Amos, in chapter 2, concludes his first prophecy. He finishes lashing out at the nations surrounding Israel and Judah then moves to Judah. Judah, though part of God's chosen people, remained faithful to the line of David as Israel broke free. Judah was, in one way, a brother but still an enemy. Since they had the temple of God located in Jerusalem, they might have thought they had the high ground with God. Israel probably enjoyed hearing that God was going to bring judgment on them as well. However, this first prophecy ends with the greater condemnation coming down on Israel.
Among the sins of Israel, God points out that both father and son are using the same servant girl for sexual purposes. Ignoring the command of God on fathers and sons sharing the same woman as a wife, I want to look at a deeper issue. These men were using these servant girls up. There was no love for these women, but she was little more than an object to fulfill themselves on. God made women in His image and as co-laborers with men. They were in the beginning both called Adam by God. They were never to be less. Yet here and unfortunately throughout human history, women have been denigrated to be nothing more than things. When women are made nothing more than sex objects it is worse than slavery. It is no wonder God wasn't happy.
Amo 2:1-16
(1) Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Moab, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime:
(2) But I will send a fire upon Moab, and it shall devour the palaces of Kerioth: and Moab shall die with tumult, with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet:
(3) And I will cut off the judge from the midst thereof, and will slay all the princes thereof with him, saith the LORD.
(4) Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have despised the law of the LORD, and have not kept his commandments, and their lies caused them to err, after the which their fathers have walked:
(5) But I will send a fire upon Judah, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem.
(6) Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes;
(7) That pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, and turn aside the way of the meek: and a man and his father will go in unto the same maid, to profane my holy name:
(8) And they lay themselves down upon clothes laid to pledge by every altar, and they drink the wine of the condemned in the house of their god.
(9) Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars, and he was strong as the oaks; yet I destroyed his fruit from above, and his roots from beneath.
(10) Also I brought you up from the land of Egypt, and led you forty years through the wilderness, to possess the land of the Amorite.
(11) And I raised up of your sons for prophets, and of your young men for Nazarites. Is it not even thus, O ye children of Israel? saith the LORD.
(12) But ye gave the Nazarites wine to drink; and commanded the prophets, saying, Prophesy not.
(13) Behold, I am pressed under you, as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves.
(14) Therefore the flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not strengthen his force, neither shall the mighty deliver himself:
(15) Neither shall he stand that handleth the bow; and he that is swift of foot shall not deliver himself: neither shall he that rideth the horse deliver himself.
(16) And he that is courageous among the mighty shall flee away naked in that day, saith the LORD.
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