Amos - The Lord Sees (Amos 2:6-16)

The Lord Sees

Too long, please open your Bible Amos 2: 6-16

Israel’s turn

After addressing the surrounding nations and Judah with brief oracles of judgment, Amos finally turns his prophetic gaze toward Israel, the northern kingdom. Like the others, the oracle begins with the familiar and formulaic “For three transgressions, and for four…”. But unlike the previous indictments, the oracle doesn’t end quickly with a summary judgment like “I will send fire upon…” Instead, what follows is a much longer and detailed exposition of Israel’s sins, stretching from verse 6 to the end of the chapter.

Whereas the judgment of the nations is rooted in violations of basic moral law (e.g., cruelty in war, betrayal of treaties), Israel’s sins reflect a conscious betrayal of God's revealed will — violations of justice, righteousness, and worship that were central to their identity as God’s chosen nation.

Israel’s indictment

Amos exposes not just what Israel has done, but how deeply entrenched their injustice and idolatry have become. They:

  • Exploit the righteous and the poor (v.6–7a)
  • Pervert justice and show no regard for the humble (v.7b)
  • Commit sexual immorality that profanes God's name (v.7c)
  • Misuse sacred items taken as pledges (v.8)
  • Drink wine bought with the fines of the oppressed (v.8b)

And then, in verses 9–12, the prophet reminds them of His acts of salvation — He destroyed the Amorites, brought them out of Egypt, gave them the land, raised up prophets and Nazirites — and yet they responded by silencing the prophets and corrupting the Nazirites.

Therefore because you impose heavy rent on the poor And take a tribute of grain from them, Though you have built houses of cut stone, Yet you will not live in them; You have planted desirable vineyards, yet you will not drink their wine. For I know your transgressions are many and your sins are mighty, You who distress the righteous and take bribes And turn aside the needy in the gate. Amos 5: 11-12

So this is not just a record of social sins. It’s a record of covenant betrayal, a people who have forgotten their Redeemer and chosen systemic unrighteousness.

Breaking the Law

It might be fairly easy to see why idolatry and sexual misconduct may warrant strong displeasure and fiery judgement from God, but social justice and care for the poor and vulnerable seems to be an interesting addition to the list.

However, the Law had stipulations for how they should treat others — particularly the poor/vulnerable.

Too long, please open your Bible Exodus 22: 22-27
‘Cursed is he who perverts the justice due a sojourner, orphan, and widow.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’ Deuteronomy 27:19
“You shall not cause the justice due to your needy brother to be turned aside in his case. “Keep far from a false charge, and do not kill the innocent or the righteous, for I will not justify the guilty. “And you shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the clear-sighted and subverts the cause of the just. Exodus 23: 6-8
‘You shall do no injustice in judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor nor defer to the great, but you shall judge your neighbor in righteousness. Leviticus 19:15
Too long, please open your Bible Deuteronomy 24: 12-18
Too long, please open your Bible Leviticus 25: 35-43

God’s relationship with Israel

Israel’s story begins when God meets with Abraham — promising to bless him on behalf of the rest of the world and also make a covenant with his family (Genesis 12: 1-7). Abraham’s family grew, and God in His faithfulness established a relationship with his descendants after He rescued them from slavery in Egypt. There were however three essential parts of that relationship.

The tabernacle

God promised to dwell with Abraham’s descendants, and so He asked them to build a tent.

And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst. Exodus 28:8
I will make my dwelling among you, and my soul shall not abhor you. And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people. Leviticus 26: 11-12

After the tabernacle was built, we are told that God’s glory filled it.

Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. Exodus 40: 34-35

Later in the storyline, Solomon built the temple, which replaced the tabernacle as God’s dwelling place. The presence of God in their midst made the land sacred space. All the regulations around the Law and the sacrificial system were an outflow of this reality.

The Law

God also gave Israel instructions on how to live, for the purpose of attracting the nations — showing that God was indeed in their midst, and as a result, extending His blessing to the nations as was promised to Abraham. The instructions covered every area of their daily lives and their interactions with others.

Too long, please open your Bible Deuteronomy 4: 1-8

The Land

Integral to God’s relationship with Israel was the land God promised them. The land was not just a physical inheritance for Israel—it was a central element of God’s covenant promise. The land was to be a place where Israel would live under God’s rule, walk in his ways, and reflect his holiness among the nations.

Israel’s dwelling in the land or being expelled from it functioned like a spiritual thermometer by visibly measuring the nation’s covenant loyalty to God. The land was a gift tied directly to the covenant: to remain in it was to remain in God’s favor, while expulsion from it was the ultimate consequence of persistent rebellion.

Defiling the land

According to the Law, there were three categories of sin that defiled the land, and would warrant the land “spitting them out” because there was no provision within the sacrificial system to purge the land of the impurity generated by these sins:

  • Idolatry
  • Sexual sins
  • Murder

However we see the Prophets expand the list to include maltreating the vulnerable and economic oppression (same way Jesus expanded the boundaries for adultery to include lustful looking, and murder to include anger). The logic was that they considered injustice and maltreatment of the poor to be murderous acts. In the following verses, they directly associate economic oppression and injustice with murder.

who build Zion with bloodshed and Jerusalem with injustice. Her leaders issue rulings for a bribe, her priests teach for payment, and her prophets practice divination for silver. Yet they lean on the LORD, saying, “Isn’t the LORD among us? No disaster will overtake us.” Micah 3: 10-11 (CSB)
The faithful town— what an adulteress she has become! She was once full of justice. Righteousness once dwelt in her, but now, murderers! Isaiah 1:21 (CSB)
For the vineyard of Yahweh of hosts is the house of Israel And the men of Judah His delightful plant. Thus He hoped for justice, but behold, bloodshed; For righteousness, but behold, a cry of distress. Woe to those who add house to house and join field to field, Until there is no more room, So that you have to live alone in the midst of the land! Isaiah 5: 7-8
“In you they have taken bribes for the purpose of shedding blood; you have taken interest and profits, and you have injured your neighbors for gain by oppression, and you have forgotten Me,” declares Lord Yahweh. “Now behold, I have struck My hand at your greedy gain which you have acquired and at the bloodshed which is among you. Ezekiel 22: 12-13 (NLT)

Reflection/Application

  1. God sees injustice and oppression not just as a moral failing but as a spiritual pollution that threatens the very foundation of life with Him. What defiles the land is not only ritual sin but covenant-breaking behavior—especially toward the vulnerable. What would it look like to treat our communities as sacred spaces — where justice is not optional, and the vulnerable are protected?
  2. The God who orders all of creation is not too vast to see the crushed and the overlooked. His justice reaches all the way down to the sandals sold for silver and the garments taken in pledge. The Creator and Sustainer of the universe is also the Defender of the oppressed. If God pays this kind of attention, how can we afford to ignore the ones the world pushes aside?