Remarks upon the times of Amos

Amos was the first prophet to cause his message to be written down. Previously, the great prophets Elijah and Elisha were written up by other chroniclers, something like a sports reporter for the Orlando Slantinel. Here are some equivalent go-back times for us, along with the famous names and events the men thought of:

1. one hundred years ago, about 1910 A.D.
   1. Teddy Roosevelt
   2. Albert Einstein
2. two hundred years ago, about 1810 A.D.
   1. Archibald Henderson, commandant of the USMC
   2. Seminole wars in Florida
   3. Napoleon Bonaparte
   4. Thomas Jefferson
   5. John Quincy Adams
   6. James Madison
3. five hundred years ago, about 1510 A.D.
   1. The reformation and Martin Luther
   2. Columbus and other explorers
   3. St. Thomas More and King Henry VIII
4. eleven hundred years ago, about 910 A.D.
   1. the first Parliament, in Iceland
   2. Vikings raiding the coasts of Europe
   3. King Alfred the Great in England

We discussed how even today we follow the footsteps of Einstein, Jefferson, Thomas More and Columbus, and we still view the results of actions of Vikings, like the blonde-haired blue-eyed families that live in Sicily to this day!

Similarly, Amos was a prophet following the footsteps of Elijah, living in David's kingdom, calling Israel to live up to the Law of Moses, and springing from the family roots of Father Abraham.

Image: Albert Einstein, 1912

We look into the prophecy of Amos

For the next two months we will dive into the prophetic message of Amos. This Thursday we will look over chapter 1, for which the following questions might come in handy:

1. According to verse 1, the message to Israel came in visions. How is it that Amos saw this message in a vision? What did Amos see?
2. The time of Amos' message was sometime during the years 783 - 743 B.C., approximately one hundred years after Elijah, two hundred years after David, 500 years after the Exodus, and 1100 years after Abraham. Who were our cultural forebears
   1. one hundred years ago, about 1910 A.D.?
   2. two hundred years ago, about 1810 A.D.?
   3. five hundred years ago, about 1510 A.D.?
   4. eleven hundred years ago, about 910 A.D.?
3. What kind of terrain was Mount Carmel, mentioned in v. 2?
4. The words of verses 3 - 15 contra Damascus, Gaza, Tyre, Edom and Ammon mention threshing sleds and fire falling on cities. In what other parts of the Bible have we studied threshing and fire troubles?
5. Where is Edom? Where is Ammon? Are they near Tyre and Sidon?

Let's look into these questions on Thursday morning, with the expectation that they will help us become doers of the Word.

Image: a threshing sledge from Cyprus.

Conclusion of the matter

Here are some of the comments and conclusions from this morning's Bible study session, question by question.

1. The Lord considers Nineveh a bloody city. Is there any city on Earth today that you consider to be a bloody city? Is it like Nineveh?
   1. Len: Amsterdam, New Orleans, San Francisco for debauchery, which the prophet Nahum mentions in the same breath as blood.
   2. Scott: Hating an entire city is like what terrorists do.
   3. Bob: Mexican border cities, overrun by murder by drug lords and criminals.
   4. Scott: Somalia is a lawless place, where life means nothing.
   5. Dave: Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge regime.
   6. Joe: the bloody description of Nineveh reminds one of Civil War battles, line after line of men charging the merciless guns.
2. How can a nation like Assyria enslave another nation by prostitution? What kind of prostitution would that be?
   1. Ken: prostitution in this case is like the Nazis recruiting collaborators in France by selling access to their military and political power.
3. Same question, regarding witchcraft: What kind of witchcraft can enslave a nation and end with bloody subjugation?
   1. Ken: Like being spellbound by government handouts and giving credence to the government's every pronouncement.
   2. Ken: Being spellbound by moral relativism, as mentioned in Abolition of Man, by C. S. Lewis.
4. How does this prophecy of Nahum relate to our lives today? What does it make you feel?
   1. Bob: It makes me want to pray more.
   2. Scott: Be like Rachel's Vineyard.
   3. Joe: Be like Tobit, practicing the works of mercy.

Joe's conculsion to the matter makes a lot of sense.

More questions -- but can you answer them?

We study Nahum's prophecy, the third chapter. Here are some questions to consider: The Lord considers Nineveh a bloody city. Is there any city on Earth today that you consider to be a bloody city? Is it like Nineveh? How can a nation like Assyria enslave another nation by prostitution? What kind of prostitution would that be? Same question, regarding witchcraft: What kind of witchcraft can enslave a nation and end with bloody subjugation? The prophetic word compares the ruin of Nineveh to what action in verses 5 and 6? Does the Lord expect Nineveh to get a dose of its own medicine, regarding its earlier conquest of No-ammon a.k.a. Thebes on the the Nile? How does the last verse, 3:19, relate to the book of Tobit?

Inscription of Assyrian king Sargon II, describing a conquest after which he flayed the skin of the conquered governor, Assur-Lei.

We will take a walk through these questions, and see whether the perfect law of freedom, God's word, can speak clearly in this our day and help us become doers of the Word.

Here is a set of chapter 2 questions for finding God's wisdom in the prophecy of Nahum: How important is the vision of Israel as the vineyard? Who is the destroyer or hammer mentioned in v. 2? What was the military technology that this advancing army uses? Who could have destroyed Nineveh in Jonah's day? Is the lion a symbol of Assyria?

QUESTION one can ask in each chapter in Nahum: How is it that Nahum saw this message in a vision? What did Nahum see?

Let's start with these questions on Thursday morning.

Justice

One of our questions last week was about God's vindication:

2. We know that Nahum prophesies about Nineveh -- but not in chapter 1. How does the Lord taking vengeance in general -- e.g., Nahum 1:2 -- bear on the situation in Nineveh?

Len had this to say in answer: The Lord works His justice from time to time and will do so again.

This is a good way to view this part of Nahum's message. It jibes with the general jobs of the true prophet, to speak a prophetic word from the Lord and sometimes to predict things to come.

We begin the prophecy of Nahum

The book of Tobit mentions the prophecy of Nahum, so we will now study through this short prophetic book. Here are some questions to start with:

1. What is a the job of a true prophet of the Lord?
2. We know that Nahum prophesies about Nineveh -- but not in chapter 1. How does the Lord taking vengeance in general -- e.g., Nahum 1:2 -- bear on the situation in Nineveh?
3. Similarly, how is the Lord being a stronghold important to the situation in Nineveh?
4. Is this first chapter a prediction type of prophecy?

Let's tackle these and other questions on Thursday morning.

Conclusion of Tobit

As we study through the last two chapters of Tobit, here are some questions to look into:

1. What geographical/political fact does Tobit keep referring to in the long prayer, chapter 13?
2. Tobit concentrates upon Jerusalem in his long prayer, too. Why?
3. How does Psalm 126 jibe with Tobit's blessing, chapter 14, especially v. 5?
4. What prophets had messages concerning Nineveh?
5. Does the book of Tobit tell you anything about the Eucharist or the Cross?

Let's work on these questions, and seek the wisdom of God's perfect law of freedom this first Thursday of December, 2010.

IMAGE: U.S. Army at a reconstructed gate of Nineveh