SECTION A: THEMES FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT (a) l am no prophet, nor a prophet's son, but I am a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore trees...give an account of ...

Answer Details

(a) Events that led to Amos' statement (Amos 7:10-15)

Amos, a herdsman and dresser of sycamore trees from Tekoa in Judah, was called by God to prophesy against the Northern Kingdom of Israel during the reign of Jeroboam II. He condemned the social injustice, oppression of the poor, corruption, empty religious rituals and idolatry of the land, and he foretold the destruction and exile of Israel.

Amos declared that Jeroboam would die by the sword and that Israel would go into exile away from their land. Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, was offended by these words. He sent a report to King Jeroboam accusing Amos of conspiring against the king in the midst of the house of Israel, claiming that the land could not bear all his words.

Amaziah then turned to Amos directly and ordered him to flee back to the land of Judah, to eat bread there and prophesy there, and never again to prophesy at Bethel because it was the king's sanctuary and a temple of the kingdom.

It was in response to this rebuke and attempt to silence him that Amos made the statement: "I am no prophet, nor a prophet's son, but I am a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore trees." By this he meant that he did not belong to the professional guild of prophets who prophesied for pay; rather it was the LORD who took him from following the flock and commanded him to go and prophesy to His people Israel. He therefore refused to be silenced and pronounced judgement upon Amaziah and his household.

(b) Three reasons people complain about the activities of some men of God today

• Excessive love of money and materialism, whereby some ministers exploit their followers through endless demands for offerings and seed-sowing.
• Immoral and scandalous conduct, such as sexual misconduct, fraud and dishonesty that contradict their preaching.
• False prophecy and manipulation, including fake miracles, deceptive predictions and the use of fear to control members.