Amos Part 2

1) In Chapter 3, Amos begins by telling the people that they were chosen by God. According to Gen 12:1-3 and Isaiah 41:8-10, what was God’s purpose in choosing Israel?
2) In chapters 3-4, Amos explains that because Israel has been chosen, Israel will be disciplined when disobedient, to bring Israel back to God. How did God try to bring the people back in chapters 3-4? How did they react? How do we react to misfortune and suffering?
3) What sins were the people committing according to chapter 5? How were they supposed to respond? See especially 5:11-14.
4) Would you describe yourself as someone who longs for the day of the Lord? What is the day of the Lord in this context? Why does he tell them that their confidence is unwarranted? What does God desire from them?
5) If you use God’s word as a “plumb line” to measure your life, what do you see? What alternative standards are you tempted to use?
6) What is God’s final promise of hope? What does this show us about God’s character?
7) Looking at the book of Amos as a whole, we see God calling his covenant people to honor him with their lives and not just their religious ceremonies. God calls them to turn from idols, from oppressing the poor, and from immorality. What applications does this have for us today? For a powerful comparison of what we who live under the new covenant can learn from the lessons of the old, see Hebrews 12:14-29.