AMOS

Introduction

This presentation is made available as a

public service due to its Biblical and

historic value.

The presenter should become thoroughly

familiar with material before presentation. If

time permits, schedule a follow-up period

for questions and discussions.

Courtesy of Doug Gamble Silverdale, Washington.

Setting

• Circa 776 B.C.

• Jeroboam II is King of Israel

• During Jeroboam’s 41 year reign, country

prospers, there is religion but not holiness.

• Lots of wealthy people, but little done for

the poor. The legal system was corrupt.

• Immorality rampant.

God Called A Goat Herder • Amos 7:14-15

• Minding his own business, a herdsman of

goats/sheep and a gatherer of figs.

• No seminary degree.

• God called Amos into the ministry.

• Amos means “burden bearer” – welcome

to the ministry!

• Amos will prophecy of the Philistines.

Philistines In The Bible

• Over 200 mentions of the Philistines in the

Old Testament, beginning in Genesis.

• The Philistines sent Delilah to discover the

secret of Samson's strength. (Judges 16)

• The Philistines killed King Saul and his

sons in battle.

Archeology Confirms Bible

• The Philistines decapitated Saul and took

his body to the temple of Ashtaroth. – I Samuel 31:10

• The Philistines took Saul’s head to the

Temple of Dagon. – I Chronicles 10:10

Philistines in the Bible

• David killed a giant Philistine named

Goliath. – I Samuel 17

• The Israelites pursued the Philistines to

the gates of Ekron, a major Philistine city. – I Samuel 17:52

Major Philistine Cities in Bible

• Askelon

• Ashdad

• Gath

• Gaza

• Ekron

The “Higher Critics”

• The term " higher criticism" was coined by

Eichhorn, who lived from 1752 to 1827.

• Higher critics, such as Eichorn, Astruc and

Wellhausen, attacked the Bible,

considering it a book of myths.

• They said the Bible talked much about the

Philistines but there was no trace of the

Philistine people or cities outside the Bible.

Archeology Confirms Ashkelon

• Harvard archeologists worked at the ruins

of ancient Askelon for over 20 years.

• Among other things, they found a 2500

year old pet cemetery.

• Over 2000 greyhound dogs were found

carefully buried individually with the tale

wrapped around the leg and pointed down.

Ashdod

• At the ruins of Ashdod, on the palace

walls, archeologists found the engraved

story of the capture of Ashdod, as

recorded in the 20th chapter of Isaiah.

Archeology Confirms Philistines

• JERUSALEM -- Archeologists uncovered

a stone inscribed with the name of the

biblical city of Ekron and its kings,

conclusive evidence of the Philistine city

that burned to the ground more than 2,500

years ago.

Archeology Confirms Philistines

• Ekron is referred to in the Book of I

Samuel, which tells of the Philistines

capturing the Ark of the Covenant and

taking it to Ekron.

The Iron Age

• Archaeologists found tools and other iron

artifacts at Philistine-Israelite sites, but

weapons are found only at Philistine sites.

• Archeologists were puzzled. Why did

Israelites have iron tools, but not iron

weapons?

I Samuel 13:19-22

• “The Philistines had said, 'Otherwise the

Hebrews will make swords or spears!'...So

on the day of the battle not a soldier with

Saul and Jonathan had a sword or spear

in his hand.”

• The Philistines perfected iron making and

traded with Israel for tools, but not for

weapons, until later.

Ekron Archeology

• Major excavations were conducted

between 1981 and 1996, providing much

information about the history of Philistine

Ekron during the 600 years of its existence

(from the 12th to the end of the 7th century

BC).

• Bible critics said there were no Philistines,

but they existed 600 years (U.S. only 250).

Ekron Archeology

• Two Philistine temples have been

uncovered by archaeologists. One in

northern Tel Aviv, and one in ancient

Ekron. These two temples are where the

Philistines took Saul’s head and torso.

Ekron Archeology

• Both temples share a unique design -- the

roof was supported by two central pillars!

The pillars were made of wood and rested

on stone support bases.

• A strong man could dislodge them from

their stone bases and bring the entire roof

crashing down. The archaeological finding

matches the Biblical story about Sampson.

Gath

• Considered the largest and one of most

important archeological spots in Israel

• Much evidence of the Philistines has been

unearthed at this ruins.

Findings Confirm The Bible

• Dr. W. F. Albright, John Hopkins University:

• “There can be no doubt that archeology has confirmed the substantial historicity of Old Testament.”

• Millar Burrows of Yale stated: “...archaeological work has unquestionably strengthened the reliability of the scriptural record...”

The Bible Is Accurate

• The higher critics were wrong.

• There were a great race of people known

as the Philistines.

• The 5 major Philistine cities recorded in

the Bible have been found.

• The Philistines were around 350 years

longer than Americans have been.

God Said Philistines Would Perish

• Amos 1:8 (RC)

• “The remnant of the Philistines shall

perish.”

• They perished so well that for 2,000 years

no trace of the people anywhere on earth,

but archeological science proves they

were a powerful race one time in history.

Why Did Philistines Perish?

• Captured and sold slaves (Amos 1:6-8)

• God does not want man to be a slave, to

another man, or to sin.

• Broke treaty with Israel (Amos 1:9)

• God does not take it lightly when you go

against his chosen people, “the apple of

God’s eye”.

Judah Destroyed

• Amos 2:4-5

• “Thus sayeth the Lord:”

• “For their transgressions I will destroy

Judah with fire.”

• History and archeology confirm that Judah

was totally burnt, only the stones

remained.

Why Destroyed

• Amos 2:4-5

• God’s Judgment for 2 things:

• They were wealthy and religious, but did

not live according to God’s word.

• They liked religion, but did not want to live

holy, according to God’s Holy Word.

