God Will Not Delay Justice

                                                               Sunday School Lesson
                                            

Lesson: Amos 8:1-6, 9-10                                                                                                 
Golden Text: “And he said, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A basket of summer fruit. Then said the Lord unto me, The end is come upon my people of Israel; I will not again pass by them any more” (Amos 8:2).
I.  INTRODUCTION.  God had been threatening judgment because of all the injustice in Israel.  He had not been blind.  He had seen their attitude toward the poor and toward Him.  All He saw was injustice and religious hypocrisy.  Using the imagery of a basket of ripe fruit, God told the people of Israel that His judgment of them was now ripe---it was due.  In this week’s lesson, the prophet Amos used two illustrations to explain that judgment was about to fall upon Israel.
II. BACKGROUND FOR THE LESSON.  Up to this point in the book of Amos, the prophet had preached a series of sermons to Israel concerning their treatment of the poor, widows and orphans.  He also preached against their idolatry, selfishness and pride.  In chapter 7, God gave Amos some visions of what He planned to do to Israel to punish them.  In the first vision (see Amos 7:1-3), Amos saw a swarm of locusts devouring the land, but he intervened on behalf of the people and God heard him and held back on that judgment.  Next Amos had a vision of fire (Amos 7:4-6) that dried up the waters and covered the land.  Again, Amos pleaded for the people and God held back once more.  Then the Lord showed Amos a vision of a plumb line (see Amos 7:7-9) which was normally used to make sure a wall was straight.  Here it was meant to show whether Israel was crooked or not.  If God found that they were, He would punish them.  But this time before Amos could intervene for Israel, God declared that He would not withhold judgment any longer.  Then in Amos 7:10-17, Amaziah the priest in Bethel is seen complaining to king Jeroboam about Amos’s preaching of destruction.  This didn’t stop Amos from continuing God’s message.  Amos proceeded to declare that because Amaziah wanted him to stop preaching, his wife would become a prostitute and his sons would be killed.  In addition, Amaziah’s land would be divided up and he would die in a pagan land and Israel would surely be carried into captivity.  This is where our lesson begins.  
III. EXPOSING GREED AMONG GOD’S PEOPLE (Amos 8:1-6) 
A. Amos’s vision and God’s explanation (Amos 8:1-3).
1. (vs. 1).  In our first verse Amos said “Thus hath the Lord God shewed unto me: and behold a basket of summer fruit.”  In a vision, God showed Amos a “basket of summer fruit.”  The basket probably included such fruit as grapes, figs, pomegranates, and maybe other fruit that was normally harvested at the end of the summer.  Since this fruit had already been harvested, this would indicate that the fruit was ripe.  This also described Israel’s spiritual condition regarding judgment.  They were ripe for it.
2. (vs. 2).  The prophet continued to say in this verse “And he (God) said, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A basket of summer fruit. Then said the Lord unto me, The end is come upon my people of Israel; I will not again pass by them any more.”  In order to get Amos to focus on what He was about to say, God asked him “what seest thou?” or “what do you see?”  Amos answered that he saw “A basket of summer fruit.”  Just as this summer fruit indicated the end of the harvest season, God declared that “The end is come upon my people of Israel.”  In other words, Israel’s existence in the land was about to end.  With the words “I will not again pass by them any more” God indicated that He had been very patient with them, but He couldn’t overlook their behavior any longer.  Note:  This should remind us of Paul’s words to the pagans in Athens as they worshipped idols and particularly “the Unknown God” (see Acts 17:22-23).  Paul made it clear that “the times of this ignorance (worshipping idol gods) God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent” (see Acts 17:30).  In the same sense, God was no longer going to “wink” at Israel’s sin.  The end for His people was near.  Any nation that’s more interested in personal power and political position than in obeying God will soon realize that He can declare “time’s up” for any people, even a world power.  This should be a lesson for our own nation.  America has been the most powerful nation in the world for many years, but that does not mean that we will continue to exist if we openly disobey God.  Among other wrongs, we are seeing the rapid acceptance of same-sex marriage, and Romans chapter 1indicates that such acceptance will lead to God’s discipline.  There’s no doubt about it, with the way we treat one another in this country, America is no longer a Christian nation, if it ever was one.  As a result, God’s displeasure with us is growing.
3. (vs. 3).  In this verse, Amos went on to say “And the songs of the temple shall be howlings in that day, saith the Lord God: there shall be many dead bodies in every place; they shall cast them forth with silence.”  Amos stated that “the Lord God” declared that the “songs” the people sang in the temple at Jerusalem as well as their idol-temples in Bethel and Gilgal, will turn into “howlings in that day.”  In other words, instead of singing songs in their places of worship the people would be wailing loudly.  This wailing will be caused by the “many dead bodies in every place.”  When the Assyrians invaded Israel they would leave “dead bodies” lying around everywhere.  These dead bodies, slain by sword or pestilence, won’t be buried with the usual pomp and solemnity of funerals, but anyone who survives the destruction “shall cast them forth with silence.”  The burials would probably be done at night to avoid being noticed by the enemy.
B. Amos’s warning (Amos 8:4).  Now, in this verse Amos said “Hear this, O ye that swallow up the needy, even to make the poor of the land to fail.”  With the words “Hear this,” the prophet was calling Israel to pay close attention to his message from God.  The people are identified as “ye that swallow up the needy, even to make the poor of the land to fail.”  The emphasis here is on how the poor and needy of the land were being mistreated.  This is the meaning of the words “to fail.”  God was describing those who were making themselves rich at the expense of those who had little or nothing (see Amos 2:6-8).  The word “swallow” translates a Hebrew word that means “to inhale eagerly.”  It has the idea of coveting and hurrying to act on ones desires.  The rich in Israel did whatever it took to get more and didn’t care that they were trampling on the needy and poor of the land to do it.  Amos had previously spoke of how the rich took advantage of the poor and mistreated them with affliction and bribery (see Amos 5:11-12).  This was a very common sin in Israel.  The heinousness of the sin they were guilty of had the character of the unjust judge who Luke described as one who neither “feared God nor regarded man” (see Luke 18:2).
C. The people’s greed (Amos 8:5-6).
1. (vs. 5).  In this verse, Amos begins to tell the people what the message from God was.  The prophet said that those who swallow up the poor were “Saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit?”  The merchants were so hypocritical that they still continued to be religious while breaking God’s law in dealing with the poor.    The merchants recognized the “new moon” and “the Sabbath” but their hearts weren’t in it.  Note:  We too need to determine is the worship we give to God really comes from our hearts.  When attending church becomes nothing more than a ritual, God is not pleased.  When we reluctantly give our tithes and offerings, God is not pleased.  Singing songs and hymns with no thought about the words doesn’t please Him.  The question is, are we really worshipping or just going to church?  Both of these holy days, “the new moon” and “the Sabbath” called for rest from normal daily activities including buying and selling.  But the merchants couldn’t wait for these holy days to be over so they could go back to making money.  This is why they asked among themselves, “When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn?   In essence they were saying, “I’ll be glad when this day is over so I can make so more money.”  They wanted the “new moon” holiday to hurry up and be over so that they could buy and sell “corn” or grain.   The merchants also wanted the “Sabbath” to be over quickly so that “we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit?”  The “ephah” was a form of measurement and the “shekel” was the coinage used for buying and selling.  They were in a hurry to “set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit?”  