Today’s passage: Amos 7:1-17
Helpful thoughts:
- This chapter introduces a series of visions. God will not utterly wipe out all Israel, but there will be judgment for their unrighteousness.
- There were major differences between Amos (God’s prophet) and Amaziah (The priest of the royal temple in Bethel).
- Amos was called by God to declare His word and obeyed.
- Amaziah desired to make a living by religious practices that please powerful and affluent people, and assumed Amos had done the same. This is why he accused Amos of conspiracy.
- No false prophet would say what Amos was saying unless they thought it would be to their financial or personal benefit.
- Amos’ prophecy given directly to Amaziah the false prophet would be fulfilled when Assyria invades Israel.
Questions to consider:
- What are the various reasons people like religion, church, social gatherings, etc.? What IS church? Why do we worship together? What happens to church when we make it about ourselves?
- How should the apparent success of a false prophet like Amaziah give us caution in how we evaluate what “success” in ministry or as a church really is?
- Because God is holy, because He is our sovereign Lord, and because He is just, sin must be punished. How do our lives measure up to God’s standard of righteousness and what Has God done about it to reconciled us to Himself? (Romans 3:10-26)