Everyone in Israel was optimistic ... business was booming, and people were generally happy ... all except the poor and oppressed. To be oppressed is “to keep down by severe and unjust use of force or authority”. THAT is what the prosperous Jews were doing to those who were down and out. A little ‘class’ warfare is what that looks like to me.
When one becomes complacent they become self-satisfied and develop a false sense of security. In Israel’s case prosperity brought corruption and destruction. A true believer must always remember that everything is meaningless without the Lord leading the parade. A self-satisfied, self-sufficient attitude just may be your downfall.
C. OPPRESSING THE POOR
Those people who were rich and powerful in Israel’s capital, Samaria, had become prosperous financially which opened the door to greed and a callous indifference towards anyone less fortunate than them. They were involved in illegal and immoral slavery which was the result of over-taxation and land grabbing. God was and is very weary of greed and will simply never tolerate injustice.
Since God created all that is, ignoring those less fortunate is ignoring those for whom God loves and whom Christ came to save. It’s not good enough to feel bad for them, we must help them as Christ would by helping stop injustice towards them and help care for all those who are in need.
D. Superficial Religion
Although many Jews had walked away from real faith in God, they all still pretended to be religious. It’s like a masquerade where everyone wears a mask to conceal their true identity, only with this they are concealing their true self and true intentions. Masks ... many of us wear them, but God sees right thru them to the heart. He knows our thoughts and motivations. We may be able to fool everyone we come to know, but we cannot fool Almighty God because he knows our deepest motivations. I called spiritual mask wearers CINO’s ... Christians in Name Only. They play at religion just as the Jews in Israel did back then.
Being ritualistic by participating in ceremonies and mouthing words that mean nothing to us falls way short of being a true believer in Christ. God wants, even requires that we trust in Him thru heartfelt obedience and commitment. Living to impress others doesn’t impress the Lord. We must shed our religiosity in favor of devotion to the God of all things. Do not shun those who look or act different than you due to cultural or regional differences. Don’t look down on anyone, but rather befriend the least of these who can do nothing for you. No personal gain ... it is unimportant when seeking to help others. Ask the Lord what you can do to bless others, listen for His response, then do that which you’ve been told to do. Up next is the book of Obadiah. Until then, walk with the King and be a blessing.
In His Name & for His Glory,
Richard Keller
Bread of Life Ministries
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