These oppressors of the poor couldn’t wait for the monthly festivals and weekly Sabbath to end so they could get back to cheating their fellow countrymen in order to make big profits.  They would use “balances” or scales that were rigged in order to deceive the poor.  The scales were rigged to give false weights for an “ephah” allowing merchants to boost the price.  The merchants in Israel on the one hand were recognizing the feast days and Sabbath days while at the same time getting rich by very unscrupulous business practices.  They were insensitive to the basic needs of the poor and showed them no mercy.  Note:  Just before the Jews entered Canaan, God made it clear that His desire was that “there be no poor among you” (see Deuteronomy 15:4).  While the Lord desired that Israel have no poor in their land, Deuteronomy chapter 15 continues to say that this will only happen if the Jews obeyed God’s commands (see Deuteronomy 15:5).  However, they disobeyed God and as a result the poor in the land didn’t get any relief.  Since God knew the poor would always be in the land because Israel wouldn’t obey Him, He established certain rights and protections for them.  The poor could glean from the fields, the orchards, and the vineyards.  They could collect any sheaf that was left in the field and partake of all that grew by itself during the Sabbatical Years (see Exodus 23:11; Leviticus 19:10; 23:22; Deuteronomy 24:19).  The Old Testament is clear that the poor are equal with the rich in their standing before God “for the Lord is the maker of them all” (see Proverbs 22:2).  The price of atonement was the same for both the rich and poor (see Exodus 30:15), but the poor could bring and offer less costly sacrifices (see Leviticus 14:21).
2. (vs. 6).  In this verse Amos said that the rich continued to say “That we may buy the poor for silver, and the needy for a pair of shoes; yea, and sell the refuse of the wheat?”  The statement “That we may buy the poor for silver, and the needy for a pair of shoes” is attributed to the upper class and leaders in Israel, and repeats an indictment that God brought against them in Amos 2:6 that had to do with wrongs done against the poor.  First, the people “buy the poor for silver.”  This no doubt refers to the corruption in the court system.  Judges were bribed into condemning innocent people after hearing false testimony (see I Kings 21:8-14) which was against God’s law (see Deuteronomy 16:19).  The phrase “and the needy for a pair of shoes” does not mean that a judge was bribed for the trivial or small price of a pair of sandals, but that the poor were being enslaved for a trivial amount---the cost of sandals (see Exodus 23:6).  Very often a rich creditor would not allow a poor person time to pay off even the smallest loan.  To get what was owed at once, the debtor was forced to sell himself into slavery which was also against God’s law (see Leviticus 25:39-41).  To further show the greed of the people, they cheated the poor by selling “the refuse of the wheat?”  This refers to the “chaff” or the useless part of the wheat (see Psalms 1:4; Matthew 3:12).  It was normally thrown away when the wheat was threshed, because it was worthless like the husks on corn.  But the merchants were selling it to the poor at full price.  Note:  The wicked will always take advantage of the honest.  They will always use religious observance for their gain if they can, if not, they will find a way to set it aside or find a more convenient time.  There was a time here in America, not long ago when all businesses were closed on Sunday.  Today, accept for Chick-fil-a, you would be hard pressed to find a business closed on the Lord’s Day.  The wicked will always find a way to get around righteousness, justice, and fairness.  We may have no way to prevent this or even correct it, but God does!  And He will in His own time.   
IV. WARNING OF IMPENDING JUDGMENT (Amos 8:9-10).  Verses 7-8 are not part of our lesson, but in those verses God swore that He would never forget their sinful works (see Amos 8:7).  They were greedy and dishonest when dealing with one another.  They were hypocritical in their worship and they even worshipped idols.  Therefore they would tremble with fear and mourn when God brought judgment upon them (see Amos 8:8).
A.  A time of darkness for God’s people (Amos 8:9).  Now in this verse, Amos said “And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord God, that I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the clear day.”  The words “that day” no doubt refer to Israel’s immediate future when the people would be taken captive by the Assyrians.  God said at that time he would “cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the clear day.”  Whether this actually took place when the Assyrians invaded Israel, we don’t know.  But it was more likely God’s way of saying light and freedom in their lives would suddenly cease when the enemy invaded and destroyed the nation.  Note:  It’s also possible that the words “that day” speaks of the coming Day of the Lord during the tribulation period.  Isaiah’s description of the Day of the Lord is similar to what Amos says here.  In Isaiah 13:9-10, the prophet said “Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.  For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.”  The prophet Joel also gave a similar description of the Day of the Lord (see Joel 2:1-2; 3:14-15).
B. A time of mourning for God’s people (Amos 8:10).  In our final verse, God went on to say “And I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation; and I will bring up sackcloth upon all loins, and baldness upon every head; and I will make it as the mourning of an only son, and the end thereof as a bitter day.”  Everything that God said He would do to Israel in this verse are all symbols of extreme sadness.  First, God said “I will turn your feasts into mourning.”  The feasts recognized by Israel were to be times of celebration and joy, but when judgment came the feasts would bring only “mourning.”  Second, God said that He would turn all their “songs into lamentation.”  The songs of joy and happiness they sang in worship and celebrations would be replaced with “lamentation” or cries of despair.  Third, God said “I will bring up sackcloth upon all loins.”  The term “sackcloth” refers to a rough cloth, or baglike garment made of this cloth and worn as a symbol of mourning or repentance (see Genesis 37:34; Joel 1:8; Esther 4:1-4; Job 16:15; I Kings 21:27).  Instead of fine clothing that the upper class wore, they would be wearing “sackcloth” to express their sadness.  Third, God said that He would also cause “baldness upon every head.”  In biblical times people would shave their heads to show their deep grief (see Job 1:20).  Fourth, God said “and I will make it as the mourning of an only son, and the end thereof as a bitter day.”  The word “it” here refers to “that day” mentioned in verse 9, when God brings judgment on Israel.  It would be a time of such grief and sadness similar to the mourning one would express over the loss of “an only son.”  This situation would be devastating to a family since the “only son” would become the head of the family giving future hope that the family would continue.  But when the Assyrians invaded Israel and removed the people from the land, all hope for the future would be gone just as it would be for a family who lost their “only son.”  Finally, God said “and the end thereof as a bitter day.”  The word “bitter” accurately describes the suffering Israel would experience.  It means having a sharp or disagreeable taste; unpleasant to accept; distasteful; painful to the body or mind; harsh or sever.  Israel’s judgment will have all of these characteristics.  Their end would be “bitter.”  Note:  The tribulation period, also referred to as a time of wrath (see Isaiah 13:9; Matthew 3:7; Revelation 6:17; 11:18) will also be a time of bitterness.  According to the book of Revelation, at that time, the Lord will finish His work with Israel, His chosen people (see Revelation7:4-8).  It will be a time of darkness, gloom, mourning, and bitterness (see Matthew 25:15-31; Revelation chapters 11-18).  I believe the Scriptures teach that Jesus will come for His church before the tribulation (see Romans 5:8-9; I Thessalonians 1:9-10).  Therefore, it’s imperative that each of us is part of the spiritual church through salvation in Jesus Christ.       
                                    
V. Conclusion.  God “winks” at evil for only so long, then He judges it (see Acts 17:30).  Because of constant sin and disobedience, Israel eventually came to the point where God had to punish them.  Likewise, this world is coming to that point when He will judge it.  The question is, are you ready for the rapture, the return of Jesus Christ for His followers?  That’s the only way to avoid God’s painful judgment in the Day of the Lord.



























