Exposition of Amos 4-9, Part 2 · Section 7
VERSE 7.
Yee who turn Iudgement into wormwood, and leave off Righteousness in the earth.
THe Prophet having called on Israel to repent, hee comes now to set before them their sins which they should repent of. Hee had called upon them before to forsake their Idolatry and sins against the first Table, vers. 5. now he calls on them to repent of their sins against the second Table, viz. their perverting of Iudgement and Iustice, their cruelty, and oppressing of the poor, verse 11. and their Bribery, verse 12.
Seek yee the Lord, yee who have turned Iudgement into wormwood.
1 Here is a fin reproved, and that is perverting of Judgement, set forth by an elegant Metaphor and Allusion of turning Judgement into wormwood.
2 Here is an exegesis or fuller explication of this sin, They leave off righteousness in the earth. It is usual in Scripture to make the latter clause explain the former.
3 Here are the persons which are guilty of this sin, and those are the Princes, Judges, and Rulers of Israel, included in the Pronoun Yee.
4 Here is their duty set down in the next verse, They must turn from their sin, and seek the Lord who is the great Creator and Governour of all:
q. d. O yee rulers of Israel, who have not onelyonly provoked mee by your Idolatry, but have also cast away all care of Righteousness and Equity, and given your selves up to all manner of cruelty, bribery, rapine, and iniquity, and have thereby turned the sweetest Iustice into the bitterest wormwood; now repent, and seek the Lord, that yee may live for ever.
The Prophet here principally taxeth the great ones, and the Rulers of the people, who had the deepest share in this guilt; they should have been patterns of Justice and Righteousness to their inferiours; but they being evil themselves, corrupted the rest, as bad humours use to flow from the head to the body, and therefore the Prophet falls heavy upon them, as hee did before, Chap. 4.1.
These corrupted Justice, and made that which is in it self most profitable and pleasant, to become bitter and distasteful by oppressing the poor and helpless. This is called Wormwood here, and gall and poyson, Amos 6.12.
1 Because such unrighteousness and oppression is very displeasing and bitter to God.
2 It is bitter to the poor and oppressed.
3 In the end it will bee bitter to the Oppressors themselves. This is finis operis, though not finis operantis. In the conclusion it will bee gall and wormwood, yea deadly poyson to their souls, though they intend it not.
Justice and Equity is a most sweet and precious thing, and doth wonderfully help to preserve the peace and prosperity of a Land. This is a sanctuary and shelter for the innocent and the oppressed; but these oppressing, self-seeking Rulers had made a poyson of a remedy, and turned that which was ordained for the safety of the afflicted, to his ruine. These Rulers had turned Justice into wormwood many wayes.
1 By Bribery, Amos 4.1.
2 By Partiality, justifying the wicked rich man, favouring the kinsman, the friend, the briber, but condemning the poor and innocent, who had no bribes to give them.
3 By delayes tyring out the poor, and so forcing him to give up his cause.
4 By wresting and perverting the Law to their own ends, contrary to the genuine sense of it.
See my Com. on Psa. 82.4. p. 101, 113, 114, &c. and p. 200, 201.5 By hindring such evidence as might clear the cause.
And leave off righteousness in the earth.
They let it lye in the dust, and trod it under foot. That which was their duty, yea their glory, viz. the execution of Justice, that they neglected and sleighted as a most contemptible thing: They abused the righteous, and did grinde the faces of the poor, Amos 8.4, 5, 6. There was no place left for any righteousness amongst them; their seats of justice, were places of injustice; and their Courts of equity, Courts of iniquity.
OBSERVATIONS.
1 Perverting of Iustice is very bitter, and displeasing to God and man.
Look how distastful Gall and VVormwood is to us, so distastful is unrighteousness to the righteous God; It is as poyson and hemlock to him, Amos ▪ 6.12.
Hence he so oft complains of it,See more in my Com. on Psal. 82.2. Obs. 5. p. 100. and Mr. Patricks Jewish Hyp. ch. 9. p. 112. and denounceth so many woes against it, as in Psalm 82.2, 3. and in Isa. 5.7, 20, 23. & 10.1. & 59.4, 13. and Lam. 3.35, 36. As nothing is more sweet and delightful than an impartial administration of Justice, so nothing is more bitter and displeasing to God and man than unrighteousness. It is a sin to omit righteousness, but it is a farre greater aggravation of the sin to contemn it, and trample it under foot, as these did here. Great is the number of wicked men, and were it not for Justice that did restraine them, every mans lust would be a law, and the reins would be let loose to all manner of villany; so that it would be safer living amongst so many wilde Beasts, than amongst men. Justice is Rulers duty, security, and glory, as I have shewed at large on Psalm 82.4. p. 35, 36, 111, 139.