Too bad the leaders and the people in Israel did not respond to Amos the way Nineveh did to the preaching of Jonah. Amaziah, the priest displays his true character when he orders Amos to leave the area as Amaziah claims the sanctuary for the king. The Hebrew word for sanctuary is the same word used to describe the sanctuary of the Lord. So it seems that Amaziah, the priest was claiming for the king (or himself) what belonged to the Lord.

 

As the book of Amos comes to a close, he ends with one last prophecy concerning the exile of Israel.

Amazing how God used the prophet Amos, a shepherd on the lowest rung of the social ladder, to speak to kings. Do you think Amos left the area feeling defeated that the leaders and the people didn’t listen to him? Or did he leave the area confident in the knowledge that he had done what the Lord called him to do - no matter what the outcome? 

 

King Uzziah’s pride…oh, what an ugly thing! Leprosy…what an ugly thing… an outward manifestation of an inward sin.

 

What courageous priests! They were not afraid to confront the king because he was doing wrong. Only the priests were to burn incense in the sanctuary. God is very strict in His commandments concerning worship. It’s all right there in THE BOOK for us to read.

Are we as courageous as the priests? Are we unafraid to confront our leaders? Or do we cower down, shrink back, and look the other way?

Better take a deep breath, tomorrow we go deep-sea diving in the words of Isaiah!