Amos as a shepherd and a 'dresser' of sycamore fig trees, did not spend all his time at Teko, since sycamore figs don't grow there at that altitude. So he probably spent part of the year in upper elevations and part in the lower. Phyllis (last night during the class), grew up in sheep country and explained that this is also normal procedure for sheep. Winter is spent in lower elevations and in the summer, the sheep are taken to the higher altitudes.
This was, of course, what many of the wealthy people of Israel were doing. Not following sheep, but since the climate differed dramatically in relatively few miles, they had a home for themselves in higher and lower elevations. These homes may have been describable as 'palaces.' According to Amos' criticism, they were called "ivory," so the wood or stone may have been covered with that expensive product. Yet these homes were obtained at the cost of the poorest members of society. Amos is desperately concerned with the injustice.
Scholars don't agree whether Amos was one of the poor or among the more affluent members of society. One Internet website describes him as wealthy. Another scholar says he was poor. In discussion, the class wondered whether the wealthy members of Israelite society would have paid much attention if Amos wasn't 'one of them.' If a poverty stricken shepherd complained about social conditions, it would be easy for them to dismiss it as disgruntlement. On the other hand, if one of their own financial strata spoke, they might have paid more attention. The class discussed whether God might have more likely chosen a morally conscious man of affluence to prophesy.
Unlike some of the prophets, the concern of Amos is clearly on justice and he spends little time on idol worship. He does, however, in these chapter (3-4) point out (with a great deal of irony) that worship how they might, it didn't mean anything unless their lives reflected their worship.
Amos appears continually amazed that after all that God has done, the people still behave contrary to God's will. Unlike people of other pagan cultures, Amos could point to the God who created everything, including the Pleides and Orion. (Although not all people even of Judah and Israel understood God was not simply in charge of a small geographical territory, Amos certainly understood some of the awesome infinity of Yahweh).
The disaster that Amos foresaw as coming is sometimes described very graphically. We do not know what God has planned for the future of our society and world, and the predictions of Amos cannot be applied to this time. We can, however, understand the call to justice and apply that to our world.
Where does injustice take place in our society?
Where are the poor exploited?
Should we study and know more about that, rather than assume things are all right if we haven't heard much?
What would Amos say about our world?
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