From shepherd to prophet
Amos was a man from the South, from the kingdom of Judah, who went up to the North and started proclaiming the word of God in the kingdom of Israel. With courage, like all the true prophets, he denounced the prevalent idolatry and the breaking of the covenant with God, accusing the leaders of oppressing the poor and of making a mockery of justice. In his boldness, he went to the point of announcing the death of the king and the deportation of the population into exile (Am 7:11). His preaching was seen by the religious and political leaders as part of a plot against the king, and so he was accused of treason. The priests of the royal sanctuary in Bethel decided to take action, accusing him of being a false prophet and sending him back to his own country, the land of Judah.
Amos was not intimidated by that. He was well aware of the task entrusted to him by God. On his own, he was just “a shepherd, and looked after sycamores”. His ministry was not carried out of his own initiative, but God himself had called and sent him. His word was God’s word and his message a true message, pointing out the evil ways of a whole nation and calling it to repentance. He had nothing to lose, and so he could be bold enough to denounce the crimes of those in power.
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