Amos 7:10

 Amos 7:10 says, 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.  Amos had shown nothing but good will toward the people of Israel, making Intercession to God for them when he revealed His plan to bring destruction on them.  Instead of being grateful, Amaziah the priest of Bethel went to the king accusing Amos of conspiring against the king.  Matthew Henry said this was because Amos prophesied without license from Amaziah and also prophesied against him.  Some so called religious leaders today become very upset if someone speaks out against what they are preaching and teaching because it is not consistent with what God's word teaches.   Verse eleven adds, For thus Amos saith, Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of their own land.  Amaziah said that Amos was prophesying that Jeroboam would be killed by the sword and Israel would be taken away captive.  He did not say that Amos said that this was because of their sins and that they needed to repent and return to God to possibly avoid this.  Some people will always be more concerned about their position in the world than they are about their relationship to God.  Verse twelve declares, Also Amaziah said unto Amos, O thou seer, go, flee thee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there:  Amaziah tried to send Amos away to the land of Judah to prophesy.  He had been unsuccessful in getting the king to take action against Amos, so he tried his own method to get rid of him, by telling him that he was in the wrong place to prophesy.  We as Christians must go where God sends us and proclaim the word that He gives us, whether people want to listen to us or not.  Verse thirteen adds, But prophesy not again any more at Bethel: for it is the king’s chapel, and it is the king’s court.  Amaziah told Amos to no longer prophesy in Bethel, because it was the king’s chapel and court.  He was wrong though, because it was God's chapel and court, even if it had been corrupted by the religious leaders.  We should never begin to believe that the things of God belong to us to do with as we please.  Verse fourteen declares, 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:  Amos answered Amaziah by saving that he had not been a prophet nor a prophet’s son.  We are not born into a calling from God, but we are called from wherever we are and from whatever we are doing.  Verse fifteen adds, And the LORD took me as I followed the flock, and the LORD said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel.  Amos said that as he was following the flock that God took him and told him to go and prophesy.  When we go to proclaim God's word today, it must be because the Holy Spirit has taken us and sent us.  We can never just go under our own power or by our own calling.  Verse sixteen proclaims, 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.  Amos called on Amaziah to hear the word of God that He had for Amaziah because he had told Amos not to prophesy in Israel.  Verse seventeen adds, 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.  God said that Amaziah's family was going to be destroyed and that Amaziah would die in  polluted land,because they would not listen to God.  No matter who may oppose us today when we proclaim the gospel and teach God's law, we can never change our message.