The Lord took Me

But the Lord took me Amos 7:10-17

What makes the man or women that God places his hand to use them?

When one is effectively serving God there will be opposition, persecution and trial. So there is no ideal place to serve God except in the place he sends you. (Beggs)

Condition that demands a call Amos 1:1, 7:10-13

1:1 . . . Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake. Two Kingdoms, Two Kings, Two Ways

Israel was the northern kingdom of the Jews, Judah was the southern kingdom. The kingdoms had been formed by a split off the single kingdom at the death of Solomon. Some Jews followed Jeroboam I (not a son of Solomon, 1 Kings 11:26) to form the northern kingdom called Israel. This kingdom was made of 10 tribes of the Jewish people (1 Kings 11:29-31). Two other tribes (Judah and Benjamin) followed Rehoboam who was the legitimate heir to Solomon’s throne (1Kings 11:43). They formed a southern kingdom called Judah. Jerusalem which was the center of all religious activity and the capital of the Jewish people remained in Judah. Jews were required to worship in Jerusalem 3 times a year. Jeroboam knew that if the people went to Jerusalem to worship they might not return to the northern kingdom. To stop that from happening he created a state religion appointing priests who were not Levites and places of worship in the northern cities of Dan and Bethel. He erected a golden calf to be worshiped at each location. He also instituted days of festivals like in Jerusalem. 1 Kgs 12:26-29.

At the time of Amos (760-750 BC).Jeroboam II was the King of the northern kingdom of Israel (2 Kgs 14:23-29) and Uzziah, also known as Azariah, was the southern kingdom of Judah (2 Kgs 15:1-7, 2 Chron 26:1-23). Jeroboam was a wicked king and did evil in the sight of God all his life (1 Kgs 14:24). Uzziah was a faithful King until pride took hold of him and he disobeyed God by burning incense in the temple (2 Chron 26:16-21) As a result of his disobedience he was struck with leprosy for the rest of his life.

Amos was sent into the northern kingdom of Israel to prophecy. The priesthood of Bethel had been politically appointed by King Jeroboam II (Amos 7:13). The priest at Bethel during Amos’ prophecies was Amaziah, thus the words of Amos were a threat to the status quo and considered a conspiracy 7:10.

During this time there was great prosperity in both kingdoms, economically, politically, and militarily, things were going well for both Judah and Israel. (2Kgs 14-15). It was also a time for idolatry, extravagant indulgence in luxurious living, immorality, corruption, and oppression of the poor. In Israel they worshiped the golden calves

(1Kgs 12:28) while in Judah they still worshipped at the high places (2 Kgs 15:4).

Character of the called 1:1 The words of Amos, who was among the shepherds of Tekoa 7:14 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.

Heritage is irrelevant- I was not a prophet, nor a prophet’s son . . of Tekoa

Tekoa was about 10 miles from Jerusalem. So Judah was the birth place of Amos Thus he was sent from the southern kingdom to the north to prophecy. He was not a prophet but a common laborer. He did not go to the school of the prophets, nor was he apprenticed by a prophet. There was nothing in his heritage or background to educate him as a prophet. His background is similar to many others who were called specifically to serve God. David 1 Sam 16;1-13, Elisha 1Kgs 19:19, Gideon Judges 6:11, the disciples Mark 1:16, Acts 4:13

There was nothing unique or special about Amos that God should reach down and draw him to the task he had set before him.

God uses the insignificant. More often than not, God uses the insignificant so that the glory might go to himself and not to mere men and women. Paul affirms this in 1 Cor 1:26-29. This brings us great hope. God is not looking for the eloquent or the influential or even the well-educated. He is looking for men and women who are totally given over to him so that he can accomplish much through them. God is able to use the nobodies of this world, this means he is able to use us and will use us if our lives really are given over to Him. It is from common people like us that God does great things in order that honor and glory might be given to His great name. (Boice The Minor Prophets)

Hard work is essential –but I was herdsman and a dresser of sycamore figs. Amos, like the king of Moab was a sheep dealer, or trader, one with significantly more wealth and resources than a mere shepherd or hired hand. Amos was a man of means. The sycamore-fig would not grow in the area around Tekoa, so it must have been that Amos owned land in another part of the country. Amos was a diversified, rather wealthy agriculturalist of sorts. He was an unlikely candidate - a farmer, not a seminary student or a son out of a priestly family or someone with a prophetic lineage -- this unlikely candidate heads out with the message of the Lord; a stern message (Ken Gehrel)

Humility is indispensable –But the Lord took me from following the flock Humility leads to repentance and a willing obedience. 2 Chron 33: 10-13, 33:21-24, 34:26-26. Humble yourself and he will exalt you James 4:1-10

