I hope you can join us tonight as we study some of the prophetic, inspired words of Amos. The Scripture is Amos 2:4-12. Notes are attached.

LIVING THE CHRISTLIFE

WAYNE BARRETT

JANUARY 14, 2026

Prophetic Words of Amos

Amos 2:4-12

4 Thus says the LORD:

“For three transgressions of Judah,

and for four, I will not revoke the

punishment,

because they have rejected the law of the LORD,

and have not kept his statutes,

but their lies have led them astray,

those after which their fathers walked.

5 So I will send a fire upon Judah,

and it shall devour the strongholds of

Jerusalem.”

6 Thus says the LORD:

“For three transgressions of Israel,

and for four, I will not revoke the

punishment,

because they sell the righteous for silver,

and the needy for a pair of sandals—

7 those who trample the head of the poor into the

dust of the earth

and turn aside the way of the afflicted;

a man and his father go in to the same girl,

so that my holy name is profaned;

8 they lay themselves down beside every altar

on garments taken in pledge,

and in the house of their God they drink

the wine of those who have been fined.

9 “Yet it was I who destroyed the Amorite

before them,

whose height was like the height of the cedars

and who was as strong as the oaks;

I destroyed his fruit above

and his roots beneath.

10 Also it was I who brought you up out of the

land of Egypt

and led you forty years in the wilderness,

to possess the land of the Amorite.

11 And I raised up some of your sons for

prophets,

and some of your young men for Nazirites.

Is it not indeed so, O people of Israel?”

declares the LORD.

12 “But you made the Nazirites drink wine,

and commanded the prophets,

saying, ‘You shall not prophesy.’

______________

A reminder that God holds his own people accountable.

v 4 – “Thus says the LORD …”

lit. “Thus says Yahweh”

lit. “For three transgressions of Judah, for four …”

This is the poetic opening to a series of judgments, beginning in 1:3

The poetry conveys that even three would be three too many, but the transgressions do not stop

at three.a

Other nations are spoken to first, perhaps Israel and Judah felt that they were in no danger of also

being judged.

“because they have rejected …”

Here and throughout, a Hebrew poetical structure of parallelism, pairs of lines that, usually,

complement each other and are, usually, similar in their meanings

a Most poetry loses something of its very nature and power when the words—which are the poetry—are explained using

other words, rather than letting them speak for themselves. But this is a necessary trade-off as we study the Scriptures.

2

They had God’s word, and disobeyed him—which is (still) rejection, whether one calls it that or

not

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments … Whoever has my commandments and

keeps them, he it is who loves me. … Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep

my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with

him’. …Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is

not mine but the Father's who sent me.—John 14:15, 21, 23-24

“but their lies have led them astray …”

Lies were at the basis of their disobedience and disregard of God – same as now!

“their lies” – they own them

“after which their fathers walked” – having learned nothing from the sins of the past

v 5 – “So I will send a fire …”

A fire of judgment

A fire in their personal lives

Also a literal fire as Judah would fall to armies of her enemies

vv 6-8 -- “Thus says the LORD …”

Now the judgment upon Israel, the Northern Kingdom

“because they sell the righteous for silver …”

They are condemned for economic oppression and even enslavement of fellow Israelites

The character of the person (righteous) does not matter, and their need does not matter

cf James 5:1-6,

“But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against

him, how does God's love abide in him?”—1 John 3:17

“those who trample the head …” – an utter disregard, contempt for the poor and afflicted in

strong, poetic imagery

“a man and his father go in to the same girl …”

complete immorality – no different than the surrounding pagan cultures

Could be referring to “temple” prostitution or other circumstances

The temple, of course, was not in the Northern Kingdom—but they were notorious for their

worship sites in Bethel and Dan and other “high places” or shrines where the worship of

Yahweh was combined with the worship of pagan deities of other cultures

God’s name is profaned by those who are supposed to be his people living in this way

“they lay themselves down …”

The sinfulness is compounded by both egregiousness and irony

“lay themselves down” – immorally, “beside every altar” – blasphemously

and on top of all that

“on garments taken in pledge” – committing this sin on clothes that were taken from the needy as

pledges on a loan, which may have been confiscated for non-payment, but in any event, were

needed by the owners.

How much luxurious living today is financed by hardships placed on the needy? (Yes, this is a

complicated question, but it is a reflection that the Bible requires us to make.)

“and in the house of their God …”

3

continuing the imagery of flagrant immorality in a place of worship

drinking wine —as at a party or feast – and it paid for by fines place on the needy—or taken

from them as a fine

vv 9-10 – “Yet is was I …”

God is pointing out two things:

It was God who fought for them against adversaries that were far more powerful—and this is

how the Israelites are repaying him

God is also reminding them that he utterly destroyed the Amorite (“his fruit above and his roots

beneath”)—and now the Israelites are behaving in the very same ways against which God has

so plainly demonstrated his judgment and wrath

“Also it was I …”

God also reminds them of his great miraculous act of deliverance from Egypt and his preserving

his people in the wilderness for forty years

“to possess the land of the Amorite” – who were some of the inhabitants of Canaan

They have completely disregarded their salvation history and were now living like the ungodly

people whom God displaced on their behalf

vv 11-12 – “And I raised up some of your sons …”

God blessed them with his presence and with establishing religious community among them

“your sons,” “your young men,” … - God personalizes what he has done among them.

I have appointed your own children and used your own children to provide spiritual

leadership and examples

“Is it not indeed so, O people of Israel?”

In this prophetic dialogue, it is time for the people of Israel to acknowledge—to

confess— what God has done.

“But you …”

Instead of heeding and respecting and following God’s appointed

more lit. “But you gave the Nazarites wine to drink” – enticing them to join in with yourselves,

break their vows, and sin against God

Some types of wrongdoers are never so happy as they are when they can corrupt someone

who has not been participating in their lifestyle

“And commanded the prophets saying, “Do not prophesy.”

We don’t want to hear it. Don’t preach to us!

They hated God’s word and sought to silence those who brought it.