On his first day of a new and terrifying job. I think Amos felt woefully unprepared for this next chapter of his life. at first glance none of his previous experience listed on his CV made him a great candidate for the role of prophet, and I’m sure a big part of his heart yearned to turn back to his previous position as Shepherd and tender of sycamore trees. Something he knew how to do well, was confident in. I’m sure each day was fairly routine up till then, his diary didn’t have appointments with kings in it, just sheep and sycamore figs. Easy.
But our God, Amos’s God too, had seen from the beginning of time the call He was going to offer to Amos and rather than a season of treading water till the allotted time, God had in fact been preparing him for this all his life.
“I was no prophet,……I was a shepherd and looked after sycamores: but it was the Lord who took me from herding the flock, and the Lord who said “Go prophesy to my people Israel”
We know well the work of a shepherd and the symbolism of that for protecting Gods people, but the seemingly unrelated sycamore skills are just as relevant.
The Holy Land sycamore isn’t to be confused with our sycamores, this one is a relative of the fig, the fruit is smaller but is prolific, it can fruit up to six times a year, it’s an evergreen tree much valued for its shade in a hot Israeli summer. A pruner for the sycamores squeezed the stems to hasten the ripening of the fruit. In Hebrew it’s name means restore, regenerate and as we were told standing under such a tree in Neot Kedumin, Repentance.
Doesn’t Gods providence leave you in awe? Amos’s pre-prophet days had been spent encouraging and nurturing the fruit of repentance and guiding wilful flocks. He had all the skills he needed. One more thing about the Fig-sycamore is that it is only pollinated by one tiny wasp, a wasp specific only to this species of tree.
If you are looking at a new season right now, perhaps you too are feeling unqualified or inexperienced there is, as John Henry Newman tells us something specific God has called just you to do just trust He has already prepared you for it.
“God has created me to do Him some definite service”
