Amos begins with a humble description of himself - "one of the sheep
farmers" (Amos 1:1). Being a prophet of God has nothing to do with what
we are in ourselves. It's all about God. It's all about His grace and
His call. Looking after sheep - This is such an apt description of the
ministry of a pastor. "The Lord roars from Zion" (Amos 1:2). These words
make us think of a lion. This could be terrifying for sheep. Think of
the lion - Aslan - from "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" (C S
Lewis). It's a picture of Christ. His voice is more than a roar. It's
the voice of love. The "roar" speaks of authority. The greatest
authority is the authority of love. How does the Lord command our
respect? He loves us. As we learn to appreciate His love, we learn to
love Him. Our love for Him is inspired by His love for us. As we learn
to love Him, our obedience to Him increases in strength. "The Lord has
said this" (Amos 1:15). The prophet's voice is to be an echo of the
Lord's voice. We speak because God has spoken.
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