The Book of Amos, which is the earliest of the prophetic writings to be preserved in book form, consists of nine chapters. Not all of the material found in these chapters came from Amos himself. Editors and copyists added comments to the prophet's original oracles that they deemed appropriate in light of events that occurred after his death. Whether Amos' words constitute a series of speeches or belong to one single address is unknown. The theme that runs through all of the material is one of protest against the social injustices that prevailed in northern Israel during the reign of Jeroboam II. Along with this protest is the warning that Yahweh will surely punish the nation for violating the demands of justice. The punishment will be nothing short of captivity by a foreign power and the end of Israel's national existence.
Amos was a shepherd who lived in the region of Tekoa, not many miles from the city of Jerusalem. He made his living by raising sheep and taking care of sycamore trees. When his produce was ready for market, he went to the towns and villages of Israel. His journeys took him through the country districts, where he observed the hardships imposed on the working class of people by the wealthy landowners who lived in the towns or cities in the midst of comparative luxury. While in the cities, Amos was deeply troubled not only by the contrast between the rich and the poor but by the way in which the political and religious leaders tried to justify this disparity. These leaders insisted that Yahweh materially rewards those who are faithful in the performance of their ritualistic obligations to him. Hence they interpreted their own prosperity and that of the nation as a whole as evidence that the divine favor rests on them and will continue to do so for all time to come. At the same time, they reasoned that poor people deserve their hard lot in life because they do not regularly participate in the sacrifices and other religious activities practiced at the established places of worship. Amos was not impressed by this kind of argument. He was raised in an environment where it was understood that loyalty to Yahweh involves fair dealings among people rather than observance of religious rites and ceremonies.
