Called From the Flock: Amos' Call to Obedience

God is blessed because “the Lord is good, his mercy is everlasting, and his truth is good for all generations.” Psalm 23 brings that truth close, because the Lord is the faithful protector in difficult decisions, dark times, and wrong paths. The Shepherd leads in the right direction, restores mentally when the path has gone wrong, and stays present so fear does not have the final word. God’s grace and mercy stay with his people at all times, and the believer looks forward to that heavenly home.

Amos 7:15 gives the key word: “The Lord took me as I followed the flock, and the Lord said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel.” Amos was not presented as a big-name man with great credentials. Amos was a basic person, a farmer, a man tending the flock, and God called him from that place. The call of God did not depend on “big degrees” or human qualification. God can call the common person, put his word inside, and lead that person to do what needs to be done.

Amos stands as faithful, obedient, and willing after God calls him into prophecy. The call into ministry, or into whatever work God gives, requires that same faithfulness, willingness, and obedience. Divine guidance is “on the inside,” and God guides his servant through what needs to be gone through. The issue is not whether the person looks powerful in the eyes of kings and leaders, but whether the person will follow the divine word God has given.

Amos 2 shows Israel resisting the very voices God raised up. God says that he raised up prophets from among their children, yet the people made the Nazirites drink wine and commanded the prophets not to prophesy. The leaders and people did not want to hear the word that God had sent. They tried to silence the prophet, confuse the consecrated ones, and keep the truth from being spoken.

That same spirit still shows up in society today. People still say, “I don’t wanna hear that,” and “Don’t you tell me that,” when God’s word comes near. But the servant of God must stick with the divine word God has put in the heart, regardless of what people say. Amos 3:7 reminds the hearer that the sovereign Lord reveals his word to his servants the prophets, and when God gives a word, that word must not be shut down.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. God calls common faithful people Amos did not come with a polished resume or great human standing. God took him from tending the flock and sent him with a word to Israel. The call of God can rest on a basic person who is willing to listen, obey, and go where God sends. [12:58]
• 2. Obedience matters after the call The call is not just a moment of being chosen. Amos had to be faithful, obedient, and willing to follow divine guidance once God called him. A person cannot step into God’s work while rejecting the very obedience that makes the work holy. [14:03]
• 3. Divine guidance works from inside God’s guidance is not only outward opportunity or public recognition. The word placed in the heart becomes the direction for the servant’s steps. When God gives that inner guidance, human approval cannot be the deciding voice. [14:40]
• 4. Resistance to truth still repeats Israel commanded the prophets not to prophesy, and the same spirit still says, “Don’t tell me that.” The refusal to hear God’s word is not new, but it remains dangerous. A society can become comfortable silencing the very voice God sent for correction. [16:22]
• 5. God reveals before he acts Amos 3:7 declares that the sovereign Lord reveals his word to his servants the prophets. God is not confused or silent in the way people imagine. When God gives a word, the servant must honor that revelation more than the pressure to be quiet. [17:47]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [06:09] - Key Verse From Amos
• [07:58] - Blessing the Lord’s Name
• [08:57] - Psalm 23 and God’s Protection
• [10:22] - Amos Called From the Flock
• [11:49] - Amos the Farmer Prophet
• [12:58] - God Calls the Common Person
• [14:03] - Faithful, Willing, and Obedient
• [15:21] - Israel Silences the Prophets
• [16:22] - Today’s Refusal to Hear Truth
• [17:47] - God Reveals to His Servants

Bible Reading

Amos 7:15
“And the LORD took me as I followed the flock, and the LORD said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel.” [05:54]

Amos 2:11-12
“And I raised up some of your sons for prophets, and some of your young men for Nazirites. Is it not indeed so, O people of Israel? declares the LORD. But you made the Nazirites drink wine, and commanded the prophets, saying, ‘You shall not prophesy.’”

Amos 3:7
“For the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets.” [17:47]

Psalm 23
“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” [08:50]

Observation questions

1. In Amos 7:15, what was Amos doing when the Lord called him, and what specific command did the Lord give him? [10:28]
2. Looking at Psalm 23, what are the different things the Shepherd does for his people in times of need, fear, and wrong paths? [08:57]
3. In Amos 2:11-12, what two groups does God say he raised up among Israel, and how did the people respond to them? [12:16]
4. What phrases show how people resisted God’s word and tried to shut down the message being given? [16:35]

Interpretation questions

1. Amos was taken from following the flock and sent to speak to Israel. What does that suggest about the kind of people God is willing to call and use? [12:58]
2. Psalm 23 says the Lord restores the soul and leads in right paths. How does that shape the way a believer understands God’s care during confusing, dark, or painful seasons? [09:27]
3. Amos 2:11-12 shows people telling the prophets not to prophesy. Why might people resist a word that comes from God, especially when that word corrects them? [16:22]
4. Amos 3:7 says the Lord reveals his secret to his servants the prophets. What does that say about God’s desire to speak clearly before judgment or action comes? [17:47]

Application questions

1. Amos was a basic working man when God called him. Where might someone be tempted to disqualify himself or herself because of background, education, status, or past mistakes? [13:29]
2. Faithfulness, willingness, and obedience belong together. Which one is hardest right now: being faithful over time, being willing to go, or being obedient when the path is uncomfortable? [14:03]
3. The Lord’s guidance works on the inside. How does someone recognize when God is pressing something on the heart, and what usually competes with that inner guidance? [14:40]
4. Psalm 23 says the Lord restores the soul and stays present in dark valleys. What kind of dark place, difficult decision, or wrong path has made God’s presence especially precious recently? [09:50]
5. People still say, “I don’t want to hear that,” when truth comes close. When has there been a temptation to avoid a truth from God because it felt too personal, too sharp, or too costly? [16:35]
6. God’s word must not be silenced by pressure from people. Where is courage needed right now to hold on to what God has put in the heart, even if others do not welcome it? [17:22]
7. Psalm 23 ends with goodness, mercy, and the hope of dwelling in the house of the Lord forever. How could that promise change the way someone faces fear, loss, or uncertainty this week? [09:59]