Hear this, you that trample on the needy, and bring to ruin the poor of the land, saying, “When will the new moon be over so that we may sell grain; We will make the ephah small and the shekel great, and practice deceit with false balances,” vss. 4, 5a, c
Amos 8:3-7
While little is said in the book of Second Kings about the reign of Israel’s king, Jeroboam II, it is noted that he reigned for 41 years and that he seems to have made Israel great again. The borders were expanded, and the country experienced a period of prosperity. But all was not right, and when Amos, a wandering prophet from the hill country of Judah was sent by God to Israel, he didn’t hesitate to point out the ways in which the poor were being exploited by the rich. Generally, that’s what happens in times of prosperity, and some are saying that the growing disparity in the distribution of wealth in our own country is a sign of the same malaise detected by Amos in Israel. According to the so-called “Golden Rule” which some say is operative in our society, “those who have the gold make the rules.” And while the phrase is obviously facetious, it does come close to the truth. The law gives enormous advantage to the wealthy, many times at the expense of the needy. Amos was not impressed by Israel’s boom–we can only imagine what he might say to us. Chances are he would not be pleased!
Thought for the Day: Why does prosperity distort a person’s moral compass?
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