A Priest’s Complaint and God’s Answer

Amos 7:10-17

10 Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, "Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel. The land is not able to bear all his words. 11 For thus Amos has said:

'Jeroboam shall die by the sword,
And Israel shall surely be led away captive
From their own land.'"

12 Then Amaziah said to Amos:

"Go, you seer!
Flee to the land of Judah.
There eat bread,
And there prophesy.
13 But never again prophesy at Bethel,
For it is the king's sanctuary,
And it is the royal residence."

14 Then Amos answered, and said to Amaziah:

"I was no prophet,
Nor was I a son of a prophet,
But I was a sheepbreeder
And a tender of sycamore fruit.

15 Then the LORD took me as I followed the flock,
And the LORD said to me,
'Go, prophesy to My people Israel.'
16 Now therefore, hear the word of the LORD:
You say, 'Do not prophesy against Israel,
And do not spout against the house of Isaac.'

17 "Therefore thus says the LORD:

Your wife shall be a harlot in the city;
Your sons and daughters shall fall by the sword;
Your land shall be divided by survey line;
You shall die in a defiled land;
And Israel shall surely be led away captive
From his own land.'"

It is not wise to try to silence God’s word.  Amaziah the priest informed Jeroboam king of Israel of the word of God which judged the king and twisted it to seem as if Amos was plotting against the ruler instead of Jeroboam against God Himself.  This slander was really aimed at the LORD whose word was distasteful to Israel and the priest who reacted with further rejection of God’s word instead of taking it to heart and repenting.  He even led the king farther from God by this false accusation aimed at the prophet bringing God’s warning.  Even today we see the world under the sway of the wicked one (1 John 5:19) to slander those speaking the word faithfully (Jeremiah 23:28-29), oblivious to the reality of the judgment coming and the grace offered through repentance by taking God at His word and taking it to heart through opened ears and eyes.  This is the gospel messenger today still, that we hear God’s word, turn to hear and see Him and our sin, and be converted to have our sins blotted out by Jesus the Messiah who we call Christ as Acts 3:19 bears witness to us all.  Amos was told to leave the king and his people alone because it was his kingdom instead of God’s domain.  Amos told of his calling from a humble and insignificant walk of life to be God’s spokesman and bring the message given to them through him.  He did not boast or demand respect, but did point out that it was the word of the LORD and not his that was being rejected.  Because of this, he told them to hear and consider that the command to stop the words through Amos would backfire in retribution from God against the priest.  Amaziah would see his wife used by other men and his children slain by the sword as his land was divided up and given to others.  He would end up dying in a sinful place and his people Israel would be taken away from their land into captivity by their sin again.  Those who complain against God’s word and reject it as they do repentance to faith will likewise face eternal destruction and loss of all good things.  How much better to hear and heed what God says in the scriptures to escape judgment and be pleasing to the true Sovereign of the Kingdom which will never fade away (1 Peter 1:3-4) as earthly ones always do?  Whose word do we listen to and take to heart to follow?  If we complain against the judgment for sin which we are all due, we will not like God’s answer already given (John 3:18).  Our message from God is therefore to turn and live (Ezekiel 18:23, 33:11) instead according to the good news of grace by faith in Jesus Christ!