What does it cost a human being to speak the truth to tyrants, despots, and dictators?
Alexander Navalny, Russia’s most famous dissident, knows the cost. He nearly lost his life through poisoning and will probably never see the outside of a jail cell.
The Washington Post has highlighted several of the 537 political prisoners in Russian jails. This is the experience of two of them.
Vladimir Kara-Murza was sentenced to 25 years for charges based on speeches he made abroad and public criticism of the war with Ukraine.
Kara-Murza said at his sentencing, “I know that the day will come when the darkness over our country will be gone.” And then our people will open their eyes and shudder at the sight of the horrific crimes committed in their names.”
Ilya Yashin was sentenced in December to 8½ years for social media posts denouncing atrocities committed by Russian troops in Bucha, Ukraine.
At his sentencing, he said he had no regrets: “It’s better to spend 10 years behind bars as an honest man than quietly burn with shame over the blood spilled by your government.”
Amos knew the cost of speaking God’s truth to the powerful. He was opposed by the priest, Amaziah, but there was a considerable difference between the two.
The priest was a false teacher. He told people that they could live any way they wanted and still have God’s blessing. He also got rich in the process.
Just the opposite, Amos preached for free, but he told people only what God told him to say.
Many Russian dissidents have ended up in prison because a friend or coworker reported them to the authorities. A similar situation befell Amos, who was reported by Amaziah to the king.
Then Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, sent to King Jeroboam of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the very center of the house of Israel; the land is not able to bear all his words. 11 For thus Amos has said,
‘Jeroboam shall die by the sword,
and Israel must go into exile
away from his land.’” (Amos 7.10-11)
The priest might have found it hard to believe that someone would serve God without expecting a big paycheck. He assumed that Amos was in Israel only because they paid their prophets more generously than in Judah.
And Amaziah said to Amos, “O seer, go, flee away to the land of Judah, earn your 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 7.12-13).
Patriarch Kirill is the head of the Orthodox Church in Moscow. He has sanctioned the war with Ukraine as a holy war and can be seen sprinkling rockets with holy water. He is also very rich.
If the Patriarch met an Amos-like figure in his country, his words would resemble those of Amaziah or worse.
I encourage you to visit YouTube and search for “tank at James River Church” if you think that only Patriarch Kirill sanctions war. You’ll find a video of their men’s conference where a tank crushes four cars to the cheers of the crowd with a tank driver wielding two automatic weapons.
If you are interested in a different perspective of Christianity to the two above two, please take ten minutes to listen to the first few minutes of an interview on “The Telegraph’s” podcast.
This is the link to the interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiqxYoTL8nU&t=1116
Not For Hire
If you search Google for the six wealthiest preachers in the world (5 in America), you’ll find that their net worth ranges from 20 million to 760 million dollars.
In ancient Israel, the prophets and priests who served the government and Temple ranked among the wealthiest in society.
The true prophets of the Bible are entirely distinct from the lesser-known ones like Amaziah.
These prophets often lived in poverty, sometimes facing starvation, and endured threats to their lives. Despite these challenges, they persisted in their mission.
This was the essence of Amos’ message to the priest.
Then Amos answered Amaziah, “I am no prophet nor a prophet’s son, but I am a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore trees,
“And the Lord took me from following the flock, and the Lord said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel'” (Amos 7.14-15).
Like Amos, Jeremiah was told to stop speaking challenging words to the people. Also like Amos, Jeremiah was compelled by God to speak the truth to the nation.
If I say, “I will not mention him
or speak any more in his name,”
then within me there is something like a burning fire
shut up in my bones;
I am weary with holding it in,
and I cannot. (Jeremiah 20.9)
The prophet may not be paid, they may not eat, and be threatened with their life. They may be put in prison.
There is one thing they cannot do: stop speaking what God has given them to say.
The Holy Spirit – Our Teacher
If you asked me to locate a prophet who speaks for God in modern America, I would struggle to find one.
However, we all can invite the Holy Spirit to be our guide. By reading God’s Word and asking the Spirit to help us understand and evaluate the world around us, we can learn how to align our lives with His teachings.
YouTube Video
Rudy Ross and I discuss this passage on YouTube today. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.
Real Voices 