Prayers from Amos

Amos 7:10-17

 Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent a message to Jeroboam king of Israel: “Amos is raising a conspiracy against you in the very heart of Israel. The land cannot bear all his words. ¹¹ For this is what Amos is saying:

“‘Jeroboam will die by the sword,
    and Israel will surely go into exile,
    away from their native land.’”

¹² Then Amaziah said to Amos, “Get out, you seer! Go back to the land of Judah. Earn your bread there and do your prophesying there. ¹³ Don’t prophesy anymore at Bethel, because this is the king’s sanctuary and the temple of the kingdom.”

¹⁴ Amos answered Amaziah, “I was neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet, but I was a shepherd, and I also took care of sycamore-fig trees. ¹⁵ But the Lord took me from tending the flock and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’ ¹⁶ Now then, hear the word of the Lord. You say,

“‘Do not prophesy against Israel,
    and stop preaching against the descendants of Isaac.’

¹⁷ “Therefore this is what the Lord says:

“‘Your wife will become a prostitute in the city,
    and your sons and daughters will fall by the sword.
Your land will be measured and divided up,
    and you yourself will die in a pagan^[a] country.
And Israel will surely go into exile,
    away from their native land.’”

Amos the shepherd, echos of who God tells first of the birth of His Son, and Amaziah, Israel’s chief priest. Amaziah the educated one who should know God’s word and Amos who probably has little education. Yet it is Amos who was open to God’s word and followed it, whereas Amaziah is more concerned with position, stature and religion which he can be control, measure, judge. So Amaziah seeks to stir trouble. If people were to start listening to Amos, who is not coming with cheery easy words, he, Amaziah might find he has problems on his hands and find his position and no doubt the privileges and luxuries that go with it in danger. The challenge for us is are we open to the Living God speaking and speaking through people we may think have less to offer? Do we hold our roles and positions lightly enough that if the Living God calls us to lay them down we will?

Our Father who is in Heaven, whose kingdom breaks through among us, humble us that we may hear, receive and respond to Your word as You so choose to give it to us. In Jesus name we pray.