Amo 8:5 | KingComments | STEP | Amos exposes the thinking of these people here. We can apply this directly to our time. If we know ourselves a little and dare to take an honest look at ourselves, we recognize ourselves in it. It is about us when we use the time in the church or meeting to think of methods to earn even more. The day of the Lord cannot be over soon enough to be able to trade again and increase our possessions with ungodly practices. In Israel, they do this by tampering with the bushel [literally ephah], the shekel, and the scales. An ephah is a measure of content with which corn is measured. Its content is probably between twenty and forty-five liters. They make an ephah in which less liters can be measured. The shekel, which weighs between ten and thirteen grams, with which they weigh their wares, is too heavy, the customer thus also receives less value for money. They sell corn using their own measure, while pretending it is the usual measure. They also do the same with weighing. Their weight is heavier so the price to pay is higher. Their deception is double. They give less and ask more. Moreover, the scales do not indicate properly. People are cheated in three ways. This way of acting is an abomination to God ( ; ). Here people are described who count with everything except God and therefore have counted wrong eternally. Don’t we know it? Singing nicely about Jesus as the highest Good, while life testifies that all earthly riches are the highest good. Time in church and work for the Lord does not bring hard cash and what brings nothing is loss. After all, time is money. While they hold the Sabbath outwardly, they are inwardly in the market square. Although the market square is empty, they are busy in their thinking with their trade. The Mammon is their god. Who would rather sell corn than worship God, is a stranger to God and an enemy to himself.

‏ Amos 8:5

Man’s Big Talk

Amos exposes the thinking of these people here. We can apply this directly to our time. If we know ourselves a little and dare to take an honest look at ourselves, we recognize ourselves in it. It is about us when we use the time in the church or meeting to think of methods to earn even more. The day of the Lord cannot be over soon enough to be able to trade again and increase our possessions with ungodly practices.

In Israel, they do this by tampering with the bushel [literally ephah], the shekel, and the scales. An ephah is a measure of content with which corn is measured. Its content is probably between twenty and forty-five liters. They make an ephah in which less liters can be measured. The shekel, which weighs between ten and thirteen grams, with which they weigh their wares, is too heavy, the customer thus also receives less value for money. They sell corn using their own measure, while pretending it is the usual measure. They also do the same with weighing. Their weight is heavier so the price to pay is higher. Their deception is double. They give less and ask more. Moreover, the scales do not indicate properly. People are cheated in three ways.

This way of acting is an abomination to God (Deu 25:13-16; Pro 20:10). Here people are described who count with everything except God and therefore have counted wrong eternally. Don’t we know it? Singing nicely about Jesus as the highest Good, while life testifies that all earthly riches are the highest good. Time in church and work for the Lord does not bring hard cash and what brings nothing is loss. After all, time is money. While they hold the Sabbath outwardly, they are inwardly in the market square. Although the market square is empty, they are busy in their thinking with their trade. The Mammon is their god. Who would rather sell corn than worship God, is a stranger to God and an enemy to himself.