Amos 7 contains five short visions and a confrontation between the prophet and Amaziah the priest at Bethel. These questions are for a small group, a Sunday class or personal study, and they work whether or not you have read the book of Amos before. Each section includes a leader’s note so the questions can be used with no separate summary.
Amos 7 at a Glance
The chapter opens with two visions in which God shows Amos a swarm of locusts and a judgment by fire. In both, Amos pleads for Israel, and God relents. The third vision is a plumb line set against a wall, which marks the end of God’s patience with his people. Amos then comes into conflict with Amaziah, who reports him to King Jeroboam and orders him out of Bethel. Amos answers by explaining his calling, which was not inherited but given by the Lord.
The chapter moves from mercy that holds back judgment to a judgment that will not be withdrawn, and from the prophet’s compassion to the rejection he meets. Keep that movement in view as you work through the questions.
Observation Questions
Use these questions first, before anyone offers an interpretation. Ask the group to point to the words in the text and avoid explaining yet. Let the silences stay a moment before moving on.
Amos 7:3
The LORD relented concerning this. “It shall not be,” says the LORD.
(WEB)
This verse is the first clear sign of God’s mercy in the chapter. Reading it aloud helps the group hear the pattern of intercession and relenting that frames the first two visions.
Amos 7:8
The LORD said to me, “Amos, what do you see?” I said, “A plumb line.” Then the Lord said, “Behold, I will set a plumb line in the middle of my people Israel. I will not again pass by them any more.
(WEB)
Here the Lord announces the plumb line and his decision not to pass by his people again. Reading it aloud lets the weight of this turn in the chapter register before the discussion of the standard begins.
Amos 7:14-15
14 Then Amos answered Amaziah, “I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet’s son; but I was a herdsman, and a farmer of sycamore figs; 15 and the LORD took me from following the flock, and the LORD said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’
(WEB)
Amos explains that he is a herdsman and not a professional prophet, and that the Lord called him. Reading this aloud helps the group see that his authority comes from God rather than from his position.
Amos 7:16-17
16 Now therefore listen to the LORD’s word: ‘You say, Don’t prophesy against Israel, and don’t preach against the house of Isaac.’ 17 Therefore the LORD says: ‘Your wife shall be a prostitute in the city, and your sons and your daughters shall fall by the sword, and your land shall be divided by line; and you yourself shall die in a land that is unclean, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of his land.’”
(WEB)
Amos delivers the Lord’s word directly to Amaziah, including the personal consequences for the priest. Reading it aloud gives the group a sense of how strong the confrontation is and how seriously God takes the rejection of his messenger.
Amos 7:12-13
12 Amaziah also said to Amos, “You seer, go, flee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there: 13 but don’t prophesy again any more at Bethel; for it is the king’s sanctuary, and it is a royal house!”
(WEB)
Amaziah orders Amos to flee to Judah and stop prophesying at Bethel. Reading these lines aloud helps the group hear the pressure Amos faced and compare it with the pressures they meet when speaking truthfully.
Memory Verse for Amos 7
A Closing Prayer for the Group
Father, we come before you as people who want to be measured by your truth and not by our own comfort. We thank you for the prophet who pleaded for your people and for the mercy you showed when he asked. Give us the honesty to hear hard words, the courage to speak them with love, and the humility to stand straight against your standard. Teach us to intercede for others as Amos did, and keep us faithful when others would silence us. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
