Totally Lacking #1

 Read Amos 1

Background: Amos gives us very clear markers as to when he was called to speak for God: It was in the earlier 8th century B.C.  Jeroboam II was king in Israel, making it a time of economic abundance but spiritual famine.  Signs of Judgment were seen all around in the  nations surrounding Judah. God was naming names, pointing out the root causes, and telling them what to expect. The northern kingdom of Israel was beginning to experience drought, having chosen to worship the golden calf on their own hill instead of the true and living God in the temple at Jerusalem.  Syria would be dismantled because of the way they had mistreated some of the people of Israel.  Gaza would be burned for selling other peoples into bondage. The same thing would happen to Tyre because they did the same thing after having made treaties.  Edom would be burned for killing those they called brothers and defenseless women, while Ammon did worse yet, taking babies from their mothers' wombs.  

Key Verse: 2“The Lord roars from Zion
    and thunders from Jerusalem;
the pastures of the shepherds dry up,
    and the top of Carmel withers.”

Thoughts: God wanted them to know Who was judging them and why.  There was a definite connection between their behavior and their destruction, and he wanted them and everyone around to realize it. He also wanted His own people to realize He was watching them too.