Cedar Park Church Of Christ


   

Bible Class Studies

THE MINOR PROPHETS


MAJOR

 

MINOR:

   

ISAIAH

HOSEA

JEREMIAH

JOEL

LAMENTATIONS

AMOS

EZEKIEL

OBADIAH

DANIEL

JONAH

 

MICAH

 

NAHUM

 

HABAKKUK

 

ZEPHANIAH

 

HAGGAI

 

ZECHARIAH

 

MALACHI


click here to view the Table of Dates for the Literary Prophets

 

PERIODS

Early Assyrian

 

Assyrian

 

Chaldean

 

Post-Exile

       

Obadiah

Amos

Zephaniah

Haggai

Joel

Hosea

Nahum

Zechariah

Jonah

Micah

Habakkuk

Malachi


(BIBLICAL TIME SPAN REFERENCE BEGINS WITH 2 KINGS 14:23 AND GOES THROUGH EZRA AND NEHEMIAH)
     

IMPORTANT DATES

B.C. Date

  Event
   

932

-death of Solomon and dividing of kingdom -- 1 Kings 12:1-24

721

-Israel's exile

612

-fall of Ninevah

606

-battle at Carchemish, Babylon becomes dominant in the East

597

-fall of Jerusalem

486

-destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar

539

-Persian period begins

536

-decree by Cyrus, Zerubbabel returns

520

-Haggai and Zechariah stir up people to resume work on temple

516

-temple completed and dedicated

457

-return by Ezra

445

-Nehemiah rebuilds the walls of Jerusalem

ASSIGNMENTS NECESSARY TO UNDERSTAND EACH BOOK

  1. UNDERSTAND THE POLITICAL BACKGROUND AND THE TIMES IN WHICH EACH PROPHET SPOKE.

  2. UNDERSTAND WHY THE PROPHET WAS CALLED BY GOD TO SPEAK.

  3. SINCE THE DATES OF OBADIAH, JOEL AND JONAH ARE SOMEWHAT UNCERTAIN, WE WILL STUDY THEM FIRST, BECAUSE THEY REALLY SEEM TO FIT IN THE EARLY-ASSYRIAN PERIOD OF TIME -- BETWEEN 845 B.C AND 800 B.C.

  4. NOTE THE CHART COPIED FROM HAILEY'S BOOK ON THE MINOR PROPHETS FOR DATE AND PERIOD INFORMATION.


AMOS = "BURDEN BEARER "
OUTLINE OF AMOS

  1. The approaching judgment. The heathen's and Israel's sins, 1:3-2:16.

    1. Punishment of the nations bordering Judah and Israel, 1:3-2:3.

      1. Damascus -- for their cruelty in war, 1:3-5.

      2. Gaza of Philistia -- slave traffic, 1:6-8.

      3. Tyre -- delivered up "brothers," 1:9-10.

      4. Edom -- for implacable hatred for Israel, 1:1-12.

      5. Ammon -- intense and uncalled-for cruelty, 1:13-15.

      6. Moab -- vengeance even on a king's carcass, 2:1-3.

    2. Punishment of Judah -- her sin was religious apostasy, 2:4-5. Note the difference between the accusations against the nations and against Judah: cruelty vs. apostasy.

    3. Punishment of Israel -- the theme of Amos' prophecy, 2:6-16.

      1. Sins of Israel: injustice and oppression, shameless immorality, contempt for the Lord, vv. 6-8.

      2. Scornful contempt of the divine benefits bestowed, vv. 9-12.

      3. Inevitable consequences, vv. 13-16. In the accusations against the nations they are pictured as cruel, barbarous, etc.; against Judah and Israel the accusations are civil, religious and charges of oppressions. This accusations becomes the thesis of the book; the remainder of the book is an elaboration of these charges.

  2. Israel's crimes and her condemnation, chs. 3-6

    1. Condemnation of the wealthy ruling classes for civil and religious inequities, 3:1-4:5

      1. Jehovah had known Israel, which makes her crime greater, 3:1-8.
        1. Because chosen for Jehovah, her sins must be visited, vv. 1-2.

        2. The prophet's right to speak: chosen of God, vv. 3-8.

      2. Civil oppression and inevitable judgment on the ruling class, 3:9-4:3
        1. The ruling class: their sins, 3:9-15.

        2. The luxury-loving women: a special judgment against them, 4:1-3.

      3. Condemnation of their religious festivities -- "which please you," not Jehovah 4:4-5.

    2. Unheeded chastisements -- the prophet turns to the nation, 4:6-13.

      1. Chastisements from Jehovah, which have gone unheeded, vv. 6-11.
        1. General famine, "cleanness of teeth," v. 6.

        2. Drought, vv. 7-8.

        3. Blasting, mildew, locusts, v. 9.

        4. Pestilence, at the same time enemy attacks, v. 10.

        5. Earthquake, burning, v. 11.

      2. Final doom, for which prepare, vv. 12-13. They had looked upon God as a Being to be flattered; He looked upon them as children to be disciplined. Discipline had availed nothing; therefore, "Prepare to meet thy God."

