The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1935-07-25
Lesson for July %
AMOS

LESSON TEXT-Amos 7:7-17.
GOLDEN TEXT-But let Judgment
run down as waters, and righteousness
as mighty stream.-Amos SEA,
PRIMARY TOPIC-A Hero Preacher
JUNIOR TOPIC-When God Needed
a Hero.
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOP
lC-Standing for the Right.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOP
Goods Plumb Line and Our Social
Order.
Amos was a herdsman called of
God to be prophet A prophet is
one who speaks forth the message Of
God. He convicts the people of their
sins, pleads for them to get right with
God. The only effective way to cor
rect wrong social usage is to bring the
people into right relationship with
God
!. The Call Of Amos (1.1).
He was herdsman and gatherer of
sycamore fruit (7:1N. He was not a
prophet by succession, neither was he
trained in the prophetic schools.
II. To Whom Amos Was Sent Old.
Though he was from Judah, his min
isry was to be primarily to Israel.
Ill. Amos Message.
/. Sins denounced (2:6-S; 6:1-6).
a. Ayaricious greed (2:6-S).
Q) Sold the righteous for silver ~.
81. The judge, for a bride of silver,
declared the innocent to be guilty.
(2) Sold the poor for pair of shoes
" az In,b+1oce
practice of selling into slavery the
debtor who could not pay for a pair
of shoes which he had been sold on
credit
(3) Pants after the dust of the earth
". y. So avaricious had these men
become that they even grasped after
the earth which the downtrodden poor
cast upon their head in their mourn
ing because of their misery.
(4) Turned aside the way of the
meek ". y. These grasping rich men
turned aside the meek, that is, those
(5) Licentiousness ". y. SO no.
torious were the immoralities prac-
ticed that they were even guilty of
inceStuous prostitution. How ade-
quately this pictures the Righteousness
of our present age.
b. Reckless security GLIB. They
closed their eyes to the approaching
judgment predicted by the prophet.
c. Luxury GAG. Their luxury ex-
pressed itself in:
ID EXtravagant furniture They
had beds of ivory, which means,
doubtless. wood inlaid with ivory.
(2) Laziness ". d. Many stretched
themselves on their couches, thus liv-
ing lives of Incidence.
(3) Feasted on delicacies ". ~.
They bought what they desired. re-
CARELESS of its cost.
(4) Adorned their feasts with music
". 81. They sang idle songs, even in
venting musical instruments for this
purpose.
(5) They drank wine ". g.. They
drank from bowls, indicating excessive
drinking.
d. They failed 10 grieve for Joseph
Many are today indulging in luxury,
entirely Indifferent to the crying needs
of Others
@ The remedy proposed $40.
The prophet called upon them to re.
turn to God. The time to repent is
while divine judgment is stayed. In
their turning to God they were to re-
nOunce:
a. Idolatry wv. 5, g.. They were
to turn away from the places of idol
atry-Bethel, Gilgal, and Beer-sheba.
b. Seeking to pervert judgment ".
y. Turning judgment to NORWOOD
implies the bitterness of the perver-
sion of Judgment to the injured
c. Seeking to dethrOne righteous
ness ". y. Leaving off righteous
ness" is thought to mean that UPRIGHT
eousness was allowed to take its place.
~. Intercedes for the People & 40.
The prophet stands here not merely
as the proclaimer of judgment, but as
the intercessor for the people.
V. Opposed by Amaziah the Priest
(7:1O-1O.
l. Message sent to JerOboam wv. 10,
1D. The priest sought 10 nlhuef lne
prophet by informing the king of the
Judgment which Amos proclaimed
.. He attempted to silence the
prophet wv. u, 49,.
3. The prophets bold reply wv. IA
~.
a. He declared that he had received
his commission from God directly wv.
IA. 15). The one who has heard the
call of God must be faithful in the
declaration of his message even though
opposed by ecclesiastical and political
leaders
b. Doom pronounced wv. 16, ~.
He set forth the shame and distress
of the Babylonian captivity, which
came upon them because of their I'M
faithfulness to God.
An Overwhelming Thought