a) Give an account of Amos' encounter with Amaziah the priest b) Indicate any three practices in your society that need to be condemned

Answer Details

(a) Amos' encounter with Amaziah the priest (Amos 7:10-17)

Amos prophesied at Bethel during the reign of Jeroboam II, condemning the sins of Israel and predicting judgement. In particular he declared that Jeroboam would die by the sword and that Israel would surely go into exile away from its land.

Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, was offended and sent a message to King Jeroboam, accusing Amos: "Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel; the land is not able to bear all his words. For thus Amos has said, 'Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel must go into exile away from his land.'"

Amaziah then confronted Amos directly and ordered him, "O seer, go, flee away to the land of Judah, and eat bread there, and prophesy there; but never again prophesy at Bethel, for it is the king's sanctuary, and it is a temple of the kingdom."

Amos answered that he was no prophet, nor a prophet's son, but a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore trees, and that the LORD took him from following the flock and said to him, "Go, prophesy to my people Israel." He therefore refused to be silenced.

Amos then pronounced God's judgement on Amaziah for opposing the LORD's message: "Your wife shall be a harlot in the city, and your sons and your daughters shall fall by the sword, and your land shall be parcelled out by line; you yourself shall die in an unclean land, and Israel shall surely go into exile away from its land."

(b) Three practices in society that need to be condemned

• Corruption, bribery and embezzlement of public funds by leaders and officials.
• Oppression, injustice and exploitation of the poor and the weak.
• Immorality, dishonesty and fraud such as cheating in trade, examination malpractice and cultism.