Revelation: Witness, Judgment, and the Throne

Hemlock Justice

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: New Testament Studies

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2012-01-25

Synopsis: Pastor John Weaver expounds Amos 6:12, contrasting God's just nature with the perversion of justice in society. He argues that when rulers turn judgment into 'gall' and righteousness into 'hemlock' (poison), they act as absurdly as running horses on rocks. Such injustice brings God's certain judgment, as seen in the destruction of Israel and Judah. The sermon applies this to modern corruption, warning that rejecting God's law leads to national death.

[John Weaver] Amos chapter 6 and verse 12. I'm going to be bringing a message today. The title is Hemlock Justice. Hemlock Justice. Now, let me tell you that the message today is going to be an exposition of Amos 6 and verse 12. However, next week, Lord willing, I'm going to give you a historical example of this. in the life and death of one particular man. And I think you're going to see the connection. Not that this is part one and next week is part two.

[John Weaver] Each of these messages will stand or fall together. That is certainly true. But I want you to understand that there is indeed a connection and if you, and I'll repeat this next week, if you know from where you have come and where you are at the present, you'll have a pretty good idea of where you're going. So let's look in the book of Amos chapter 12 at the subject of hemlock justice. Amos 6 and verse 12.

[John Weaver] Notice if you would, the Word of God says this. Amos 6 and verse 12. Shall horses run upon the rock? Will one plow there with oxen? For you have turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock. The Greek philosopher Socrates killed himself by drinking poisoned hemlock. The old west had that which was known as hemp justice where the wicked men were hanged by a hemp rope as they were executed. We no longer have hemp justice today we now have what is known as hemlock justice, which in reality is not justice, but rather it is injustice. We live in a day of injustice, immorality, unrighteousness, and confusion. One of the greatest sins of men in general, and of government in particular, is the lack of justice or the perversion of justice. I want you to hold Amos chapter 6, but look in your Bibles very quickly to the book of Isaiah chapter 59, because I want you to see one of the main charges that God levels against society as well as civil rulers.

[John Weaver] In Isaiah 59 and verse 4, look what God says. None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth. They trust in vanity and speak lies. They conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity. Now note if you would please, he says none calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth. What are they doing? They're trusting in vanity, they're speaking lies, they're conceiving mischief, and they're bringing forth iniquity. That almost sounds exactly like today. Now skip down to verse 14. In Isaiah 59, here again God says this, and judgment is turned away backwards, and justice standeth afar off, and truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter. So notice if you would again, He says judgment is turned away backwards, justice standeth afar off, truth is fallen in the street, and equity, that which is right, cannot enter. Certainly it cannot enter, because righteousness and truth and justice have fallen. Now God is indeed concerned with justice. He is the just God. Deuteronomy 32 and verse 4 proclaims it like this, He is the rock, His work is perfect, all of His ways are judgment, a God of truth, and without iniquity, just and right is He.

[John Weaver] Again, the Word of God declares in Isaiah 45 and verse 21, There is no God beside me, a just God and Savior, there is none beside me. Note, if you would, over and over in Scripture, God is referred to as the just God. If I were to ask you why in the world did God establish judges, or if I were to ask you why we have a judicial system, you would respond, hopefully, that it is the duty of judges to condemn the guilty and to justify the innocent.

[John Weaver] But, of course, when you live in a hemlock society with hemlock justice, you find, therefore, that the wicked are justified and oftentimes the righteous are condemned. And the Bible declares in the book of Proverbs 17 and verse 15, listen carefully, God says, He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are an abomination to the Lord. So both the acts and the judges become an abomination to the Lord. So the judge or the individual who will justify the wicked, and who will condemn the just, even they both are an abomination to the Lord. And you have to remember the word abomination means literally a stench in God's nostrils. Now keep in mind that God is just. And since God is just, God will in no wise justify the wicked. In fact, he said in Exodus 23 and verse 7, let me quote it. Keep thee far from a false matter, and the innocent and the righteous slay thou not, for I, says God, for I will not justify the wicked.

