Amos - burden bearer - intro

Good morning all!  God is good all the time, all the time God is good.  TOO BLESSED TO BE STRESSED!!
   This next study is the book of Amos whose name means "burden" or "burden-bearer" and his prophecy is a great burden from Jehovah concerning the national sin of God's chosen people and their judgment lest they repent.
   Amos 1:1 "The words of Amos, who was among the herdmen of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel, two years before the earthquake."
    As most prophets, Amos gives us a minimum of details concerning himself, now wishing to obscure the message with relatively unimportant details concerning the message.
   "in the days......."  phrase gives us dates of his prophecy by telling who was reigning at that time.  Uzziah in the southern kingdom, Judah, and Jeroboam II in the northern kingdom of Israel.
  "two years before the earthquake" --Earthquakes happen, however, this one must have been severe as it is mention in Zechariah 14:4-5, two hundred years later.  The earthquake is mentioned only in showing God's awesome power over nature, everything, and a warning to the people of Israel.  The earthquake left a reminder in the minds of all the people of Israel as they remembered it 200 years later.  Something passed on generation to generation.
  2 "And he said, The LORD will roar from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the habitations of the shepherds shall mourn, and the top of Carmel shall wither."
     Joel and Amos describe the LORD as roaring from Zion, however there is a contrast. In Joel Jehovah roars from Zion against Israel's enemies; Amos Jehovah roars from Zion against Israel herself.  Why?
   It is a simple matter of walking in step with God; or, totally out of step-a turning away from God.
     "the habitations of the shepherds shall mourn, and the top of Carmel shall wither." The roaring is associated with the mention of the earthquake and the effect it has upon the shepherd's pastures and the summit of Mount Carmel.  The shepherd's land is in the south, whereas Mount Carmel is in the north.  Mentioning both covers the entire land affected, both will dry up, and the land will be pretty much destroyed by Jehovah's roaring.
     This is an intro to Amos and tomorrow we will begin studying His, God's, judgment upon the nations. Hang it there.  It gets more interesting as we go. Thanks for reading. Love you all.
In Christ's Love and Grace
   Johnny