lowly of his sycamore fruit gatherers; but he would often spend hours
by himself in the woods or in the wilderness.

It was during these lonesome hours that Amos added high thinking to
his simple living. The grandeur of Samaria and the wealth he saw
displayed in Bethel did not deceive him. Neither did the peace compact
between Jeroboam II and Assur-dan III blind him to the exact state of
affairs in the relationship between the two countries.

He knew that Tiglath-Pileser III, the successor of Assur-dan, had
crushed all rebellions in Assyria, which Assur-dan III had failed to
do, and was reorganizing the army of the great empire. He knew that
Damascus, which had been weakened by Jeroboam II beyond hope of
recovery, would be the first point of conquest for the young and
energetic Pul, as Tiglath-Pileser was called. Next before him, to the
south, lay the rich Kingdom of Israel, the booty from whose palaces
and sanctuaries would be an enormous prize for the Assyrian emperor
and his army. After Damascus, must come Samaria!

In other words, Amos saw distinctly that the time was near when Israel
would have to fight again for its independence and its very life; and
he asked himself, "Is Israel prepared?"

Clearly it was not. The rich had become unfit for war, because of
their luxuriant living. The poor had become unfit for war, because of
their oppression by the rich. Should the Assyrians invade the land,
how could such a nation of weaklings defend its home and its liberty?

Israel must be warned! It must be awakened from its stupidity to a
realization of the danger ahead! The rich must cease their extravagances