Amos was an ordinary man, a farmer from Judah, chosen by God in the 8th century BC to go to Israel to warn the people of the impending wrath of God. Israel was the name given to the 10 northern tribes that broke away from the Davidic dynasty following the death of Solomon (due to the arrogance of Solomon's son Rehoboam). The Kingdom of Israel was destroyed by the Assyrian Empire in 722 BC, less than two generations after the warning given to it by Amos.
With the idea of Justice prominent in our conversations as Americans and as Christian Americans, it benefits us to consider what the Justice of God looks like. What provoked the wrath of God against his Covenant people of Israel and Judah? What offenses were the prophets commanded to condemn?
The text below is excerpted from the book of Amos, its nine chapters can be read in twenty or thirty minutes; please do so. These texts appear in the order they are given, not arranged thematically. My commentary will appear in bold after each text.
Amos 2:4-5 (NIV)
4 This is what the Lord says:
“For three sins of Judah,
even for four, I will not relent.
Because they have rejected the law of the Lord
and have not kept his decrees,
because they have been led astray by false gods,
the gods their ancestors followed,
5 I will send fire on Judah
that will consume the fortresses of Jerusalem.”
Judah is not the focus of Amos' ministry, but his prophecy begins by announcing God's wrath against the surrounding peoples, primarily for their violence toward neighboring peoples, including the people of Judah to the south. Judah's sin is more specific, involving idolatry and the worship of false gods. Although Judah was a troubled society, their kingdom endured until 586 BC when Jerusalem was sacked by the Babylonian Nebuchadnezzar, they too committed the same type of sins that Israel will be charged with by Amos, and God sent them prophets as a warning in turn.
Amos 2:6-8 (NIV)
6 This is what the Lord says:
“For three sins of Israel,
even for four, I will not relent.
They sell the innocent for silver,
and the needy for a pair of sandals.
7 They trample on the heads of the poor
as on the dust of the ground
and deny justice to the oppressed.
Father and son use the same girl
and so profane my holy name.
8 They lie down beside every altar
on garments taken in pledge.
In the house of their god
they drink wine taken as fines.
Here begins the indictment: (1) selling the innocent for silver, (2) trampling the poor, and (3) denying justice to the oppressed. The society of Israel systematically oppressed the poor, taking advantage of them both in business and in the courts of law. These themes will be repeated throughout Amos' prophecy. In addition, the people of Israel indulged in sexual immorality ('Father and son use the same girl') and mocked God by coming to his altar while retaining a garment taken in pledge (an act forbidden by the Law, Exodus 22:26-27). Lastly, they were drinking wine in God's house that had been taken as fines (presumably unjust fines). These last two point toward a pattern of false/insincere worship. God will not be mocked. Galatians 6:7 (NIV) Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. To worship God while in the middle of conducting sinful behavior, will not be tolerated.
Amos 2:11-12 (NIV)
11 “I also raised up prophets from among your children
and Nazirites from among your youths.
Is this not true, people of Israel?”
declares the Lord.
12 “But you made the Nazirites drink wine
and commanded the prophets not to prophesy.
God was not silent when these injustices and blasphemies occurred. His response was to send prophets, but the people made a mockery of the Nazirites (who had taken vows not to drink alcohol) and told the prophets to be quiet. This idea will be repeated in Amos, the powerful do not like to be reminded of their sins (anymore than the rest of us, but they have the power to silence their critics).
Amos 3:1-3 (NIV)
1 Hear this word, people of Israel, the word the Lord has spoken against you—against the whole family I brought up out of Egypt:
2 “You only have I chosen
of all the families of the earth;
therefore I will punish you
for all your sins.”
3 Do two walk together
unless they have agreed to do so?
