His servants the prophets
Amos 3:7 - If a “prophecy” contradicts the Bible, it should be ignored.
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“Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.”
Amos 3:7 NIV
Today we’re hearing from Amos, one of the 12 minor prophets of the Old Testament. Amos prophesied around the same time as Hosea and Isaiah, although he was older than those two other prophets. His prophecies were made between 760 - 755 BC, during the reign of King Jeroboam II of Israel and Uzziah of Judah. Amos is probably most well known for speaking out about the disparity between the wealthy and the poor, and his book of the Bible is filled with themes of justice, the omnipotence of God, and God’s judgement.
In this verse, note that the prophet begins by emphasizing God’s sovereignty; the original Hebrew is אֲדֹנָי יְהֹוָה — yᵊhōvâ ăḏōnāy — with the term “Lord” (ăḏōnāy) spoken as a term of deep reverence.
Amos is speaking here of God’s coming judgement on Israel, which He had revealed in secret to His prophets. This wasn’t a one-time revelation; God gave His prophets this message for many years before the judgement (the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile in Babylon) finally happened so the people of Israel would have many chances to repent.
19th-century Irish biblical scholar Adam Clarke said this of God revealing His plans through the prophets (via Enduring Word):
“Such secrets of God are revealed to them, that they may inform the people; that, by repentance and conversion, they may avoid the evil, and, by walking closely with God, secure the continuance of his favour”1
Does this mean that God only does things after telling prophets about it? Absolutely not! David Guzik of Enduring Word explains:
ii. We must remember the context of the prophet Amos and understand that this does not mean that God does nothing without revealing it to a prophet first. In Ephesians 3:5 Paul described how God deliberately hid the nature of the church (being a new body, not Israel and not Gentile) from Old Testament prophets. This is one example of something that God didn’t announce or explain until it happened, without giving a prior revelation to a prophet.
Our current concept of a “prophet” is someone who foretells the future. In the Old Testament, prophets were individuals chosen by God to serve as His mouthpieces. They delivered all sorts of messages to the people of Israel — warnings, instructions, and messages of hope. Prophets were truly “His servants” as intermediaries between God and His people, to the point that the major prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel received revelations that guided the nation of Israel.
God continued His communication with His people during the transition between the old and new covenants, with John the Baptist and Jesus both communicating God’s message to the people. Many of the early church leaders were also given the gift of prophecy (see Ephesians 4:11, for example) to provide guidance to the early Christians.
We don’t need prophets today, as we have access to God’s completed revelation in the Bible. But God can still communicate to His people through intermediaries. I like this explanation from GotQuestions.org:
Can God give someone a message to deliver to someone else? Absolutely! Does God reveal truth to someone in a supernatural way and enable that person to deliver that message to others? Absolutely! But is this the biblical gift of prophecy? No.
There are always those who claim to be prophets, speaking for God, and many people tend to listen to their words faithfully. Every time there is a political or military event, someone is usually quick to exclaim that it is a “sign of the end times”… and they’re always wrong. An easy test of the claims of these so-called prophets is to compare what they say to the Bible. If a “prophecy” contradicts the Bible, it should be ignored. If it is completely in agreement with what God has said in the Bible, then it is a true prophecy and we should pray for wisdom in how to apply His message to our lives.
Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:
Lord, I thank You for the words of the prophets that guided Your people in the times of the old covenant, and that still have meaning to your followers in this age. Though we no longer have a need for prophets as we have Your complete Word in our hands, we know that You still reveal truths to some of Your chosen to pass on to others. If I am to pass along a message to Your people, guide me in making sure it is in agreement with Your Word. When I hear a message from someone who seems to be speaking on Your behalf, remind me to be discerning and to test that message against the Word. AMEN.
Commentary quotations from Enduring Word are used with the written permission of the author
BibleHub was accessed on July 3, 2025 for commentary on Amos 3:7
Clarke, Adam "Clarke's Commentary: The Holy Bible Containing the Old and New Testaments with a Commentary and Critical Notes" Volume 4 (Isaiah-Malachi) (New York: Eaton and Mains, 1827)