the coming destruction and restoration of Israel and this restoration is also doubtless used to prefigure Christian church and its triumph on earth. (3) The great subject is the terrible judgments of God which were to come upon the people because of their sins. (4) His great distinctive prophecy is 2;28-32 which was fulfilled on the day of pentecost, Acts 2:16-21. (B) In it all, he is emphasizing the rewards of the righteous and certain punishment of the wicked and thus he appealed to both the hopes and the fears of men.  But the relief value of the book is its optimism.  There was victory ahead, the righteous would finally triumph and be saved and God’s enemies will be destroyed.  The conflict of good and evil and of Israel and her enemies will end in entire and glorious triumph for Israel and right.

Analysis.

  I. The Call to Repentance, Chs. 1:1-2:17.

   1.  By the past scourge of locusts and drought, Ch. 1.

   2.  By the scourge to come, 2:1-17.

 II.  Israel’s Repentance and Jehovah’s Promised Blessing, 2:18-3:21.

   1.  Material blessing, 2:18-27.

   2.  In the world Judgment, Ch. 3.

For Study and Discussion. (1) Point out the different statements about the drouth and locusts that indicate their severity and ruinous effects. (2) Collect the passages referring to the Messianic age and try to see how or what each foretells of that age. (3) Point out all references to the sins of Israel. (4) Collect evidences of the divine control of the universe as seen in the book.

* * * * * Chapter XIX.

Amos and Obadiah.

Amos.

The Prophet.  His name means “Burden,” and he is called the prophet of righteousness.  His home was at Tokea, a small town of Judea about twelve miles south of Jerusalem, where he acted as herdsman and as dresser of sycamore trees.  He was very humble, not being of the prophetic line, nor educated in the schools of the prophets for the prophetic office.  God called him to go out from Judah, his native country, as a prophet to Israel, the Northern Kingdom.  In obedience to this call he went to Bethel, where the sanctuary was, and delivered his bold prophecy.  His bold preaching against the land Of Israel while at Bethel aroused Amaziah the leading idolatrous priest, who complained of him to the king.  He was expelled from the kingdom, after he had denounced Amaziah who had perhaps accused him of preaching as a trade, 7:10-14, but we know nothing more of him except what is in this book, which he perhaps wrote after he returned from Tekoa.

The Time of the Prophecy.  It was during the reign of Uzziah, king of Judah and of Jereboam II, king of Israel, and was outwardly a very prosperous time in Northern Israel.  But social evils were everywhere manifest, especially the sins that grow out of a separation between the rich and poor, 2:6-8, etc.  Religion was of a low and formal kind, very much of the heathen worship having been adopted.