This is a key point that is often overlooked: God holds his own people MORE accountable than the rest of humanity. When we talk about Justice, in society, we hope for equality and fairness, but when we consider God's Justice, we need to be very aware that God is both more stern and more gracious to his people. He is willing to forgive our sins, if we repent, but highly intolerant of our immorality if we harden our hearts. I know that many of my fellow Christians consider America to be the New Israel (Replacement theology), thinking of us in the same Covenant terms that were given by Moses to the people. The theology of this position is flawed, and that can be demonstrated by examining Paul's letter to the Romans, but there's an important reason to be glad we aren't the New Israel: We wouldn't survive God's wrath. Israel was held to a higher standard than their neighbors, no nation in our world today would survive such scrutiny.
Amos 4:1 (NIV)
4 Hear this word, you cows of Bashan on Mount Samaria,
you women who oppress the poor and crush the needy
and say to your husbands, “Bring us some drinks!”
The upper class women of Israel were as involved in crushing the poor as their husbands, laughing at the situation in a way worthy of Marie Antoinette's "Let them eat cake!"
Amos 4:4-5 (NIV)
4 “Go to Bethel and sin;
go to Gilgal and sin yet more.
Bring your sacrifices every morning,
your tithes every three years.
5 Burn leavened bread as a thank offering
and brag about your freewill offerings—
boast about them, you Israelites,
for this is what you love to do,”
declares the Sovereign Lord.
This section shows God's sense of humor. In this case, biting irony. The people were still obeying the FORM of correct worship while their hearts were far from God. They oppressed the poor and needy during the week and worshiped the LORD on the Sabbath. Such worship is not only fruitless, it actually offends and angers God. The prophet Isaiah makes this clear, "Your New Moon feasts and your appointed festivals I hate with all my being. They have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them." (Isaiah 1:14) Once again, if America were the New Israel, it wouldn't matter how many people were in church on Sunday morning when God considered our nation's ample inequality, injustice, and immorality (sins that God's people sadly participate in all too readily). As it is, we cannot hope to receive God's blessing as a nation if we don't address the issues of injustice in our society.
Amos 5:10-12 (NIV)
10 There are those who hate the one who upholds justice in court
and detest the one who tells the truth.
11 You levy a straw tax on the poor
and impose a tax on their grain.
Therefore, though you have built stone mansions,
you will not live in them;
though you have planted lush vineyards,
you will not drink their wine.
12 For I know how many are your offenses
and how great your sins.
There are those who oppress the innocent and take bribes
and deprive the poor of justice in the courts.
The pronouncement against injustice continues: (1) injustice in the courts through false testimony, (2) heavy taxes upon the poor, (3) the taking of bribes to deprive the poor of justice. Looking at a list like this, I'm struck by the animosity toward the idea of social justice in America. Many Christians, and a not a few prominent Christian leaders, demonize the idea of seeking equality before the Law, calling it a political ploy or a Leftist plot {See: Taking the name of the LORD in vain: PragerU's "Social Justice Isn't Justice"}. And yet, God cares about these issues enough to make them the FOCUS of the warning of his chosen prophet that judgment is at hand. I'm not saying that those advocating for social justice are without error (in their tactics or judgments), but how can the very IDEA of seeking equality in the face of injustice be against the will of God? The Scriptures say otherwise.
Amos 5:14-15 (NIV)
14 Seek good, not evil,
that you may live.
Then the Lord God Almighty will be with you,
just as you say he is.
15 Hate evil, love good;
maintain justice in the courts.
Perhaps the Lord God Almighty will have mercy
on the remnant of Joseph.
How can God's people avert the disaster heading their way? Repent and administer true justice. This is one piece that is often missing in the discussion of America's history of racism. IF we truly have repented of the way in which our ancestors treated Blacks, Indians, and various other minorities, we would now be actively seeking to "maintain justice in the courts." In other words, the sincerity of our repentance, as a people, is not judged by our claims of sincerity but by the results of our actions. Actions speak louder than words. The verdict on whether or not America retains systemic racism will show itself in the way in which our justice system treats ALL the people. IF we have repented, we will live in a way that proves it. {This is what true repentance always looks like in the Bible, without follow-up actions that prove it is genuine, the repentance is not considered legitimate.}
Amos 5:21-24 (NIV)
21 “I hate, I despise your religious festivals;
your assemblies are a stench to me.
