Chapter 832 of 1163

AMOS 7

Defending his people (1–9). The closing three chapters record five visions that describe the future of Israel. Eleven times the prophet refers to God as “the Lord God,” the Sovereign Ruler over all things. After the first two visions, Amos interceded for the people, and the Lord relented. But Amos did not intercede after the third vision, for the nation had been measured and was found wanting. God weighs us (Prov. 21:2; Dan. 5:27) and measures us by His standards, and His examination is always accurate.

Defending his ministry (10–17). Here is a conflict between two ministries—priest and prophet, the institutional and the radical. The priest seeks to conserve the past while the prophet threatens the present because he wants to preserve the future. There is also a conflict between structure and ministry. Amaziah was a man of position while Amos was a humble farmer with a commission from the Lord. But Amos did not back down; he remained true to his calling and let God deal with Amaziah.

If you were to choose either Amaziah or Amos to be your spiritual leader, which would you select—and why?

Called of God

Amos is a good example of what Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 1:26–29. God often bypasses the so-called great people and chooses to call and bless the humble and the weak. Yes, God can also use those who are gifted and who hold high positions in this world, but He is not limited to them. Both Moses (Acts 7:22) and Paul (Acts 26:24) were well-educated, but at least seven of our Lord’s disciples were common fishermen (John 21:1–3). R. A. Torrey was a brilliant man and a gifted evangelist; he worked closely with evangelist Dwight L. Moody, who had very little education. God used both men in a remarkable way because both gave all they had to the Lord.

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