Amos was a herdsman in Judah
when called by God to preach against the social and economic sins of the
Northern Kingdom, Israel.
Amos, was a poor man who
cared for sycamore trees, which the fruit was a food of the poor. He traveled to the worship centers of Israel,
to proclaim God’s anger of how the powerful were treating the weak and the
things of God.[1]
After the wars with Syria was
settled and the military threat ended when Damascus came under the sovereignty
of Israel, an economic explosion took place.
Israel now controlled ancient trade routes, and expansion gave rise to a
new social class of wealthy merchants. Wealth created a demand for the many
luxuries available from all over the world.
Pressured by the influx of
wealth, major social changes took place. The population began to shift from
farms to cities and towns. Class distinctions became just the very rich and the
very poor, with no middle class.
Exorbitant prices were charged; poor farmers were gotten rid of, so that
the rich might build up great estates. A heartless unconcern for the sufferings
of the oppressed marked the time.[2]
The
moral condition of the nation was clearly revealed by the prophet’s shock at
the cruel treatment of the poor by the rich, at the covetousness, injustice,
and immorality of the people in power, and at the general contempt for things
holy (2:6–8). Trampling on the poor, taking
exactions of wheat (5:11), afflicting the just,
taking a bribe, and turning aside from the needy (v. 23)
stirred the anger of Amos and God.
In
political circles there was oppression, violence and robbery (3:9–10). People hated any judge who would reprimand
them or speak justly (5:10).
Against this background of
prosperity and oppression, Amos who knew poverty appeared from Judah. For a few
short months, he denounced the sins of Israel and promised judgment.[3]
2. Amos 2:6-8; For three sins of Israel, even
for four, I will not turn back My wrath. They sell the righteous for silver,
and the needy for a pair of sandals. They trample on the heads of the poor as
upon the dust of the ground and deny justice to the oppressed. Father and son
use the same girl and so profane My holy name. They lie down beside every altar
on garments taken in pledge. In the house of their god they drink the wine
taken as fines.[4]
This
verse reveals 5 injustices of this time being done to the poor and to God.
“They
sell the righteous.” The rights of
the poor were carefully protected in the Old Testament Law, and those rights
were regularly being violated.
The
first charge against the Israelites is that they callously sold into slavery the
poor who could not pay their debts (cf. 2
Kings 4:1-7). Honest people (the righteous)
who could be trusted to repay eventually, were sold for the silver they
owed. The desperately poor (the needy) were enslaved because they could
not pay back the insignificant sum they owed for a pair of sandals (cf. Amos 8:6). These
sandals might refer to the custom of giving one’s sandals as a kind of mortgage
deed or title to confirm the legal transfer of land (cf.
Ruth 4:7). The meaning would then be that the
poor were being sold for either money or land. [5]
Remember
that while putting yourself into slavery to pay-off a debt was acceptable in
the law, selling other Israelites in slavery like commodity was
acceptable.
“They
trample the heads of the poor” Amos’
second accusation against Israel was that legal procedures were being perverted
to exploit the poor. Contrary to the covenant commands, the courts had
gone into collusion with the creditors and were denying justice to the
oppressed. This oppression was so terrible and painful it was like
trampling on their heads.[6]
“A
father and his son.” This may be a
reference to use of the same temple prostitute or just old fashion orgies. It
was a flagrant violation both of God’s command to worship only Him, and a
revelation of the gross immorality involved in pagan worship and self worship.
“Garments
taken in pledge.” Here Amos returns
to his central theme of injustice. The Law demanded that if a poor man’s cloak
were taken as a pledge against a loan or debt, it was to be returned to him
before night, since the cloak was also his blanket (Deut.
24:12–13). But in Israel, such cloaks were piled around the altars as
resting places for wealthy worshipers!
God’s
Law placed restrictions on items which could be taken as collateral. Millstones
were not to be taken since they were needed for grinding grain and thus were
essential to sustaining life. The cloak of a poor man was not to be kept as a
pledge overnight; a widow’s garment could not be taken in pledge at all.
Yet the people openly and flagrantly were lying down with the forbidden garments,
going so far in their contempt for the Law as to spread them at the
sacrificial feasts by every altar.[7]
“The wine taken as fines.” Wine that had been extorted as taxes or fines from
the poor was used in the very centers (wrongly) set aside to worship God! Thus,
even God was made to seem a party to oppression.[8]
The
wine they had unjustly extracted from the poor as fines was also
being raised in honor to a heathen gods.[9]
3. Conclusion
God takes very seriously the
actions of people who take advantage of others and hurt those who are
weak. Remember the poor in Hebrew times
were usually widows that had no family to take care of them. Many times these widows had lost their sons
and husband to war. This would be like
someone taking advantage of a military wife or mother. Others were the lame or sick. Leopards, the blind, and those born unable to
work were usually the ones in need.
Children were also the ones hurt the hardest as parent were sold into
slavery or sometime even themselves sold.
We should not confuse the
poor in America with the truly poor in Israel at this time or the poor in other
counties like Haiti, Africa, India, and other such countries. God expects those that can do for themselves
to do for themselves, but for those truly unable to help themselves the
responsibility lies on us, the Church.
God doesn’t look to government, but to his people, the Church.
It is our duty to not only
help the needy with spiritual food and comfort, but also with physical food,
drink, clothes, shelter, and justice.
[1] Richards, Larry ; Richards,
Lawrence O.: The Teacher's Commentary. Wheaton, Ill. : Victor Books, 1987, S.
461
[2] Richards, Larry ; Richards,
Lawrence O.: The Teacher's Commentary. Wheaton, Ill. : Victor Books, 1987, S.
461
[3] Richards, Larry ; Richards,
Lawrence O.: The Teacher's Commentary. Wheaton, Ill. : Victor Books, 1987, S.
462
[4] Richards, Larry ; Richards,
Lawrence O.: The Teacher's Commentary. Wheaton, Ill. : Victor Books, 1987, S.
463
[5] Walvoord, John F. ; Zuck, Roy B.
; Dallas Theological Seminary: The
Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL :
Victor Books, 1983-c1985, S. 1:1431
[6] Walvoord, John F. ; Zuck, Roy B.
; Dallas Theological Seminary: The
Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL :
Victor Books, 1983-c1985, S. 1:1431
[7] Walvoord, John F. ; Zuck, Roy B.
; Dallas Theological Seminary: The
Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL :
Victor Books, 1983-c1985, S. 1:1431
[8] Richards, Larry ; Richards,
Lawrence O.: The Teacher's Commentary. Wheaton, Ill. : Victor Books, 1987, S.
463
[9] Walvoord, John F. ; Zuck, Roy B.
; Dallas Theological Seminary: The
Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL :
Victor Books, 1983-c1985, S. 1:1431
