Why is amos the prophet of social justice

Fast-running rainwater would create vigorous, temporary rivers that carved large gullies and crevices called wadis into the ground.

Amos probably has these wadis in mind when he indicates v. It is striking that it was in this sense that Martin Luther King Jr. I conclude our brief treatment of Amos with two final observations. First, Amos repeatedly describes how livid God gets in the face of economic injustice. Might God actually be angry with us and, if so, what might we need to do about it? Second, Amos reminds his audience what it looks like to remain faithful to God in a covenantal relationship, making it clear that authentic worship and religion must be paired with just economic behavior.

Our economic conduct, and how it affects the poor and marginalized, is and will always be a matter of Christian faithfulness, theologically speaking. Have we effectively divorced our orthodox religious claims from our economic practices? To what extent might God be tired of our worship, of our religious rituals, given the ways the poor and marginalized are affected by our economic priorities and choices?

Such questions point to the heart of the gospel, both for Amos and, as we shall see elsewhere in the Bible, for Jesus as well. Tell me more about this book » Order this book from Amazon. Excerpted from Missional Economics , by Michael Barram. Used by permission of Eerdmans Publishing Company. How to Be Effective in Urban Ministry. Soulfires: The Possibilities of Geeky Evangelism. Building Bridges to Our Muslim Neighbors.

Josh Howerton: Answering the Call—Part 1. Terry W. The Books of Moses. Eugene Peterson: The Invitation. Amos begins with the justice of God, then, and shows how that relates to justice in society. The entire book of Amos shines a powerful light on Israelite society, revealing its dishonesty, corruption, and violence. That being the case, God is perfectly right to bring the overwhelming disaster of which Amos speaks.

Elements of social justice found in Amos can also be viewed from a universal perspective. What does God expect of a just society? Based on my understanding of Amos, I would say that he expects a system that makes it possible for people to thrive in a system free of corruption that would deprive them of what they need to survive and flourish. It should be a system where merchants are honest and judges are incorruptible. And it should be a system where those who have been treated unjustly have free access to relief in court.

Amos , NIV. Willy Schottroff and Wolfgang Stegemann, trans. Matthew J. Finley's area of expertise is Northwest Semitic languages, specifically Hebrew and Aramaic. He also contributed notes on the prophets mentioned above to The Life Recovery Bible. He has addressed both regional and national meetings of the Evangelical Theological Society, and he has served as a translation consultant for portions of the Old Testament for the NIV Children's Version.

Kenneth Berding — November 11, Carmen Imes — November 08, Kenneth Berding — November 04, Carmen Imes — November 01, Social Justice in Amos. Share: Twitter Facebook. More Articles. Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer. Umeanolue DOI: Abstract In the Old Testament book of Amos, the basic message of prophet Amos stresses the divine demand for social justice and concern for the oppressed in 8th century Israel.