God Uses the Ordinary

I've been moving through the word of God for the last few weeks ya'll. I'm on a spiritual journey to truth. It's been very revealing and so rejuvenating for me. Until I got to Amos. I'm not sure why, but the book of Amos was not doing it for me. It seemed like a repeat of what all the other prophets were saying. Yes dooms day is coming we get we get it. That's probably how Israel felt while Amos was prophesying as well.

I must have tried at least 3 nights to read through the first couple of chapters and I just could not do it. I'm not entirely sure of why. Maybe Amos wasn't as profound as I would have liked him to be. Maybe he was just too normal. He wasn't like Hosea who God told to marry a prostitute, or like Ezekiel who's profound visions speak and renew hope and faith.

Amos was just a farmer or a Shepard. He was so ordinary. Why would I want to read this book?

It's because Amos was absolutely ordinary, and so am I. Amos is such a testament about how God uses the ordinary in the most unexpected ways. Amos was a farmer in Tekoa a region of the southern tribe of Judah and he was appointed by God to prophesy to the Northern Kingdom. Would they listen to him?

Of course not. They had heard it all before right? Well they hadn't heard the way that Amos would draw them out and attract them like flies to honey to his words.

Amos enticed Israel by starting with the punishments that God had for Israel's enemies. He prophesied that the enemies would all see the day of the Lord and be punished for their sins. There were about 5-6 outside nations he prophesied about prior to making his way to Israel and their punishment.

Amos 3:10-11 My people have forgotten how to do right," says the Lord. "Their fortresses are filled with wealth taken by violence. Therefore," says the Sovereign Lord, " an enemy is coming! He will surround them and shatter their defenses. The he will plunder all their fortresses."

Amos exploded on Israel, judging them for their sins as sited by the Lord. He goes on with much more of their iniquities to confront them with. In this fiery angry wrath of which there is no escape we also see God's hand offering repentance. Telling Israel to turn away from their sin. In Chapter 5 Amos Tells all of Israel, that they need only to turn back to the Lord.

Amos 5:4 Now this is what the Lord says to the family of Israel, "Come back to me and live."

God is showing Israel that what is being said doesn't have to be if they would only come back to Him and live.

We know that sin is death. As we sin, our spirit is dying, our connection to life is drifting, but we are never (NEVER) too far gone. As angry as God is with his covenant people during this time, He would rather them live. He wants life for them.

God gives Amos three visions, and two he relents from because Amos intercedes on behalf of Israel. He just does what he would do normally, which is pray. He cries out to God and says in Amos 7:5" O sovereign Lord, please stop or we will not survive, for Israel is so small." Amos intercedes and then goes on with his normal business trusting that God would not allow the vision to come to past. He prays against a fiery vision and the locust that devoured the land. What's not even necessarily mentioned is that Amos is interceding for the northern kingdom although he is from Judea. Is that not beautiful? He's praying for God to spare this kingdom that his own Kingdom was at odds with. It speaks to his righteousness. At the time, a faithful and righteous man was not an ordinary thing. Righteousness especially in the northern Kingdom was a rare thing, but yet you can see it all over this book. Let's talk about it in more detail.

Again, Amos is farmer/shepherd from the southern kingdom who goes to confront King Jeroboam with the blatant sin within his Kingdom. He was never trained in how to do this. He was simply called by God and he responded with obedience. Even knowing how corrupt the Northern Kingdom was he risked it all to speak on what God said to share with Israel. He was not an eloquent speaker, but he was a true believer which is why God called him to this task. Amos knows that he is "nothing special," as we would say it today, and he even makes note of this in Chapter 7 in verse 15 he says, "But the Lord called me away from my flock and told me 'Go prophesy to my people in Israel.'"

He goes on to prophesy as if to say, let me do my job.

Regardless of the accusations and hatred spewed at him because of the message, Amos kept right on speaking God's prophesy into the ears of Israel. He did not waiver. AND they did not listen. His obedience is a testament to humanity's understanding and affinity toward righteousness, their sinfulness is a testament to human's nature to oppose righteousness. This is examined in the bible in Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things; and desperately wicked. Who can understand it?

One person versus the multitude was certain that what he was saying was right while the multitude simply didn't care that what he was saying was right. Now I don't know about ya'll, but I want a life that is pleasing to God like Amos's obedience. I don't want what everyone else wants out of the life. I don't want to be used by humans, I'd rather God use me for his Good. His Good is above all that I can understand about what is good and true and just.

So when you really read about Amos, this ordinary man from Tekoa who was a farmer and shepherd, you're reading about a man that went amongst sinners and laid down God's law even when it would've have been dangerous for him to do so. That's no ordinary thing to do. I certainly wouldn't be able to do it. But he was moved by God and led by a desire to see righteousness restored to Israel. Not because it was good for the people but because it would be good for God. God's heart was breaking in front of Amos. In fact Israel could see God's heart breaking too and just chose to turn from it. Amos knew that Israel deserved the punishment they were about to receive, but he interceded for them anyhow. He was no ordinary man by far. He may have spoken plainly, he may have never been trained to do what God called him to do, but he did it. How much easier would it have been for him to have people listen if he had been trained in prophesy or public speaking. God purposely chose a man that would not be received well to speak to Israel, so that they could know this was truly a word from God. This was truth, imposed on Amos through the spirit of God. He uses the ordinary to get his point across.

A Prayer

Thank you Good and perfect God for your word, for your choices, for the Book of Amos. So ordinary it seems, until you dive into what the background of Amos' life must have been. You chose a man that would be obedient to your call even when he knew he was facing opposition. Thank you for taking ordinary things and turning them extraordinary. May all those who read these words heed your call when you simply whisper to their spirits. May they know it's you because you are Truth. May we all know what righteousness is and how you want it displayed through your people.

Thank you for your mercy over our lives because we like your chosen people don't deserve what you have blessed us with and sometimes don't even recognize that it's you giving it to us. Yet you still bless us with it. Thank you that you sent your son to pay for all our sins and that I can be redeemed because Jesus purchased my spirit on the cross. Thank you for making that way for me.

I am forever walking toward righteousness. Please lead the way. In Jesus Name I pray. Amen.