"The Shepherd-Prophet" (Amos)
Pastor Bob Leroe, Cliftondale Congregational Church, Saugus, Massachusetts
Before I tell you about Amos the prophet, let me tell you about the people he was sent to. The time was around 760 years before the birth of Christ, around the time of the founding of Rome, during the reign of King Jeroboam II. Israel was at the height of its material power and prosperity. In spite of being a time of plenty, there was social injustice in the land, moral decay, and a general disregard for God. It was a time of great self-indulgence, corruption, complacency, and religious indifference. Those who were well-off ignored the needs of those less fortunate. To make things worse, the idolatrous worship of neighboring pagan nations had infiltrated the land. Last week I mentioned that one of the functions of the prophets was to tell Israel what it meant to be Israel. The people Amos was sent to didn’t feel a sense of accountability to God. They were God’s elect—chosen to be a holy people, part of God’s family, but they were acting like orphans. God’s covenant with Israel stipulated loyalty to Him and the Law.
Does this sound like our day? When the Dow is up, when inflation is down, when we’re not at war, when we have job security, we can neglect our spiritual growth (or if we’re too busy trying to get material things). Comfort may well be the devil’s greatest weapon, resulting in self-reliance and keeping people from making God top priority in life.
To a people embracing the idolatry of materialism came the prophet Amos. He warned the comfortable in chapter 6, “Woe to those who are complacent in Zion!” He went on to say, “you do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph.” I.e. rather than be shocked by moral decay, the people were celebrating licentiousness, reveling in immorality. Amos’ words are marked by anguish, agitation, and non-acceptance. Amos understood his calling, and the function of the prophetic office. He states in chapter 3, “Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing His plan to His servants and prophets” (vs. 7).
Amos was not a priest or religious scholar. He was not the son of a prophet. He was a shepherd and farmer. His name means “burden-bearer”; he was burdened by the sins of his people. Amos lived in Tekoa, a town six miles south of Bethlehem. He lived during the time of Jonah and Hosea. Amos’ character and ideals were shaped by the desert; his simple life led him to see the evils of city life. When we live in the midst of sin we can take sin for granted; when we’re exposed to immorality, after a while we no longer feel outraged—the unthinkable becomes commonplace. Amos transitioned from one who cares for sheep to one who cares for the welfare of the nation. We can do extraordinary things for God regardless of our occupation. Amos fearlessly proclaimed God’s word to shake his people from their apathy. To the Hebrew nation life appeared serene, but in the prophet’s eye the world reeled in confusion.
Over the years people have intentionally moved to the desert to get in touch with God. The absence of distractions seems to help them focus on what is truly important. Surrounded by nothing but God, they appear open to how God may impress them. I felt this during my time in the deserts of west Texas and Saudi Arabia. A group of monks, the Desert Fathers, found the desert a place of contemplation. In the stark desert of Israel, a place of sharp contrast to nearby Jerusalem, Amos heard the Voice of the Lord.
Silence can speak loudly. Some people attend "Quiet retreats," in which they reflect on Scripture in silence. These times of breaking away from fast-paced world around us are becoming increasingly popular. We can seek out silence at a retreat or in quiet places in our homes. When Jesus said, “Come away with Me to a quiet place,” He gave an invitation to silence and solitude," . It’s sort of like being detoxified.
I love travel books—-even though I’ve done a fair amount of traveling myself, I enjoy reading about the journeys of others. Most writers visiting Israel in the days of Amos would have written about all the beautiful buildings and monuments. Amos was not blind to beauty, but he was deeply disturbed by how these “things” had taken the place of God. In 6:8 he cries out, “I abhor the pride of Jacob and detest his fortresses.”
This reminds me of when Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem with His disciples. They were awe-struck by the beauty of the buildings (Mt 24:1), and they expressed this to their Teacher. Jesus responded, prophesying about the coming destruction of Jerusalem, which later occurred in 70 AD. Jesus stated, “Not one stone here will be left on another”, which came to pass.
A modern-day prophet, Solzinitsyn, in speeches and in books has condemned those who have outward prosperity yet inward decay. He gave a speech in the US during a period when he was in exile from his native Russia entitled: “Men have forgotten God.” In Amos chapter 3 God reminds Israel that they are His chosen people, but then He asks, “do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so?” God wants to walk with us, to have fellowship with us—yet we must choose to walk with Him. God agrees to have a relationship with us—will we agree?
Another modern-day prophet, the Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr., often quoted Amos. A favorite verse of King’s was 5:24, “Let justice roll down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.” King added, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
The Israel of Amos’ day was a nation with a false sense of security. They were relying on religious ritual but all they had was a form of godliness with no substance. God tells them bluntly that He hates their worship. He states: “I despise your religious feasts; I cannot stand your assemblies…I will turn your religious feasts into mourning and all your singing into weeping” (5:21, 8:10). God was determined to bring His people to repentance. In chapter. 5 we see that the nation was looking forward to the “Day of the Lord”. They figured that “Judgment Day” would mean the destruction of their enemies; they hardly thought that they might be included in God’s judgment. They failed to see the Day of the Lord as a time when God would judge all sin, even theirs. In verse 18 Amos cries out, “Woe to you who long for the Day of the Lord!” I.e. “You don’t know what you’re asking for!” To a complacent nation Amos declares, “Prepare to meet your God” (4:12).
Amos condemned the pagan neighbors of Israel, which was well-received by his fellow Jews…but then he pronounced God’s judgment on the children of Israel. Amaziah, a priest (and false shepherd), was sent to Amos to get him to cease and desist. Amos refused; he continued to describe the sins of the people, and then repeatedly quoted God as saying “Yet you did not return to Me.” Amos fearlessly continued to prophesy against Israel. He knew his message would not be popular. He described his people, saying they “despise those who tell the truth” (5:10).
Amos also interceded for his people. In chapter 7 he pleads with God to lessen the severity of His impending punishment. Amos’ words should inspire us to pray for our nation, that God might spare us. This past week President Clinton sat down with the Israeli and Palestinian leadership at Camp David, with Barak and Arafat, in what he described as the hardest negotiations of his life. If peace were up to human efforts alone, we would have by now destroyed the planet. Peacemaking is an excruciatingly difficult task, but prayer can make a difference.
Every prophecy of judgment is an invitation to repentance. After all the chapters describing God’s displeasure, the book concludes with a message of hope. When we return to God—when we repent—we find restoration. God urges Israel, “Seek Me that you may live” (5:4).
In his book Listening Heart, Christian singer Steve Green confesses, “I am a recovering hypocrite.” I think we could all admit to some hypocrisy; we need to realize how easy it is to slip back into sin. Are we giving God what He wants? He wants us to trust Him and to be loyal to Him.
Israel’s promised restoration includes a return from exile, a release from captivity and bondage. Amos’ words (9:11-12) are quoted by James during the Council of Jerusalem in the Book of Acts (15:16-17) to support the inclusion of Gentiles into the family of God. This is our assurance: “I will rebuild David’s ruined house; I will repair its broken places, restore its ruins…and all the pagan peoples (the gentile nations) will be included in what I am doing.” Not only would Israel be restored, but even the barbaric foreigners, aliens to the grace of God.
Amos was a compassionate shepherd who cared enough to confront.
Prayer: Restore us Lord, when we stray from Your path, when we fail to demonstrate loyalty and obedience. Help us to get alone with You for strength and direction. Help us to be shaped, not by the values of our culture but by Your word. Don’t let the world squeeze us into its mold—help us to be conformed to Christ, Who lived and died for us, and in Whose Name we pray, Amen.