• They did not keep his commandments.

God Uses Prophets

• Amos 2:11(RC)

• I (God) raised up prophets to return men

to God’s word and to his commandments.

• Jesus said: Man shall not live by bread

alone, but by every word that proceedeth

out of the mouth of God.

You Gave Wine To Men of God

• Amos 2:11-12

• God raised them up, but ye gave them

wine.

• Leviticus 10:10-11

You Should Have Known

• Amos 3:1-2

• Of all nations on earth, you are the one

that was once of God.

• Therefore I will punish you for your

iniquities.

• Of all nations on earth, America is the one

that claims “One nation under God.” It is in

every wallet and purse.

Violence and Robbery

• Amos 3:10-15

• God was displeased because the nation

was filled with violence and robbery.

• He said because of these sins, God would

send an adversary.

• Your big houses will be gone, God will

remove you from Israel, just as I removed

pieces of lamb from the mouth of the lion.

Violence and Robbery In U.S.

1960 2006 Increase

Population 180 mil. 300 mil. x 1.6

Violence 559,970 2,276,047 x 5

Robbery 2,357,840 9,447,403 x 4

God Judges Sin

• In the Bible, God uses various forms of

punishment to judge sin, if man does not

return to God (repent).

Ye Have Not Returned

• Amos 4:6

• Famine

Ye Have Not Returned

• Amos 4:7-8

• Drought

Ye Have Not Returned

• Amos 4:9-10

• God sent disease and insects to destroy

the crops

How To Avoid Judgment

• Amos 5:4

• “Seek ye me and ye shall live.”

God’s Prophets Take Heat

• Amos 5:10

• They hate him that rebuketh in the gate,

and they abhor him that speaketh

uprightly.

Godly Preaching Convicts

• Amos 7:10

• …”The land is not able to bear all his

words”

What Gets To God

• Amos 5:12-13

• God says he knows our sins and iniquities

• They afflict the just, they take a bribe and

they turn aside the poor.

Bribery In U.S.

• Since 1990, 106 members of Congress

and 28 members of the Senate have been

formally accused of bribery.

• E.g. Ted Stevens, W. Jefferson, Bob Ney,

Randy Duke Cunningham, James

Traficant, Dan Rostenkowski, Sen.

Rangle, and others.

Seek Good and Not Evil

• Amos 5:14

• “Seek good and not evil, that ye may live;

and so the Lord, the God of hosts, shall be

with you, as ye have spoken.”

Hate Evil; Love Good

• Amos 5:15

• “Hate the evil, and love the good, and

establish judgment in the gate.”

Wealthy Had It Made

• Amos 6:1

• “Woe to them that are at ease in Zion.”

God Sent A Famine of the Word

• Amos 8:11-12

• “Behold the days come saith the Lord

God, that I will send a famine in the land,

not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for

water, but of hearing the words of the

Lord.”

• Thank God that we still have churches and

pastors who preach the words of the Lord.

Word of God Not Available

• Amos 8:12

• “They shall run from sea to sea, seeking

the word of God and shall not find it.”

God’s Word to Millions of Youth

• When I was in Lincoln elementary school

in Vallejo CA we lined up and walked from

our school to the First Baptist Church for

religious education for an hour every

week.

• This does not happen today, but 15,000

school children were bussed to hear the

Dilly Dali Lama in Seattle last year.

The Dalai Lama

• “His Holiness”

• The President of UW, Mark Enwert called

the Dalai Lama: “The preeminent spiritual

leader of our time.”

• “The Holy Lord of Compassion”

• Dalai Lama means “Ocean of Holiness”.

• He and the ones who sent the school kids

to see him are all wet.

One True God of Compassion

• …”a God full of compassion.” Psalm 86:15

• The word compassion literally means:

“suffering with another.”

• Christ suffered for us more than the Dalai

Lama could ever imagine.

• He so loved, he so had compassion that

he suffered for all mankind.

• The Dalai is one of many false Christs.

The Drought is Coming

• There is a drought of Gods word in public

schools.

• There is a drought of Gods

commandments in government buildings

and in public schools.

• There are parts of God’s word that are a

drought.

Summary

• God’s people were comfortable in Zion.

• Big homes, wealthy, worldly, immoral

• Religious, but not holy. Ignored God’s

word and God’s commandments.

• Brought wine into the church.

• God raised up a minister to speak the truth

to the people and warned of the judgment

to come.

Summary

• The government and religious leaders

were not comfortable with Amos’ message

• God’s judgment was severe. God’s people

lost their homes, their country and their

freedom. Those who once knew God

became slaves in a pagan land.

God Has and Will Judge

• Violence

• Robbery

• Immorality

• Oppression of the poor

• Bribery

• Religion without holiness

• Disregard of God’s word & commandments

Summary

• Higher critics said: the Bible is a myth, for

example no such nation or people of the

Philistines. No such cities as Ashdod,

Ashkel, Gath, Gaza or Ekron

• Archeology has proven the higher critics to

be “higher crickets” (in the dark making

noise).

Summary

• A famine of God’s Word is coming.

• The government and religious leaders did

not like Amos’ preaching.

• In America, most churches have a form of

godliness but deny the power, many have

brought wine into the church, most omit

the coming judgment.

God’s Judgment Is Coming

• God’s judgment included drought, famine,

pestilence, raising up of a foreign power.

• Those who rejected God’s Word and his

Commandments were judged.

• Those who turned to God were saved.

Higher Critics Are On The Rise

• Today, higher critics are in abundance.

Some making money publishing attacks

on the Bible. Others replacing Christ with

humanism and false christs.

• The Philistines went against God’s people

and not a remnant remained.

• Modern day critics would do well to listen

to the prophet Amos.