His call of God was not based on pedigree He says I wasn’t a prophet, I wasn’t a prophet’s son. I didn’t go to those kinds of schools. I was a shepherd and I also took care of Sycamore fig trees. But the Lord took me from the flock and told me to God prophecy to his people Israel. He wasn’t a prophet by nature. He wasn’t a prophet by self-appointment. He was a prophet because God stretched out his hand and made him a prophet. (Allister Beggs)

Two Dangers to watch for in hearing and heeding God’s call:

1) Dramatizing the call of God by making it so mystical, so Damascus road in its orientation that you are deterred from ever believing you can serve God. 2) Downplaying the idea of a call of God so that one launches themselves into Christian service without ever having a call from God.

Those who go where they have not been called will cause chaos and they will crumble. Only those who have been called will be able to stand the stain of worldly antagonism that they will face. (Allister Beggs)

Compliance of the called v. 15 the Lord took me . . . the Lord said to me, “Go prophecy to my people The Holy Spirit gave to Amos’ spirit a clear, unshakable message of what would happen if things didn’t change quick. It came in the form of thoughts in his mind, compulsions in his heart, and visions he could see. They were unshakable thoughts, strong compulsions, and vivid visions. Powerful. Like the roar of a lion. And Amos couldn’t -- he just couldn’t -- leave it alone. If a lion roars, who doesn’t shiver in fear? If God speaks, who can BUT go out in obedience & prophecy? It was a rare thing, mind you. Amos lived in the Old Testament era, where the movement of the Holy Spirit within someone was a rare event. Only a select few were touched by the LORD. Only a select few ever received guidance from him. (Ken Gehrel) God’s plan is to place us were we are that he might use us to proclaim him in that place. But there are times that God will uproot someone while they are plowing in the field, tending the flock or collecting figs and he will call them for the special ministry of proclamation of his word. This is what we need in this day. We don’t often find men broken in upon by God. Speaking to them in the midst of their careers and saying to them I have a message you are the one and I want you to share this message and I going to take you from there and put you here with this message. The pulpits of the day lack clarity, biblical authority, power and solid Biblical teaching. Why? Perhaps because preacher are in places where they have never been sent. Many have assumed a place where heaven has not sent them to be. Some seminaries are only producing Bible intellects. They know a lot about the Bible, but they have no call on their life. They graduate from seminary and assume God’s call is to be in in the ministry, but they have no fire set up in their bones. Serious study of the word and placing yourself under Godly men who can tool you in the word through a seminary education is essential to ministry. But one thing is certain, Spiritual authority is more important than educational advancement in the setting apart the man of God to preach the word of God. All the education, mentors, and extra Biblical materials without God’s calling is useless. (William Still)

Conviction of the called v. 16 Now therefore hear the word of the Lord

You say . . . v. 17 Therefore thus said the Lord

The message that he was to bring was not an easy message. It was a word to Amaziah and the king that would affect their family, their nation and their own life v. 17. The quest is not for approval or respectability, but to be authenticated and approved by the one who gave him the message to proclaim. You said, . . . but God said. (Beggs)

Amos’s conviction was sure. Despite the opposition he stood strong on the authority of God’s calling and message God had given him to preach. When the word of God is spoken people will allow us to speak the truth so long as we speak it to ourselves or to those who agree with us or we do it vaguely enough so that they do not understand what we are saying. But let the message be heard and understood and immediately the oppositions begins. Speak about sin and we are said to be making ourselves better than others. Speak about Jesus as the only way of salvation and we are called intolerant, narrow-minded or bigoted. Speak about the gospel and we are told that works for you, but not for us. (Boice)

How can we BUT prophecy? It will not be easy. The reaction we will receive will often be similar to Amaziah’s reactions to Amos’ message. We’ll have people telling us, as Amaziah did to Amos, to keep our opinions to ourselves. It is the voice which proclaims loudly throughout our country - "Keep your religious beliefs quiet, and certainly out of the public arena. There is no room in education for religious statements or dogma. There is no room in politics for spiritual ultimatums. "If it works for you - fine. Just keep it there.... with you. Don’t start preaching it loudly. That’s arrogant!" People may even shake their heads and consider us crazy. "She’s gone mad," they may say. But hey, that puts us in good company. They also said that the shepherd had gone mad. And so the question for you and I, as we stand in the tradition of Amos, is: To who’s drumbeat will we march? Who’s call will we heed? For whom will we speak? The God who called Amos, who spoke through him, and who cared for him in that entire process is the same living Creator God who calls us, speaks through us, and who promises to care for us as we walk into a new week as prophets of His, speaking his word in this age. (Gehrel)