Jonah was swallowed by a big fish and in that place prays a desperate prayer. In his prayer he "prays from hell." Is he in fact dead? Is Jonah a death and resurrection miracle.

God wants Jonah to preach at Nineveh - the biggest city in the world at the time. Jonah struggles with prejudice against Ninevites and doesn't want to go, so he flees the opposite direction, by boarding a ship for Spain. But you can't really run away from God, can you?

After 8 chapters of judgement, the last chapter of Amos contains hope, and the Lord is going to restore the fallen tent of David. But what is that tent, and what does it mean? This is a messianic prophecy about Christ, and about the inclusion of the Gentiles into the plans of God.

Amos sees a vision of fruit - ripe and ready to be eaten. This fruit is a picture of Israel - ready to be consumed. The sins of Israel had gone before it and in some ways we are just the same.

In this chapter the priest at Bethel, Amaziah, commands him to leave. Bethel was the site of the golden calf worship and Amos took advantage of this location to declare the words of the true God. But now he must go. And meanwhile Amos has five visions from the Lord and we find out he is a farmer of sycamore figs.

Are you a "fat Christian" enjoying the goodness of God? Are you "secure in Zion" while not considering the needs of others? Or are you looking forward to the punishment and judgement of others becase "they deserve it." There were people going through all of these types of scenarios in Israel and Judah. But we must not fall into the same trap

Amos writes a lament for Israel - a very sad poem. "The virgin of Israel has fallen, she shall rise no more." We see in this chapter that while the Lord judges, he is also sad and sorrowful. God is emotional - he cares a great deal.

"Off you go to Bethel, and sin. Go to Gilgal, and sin more." (Amos 4:4) Since when does the Lord actually tell people to sin. In this chapter the Lord gets sarcastic against the people of Israel and in reality his message is a message of Judgement through the prophet Amos. What does it mean for us?

God chose Israel, but they received it like a spouse in marriage that wants all the benefits but none of the responsibility. Can two walk together unless they be agreed, says the Lord? And so Israel deserts the Lord, and there are implications of this, which the prophet Amos reveals.

In chapter 1 of Amos, there were judgement prophecies against Tyre, Edom, Syria and the Philistines. But now the prophecies circle in closer and closer to Israel, and she gets the toughest judgement of them all.