God Calls a Shepherd from Tekoa

God Calls a Shepherd from Tekoa

Date: Apr. 5, 2025

Passage

Amos 1:1-15 (ESV)

1 The words of Amos, who was among the shepherds of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.

2 And he said:

  “The LORD roars from Zion
    and utters his voice from Jerusalem;
  the pastures of the shepherds mourn,
    and the top of Carmel withers.”

3 Thus says the LORD:

  “For three transgressions of Damascus,
    and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,
  because they have threshed Gilead
    with threshing sledges of iron.
4   So I will send a fire upon the house of Hazael,
    and it shall devour the strongholds of Ben-hadad.
5   I will break the gate-bar of Damascus,
    and cut off the inhabitants from the Valley of Aven,
  and him who holds the scepter from Beth-eden;
    and the people of Syria shall go into exile to Kir,”
      says the LORD.

6 Thus says the LORD:

  “For three transgressions of Gaza,
    and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,
  because they carried into exile a whole people
    to deliver them up to Edom.
7   So I will send a fire upon the wall of Gaza,
    and it shall devour her strongholds.
8   I will cut off the inhabitants from Ashdod,
    and him who holds the scepter from Ashkelon;
  I will turn my hand against Ekron,
    and the remnant of the Philistines shall perish,”
      says the Lord GOD.

9 Thus says the LORD:

  “For three transgressions of Tyre,
    and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,
  because they delivered up a whole people to Edom,
    and did not remember the covenant of brotherhood.
10   So I will send a fire upon the wall of Tyre,
    and it shall devour her strongholds.”

11 Thus says the LORD:

  “For three transgressions of Edom,
    and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,
  because he pursued his brother with the sword
    and cast off all pity,
  and his anger tore perpetually,
    and he kept his wrath forever.
12   So I will send a fire upon Teman,
    and it shall devour the strongholds of Bozrah.”

13 Thus says the LORD:

  “For three transgressions of the Ammonites,
    and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,
  because they have ripped open pregnant women in Gilead,
    that they might enlarge their border.
14   So I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah,
    and it shall devour her strongholds,
  with shouting on the day of battle,
    with a tempest in the day of the whirlwind;
15   and their king shall go into exile,
    he and his princes together,”
      says the LORD.

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV) is adapted from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. All rights reserved.

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Daily Bread

Key Verse: 1:2

And he said:

  “The LORD roars from Zion
    and utters his voice from Jerusalem;
  the pastures of the shepherds mourn,
    and the top of Carmel withers.”

Amos was not from a priestly family. He was a shepherd from a small, insignificant town called Tekoa, which still exists today under Palestinian control in the West Bank. Amos was not professionally trained in the law, nor in how to preach God’s word effectively. Yet God used him mightily in prophesying his word to the nation of Israel. We can learn from Amos how to be an effective servant of God, even those of humble backgrounds without official training. All we need is God’s word and his call and he will use us as he did Amos.

God first used Amos to pronounce judgment on the nations surrounding Israel. Assyria (Damascus) is judged because of her excessive brutality toward Israel (Gilead). God would burn the fortresses of King Ben Hadad. Philistia (Gaza) is judged because of her involvement in slave trade. The Philistine kings would be destroyed. Tyre was judged for her betrayal of an ally. God would consume Tyre’s fortresses. Edom is judged for waging war against her brother Israel. And Ammon was judged for her brutality on the women of Gilead. God’s justice is inevitable and applies to all who sin.

Prayer: Father, thank you for using Amos as your servant and as a prophet for your people. Please call all kinds of people today and use them effectively for your ministry.

One Word: The Lord roars from Zion

Paul’s Prayer for the Colossians

Colossians 1:1-14

Key Verse: 1:3

Thanksgiving and Prayer

We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,

Today's Question

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