[John Weaver] And the reason God will not justify the wicked is because God is just. Let me ask this question again. Why did God establish judges? Why did God give us men to judge in these matters in the first place? I want you to look in your Bibles if you would. to the book of 2nd Chronicles, chapter 19, verses 6 and 7, and whole Amos 6. We're going to come back there. This is just introduction. But look in 2nd Chronicles, chapter 19, and let's begin reading there at verse 6. Notice 2nd Chronicles 19 and verse 6. Notice what God says to the judges. 2nd Chronicles 19 and verse 6. and said to the judges, take heed what you do, for you judge not for man, but for the Lord who is with you in the judgment. Wherefore now let the fear of the Lord be upon you, take heed and do it, for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts. Now note if you would what he said to the judges, take heed what you do, why?

[John Weaver] For you judge not for man, but you judge for the Lord. In other words, Judges are responsible and accountable to represent God and His law to the people, and in doing so, they are to rule justly and righteously.

[John Weaver] Now, the problem that existed in the day of Amos, and the problem that exists in our day is this, that men turn from God and His law, and they invent their own statutes, their own laws, their own ordinances, and their own regulations, which are diametrically opposed to the law of God. Thus, instead of justice, you have injustice, graft, fraud, and corruption. In the book of Isaiah chapter 5 and verse 23, God is speaking of these wicked, corrupt judges, and look what he says. Isaiah chapter 5 in verse 23. Very interesting. Isaiah 5 verse 23. He says, who justify the wicked for reward and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him. So what does a hemlock justice do? A hemlock justice then justifies the wicked for reward and it takes away the righteousness from the righteous.

[John Weaver] You know as you read through the Bible, you find that men are still sinners. And men are still in rebellion against God. Just like in the days of Amos. So likewise in our days, you can conclude that basically there is no difference between the time of Amos and in this day and age in 2008. Let's go back to Amos chapter 6 because I want you to see the context before I begin expounding verse 12. I want you to note in Amos chapter 6 and verse 1, this chapter begins with a woe or curse upon those that are at ease in Zion. And he says in Amos 6 and verse 1, Woe to them that are at ease in Zion and trust in the mountain of Samaria which are named chief of the nations to whom the house of Israel came. Now, when he says woe to them that are at ease in Zion, the word woe, of course, would refer to a calamity or a curse. And when God is talking about those who are at ease in Zion, he not only refers to Judah and Jerusalem, but also to the northern kingdom, which had Samaria as its capital.

[John Weaver] So, notice what he says in verse 1. Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria. Well, let me ask you, what would the mountain of Judah be? The mountain of Israel would be Samaria, which would be its capital. And the mountain of Judah would be Jerusalem, which would be its capital. So basically, what they're doing is they're trusting in their fortified capitals. They're trusting in their military defense. They're trusting in their economics. They're trusting in their politics.

[John Weaver] In other words, here are people that think, we cannot fall. This would never happen in Samaria. This would never happen in Jerusalem. I mean, after all, we're God's covenant people. Come on! Nothing bad can ever happen to us. We're special. But look what God does in verse 2. After He says, Woe to them that are ease in Zion, He says, Pass you into Calna and see, and from thence go ye to Hamath the great, then go down to Gath of the Philistines.

[John Weaver] Be they better than these kingdoms, or their border greater than your border? Now look what God is doing. God says, You consider how graciously How beneficently and how wonderfully I've dealt with you. You compare where you are and what you have with all of these other heathen, and you see the advantages that you had. Now wait a minute, says God. I destroyed them for their sins. I've given you thus and thus. And now somehow, because I've given you all these great advantages, you now think that you're exempt from my chastisement and from my judgment.

[John Weaver] Skip down to verse 3. Look what he says, ye that put far away the evil day and cause the seed of violence to come near. Ye that put away the evil day. Verse three gives us ample evidence of an insane mentality. They would not consider the grace or the goodness of God. Moreover, they would not consider the curses and the threats that God had pronounced against them for their rebellion and their wickedness. In other words, they're saying, look, that evil day will never come upon us.

[John Weaver] That's not going to happen to us. That will not be in our generation. That will not be in our time. No, no, no, no. It may happen to somebody else down the road. But it will never ever happen to us. And now watch what happens. He says in verse 3, Ye that put far away the evil day. In other words, you don't really believe that God's going to judge you. You don't really believe that God's threats and God's curses are real. What is the result?

[John Weaver] You cause the seed of violence to come near. In other words, you increase in wickedness. You increase in rebellion. You know, Paul said it something like this, There is no fear of God before their eyes. When you don't believe the blessings or the curses of God, it just merely increases wickedness. Now let me just show you. Our Lord taught this same truth in the New Testament. Here's the point that needs to be understood.