 












 























































      

           

 







 

 

Rebuked for Selfishness

                              
                                                                Sunday School Lesson                                          

Lesson: Amos 6:4-8, 11-14
                                                                                                 
Golden Text: “Shall horses run upon the rock? will one plow there with oxen? for ye have turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock” (Amos 6:12).
I.  INTRODUCTION.  Throughout history there have been those with a lot and those with much less.  There is nothing wrong with affluence, but when people focus on accumulating things, and pleasure becomes the main goal of life, God often gets pushed aside.  This happened in Amos’s day.  In this week’s lesson, Amos is speaking primarily to the rulers in Israel, the upper class if you will.  There was no middle class in the country, only the very rich and the very poor.  The rich kept religious rituals.  They gave tithes, went to places of worship and offered sacrifices.  But they were greedy and unjust and they took advantage of the poor and helpless.  The people of Israel were proud of their wealth, but never gave any thought to using that wealth to help others.  As a result, God warned His people through Amos saying “Woe to them that are at ease” (see Amos 6:1).  The prophet went on to condemn the corrupt leaders both in Israel and Judah who were living in luxury and being complacent (see Amos 6:2).  God reminded His people that great cities to their east, north, and west had been destroyed because of their pride.  The same thing would happen to them.  The leaders in Israel were supremely confident about their future.  They claimed that there was no danger to their nation which caused God to say “Ye that put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near” (see Amos 6:3).  In other words God said that the corrupt leaders in Israel were acting as if no punishment awaited them, but their deeds were really bringing their day of judgment near.  Our lesson this week declares that judgment from the Lord would soon fall upon Israel.  
II. THE PEOPLE’S LOSS (Amos 6:4-6) 
A. Israel living in luxury (Amos 6:4-5).
1. (vs. 4).  In verse 1 God pronounced woe unto the corrupt leaders and now in this verse He depicted them as those “That lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall.”  Instead of heeding Amos’s warnings of judgment, they reclined on expensive “beds of ivory.”  “Ivory” was an imported luxury, rare and extremely expensive.  Even a small amount of ivory symbolized wealth.  Something as extravagant as a bed inlaid with ivory shows the gross waste of resources that should have been used to help the poor.  Note:   In Amos 3:15, we are told that the people used ivory to decorate both their summer and winter homes.  These homes are described as “great” or very large.  The leaders were living in great luxury while the common people were probably just surviving.  God also said that these corrupt leaders “eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall.”  In other words, they ate meat from the tenderest lambs and the choicest calves instead of the mature animals. 
2. (vs. 5).  In this verse God goes on to describe the leaders as those “That chant to the sound of the viol, and invent to themselves instruments of musick, like David.”  While enjoying all this extravagant living, the corrupt leaders sang “to the sound of the viol” meaning they sang with stringed instruments, which most likely refers to the harp or psaltery.  The Lord had previously told His people through Amos that because of their hypocrisy in worship, He wouldn’t hear the music they played (see Amos 5:23).  They also invented other musical instruments to add to their pleasure just as David had invented the “viol” or harp (see I Chronicles 23:5).  Note:  These upper class Israelites were indulging themselves in music composed for their own pleasure.  However, in the church and among the people of God, the music should be designed for worship and centered on Him.  It should be based on sound doctrine and bring honor to God and His ways.  It should honor His works and His prophecies, and should never be for the entertainment of the people or play to their emotions.
B. Israel will lose their privileges (Amos 6:6-7).
1. (vs. 6).  In this verse God also depicts the corrupt leaders in Israel as those “That drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments: but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.”  The fact that they would “drink wine in bowls” indicates that the upper class was so concerned about their own pleasure that they were drinking wine excessively.  Instead of using glasses or cups, they used “bowls.”  Since they had lost all sense of true worship, no doubt these “bowls” were the same ones used to catch the blood from the offerings of sacrificial animals normally used to sprinkle on the altar.  They showed no regard for the things of God.  They truly believed that as God’s chosen they could do anything they wanted and not face God’s judgment.  In addition, the people would “anoint themselves with the chief ointments.”  In other words they sought the strongest perfumes to please the smell, and to make them more in love with their own bodies.  No ordinary ointments would suffice; they had to have the best, most expensive perfumes, and lotions like those that came from faraway places, when cheaper ones would have been sufficient.  It was self-pampering taken to the extreme.  God said that they did all of this “but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.”  This means that the people did these self indulging things, but were not concerned about the “affliction” or oppression of those who were in need, nor did they care about the “affliction” or punishment the entire nation, here called “Joseph” was soon to experience.  They were living only for the present, with no thought of the future consequences of their excesses.  Note:  The corrupt leaders in Israel paid no attention to the wrongs and hardships suffered by the poor nor to the troubles they were in.  Neither did they do anything to relieve them.  They should have been more like Job, who, when he was in prosperity, wept with those who were in misery and his soul was grieved for the poor (see Job 30:25).  This is a lesson for the church. The Lord is greatly offended when His church is mired in its own pleasures, and can care less about the troubles of others and is not grieved about it.  It can lead to only one thing: God’s chastisement as we shall see in the next verse.
2. (vs. 7).  In this verse, God pronounces the doom to come for the leaders in Israel.  He said “Therefore now shall they go captive with the first that go captive, and the banquet of them that stretched themselves shall be removed.”  In other words, the upper class, composed of Jewish leaders would be among the first to be carried into captivity, and at that time, “the banquet of them that stretched themselves shall be removed.”  God was declaring that their plenty and wealth will be taken from them, and they will be taken from it because they made it the food and fuel of their lusts.  Those who lived in luxury would lose even their liberty; and by being brought into servitude shall be justly punished for the abuse of their dignity and power.  Those who trusted in the delights and pleasures of their own land would be carried away into a strange land, and being made ashamed of their pride and confidence, they would be “the first that go captive.”   Those who placed their happiness in the pleasures of self, and set their hearts upon them, will be deprived of those pleasures; the “banquet(s)” that they enjoyed while they “stretched themselves” on ivory couches shall be removed, and they will know what the poor already knew: what it is to suffer and do without.
