by Charles Rushing (Author)
Amos, a fig farmer, journeyed from Judah with the smell of sheep dung clinging to his sandals to warn of pernicious inequality in his world. He was a God-endued, bombastic, justice warrior, decrying injustice to the poor, eight centuries before Christ. With blistering rhetoric, Amos strips the veneer off religious activity and those playing at faith who exploited humanity for personal gain. This prophet declared in-your-face consequences for social sins practiced by all mankind. Amos confronts racial hatred, slavery, wealth inequality, indignant bullying, judicial injustice, and social prejudice.
A study through Amos communicates God's view and cure for social injustice. Since God does not change, and man is still a sinner, this study is as relevant today as the morning news.
We in the west, are chronologically and geographically far from Amos, our moral, spiritual, and cultural conditions are very similar. We in the western church are far closer to the human conditions God condemned nearly 2700 years in the past than we realize. Therefore, to bring Amos onto today's soil, we must first meet him in his own setting.