[John Weaver] Cursed carnal security and the hope of impunity, that is thinking that somehow you can get away with your sins and your wickedness, is the source of even greater wickedness. If you do not think that you're going to be judged for an action, would you not tend to think, well, if I'm not going to be judged for this action, I can do thus and thus because I will not be judged for those actions either. Look in your Bibles, whole Amos 6, but turn right over to Matthew 24. Look what our Lord says.

[John Weaver] He gives a perfect illustration. Matthew 24, and let's begin reading there verse 48. He's talking about a wicked, wicked servant. Matthew 24, note if you would please verse 48. Look what happens. Matthew 24, verse 48. But, and if that evil servant say in his heart, my Lord delayeth his coming, that is he's not coming back or he's not going to judge, and shall begin to smite his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken. The Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour which he is not aware of, and shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites.

[John Weaver] There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Now note if you would, the evil servant said in his heart, he's not coming back. It's not going to happen. Nothing's going to happen to us in our time. And what does it cause him to do? It causes him to be drunken. It causes him to smite his fellow servants. In other words, it increases wickedness. Now go back to Amos chapter 6.

[John Weaver] Notice if you would, please. God has pronounced a woe. He's pronounced a curse. He said, look at the nations around you. Now he says, look in verse 3. You don't believe anything's going to happen to you. And because you don't believe that, it's increasing in your wickedness. Now look at verses 4 through 6. Here's evidence of their carnal security. that lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall, that chant to the sound of the vial, and invent to themselves instruments of music like David, that drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves

[John Weaver] with the chief ointments, but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph." It kind of reminds you of this economic summit that our leaders had just recently where they were served $300 bottles of wine. I mean, you know, an economic summit, the world's in collapse, people are losing their homes, people can't eat, and they're having $300 bottles of wine with their meal. All I'm trying to show you is just simply this.

[John Weaver] When you believe in a false carnal security, When you believe in a false hope of impunity, you increase in wickedness. And what these people were doing, they were adding to themselves luxuries, leisure, and licentiousness. Isn't that happening today? Look at the ruling elite and see where in the world they are and what they are doing. Note if you would please, he says in verse 6, that drink wine in bowls, boy plenty of it, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments, they spare nothing.

[John Weaver] Now watch, but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph. But they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph. Let me spell this out for you. Here it is in good South Georgia lingo. They couldn't give a flip concerning anybody else. They were only interested in themselves. The persecutions, the afflictions, the injustices, and the suffering of their people did not faze them one little bit. They viewed the people, they viewed their brethren as sheep to be shorn, a people that needed to be ruled, and a prize ripe for the picking. Now, I certainly disagree.

[John Weaver] with what our government has done in these bailouts. They're not only unconstitutional, not only unbiblical, but contrary to common sense. Well, let me ask you a question. How many of the little people are going to be helped by these bailouts? Not one. Not one. But I'll guarantee you the cronies of the ruling elite are going to prosper. You see what is happening? While they are building themselves beds of ivory and drinking wine out of bowls, increasing their portfolios, ripping off the people left and right, they don't care one little bit for the people.

[John Weaver] That's what God says in the day of Amos. These rulers were not grieved for the affliction of Joseph. Now, let me show you the judgment that's going to be upon these rulers. Look in verse 7 and verse 8. Therefore now shall they go captive with the first that go captive. and the banquet of them that stretch themselves shall be removed. The Lord God hath sworn by himself, saith the Lord God of hosts, I abhor the excellency of Jacob, and hate his palaces, therefore will I deliver up the city and all that is therein. I want you to note what God said. God said all of these rulers, all of these people that are making hay while the sun's shining, and robbing and stealing and corruption and fraud and all that. God said, I'm going to make sure that they go into captivity first. I'm going to make sure that everything that they have is going to be removed. I'm going to make sure that they lose. And God says they've become so wicked, I hate the excellency of Jacob.

[John Weaver] They're palaces. And I'm going to deliver everyone up.

