The Prophet From Tekoa Series

Scripture

Today I am beginning a study in the book of Amos in a sermon series I am calling, “A Prophet for Today.” I hope that we shall see how relevant this prophet of God is for us today in a sermon titled, “The Prophet from Tekoa.”

Let us read about the prophet from Tekoa in Amos 1:1-2; 7:10-17:

1 The words of Amos, who was among the shepherds 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.

2 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.”

…. 10 Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel. The land is not able to bear all his words. 11 For thus Amos has said,

“ ‘Jeroboam shall die by the sword,

and Israel must go into exile

away from his land.’ ”

12 And Amaziah said to Amos, “O seer, go, flee away to the land of Judah, and eat bread there, and prophesy there, 13 but never again prophesy at Bethel, for it is the king’s sanctuary, and it is a temple of the kingdom.”

14 Then Amos answered and said to Amaziah, “I was no prophet, nor a prophet’s son, but I was a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore figs. 15 But the Lord took me from following the flock, and the Lord said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’ 16 Now therefore hear the word of the Lord.

“You say, ‘Do not prophesy against Israel,

and do not preach against the house of Isaac.’

17 Therefore thus says the Lord:

“ ‘Your wife shall be a prostitute in the city,

and your sons and your daughters shall fall

by the sword,

and your land shall be divided up with

a measuring line;

you yourself shall die in an unclean land,

and Israel shall surely go into exile

away from its land.’ ” (Amos 1:1-2; 7:10-17)

Introduction

I first studied the book of Amos—probably around 1980—as a young Christian at the University of Cape Town. I was part of a Christian campus ministry known as the Student YMCA, which was very similar to our Reformed University Fellowship. In order to help Christians grow in their faith, the Campus Minister, the Rev. Roger Palmer, chose specific books of the Bible each year that students would study in all of the ministry’s Bible Studies.

When we started studying Amos, which was probably the first book of the Prophets that I studied, I remember wondering how such an ancient book would be relevant to me in 1980.

Was I ever wrong! As we worked through the Book of Amos, I was struck at how contemporary it was and at how practical it was to our situation in South Africa. Commentator James Montgomery Boice writes:

The Book of Amos is one of the most readable, relevant, and moving portions of the Word of God. But in much of church history (until very recent times) little or no attention has been paid to it. Why? It is because the book speaks powerfully against social injustices and religious formalism, and many who would otherwise read the book have been implicated in such sins and are condemned by it.

So, I am hoping and praying that God will use our study of the Book of Amos to show us how relevant the prophet from Tekoa is for us today.

As we begin our study in the Book of Amos today, we are going to examine the call of a man to speak for God.

Lesson

Amos 1:1-2; 7:10-17 shows us a call to speak for God.

Let’s use the following outline:

1. The Author (1:1a)

2. The Recipients (1:1b)

3. The Date (1:1c)

4. The Message (1:2; 7:10-17)

I. The Author (1:1a)

First, let’s look at the author.

The Book of Amos begins with these words in verse 1a, “The words of Amos, who was among the shepherds of Tekoa.”

We know very little about Amos. He is mentioned nowhere else in Scripture, although different men with the name of Amos are mentioned (cf. Matthew 1:10; Luke 3:25).

Amos says he “was among the shepherds of Tekoa.” The village of Tekoa was probably the birthplace of Amos and where he lived when God called him to his service. Tekoa was a village in the southern Judean hill country about 5 miles south to southeast of Bethlehem and about 10 miles south of Jerusalem. The village was on the dividing line between the desolate wilderness area to the east and the agricultural lands to the west. Tekoa is perhaps best known because of the wise woman that was employed by Joab to convince King David to be merciful to Absalom (2 Samuel 14:2-9). Tekoa also had a military fortress associated with it during the period of kings Rehoboam (ca 920 BC; 2 Chronicles 11:5-7), Jehoshaphat (ca 860 BC; 2 Chronicles 17:2; 20:20), and Uzziah (ca 760 BC; 2 Chronicles 26:10). The presence of the wise woman and the military fortress may suggest that the citizens of Tekoa were exposed to far-ranging news and information that did not make them sleepy and unlearned little villagers.