Amos 1 opens the book of the prophet Amos with a series of judgments against Israel’s neighbors, then turns toward Israel itself. These questions are for small groups, Sunday school classes, and anyone studying the chapter alone. They move from what the text says, to what it means, to how it should shape daily life.
Amos 1 at a Glance
Amos, a herdsman from Tekoa, announces a word from the LORD about Israel during the reigns of Uzziah in Judah and Jeroboam II in Israel, shortly before an earthquake. The LORD roars from Zion, and the chapter then runs through a repeated pattern: “For three transgressions… and for four,” followed by the crime and the announced fire. Damascus, Gaza, Tyre, Edom, and Ammon are each addressed in turn.
The pattern is designed to build expectation. Each nation’s sin is named, each judgment is announced, and the listener is drawn along until the surprising turn in the final verses, which brings the same pattern to bear on the nation of the hearers.
Observation Questions
Use these questions at the start of a session to make sure everyone has read the chapter carefully and can point to what it actually says before anyone starts interpreting. Keep the pace brisk and ask people to name verse numbers.
Amos 1:2
He said: “The LORD will roar from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the pastures of the shepherds will mourn, and the top of Carmel will wither.”
(WEB)
Read this verse at the opening of the session to set the tone. It establishes that the message comes from the LORD’s own voice and that the land itself is affected by the coming judgment.
Amos 1:3
The LORD says: “For three transgressions of Damascus, yes, for four, I will not turn away its punishment; because they have threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron…
(WEB)
This verse introduces the repeated pattern of the chapter. Reading it aloud helps the group hear the rhythm that builds the expectation for what follows.
Amos 1:9
The LORD says: “For three transgressions of Tyre, yes, for four, I will not turn away its punishment; because they delivered up the whole community to Edom, and didn’t remember the brotherly covenant…
(WEB)
Reading this verse highlights the idea of a covenant of brotherhood. It gives the group a clear moral charge to discuss in relation to their own relationships.
Amos 1:13
The LORD says: “For three transgressions of the children of Ammon, yes, for four, I will not turn away its punishment; because they have ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead, that they may enlarge their border.
(WEB)
This verse names one of the most severe charges in the chapter. Reading it aloud makes space for the group to sit honestly with the seriousness of violence against the vulnerable.
Amos 1:14-15
14 But I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah, and it will devour its palaces, with shouting in the day of battle, with a storm in the day of the whirlwind; 15 and their king will go into captivity, he and his princes together,” says the LORD.
(WEB)
Ending the reading on these verses brings the chapter to its closing image of captivity. It prepares the group for the rest of the book and for the discussion of consequences.
Memory Verse for Amos 1
A Closing Prayer for the Group
Father, we come before you aware that you see every act of cruelty and every broken promise. Thank you that your voice is not silent, and that you are a God of justice who does not look away from the suffering of the vulnerable. Forgive us for the times we have overlooked injustice or forgotten the covenants we have made with one another. Teach us to pursue righteousness with humility, to speak up for those who cannot protect themselves, and to keep our own hearts honest before you. Help us carry what we have learned from Amos into our homes, our work, and our community this week. Amen.
