Amos 1–7 · Earn Trust
Amos
A shepherd with no title, sent to tell a successful nation the truth about how people were being treated.
The story
Amos was a herdsman and a tender of fig trees from Tekoa, a small town in the south. God sent him north to Israel during a boom. The borders were secure, the wealthy were building, and the places of worship were full.
He begins by announcing judgment on Israel’s neighbors, one after another. The crowd would have approved. Then he turns to Israel. The charges are specific: they sell the needy for a pair of sandals and trample the heads of the poor into the dust (Amos 2:6–7).
The people assumed that being chosen by God protected them. Amos says the reverse: “You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities” (Amos 3:2). As for their worship, God says he takes no delight in the assemblies or the songs.
“But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”Amos 5:24
The priest at Bethel reports Amos to the king and tells him to go home and prophesy there. Amos answers that he never asked for the job: “I was no prophet, nor a prophet’s son, but I was a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore figs” (Amos 7:14).
What the story teaches
Privilege raises accountability. Position, calling, and success do not excuse a leader. They raise the standard the leader is held to.
Performance cannot cover practice. Israel’s gatherings were impressive and well attended. What happened in the market during the week told the truth. An organization’s values are what the weakest person in the building experiences.
Criticism is easy to cheer when aimed elsewhere. The crowd agreed with every charge until the charges came home. A leadership team that enjoys reviewing other departments should be suspicious of the enjoyment.
The truth often arrives without a title. Amos had no office and no training. The official with the title tried to send him away. Leaders who hear only from credentialed insiders will miss what the herdsman sees.
Silencing the messenger changes nothing. The priest could remove Amos from Bethel. He could not remove the problem Amos named.
Try this week
- Ask the person with the least standing on your team how the stated values look from that seat.
- Find one gap between what your team says in meetings and what happens during the week. Name the gap out loud.
- Schedule a quarterly integrity review with your leadership team.
Use the Quarterly Integrity Review, or read the ROAR issue The promotion raised the bar.
Sources
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2001.
Passages studied: Amos 1–7.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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