At times I don’t think in our humanity we are comfortable with God acting like the all-powerful God that he is. We like to be in control, we like to know that he is on our side and won’t do anything that makes our temporal life uncomfortable. We like Jesus, God in human form, always loving, always grace-filled, suffering servant but are uncomfortable with the Father, seated in heavenly places, all powerful, all knowing and uncontrollable to us in our humanity.

The book of Amos, as many of the other Prophetic Writings, requires a vigilant and measured hermeneutic for the fullness of its content to be comprehensively appreciated. Written in a politically and nationally multifaceted time, the book of Amos seeks to offer not only a unified perspective on the justice and the righteousness of Yahweh, but furthermore, reminds Israel and believers of today, that God is sovereign and merciful over His creation. What this means is not that He is absent and aloof, but rather that He is engaged, intentional, and impassioned. This Deep Dive will explore both the judgment and the mercy of Yahweh and offer a nuanced perspective to be mindful of while reading the book for yourself.