Amos Has Conspired Amos 7:10

Amos the prophet saw the LORD standing “upon a wall made by a plumbline, with a plumbline in his hand”, and when the LORD asked him concerning it, He declared how He would “set a plumbline in the midst of my people Israel”. God promised He would “not again pass by them”. This would cause the “high places of Isaac” to be “desolate” and “the sanctuaries of Israel” to be “laid waste”, and in chapter seven and verse ten of his prophesy, Amaziah the priest accuses Amos of “conspiring” against Israel where we read:

Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel: the land is not able to bear all his words.

The verse begins, “Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel:” Amos began with the words, “Then Amaziah” whose name means “Jehovah is mighty” and was “a priest of Bethel under Jeroboam II ” “the priest” or “the principal officer or chief ruler ” “of Bethel” which means “house of God” and was “ancient place and seat of worship in Ephraim on border of Benjamin which was identified with Luz” “sent to Jeroboam” whose name means “the people will contend” and was “the first king of the northern kingdom of Israel when the kingdom split at the death of Solomon and the ten tribes split off from Judah and Benjamin and the kingdom under Solomon's son Rehoboam where idolatry was introduced at the beginning of his reign ” “king” or “the royal ruler” “of Israel” whose name means “God prevails” and refers to “the name of the descendants and the nation of the descendants of Jacob”, “saying” or “uttering, proclaiming and declaring”, “Amos” whose name means “burden” and was “a prophet of the Lord who prophesied in the northern kingdom; native of Tekoa in Judah near Bethlehem and a shepherd by trade” “has conspired” or “to bound, tied, bound together and leagued together” “against you” which means “in opposition to Jeroboam, the king of Israel” “in the midst of the house” which refers to “in the center, core and middle of the dwelling, shelter and abode” “of Israel” whose name means “God prevails” and was “the name of the descendants and the nation of the descendants of Jacob”. Amaziah shared with Jeroboam the king of Israel concerning the conspiracy he thought Amos had against Israel.

The verse goes on to say, “the land is not able to bear all his words.” Amos continued, “the land” which refers to “the earth, country, territory or region” “is not able” or “cannot prevail, overcome, endure or have power” “to bear” which means “seize, contain, measure, calculate and maintain” “all his words” which means “the total and sum of Amos' thoughts, sayings and ideas”. Amaziah's conclusion was the territory of Israel was not able to endure the onslaught of words Amos was declaring.

When we think through these words of Amos, we discover the opposition against Amos as he was declaring the word of the LORD. “Amaziah the priest” within the spiritual hierarchy was against him and was determined to sabotage any prophesies he declared. Jesus Christ also faced resistance from the men who were the spiritual authorities. This, however, did not deter either of their prophesies in any manner. Amos declared the truth, and Jesus did too. Though confrontation comes, the truth prevails, and whether they or we may not like it or agree when God declares something to be so, it is and shall be.

Next time we see Amos write about how “Amaziah the priest of Bethel” sends a message to “Jeroboam king of Israel” about himself, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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