Amos 2:6-16 Israel Too
Uh oh. God’s not done yet. He turns His attention to Israel too. And this time He has a LOT to say about their sins.
Israel’s neighbors and Judah were given the same preamble and narrow focus on their most egregious sin. God’s address to Israel starts out the same as everyone else’s but God doesn’t stop at one issue. He goes deep! He gets right to the heart of the matter. God focuses more on their social actions but those stem from their wayward hearts.
Israel’s first offense mentioned is their “selling” of the righteous and needy. This covers a LOT of territory. Selling justice to the highest bidder, taking ‘incentives’ when making laws that favor or afflict one group, raising prices on essentials needed by one group, heavy taxation on certain groups, even enslaving certain kinds of people so they won’t have to deal with them or to turn a profit from them.
There have been MANY instances of this kind of behavior throughout history. The most insidious thing about the above behaviors is how they start out small, then grow until the whole nation is practicing AND accepting these kinds of oppressions of specific groups. Nazi Germany is a prime example of that. The Holocaust didn’t start out with mass murder. It started out with small changes in laws to give advantages to some and devalue others. Little by little, the Jews were seen as expendable and valuable only as a way to increase one’s own wealth through taking what the Jews had. By the end, a whole nation had learned to hate a people they once labored side by side with.
God’s indictment against Israel didn’t end with devaluing the poor and the righteous. There was more. Sexual sins came next. I don’t know if what is described is referring to sharing the same prostitute or a ‘wife’ of one or the other mentioned. Neither are permissible in God’s eyes. Personally, I think ‘sharing a wife’ would be worse. And that sin would fall on ALL parties involved, unless the woman was forced to endure this situation.
The next sin is both spiritual and social/financial in nature. The ‘fees’, fines, or ‘pledges’ are used by the one supposed to be holding them in care. What was entrusted for safe keeping is being usurped as gain for the pleasure of the one entrusted to keep it safe. And it is being used in ‘religious’ practices with FALSE gods. God would NEVER allow this kind of behavior being offered to Him!
God is disgusted with their behavior! He is especially appalled with them crediting other gods with HIS works on their behalf. “Yet it was I who destroyed the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars and who was as strong as the oaks; I destroyed his fruit above and his roots beneath. Also it was I who brought you out of the land of Egypt and led you for forty years in the wilderness, to possess the land of the Amorite. And I raised up some of your sons for prophets, and some of your young men for Nazirites. Is it not indeed so, O people of Israel?” (verses 9-11a).
God perpetually reached out to them to bring them back to Himself, but they refused to listen. “But you made the Nazirites drink wind, and commanded the prophets, saying, ‘You shall not prophesy’” (verse 12).
God says “THAT’S ENOUGH!” There will be NO escaping their just judgment. He will HOLD THEM IN PLACE to receive the fullness of their punishment. They will NOT escape it through their own strength or cunning.
This reminds me of an incident that happened with one of our neighbors when I was growing up. Across the street from us was a family we were very good friends with. Their kids played with us and our moms did things together. One day, the mother broke her ankle jumping off the side of the porch in pursuit of her son who was running from a spanking. I’m not certain, but I think my mom took her to the hospital to have it fixed. My mom told her AND us that she would NEVER chase after us. Her reasoning was that we HAD to come home eventually. THEN we would receive our punishment. God wasn’t going to chase after Israel. He was going to hold them in place to receive their ‘spanking’.
God hasn’t told Israel what punishment He has in store for them yet. So far, He is telling them their offenses. He is waiting for their FULL attention. Him also reminding them of WHO was responsible for their success sets them up to KNOW that He has the power to deliver the punishment He is just about to pronounce upon them and that He WILL make SURE they receive the full measure of it.
Father God, THANK YOU for Your forgiveness and mercy! I don’t even want to imagine how long I would have to hold still to receive all the just punishment I’ve earned over my lifetime. I’m pretty certain You are going to give Israel another “but, if you will turn to Me with your whole heart” chance before we reach the end of Amos’ message from You.
I’m sorry for what many people had to suffer under this corrupt society. I can’t say my society today is that much better. I know that MANY people try to make things just, but there are too many pulling the other way. And it is only getting worse.
Father God, please keep Your children protected. I know You already do, but I’m adding my voice to the mix. Even in Israel, in the days of Amos, Your righteous were being oppressed. You would not have said so if it wasn’t true. NOT that You couldn’t or wouldn’t protect them, but that we live in a fallen world and often bad things happen to good people. The BEST thing about that though is that YOU can bring good out of even the WORST circumstances. Let me be a part of the good You do, in whatever capacity You see fit.
