I attended a Christian wedding engagement in Coimbatore several years ago. One by one the men of God came up the dais to bless the couple. First there was an untitled clergy man. Then a Bishop. Then a Cardinal and finally- a Prophet! Wow!!
Impressive lineup, isn’t it?
Unlike the prophets in biblical times (representative image above), this modern-day prophet was dressed like, well…….the modern man. He won’t be a curiosity when he walks down a Coimbatore Street!
It is quite interesting that several men and women of God around us are in a hurry to call themselves Prophets! So glibly do they take on this title and proclaim themselves as such with beatific smiles from sundry billboards – nonchalantly venturing on to ground even angels fear to tread! Is it the same breed that Jesus speaks out against? “Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long” (Matthew 23:5) (NIV). Sometimes I wonder.
Contrast this cavalier attitude with the intensity of struggle faced by prophets of yore. They bore with fortitude a great deal, in the name of God whom they served, but perennial rejection was a little too much for them. So it was that when Amaziah the priest acting on behalf of Jeroboam, the king of Israel asked Amos to get the hell out of his country and go peddle his wares in Judah instead, he protested: “I am not a prophet, nor am I the son of a prophet; for I am a herdsman and a grower of sycamore figs (Amos 7:14) (New American Standard Bible).
Leave me alone!!
Broadly speaking, there are two schools for prophets: The Samuel School of Divine Revelation and the Mammon Institute of Misleading People. The courses are pretty much similar in both places but the latter offers some extra credits in subjects like Sycophancy and Drama!
The Samuel School The Mammon Institute
of Vs of
Divine Revelation Misleading People
Thankfully, there is no dearth of graduates of the former school in the Bible, but products of the latter institute are not to be ignored either; their role is pretty instructive as well. In fact sometimes it is difficult to tell who is who. That should not surprise anyone for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14) (NIV). And there are instances galore of original Samuel school guys suddenly and inexplicably behaving like MIMPians!
Picking out a false prophet is never easy. For starters, false prophets do not look any different from real ones. They do not carry a placard declaring themselves fake. On the other hand, they all look alike – with beards and robes flowing, appearance pious, expressions lugubrious, eyes distant and tone sonorous.
Everything a sign, every thing a portent. No life of your own. Your biography a parable; your story a proverb. Not only your mouth but the rest of your body is under God’s control as well. Not just for you, but there is no independence for your wife and children as well.
The surrender is to be total.
Want to be a prophet, anybody?
The words of Amos, who was among the sheep breeders of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake. (Amos 1:1)
What an extraordinary transformation! Breeding sheep in a small Israeli community and speaking great prophetic words of damnation against multiple nations – Damascus, Gaza, Tyre, Edom, Ammon, Moab, Judah and Israel!!
The ordinary guy from Tekoa also adds some philosophy for good measure (Amos 3):
Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?
4 Will a lion roar in the forest, when he has no prey?
Will a young lion cry out of his den, if he has caught nothing?
5 Will a bird fall into a snare on the earth, where there is no]trap for it?
Will a snare spring up from the earth, if it has caught nothing at all?
6 If a trumpet is blown in a city, will not the people be afraid?
If there is calamity in a city, will not the Lord have done it?
This section ends with an oft quoted and profound truth:
7 Surely the Lord God does nothing,
Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.
Amos 4
Going back to the creation story recorded by Moses, there is a curious omission of one nature’s most widespread elements. And it took several centuries to set right the record. The guy given this task: Amos
Before you read on in chapter 4. maybe you would like to take a little quiz. What is this omission I am alluding to? Take one minute and scour Genesis 1!!
For behold,
He who forms mountains,
And creates the wind,
Who declares to man what his thought is,
And makes the morning darkness,
Who treads the high places of the earth—
The Lord God of hosts is His name.
I also like the way Amos casually mentions that God declares to man what his thought is! Hmm….this guy not only seems to be a 360º visionary but someone entering the realm of thought life as well. Scary, what?
And what is more he is mathematically brutal in his condemnatory pronouncements (Amos 5):
3 For thus says the Lord God:
“The city that goes out by a thousand
Shall have a hundred left,
And that which goes out by a hundred
Shall have ten left to the house of Israel.”
Thank God he leaves a remnant. Then he offers a ray of hope:
Seek the Lord and live (v6)
before uttering another poetic curse:
It will be as though a man fled from a lion,
And a bear met him!
Or as though he went into the house,
Leaned his hand on the wall,
And a serpent bit him! (v19)
Remember I mentioned 360º? Here he is the mouth of God recalling Israel’s wilderness wanderings during which they forgot the One who brought them out of slavery and worshipped pagan gods, whose names were not mentioned in the book of Exodus:
“Did you offer Me sacrifices and offerings
In the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel?
26 You also carried Sikkuth your king
And Chiun, your idols,
The star of your gods,
Which you made for yourselves.
Before we proceed to read Amos 6, let us see what Chat GPT has to say by way of background:
Amos prophesied during the reign of King Jeroboam II in the 8th century BCE, a period marked by unprecedented prosperity among the elite in Israel. However, this affluence was built upon a foundation of exploitation, corruption, and social injustice. The rich and powerful indulged in luxury while oppressing the poor and marginalized. It was against this backdrop that Amos received a divine call to denounce the injustices and proclaim God’s impending judgment.
