Session 1 Amos 2:4-16
Amos described what Israel had been doing, then turned to the Lord as his subject and reminded the Israelites of what God had done for them. In spite of Israel’s behaving like the heathen nations and in contrast to Israel’s unfaithfulness to the Lord and its oppression of the weak and poor, through Amos the Lord reminded Israel of His faithfulness and continued kindness to His people, especially when they were weak and poor. Amos pointed out seven things God had done for Israel.
Invite a volunteer to read aloud Amos 2:9-11,
and instruct the group to listen for how God had protected His people in the past.
9 Yet I destroyed the Amorite as Israel advanced; his height was like the cedars, and he was as sturdy as the oaks; I destroyed his fruit above and his roots beneath. 10 And I brought you from the land of Egypt and led you forty years in the wilderness in order to possess the land of the Amorite. 11 I raised up some of your sons as prophets and some of your young men as Nazirites. Is this not the case, Israelites? This is the LORD’s declara-tion.
Amos called the people to remember all God had done for them in the past through deliverance from Egypt and the gift of the land they now occupied.
These memories reveal that God was full of grace and mercy if the people would only repent.
God is full of grace and desires to make people right with Himself.
However, the Israelites had no desire to hear God’s message.