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Pastor Nathaniel's Blog May 11, 2023
"God’s Care and Judgement VIII"
For the last few weeks, we have seen how God uses his "thus says the Lord" formula to address a series of human rights issues. This week we will examine the final issue in that litany from Amos 2:6, which says, "Thus says the LORD: 'For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, because they sell the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of sandals'" (NKJV). Throughout Amos 1-2, God has identified the nations and sins of Israel's neighbors: Syria, Gaza, Tyre, Edom, Ammon, Moab, and Judah. Throughout the remainder of the Book of Amos, however, God is focused exclusively on Israel and their broken relationship with God.
According to God, the sins of the Northern Kingdom of Israel are worse than any nation heretofore named. Israel regularly sold righteous and innocent people into slavery for silver (a high value), while they also sold poor people into slavery for a pair of sandals (a lower value), as verse 6 indicates. But in addition to these abhorrent practices, wealthy and politically positioned Israelites stole the land and property of more destitute individuals, conducted miscarriages of justice in court cases, engaged in incestuous prostitution in God's temple (verse 7), worshiped other gods at their altars, took clothes that did not belong to them, and consumed wine that belonged only to God (verse 8).
Most of the sins that Israel committed had also been committed by the surrounding nations. But what made Israel's sins worse than the others is that they knew better. God repeatedly communicated with them, but Israel did not care about "thus says the Lord" (verses 9-16). Throughout Scripture, God saves his strongest "coh amar y'adonai" - "thus says the Lord" - for his people. God's intention is not to humiliate or demoralize his people, his intention is to rescue them from their own waywardness.
Friends, what might God be telling you today? Is God telling you that you act a lot like him in your interactions with others, or is he suggesting that you act more like Israel in Amos 2? I encourage you to heed the life-giving message God is speaking to you today, because "thus says the Lord."
God bless,
Pastor Nathaniel Gamble