Woe to you who put far off the day of doom,
Who cause the seat of violence to come near;
4 Who lie on beds of ivory,
Stretch out on your couches,
Eat lambs from the flock
And calves from the midst of the stall;
5 Who sing idly to the sound of stringed instruments,
And invent for yourselves musical instruments like David;
6 Who drink wine from bowls,
And anoint yourselves with the best ointments,
But are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.
Yes, as Chat GPT summarizes,
Central to Amos’s message was the theme of social justice. He condemned the wealthy elites for their exploitation of the poor, their dishonest business practices, and their indifference to the suffering around them. In his prophecies, Amos vividly portrayed the sins of Israel as offenses against God’s covenant, emphasizing that true worship of God must be accompanied by justice and righteousness in society. His famous words resonate with timeless relevance: “Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” (Amos 5:24)
Amos also challenged the religious hypocrisy prevalent in his time. He criticized the superficiality of religious observance divorced from genuine moral integrity. The prophet rebuked the people for their empty rituals and pointed out that God desired a sincere heart that manifested in compassionate action towards others.
Yet you have turned justice into gall,
And the fruit of righteousness into wormwood (Amos 6:12)
And some of his observations are pretty sharp and bear relevance even today. Check out this portion in Chapter 8:
“When will the New Moon be past,
That we may sell grain?
And the Sabbath,
That we may trade wheat?
Making the ephah small and the shekel large,
Falsifying the scales by deceit,
6 That we may buy the poor for silver,
And the needy for a pair of sandals—
Even sell the bad wheat?”
Even in the midst of a one-way communication from God, Amos interestingly inserts an intercessory prayer to God inspired by God Himself !
Amos 7
“O Lord God, forgive, I pray!
Oh, that Jacob may stand,
For he is small!”
3 So the Lord relented concerning this.
“It shall not be,” said the Lord.
Chat GPT in its own smooth way declares that:
Despite facing opposition and rejection, Amos fearlessly delivered his message, driven by his deep conviction in God’s righteousness and justice. His uncompromising stance earned him the hostility of those in power, yet he remained steadfast in his role as God’s messenger.
This no doubt emerges from its assimilation of the following section from the book where we see Amaziah complaining to the King.
Then Amos answered, and said to Amaziah:
“I was no prophet,
Nor was I a son of a prophet,
But I was a sheep breeder
And a tender of sycamore fruit.
15 Then the Lord took me as I followed the flock,
And the Lord said to me,
‘Go, prophesy to My people Israel.’
16 Now therefore, hear the word of the Lord:
You say, ‘Do not prophesy against Israel,
And do not [k]spout against the house of Isaac.’
But nothing that Amos pronounced concerning the future is as devastating as the words that follow (Amos 8):
“Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord God,
“That I will send a famine on the land,
Not a famine of bread,
Nor a thirst for water,
But of hearing the words of the Lord.
12 They shall wander from sea to sea,
And from north to east;
They shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the Lord,
But shall not find it.
But finally Amos ends his prophecy on a positive note (Amos 9):
“On that day I will raise up
The tabernacle of David, which has fallen down,
And repair its damages;
I will raise up its ruins,
And rebuild it as in the days of old;
12 That they may possess the remnant of Edom,
And all the Gentiles who are called by My name,”
Says the Lord who does this thing.
13 “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord,
“When the plowman shall overtake the reaper,
And the treader of grapes him who sows seed;
The mountains shall drip with sweet wine,
And all the hills shall flow with it.
14 I will bring back the captives of My people Israel;
They shall build the waste cities and inhabit them;
They shall plant vineyards and drink wine from them;
They shall also make gardens and eat fruit from them.
15 I will plant them in their land,
And no longer shall they be pulled up
From the land I have given them,”
Says the Lord your God.
Prophet Amos, a significant figure in ancient Israelite history, emerged during a time of social and moral decay. His prophetic ministry, though brief, resonates through the centuries as a powerful call to repentance, justice, and righteousness. Amos, unlike many prophets of his time, did not hail from a prestigious background; he was a humble shepherd and a tender of sycamore fig trees from Tekoa. Yet, his message and impact were profound, challenging the societal norms and speaking truth to power.
Beyond his immediate historical context, the legacy of Amos endures as a beacon for social justice advocates and moral reformers throughout history. His teachings have inspired movements for equality and fairness, reminding humanity of the enduring principles of justice and compassion.
In conclusion, Prophet Amos stands as a poignant example of a voice crying out against injustice and oppression. His prophetic ministry, though rooted in a specific time and place, transcends temporal boundaries, resonating with universal truths about the importance of righteousness, compassion, and moral integrity in society. Amos challenges us to examine our own lives and societies, urging us to align our actions with the values of justice and righteousness. His legacy continues to inspire and compel us towards a better, more just world.
A Minor prophet? Scarcely!!
(with input from Fifteenth Page: Jeremiah, you are lying! – Judah’s Jottings (judahsjottings.com) and Chat GPT)
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