September 3, 2009

Daily Reflection

Amos 1:1  The words of Amos, one of the shepherds of Tekoa—what he saw concerning Israel two years before the earthquake, when Uzziah was king of Judah and Jeroboam son of Jehoash was king of Israel.

 

Background:

Amos was a shepherd from Tekoa.  Tekoa is south of Bethlehem and Jerusalem.  As a Shepherd, he was not a priest but a layperson.  Isaiah who is contemporary to Amos was a priest.  Amos’ ministry was not a long ministry, but what he said was so significant that people recorded it.  Amos did the work and then returned to Tekoa probably to shepherd.

Amos seems to be preaching to Israel which is the northern kingdom which has Bethel as its holy place.  Amos was from Tekoa in Judah, the southern kingdom. I wonder what it must have been like to be Amos to preach as an outsider?  He said things significant enough that people listened and he spoke so forcefully that the priests of Israel ask him to go away.

He identifies his time of ministry as two years before the earthquake.  That is similar to us in places where there have been natural disasters, we mark time by before and after the crisis.  Before 9/11 and after 9/11.   When I use that term, you know life before 9/11 and after.  In New Orleans there is pre Katrina and post Katrina.  San Francisco and Northridge have quakes that jog memory.  I wonder how this earthquake influenced this message?  Was that the reason somebody collected Amos’ words?

Amos was jogged out of his life as a shepherd to speak to people?

Has God called you out of your normal routine to do a task?

I am trying to think of those moments, but perhaps I don’t have one.   It would demand putting down the schedule to allow God room to work.  It would mean that I would have to be open to that?  Are you?

I think being a parent might be one of those, but unlike Amos…I had to take the adventure home.  So, that is not exactly like Amos.  I am thinking…what about you?