C. Israel will leave their extravagance behind (Amos 6:8).  As a guarantee that what God said would come to pass, in this verse Amos said “The Lord God hath sworn by himself, saith the Lord the God of hosts, I abhor the excellency of Jacob, and hate his palaces: therefore will I deliver up the city with all that is therein.”  The coming judgment upon Israel is bound by the “Lord the God of hosts (armies),” by his almighty hand, which no one can resist.   Israel’s punishment is bound with an oath by the Lord Himself.  Since God could swear by none greater, Amos said that “The Lord God hath sworn by himself.”  There is no greater authority than God.  Therefore, this oath would stand without revocation.  Before pronouncing His oath against Israel, God said “I abhor the excellency of Jacob, and hate his palaces.”  The word “abhor” means to despise or loathed something or someone.  The word indicates intense hatred.  God said that He hated “the excellency of Jacob” meaning that He despised everything that they were proud of, and valued. The things that they were proud of and valued didn’t include the poor and oppressed.  Being God’s chosen people and the privileges that came with that, plus their temple, the altar, and priesthood, were all part of “the excellency of Jacob.”  Of course the term “Jacob” here refers to the nation of Israel composed of its twelve tribes.  “The excellency of Jacob” also included the “palaces” in Israel.  The term “palaces” can refer to strongholds or fortresses, but can also refer to the fortified homes of the rulers or royalty.  All of these had been profaned and polluted by the people’s sin, therefore God abhorred them; he hated and despised them.  Then the Lord declared what He would do as a result of His hated for how they lived and ignored Him.  God said “therefore will I deliver up the city with all that is therein.”  The “city” mentioned here is Samaria, the capital city of Israel, the northern kingdom.  The Lord said He would “deliver up the city with all that is therein.”  In other words, God would destroy the entire nation.  The Lord was completely disgusted with His people and would soon destroy them.  This happened when Assyria invaded the land.  Note:  God had earlier stated that He abhorred  Israel’s feast days and would no longer smell or accept their holy gatherings (see 5:21), because of their hypocrisy.  The Lord abhors any form of godliness which hypocrites keep up.  Since He also abhorred their temple, for the iniquity committed there (see Amos 2:8), it’s no wonder that he hated their palaces, for the injustices and oppression He found there (see Amos 2:6-7; 5:12).  And, if God abhors them, it immediately follows that He “will deliver up the city with all that is therein,” into the hands of the enemy, who will lay it waste, and make a prey of all its wealth.  It’s true that those who are abhorred and abandoned by God are finished for all intents and purposes.           
III. GOD’S ACTIONS AGAINST THEM (Amos 6:11-14).  Verses 9-10 are not part of our lesson, but in those verses Amos gives us a picture of God’s fearful judgment upon Israel.  He stated that if there are as few as ten people left and only one house, they too will perish.  A man’s uncle will be the only one left to care for the body, and when he goes in to carry the body from the house, he will ask the only one still alive inside, “Are any others left?” And the answer will be, “No,” and he will add, “Shhh . . . don’t mention the name of the Lord—he might hear you.”  It’s interesting that the one being questioned in verse 10 tells the questioner not to mention the Lord’s name.  No doubt they were so afraid that they thought the mere mention of the Lord’s name would result in their deaths as well.  This is where the remainder of our lesson begins.
A.  God’s command (Amos 6:11).  In this verse Amos continued to say “For, behold, the Lord commandeth, and he will smite the great house with breaches, and the little house with clefts.”    Amos goes on to describe the destruction of Israel here.  First, God would “smite” or destroy “the great house with breaches.”  In other words, the homes of the leaders or rulers would be broken up.  In addition, God would also destroy “the little house with clefts.”  This means that the Lord would also break up the homes of the common people into bits and pieces.  This description shows how complete the destruction would be.  The point here is that the princes’ palaces are not above the rebuke of divine justice, nor the poor men’s cottages beneath them; neither shall escape destruction.  When sin has marked them for ruin God will find ways to bring it about.  It’s because “the Lord commandeth” that  the destruction would be complete, including both members of the rich class and the poor class.
B. God’s questions (Amos 6:12-13).  
1. (vs. 12).  In this verse, Amos still speaking for God posed two questions.  He asked “Shall horses run upon the rock? will one plow there with oxen? for ye have turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock.”  Of course both of these questions are absurd and the answer to both of them is “no.”  With these questions, God was showing how Israel’s leaders had replaced things that were lawful and just with unlawful injustice.  It is just as unthinkable for horses to run on rocks as it was for a person to plow with oxen over rocks.  Both of these would be dangerous and unproductive.  Likewise, what the leaders in Israel were doing was unthinkable, dangerous and unproductive.  God said that they “have turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock.”  The word “gall” refers to something bitter (see Matthew 27:34).  God was saying that the courts which should have provided justice for people, especially the poor, gave them bitterness or ill treatment instead.  The term “hemlock” refers to a poison.  Just as “judgment” had become bitter to the poor, “the fruit of righteousness” which should have been right treatment of the poor, was like poison to them.  It was sickening!  Note:  If we look at our own nation, we can easily understand what was happening in Israel.  Judges in our courtrooms often render decisions that are contrary to Scripture and these decisions are dangerous and unproductive to those needing help; mostly the poor and unfortunate.
2. (vs. 13).  In this verse Amos went on to say “Ye which rejoice in a thing of nought, which say, Have we not taken to us horns by our own strength?”  The phrase “Ye which rejoice in a thing of nought” means that the people were rejoicing and had confidence in their own strength, something they really didn’t have.  They were actually rejoicing in “nought” or nothing.  They indicated this by asking “Have we not taken to us horns by our own strength?”  In other words the people were saying “haven’t we achieved great dignity and dominion by conquering our enemies and gaining our victories, and this ‘by our own strength,’ our own skill and courage, our own wealth and military force?  Who then, should we be afraid of?”  Note:  Israel’s leaders were rejoicing over military victories that resulted in the nation recapturing land they had lost east of the Jordan (see II Kings 14:23-27).  Israel was attributing some of God’s blessings to their own strength and skills.  They were about to find out that apart from the Lord, they had no strength at all. For sure, prosperity and success often make men secure and haughty. Those who have done a lot think that they can do anything, anything without God.  What they are really doing is everything against God.  Trust me, that’s a very bad place to be!
C. God’s determination (Amos 6:14).  In our final verse, God said “But, behold, I will raise up against you a nation, O house of Israel, saith the Lord the God of hosts; and they shall afflict you from the entering in of Hemath unto the river of the wilderness.”  Because of the pompous attitude of Israel’s leaders, God was determined to deal with them.  The One who would bring judgment upon them is “the Lord the God of hosts,” who may do and can do what He pleases; who has all creatures at His command, and who, when He has work to do, will not be at a loss for instruments to do it with.  Even though “the house of Israel” was God’s own people, yet he declared “I will raise up against you a nation.”  We are not told here what nation God would use to chastise His people, but II Kings 17 reveals that it would be the Assyrians and also gives  us the reason why God did it.  This nation shall “afflict them,” meaning that Israel would be oppressed, from the “entering in of Hamath,” which was in the north, to “the river of the wilderness” in the south.  In other words, the Assyrians would oppress Israel by entering in at Israel’s northern boundary at Hamath and continuing to its southern tip, the river of the desert.  Some think that this “river of the wilderness” refers to the Nile in Egypt, but most likely it refers to a “wadi” or brook in the southern desert that flows into the Dead Sea.  Note:  God would bring the Assyrian army into the land and give them the responsibility of chastising His people.  The whole nation had shared in the iniquity, and therefore must expect to share in the calamity.  When men are in any way used as  instruments of affliction against God’s people, we must see it as God raising them up against us, for they are in his hand—the rod, the sword, in his hand.      
                                    
IV. Conclusion.  Being led by selfishness, egotism, self-worship, and greed, people come to believe that they don’t need God.  They blow their own horns.  Ironically, such behavior only paves the way to a bitter downfall (see Proverbs 16:18).  We can see in this week’s lesson the foolishness and selfishness of Israel.  Yet while it may be in a different way, we can be guilty of committing nearly the same hard-hearted sins.  As God’s children, we will eventually be in heaven, but in the meantime, we are not exempt from God’s chastisement to correct our attitudes and actions.


























