Amo 7:14 Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet's son; but I was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit.

Amos was preaching to the wicked Northern kingdom Israel. Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, didn’t like Amos’ preaching. He complained to Jeroboam, king of Israel, about Amos’ preaching. Jeroboam informed Amaziah to tell Amos these words: “O thou seer, go, flee thee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there,” (vs 12).

Amaziah took Amos for a mercenary like himself, and that he prophesied for bread, that is, for a living. And so he told Amos to go find work in Judah; be a prophet there and not here in Israel.

But Amos replied Amaziah: “I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet's son; but I was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit: And the LORD took me as I followed the flock, and the LORD said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel,” (vs 14, 15).

What Amos was saying is that he was no professional prophet. He wasn’t a prophet in the first place. He was a shepherd and a vineyard dresser; a man of low estate. But since God called him to preach to Israel and here he was. He could not disobey the heavenly calling. He, therefore, could not follow Amaziah’s counsel.

I like the answer of Amos to Amaziah. How many among us are professional preachers? How many among us have been trained in a Bible college? In fact, most of us are trained in various professions except preaching. But, this should not stop us from preaching the word of God. Because, we too, like Amos, has a mission from God to deliver a message to the world. Our Lord says: “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).

I came across this statement: “God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called!” The statement means no one should ever say that he is not qualified to preach. The reason being, God is not looking for the qualified, meaning, only people who are Bible College trained to preach His word. But He’s looking for people who would just avail themselves to Him. Jacob was a cheater, Moses had a speech impediment, Peter had a temper and even denied Christ, David was an adulterer and murderer, Samson was a womaniser, Elisha was suicidal, Jonah was racist, Paul was a persecutor, and the twelve apostles were mostly uneducated men; these men were not qualified by any worldly standard, yet, God equipped them and they turned the world upside down.

Amos was not the first and certainly not the last untrained, uncultivated, and uncultured man employed by Infinite Wisdom for His sacred mission. The work of God is not given only to the elite class of citizens but also to the lowest class of man. One commentator for the Pulpit Commentaries wrote: “GOD CAN, HOWEVER, GIVE AN EDUCATION AND TRAINING OF HIS OWN, EFFECTIVE FOR THE PURPOSES OF A SPIRITUAL MINISTRY.” God qualifies those who answer the call.

Amos was an untrained prophet but when God said go, he went. This is the kind of man that God can use: the one who simply is willing to let God use. The prophet Isiah was such a man: “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me” (Isaiah 6:8). God called and he answered the call!

What excuse do you have for not serving God? The work of God is not given to those who are qualified but to those who will surrender themselves to the will of God. Will you let go and let God? “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23).

Jimmy Lau

Psa 119:97  Oh how love I thy law! It is my meditation all the day.