Amo 7:17 | KingComments | STEP | The judgment given by Amos on Amazia shows how serious it is to silence a prophet of God. We do not read that Amaziah has beaten Amos or thwarted him in any other way. Preventing the speaking of God’s Word is so bad, that Amaziah takes this terrible judgment upon himself and his house. Let it be a warning to all those who want to silence God, because that is what Amaziah actually wanted. Amos here contrasts the word of the LORD, “thus saith the LORD”, with the word of Amazia, “you say” ( ). The priest who opposes the word of Amos, which is in fact that of the LORD, will personally have to bear the consequences of his opposition and Israel will surely go into captivity. What will happen to the priest and his family is symbolic of what will happen to the people. His wife, after her husband has been taken away to die in exile – on “unclean soil”, that is, outside Israel – will start to earn her living as a harlot. Amaziah is primarily responsible for the judgment that affects his family. His wife will not have hindered him from exercising his presumed priesthood, perhaps even encouraged him to do so. His children share in the consequences of this bad parenthood. If they are lost, it is because of their own sins. Amaziah has a field and is apparently not excluded from land ownership ( ), but he will also lose this property. Stopping the mouth of the prophet will not stop the progress of God’s Word, for God continues to speak and His Word never returns empty.

‏ Amos 7:17

Rejected by God

The judgment given by Amos on Amazia shows how serious it is to silence a prophet of God. We do not read that Amaziah has beaten Amos or thwarted him in any other way. Preventing the speaking of God’s Word is so bad, that Amaziah takes this terrible judgment upon himself and his house. Let it be a warning to all those who want to silence God, because that is what Amaziah actually wanted.

Amos here contrasts the word of the LORD, “thus saith the LORD”, with the word of Amazia, “you say” (Amos 7:16). The priest who opposes the word of Amos, which is in fact that of the LORD, will personally have to bear the consequences of his opposition and Israel will surely go into captivity. What will happen to the priest and his family is symbolic of what will happen to the people.

His wife, after her husband has been taken away to die in exile – on “unclean soil”, that is, outside Israel – will start to earn her living as a harlot. Amaziah is primarily responsible for the judgment that affects his family. His wife will not have hindered him from exercising his presumed priesthood, perhaps even encouraged him to do so. His children share in the consequences of this bad parenthood. If they are lost, it is because of their own sins. Amaziah has a field and is apparently not excluded from land ownership (1Kgs 2:26), but he will also lose this property.

Stopping the mouth of the prophet will not stop the progress of God’s Word, for God continues to speak and His Word never returns empty.