Amos 2:8Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

If we indulge in earthly pleasures before God, where can we perform the reverent worship He deserves? In sacred places where we should exemplify holiness, we instead chase after forbidden desires. Those who behave in this manner do not escape rebuke, and rightly so, for they have not removed the veils from the altar and, lurking beneath it, engage in drunkenness and sinful actions, all while hearing God declare: ‘I am an obeyer, saith the Lord’ (Jeremiah 29:23).

What unspeakable acts can a drunken and deranged person refrain from committing? What evils are they not easily tempted to undertake? For the Lord sees even the deeds done in darkness, as the Scriptures state (Psalm 138), and nothing is concealed from Him. Undoubtedly, what transpires within the churches occurs as if under the watchful eyes of God Himself. If to be completely inebriated is a disgraceful condition, deserving of severe condemnation, then to appear in such a state within the church is beyond measure in its disgracefulness. Even more troubling, when one gathers for carnal indulgences the spoils of unjust and cruelly shed blood, those who commit such acts will hear God saying, ‘Is the den of robbers My house?’ (Matthew 21:13). Therefore, the wrongdoings of others can serve as a great benefit to us, for the transgressions of others can lead us to improvement if we turn away from their offenses. Wise individuals ought to strive for safety if they choose to live in accordance with God’s law and refuse to emulate the wicked.

If this admonition is directed to Judah or the two tribes inhabiting Jerusalem, the point of our earlier consideration holds water. However, if this sin applied to Israel, it was not within the house of the true God or for the sacred altar that tents were pitched, nor drunkenness carried out, but rather in the home of their god, whether that be Baal or another idol fashioned by human hands. Even in this context, could it not be pointed out that in the house of idols, and possibly at the altar of Baal itself, they drank wine and erected tents? They honored these idols by transforming their temples into venues for drunkenness and other carnal pleasures. Instead, they should have sought to serve God in purity and holiness, entering a genuinely sacred space and treating the altar with reverence. Yet, they disrespected holy and honorable objects while revering the most shameful pursuits, mockingly trampling the divine dignity and insolently undermining the glory that belongs to the one true God, all the while disregarding the false gods they served.

Their primary transgression is that they have sold for money a righteous man, which is shocking, especially given that he, despite his poverty, committed no wrongdoing. If hunger had driven them to sell a poor righteous soul for gain, there might have been some justification; however, they traded a priceless human life for something as trivial as a shoe used for stepping over dirt and refuse. They violently struck down the poor, as indicated in the original Hebrew, and are so arrogant that they refuse to associate with the humble. Such offenses might seem trivial; nevertheless, the act of a father and son engaging with the same woman serves to dishonor God's holy name. Every immoral act insults God, for He proclaims, "My name is blasphemed among the Gentiles" (Romans 2:24). The Apostle mentions to the Corinthians that "fornication is reported among you, and such fornication as is not found even among the Gentiles…" (1 Corinthians 5:1). It is not uncommon for a father to disgrace his son’s spouse, a father-in-law to shame his daughter-in-law, contrary to the law which states, "Thou shalt not uncover the shame of thy father, nor unveil the shame of thy daughter-in-law" (Leviticus 18:7, 15). Thus, adhering to the letter of the law brings great benefit. When every disgraceful act occurs outside the boundaries of shame, it multiplies offenses and leads to greater degradation. The ten tribes reclined on the garments pledged to them at every altar. The Hebrews interpret this as reclining at feasts in the temple, using garments forcibly taken from those who refused to worship idols. Their disregard for God was so blatant that they hung up the garments they used for sleep or immoral acts at the altar, creating barriers so that no one might witness the immoralities occurring in the temple where they indulged in drunkenness. The wine they consumed was acquired through slander, and this took place in the house of their god. Those who adhere strictly to the straightforward historical interpretation assert this view. However, as explained in the interpretation of Hosea, the term Israel encompasses Samaria, Ephraim, and the descendants of Joseph (from whom Jeroboam descended), representing heretics. Following this pattern, after Judah and Jerusalem, which symbolize the church, one should interpret the prophetic message concerning heretics who exchange a holy but poor righteous individual for financial gain. Such an individual within the church may lack knowledge of the Scriptures, yet content in simplicity, he follows the commandments, as noted in "the poor shall not be judged harshly" (Proverbs 13:3) and "remember the poor" (Galatians 2:10). All heretics act for wealth and trivial acquisitions, as they cannot walk barefoot on holy ground (Exodus 3; Joshua 5), hence the apostles were instructed to walk without shoes (Luke 10), implying they should shed the earthly, mortal influences that symbolize the flesh. This explains their violent treatment of the needy. The Savior instructs the disciples to shake off the dust from their feet if they inadvertently allow anything mortal to influence their deeds (Matthew 10; Mark 6). Heretics strike the humble individual (though this is absent in the Hebrew) because they have deviated from the paths of humility. This true path is embodied by Christ, who states, "I am the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6), inviting those burdened to come to Him for rest (Matthew 11:28). All leaders of heresy are filled with pride; the Apostle warns them not to become arrogant lest they fall into the judgments awaiting the devil (1 Timothy 3:6), who boasts, "I will ascend into heaven, I will raise my throne above the stars…" (Isaiah 14:13-14). Thus, God opposes the haughty but extends grace to the humble (James 4). A son and a father dishonor the sacred name of God in their immoral actions. Often, we consider the Jewish people as our forebearers, as Paul mentions, "I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud…" (1 Corinthians 10:1-2), and also "ask your elders, they will tell you" (Deuteronomy 32:7), as well as "instead of thy fathers thou hast begotten sons" (Psalm 44). The church arises from the Gentiles, stating that "the sons of my mother fought against me" (Song of Solomon 1). Thus, we are sons of the Jewish forebear. We sin and bring offense when, alongside our forebearers, we adhere to offensive circumcision and the ceremonies of the obsolete law. To them, Paul says, "If you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you" (Galatians 5:2), and again, "Those who seek justification through the law have fallen from grace" (Galatians 5:4). By attempting to combine adherence to the law with the gospel, one engages in wrongful relationships that bring disgrace to the Lord’s name. Those who believe it is harmless for the Jews to believe in Christ while also observing the law defile themselves and their forebearers in a similar manner. They also bind their garments with cords, creating barriers at the altar, obscuring the truth of Christ's faith. For all who are baptized into Christ have put on Christ (Galatians 3); however, those who bind their garments with sinful cords do so to hide their transgressions from those who witness them, that their immoral acts may go unnoticed by those observing the altar. Hence the apostles placed their garments over the young donkey (Matthew 21), softening the path for the Lord and covering the road as foretold by the law and the prophets. In contrast, heretics do not lay down their garments before the Savior but instead bind them at the altar, concealing their sins and consuming the wine of slander, the drink of those cursed for abandoning the church. This wine is akin to the toxic substance of Sodom, filled with the rage of beasts, which cannot heal those who partake of it. Yet, they drink this not in the true house of God, which embodies the temple and Jerusalem, but in the house of their own making god.

Yet, I have uprooted Ammoraeus completely. The Lord calls fathers by their roots and children by their fruits. Therefore, I remind you of the blessings that have preceded. I freed you from the slavery of Egypt, sustained you in the wilderness for forty years, bestowed prophetic gifts upon some of you, and appointed others as priests. For it is written: