Oh my lord and king, have you heard of the rantings of one of those witless shepherds of Tekoa? He has captured the ears of the weak among your people.
He says he believes that the LORD roars from Zion and utters his voice from Jerusalem. Surely he is confused, as you have prepared sanctuaries for our LORD at Bethel and at Dan. Your golden calves continue to shine brightly before your people, and sacrifices continue, as you directed.
The rest of his earlier messages may perhaps have aligned with your own. He calls down judgement on those peoples that surround us. But his most recent drivel goes too far.
This part you may appreciate: He calls out our enemies, nearly always starting “For three transgression of ” such and such “yeah for four, I will not turn away the punishment.
He called down judgement on Damascus for threshing our people in Gilead with tools of iron, saying God will send a fire into the house of Hazael and it shall devour the palaces of Benhadad. Furthermore, he says God will break the bar of Damascus and cut off the inhabitants from the valley or Aven, and him that holds the scepter will go into captivity in Kir along with the people of Syria.
Perhaps that is all well and good. So may it be done to our enemies.
Then he called down judgement on Gaza because they carried into exile a whole people to deliver them up to Edom, saying God will send down file upon the wall of Gaza, and will cut off the inhabitants of Ashdod, and him that holds the scepter in Ashkelon along with the remnants of the Philistines will perish.
Those who bring harm to our people surely deserve judgement.
Then he calls down judgement on Tyre because they too delivered up a whole people to Edom, and did not remember their covenant of brotherhood, saying God will send down fire upon the wall of Tyre and shall devour her strongholds.
As you know my lord, covenants are truly important to keep… as long they work in our favor.
Then he calls down judgement on Edom, those despicable people, because he pursued his brothers with the sword and cast off all pity, saying God will send down fire upon the wall of Teman, and destroy the strongholds of Bozrah.
Now I can understand that one most clearly, as Edom had received those peoples taken by force into captivity by Gaza and Tyre.
Then he calls down judgement on Ammon, abused women who were with child in Gilead in order to enlarge their own borders, saying God will send down file in the wall of Rabbah, and devour the palaces within in the day of battle and with a tempest in the day of the whirlwind, and their king will go into captivity along with his princes.
Okay, I can understand that. They clearly deserve what they will get. What do we care for all these uncircumcised jackals? I could imagine that you would reward some for such talk. But then his words start hitting closer to home.
He says God will judge Moab for burning to lime the bones of the King of Edom, sending fire on them as well that will destroy their strongholds of Kerioth, and Moab shall die amid the uproar while the trumpet sounds.
How unfriendly it is to suggest anything untoward, especially of the women of Moab, even if they must bear their conceit. After all, he just spoke of judgement on Edom, then blames Moab for exacting judgement. How else could God bring his judgement if his followers did not exact it for him?
But then this shepherd of Tekoa wades into shallower water near our shores, with a message that could enflame the fragile peace (at least militarily) between the tribes of Israel.
Now who could overpower Uzziah? He has a mighty army and rules with a strong arm. He is a proud ruler who often shows that he is capable of even greater things. Of course, this might provide an opportunity for us to expand our power. We will see.
Nut he clearly goes to far when he calls down judgement on Israel because they sell the righteous for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals. He brings judgement on those who trample the head of the poor into the dust of the earth, and the father and son who share the same woman, and lay down beside every alter on clothes taken in pledge, and drink the wine of others who have been condemned. Now who has done such things? Surely, the God who slew our enemies before us and brought his people up out of Egypt, and raised up the most excellent prophets (well some them anyway), would not press down the people of Israel as this so-called prophet claims, making them slow and weak when attacked. Yet he says Israel will be punished for their iniquities. He says the lion roars, and that God cares about the oppressed among them, and that they do not know how to do right. Therefore he says an adversary will surround them and tear down their defenses and plunder their land.
Of his more recent words my lord, I, Amaziah, Priest of Bethel declare that he is raising a conspiracy against you in the very heart of Judah, and our land cannot bear all his words.
He starts the attack on your kingdom by suggesting that the priests are not working hard enough. Though Moses instructed us to eat the assigned sacrifices and sing praises, and take care of the wine and the finest oils, he says the priests will be taken into captivity. For generations we have been faithful to follow Moses’ instructions and do all that we have been assigned, even though it gets old after a while. How could he accuse us of error? This is exactly the sort of thing I might expect from a shepherd because he has not the benefit of education.
The he scares the laborers by suggesting that God is raising up locusts to afflict his chosen people!
He claims you will die by the sword and Israel will surely go into exile, away from their native land.’ Such folly!
He speaks of judgement, and calls us to repent, as if we had done something wrong.
He shouts that he speaks the LORD’s own words “Seek me and live! Do not seek Bethel”, even though you, my lord, blessed Bethel, making it your sanctuary and the temple for your kingdom.
There are those who turn justice into bitterness and cast righteousness to the ground, he says. Of whom do you think he speaks?
There are those who hate the one who upholds justice in court and detest the one who tells the truth, he writes. Now who knows the truth better than you, oh king? Id he saying that your people hate you?
He speaks against the straw and grain taxes that are essential for the management of your government. He says that your servants will not live to enjoy their stone mansions or their lush vineyards.
He says that God knows our offenses and how great are our sins. That seems a little over the edge to me. Who is to say what it is to oppress the innocent and take bribes and deprive the poor of justice in the courts? Could this shepherd be learned in the finer points of our laws?
He calls to the people: Seek good, not evil, that you may live. Then the Lord God Almighty will be with you, just as you say he is. You know, my lord, that the covenant already assures that our God will be with us. How could additional requirements be placed on that covenant now?
He claims: “Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts. Perhaps the Lord God Almighty will have mercy on the remnant of Joseph.” Here again he shows his ignorance. We are no remnant, We are indeed a mighty people!
He disparages the offerings we are required to make: “Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, I will have no regard for them. Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps.”
After he strips our rituals of these meaningful tasks, he says: “But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream. Did you bring me sacrifices and offerings during the forty years in the wilderness, people of Israel?”
I will not even acknowledge the foul things he said about you.
When he first came to me I ordered him: Get out, you seer! Go back to the land of Judah. Earn your bread there and do your prophesying there. 13 Don’t prophesy anymore at Bethel, because this is the king’s sanctuary and the temple of the kingdom.”
But he responded “I was neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet, but I was a shepherd, and I also took care of sycamore-fig trees. 15 But the Lord took me from tending the flock and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’ 16 Now then, hear the word of the Lord.
He tells the people that Israel shall surely fall, and he stirs up the people.
He claims “I was neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet, but I was a shepherd, and I also took care of sycamore-fig trees. But the Lord took me from tending the flock and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’”
Yet even with all this darkness he says “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when the reaper will be overtaken by the plowman and the planter by the one treading grapes.
New wine will drip from the mountains and flow from all the hills, and I will bring my people Israel back from exile. They will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them,”
Is he not aware that he speaks of what has already been? Is it even conceivable that he could be speaking of future events?
What do you say that we should do King Jeroboam? How shall we reply before the people? How can we show that this so-called prophet has no idea of the subtleties of statecraft and leadership?
Love good! Hah! Who is he to say what is good? Who is he to talk of justice in the courts? Who, besides you, oh mighty king, truly knows what justice is, and how it is used to serve our purposes?
How can we silence his putrid voice?
Percipient Witnesses 