In the days of King Jeroboam II, the prophet Amos left his home in Judah and brought the words of the Lord to Israel. In chapter 7, Amos received a vision of God holding a plumb line, exposing the crooked moral and spiritual construction of the people. Evidently, Amos publicly announced this vision and its warning in the city of Bethel, which at that time was one of Israel’s most prominent centers of idolatry. The man Amaziah in this passage was a priest of Bethel (Amos 7:10), and he quickly confronted Amos, as we read here.

Amaziah mockingly told Amos to go home and leave the people of Bethel alone. Even the king did not want to be disturbed by God’s warnings. Apparently Bethel was home to one of the king’s residences, although Samaria was Israel’s official capital. Bethel must have been a place of refuge for wicked Jeroboam—a place where he could satisfy his religious impulses without having to confront the claims of Israel’s true God.

We are not surprised that Amaziah and Jeroboam rejected the prophetic message. They had long before chosen a course that could never intersect with God’s ways. But there is something for us to ponder as well. Like Amaziah and Jeroboam, do we ever feel that the Word of God has disturbed our comfort? Do we ever wish that the messenger who brings us the Lord’s message would just go back home and leave us alone? Are we offended when the one who shares the Scriptures with us seems to be getting a little too personal?

At Bethel, all were welcome to offer their sacrifices in any manner that pleased them (Amos 4:5). Let us shun that false spirituality which loves to look holy without ever being disturbed by a call to holiness.