What is the meaning of Amos 7:12? And Amaziah said to Amos Amaziah was the priest of Bethel, serving under King Jeroboam II. His words reveal how compromised spiritual leadership can resist God’s truth. • 1 Kings 12:28-33 shows Bethel as the center of the golden-calf cult, explaining Amaziah’s vested interest in protecting false worship. • Jeremiah 26:8-11 records priests seizing Jeremiah for preaching judgment—another instance of religious authorities opposing a true prophet. • Jesus warned, “If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me first” (John 15:18-20). Amos stands in this same prophetic line. Go away, you seer! The dismissive command tries to silence God’s messenger. “Seer” is used here with contempt, implying that Amos’ visions are unwelcome. • 2 Chronicles 16:10—King Asa imprisons the seer Hanani for delivering reproof. • Luke 4:28-29—Nazareth seeks to throw Jesus off a cliff after His prophetic words. • Acts 7:51-52—Stephen says Israel “killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One.” Opposition to prophecy is a recurring pattern. Flee to the land of Judah Amaziah pushes Amos back to his home territory, hoping to confine God’s word and maintain political peace. • Amos 1:1 notes Amos is from Tekoa in Judah, underscoring that God sent him across borders. • 1 Kings 13:1-2 tells of a man of God from Judah sent to Bethel—God often dispatches outsiders to confront sin. • Jonah 3:1-2 shows that when God sends, geography is no excuse; His message must reach the appointed audience. Earn your bread there The priest insinuates that Amos is in it for profit, not obedience. • Amos 7:14—Amos replies he is neither a professional prophet nor a prophet’s son but a shepherd and fig-dresser called by God. • Micah 3:11 warns of leaders “who prophesy for money,” exposing the very corruption Amaziah projects onto Amos. • 1 Thessalonians 2:5—Paul likewise rejects any hint of “pretext for greed,” modeling integrity in ministry. And do your prophesying there The final thrust is a gag order: keep God’s word out of the northern kingdom. • Amos 2:12—Israel had already said to the prophets, “Do not prophesy.” • Acts 4:18-20—Authorities command Peter and John not to speak in Jesus’ name, yet they answer, “We cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.” • 2 Timothy 4:3 predicts a time when people “will not tolerate sound doctrine,” preferring teaching that suits their desires. Amos faces exactly that climate. summary Amaziah’s rebuke of Amos exposes five efforts to suppress God’s truth: discredit the messenger, silence the message, confine God to convenient boundaries, question motives, and outlaw proclamation. Yet the Lord’s call overrides every human attempt to muzzle His word. Like Amos, believers are to speak faithfully wherever God sends, trusting that His truth remains unstoppable. |
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