July 15, 2024

Today's Reading: Amos 7:7-15

Daily Lectionary: Judges 15:1-16:3; Galatians 3:23-4:11

Then Amos answered and said to Amaziah, “I was no prophet, nor a prophet’s son, but I was a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore figs. But the LORD took me from following the flock, and the LORD said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’ (Amos 7:14-15)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. I don’t envy Amos. If you haven’t read the book lately, I’ll briefly remind you of what this minor prophet was given to proclaim to God’s people. The book is nine chapters long. There are five verses of Gospel promise given at the very end of the book. For 136 verses, the full force of God’s law and judgment pour forth from Amos’ lips. Like most of us, I can’t imagine that Amos relished his calling to be the bearer of such. bad. news. And yet, this was his calling from the LORD. In our reading today, he makes it plain that none of this was his idea! God called him to leave behind his sycamore fig trees and his flocks in Judah. His ministry would be in the Northern Kingdom, pruning the calloused hearts of Israel, who had, in large part, forsaken the LORD. You may remember hearing about the “sin of Jeroboam” throughout the pages of 1 and 2 Kings. Jeroboam set up “high places” for the Northern Kingdom to worship (instead of traveling to the Temple in Jerusalem). If that weren’t enough, he created two (that’s right, two!) golden calves in Israel, instructing the people to worship the LORD at these. This is the state of things when Amos sees his vision of the plumb line. This tool is essentially a string with a weight at the bottom. Its job is to show whether or not something is pointing straight up and down. Going to build without one? You might wind up with a leaning tower of Pisa. When God showed Amos the plumb line, the message was clear: Israel was out of plumb. Such a structure must be torn down and rebuilt! But, you know…the Gospel promises in Amos speak to this very image: “In that day I will raise up the booth of David that is fallen and repair its breaches, and raise up its ruins and rebuild it as in the days of old…” (Amos 9:11) The LORD Himself will rebuild His people through the resurrection of His Son, David’s heir! In Him, we are built up, straight and true, a plumb delight in the eyes of God! In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Anoint them prophets, men who are intent To be Your witnesses in word and deed, Their hearts aflame, their lips made eloquent, Their eyes awake to ev’ry human need. (LSB 682:2)

-Rev. Dustin Beck is pastor at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Corpus Christi, TX.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.

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