 












 























































      

           

 

God Is Not Fooled

                              
                                 Sunday School Lesson

                                            

Lesson: Amos 5:14-15, 18-27

                                                                                                 
Golden Text: “But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream” (Amos 5:24).

I.  INTRODUCTION.  Certain characteristics always identify societies that are ripe for judgment.  They are spiritually apostate or indifferent.  They are sexually immoral.  They eat and drink excessively.  They are violent.  They love riches and pleasure and they are filled with injustice because the powerful take what they want from the weak.  Israel exhibited all these characteristics in Amos’s day.  The true temple worship of the Lord had been replaced by the worship of golden calves.  Israel had adopted the ways of surrounding nations and had become the home of a materialistic, pleasure-loving, politically ambitious class who advanced themselves by oppressing the poor.  This behavior had to be judged and the nation punished.  The Bible is clear---God is all-seeing and all-knowing.  Nothing will ever get by Him.  But sadly, in spite of this fact, many people think they can fool God by their empty and hypocritical religious activity.  When a person worships God, the thing that the Lord looks at is that person’s heart.  The prophets, especially Amos tell us that God is looking for a heart committed to justice and righteousness.  In our lesson this week, we will learn from Amos what God is looking for in our worship and that simple religious activity really does not fool God.  
II. BACKGROUND FOR THE LESSON.  The Lord called Amos to leave his native Judah and preach in the northern kingdom of Israel (see Amos 7:14-15) during the reign of Jeroboam II who was king of Israel from 793-753 B.C.  Jeroboam II expanded Israel’s boundaries and brought material prosperity to the nation (see II Kings 14:23-29).  However, as God watched Israel, He was not pleased.  Instead of justice, He saw injustice.  The people ignored the laws and let temporal lusts determine their life-style.  Religion abounded in the land, but truly changed hearts were missing.  The religious rituals offended God, who demanded exclusive loyalty.  The people were oblivious to God and unaware of their imminent danger from His wrath.  The people only cared that their kingdom was secure and prosperous.  Before he pronounced judgment on God’s people, Amos pronounced judgment upon the surrounding pagan or idolatrous nations such as Syria (Damascus), Gaza, Tyre, Edom, Ammon, and Moab.  These nations were punished for committing sins against God’s people (see Amos 1:3-2:3).  Then he turned his attention to God’s people, Judah and Israel with his focus primarily on the judgment of Israel, the northern kingdom in chapters 2-9.  However, in chapter 5 from which our lesson comes, Amos continued to pronounce judgment upon Israel.  In Amos 5:1-3, the prophet lamented or mourned over Israel as if the nation had already died. Then in verses 4-9, Amos exhorted Israel to seek the Lord and live.  In verses 10-13, the prophet reiterated previous indictments God had brought against Israel’s upper class including treading upon the poor, afflicting the just and taking bribes for ruling against the poor in courts.  This is where our lesson begins.    

III. A GODLY LIFESTYLE (Amos 5:14-15) 

A. What God expected Israel to seek (Amos 5:14).  In this verse, Amos speaking for God urged the people to “Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the Lord, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken.”  Although Amos had painted a picture of oppression and injustice in Israel, the Lord had not abandoned the nation to its sins.  God said “Seek good, and not evil.”  The Lord was asking His people to reverse their natural inclination which was to seek evil instead of good.  The “good” they were to seek could only be found in God Himself (see Amos 5:4, 6).  In order to “seek good” or strive to do good, the people had to seek the One in whom goodness resides (see Matthew 19:17).  By turning to God in faith and obedience, they would learn by experience what was truly good and receive divine strength to practice it.The Lord gave two reasons why Israel was to seek good instead of evil.  The first reason was so “that ye may live.”  This included the promise of individual survival, national well-being and spiritual life.  Only as the Israelites turned to the Lord would their individual and national existence be spared and their souls rescued from eternal ruin.  The second reason God gave for His people to seek good instead of evil was “so the Lord, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken.”  The Israelites had fooled themselves into believing that the Lord was with them to deliver them from their enemies regardless of their spiritual condition (see Micah 3:11).  But Amos, God’s prophet declared that only as they sought “good” would they enjoy the presence and deliverance of “the God of hosts (armies).”  Otherwise their hopes were in vain.  

B. What God expected Israel to hate (Amos 5:15).  In this verse, the prophet continues to say “Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that the Lord God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph.”  The prophet continued to tell Israel to “Hate the evil, and love the good.”  In the previous verse, Amos exhorted his listeners to “seek good” which is the opposite of “hate the evil.”  To “seek good” means to “love the good” as well.  God expected those living in sin to experience a complete change in affection, or what they loved.  What once attracted them---evil---should now repel them as they drew closer to God.  While hatred is an intense dislike, love is a tender affection for something or someone.Love of good has social consequences.  Amos stated that those who “love the good” also strive to see it practiced, and will “establish judgment in the gate.”  The word “judgment” here means justice.  As the Israelites changed their affections from hating evil to loving good, this about-face would bring back the justice that was being constantly denied to the poor, widows, orphans, and strangers.  The Lord wanted Israel to establish true justice in their land instead of allowing the lawlessness and corruption of the leaders and court system that was so prevalent.

If they demonstrated this change of heart, there was the possibility, though a slight one, that the “Lord God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph.”  Israel’s sinfulness had come to the point of no return.  If God should spare some of them described as “the remnant of Joseph,” He would do so out of grace, not justice.  Any that would be spared judgment by the Assyrians due to God’s grace would be “the remnant of Joseph” meaning a small number of survivors (see Isaiah 1:9).  “Joseph” was another way of saying Israel just as Jacob was (see Micah 2:12).
IV. A FEARFUL TIME (Amos 5:18-20).

The day of the Lord (Amos 5:18-19). 

