Amos the Herdman

Bill Brown ... Xiamen University

"The words of Amoy, who was among the herdmen of Tekoa." Amos 1:1

Amos is one of my favorites books because it was written by a common man, a herdsman, about the theme of "social justice as the indispensable expression of true piety" [from the NIV Study Bible]. It was written when Israel was very wealthy and secure, and yet had grown lax morally and spiritually, and was oppressing the poor. It is ironic that, throughout the Bible, and subsequent history, the wealthier people become, the more they tend to oppress the poor, rather than using their wealth to help the poor.

In 1970, Alvin Toffler wrote, "Future Shock", about coming changes that would be too rapid for us to be able to accept. In fact, even he could not have imagined how life would change in 30 years. But many also suggested that our technology was leading to a society so wealthy that there would be no poor, that all would be cared for, that we could basically work or not in whatever interested us--a Utopia. But that has not happened. If anything, there are more impoverished people today than in 1970. There is greater hunger than ever, even when we have great food surpluses. The causes are too complicated for this blog to go into (read Sider's "Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger")

We face the same problems today as ever--and today God addresses these problems through the same kind of people--common people who are willing to be used. God called Amos, a common herdsman to preach against the oppression in Israel. Throughout the Bible, and history, God called not the rich but the common people to serve Him. Perhaps they were more willing, because they had fewer vested interests, less to lose!

Joseph was the youngest son, yet ended up ruling over Egypt. Moses was the son of a slave, yet grew up in the palace. Gideon delivered Israel, but he was just a farmer--and a coward at that, hiding as he threshed. Jephthah delivered Israel; all that is known of him is that he was a prostitute's son. Speaking of prostitutes, Rahab was one, and one of her descendants was Jesus. David was the youngest son, and became King. Matthew was a despised tax collector.

God does on occasion call the elite but most often He depends upon common people like us because then it is very clear that our success is not because of ourselves but because of Him ("my strength is manifest in weakness").

F.B. Meyer, in "Our Daily Homily" (London, 1894) wrote about Amos 1:1

"God does not hesitate to employ a herdsman, if only his heart is pure and devoted to his service. He calls such a one out of the midst of his fellows, designating him for his sacred ministry. And when the fire of God burns within, very common clay becomes luminous and transparent. An ox-goad, a ram's-horn, a sling of stone, will serve his purpose. It is not what a man has, but what he is, that matters.

As we look through this strong book of ancient prophecy, and notice how it abounds with references and imagery peculiar to a herdman's life, we feel that a noble spirit of devotion to God may elevate the meanest employments and difnigy the most ordinary subjects. The common incidents of the farm may convey the divine meaning not less than the sacred scenery of the Temple, which was familiar to Ezekiel. There is nothing which is intrinsically common or unclean. We profane things by a profane spirit. But if we view all things from the divine standpoint, we shall find that a sacred light will beat through them, like that which transfigured the coarse garments of Christ so as no fuller on earth could whiten them. The glory streamed through from his heart!

It is comparatively seldom that God calls one of the upper classes of society to conspicuous usefulness. 'Behold your calling, brethren, how that not many wise are the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called; but God chose the weak things...the base things... and the things that are despised." Here and there a noble of great authority, a Zinzendorf, a Shaftesbury; but most often fishermen and publicans; Luther, the miner's son, Tersteegen the ribbon-weaver, Carey the cobbler.

Notes: Gerhard Tersteegen (November 25, 1697 - April 3, 1769), a German Reformed religious writer, for some years apprenticed to a merchant, who after being influenced by Wilhelm Hoffman, after 1728 devoted himself to writing and public speaking. He wrote a hymn collection (Das geistliche Blumengartlein (The spiritual flower-garden), a volume of Gebete (prayers), and one of Briefe (letters), besidestranslating works by French mystics and of Julian of Norwich. He died in Mülheim, North Rhine-Westphalia.


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