Not a Professional Prophet Amos makes a point of telling us who he is — and who he is not: “I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet’s son; but I was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit.” (Amos 7:14) He is not trained, credentialed, or attached to the religious establishment. That is precisely why God sends him. Amos stands as a reminder that God’s word does not belong to institutions. It belongs to God — and He may put it in the mouth of a shepherd if priests ha