1. (vs. 18).  At this point Amos warned Israel saying “Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord! to what end is it for you? the day of the Lord is darkness, and not light.”  The expression “day of the Lord” refers to that period of time when God openly intervenes in the affairs of men in judgment and in blessing.  Here it refers to the imminent destruction by the Assyrian army, as well as the future day of God’s judgment.Those in Amos’ time understood the “day of the Lord” as a time when Israel would be restored to military, political, and economic greatness similar to the times of David and Solomon.  However, the people only looked forward to the blessings of that “day” but it would also include judgment.  However, Amos reminded them that this “day” or time of God’s intervention in the affairs of men, would also be a day of judgment for His people as he declared “Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord!  The word “woe” is used in Scripture to express misfortune that’s expected to come upon someone or something (see Isaiah 3:9, 11; Jeremiah 10:19; Matthew 11:21; Luke 11:42-44; Mark 14:21).  The people’s understanding of “the day of the Lord” was incomplete so they were looking forward to that “day” or period of time without realizing that there had to be judgment before the blessings.  They no doubt felt that since they were God’s chosen people they were favored by Him and would be delivered from all their enemies when He came to judge the nations.  Somehow they assumed that God would overlook their own sins because they were the chosen nation (see Exodus 19:5-6).These people were calling for the “day of the Lord” thinking that it would bring an end to their troubles.  But Amos asked “to what end is it for you?” In other words, Amos was telling God’s people that they didn’t know what they were asking for.  For the faithful, “the day of the Lord” will be glorious, but for the unfaithful, “the day of the Lord is darkness, and not light.”  It would be “darkness, and not light” for unfaithful Israel, because Israel would be invaded by the Assyrian army within the next fifty years.  “Light” here probably refers to happiness, cheer or prosperity.  The only way the people could become eligible to enjoy the Lord’s light was to repent and put away their evil practices.  
2. (vs. 19).  In this verse Amos continued to say “As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him.”  The people of the northern kingdom were not aware of the seriousness of their situation.  Therefore, Amos illustrated the difficulties that awaited them with a series of woes.  First, he said the difficulties ahead were “As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him.”  We can imagine the distress of someone who having breathed a sigh of relief at escaping from a lion and suddenly has to face a bear.  But Amos’s illustration goes further.  He said this man “went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him.”   This unfortunate man may somehow escape the bear, run into his house, close the door, and lean against the wall to catch his breath, only to have a serpent come out of the wall and bite him.  Amos’s point is that those who were ungodly will find no relief when the day of the Lord came.  Instead they would find only the judgment hand of God sending great danger. 
B. The day of the Lord, a day of darkness (Amos 5:20).  In this verse, Amos asked “Shall not the day of the Lord be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?  Amos repeated the warning from the previous verse indicating that the day of the Lord contained nothing desirable for Israel.  For the unfaithful in Israel, the day of the Lord would be “even very dark, and no brightness in it?”  This adds emphasis to the illustration that Amos gave in verse 18 that if a person escaped one form of judgment, he would immediately face another one.  There would be no escape for anyone living an ungodly life. 
V. A REJECTED WORSHIP (Amos 5:21-24) 

God’s disdain for feast days and offerings in religious practices (Amos 5:21-22).

1. (vs. 21).  God, speaking through Amos in this verse said “I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies.”  In the dark days in which Amos prophesied, there was still a great deal of religious activity.  The sacrifice of the offerings and the religious vocal and instrumental music was still going on.  However, the people were just going through the motions of worship, but their hearts were not in it.  It was all a sham!  Therefore God said “I hate, I despise your feast days.”  The Lord absolutely abhorred their feast days, feasts that God Himself had commanded.  The reference here is to the great annual gatherings of all Israel.The Lord further declared “and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies.”  The “solemn assemblies” were gatherings for worship that accompanied the festivals (see Leviticus 23:35-36).  The term “smell” refers to God’s satisfaction with the sacrifice that was presented to Him (see Leviticus 26:31).  But in this case, God was not satisfied so He wouldn’t accept the offerings given at the most holy assemblies or gatherings.  The savory odors going upward were vile stenches in God’s nostrils, so He had to turn away in disgust.
2. (vs. 22).  Amos continued to quote God saying “Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts.”  The Lord spelled out the kinds of offerings that He would “not accept.”  These included first, “burnt offerings”---those that involved the consuming of entire animals by fire.  This offering was designed to make payment for a person’s sins in general, but also showed a person’s complete devotion to God (see Leviticus 1:2-17).  It’s not surprising then, that God rejected such offerings, for they came from a people who knew nothing of devotion or dedication.  God also would “not accept” their “meat offerings.”  The Hebrew more accurately renders this as “meal offerings.”  The ingredients consisted of grain, fine flour, or unleavened cakes, each being offered with oil, incense, and salt (see Leviticus 2:1-16).  The “meat” or meal offering most likely symbolized thankfulness for God’s blessings and dedication to Him for the best of His gifts.  But God could not accept them from those who were disobedient and unthankful.  God also said “neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts.”  The “peace offerings” were animal sacrifices presented on occasions of thanksgiving, making vows, or simply giving freewill offerings.  The fat was burned on the altar and the breast and shoulder were given to the priests.  The rest of the animal was given to the worshipper (see Leviticus 7:11-34).  But a holy God couldn’t accept such offerings from hypocrites.  Israel was well aware of the principle that submissive obedience is better than sacrifice (see I Samuel 15:22).  Therefore, the Lord’s rejection of the sacrifices of these wicked people was in line with that principle.  

B. God’s disdain for songs in religious practices (Amos 5:23).  In this verse Amos continued to say “Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols.”  The Lord also refused to accept their “songs” of worship which were to Him only an irritating “noise.”  God could not honor hypocritical lips that sang of truths that were not in the heart.  In addition, the Lord said “I will not hear the melody of thy viols.”  In other words, neither could He listen to the instrumental music that accompanied the singing.  God is more interested in the condition of our hearts than He is in what we present to other people in worship.  The “viols” were small harps also called a “psaltery.”  David had used choirs and orchestras to praise the Lord during holy gatherings (see I Chronicles 15:16; 25:1, 6-7).

C.  God’s desire for justice (Amos 5:24).  God took no pleasure in sacrifices and songs from the unrighteous.  Instead he said “But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.”  There are two possible interpretations of this verse.  One view is that “judgment” here is from God and brings righteous punishment on the land.  Therefore the statement is taken as a prediction or threat of judgment.  Since Israel’s worship had been rejected, only “judgment” lay ahead.  However, a more probable view is that God was here calling for a higher response from Israel.  So “judgment” here is better translated as “justice.”  The word “But” introduces a contrast to verse 23.  Instead of the noise of empty songs, God called for justice.  The Lord wanted a spiritual revival that would release the full constant flow of social justice and “righteousness” or right living.  In other words in this verse God was calling for a flood of “judgment” or justice, and “righteousness” to wash down over His people.  This was to take place both in their personal relationships and in the formal courts of the land.  It was to affect all segments of society from the lowest of men to the highest.   

