June 3, 2014 (Tuesday)
Amos identified himself as a shepherd of Judah whom God called to prophesy in Israel during the reign of Jeroboam. He pronounced woes upon neighboring nations, even Judah, but principally upon Israel. Like others, Israel fell in love with the practices of idolatry, but one sin leads to another, and Amos seemed intent on decrying their neglect of the needy, 
maltreatment of the poor, and injustice toward the powerless. Amos used epithets like “cows” to describe the rich and thoughtless women of Israel. He marched boldly into the king’s “house of worship,” encountered the high priest, and denounced the sin of priest and royalty alike. He painted a blood-curdling picture of judgment to come, yet countered it in the final chapter with hope for the ultimate future.
Amos – A devotional thought
The northern kingdom of Israel never wavered from its devotion to idols, and so Amos and all the other prophets condemned that sin, and all the other sins it fostered, predicting judgment and much suffering, all the while pleading for repentance that would save them. God continues to warn us that sin brings death, at the same time urging us to repent and live.