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Home , Amos (prophet), Amos 1, Book of Amos

Amos and 2nd Agenda and Notes provided by Dr. Kenney A: Preliminary comments: 1: Definition of . Based on Greek prophetes. Pro=before and pheimi=to speak. Hence, one who speaks for or on behalf of another (God). Hebrew, nabi=one sent (by God); 2: Shared characteristics of cross-culturally considered: dreams; visions; poetic oracles; persecutions; 3: Questionable characteristics: trance; divinations; hereditary descent; institutional appointment; human servants (rather than divine); constrained by the community to ask or even demand of the deity; 4: Unique characteristics: transient; charismatic; divine servants; constrained by the deity to ask and demand of the people on behalf of the deity; 5: Functions: a: addressing ethical and religious issues (forth telling) b: intervening in dynastic disputes; c: appointing or eliminating kings; d: leadership at religious shrines; e: providing counsel and/or criticism at the royal courts; f: predicting the future (foretelling) 6: Literary Forms of prophetic oracles; a: Indictment-statement of offense; b: Judgment-pronouncement of punishment; c: Instruction-advice on correct behavior; d: Aftermath-affirmations of hope or restoration; 7: Historical Contexts: Divided Kingdom: ; ; ; ; Assyrian: Amos; Hosea; Isaiah; ; ; Babylonian: 2nd Isaiah; ; ; ; ; ; ; Post-Exilic: 2nd Isaiah; Trito-Isaiah; ; Zechariah; ; ; B: Biblical Prophets in general (see handouts or doc cam images of maps and charts); C: BAL notes and review questions; we will go over these in class D: Student responses to prompts on Amos: 1: What caught your attention in reading Amos? Did his prophecies engage you? How so? What major theme(s) got your attention? 2: What questions do you have after reading Amos? 3: Select a verse or two that stuck out to you and comment on why it grabbed your attention; E: Instructor comments on Amos (will receive elaboration in class; students should have handy to look up and reflect on passages) :1. What was Amos’ occupation? Where was he from? When did he prophecy? What significant geological event occurred shortly after his prophecy? Amos 1:3-2:16. The first two chapters consist of indictment and judgment oracles. We will identify some examples in class; We will look at a map and find , , Tyre, , , , and Judah. Note how is saved for last. How might this be rhetorical effective? What seem to be the major crimes for which Israel receives its indictments and judgments? , 4, and 5 consist of judgment oracles and instruction oracles. We will identify examples of each; and 8 and 9 consists of a series of visions, the locusts, fire, plummet, fruit basket, and the Lord standing by the altar. We will look at some of the details of these visions with their instruction and judgment oracles; :8b-15. This is an aftermath oracle or an oracle of restoration. It is believed to have been appended to the at a later date as it refers to “the fallen hut of ” (9:11; an obvious reference to the Babylonian captivity which took place long after Amos’ day) and its restoration. This vision is messianic and is cited in the , Acts 15:13-21 in order to justify inclusion of the Gentiles in the Christian movement: Note also how :9 appears to be behind Mark 15:33 “at noon darkness came over all the land.” F: Instructor comments on 2nd Isaiah (will receive elaboration in class; students should have bible in hand to look up and reflect on passages); -38: These chapters are agreed by most scholars to have come from the historical Isaiah who lived during the days of , Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah (see Isaiah 1:1; dates from 742-687 BCE); : This chapter is understood to be transitional and is taken directly from 2 Kings 20: 12-19 in order to prepare the reader for the anonymous prophet referred to as 2nd Isaiah. Not that Isaiah 39 sets the stage for events AFTER the Jews had been “carried off to Babylon” (Isaiah 39:6); Isaiah 40-55: This majestic insertion into the is preoccupied with the hope of a bright future in the wake of Cyrus’ decree to allow the Jews to go free back to their homeland. Cyrus the Persian is referred to by name (see :1) and is designated the LORD’s . Two points here: a) If the historical Isaiah is writing this, then he miraculously got the name correct of the a future Persian king some 200 years after his time; b) Since Cyrus is referred to as the LORD’s anointed, some scholars suggest that this set up tensions with other schools of Jewish thought that would have reserved the title of messiah or anointed for someone who is of the line of David. Furthermore, the author of this section, being pro-Persian, may have run into opposition from Jews who were following either Jeremiah or Ezekiel’s pro-Babylonian advice. More will be said about this below when we come to the “suffering servant songs.” Isaiah 40:1-11. We will read this passage in class with references to how the of Mark quotes and alludes to so much of this material; Isaiah 42:1-4; 49:1-7; 50:4-11; and 52:13-53:12: These are the suffering servant passages. We will look at these in light of several competing interpreters. Among these are: the servant is an individual (the author of 2nd Isaiah or Cyrus or Jesus or an anonymous individual), refers to the entire group of Jews held captive but who are now returning, refers to some future savior figure whether individual or collective; Isaiah 45:5 “I am the LORD and there is no other, there is no God besides me” will be noted as an example of the clear affirmation of monotheism that runs throughout 2nd Isaiah; : 1-12 will be read in class and noted for its hopefulness and its conclusion to the prophecy of 2nd Isaiah.