6 The Lord says:
I will not relent from punishing Israel
for three crimes, even four,
because they sell a righteous person for silver
and a needy person for a pair of sandals.
7 They trample the heads of the poor
on the dust of the ground
and block the path of the needy.
A man and his father have sexual relations
with the same girl,
profaning My holy name.
8 They stretch out beside every altar
on garments taken as collateral,
and in the house of their God,
they drink wine obtained through fines.
for three crimes, even four,
because they sell a righteous person for silver
and a needy person for a pair of sandals.
7 They trample the heads of the poor
on the dust of the ground
and block the path of the needy.
A man and his father have sexual relations
with the same girl,
profaning My holy name.
8 They stretch out beside every altar
on garments taken as collateral,
and in the house of their God,
they drink wine obtained through fines.
I must be a natural pessimist. I read words like this - words of judgement against God's own people - and I think of America. Is there not blatent disregard for God's law here? Are the poor and the righteous not victims here. Is there not open, flagrant sexual immorality here?
And yet God seems always to spare and work through a remenant. I see those all the time, with clean hands and pure hearts, faithfully serving the Lord. They are the hope.
