Amos 2:4-16

Amos follows the same pattern as he now pronounces judgment on Judah: Thus says the Lord (this is God’s message and sure to be fulfilled); For three transgressions and for four (Judah also has reached the limit of God’s patient mercy); and I will send a fire (indicates the specific judgment as these nations would have their major cities burned by the Babylonians.)

The sin(s) of Judah have to do with God’s revealed will in the law.  Unlike the other nations, Judah received God’s law.  They were at the center of teaching the law through the temple in Jerusalem.  Like their fathers these who had received the truth had turned to lies, particularly the lie of idolatry (Jer. 16:19-20; Hab. 2:18).  Because they had greater access to revelation, they also had greater accountability.  Judgment begins with God’s people (1 Pt. 4:17-18).

If Amos was a feel-good preacher as it seems many are today, he would have stopped preaching here.  Surely the people of Israel were happy to hear of judgment on their enemies and especially Judah.  But this was all lead-up to the rest of the book: God was going to bring judgment on Israel.  Beginning with the same formula Amos goes into greater detail about Israel’s situation.

·        2:6-8: The sins of Israel included insatiable greed as seen in the way judges perverted justice for the sake of trivial bribes (a pair of sandals or the dust of the earth which is on the head of the poor, apparently referring to dust on the head from the poor as they mourned their unjust treatment).  Her sins also included gross immorality (v7b) that defiled the holy Name of God.  Likely this was connected with idolatry because v8 also refers to idolatrous worship (by every altar, the northern kingdom had more than one, Bethel and Dan being two major centers of false worship).  As part of that worship the immorality took place on clothes taken in pledge from the poor.

·        2:9-12: The ingratitude of Israel was the greatest sin.  Israel was ignoring the fact that God had destroyed the Amorites and given them their land (Josh. 24:8) even though they were a mighty enemy.  In addition it was God who brought them out of Egypt and led them forty years in the desert so that they could possess that land.  And in another gracious act of God, He had given them prophets and Nazirites from among them to declare His word to them.  And yet they forbade the prophets to speak and made the Nazirites violate their vow.  Remember that the first step away from God is the failure to glorify Him and give Him thanks.

·        2:13-16: The judgment of God was certain.  He was burdened by their iniquity.  The strong would not be able to withstand His wrath (v14) and no one would be able to escape it (v15).  The most courageous of men would be humiliated in that day.  SAYS THE LORD.

Judah was accountable because they had God’s law but ignored and disobeyed it.  Israel was accountable because they had a history of God’s goodness to them but they refused to recognize it.  They lives so as to dishonor God’s holy name.  Christians have the same command, to honor the Name and doctrine of God in the way they live (1 Timothy 6:1; Titus 2:1,5,10).  God is forgiving and merciful but the history of Israel makes it clear, that God will hold His people accountable for repeated sin and refusal to hear His call to repentance.