Amos, of course, did not know that Amaziah was working out a plan that
had been outlined previous to his starting for the sanctuary. Only
those who were in the Priest's confidence knew that he had sent a
message to King Jeroboam, when it was reported that a crowd had
gathered about Amos and that the Prophet would, no doubt, deliver
another address. The message to Jeroboam read:

"Amos hath conspired against thee in the midst of the house
of Israel; the land is not able to bear his words. For thus
hath Amos said, 'Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel
shall surely be led away captive out of his land.'"

The messenger proceeded, post haste, to the palace of the king, and
Amaziah, quietly and with dignity, went to the sanctuary.

Hardly had Amos lifted his head from his low salute, when Amaziah
addressed him:

"O seer! Go, flee away to the land of Judah, and there eat
bread, and prophesy there; but prophesy not again any more
in Bethel, for it is the king's sanctuary, and it is the
royal residence."

How the Priest misunderstood the Prophet! Just because Bethel was the
king's sanctuary and the royal residence and the seat of all the
mighty in the land of Israel, Amos had selected it, above all other
places, to preach his message there.

But Amaziah's little speech contained something more important to Amos
than this. Amaziah had addressed the Prophet as "seer," he had taken