In his great address at Bethel he held out the hope to Israel that God
might forgive His people for their crimes and sins if they began to
lead godly lives. His continued failure to impress the people with
this message, however, finally led him to the belief that God would
measure out the severest justice to Israel, in accordance with their
sins, and without mercy.

Amos had become a well-known figure at all the sanctuaries. Most of
the people thought him to be one of those wandering dervishes, known
as "Sons of the Prophets," who made their living by a kind of fortune
telling, or forecasting the future, as did Samuel in the early days
when he told Saul where the lost asses were; only, that Amos was one
of the Sons of the Prophets run mad, judging from the way he talked
and the strange things he said.

This did not trouble Amos. What worried him was the fact that the
people would not listen to his addresses.

So, in the year 745, he journeyed again to Bethel, where a great
festival was to be celebrated. He was determined that the people
should hear. He was well prepared, too. Instead of beginning with a
condemnation of Israel, he used new tactics:

"Thus saith God," he began. "For three transgressions of Damascus,
yea, for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof."

That was interesting. We always like to hear about the punishments
that others will receive for their misdeeds, even if we close our ears
to those that threaten us.