    3. Overthrow of the kingdom of the ten tribes, chs. 5, 6.

      1. Lamentations, denunciations, exhortations, and threats, 5:1-17.

        1. Lamentation -- Israel is fallen, vv. 1-3.

        2. Seek Jehovah, forsake idolatry, and live, vv. 4-6.

        3. But Israel turns righteousness into unrighteousness, vv. 7-9.

        4. This unrighteousness God must punish, unless they seek Jehovah, vv. 10-15.

        5. The announcement of judgment, vv. 16-17.

      2. First woe -- terrors of the day of Jehovah, 5:18-27.
        1. Terrors of the day, vv. 18-20.

        2. Their heartless worship will not avert the day, vv. 21-24.

        3. They have followed the steps of their fathers, vv. 25-27.

      3. Second woe -- upon the careless heads of the nations, ch. 6.

        1. The luxury-loving wealthy rulers, vv. 1-6.

        2. Exile and destruction are certain, vv. 7-11.

        3. Cannot be averted by their foolish trust in power, vv. 12-14.

  3. Five visions, which the prophet explains, 7:1-9:10.

    1. The vision of the locusts, in which the mercy of God averts the catastrophe, 7:1-3.

    2. The vision of the devouring fire -- a severer judgment than that of the locusts, again averted by mercy of Jehovah, 7:4-6.

    3. the vision of the plumb line -- destruction on the idolatrous nation of Israel, 7:7-9.

      An interlude: antagonism of Amaziah toward Amos, 7:10-17.

    4. The vision of the basket of summer fruit -- the ripeness of Israel for judgment, ch. 8.
      1. The vision and its significance: the time of mercy is now past, destruction is at hand, vv. 1-3.

      2. The final eclipse of the nation -- her sun sets at noon, vv. 4-14.

    5. The vision of the smitten sanctuary -- destruction of the sinful kingdom, 9:1-10.

  4. Promise of a bright future -- the Messianic hope, 9:11-15. This conclusion is the only optimistic note in the book. Notice how each book directed to Judah or Israel has an optimistic note of future glory. Compare this passage with Acts 15:14-18.

(Taken from Hailey's "The Minor Prophets" )

.

QUESTIONS COVERING AMOS

1. With what notable, physical event does Amos identify the time when he wrote?

 

2. What figure did he use in picturing how God would speak?

 

3. What is the significance in God saying to all these cities and nations, "For three transgression...year for four..."

 

4. What particular sins are identifiable with Damascus?

 

5. What particular sins are identifiable with Gaza?

 

6. What particular sins are identifiable with Tyre?

 

7. What particular sins are identifiable with Edom?

 

8. What particular sins are identifiable with Ammon?

 

9. What particular sins are identifiable with Moab?

 

10. How do the sins of these people differ from the sins of Israel and Judah?

 

11. What particular sins are identifiable with Judah?

 

12. What particular sins are identifiable with Israel?

 

13. Will any of Israel be able to deliver themselves? (2:13-16)

 

14. God asks, "Shall two walk together, except they have agreed?" What does this mean?

 

15. That is the first in a series of questions (vv. 3-6). What is the lesson from the questions?

 

16. How would Israel know that God was afflicting them because of their sins?

 

17. What is the figure in v. 12, designed to teach?

 

18. Why was God going to visit the transgressions of Israel upon him?

 

19. What does v. 15, convey with reference to luxury and its problems?

 

20. Why does Amos employ the word "kine" in 4:1?

 

21. How would they be taken away?

 

22. Were the Israelites more interested in pleasing God with their sacrifices or themselves? (vv. 4-5)

 

23. What does God mean when He says He would give them "cleanness of teeth"? (v. 6)

 

24. What was God trying to accomplish by His actions recorded in vv. 6-11?

 

25. Why was Israel called upon to "prepare to meet thy God"?

 

26. To what proportion would Israel be affected by God's punishment? (5:1-3)

 

27. God says Israel should seek him as opposed to what places? What was done in those places?

 

28. What had they done to righteousness? What does that mean?

 

29. Of what kinds of sins were they guilty?

 

30. Upon what basis could they expect to receive the graciousness of God?

 

31. Did they really understand the "day of Jehovah"? How does God describe the difference in their expectation and what they would really receive? (vv. 18-20)

 

32. God had commanded feasts and burnt-offerings. Why did He say He hated them?

 

33. "Let justice roll down as ___________________ and righteousness as a mighty ______________."

 

34. Where did God say He would send them into captivity?

 

35. Upon whom did God pronounce woes? (6:1-6) Does that mean there is something inherently wrong with those things? Explain.

 

36. What place would those described in vv. 1-6, occupy when Israel was led away captive?

 

37. The locusts, fire and plumb line were used by God for what purpose?

 

38. What priest tried to resist Amos? Where did he tell Amos to go and prophecy? Why?

 

39. What was the reply of Amos to him?

 

40. What did Amos prophecy would happen to him?

 

41. What did the vision of the basket of summer fruit signify? (8:1-3)

 

42. Again, what fault does God find with Israel? (vv. 4-6)

 

43. What did God say would happen to Israel? (vv. 7-10)

 

44. The fifth vision sees God standing where? (9:1) What does He command to be done?

 

45. How thorough will be His destruction? (vv. 2-4)

 

46. What does He mean by the statement, "Are ye not as the children of the Ethiopians unto me"? (v. 7)

 

47. What does God mean when He says that he would sift the house of Israel among all the nations? (v. 9).

 

48. Verses 11-15, give some positive hope for Israel. What is the hope spoken of here? Where in the N.T. is this passage quoted? By whom? For what reason?
 





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Created on 11-Jul-99

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