An obnoxious prophet

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Amos is a difficult prophet to preach because he is so little interested in the possibility that the fate of the people may improve if they return to God. Yet the encounter between the prophet and Amaziah the priest in today’s lesson is thrilling, even cinematic. 

Amos is from the South but is preaching in the North, prophesying the destruction of the Northern Kingdom. Amaziah, ministering at the royal sanctuary in Bethel, goes to the king and tells him that the prophet is conspiring against the kingdom. It’s not clear whether Amaziah’s misunderstanding of the oracle is innocent or malicious. In any case, Amaziah urges Amos to go back home, where he will be safe, and to make his living as a prophet there.