Amos 7:14
Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet’s son; but I was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit: Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet’s son; but I was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit:
Amos was by background no professional prophet and no son of a prophet, but a herdsman and lowly shepherd from Tekoa, a husbandman and tiller of the soil, and a gatherer of sycamore fruit. He was not a priest or other prominent person, but an ordinary working man outside the recognized prophetic order. His own answer to Amaziah therefore disclaimed both office and lineage as the ground of his speaking.
From that ordinary work God called and chose him and raised him up as His representative and inspired prophet-messenger to Israel. He was given a message to proclaim, sent to warn His chosen people and to convey truth to them. That commission set him to rebuke powerful leaders in a dangerous work.
His calling shows that God calls people to His work from humble occupations and chooses servants from every rank of life. He can call and instruct ordinary people to serve Him, and ordinarily He chose humble, despised people rather than high-ranking religious or civic leaders to serve as prophets. His lowly occupation did not prevent him from serving as God's messenger. Nor did his humble background as a shepherd make his message less authoritative.