboam II. The kingdom had won battles. Trade was strong. The rich were getting richer. Life seemed good for many.

But the poor were being crushed. People cheated in the markets. Judges took bribes. The rich built fancy homes while the poor had nothing. There was a great divide between the powerful and the weak.

Worship had become empty. People still went to the temple. They offered sacrifices. They sang songs. But their lives did not match their worship. They hurt others during the week and then praised God on the Sabbath.

God saw all of this. He was not pleased. He sent Amos to speak out. Amos said that God cares about justice. God wants people to treat others with kindness and fairness. God wants worship that comes from the heart.

Amos stood in the middle of a proud nation. He said things they did not want to hear. He warned that their kingdom would fall if they did not change. This made many people angry. But Amos did not stop.

The time of Amos was not so different from today. Sometimes people think success means God is happy. But Amos shows us that God looks deeper. He sees how we treat the poor. He sees if we are honest and faithful.

Amos had no special title. He was a shepherd. He also cared for trees. He was not from a rich family. He did not belong to a group of prophets. He was an ordinary man.

But God chose him. God gave him a message to share. Amos listened. He did not argue. He went north to speak to Israel. This took courage. He had to leave his home. He had to face people who did not want to hear him.

Amos did not try to impress anyone. He did not wear special clothes or use fancy words. He spoke the truth as he heard it from God. He was bold. He did not water down the message.

He went to Bethel, a place of worship in Israel. There, a priest named Amaziah told him to go home. But Amos said he could not stop. God had sent him. He had to speak.

This part of his story is important. It shows that God does not only speak through leaders. He can speak through simple people too. What matters is the message, not the messenger.

Amos teaches us to obey God’s call. Even when it is hard. Even when we feel small. God can use anyone who listens and acts.

Amos spoke about justice more than anything else. He saw how the rich were treating the poor. He saw the lies and cheating. He saw how people worshipped on the outside but sinned in secret.

He said that God hates empty worship. God does not want songs or offerings from people who hurt others. God wants justice. He wants mercy. He wants people to live good lives.

One of the most famous lines from Amos is this: “Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” These are strong words. They are still used today. They remind us that God cares about how we treat others.

Amos said that judgment was coming. Israel would fall. The land would suffer. The people would be taken away. This was not because God stopped loving them. It was because they would not listen.

Amos also warned other nations. He said that all nations are judged by God. He is not only the God of Israel. He is the God of all people. No one is above His law.

But even in the middle of warnings, Amos spoke of hope. He said that one day, God would raise up the fallen house of David. This points forward to Jesus, the true King and Savior.

Amos gave many warnings. He said that the day of the Lord was near. But he said it would not be a happy day. It would be a day of darkness. A day of judgment. People were not ready for it.

He described visions of what was coming. He saw locusts, fire, and a plumb line. These were signs that judgment was near. God was measuring the people. They were found lacking.

Amos said that the songs would stop. The feasts would turn into mourning. The land would shake. The sun would go dark. These images were meant to wake people up. To help them turn back to God.

But Amos also gave hope. At the end of his book, he spoke of restoration. God would not forget His people forever. He would bring them back. He would rebuild what was broken.

He spoke of a time when the land would be full of blessing. When wine would drip from the hills. When the people would plant gardens and eat their fruit. These words point to God’s mercy.

The Church sees in these words a promise of Christ. He is the one who restores what is broken. He brings life after judgment. He is the King who rules with justice and love.

The Church remembers Amos as a prophet. He is listed in the Roman Martyrology. His feast day is June 15 or March 31. He is honored for speaking God’s truth with courage.

Amos reminds us that God cares about justice. He sees the poor. He hears their cries. He calls His people to act with mercy and honesty. Worship without love is not true worship.

The words of Amos still matter today. Many people are poor. Many are treated unfairly. Many go to church but live selfish lives. Amos calls us to live in a way that matches our faith.

Jesus also spoke of justice and mercy. He taught that love of God must go with love of neighbor. This is the same message Amos gave many years before.

The Church sees Amos as a voice for truth. Not just in his time, but in all times. He speaks to leaders, to the rich, to all of us. His message is simple: love God, love your neighbor, and live with justice.

Amos shows that God uses ordinary people. He teaches us to speak the truth. To care for the weak. To live in a way that pleases God. His words still challenge us today.

Amos lived around 750 B.C. That’s Old Testament time—way before Jesus, and way before snacks like pizza.

He was from a town called Tekoa in Judah. Not exactly a big city. Think tiny town, lots of sheep.

His job? He was a shepherd and took care of sycamore figs. That means he trimmed them to help them ripen. Prophet by day, fig farmer by trade.

God called him to be a prophet. He didn’t go to prophet school. No degree. Just sheep, figs, and a message from God.

God sent him north to Israel to speak out against injustice. This was enemy territory. Brave move.

He told the rich to stop crushing the poor. “Stop lounging on your fancy beds while others starve!” That’s not a quote, but it’s close.

He was not popular with the powerful. The priest at Bethel basically told him, “Go home, farmer.”

But Amos didn’t flinch. He said, “I’m not a prophet’s son—I’m just doing what God told me.” Total boss moment.

He gave strong warnings. He said earthquakes, fire, and famine would come if people didn’t change. Yikes.

He called out fake worship. He said, “God doesn’t want your songs and feasts if you’re treating people badly.” Mic drop.

One of his most famous lines is: “Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream.” That line even got quoted by Martin Luther King Jr.!

He loved justice. He wasn’t interested in showy religion. He wanted people to care for the poor, follow God, and stop lying.

He used cool images in his prophecies. Plumb lines, baskets of fruit, falling temples—prophet poetry at its finest.

One time, he said Israel was like a ripe basket of summer fruit. Sounds nice… until you hear that it meant the country was about to rot. Oops.

He predicted that one day God would restore David’s kingdom. A little hope at the end of all the warnings.

We don’t know how he died. The Bible doesn’t say. But tradition says he went back to Judah and died there in peace.

His name means “burden.” Fitting, since he carried a big message.

He is honored as one of the Twelve Minor Prophets. “Minor” just means shorter books—not less important.

He’s a great prophet to remember when the world seems unfair. He reminds us that God sees it all—and cares.