Amos intended to show the universal nature of Yahweh to the People Israel the always thought that Yahweh was only for them, Therefore, by pronouncing judgement and punishment on her neighbours, Israel was made that-their God Yahweh, had control upon other nations as well.

Amos wanted to break Israel's arrogance and pride for she had always been boasting of the supremacy of her God over the gods of other nations.

Amos wanted to show the people of Israel that sin everywhere was punishable by the same God. He hated sin and he would not hesitate to punish anyone sinful.

Amos intended to show the lsraelites that Yahweh was equally unhappy with their misconduct which was the same with that of their neighbours.

Amos wanted the Israelites realize that the gods of the other nations were worthless and unable to defend their people against God's punishment. Therefore, this was a call for Israel to trust and depend on Yahweh for her own protection.

Amos wanted to show Israel that God's salvation was for all nations. This was a break away from the thinking that salvation was only for them.

Amos intended to show the Israelites that they were behaving in the same way like those pagan nations yet they were to serve as example to them.

Amos wanted the Israelites to realize that Yahweh, was aware of their sinfulness. Therefore, by His actions on the other nations, the Lord's anger would fall upon.

Amos wanted to give time to Israel to realize her mistakes, repent her sins and turn back to God'. In this way; the lord would forgive and spare them.               

Amos intended to make the people of Israel condemn their own actions. Their neighbours were being punished for having committed similar evils. Therefore, they ought to have realized that they were acting against their own God.

Amos wanted Israelites to realize that, they would be punished in the same way the neighbours were about to be punished.          

He intended to show the omnipotence of God particularly over the gods and kings of the nations being condemned.

ORACLES OF JUDGEMENT, DISASTER, AND DESTRUCTION

(Amos as a Prophet of Doom)

Because of Israel's continued disobedience and injustices against each other, Amos came up with message of judgement, disaster and destruction upon 'the 'nation. Accordingly, Amos showed that Israel would pay and suffer heavily for her failure to listen to the Lord's message.

Amos gave a horrifying picture of how God' would crush Israel. Accordingly, she would be crushed to the ground during which she would groan like a cart loaded with corns. On that day, not even the fastest runner and the strongest soldier would escape and defend himself (2: 13-16).

Amos declared that an enemy would surround and destroy Israel's defenses. The enemy would loot the rich people's houses. This showed how badly Israel would be defeated in a war with her enemy (3: 11).

Amos said Israel would be like a shepherd who recovers only two legs or an ear of a sheep that a lion has eaten. Accordingly, this seems to suggest that only a few survivors would be left of the capital city Samaria (3: 12).

Amos said that the lord would destroy the altars of Bethel. Accordingly, the corners of the altars would be broken off thus making them to fall to the ground. This meant that the people would not have the chance of worshipping. (3: 14)

According to Amos, the winter and the summer houses of the rich would be destroyed. He declared that the houses decorated with ivory would fall to ruins (3: 15).

Amos equally attacked the rich women of Samaria whom he accused of growing fat like the well-fed cows of Bashan. He said that these women would be dragged away into exile just like fish on hooks. This signified the end of their luxurious life and the beginning of their misery in a foreign land (4:1-3).

Amos looked at Israel as a virgin fallen and never to rise again. She lay on the ground abandoned with no one to help her up. This seems to suggest the rejection that Israel suffered from the Lord (5:3).

Amos foretold the defeat and the destruction of Israel's soldiers. He showed that out of a thousand soldiers that a city would send only a hundred would return and that if a hundred would be sent only ten would return alive (5:3).

Amos showed that God would sweep down like fire on the people of Israel. The fire would burn up the people of Bethel to a point where no one would be able to put it out (5:6).

Amos said that the rich people who obtain their wealth through oppressing and exploiting the poor would not enjoy them. Accordingly, they would not live in their fine stone houses and neither would they drink wine from their beautiful vineyards (5: 11).

The prophet declared that there would be wailing and cries of sorrow in the city streets Israel. The farmers would be called to mourn the dead along with those paid to mourn. Wailing would as well be heard in all the vineyards. This meant that there would be massive death in Israel (5: 16-17).

Amos described the day of the Lord as a day when Israel would be judged harshly. Contrary to the people's expectation, the prophet said that it would be a day of darkness.

Besides, the day would be like someone who runs from a lion but only to meet a bear or someone who comes home and puts his hand on the wall but only to be bitten by a snake (5: 18-20).

Amos saw that the people of Israel were refusing to admit that a day of disaster was on their way. However, the prophet declared that their deeds could only make the day to move closer. This meant that it was just only a matter of time before Israel could face the wrath of the Lord. (6:3).

Amos foretold a time when the people of Israel would be taken into exile thereby making the people's feasts and banquets come to an end. This signified difficult time for Israel as she would once again be subjected to slavery conditions in a foreign land (6:7).

Amos said that the Lord would give Israel's capital city and everything in it to an enemy. This showed how powerless and helpless Israel would be to defend herself and rescue her own city (6:8).

Amos foretold the destruction of families in Israel. All family members would be wiped out and upon the Lord's command, houses large or small would be smashed to pieces (6:9-11).

Amos told Israel that a foreign army would occupy her land. During this foreign domination, the people would be oppressed from north to south (6:14).

In his first vision, Amos saw the Lord sending a swarm of locusts just after the King's harvest and as the grass had started to grow. The locusts were eating up every green plant in the land. This signified that there would be famine and consequently starvation in Israel (7:1-2).

Amos saw the Lord preparing to punish Israel with fire. The fire was so great that it burnt up the ocean under the earth and had started burning up the land (7:4-5).

In the vision of the plumb line, judgement upon Israel was inevitable. The Lord was now determined to punish His people without changing his mind. Their places of worship would be left in ruins and the dynasty of king Jeroboam would equally come to an end (7:7-9).

In his confrontation with priest Amaziah, disaster was on Israel's way beginning right from the family of the priest. He declared that the wife of the priest would become a prostitute and his children would be killed in war and that the land of Israel would be divided up and given to others before ending up in exile (7: 17).

In the vision of a basket of fruits, the Lord revealed to Amos that the end had come for the people of Israel. On the day of punishment, the songs in the royal palace would become cries for mourning. Dead bodies would be scattered everywhere and they would be thrown in silence (8:1-3).

According to Amos, the Lord swore never to forget the evil deeds of His people. For this reason, there would be earth quake. Everyone in the land would be in distress because the whole nation would be shaken (8:7-8).

Amos foresaw a time when the Lord would make the sun to go down at noon and the earth would grow dark any time of the day (8:9).

Besides, the Lord would turn Israel's festivals into funeral and change their songs of joy into cries of grief (8: 1 0).

Amos revealed that the Lord would make the people of Israel to shave their heads and make them to wear sack cloth. That day would see Israel like parents mourning for their only child. For them, the day would be bitter to the end (8: 1 0).

Amos prophesied a time when the Lord would send famine on the land of Israel. Unfortunately for people, they would be hungry and thirsty not for food and water but for a message from the lord which they never find (8: 11).

Amos foretold the destruction of the temple at Bethel and the futile attempt by the people to escape on that day. The Lord would give a command for the striking of the top of the pillars of the temple and people would scramble for safety. They would dig their way to the world of the dead, hide on top of Mount Carmel and hide at the bottom of the sea but no one would get way (9: 1-4).