Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20100411.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Amos: Heeding The Word Of The God Of The Whole World
Part I: Heeding The Call Of The God Of The Whole World To Minister
(Amos 1:1-2)
  1. Introduction
    1. When God calls us to do His will, since He is the God of the whole earth, His calling can seem awkward or strange to us, for He views the whole world where we often think only in terms of our own background.
    2. However, Amos exampled the need to follow the lead of the God of the whole world regardless of his limited background, a call that has special application to us in our era as Amos 1:1-2 reveals (as follows):
  2. Heeding The Call Of The God Of The World To Minister, Amos 1:1-2.
    1. The prophet Amos lived among the "herdmen" (KJV) ("shepherds" NIV, ESV) of Tekoa, a village 10 miles south of Jerusalem in the Southern Kingdom of Judah that was then ruled by Uzziah, Amos 1:1a; Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, 1978, p. 1264, "Introduction to the Book of Amos."
    2. However, God called him to minister outside of that background where he had been known and respected:
      1. The word "herdmen" or "shepherds" in Amos 1:1a is not the usual word roeh for "shepherd," but noqed, meaning Amos had been a "sheep breeder," Bible Know. Com., O. T. , p. 1425.
      2. In addition, Amos called himself in the Hebrew text a boqer (Amos 7:14), a "herdsman" of cattle, Ibid.
      3. Also, Amos farmed sycamore-fig trees, "slitting or scratching the forming fruit so that some juice runs out, allowing the rest of the fig to ripen into a sweeter, more edible fruit," Ibid., Amos 7:14 NIV.
      4. Such trees did not grow in the Judaean highland of Amos' hometown of Tekoa, but down in the Jordan River Valley. Thus, Amos likely managed the farming of these trees while he also supervised both shepherds of sheep and herders of cattle in sizable farming and ranching operations, Ibid.
      5. Amos as a breeder, rancher, and farmer was thus a notable, influential, respected man in his land, Ibid.
      6. However, the Creator God of the whole earth had called Amos out of his southern Judaean background to minister to Israel, the Northern Kingdom, that was ruled by Jeroboam II and that dominated his own Southern Kingdom of Judah that was rule by king Uzziah, Amos 1:1b; Ibid., Ryrie, p. 1264.
      7. Later, this divine calling's shift in geography, culture and social rank for Amos (as he was called from an upper middle class in Judah to preach to royalty in Israel) would be used by an upper classed man in the Northern Kingdom of Israel to criticize Amos' prophetic ministry in Israel, cf. Amos 7:12-15.
    3. Yet, regardless of the human "stretch" thus to minister for Amos, the God of the whole world had called him to minister a prophecy of divine judgment to the Northern Kingdom's royalty, Amos 1:2:
      1. Amos claimed the Lord was roaring like a lion from Mount Zion, thundering with His voice from the city of Jerusalem of which Mount Zion was a part, Amos 1:2a.
      2. Lions roar to make their victims immobile with fear so that they can easily charge upon the prey to kill and devour it, Ibid., Bible Know. Com., O. T., p. 1427.
      3. By figurative application, then, Amos predicted God's roar was sounding across the landscape of Canaan like a fearful, roaring lion that was about to destroy so that the pastures of Judah would dry up and the best farm land of Mount Carmel in the Northern Kingdom of Israel would dry up, Amos 1:2b.
      4. In other words, divine judgment was coming over all the land, be it in the Southern Kingdom of Judah, Amos' homeland, or in the Northern Kingdom of Israel where Mount Carmel was located, Ibid., Ryrie, Map 2: "Palestine: Political Regions."
      5. Thus, regardless if he hailed from the less-dominant Southern Kingdom of Judah, regardless if he was a middle class herdsman and farmer respected only back in Tekoa in Judah, Amos was sent by God to call the royalty in the Northern Kingdom of Israel to repent and avoid a universal God's judgment!
Lesson: Though called to a ministry outside his own background, social status and culture, Amos was required of the God of the whole world to heed His call, whatever it entailed and wherever it led!

Application: (1) May we learn from God's call of Amos that we must not judge why He uses us, nor how nor where He does, for we are too restricted in our outlook due to our background to evaluate that where God is the God of the whole earth, and knows how best to use us! (2) So may we just do His will!