 A DESERVED RECOMPENCE (Amos 5:25-27)

A. An indictment (Amos 5:25-26). 

1. (vs. 25).  Still speaking through Amos, in this verse God asked Israel “Have ye offered unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel?”  Of course the answer was yes.  Things hadn’t changed much in Israel since the day they had traveled the wilderness sands of Sinai.  This question was a reminder that all the religious activity that took place in the wilderness had been offensive to God for many years.
2. (vs. 26).  Then God said “But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves.”  Israel’s ancestors indeed had offered sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness, but they also practiced idolatry during those forty years, worshipping the golden calf as well as the gods of other nations.  Now God was telling His people that they were guilty of the same thing as their ancestors, following the rituals of the Mosaic Law and worshipping idols.  God indicted Israel for having “borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images.”  In other words, they had lifted up, or worshipped the shrines of “Moloch and Chiun” as their gods.  “Moloch” was the fire god of the Ammonites, also called Molech (see I Kings 11:7).  “Chiun” was believed to be the god representing Saturn.  The Israelites had worshipped both of these pagan gods in the wilderness.  The phrase “the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves” refers to “Chiun” which Israel had made with their hands and made this image their god of the stars.  In past days, Israel had turned to worshipping stars and planets, preferring nature over the God of nature (see II Kings 23:4-5).  Israel had picked up on all the pagan practices of the people around them.  God had commanded them not to have any gods before Him, nor to make any graven images Exodus 20:1-4).  They had broken God’s first and second commandments time and again.  The Lord had had enough!
B. A just punishment (Amos 5:27).  In our final verse God says “Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, saith the Lord, whose name is The God of hosts.”  Israel had crossed the land of no return so God declared that He would send them “into captivity beyond Damascus.”  Some 41 years later, Israel, the northern kingdom would be invaded by the Assyrian army and carried off to Assyria which indeed was “beyond Damascus” which was in Syria north of Israel.  This punishment was inevitable because it was declared by “the Lord, whose name is The God of hosts.”  In other words, Israel’s coming judgment would be followed through by Jehovah, the God of armies.  When this event occurred, Israel was taken from the land that had been promised to her and taken far away.  Their pretending to worship God never fooled Him. When the time came to deal with His people for their sins, God moved decisively, fulfilling His warning.  Trust me, He will do the same to us.
                                 
VII. Conclusion.  Amos lived in a day like ours.  Formalism and ritualism were accepted as substitutes for genuine worship.  The people were indifferent toward God.  They were guilty of compromise and idolatry, and they depended upon materialism and military might for their security.  True religion had almost completely disappeared from their national life.  But God still continues to expect us to look to Him in true worship, and also to relate ourselves to others in terms of justice, mercy and righteousness.



























 












 























































      

           

Judgment on Israel and Judah

        
                                                                Sunday School Lesson
                                            

Lesson: Amos 2:4-8; 
                                                                                                
Golden Text: “Thus saith the Lord; For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have despised the law of the Lord, and have not kept his commandments, and their lies caused them to err, after the which their fathers have walked” (Amos 2:4).
 I.  INTRODUCTION.  Because God is righteous, He demands righteousness from men.  When they don’t display it, He judges them for their disobedience to His laws.  Amos didn’t leave those to whom he prophesied in doubt as to why judgment was coming.  He gave the reasons at the outset, not in vague terms, but in indictments for specific acts they had committed.  He first directed attention to the judgments that would fall on some of Israel’s traditional enemies---the Syrians, Philistines, Phoenicians, Edomites, Ammonites, and Moabites.  But Amos did not spare Judah and Israel from his condemnations, and the major part of his prophecy focuses on their sins.  This week’s lesson assures us that the spiritually privileged as was Judah and Israel, do not escape judgment.Indeed, their judgment is more severe. 
II. BACKGROUND FOR THE LESSON.  Amos was a shepherd and fig grower from the southern kingdom of Judah, but he prophesied to the northern kingdom of Israel (see Amos 7:14).  He was a native of Tekoa (see Amos 1:1), a town of Judah about six miles south of Bethlehem and ten miles from Jerusalem.  The Lord called Amos to leave his native Judah and preach in the northern kingdom of Israel (see Amos 7:14-15) during the reign of Jeroboam II who was king of Israel from 793-753 B.C.  Jeroboam II expanded Israel’s boundaries and brought material prosperity to the nation (see II Kings 14:23-29).  At about the same time, Judah’s king Uzziah also expanded the borders of the southern kingdom (see II Chronicles 26:1-10).  However, as God watched Israel, He was not pleased.  Instead of justice, He saw injustice.  The people ignored the laws and let temporal lusts determine their life-style.  Religion abounded in the land, but truly changed hearts were missing.  The religious rituals offended God, who demanded exclusive loyalty.  The people were oblivious to God and unaware of their imminent danger from His wrath.  Amos pictured God as a crouching lion that roars when leaping upon its prey (see Amos 1:2; Hosea 11:10; Joel 3:16).  The people only cared that their kingdom was secure and prosperous.  Before he pronounced judgment on God’s people, Amos pronounced judgment upon the surrounding pagan or idolatrous nations such as Syria (Damascus), Gaza, Tyre, Edom, Ammon, and Moab.  These nations were punished for committing sins against God’s people (see Amos 1:3-2:3).  Then he turned his attention to God’s people, Judah and Israel who had committed sins against God. This is where our lesson begins.
III.  JUDGMENT PRONOUNCED UPON JUDAH (Amos 2:4-5) 
A.  Judah indicted for rejecting God’s law (Amos 2:4).  After pronouncing judgment on the Moabites, in our first verse Amos said “Thus saith the Lord; For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have despised the law of the Lord, and have not kept his commandments, and their lies caused them to err, after the which their fathers have walked.”  The phrase “For three transgressions of Judah, and for four” is an expression used to refer to numerous or excessive sins without giving the exact number.  It’s the same thing as saying Judah has sinned again and again.  It does not represent the exact number of Judah’s sins, but is a figurative way of saying Judah had committed a large number of crimes against God.  It was “the Lord” or Jehovah, the Eternal Living One who declared for all of the sins of Judah “I will not turn away the punishment thereof.”  This means that God’s judgment upon the southern kingdom of Judah was irreversible for God knew that His people would not repent.  God gave two reasons or two indictments as to why He would judge Judah.  First, He said “because they have despised the law of the Lord, and have not kept his commandments.”  The word “despised” here means to “reject” or “ignore.”  The people of Judah had rejected and ignored God’s revealed “law” (see Jeremiah 6:19; Ezekiel 20:24) as if it were not worth taking notice of, nor had anything valuable in it.  In so doing, they also despised the Lawmaker Himself.  God’s people knew what He wanted, but they still rejected His “commandments.”  In other words, the people of Judah had no conscience of God’s “commandments,” and were not concerned about them.  God promised that He would judge His people if they ever blatantly refused to obey His commandments (see Leviticus 26:14-17, 43).  God’s “law” and His “commandments” are synonymous or the same thing.  The second indictment was because “their lies caused them to err, after the which their fathers have walked.”  The words “their lies” refer to the idols that had replaced the Lord in Judah.  These images had “caused them to err” because an idol god was a teacher of lies (see Habakkuk 2:18-19).  God’s people knew this but still followed idols “after the which their fathers have walked” which meant that they were led astray by the same lies that deceived their ancestors.  Now they were following in the footsteps of their forefathers who perished with idols, instead of heeding the warnings (see Exodus 32:21-29; Jeremiah 16:11-12).
B. Judah’s punishment for rejecting God’s law (Amos 2:5).  In this verse God goes on to say “But I will send a fire upon Judah, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem.”  This is the same punishment Amos prophesied for the surrounding nations.  Judah’s sins were as many as the sins of other nations, and God puts them all in the same boat (see Jeremiah 9:25-26), so the sentence is also the same, for God “will send a fire upon Judah” just as He said He would upon Damascus (see Amos 1:4), Gaza (see Amos 1:7), Tyre or Tyrus (see Amos 1:10), Edom (see Amos 1:11-12), Ammon (see Amos 1:13-14), and Moab (see Amos 2:2).  But the sin charged to Judah is different from all the rest.  The other nations were indicted for wrongs done to men, but Judah is indicted for wrongs done to God.  This prophecy was fulfilled in 586 B.C. when the Babylonians invaded Judah and burned down the temple, the palaces, and broke down the walls of Jerusalem (see II Kings 25:1-9; II Chronicles 36:17-19; Hosea 8:14; Jeremiah 39:1-8; 52:12-13).
IV.  JUDGMENT PRONOUNCED UPON ISRAEL (Amos 2:6-8)
A.  Exploitation of the poor and sexual immorality (Amos 2:6-7). 
1. (vs. 6).  Now in this verse, Amos turns his attention toward the northern kingdom of Israel.  He said “Thus saith the Lord; For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes.”  God began his indictment of Israel the same way He did with Judah and the other nations saying “For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof.”  As mentioned before, this was God’s way of declaring that Israel had sinned time and time again.  Just like Judah, God knew that His people in the northern kingdom would not repent so the punishment was inevitable.  Here, the Lord also gave two indictments against Israel and they both had to do with wrongs done against the poor.  First, the people “sold the righteous for silver.”  This no doubt refers to the corruption in the court system.  Judges were bribed into condemning “righteous” or innocent people after hearing false testimony (see I Kings 21:8-14) which was against God’s law (see Deuteronomy 16:19).  The word “sold” describes the enslavement of Israel’s poor by the wealthy class.  If a poor person borrowed the smallest amount to buy food for his family, the creditor and judge worked out a deceitful plan to enslave the “righteous” or guiltless person who owed the debt.  This too, was against God’s law (see Leviticus 25:39-41).  The phrase “and the poor for a pair of shoes” does not mean that a judge was bribed for the trivial or small price of a pair of sandals, but that the poor were being enslaved for a trivial amount---the cost of sandals (see Exodus 23:6).Very often a rich creditor would not allow a poor person time to pay off even the smallest loan.  To get what was owed at once, the debtor was forced to sell himself into slavery which was also against God’s law (see Leviticus 25:39-41). 

