Bible Commentaries
Amos 2

Bell's Commentary on the BibleBell's Commentary

Verses 1-16

    1. MOAB! (2:1-3)
    2. Why the judgment? – For Injustice!
      1. “Because he burned the bones of the king of Edom to lime.”
      2. The Scriptures are also silent regarding these atrocities also.
    3. JUDAH! (2:4,5)
    4. Q: How do you think Judah & Israel felt regarding their “enemies” judgment?
    5. Now Amos hits “the green” of the bulls-eye bringing it to his own homeland!
      1. Donald Grey Barnhouse, “The common assumption…of his day [was] that his people had a patent & a copyright on God.”
    6. Why the judgment? – For Perverting the Law!
      1. ​​​​​​​“Because they have despised the law of the LORD, And have not kept His commandments. Their lies lead them astray, Lies which their fathers followed.”
      2. The Lord Judges people according to the light he has given them.
        1. Q: How much light has been shown your way? [Lets’ say you get 1 point for everyone of these]
        2. {Do you have a bible(or a few)? Are you w/in driving distance of a church(s)? Can you tune into a Christian radio program? How many channels of Christian TV do you have? Do you have access to Bible teaching tapes? Are you free from persecution for your faith? Do you have any other Bible study aide beside your bible? Do you have computer access to any bible study material?}
    7. ISRAEL! (2:6-16)
    8. Israel might say(looking & listening to Amos) “He speaks like a shepherd, he looks like a shepherd, He smells like a shepherd, but he sure doesn’tsound like one!
    9. Amos’ coil of condemnation has finally reached the center!
      1. Opposite of a cinnamon roll(best being the center!)
      2. Maze w/a mouse trap in the center.
    10. Explain when the kingdom divided what Jeroboam had done regarding “worship”! {See 1 Kings 12:26-31}
      1. Calf-worship was its religion. I saw the other sight up north in Dan.
    11. Why the judgment? – Social Injustice & Sexual Immorality!
      1. ​​​​​​​“Because they sell the righteous for silver, And the poor for a pair of sandals…”
      2. I.e. They sell the rights of the poor, which were carefully protected in the OT Law.
      3. (7) The father & son partake in the same immorality w/the temple prostitutes.
      4. (8) The garments weren’t returned before nightfall. Instead, the wealthy used them at the alters for resting places.
    12. Nazarites – were living reminders to Israel of being set apart for God!
      1. Oh, for more present day Nazarites!
    13. End: In 722bc…that judgment came via Assyria.
      1. I said in the beginning that Israel was “enjoying a time of peace & prosperity; its interest in “religion” was high, but revival was shallow, & had very little effect on everyday life!”
      2. Q: How does that relate to our country today?
        1. We too have been blessed w/prosperity, peace, & power. So the question is HOW are we using these blessings to honor God?
        2. Or, are we using them to satisfy our own passions at others’ expense?
        3. Statistic: “1 out of 18 people in the world live in the U.S. That 1/18th of the world’s population, it so happens, gathers 35% of the world’s income. 20% of humanity(basically Europe & America) controls 80% of the worlds resources, which leaves 80% of the world’s population to divide the remaining fraction of the world’s resources” {Arthur Simon, author of breaking Bread w/the hungry}
      3. Rich Christians in an age of hunger…how can we help feed?

        Rich Christians in an age of persecution…how can we help encourage?

        Rich Christians in an age of injustices…how can we deal more fairly with others?
Bibliographical Information
Bell, Brian. "Commentary on Amos 2". "Bell's Commentary". https://studylight.org/commentaries/eng/cbb/amos-2.html. 2017.