Day 65 ~ Self-indulgent? Who, Me?

Amos lives south of Jerusalem in Tekoa, but his message is for the northern kingdom, pre-captivity (before 722BC). He is a contemporary of Micah, Isaiah, Hosea and Jonah. Assyria and Egypt are experiencing weakness during the time of Amos' writing. There is much prosperity in Israel during the reigns of Uzziah (Israel) and Jereboam (Judah). Likely about 760bc.

• 1:1 - two years before the earthquake (also referred to in Zech 14:5). Israel is on an earthquake faultline and earthquakes aren't unusual, but this one must have been remarkable enough to be mentioned twice. There is archaeological evidence of an earthquake about 760bc, and Josephus refers to an earthquake related to Uzziah.
• 1:3, 6, 9, 11, 13..."and for four" - what is the significance of this phrase
• 2:5 - fire will be on Jerusalem - prophesying Babylon's burning of the temple in a few hundred years
• Chapter 4 - even when many would seek out God in times of trouble (no rain, disease, war, famine), God's blasting the Israelites with these calamities did not send them to their knees toward God.
• 5:3 - Ten percent will survive the coming attacks and will be displaced. Enough to bury the dead.
• 5:11 - the Israelites are living comfortably, oppressing the poor, taking bribes

Amos 6:3-7, the people are described as self-indulgent. Here the commentary has some thought provoking questions for us modern day readers under the title "Self-Indulgent? Who, Me?"

Is your lifestyle focused on peace and pleasure, comfort and convenience? The affluent people to whom Amos was speaking lived a lifestyle of luxury that many modern-day westerners would recognize. But the prophet pronounced woe on them for allowing their easy living to lull them into spiritual slumber (6:3). Their self-indulgence completely deadened their sensitivity to the Lord. Could your lifestyle be described as self-indulgent? Is it designed around making yourself feel good and satisfy your own desires, with little thought of the needs of others or the values and concerns of God? To help you think about these issues, carefully read Amos's description of the Israelites' lifestyle, then reflect on the following questions. The point is not that having material things is a cause for guilt, but to think carefully about what Jesus called the "deceitfulness of riches" (Matthew 13:22), which can strangle your spiritual life.

1. Do you view a forty-hour maximum work week as a right to which you are entitled?
2. What kind of home do you live in? Would others in our society be envious? Is your home a benefit to anyone else?
3. Do you spend more on clothing each month than you give to your church or to charity in a year? Who benefits materially from your disposable income?
4. How much do you spend on personal grooming--for example, on such things as hair care, manicures, pedicures, facials, massages, cosmetics or perfumes?
5. Have you ever had plastic surgery other than to correct a medical problem? Describe your motivation in doing so.
6. What percentage of your income do you donate to your church, religious organizations, or charitites? Has that increased or decreased in the past three years? How much is your giving determined by tax advantages?
7. Do you aspire to be rich? How would you define rich? What do you consider to be "enough" for you in financial terms? Could you live on 10 percent less than you have now? 30 percent? how about 50 percent?
8. Do you own a second home or vacation home?
9. How do you spend your leisure--the time that is not taken up with work and family obligations?

How would you hold up to Amos's scrutiny? What kind of a steward are you with God's resources?

• chapter 7 - Amaziah, the priest, does not recognize Amos' prophetic calling.
• 7:14 - does a sycamore tree have fruit? other versions (I'm reading New King James most of the time) state sycamore-fig
• 9:12 - when temple is restored (which has not yet been destroyed in Amos' writing), Gentiles will be called by God's name.

Obadiah - one chapter addressed to Edom. Remember Edom is started by Esau when he gives his birthright to Jacob. Eventually, they will be ruled by the Israelites (though not yet in anything we've read)

Jonah - Ninevah is the capitol of Assyria that the Lord instructs Jonah to go and preach too. Jonah is a Hebrew. Ninevah was founded by Nimrod, the great-grandson of Noah (Genesis 10:11-12). Jonah preaches there (after attempting to run from God) before the fall of the northern kingdom. Ninevah (or Nivenah, as Grace always pronounced it as a young child) was a huge (at least 120,000 people per Jonah 4:10), splendid, irrigated city with a gigantic wall surrounding it. It was destroyed in 612bc by Babylon/Sythian/Mede attack. Mound of ruins has only been studied in the last century.

1:3 - Jonah tries to run away to Tarshish - although unknown where this is, it may be in Spain - that's a long way from home or Ninevah. This makes me wonder what is going on in other civilized areas in the time frame of this writing - before 722bc fall of northern kingdom.

• 800bc - the Illiad written
• 780-560bc - Greeks are establishing colonies on Asia Minor. 776bc first olympic games held in Greece.
• 770bc - eastern Chou dynasty begun in China
• 753bc - Rome founded
• 722bc - Samaria (capitol of northern kingdom) captured by Assyria
• 701bc - Sennacherib locates his capital of Assyria at Ninevah
• 689bc - Assyrians flood Babylon
• 612bc - Ninevah destroyed by Medes, Babylonians and Scythians
• 608bc – Necho of Egypt defeats and kills Josiah, king of Judah, at the Battle of Megiddo.
• 600bc - Life of Susruta, of Varanasi, the father of surgery. His ayurvedic treatises cover pulse diagnosis, hernia, cataract, cosmetic surgery, medical ethics, 121 surgical implements, antiseptics, use of drugs to control bleeding, toxicology, psychiatry, classification of burns, midwifery, surgical anesthesia and therapeutics of garlic
• 600bc - Taoism in China (for next 2000 years)
• 586bc - Nebuchadnezzar captures Jerusalem
• 559bc - Cyrus founds Persian empire

Okay, back to Jonah

• 1:7 - doesn't say whale - a great fish
• 3:5 - the people of Nineveh react the exact opposite of the Israelites when given the prophetic message of destruction - they repent! But, this repentance wouldn't last long. The visit of Jonah to Nineveh is placed about 759bc during Assur-dan III. In 722bc, Israel will fall.
• Chapter 4 - aren't we like Jonah? we say one thing and wish for another. He cared more about a dead plant that served his purposes than a city of 120,000.

Micah - a contemporary to Isaiah, Amos, Hosea and Jonah. Prophecy to rulers in Samaria and Jerusalem. Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah were kings - the capitols of were full of idolatry.

• 4:3 - swords turned to plowshares
• 5:2 - one to be ruler in Israel will be from Bethlehem - Jesus
• 6:8 - "He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?"
• 7:18b - "He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in mercy."

These minor prophets are like a broken record of evil, warnings, ignoring of warnings, devastation, restoration

Nahum - to Ninevah, after the fall of Israel, before the fall of Judah, predicted conquest by Babylon/Synthian/Mede empires in 612bc

• 1:1 - God is slow to anger
• 1:7 "The LORD is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble; And He knows those who trust in Him."
• 3:8-9 - powerhouse of Egypt which fell - No Amon (Thebes) is an example to Ninevah that power doesn't last

Habbakuk - Chaldeans (Babylon) is rising up

• 1:12 - questions why God would use and evil nation like Babylon to do His will
• 2:4 - live by faith
• 3:4 - sounds like a superhero - "His brightness was like the light; He had rays flashing from His hand, And there His power was hidden."
• Chapter 3 is also a song or psalm.