MEMORY VERSE: Amos 4:12 "...prepare to meet thy God, O Israel."
BOOK TO REMEMBER: James. Write "James" on small slips of paper and hand out at the end of class to take home to memorize.
PRAYER: Pray that we will love God and obey God our whole lives because God wants us to love and to serve Him. Let us always put God first!
SPECIAL SONG: On Jordan's Stormy Banks I Stand (see June - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #6 on this blog. Click on orange circle to hear tune.)
VISUAL AID: Large Activity (see below)
LESSON POINTS:
- Amos, too, was a minor prophet like Hosea and Joel. Remember a minor prophet was not a less important prophet, he just wrote less. Where major prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel wrote many, many chapters in their books, Amos only wrote nine. Amos lived during the same time as Isaiah.
- Amos was a prophet of God, but he was also a herdsman and a farmer, too. He farmed figs.
- In Amos' book,the LORD gave judgments against cities and nations like Damascus, Gaza, Tyrus, Edom, Ammon, Moab, Judah, and Israel. He listed many wicked things that the people did and told them what the consequences of their sin would be. Sin always has consequences.
- Amos also preached to the people. There are three sermons that are written down in his book where he told Israel to turn back to God and stop serving idols. He told them to stop treating the poor people badly, to stop doing the things that pleased only themselves, and to return to the LORD. Amos said that God had stopped the rains which resulted in famines because He wanted the people to repent, but the people would not.
- Finally, Amos told Israel to prepare to meet their God because captivity was around the corner, but the people had forgotten God for too long and did not care. God said to seek Him and they would live, but they did not heed Amos' warnings. God told the people that a famine was coming, but it would not be a famine of food. There would be a drought coming, but it would not be a drought of water. The famine would be a famine of God's Word. The drought would be a drought of God's Word. There would be a time when God would not speak to the people. Israel would thirst after God's Word like they would thirst after water. They would wander from sea to sea, from north to east, and run to and fro, but they would not find the Word of God. It would be too late for them. Still, the people did not listen to Amos.
- Amos also said that God would not completely destroy Israel. There would always be a remnant of God's people who loved and served Him with their whole heart. For that remnant, there would be good things to come.
- There are many "Messianic" prophecies in the Old Testament and Amos has a few of these prophecies concerning Christ written in his book. Christ would be coming and good things would come.
- Discuss "Sin always has consequences."
Materials needed: 12" x 18" red construction paper, 9" x 12" light blue construction paper, 3" x 6" yellow construction paper, markers, crayons, scissors, glue.
- Hand out light blue paper.
- Cut blue paper into thirds.
- PANEL 1: Draw green stalks and yellow corn. Write "Not a famine of food."
- PANEL 2: Draw a blue river of water. Write "Not a drought of water."
- PANEL 3: Write "But a famine for..." at the top of the third blue panel.
- Hand out red paper.
- Glue all three panels in the order above (see picture), leaving room at the top.
- At the top of the red paper, write "AMOS" in large letters.
- Under AMOS, write "There will be".
- Under PANEL #1, write "And..."
- Under PANEL #3 t the bottom of the red paper, write "And, still the people did not listen."
- Hand out yellow paper.
- Cut yellow paper in half.
- One each half of yellow paper, fold back one small edge.
- Place glue ON ONE EDGE ONLY.
- With halves of yellow paper meeting in the middle, press on outer edges of glued edges, so the yellow papers will open.
- Open yellow papers.
- Write "God's Words" and "Amos 8:11" in the middle of the blue panel.
- Close yellow paper 'doors.'
- Read what the students have written on their papers together out loud.
- If time allows, decorate.