Called to Humility

Since we have been learning from different prophets over the last few weeks, I figured I'd introduce you to another you may have forgotten about. Today I would like to introduce you to Amos. Amos was a shepherd and fig tree farmer who lived in the southern kingdom of Judah, near the border of the northern kingdom of Israel. Amos is not the type of person we would assume is a prophet because his background tells us that he does not have any formal training. Fun fact Amos' name means "burden bearer," just thought I’d throw that in there.

The Book of Amos delivers a powerful message of social justice, divine judgment, and the need for true worship. Amos is called by God to prophesy against the northern kingdom of Israel during a time of prosperity and moral decay. Throughout the book, Amos prophecies that there will be destruction, fire, locusts and more to many cities in the northern kingdom. He rejects the exploitation of the poor, corruption among leaders, and empty religious rituals, warning that God's judgment is imminent unless the people repent.  

Let’s take a look at our scripture reading for this week and once again it is on the longer side so we will hear it in pieces. We begin with Amos 7:7-9: 

7 This is what he showed me: 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, 

“See, I am setting a plumb line 
    in the midst of my people Israel; 
    I will spare them no longer; 
9 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.” 

Do you know what a plumb line is? Maybe you do, but if you are like me, you have no idea. Don’t worry, I looked it up for us. A plumb line, also called a plummet, is a string with a non-magnetic weight connected to one end. When the line is held so that the weight can fall freely, an exact vertical measurement can be defined. A plumb line is typically used by painters and carpenters. 

The Lord is setting a plumb line to measure the obedience and worship of the people. And what is disheartening is that we can see that the line shows the people have been unfaithful, which is why Amos is sharing this warning. No one is exempt from it, not even the king at the time, Jeroboam. Amos receives a vision from the Lord that he must share with the people of Bethel. He is not concerned with how they will respond.  

Our next piece of scripture is Amos 7:10-13: 

Amaziah Complains to the King 

10 Then Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, sent to King Jeroboam of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the very center 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, earn your 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.” 

Amos’ job is to share what the Lord has told him with the people, regardless of whether or not they like what he says. Today was not a particularly good day on the job because he has to share God’s judgment that will fall on the people. He is met with contempt and the priest takes the message straight to the king to say that he is going to die.  Then Amaziah, the priest, attempts to push Amos away, he’s clearly territorial because he says never come here again, its is the kings sacred space.  

I would like to think that the priest would hear the warning and listen but that is not what happens. Instead he says go back to where you came from and let them pay you for your time, for your visions.  

Let’s continue our reading with verses 14-15:  

14 Then Amos answered Amaziah, “I am no prophet nor a prophet’s son, but I am a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore trees, 15 and the Lord took me from following the flock, and the Lord said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’ 

Here’s where we learn about the character of Amos and reveal this humble spirit. Amos says listen I am not who you think I am, I am a farmer and the Lord sent me here to you. Humility is a word we always find hard to explain and even harder to define. Humility is freedom from pride. A humble person has the right view of God, self and neighbor. Humility is not weakness but a strong quality and shows trust in God.  

Amos was called to do something he had never done before, without any formal training, all while simply listening to what God had to say. Just a few verses before this we heard from Amaziah, a priest, who was so threatened by Amos that he told him to leave. It wasn’t that he delivered a hard vision, but rather that he displayed more power and authority than him just by revealing the vision. I’m sure that as the priest he could clearly see what the people were doing wrong, but he chose to stay on the good side of the king.  

Amos acknowledges that he does not come with a fancy degree, certification or special training, and only has a word from the Lord to prophecy. I believe in his calling because what he is asked to do is not something that is convenient or that will benefit him. Instead he is asked to tell them plainly if they want to have a relationship with God, there are changes and sacrifices that have to be made. 

Then he says this in verses 16-17: 

16 “Now therefore hear the word of the Lord. 
You say, ‘Do not prophesy against Israel, 
    and do not preach against the house of Isaac.’ 
17 Therefore thus says the Lord: 
Your wife shall become a prostitute in the city, 
    and your sons and your daughters shall fall by the sword, 
    and your land shall be parceled out by line; 
you yourself shall die in an unclean land, 
    and Israel shall surely go into exile away from its land.” 

This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.  

