(a) Describe the social life of Israel during the time of Amos. (b) Mention four vices condemned by Amos which are st rampant in your society.

(a) The social life of Israel during the time of Amos

Amos prophesied in the northern kingdom of Israel during the reign of Jeroboam II, a period of great material prosperity but deep moral decay. The social life of Israel at this time may be described as follows:

• Wide gap between the rich and the poor: A wealthy upper class lived in luxury while the common people were oppressed. The rich had winter houses and summer houses, houses of ivory and great mansions (Amos 3:15).
• Extravagance and ease among the wealthy: The nobles lay on beds of ivory, ate choice lambs and fatted calves, drank wine from bowls and anointed themselves with the finest oils, while caring nothing for the ruin of the nation (Amos 6:4-6).
• Oppression and exploitation of the poor: The wealthy trampled upon the needy, sold the righteous for silver and the poor for a pair of sandals, and took bribes to deny the poor justice at the gate.
• Corruption in the law courts: Justice was perverted; judges accepted bribes, turned aside the needy and abhorred the one who spoke the truth. Justice was turned into wormwood.
• Dishonest trade practices: Merchants could not wait for the Sabbath and new moon to end so as to resume cheating. They made the ephah small and the shekel large, falsified the scales and sold the refuse of the wheat.
• Cruelty of the women of ease: The luxurious women of Samaria, whom Amos called the "cows of Bashan," oppressed the poor and crushed the needy while demanding drink from their husbands.
• Empty and hypocritical religion: The people kept up an elaborate worship at Bethel and Gilgal with feasts, sacrifices and songs, but their worship was divorced from justice and righteousness, and so was rejected by God.
• Immorality and drunkenness: Sexual immorality was rife; a man and his father went in to the same girl, profaning God's name, and wine taken in pledge was drunk in the house of God.

(b) Four vices condemned by Amos still rampant in society

• Bribery and corruption in offices, courts and public life.
• Oppression and exploitation of the poor and weak by the rich and powerful.
• Dishonesty in trade, such as cheating with false measures, adulteration of goods and inflated prices.
• Perversion of justice, where cases are decided in favour of the highest bidder rather than the truth.

(Other acceptable vices include drunkenness, sexual immorality, extravagant living amid want, and hypocritical religion.)