Amos's social justice prophecies — let justice roll like a river.
Key themes: social justice, judgment, righteousness, repentance.
| Author | Amos of Tekoa |
|---|---|
| Date Written | c. 760–750 BC |
| Original Audience | The northern kingdom of Israel |
Amos is a shepherd and farmer from Tekoa in Judah who is called by God to preach to the wealthy, prosperous, corrupt northern kingdom of Israel. His message is a thunderclap of social justice: Israel has grown rich while oppressing the poor, and God is not impressed with their religious observance. 'I hate, I despise your religious festivals; your assemblies are a stench to me... But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!' (5:21,24). Amos 3:3 poses the famous rhetorical question: 'Do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so?' The book ends, however, with a promise of restoration: 'I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted' (9:15). Amos is one of the most politically radical books in the Bible — a powerful word for any age of prosperity and inequality.
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