The prophet Amos date and background places the prophet in the middle of the eighty century B.C., contemporary with Uzziah of Judah and Jeroboam II of Israel. Uzziah, king of Judah, reigned about fifty years. He defeated the enemies of Judah and strengthened the walls of Jerusalem. The country was prosperous under his leadership, and for a time the influence of Amos was spiritually constructive.
But Uzziah was probably under the influence of Jeroboam, king of Israel. Jeroboam's reign of approximately forty years was extremely successful, and his influence eclipsed that of Uzziah. In his religious leadership, Jeroboam deliberately encouraged the practices of fertility cults. He did not exclude the worship of Jehovah, but paganized it by adding cultic pillars, images, and teraphim. The social life of the nation was chacterized by adultery, robbery, and murder. The luxury of the wealth was built upon injustice and oppression of the poor.
Amos was a native of Tekoa, in the desert of Judah, twelve miles south of Jerusalem. He was a shepherd, who supplemented his income by taking care of "sycomore" (wild fig) trees. The call of God came to him while he was following the flock. His claim that the Lord called him directly puts him in line with all the prophets who experienced a direct revelation from God. Although a native of Judah, Amos prophesied in the Northern Kingdom and aroused such antagonism that he returned to Judah, where he committed his message to writing.
The writing of Amos shows he had a deep knowledge of history and of the problems of his day. His language, rich in figures and symbols, stands with the finest literary style in the Old Testament. This sounds like what is happening in our day and time! HAVING A FORM OF GODLINESS, BUT DENYING THE POWER THEREOF.
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