Amos 1-3

Resources:

• Amos 1-3 Reading Guide
• Amos 1-3 Teaching Notes
• Amos 1-3 Video

Overview:

• Amos was a shepherd and farmer who lived near the border between northern Israel and southern Judah. Israel was ruled by Jeroboam II who was one of Israel’s worst kings. Jeroboam’s kingdom permitted  allowed idol worship which led to injustice and neglect of the poor.

• Amos got fed up with seeing his country and people fall apart because they had turned away from the Lord. Amos journeyed to Bethel to share God’s word with the people. Amos is a collection of his sermons, poems, and visions that he shared over the years.

Notes on the video:

• Amos 1
  • v3-5: judgement comes against Syria for three crimes: they beat the people of Gilead, selling them as slaves into Edom.  They broke a treaty of brotherhood with Israel by selling these slaves (v6-10). They also attacked people with swords (v11-12).
  • God tells Amos to warn people that punishment is coming to them for committing such violent crimes (v13-15).
• Amos 2
  • v1-3: punishment coming due to injustice
  • v4-5: punishment is coming to Judah (the northern kingdom) for turning away from the Lord and despising His laws
  • v6-16: Judgement comes against Israel
• Amos 3
  • v1-2: the Lord emphasizes that Israel is His chosen people and they need to listen to His message, explaining why they must be punished
  • v4-6: since the people of Israel cannot agree to follow the Lord’s laws they will be punished – they must agree to follow the Lord’s laws to avoid punishment
  • v7: the Lord will reveal His plans to the prophets, warning His people
  • v9-10: the Lord is angry by their disagreement – they have become incapable of doing what is right
  • v11-12: the enemies of Israel will no longer be held back from Israel – they will invade the country and loot it of its valuables
  • v13-15: Israel will be punished for refusing to follow the Lord’s law – the wealthy will lose everything due to their misuse of wealth

Group Discussion:

• It’s a shame that they are moving so fast through the Minor prophets. There are some deep, direct warnings in these books that people have accused the Jews of going back and writing into the Book of Amos to make it so accurate. These prophesies were so accurate people thought Amos may have been written prior to the attacks on Israel (it wasn’t).
• God doesn’t play around – His warnings are to be taken seriously. God loves us but He cannot abide sin. God has every reason to judge us and hold us accountable.
• When God is warning that judgement is coming He always enables people to have some hope. For example, before God kicked Adam and Eve out of Eden He sent a promised one to crush Satan and enable restoration. There is always a hope and promise despite judgement. This shows how much God loves His people despite them turning away from Him and His laws.
• People think the God of the Old Testament is all about wrath and punishment but the God of the New Testament is all about love and forgiveness. These people overlook the fact that the bloodiest  book in the Bible is in the New Testament and has no forgiveness for those being punished (Revelations).
• The meeting ended with prayer requests.
  • I gave thanks for all of the blessings I’ve had and forgiveness for those I take for granted. My heart is very full.
  • I asked for prayers for our countries, its leaders, the homeless, and our families.

Hosea 1

Resources:

• Hosea Reading Guide
• Hosea Teaching Notes
• Hosea Video

Overview:

