THROUGH THE BIBLE IN THREE YEARS
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A poor farming family always tried to "trade" at the general store in town in order to keep down costs.
One day, Jane, the 14-year-old, came into the store with a big bucket of molasses to trade for sugar. The store owner made the swap, and gave her the sugar. Then he said, "By the way, tell your mom that 10 pounds of flour she sent last week only weighed 9 pounds."
Jane said, "Hmm. That's odd. She measured it by the 10 pounds of sugar you sent her the week before."
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Amos 8:4-8
4 Hear this, O ye that swallow up the needy, even to make the poor of the land to fail,
5 Saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit?
6 That we may buy the poor for silver, and the needy for a pair of shoes; yea, and sell the refuse of the wheat?
7 The LORD hath sworn by the excellency of Jacob, Surely I will never forget any of their works.
8 Shall not the land tremble for this, and every one mourn that dwelleth therein? and it shall rise up wholly as a flood; and it shall be cast out and drowned, as by the flood of Egypt.
KJV
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In Israel, prosperity was good. People were taking advantage of it. They were buying up the land of the "poor," and giving them no place to live.
They were anxious to see the "sabbath" end so they could open up for business again (vs 5). God's "BLUE LAW" was still in effect! "But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work." (Ex 20:10)
At least they were not like some of the Christians of this day, who keep their businesses open on the Holy Day!
The reason they wanted to hurry and get back to selling was because they were cheating on weights and measures (vs 5b). Profiteering is not new to the 20th and 21st centuries!
Times were good for most folk, but the "poor" and "needy" could be "bought" for a little silver, or even a new pair of shoes! In large cities of America today (and in many other countries), we live in very prolific times. But the "poor" and "needy" have no place to live. They stand on corners of streets begging for food, or looking for work.
God would not stand for this focus on prosperity without compassion! He said He would "Not forget their works!" (Vs 7) Further, He would cause the whole nation to be destroyed! (vs 8).
When a nation is so focused on prosperity that it loses sight of compassion, it will not long stand!
PRAY FOR AMERICA!!
Love ya,
Bruce