22 Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings,
I will not accept them.
Though you bring choice fellowship offerings,
I will have no regard for them.
23 Away with the noise of your songs!
I will not listen to the music of your harps.
24 But let justice roll on like a river,
righteousness like a never-failing stream!
Harsh words from God (via Amos) about the value of the worship of the people. God does NOT accept worship from a people mired in immorality. Why? Because God is holy, his people must seek righteousness, must "hate what is evil; cling to what is good." (Romans 12:9) If they do not, no amount of worship, offerings, or singing will be accepted by God. What is the antidote to false worship? "let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!" And yet, churches that involve themselves in helping the poor, in seeking racial harmony and reconciliation, often by working for a more just and fair legal system, are accused of abandoning the Gospel. The Word of God warns us of the frailty of a path that focuses upon worship and ignores injustice, of one that claims to follow God on Sunday, but ignores the needs of the people in our community the other six days of the week. The Gospel call for salvation by grace through faith must always remain central to our ministry, but that message is made COMPLETE (by actions that demonstrate the sincerity of our faith) when we work for righteousness in our community.
Amos 7:10-13 (NIV)
10 Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent a message to Jeroboam king of Israel: “Amos is raising a conspiracy against you in the very heart of Israel. The land cannot bear all his words. 11 For this is what Amos is saying:
“‘Jeroboam will die by the sword,
and Israel will surely go into exile,
away from their native land.’”
12 Then Amaziah said to Amos, “Get out, you seer! Go back to the land of Judah. Earn your bread there and do your prophesying there. 13 Don’t prophesy anymore at Bethel, because this is the king’s sanctuary and the temple of the kingdom.”
Was Amos welcomed with open arms? Nope. The leadership in Israel were not pleased with Amos' warning and told him to go home. Why? Because the sacred space at Bethel, and the authority of the king couldn't be bothered with hearing from God. There is irony here, of course, that those in leadership should be most keen to hear from God, but are in fact the least. Why? Because their hearts are hard, and because they benefit from the oppression of the poor. That dynamic is true in every society in human history, ours included.
Amos 8:4-6 (NIV)
4 Hear this, you who trample the needy
and do away with the poor of the land,
5 saying,
“When will the New Moon be over
that we may sell grain,
and the Sabbath be ended
that we may market wheat?”—
skimping on the measure,
boosting the price
and cheating with dishonest scales,
6 buying the poor with silver
and the needy for a pair of sandals,
selling even the sweepings with the wheat.
Lastly, Amos broadens the indictment of oppression of the poor with examples: (1) the eagerness of the merchants to get back to business as soon as the Sabbath is over, (2) the dishonest business practices that cheat the customers. I've also read that the term Economic Justice is an affront to Justice, an insult to God. That doesn't seem to be the case here. The prophet of God is concerned with something as commonplace as dishonest scales. Should not the Church of Jesus Christ concern itself with the ways in which the poor in our nation are treated? Should not issues of homelessness, housing, education, addiction, and the need for a living wage be our concern? God-honoring Christians can disagree about HOW to address such issues, about which political or legal solutions are best, but we have been given no wiggle room as to the question of whether or not we should CARE about these things.
What does the book of Amos illustrate to us about God and Justice? (1) God cares about legal injustices, (2) God cares about economic injustices, (3) God holds the rich and powerful accountable for these injustices, (4) God will not accept worship from his people if they are involved in perpetuating these injustices, and (5) the rich and powerful are unlikely to appreciate being called to task by a prophetic voice speaking the Words of God.
Social Justice? Racial Justice? Legal Justice? Economic Justice? God cared about them then, and their lack provoked his wrath. God does not change. God cares about them now, their lack still provokes his wrath. The prophet Amos was called to bring to the people's attention these failings, we honor God when we do likewise in our time and place.
No comments:
Post a Comment