There Eat Bread

The prophet Amos said Jeroboam, the king of Israel, would die by the sword and Israel would be led into captivity (Amos 7:11).  At this message Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, said to Amos, “Go, you seer! Flee to the land of Judah. There eat bread, and there prophesy. But never again prophesy at Bethel, for it is the king’s sanctuary, and it is the royal residence,” (Amos 7:12, 13).

Prophets were covenant enforcers for Israel, calling the people to be faithful to the covenant of the Lord. Amaziah had the wrong idea of the function of a prophet.  He apparently thought a prophet was to always bring news people wanted to hear.  If a prophet brought news that was hard to take, Amaziah’s solution was not to respond to the message in repentance, but to remove the prophet so the hard message would no longer be heard.

Amaziah said to Amos, “Go, you seer! Flee to the land of Judah. There eat bread, and there prophesy,” (Amos 7:12).  Often kings had their own prophets on their payroll.  They would hire men to be prophets for them by providing their daily necessities, such as food.  For example, false prophets ate at Jezebel’s table (1 Kings 18:19).  If a prophet was being thus cared for by the king and queen, it is no surprise that prophets would often tell the king whatever he wanted to hear whether true or false.  This is what Ahab’s prophets did to him (1 Kings 22:6).  Thus, Amaziah was telling Amos to go to Judah and make a living by prophesying there.  Amaziah thought Judah would be more receptive to Amos’ message. He appeals to Amos to just worry about taking care of himself and his own physical needs.

Amos, on the other hand, had the correct view of a prophet’s duty.  He replied 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. Then the LORD took me as I followed the flock, and the LORD said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to My people Israel’” (Amos 7:14). Amos understood that prophesying was not just a way to make money.  Amos had the occupation of a herdsman.  His prophesying was not to make money but because the Lord had charged him to do so.  Amos knew God had a message that needed to be delivered.  It was not about pleasing men, but God (cf. Galatians 1:10).

Nowadays, some preachers are concerned primarily with making money and pleasing people.  They approach preaching as a means to these ends.  They have the same false view that Amaziah did.  The truth is God has a message to deliver, and it must be preached even if it does not please people.  Let us support those who preach God’s message without fear or favor.

I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. (2 Timothy 4:1-4.)