Observation

This question was not popular among the candidates. The performance to this question was average. Some candidates narrated the story of how Amos was called. In some other instances, candidates failed to highlight the pronouncement made by Amos and the sins the people committed that made Amos to make such pronouncement. Candidates were expected to have highlighted the essential points as listed below;

1. As Amos identified the transgressions of Israel, God made it clear to them that He would not revoke the punishments if they refused to repent.
2. Amos prophesied that the Samaritan women would be taken to exile in hooks like a fish and cast into Harmon.
3. The women who supported their husbands to oppress the poor would be humiliated and also taken into exile.
4. People who cheated the poor to build hewn stone houses would not dwell in them nor would they live to drink the wine of the vineyards they planted. They would suffer exile as their punishment.
5. In all the squares, there shall be wailing, and in all the streets they shall say, Alas!
6. This implies that people would endure bitter punishments leading to wailings here and there.
7. According to Amos, their wives would be harlots in the city, and their sons and daughters would fall by the sword.
8. This implies that a nation would attack and defeat Israel and send them into exile.
9. All business men who exploited the poor in the course of their transactions would have their hopes dashed while their feast would turn into mourning.
10. Those who looked forward to the day of the Lord as a day of joy and exoneration would be disappointed as it would turn out to be a day of judgement and severe punishment.
11. Worship involving sacrifices, prayers, songs on feast and sacred days would incur God’s displeasure, hatred and rejection.
12. Songs of thanksgiving for harvest would be turned to sadness.
13. According to Amos, the people would suffer famine not of food or drink but for the word of God.

In the part b, candidates were able to highlight sins which Amos condemned which are prevalent in our society today. The candidates ability to be able to answer the question effectively in this part enabled them to have an average score in this question.  Other points included in the part b are;

1. Cult prostitution (Marriage to the gods and priests).
2. Paying lip service to God.
3. Idolatry/ false worship/false prophets.
4. Not keeping the Sabbath and feast days holy.
5. False swearing/bearing false witnesses.
6. Bribery and corruption.
7. Selling the righteous for money and the needy for a small fee.
8. Cheating in markets with false weights/measures.
9. Forced slavery/child labour/child abuse/child trafficking.
10. Sexual immorality eg homosexuality/ fornication/ adultery.
11. Luxury as a result of cheating (under/overpayments, fraudulent activities, etc.)
12. Robbing the poor of their properties e.g. Land guards etc.
13. Injustice in the law courts.