Amos and 1 Kings 13

Peter J. Leithart, September 21, 2005

In an article on 1 Kings 13, Werner Lemke noted a number of parallels with the prophecy of Amos, specifically parallels between the man of God from Judah and Amos himself.

1) Both are from Judah and prophesy at Bethel.
2) Both confront authorites at Bethel.
3) Both predict the destruction of Bethel's altar or sanctuary.
4) Both are prophets under a "Jeroboam."
5) Both are distinguished from "professional" prophets - the man of God by the title "man of God" rather than "prophet," and Amos by his insistence that he is not part of the prophetic class ("son of prophet", 7:14f.).

This fits into a larger historical pattern: The beginning of the Northern Kingdom's reign matches the end; there is Jeroboam at each end, followed by a series of 7 kings, with the 7th marking a significant change of direction for Israel (Ahab, Hoshea).