Amos 7:10-17 - Resistance in His will
Scripture:
Amos 7:10-17
10 Then Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, sent word to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, "Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel; the land is unable to endure all his words.
11 "For thus Amos says, 'Jeroboam will die by the sword and Israel will certainly go from its land into exile.'"
12 Then Amaziah said to Amos, "Go, you seer, flee away to the land of Judah and there eat bread and there do your prophesying! 13 "But no longer prophesy at Bethel, for it is a sanctuary of the king and a royal residence."
14 Then Amos replied to Amaziah, "I am not a prophet, nor am I the son of a prophet; for I am a herdsman and a grower of sycamore figs.
15 "But the Lord took me from following the flock and the Lord said to me, 'Go prophesy to My people Israel.'
16 "Now hear the word of the Lord: you are saying, 'You shall not prophesy against Israel nor shall you speak against the house of Isaac.'
17 "Therefore, thus says the Lord, 'Your wife will become a harlot in the city, your sons and your daughters will fall by the sword, your land will be parceled up by a measuring line and you yourself will die upon unclean soil. Moreover, Israel will certainly go from its land into exile.'"
NASU
Thoughts:
Amos encounters resistance to his ministry (verses 10-13). Amaziah was a priest in Bethel of the northern kingdom of Israel, not Jerusalem in Judah where the true temple was. He was a priest of the false religious system that king Jeroboam had begun:.
1 Kings 12:26-31
26 Jeroboam said in his heart, "Now the kingdom will return to the house of David. 27 "If this people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will return to their lord, even to Rehoboam king of Judah; and they will kill me and return to Rehoboam king of Judah." 28 So the king consulted, and made two golden calves, and he said to them, "It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem; behold your gods, O Israel, that brought you up from the land of Egypt." 29 He set one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan. 30 Now this thing became a sin, for the people went to worship before the one as far as Dan. 31 And he made houses on high places, and made priests from among all the people who were not of the sons of Levi.
NASU
As one of those appointed by Jeroboam, Amaziah was not a priest of God but an enemy of the things of God. He hoped to hinder God's work, but only learned of his own tragic end (verses 16 and 17).
This reminds me of how we often encounter resistance when doing God's will. Amos knew Who really had the power though, and so he fulfills his calling (verses 14-15). Just like Amos, in those times we need not fear, only be faithful to do what the Lord says.
Prayer:
Thank You Lord, for involving me in Your will in whatever way You choose. May I be faithful, no matter how big or small the task. Give me boldness and confidence, faith and even joy, when opposition comes.
Amen
posted by Steve @ 10:43 AM
