Related Articles
Table of Contents
Topic: A Faithful Prophet
[DCLM Daily Manna 4 April 2020 Daily Devotional by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi]
Text: Amos 7:7-17
7 Thus he shewed me: and, behold, the Lord stood upon a wall made by a plumbline, with a plumbline in his hand.
8 And the LORD said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumbline. Then said the Lord, Behold, I will set a plumbline in the midst of my people Israel: I will not again pass by them any more:
9 And the high places of Isaac shall be desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste; and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.
10 Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, Amos hath conspired against thee in the midst of the house of Israel: the land is not able to bear all his words.
11 For thus Amos saith, Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of their own land.
12 Also Amaziah said unto Amos, O thou seer, go, flee thee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there:
13 But prophesy not again any more at Bethel: for it is the king’s chapel, and it is the king’s court.
14 Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet’s son; but I was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit:
15 And the LORD took me as I followed the flock, and the LORD said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel.
16 Now therefore hear thou the word of the LORD: Thou sayest, Prophesy not against Israel, and drop not thy word against the house of Isaac.
17 Therefore thus saith the LORD; Thy wife shall be an harlot in the city, and thy sons and thy daughters shall fall by the sword, and thy land shall be divided by line; and thou shalt die in a polluted land: and Israel shall surely go into captivity forth of his land.
KEY VERSE: “Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet’s son; but I was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycamore fruit: And the LORD took me as I followed the flock, and the LORD said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel.” – (Amos 7:14,15)
MESSAGE:
Faithfulness and fearlessness are two sides of the same coin. A faithful Christian will be fearless. Prophet Amos exhibited the undeniable attribute of a faithful prophet by promptly warning the nation of God’s anger after he received three visions.
Our reading outlines the third vision that Amos received from the Lord. He saw the Him standing on the wall with a plumbline (signifying measurement and judgment). After showing him the vision, God told him, “Behold, I will set a plumbline in the midst of my people Israel: I will not again pass by them any more: And the high places of Isaac shall be desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste; and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword” – (Amos 7:8,9).
Also Read: Open Heaven 4 April 2020 – The Agonies Of Eternal Death
The fiery message offended Amaziah, the priest of Bethel. He therefore falsely accused Amos of conspiracy against the nation and for predicting the death of King Jeroboam. He counselled Amos to “flee” to Judah and prophesy there but never again in Samaria. Amos rebuffed his counsel and stood his ground with courage. He told him that he did not become a prophet on his own. God called him to be a prophet and he had chosen to obey Him. He reiterated his earlier prophecy that the land would go into captivity and Amaziah’s wife would go into harlotry while his sons and daughters were to fall by the sword.
Like Amos, believers must not shrink from telling sinners the truth of the word of God. He was faithful and fearless in dealing with people who cared less for righteousness. Today, God also expects His children to be faithful and fearless in proclaiming the truth of the Kingdom.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: When you fear God, nothing else will make you afraid.
THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: John 13-15
