Called From The Sycamore Trees

What is going on in our lectionary passage? Amos is one of the twelve minor prophets found in scripture.
He did not grow up in a family of prophets and he was an unexpected source of prophecy. His profession was taking care of sycamore trees. God uses Amos to bring a harsh message to those who are mistreating others. The book is broken into different oracles dealing
with idolatry, mistreating the poor, selling slaves for little money, exploiting females and more. The passage we see today, Amos is addressing the mistreatment of the poor and oppressed. He talks about a plumb line; we could call it a level. The wall is not
level, the people are not being treated fairly. Amos is called out of his occupation, he is led to stand against high leaders, and he is called to give a harsh message of justice. Although the book of Amos seems harsh to those in power, it is liberating for
those who have been oppressed. Despite Amos’s lack of training in this line of work, he is a bold prophet. Amos is used to cause change and justice. May we be like Amos. May we follow the lead of the Spirit. May we speak what we have been called to speak and
may we be silent when the Spirit leads us to be silent. Let us be reminded that God uses each of us despite our occupation. What is God leading you to do? Let us dig deeper into this passage on Sunday, we cannot wait to see you!

Pastor Andy

Amos 7:7-17
Common English Bible
A vision of a plumb line
7 This is what the Lord showed me: The Lord was standing by a wall, with a plumb line in his hand. 8 The Lord said to me, “Amos, what do you see?”
“A plumb line,” I said.
Then the Lord said,
“See, I am setting a plumb line
in the middle of my people Israel.
I will never again forgive them.
9 The shrines of Isaac will be made desolate,
and the holy places of Israel will be laid waste,
and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.”
Exchange between Amaziah, Jeroboam, and Amos
10 Then Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, reported to Israel’s King Jeroboam, “Amos has plotted against you within the house of Israel. The land isn’t able to cope with everything that he is saying. 11 Amos has said, ‘Jeroboam will die by the sword, and Israel will be forced out of its land.’”
12 Amaziah said to Amos, “You who see things, go, run away to the land of Judah, eat your bread there, and prophesy there; 13 but never again prophesy at Bethel, for it is the king’s holy place and his royal house.”
14 Amos answered Amaziah, “I am[a] not a prophet, nor am I a prophet’s son; but I am a shepherd, and a trimmer of sycamore trees. 15 But the Lord took me from shepherding the flock, and the Lord said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’
16 “Now then hear the Lord’s word.
You say, ‘Don’t prophesy against Israel,
and don’t preach
against the house of Isaac.’
17 “Therefore, the Lord proclaims:
‘Your wife will become a prostitute in the city,
and your sons and your daughters will fall by the sword,
and your land will be measured and divided up;
you yourself will die in an unclean land,
and Israel will surely be taken away from its land.’”