Amos

Ashley McKinney

REL-211

April 4, 2014

Writing Assignment #4:

The Prophet Amos

Amos was one of the Twelve Minor Prophets and he was an older contemporary of Hosea and Isiah. He wrote about peace and prosperity. Amos believed that prayers and sacrifices do not make up for bad deeds. Mostly, Amos directed his teaching to the northern kingdom and sympathized with the needy.

Amos accused the Israelites of many social offences against the innocent, the poor and the young woman. The social offences include: trampling on the poor, using the Lord’s name in vain and drinking wine in the house of the Lord. Still to this today, people are killing the homeless for pure enjoyment. In the past few decades, there have been 122 crimes against the homeless. People are still using the Lord’s name in vain every day and some religions drink wine in the house of the Lord. If Amos were alive today, he would be accusing the people of murdering, stealing, domestic violence, sexual assault, drugs and fraud. The punishment for these crimes should be capital punishment and capital punishment is the Divine punishment. People of today have no concern toward others and have no conscious.

Amos is concerned for the way that the wealthy lived in his day. The wealthy people were not interested in helping the poor and helping those in need. God was not pleased with the way of selfishness and He will judge whoever is selfish. Today, the people who are not willing to help the poor and needy will be punished. On judgment day, the wealthy people who had the funds and resources to help the needy will have to give an account for their selfishness. I believe that the message is applicable to people of the past and the present.

In conclusion, Amos was concerned about the peace and prosperity of his day. He did not agree with people taking the Lord’s name in vain, trampling on the poor and not wanting to help other people in need. Amos was a spokesman for God and was given a message...