Amos 1:1 The words of Amos, who was among the sheepbreeders of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.
Two things struck me as I read Amos 1. First, Amos is a “sheepbreeder” or, as commentary points out, a ‘shepherd,’ but not in “the symbolic, spiritual sense.” In other words, Amos was an ordinary guy whom God was using for His purpose. Isn’t that what we all strive for?
Amos 1:11a This is what the Lord says: “For three sins of Edom, even for four, I will not relent….
To see the second point that jumped out at me, you have to go all the way down to the bottom of today’s reflection, to verse 11c. God’s anger at Edom was because Edom’s “anger raged continually and his fury flamed unchecked.” I feel this on a deep level because anger over perceived slights is something with which I struggle.
Amos 1:11b …Because he pursued his brother with a sword and slaughtered the women of the land….
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for opening my eyes in this scripture to the choice before me every day. I can choose to be like Amos—an ordinary person being used in Your service or I can choose to be like Edom, letting my anger rage continually and my fury flame unchecked. Seen here, this is not a difficult choice at all, but in my humanity, somehow I continue to struggle. Help me, Jesus. Amen.
Amos 1:11c …because his anger raged continually and his fury flamed unchecked….
Have a blessed day.