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a likely inference from "there eat thy bread", with the suggestion "prophesy there" that
Amos should devote his attention to his own peoples' failings.
"Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a
prophet's son; but I was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit: and the Lord
took me as I followed the flock, and the Lord said unto me, God, prophesy unto My
people Israel" (7: 14, 15).
Amos admits his lowly origin, but the Lord called him, and he could do no other than
obey. He was one of those of whom it might be said:
"For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not
many mighty, not many noble, are called; but God hath chosen the foolish things of the
world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to
confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which
are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things
that are" (I Cor. 1: 26-28).
But God took Amos and used the lowly experience of the countryman to provide
simple but telling illustrations of His dealings with men. Amos prophesied for only a
brief period: probably not more than two years (cf. 1: 1), possibly for less. For a brief
moment he shines in the purpose of God: and is gone. God took him; God used him;
God used the knowledge of Himself Amos had gained in his daily life; God took him as
he worked.
Whether high born, whether low born, whether well known or unknown, whether for a
long or short period, the only thing that matters is that a man, or a woman, can say "the
Lord took me as I followed my daily task". In our own calling, most of us are called to
go, not from our daily task, but in it. Most of our calling are just ordinary people, doing
ordinary jobs. Someone has said "in our calling God has taken the lowest, and raised
them to the highest". It is well for us to remember this: Amos did! In effect he said "I
was a nobody, I am a nobody: but the Lord called me: I could only obey".
Perhaps one of the dangers of our calling, because it is so high and wonderful, is that
we may, unconsciously, think God has chosen us and called us because we are somebody:
if anything of this sort is true, it is more likely that He has chosen us because we are
nobodies. The wise, the powerful, the nobly born are often too wise, too strong, too
noble for the Lord to use them. The more clearly we recognize this, the more clearly we
shall recognize our total dependence on the Lord Jesus Christ; and the more we
recognize our total dependence on Him, the more He will be able to use us in His way,
for His time, for His glory.
Our part, as we rejoice in the wonder of our high calling (which is His), is to get to
know Him. As we get to know Him, in the fullness of His glory, and the fullness of His
nature, so that in practice He becomes for us "All in all", that will "keep us in our place",
and make us more usable in His service.
I was a nobody, I am a nobody; but God in the greatness of His great grace has
chosen, called and accepted me in His Son, the Beloved.