My, my, this is just difficult to hear.  

Amos is bold. After he tells them you can either listen or not, he delivers this devastating message. But remember Jeroboam had exalted himself among the people. He decided that he could control all things in the northern kingdom, but he forgot about God’s judgement.  

Conclusion to the Amos content 

Amos is one of us. He had a job, a career that he was dedicated to. He probably had a family that he was close to. He probably lived comfortably in his home in the southern kingdom. Then all of a sudden, he heard from the Lord that there was a job for him. Amos is deeply aware of his shortcomings, all the ways he is unqualified and knows that people will not listen to him. Yet. Yet he knows that God has called him, and he should step into this calling with trust.  

The call to humility, like its definition, is hard to grasp. Because we can use it as an excuse to skip out on the calling, we heard. Yet, God says I am calling you who sits in the office all day, I am calling you who has retired many times before. I’m calling you who has no idea who this God is that’s calling. This call to humility is a call to let go of the pride inside and leave your ego behind. This call to humility today is more than hearing a word from the Lord, its affirmation that you are the person that God is looking for. Not everyone is called to professional ministries, but every single person can hear and follow God’s call.  

Sermon Series 

A few weeks ago, we began our summer sermon series “Called In”. A sermon series inspired by proverbs chapter 3, that explores the ways in which God continues to call us into community, and to divine relationship. Sometimes being called in means being called away from areas where we have clearly done wrong, caused harm, or fallen short. In other moments, God may simply be working to refine us further, encouraging us to continue on a path toward faithful maturity. In every other instance, however, God is inviting us into something better, fuller, and more holy.  

I know you are just dying to find out how this all comes together. If you missed a Sunday or two, now is the time to pay attention. So, let’s start by reminding ourselves what we have talked about.  

The first week I introduced you to the prophet Elijah. Elijah was a well-known prophet from the northern kingdom who found himself in the middle of conflict and we spent time with him at a pivotal moment in his life. And we received the first pillar in this sermon series the “call to self-care.”  This self-care that I talked about was calling out the things that are both obvious and subtle challenging your own actions. Removing yourself from the places where you have caused harm or been too complacent. Allowing yourself space and time to be forgiven, renewed and changed.  

The second week I introduced you to Elisha, a newly called prophet who is about to begin his ministry and the second pillar in our series, the call to connection. Specifically, connection between individuals, defined as a relationship in which a person or thing is linked or associated with something else. This call to connection is allowing God to use you to help others reveal and use their God given gifts. This call to connection is not simply that you become a teacher or a guide or a good friend, rather it is a call to deeper intentional relationship with others. 

Then last week I introduced you to Isaiah, a prophet speaking to the people of Israel during a difficult time, and we received the third pillar in our series, the call to comfort. The prophet is speaking to give one final message of hope about Jerusalem. Letting them know that through the mothering nature of God this city once left hopeless, has been restored and it is time to rejoice. This call to comfort is more about how we care deeply about one another and not just how to console each other in times of comfort. This call to comfort is a push for you beyond your own comfort zone because it challenges what you know about a comforting mothering spirit. 

Then today we met Amos, a farmer, who called to speak up when no one else would and say some things that were hard to hear. Our fourth and final pillar is the call to humility. The call to humility was a call to trust and belief in himself. This call to humility is more than hearing a word from the Lord, its affirmation that you are the person that God is looking for. 

Here’s what I wanted you to receive after this series concluded, my goal in all this. I wanted to give each of you the recipe for consistent relationship and individual growth with God. I’m not telling you or showing you how to answer a call, because that is the easy part and you just say yes. Instead, I am sharing what you need to stay grounded spiritually.   And this is not the full list of what you can do, it only scratches the surface.  

When you answer the call to self-care, you acknowledge the areas in yourself where you have fallen short. When you answer the call to connection, you are doing your part to continue to spread the Gospel for the good of the people. When you answer the call to comfort, you are showing others just how deeply God cares about restoration. When you answer the call to humility, you are putting you trust in God and believe that it is you that God has called.  

And with these ingredients we see how God can use our experiences, strengths, weaknesses and mistakes to lead us to something, better, fuller and more holy. This is just the beginning, because God continues to invite each of us in. Saying yes to the call is the easy part and now it is time for us to get to work.