Amos

Amos was an ordinary shepherd and fig-grower, not a professional prophet, whom God called to deliver a fierce message of social justice to the wealthy and complacent northern kingdom of Israel. His prophecy condemns the nation for its hypocrisy: they maintained religious rituals while actively oppressing the poor, the needy, and the powerless. Amos warns that their religious ceremonies are meaningless to God when justice and righteousness are ignored. He declares that because of their systemic sin and refusal to repent, military judgment from the Assyrians is imminent and inescapable. The book concludes with a powerful, forward-looking message of hope, promising that God will eventually restore the fallen kingdom of David.