Amos 7:7-15
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. 8And 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 never again pass them by; 9the 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.’
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 centre of the house of Israel; the land is not able to bear all his words. 11For thus Amos has said, “Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel must go into exile away from his land.” ’
12And Amaziah said to Amos, ‘O seer, go, flee away to the land of Judah, earn your bread there, and prophesy there; 13but never again prophesy at Bethel, for it is the king’s sanctuary, and it is a temple of the kingdom.’
14 Then Amos answered Amaziah, ‘I am* no prophet, nor a prophet’s son; but I am* a herdsman, and a dresser of sycomore trees, 15and the Lord took me from following the flock, and the Lord said to me, “Go, prophesy to my people Israel.”
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It’s hard to grow deep in God’s word when I want to drop the book and head for the hills. Or just stay in bed. Or lose myself on the Internet, where I can read about and watch what’s going on in the world without being in too much proximity to it. But Amos’ words call me into the presence of the dangerously close God, whose justice transforms the world.
Amaziah’s report to the King cuts right to the heart of the matter for me: “the land is not able to bear all his words.” I’m fixated on that phrase. Again and again through history, particularly the history of the U.S., the majority of the population has difficulty listening to and responding to indictments of injustice. Even when working in solidarity with an oppressed group, many find it difficult to un-learn their assumptions about the “normalness” of their spending habits, or of male and white leadership, or of their understandings of sexuality and gender. I am part of this mess, too, and the image of God measuring me with a plumb line freaks me out, because I know I don’t measure up.
But in a very important way, this isn’t about me—I mean, it’s about us. God sent Amos, “a herdsman and dresser of sycamore trees,” to remind his people—his community—about God’s covenant—God’s promise to be present with them. It’s easy to be overwhelmed when I am in isolation, but in community others can hold me accountable to God’s call to join the afflicted in solidarity, and together we can make a concerted impact in serving our neighbors and un-learning the “normalness” of privilege. After all, Amos doesn’t suggest that righteousness should fall drop by drop like a leaky faucet, but instead “let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream” (5:24).
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God, you promise to make all things new. Teach us that we do not need to fear your newness. Gather us together in community around your Word so that we may hear your call to do justice and respond with faithfulness.
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