• Key Points of Hosea 1-4:
  • Divine Command to Marry an Unfaithful Woman (Hosea 1:2):
  • God commands Hosea to marry Gomer, described as a “woman of promiscuity.” This is not presented as a personal choice for Hosea but as a direct and symbolic instruction from God.
  • The reason given for this unusual command is to illustrate the spiritual adultery of the land, which has committed “blatant acts of promiscuity by abandoning the Lord.” This immediately establishes the central metaphor of the book: the relationship between Hosea and Gomer mirroring God’s relationship with Israel.
  • Birth and Symbolic Naming of Children (Hosea 1:3-9):
  • Hosea and Gomer have three children, each given a name with profound symbolic significance related to God’s judgment and the broken covenant:
  • Jezreel (1:4-5): This name signifies God’s judgment and the scattering of Israel. Jezreel was a place of significant historical bloodshed and foreshadows the impending destruction of the house of Jehu and the kingdom of Israel.
  • Lo-Ruhamah (“No Mercy”) (1:6): This name indicates God’s withdrawal of compassion and favor from Israel. It highlights the consequences of their persistent sin and the suspension of divine mercy.
  • Lo-Ammi (“Not My People”) (1:9): This name signifies the broken covenant relationship between God and Israel. It declares that Israel has acted in such a way that they are no longer recognized as God’s chosen people.
  • Prophecy of Future Restoration (Hosea 1:10-11):
  • Despite the strong message of judgment conveyed through the names of the children, the chapter concludes with a powerful prophecy of future restoration and reunification.
  • The imagery of the “number of the Israelites will be like the sand of the sea” signifies an immense multitude and a reversal of the scattering implied by Jezreel.
  • The prophecy that “in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ it will be said to them, ‘Children of the living God'” directly contradicts the meaning of Lo-Ammi, promising a renewed covenant relationship and recognition.
  • The vision of Judah and Israel being “gathered together” and appointing “one leader” speaks to the future reunification of the divided kingdom under God’s rule.
• Hosea 1 uses the powerful and personal narrative of the prophet’s marriage and the symbolic naming of his children to vividly illustrate the core themes of the book: God’s unwavering love in the face of Israel’s unfaithfulness, the consequences of their idolatry in the form of judgment, and the underlying hope for future repentance and restoration. This chapter serves as a potent and concise introduction to the complex and emotionally charged relationship between God and His people as portrayed throughout the prophecy of Hosea.

Notes on the video:

• Hosea is a minor prophet. “Minor” refers to the length of the prophecy.
  • Hosea means “salvation” and is a foreshadow of Joshua and Jesus.
• The Northern Kingdom consists of 10 tribes (now known as Israel).
• Hosea identifies the king of Israel
• 1 The Lord gave this message to Hosea son of Beeri during the years when Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were kings of Judah, and Jeroboam son of Jehoash was king of Israel.
• 2 When the Lord first began speaking to Israel through Hosea, he said to him, ‘Go and marry a prostitute, so that some of her children will be conceived in prostitution. This will illustrate how Israel has acted like a prostitute by turning against the Lord and worshiping other gods.’
• 3 So Hosea married Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim, and she became pregnant and gave Hosea a son. 
• 4 And the Lord said, ‘Name the child Jezreel, for I am about to punish King Jehu’s dynasty to avenge the murders he committed at Jezreel. In fact, I will bring an end to Israel’s independence. 
• 5 I will break its military power in the Jezreel Valley.’
  • This is a prophetic word about the invasion of Israel.
• 6 Soon Gomer became pregnant again and gave birth to a daughter. And the Lord said to Hosea, ‘Name your daughter Lo-ruhamah — ‘Not loved’ — for I will no longer show love to the people of Israel or forgive them. 
  • God told Hosea to marry Gomer to create prophetic warnings for Israel.
  • The daughter’s name also means “unpity” – God will have no pity for them.
• 7 But I will show love to the people of Judah. I will free them from their enemies — not with weapons and armies or horses and charioteers, but by my power as the Lord their God.’
• 8 After Gomer had weaned Lo-ruhamah, she again became pregnant and gave birth to a second son. 
• 9 And the Lord said, ‘Name him Lo-ammi — ‘Not my people’ — for Israel is not my people, and I am not their God.
  • This feels like God is breaking a relational covenant but it is consequences for what they have done.
• 10 Yet the time will come when Israel’s people will be like the sands of the seashore — too many to count! Then, at the place where they were told, ‘You are not my people,’ it will be said, ‘You are children of the living God.’ 
• 11 Then the people of Judah and Israel will unite together. They will choose one leader for themselves, and they will return from exile together. What a day that will be — the day of Jezreel — when God will again plant his people in his land.

Group Discussion:

• There are many things in this chapter that are difficult to process but it’s also showing us how dire things are to God when we disobey Him.
• The Jews didn’t really care about how they are disobeying God until Lamentations.