Amos 7:7-15
7 This is what he showed me: behold, the Lord was standing beside a wall built with a plumb line, with a plumb line in his hand. 8 And the Lord said to me, “Amos, what do you see?” And I said, “A plumb line.” Then the Lord said,
“Behold, I am setting a plumb line
in the midst of my people Israel;
I will never again pass by them;
the high places of Isaac shall be made desolate,
and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste,
and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.”
Amos Accused
10 Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel. The land is not able to bear all his words. 11 For thus Amos has said,
“‘Jeroboam shall die by the sword,
and Israel must go into exile
away from his land.’”
12 And Amaziah said to Amos, “O seer, go, flee away to the land of Judah, and eat bread there, and prophesy there, 13 but never again prophesy at Bethel, for it is the king’s sanctuary, and it is a temple of the kingdom.”
14 Then Amos answered and said to Amaziah, “I was no prophet, nor a prophet’s son, but I was a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore figs. 15 But the Lord took me from following the flock, and the Lord said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’
Are you qualified to speak? That was the problem that the prophet Amos faced. He wasn’t a “prophet” or even a “prophet’s son.” It would seem that He was agreeing that he had no qualification to speak. Why then was he prophesying?
Amos said, “… the Lord took me from following the flock, and the Lord said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’” Our calling isn’t grounded simply on our skills, vocational choice, or family background. Ultimately, it is the Lord Himself who places us in our calling to do His will. Amos could speak because God placed Him there to prophesy. He had to speak in obedience to God’s call.
It is good to remember this as we think of our own callings in life. Our vocational choice is one thing, but our calling as God’s people encompasses everything! When we were baptized, we were united with Jesus. His life, death on the cross, and resurrection became ours. His ministry is seen in our daily lives. Jesus’ life forms and empowers every part of who we are. The significance of our lives is found in Jesus. We rejoice, for through Jesus, the eternal is made flesh even in us today.
Let us pray,
I thank you Lord for your faithful prophets. Help me to be faithful to the calling that you have given to me in my baptism. In your name I pray. AMEN.
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come,Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.