“But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” Amos 5:24

Justice

When we think of justice it brings to mind visions of courtrooms where one can be reasonably confident of a fair and impartial trial. But in Amos’ day, equal justice was not always available to the poor. The Gates, the small courts where the elders dispensed justice, and where those who had been exploited could go for help, had been corrupted. Amos addresses a sharply layered society with a large gap between the rich and the poor. He cries out to those “who trample the heads of the poor into the dust of the earth”. Even the first harvest, which was which was essential for their survival, was taken for the king. Poor people were depersonalized, exploited, and overcharged for basic essentials, while the rich merchants piously flaunted their religiousness. They truly believed that their power and wealth were signs of God’s blessing. Amos cries out for justice for the poor, and he challenges an unjust society to turn back to God, proclaiming that God’s justice wants to bring healing even in the face of sin. From ancient times the God of the Bible stood out from the gods of other religions as a God who is on the side of the powerless and who advocated justice for the poor.

lhart@gwi.net