The Prophet From Tekoa Series

Amos identified himself as “among the shepherds.” The Hebrew word for “shepherds” could also mean “sheep breeder.” When we hear that someone is a “shepherd” we tend to think that someone is very simple and uneducated. But, that is not necessarily the case. One thinks of young David, who was a shepherd but wrote some of the most moving poetry in history. He also was an incredibly gifted military leader, and a competent political leader. However, it is likely that Amos was a sheep breeder and that he had oversight of many sheep. It seems that Amos was stressing his non-professional role as a prophet. In fact, he made that very point later in his book, in Amos 7:14, where he wrote, “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.’ ” Amos wanted it to be clear that he was a non-professional prophet. He was a shepherd by profession. “But,” as commentator Gary V. Smith writes, “being a shepherd is not identical to being a simple uneducated peasant. The literary style, method of argument, and knowledge of international political affairs clearly demonstrate that Amos is an educated and knowledgeable person.”

So, out of a little village called Tekoa, God called a man by the name of Amos to speak on his behalf.

II. The Recipients (1:1b)

Second, let’s examine the recipients.

Amos went on to write in verse 1b, “…which he saw concerning Israel.”

I want to note that other prophets often begin by writing, “The word of the LORD….” Amos did not begin his book like that. He began by saying, “The words of Amos.” However, that did not mean that he was the sole author. I say that because he used this clause here in verse 1b, “which he saw.” This expression indicates that he received the words of his prophecy from another source. Perhaps he was referring to the visionary material that was given in Amos 7-9. But it is more likely that he used it in the sense of divine revelation. By using this expression, Amos was insisting that he claimed divine origin and authority for his prophecy. He was not speaking on his own. Indeed, he was called by God to speak for God.

And to whom was he to speak? Amos’ prophecy was primarily “concerning Israel.”

Let me give a quick history lesson. The first three kings of God’s covenant people were Saul, David, and Solomon. Saul reigned as king from 1050-1010 BC, David reigned as king from 1010-970 BC, and Solomon reigned as king from 970-930 BC. Each king reigned for 40 years. When Solomon died in 930 BC, the kingdom split in two. The northern kingdom was called Israel. And the southern kingdom was called Judah.

At the time that God called Amos to speak for him, Amos was living in the southern kingdom of Judah. But God called him to go and speak to the northern kingdom of Israel. At this time in their histories, both kingdoms enjoyed relatively peaceful relations with each other. So, it was easy for a southerner to preach to northerners. Commentator Smith writes:

No specific group within Israel is identified in 1:1, but internal evidence suggests several different audiences in Israel. Most conceive of a fairly short ministry in Israel centered around the capital city of Samaria and the national temple of Bethel. The political, social, and religious behavior of the audience is described by Amos in great detail within each prophecy. The audience response is often unknown, with the exception of the strong negative response in 7:10–13.