Amos: Seek The Lord and LiveParaugs

Right up to 2:6 Israel would have been loving this sermon. All their pagan neighbors were being rebuked by God. Even their kinsmen in Judah were rebuked. Yet Amos’ sermon has been building to his attack on Israel in 2:6–16. This is far longer and more detailed than the rebuke of any other nation. 

The summary of their crimes comes in verses 6–8. In essence, they have oppressed the weakest in society. People are being sold into slavery (v. 6). Justice is denied to the poorest (v. 7). Father and son force themselves sexually upon the same slave-girl, probably one who works for them (v. 7) and they are taking immorally gained products to church (v. 8). 

It would be easy to think, ‘2:6–8 aren’t great, but they are not as bad as the brutal pagans of chapter 1.’ Yet the stress is that Israel should have known much better. They, like Judah (v. 4), knew the Lord and had received His grace. Israel was held to a higher standard because they should have understood better. 

Similarly, I read recently of a 12-year- old girl who was sat in the family car waiting for the rest of her family. She put the key into the ignition to turn on the radio and listen to music. However, somehow she tragically put the car in reverse and ran over someone walking behind the car. That’s heart-breaking, but the police treated it as an accident and not a crime. However, if a 30-year- old who has been driving for 12 years reversed over someone, it is treated as a criminal offence. The greater the knowledge, the more culpable you are. 

Reflection

It's not good enough for a believer to say, for example, 'I may have sex when I shouldn't have done, but hey, I'm not a slave trader like them over there.' The Lord's comment is that in this way you 'profane my holy name' (v.7). Are you conscious of dishonoring God's name before a watching world?