Old Testament # 35
God Reveals His Secrets to His Prophets
Amos 3; 7–9; Joel 2–3
Introduction
Last week we learned from Hosea, prophet to the Northern Kingdom of Israel (principally Ephraim) and this week we continue those prophecies to idolatrous/adulterous Israel through Amos, who, interestingly, came from near Bethlehem and was a humble shepherd up until the Lord called him to go to the north. But it was Joel who prophesied to the Southern Kingdom of Judah. We are coming up to General Conference in a week or so. Last April’s conference brought revelation upon revelation, some of which we are still struggling to understand and follow. We have had six months to absorb what the Brethren and the brothers and sisters of the auxiliaries taught us, six months to pray about it, study it, ponder and meditate upon it. Where are we now in relation to where we were at the end of March? Has what we heard in the last conference changed us? Organizational changes are obvious, but what about our—my—heart. Has that been changed? Are our steps more firmly following the iron rod, is our destination clearer now? Definitely things to think about as we prepare for the first weekend in October.
1. Amos teaches that the Lord reveals his secrets to his servants the prophets. Amos 3:6–7.
Here is a fairly long, but vital quote from Elder Kevin R. Duncan:
Trusting in and following the prophets is more than a blessing and a privilege. President Ezra Taft Benson declared that “our [very] salvation hangs on” following the prophet. He described what he called “Fourteen Fundamentals in Following the Prophet.” In the session this morning, Elder Claudio Costa of the Presidency of the Seventy so eloquently instructed us on these 14 fundamentals. Because they are of such great importance to our very salvation, I will repeat them again.
“First: The prophet is the only man who speaks for the Lord in everything.
“Second: The living prophet is more vital to us than the standard works.
“Third: The living prophet is more important to us than a dead prophet.
“Fourth: The prophet will never lead the Church astray.
“Fifth: The prophet is not required to have any particular earthly training or credentials to speak on any subject or act on any matter at any time.
“Sixth: The prophet does not have to say ‘Thus saith the Lord’ to give us scripture.
“Seventh: The prophet tells us what we need to know, not always what we want to know.
“Eighth: The prophet is not limited by men’s reasoning.
“Ninth: The prophet can receive revelation on any matter, temporal or spiritual.
“Tenth: The prophet may be involved in civic matters.
“Eleventh: The two groups who have the greatest difficulty in following the prophet are the proud who are learned and the proud who are rich.
“Twelfth: The prophet will not necessarily be popular with the world or the worldly.
“Thirteenth: The prophet and his counselors make up the First Presidency—the highest quorum in the Church.
“Fourteenth: [Follow] … the living prophet and the First Presidency … and be blessed; reject them and suffer.”[1]
Amos 3:6 has an interesting re-translation by Joseph Smith—the KJV donewas changed by divine inspiration to known. Remember we talked about knowledgelast week. Knowledge is what is revealed to us through the Spirit—in this case divine communication: the mysteries or secrets of the Kingdom.
We don’t often get individual reactions, but in Amos 7, we read that Amaziah—a (presumably idolatrous) priest, complains to the king and demands Amos be sent away back to Judah. Interestingly he calls Beth-el (originally mentioned by Abraham and later built as an altar to Jehovah after Jacob wrestled with an angel all night) to be the “king’s chapel”—not even Ba’al’s, to whom it is almost certainly dedicated at this time. The fulfilment of Amos’s prophecy in Amos 7:10-17 is described as follows:
Amos’s prophecy of a spiritual famine was fulfilled among the children of Israel after the time of Malachi, the last Old Testament prophet. This period ended approximately 400 years later when John the Baptist was called to prepare the way for Jesus Christ. Amos’s prophecy also applies to the Great Apostasy, the centuries of spiritual darkness that followed the death of the Savior’s Apostles and ended with the restoration of the gospel through the Prophet Joseph Smith.[2]
3. Joel prophesies that God will bless his people in the latter days and pour out his Spirit upon them.Joel 2;3:16–17.
Moving to Joel—we are not sure when he lived and whether he quoted Amos and Hosea or they quoted him, but as I said, he was in the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Here’s what the Institute Manual has to say about him:
Joel is particularly significant to us because he prophesied of our day. On the night he visited Joseph Smith, Moroni quoted from Joel and said that the prophecies would shortly be fulfilled. (see Joseph Smith—History 1:41.) Joel is also a major source of information on the battle of Armageddon, one of the momentous events in the coming history of the world. So, although the book of Joel is a short work, it is full of valuable insights and information. They are applicable to us today, although they were written over twenty-five hundred years ago.[3]
In these chapters, Joel offers us specific invitations and details the attendant blessings. I am sure Kara will go over these with you, but maybe look for them yourself in preparation. Elder Larry Gibson referred to one such prophecy:
My thoughts turn to a scripture as I think of our wonderful young men and women of the Church—a scripture that Moroni quoted to Joseph Smith, saying that it had “not yet [been] fulfilled, but was soon to be” (Joseph Smith—History 1:41)—“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, … your young men shall see visions” (Joel 2:28).[4]
I know that this has come to pass in the Restored Church and continues to this day. As we prepare to listen to our Prophet’s voice and study their words over the next six months, may we find a way to stand more firmly against the flow of the world and to hold out our hands for those around us who are looking to do the same.
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