What role does courage play in delivering God's message, as seen in Amos 7:10?

Setting the Scene: Amos Stands Alone

• Amos 7:10 – “Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent word to Jeroboam king of Israel: ‘Amos has conspired against you right here in the house of Israel. The land cannot bear all his words.’”

• Amos is a shepherd-turned-prophet from Judah, sent north to confront idolatrous Israel.

• Amaziah, the state-sanctioned priest, brands Amos a traitor and stirs the king against him.

• The single verse exposes a clash between God’s uncompromising truth and institutional power.

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The Courage Factor

• Courage is the willingness to obey God despite personal cost.

• Amos keeps speaking even when:

– Religious leadership labels his message “intolerable.”

– Political authority is alerted, threatening arrest or death.

• Parallel voices of courage:

– Jeremiah 1:8 – “Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you.”

– Acts 4:19-20 – “Whether it is right in God’s sight to listen to you rather than God, you must judge; for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

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Why Courage Is Non-Negotiable

• God’s Word confronts entrenched sin; opposition is unavoidable (John 3:19-20).

• Fear silences testimony, but “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power…” (2 Timothy 1:7).

• Without courage, compromise creeps in, truth is diluted, and hearers are left unwarned (Ezekiel 33:7-9).

• Courage validates the messenger’s faith in the God who backs His Word (Joshua 1:9).

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Practical Takeaways for Modern Messengers

• Expect pushback; truth disturbs comfortable falsehood.

• Anchor identity in God’s calling, not human approval.

• Speak with humility yet firmness—courage is not arrogance.

• Lean on Scripture; it supplies both message and backbone (Hebrews 4:12).

• Remember results are God’s domain; obedience is ours (1 Corinthians 3:6).