2. (vs. 7).  In this verse God continues to say “That pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, and turn aside the way of the meek: and a man and his father will go in unto the same maid, to profane my holy name.”  This is a continuation of the previous verse with another indictment of how the wealthy was treating the poor.  God said that they “pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor.”  This expression could be interpreted in more than one way.  It could mean that the wealthy were covetous enough to steal even the dust from the heads of the poor if that was possible.  It could also mean that men were panting after their poor victims like dogs in pursuit of prey.  The problem presented in interpreting this phrase is that the word “pant” can also mean “to crush” or “to trample.”  Some scholars interpret this as the wealthy trampling the heads of the poor into the ground (see Amos 4:1).  However, the context suggests this more likely means that the oppression of the poor by the wealthy caused them to put dust on their heads as a sign of grief and mourning (see II Samuel 1:2; Job 2:12).   The phrase “and turn aside the way of the meek” in the context refers to the road to justice and the fact that the meek were denied justice causing them to suffer unfairly (see Amos 5:12).  The justice system should have offered justice to the oppressed, but was turned into an instrument of further oppression.  Still another indictment of Israel was that “a man and his father will go in unto the same maid, to profane my holy name.”  The moral condition in Israel had deteriorated so badly that fathers and sons were using the same women for sexual purposes.  It’s possible that Amos was referring to the prostitution that was part of many false religions.  Baal-worshipping Canaanites dedicated a certain number of women to Baal as temple prostitutes.  They would be visited regularly by young and old alike and sexual union with them was regarded as an act of worship.  However, such practices in Israel were abominable in God’s sight (see Deuteronomy 23:17-18; Leviticus 18:6-18; II Samuel 16:22; I Corinthians 5:1).God also declared that this intentional immorality was done “to profane my holy name.”  This is the opposite of sanctifying or setting apart God’s name.  In other words those who were involved in this blatant immorality were intent on dragging the Lord’s name in the dirt, and making Him no more special than the false gods the Israelites and their neighbors worshipped.  Since the pagans saw no difference between the Israelites’ lives and their own, they also saw no difference between the Lord and Baal.  This insulted and mocked God (see II Samuel 12:14; II Timothy 2:19).

B. Religious hypocrisy (Amos 2:8).  Still referring to the rich in Israel who were taking advantage of the poor and meek, in our final verse God says through the prophet Amos “And they lay themselves down upon clothes laid to pledge by every altar, and they drink the wine of the condemned in the house of their god.”  Those who disgraced God’s name through oppression and immorality didn’t stop being religious.  When attending religious festivals, God said that “they lay themselves down upon clothes laid to pledge by every altar.”  This was the first area of religious hypocrisy.  The “clothes” or garments spoken of here were those the rich had taken from the poor as a “pledge” or collateral for debts or loans they owed.  As part of the religious ritual, the rich would spread these garments on the floor for padding and rest on them as if they were their own.  However, the law required that the garment be returned to the debtor at sundown, since it was also his covering during the night (see Exodus 22:25-27; Deuteronomy 24:12-13).  But the rich violated this provision of the law and God heard the cries of the deprived.  The “altar” with its sacrifices had ceased to have a spiritual significance for these worshippers.  A second area of religious hypocrisy is seen in the indictment that “they drink the wine of the condemned.”  The word “condemned” refers to those who were falsely fined (see Proverbs 17:26).  However, the Mosaic law did allow fines that were deserved (see Exodus 21:22).  The “wine of the condemned” refers to the “wine” collected from those who were treated unjustly instead of the fines they owed.  This wine was consumed by these extortionists in “the house of their god” or their places of worship.  Instead of assembling in the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem, they gathered at Beth-el and Dan where King Jeroboam set up golden calves for Jews in the north to worship so that they wouldn’t return to Jerusalem to worship (see I Kings 12:28-33; Amos 3:14).  But God refused to be identified with these two places of worship (see I Kings 13:1-3).  

                                     

V. Conclusion.  Judgment must come to those who are alienated from God as well as those who are called by His name.  Israel and Judah had broken God’s covenant in many ways.  God had been patient and had even offered His help to His transgressing people, but they didn’t respond.  Because of their hard hearts, they would certainly be punished.  This was Amos’s message.  God hates injustice in any form and in any people.  Rest assured that in His time all things will be made right and justice will prevail.