What was the important theme in the prophetic message of Amos?

Answer 1

There are several themes in Amos:

Everyone answers to God -- Amos pronounced judgement on Israel and Judah and all the surrounding nations. God is in control of all nations.

Complacency -- With comfort and luxury comes self sufficiency and a false sense of security. Remember all things come from God everything is meaningless without Him.

Oppressing the poor -- The wealthy and powerful had become prosperous and greedy and unfair. God was weary of greed and would not tolerate injustice.

Superficial religion -- Although people had abandoned real faith in God they still pretended to be religious. God wants simple trust in Him not showy external actions.

Answer 2

Amos' prophecy was a judgement message to a few nations, but primarily against the 10 tribe kingdom of Israel, warning of God's judgement against them for their false worship, immorality, rejecting the law of God, oppressing the poor, and dishonoring God's prophets(Amos 1:1-6:14). God told them to listen and obey, or face destruction(Amos 5:14+15). Amos then prophesied the eventual reuniting of the remnants of Israel and Judah, and rebuilding of their homeland, which was fulfilled in 537 BCE.(Amos 9:14 / Ezra 3:1).

Answer 3

Israel faces certain destruction, which Amos says is not only because of overconfidence in its ability to withstand the powerful Assyrian armies, but also because of its sins. Amos, a mere shepherd, comes to preach repentance and warn against danger from Assyria, but it must be that no one listened to him, because Israel was soon defeated by the Assyrian Empire.
In chapter 5, Amos explains this defeat as the will of God, because he tired of the Israelites' lack of repentance, so he will destroy Israel, leaving its temples in ruins. Amos chapter 9 ends with a prophecy that unfortunately never came true, because the captive Israelites became absorbed into their host cultures and never returned to rebuild and inhabit their ruined cities:Amos 9:14-15: “And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God."

Answer 4

It points out the ill treatment by God's people toward others.