Pastor and 1st Lady Mims

Mims Chapel Church

Week 10, August 9, 2026

LESSON 10

Inspiration Is Qualification

Lesson Text:

Deuteronomy 34:9,10

Memory Verses
"Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was a prophet's son; but I was an herdsman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit: And the LORD took me as I followed the flock, and the LORD said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel"
Amos 7:14,15

Key Terms
justification • the action of showing something to be right or reasonable.
provocateur • a person who provokes trouble, causes dissention, or the like, an agitator.
qualifications • qualities or accomplishments that make someone suitable for a particular job or activity.

Suggested Emphasis

On one occasion in our Savior's earthly ministry, Jesus returned to Nazareth to announce to the people of his hometown his identity as the Anointed One (Luke 4:16). In the synagogue that Sabbath day, he read from Isaiah 61 a prophecy of the Messiah and then explained to all assembled that he was its fulfillment. In response, the congregation attempted to throw him from a cliff (Luke 4:29). The moral, as the Lord himself expressed it, was that "No prophet is accepted in his own country."

Emphasis 1:

Amos, The "Provocateur"

The story of the meek, little prophet Amos broadens the significance of that proverb, in that he was rejected both in "his own country," Judah, and in the country to the north, Israel. We have in his life experience an important lesson in just how resistant people will be to genuine prophecy. Because Amos came to Israel declaring woe for their apostate religious practices, he found some powerful enemies. The priest at Beth-el, Amaziah, reported to King Jeroboam that Amos was a provocateur. He indicated that he didn't care whether the prophet was speaking the truth. Amos' prophecies were a destabilizing force in the kingdom: "the land is not able to bear all his words" (Amos 7:10).

Emphasis 2:

God Defends his Prophet

Although his discourse with the king revealed his real argument against Amos, when Amaziah confronted the prophet, he made a different accusation entirely. "0 thou seer," he said sarcastically, "go, flee thee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there" (Amos 7:12). Amaziah's ridicule implied that Amos was an opportunist—that he was in the business of making a quick profit by saying sensational things. However, the humble farmer-turned-prophet was not intimidated, because he knew Whose words he was delivering. When challenged and told to forbear prophesying in the royal city, he responded by yet prophesying—this time, how God would punish Amaziah for his blasphemous attack (Amos 7:17).

Emphasis 3:

Having Confidence in One's Ministry

Anyone called of the Lord to ministry is going to, at some point, face questions about his or her qualification for service. It is an oft-used tactic of the enemy to plant seeds of doubt about the effective calling of God's man or woman. Powerfully anointed servants, like the apostle Paul, confronted repeated challenges to their gifting and authority in Christ. We know this is so in Paul's case because of his forthright answers to his critics, like several key passages in the First and Second Epistles to the Corinthians. Generally, the apostle refused the judgment of his critics, and professed his conviction that God had and would continue to justify his ministry (consider 1 Cor. 4:3,4).

This is the shared conviction of Amos, and Paul, and every other man or woman of God: The Lord stands behind His
servants. A minister of the gospel must maintain a certain assurance. It is not a carnal self-confidence born of one's abilities; it is trust in the work that God has wrought in one's life. Confidence in his own qualification is part of a minister's faith walk. Jesus, who pointed to Isaiah 61 in his message at Nazareth, often described his ministry as a fulfillment of the Messianic prophecies (e.g., Mat. 11:5, John 10:37,38). He knew that what he was doing was its own justification. This will be the same for the saints: the Anointing—how it empowers ministry and manifests itself—is proof enough of qualification to do the work.

Missions Application Questions

How did Amaziah try to intimidate Amos into silence?
To what can the servant of the Lord turn in order to defeat doubts about his own qualifications?
Have you ever felt rejected by your own community in trying to share what God has given you for the people? How did you continue in the work of the Lord?

World Missions Prayer Points

Let us pray for prophets to have strength and courage to complete the work given to them.
Let us pray not to stand in the way of the mission of the prophet.