Amos 7:1-17. This chapter begins a new section in Amos where Amos relates to us visions that he had rather that communicating more verbal messages from God.  I’m not really sure how all of this worked out for prophets in those days.  Some how Amos knew when God was talking to him, that is clear from verses like Amos 5:4.  I don’t know if the voice was audible or he was impressed in his mind with what he wrote.  I do know that Paul, who wound up writing a good portion of the New Testament was spoken to by Jesus while on his way to Damascus and that his traveling companions heard the noise but did not understand what was it was (Acts 9:1-7).  Sometimes the prophets had visions, they saw things which included explanations by a angel or God.  At the beginning of the book of Revelation John tells us that he was on an island where he had been exiled and that he was “in the spirit on the Lord’s day” when he had a vision.  It would seem like his vision was sort of a dream.  On the other hand Paul was writing a letter to the church in Corinth and he described a vision he had and explained that he did not know whether or not it was a dream directed by God or an actual physical bodily experience (2 Corinthians 12:2).  It would not be impossible for God to move a person through time and space.  One of the early believers in Jesus, Phillip, was told to go southwest of Jerusalem and talk to a guy in a chariot about Jesus.  At the end of the meeting the man in the chariot, a Ethiopian official, accepted the message about Jesus and was baptized.  Immediately at the end of the baptism Philip was moved by God to a city called Azotus or Ashdod, about 30 miles away (Acts 8:26-39).

So here in Amos 7 Amos begins having visions from God (Amos 7:1).  The first vision is particularly troubling to Amos.  First he sees God getting a swarm of locusts together and sending it into the land.  A locust swarm could be a complete disaster for Israel.  If you read through Joel with us I made the point that they could not go very far to find food and needed to have successful crops each year or starve.  Amos begs God for mercy and God grants his request.  Next Amos has a vision of a great fire that destroys the farmland.  Again Amos begs God for mercy and God again grants his request.   Finally Amos sees God holding a plumb line.  A plumb line is a string or rope with a weight on it.  When you hand it from something it hangs straight down.  Builders sometimes use it to make sure things are straight up and down (like a level but for vertical objects) it’s a favorite tool of mine when I build things.  In this case God is telling Amos he is going to check out the people to see if their lives are lined up the right way.

In verse 8 we learn that the people have failed, they don’t “measure up”.  In verse 9 we learn that the punishment is that God is going to destroy the places where they were honoring false gods (people in those days would set up altars and shrines on hills and other high places).  Jeroboam was the king.  Kings passed their kingdoms on to their children, members of their household, so we see that God is also going to destroy their king and his entire reign or dynasty.

In verses 10-13 we learn that Amos did not keep this vision to himself, in fact he was sharing the vision with people in one of the leading cities of the Northern Kingdom, Bethel.  The priest of the false religion they were following reported Amos to the king and also confronted Amos, telling him to go home to Judah where he belonged and talk to them.  The priest, Amaziah, made it very clear they wanted to hear not more.  His report to the king would also have put Amos’ life in jeopardy. It is interesting that Amaziah’s name means “Yahweh is mighty”, he certainly didn’t seem to believe his own name when he rejected Amos message.

In verses 14-17 we see Amos answer to Amaziah. Amos (who’s name means “burden”, see “What’s I a Name”) tells Amaziah, “Look I’m not a professional prophet I’m just a shepherd that God sent up here with a message.”  Basically he is living up to his name, God has given him a job (like carrying a burden) and he is following through.  Amos then delivers a message to Amaziah from Yahweh.  Amaziah’s wife is going to become a prostitute (a job that was usually looked down on and a sign of desperation), Amaziah’s children would be killed in an invasion, and Amaziah would be carried away in exile to a foreign land where he would die.  The land would be divided up by the conqueror and the people in it would also be take away.  We know from history that the Assyrians conquered Israel (the Northern Kingdom) about 40 years later and took many of the people away.  They also brought in foreigners to intermarry with the Israelites and no doubt gave land to these new settlers.  A lot fo courage for a shepherd boy in a country not even his own.

The big question for me from reading this is< Am I living up to my name?”  I call my self a “Christian”, a “Christ follower”, but do I?  When God gives me a burden do I follow through or deny the power of God and go my own way?  Do I really believe that Jesus is the “Christ”; the promised savior of the world?  Do I really believe in the name of Jesus (“Yahweh with us”, see  “What’s in a Name”) or do I think he is something less?  I try to follow through with these truths, but sometimes I fail.  Remember that Amos is about true honest faithful living for God.  No compromises, no mixing in other things to worship.  “Know today and take it to heart that Yahweh is the only God of heaven and earth, there is no other” (Deuteronomy 4:32; Mark 12:32).  Believe and live it.

God sometimes I have a hard time believing, life swirls around and I lose sight of you.  Sometimes I want to see you, feel your presence, feel your power.  I know it is there help me see.  Sometimes I am like the father of the demon possessed boy, “if you can do anything, take pity on me and help me”.  “If you can?”  Help my unbelief (Mark 9;17-24).  I know you will.  Help me trust and see.  And help me live up to the name “Christian”.  Let me share with the world about Yahweh with us the only way to eternity with you.