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Amos 5:1-27 Bible Study
1) Entire Group (10 mins.) Opening question and review:
a. When we talk about seeking God’s presence, what do we typically
mean? How do we go about doing so?
2) Review what we studied last week.
a. God’s sovereign action of destruction was meant to bring Israel to
repentance. Recall His severe mercies.
b. Sin was being produced as a result of Israel’s worship practices,
bringing God’s threatened judgement.
3) Read 5:1-15 [8.29-10.23] & Personal Study Time (10 mins.)
4) Small Groups (30 mins) What is a lament? When is it used? How would
you describe God’s perspective towards Israel according to these first
few verses 5:1-3? [9.1-10]?
5) Leader, very briefly review the three places Amos mentions in verse 5
[9.12-15]: Note that these places were significant places of
thanksgiving, of spiritual growth and maturation for covenant people of
God.
a. Bethel- Gen. 28:10-22 and 35:1-15 (A record of Jacob wrestling with
God and reaffirmation of covenant with God
b. Bersheeba-Gen. 21:22-34 (Place where Abraham planted a tree in
remembrance of God’s faithfulness)
c. Gilgal- Joshua 4:19-5:9 (Place where Israel entered Canaan, set up a
shrine of thanksgiving to God, and God moved among them in removing
reproach of Egypt.)
i) Why does God instruct them not to go to those places any longer?
Note how they’ve become centers of idolatry instead of worship
of the true God.
ii) What is Israel instructed to do instead of visiting these
shrines?
6) List out the grievances cited by God in verses 7-13 [9.11-10.23].
Leader: explain that the gate [10.2 & 10.14] was the place of commerce &
trading and a place where legal issues were decided.
a. What effect does Israel’s perversion of justice have on those
seeking to do right in their society?
b. What impact does Israel’s evil practices have on living fruitfully
and contentedly?
c. Look again at God’s list of grievances in this section. Are any
true for the American Christian church? perhaps these below are
true of us:
i) Seeking idolatrous experience instead of God.
ii) Pushing aside the poor for convenience and profit.
iii) Despising truth seekers, especially in areas of political,
economic and legal policies.
iv) Silencing, due to our opposition to justice, those who seek it.
7) What is God’s solution to their awful spiritual plight?
a. What does it mean to “seek good”, to “love good”, according to this
section?
b. How can the Christian church seek to encourage and support those who
seek justice in our world?
8) Together as an entire group (15 mins.) What do we learn from this
section regarding living a pleasing life towards God? Seeking God, not
seeking sin, & seeking good
a. What does this section teach us about the character of those who
know God? See Motyer’s formula below.
i) Love for God’s law
ii) Submission to other Christians, especially poor Christians
iii) Concern for God’s approval in worship
iv) Moral integrity
v) Seek social order favorable to righteousness
9) What do we learn about how grace and obedience interact with each other?
a. What changes should result from knowing a holy God, a God of
righteousness, justice, and truth?
b. What does this section teach us about assurance of salvation?
10) Read 5:16-27 [10.24-11.25] Personal Study (5 mins.)
11) Small Group (15 mins)God begins to put his finger on three doctrinal
areas of Israel’s life: Their idea of God’s omni-presence, their
eschatology (end times theology), and their worship.
a. What results from God being present among the Israelites in 5:16-17
[10.24-11.2]?
b. What is the ‘day of the Lord’ mentioned in the next section (see
Joel 1:15-18 & Malachi 3:2)? What can we learn about Israel’s
attitude towards it?
c. How would you describe Israel’s worship life?
12) How does God correct Israel’s view of His presence, the end times, and
worship? What was wanting in their understanding in these areas?
13) In the New Testament, Christians often take comfort from God’s similar
promises:
a. His presence-I’m with you always, to the very end of the age (Matt.
28:20)
b. His return-We who are still alive and are left will be caught up
together with them in the clouds to meet the lord in the air. And
so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore, encourage each
other with these words. (1 Thess. 4:17-18)
c. Worship-Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true
worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are
the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. (John 4:23)
d. How do Amos’ statements modify the comfort we should derive from
such promises?
14) Together (15 mins.) What is the basis of God’s rejection of Israel’s
worship?
a. What do we usually think God expects from our worship?
b. How is obedience to God linked to God’s pleasure with our worship?
c. How does Amos rebuke our views of worship?
15) Close by confessing to God our mistaken views of the following:
a. (Note: There are two distortions to avoid here. The first is to
conclude that one cannot approach God in worship without moral
perfection. We need to avoid such legalism by remembering that Jesus
makes the sinful, half-hearted, even hyprocritical worship of those
who trust Him acceptable to the Father. The second distortion is to
skate over the thrust of this passage by saying “Oh, that doesn’t
apply in the New Testament.” We need to remember that, even though
our salvation is not at stake (so long as Jesus is our Lord), God
still calls his people to live consistently with their convictions
and that He is both grieved and outraged when his covenant people
disregard the plight of the poor.)
b. Obedience is optional instead of integral to spiritual life in
Christ.
c. Right living before God is avoiding sin instead of also doing good
d. Seeking righteousness in society is separate from knowing God’s
grace.
e. Worship of God divorced from doing what is right.
f. Thinking of God judging others and not us Christians.
———————————-
Songs (10 mins.)
1. My Glorious Victor
2. Why Should I Fear the Darkest Hour
Closing Song (5 mins.)
Hymn #177 O’ Breath of Life
Articles & Books of Interest
1. Assurance articles in New Bible Dictionary and James Boice’s Foundations
of the Christian Faith
2. Worship chapter in David Watson’s I Believe in the Church
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