Quotation
The wilderness idols and coming exile
Stephen quotes Amos's rebuke of Israel's wilderness worship and its warning that God would send the people into exile.
Acts 7:42–43
But God turned away from them and gave them over to the worship of the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: ‘Did you bring Me sacrifices and offerings forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? You have taken along the tabernacle of Molech and the star of your god Rephan, the idols you made to worship. Therefore I will send you into exile beyond Babylon.’
Both passages ask about Israel's sacrifices during forty years in the wilderness and accuse the people of carrying star-related idols. Amos 5:26-27 names Sakkuth and Kaiwan and says beyond Damascus; Acts 7:43 names Molech and Rephan and says beyond Babylon.
Quotation
The fallen tent of David and the Gentiles
At the Jerusalem council, James says that the prophets agree with God's taking a people from the Gentiles and then quotes Amos's promise that David's fallen tent will be rebuilt.
Acts 15:13–18
When they had finished speaking, James declared, “Brothers, listen to me! Simon has told us how God first visited the Gentiles to take from them a people to be His own. The words of the prophets agree with this, as it is written: ‘After this I will return and rebuild the fallen tent of David. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it, so that the remnant of men may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by My name, says the Lord who does these things that have been known for ages.’
Amos 9:11-12 promises the restoration of David's fallen tent and speaks of Edom and nations bearing the LORD's name. Acts 15:16-18 quotes the restored tent but reads that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord, including Gentiles called by His name.
