Amos is the prophet of social justice. A shepherd from the south goes to the rich northern kingdom to denounce oppression of the poor and empty worship.
Understand the message of Amos, its historical setting and its place in the history of salvation.
Under King Jeroboam II, Israel enjoyed economic prosperity, but the rich exploited the poor and held great religious feasts without justice.
Amos was not a professional prophet: "I was a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore trees, and the Lord took me" (7:14-15).
Amos, a shepherd from Tekoa, forcefully denounces social injustice, the oppression of the poor and empty worship. He asks that justice roll down like water.