[John Weaver] Now let me show you how thorough and how complete the judgment is going to be. Skip down to verse 11. Watch. For behold, the Lord commandeth, and he will smite the great house with breeches and the little house with clefts. If God is going to smite the great house with breaches, that is, break it open, and the little house with clefts, that is, break it open, cleave it asunder too, what's left? Nothing. What's God saying? God's saying, in essence, I'll get them all. They're not going to escape. I shall get them all. Now, I want you to look, if you would please, at verse 12. with this context in mind, and remember it's a context of judgment. Verse 12, Shall horses run upon the rock?

[John Weaver] Will one plow there with oxen? For you have turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock.

[John Weaver] Now, let me tell you what Amos is doing. After Amos has given them the curse of God upon them. He told them exactly what God is going to do. He now grabs their attention with two very powerful illustrations. He asks two simple questions. Shall horses run upon the rock? Will one plow there with oxen? You and I both know horses were not made to run upon rocks. It is true that today, in our day and time, we may shoe horses and they may travel upon some hard surfaces with their shoes. But even those shoes do not last. Those shoes have to be replaced. And even if they do have shoes on, they still cannot run upon the rocks. If you try to run a horse upon rocks without proper shoeing, it's going to destroy their hooves. It's going to destroy their ankles, their limbs.

[John Weaver] In other words, the animals would become absolutely useless and worthless. Everyone has seen the old western where the horse supposedly breaks his leg. And what does the cowboy do? He shoots the horse. Why? Because the horse is worthless. It's useless. It can't do anything.

[John Weaver] Now this is the question. He's trying to get them to think this thing through. Shall horses run upon the rocks? No. They don't run upon rocks. It's impossible. If a horse tried it, it's self-destruction. Now he asks another simple question. Do oxen plow upon the rocks? Well, oxen are no more suited to be climbing upon rocks than horses are. Even if an oxen could get upon the rocks, what do you think would happen to the plow point in the plow that's falling behind the ox? It would be broken. Because plows are not intended to rip open rocks and mountains. They're intended to rip open dirt.

[John Weaver] Now look what Amos is saying. He's asked these two simple questions. Shall horses run upon the rocks? No. Shall oxen plow upon the rocks? No. How stupid could you be to think such a thing? Now listen, he's saying what you are doing is not only against nature, it's also against common sense. Why did he ask those questions? Well, go back to verse 12. Shall horses run upon the rock? Will one plow there with oxen?

[John Weaver] Now notice what he says, for you have turned judgment into gall and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock. Having established the impossibilities of such acts as running horses upon the rock and plowing with oxen upon the rock, the prophet continues with his charge and states, you've turned judgment into gall and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock. As absurd as it is to run horses upon the rocks and try to plow with oxen upon the rocks, it is equally absurd to seek gain from injustice and oppression to which God has annexed both loss and woe, both temporal and eternal.

[John Weaver] One cannot change the course of nature any more than he can hinder or change God's providence or God's laws of retribution. In other words, what he's saying is what you're doing in your society, what you're doing in your judicial system is not only against nature, it's against common sense. If you think, he says, that you may profit from running horses upon rocks and plowing upon rocks with oxen, you're equally foolish. for a thinking that you can pervert God's law and God's justice and escape his righteous vengeance. It's impossible. Now look what he says in verse 12.

[John Weaver] For you have turned judgment into gall and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock. The Hebrew word for judgment is the word mishpat which indicates judgment, justice, and righteousness. The rulers were turning justice or judgment and righteousness into Gaul. Now the word for Gaul is the Hebrew word Rosh which is translated as Gaul, venom, poison, and hemlock. Watch carefully. In the context of Amos 6 and verse 12 Judgment equals justice and the fruit of righteousness not only refers to justice, but to the sweet results obtained thereby. It refers to the equity and justice that would have been produced with the application of God's law. Now look in verse 12. He said, for you have turned judgment or justice into gall or poison. and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock. The word for hemlock, and by the way, hemlock is a known and notorious poison, is liana, which refers to wormwood, hemlock, which is an extremely bitter poison that produces sickness and death. Sometimes this word is translated as wormwood in our Bibles. I want you to follow me because I'm going to show you that even when it is translated as wormwood, it still indicates death.

[John Weaver] Look in your Bibles, whole Amos 6, but turn if you would please to Deuteronomy 29 and verse 18. Deuteronomy 29 and verse 18. Deuteronomy 29 Verse 18. Watch carefully now. Lest there should be among you man or woman or family or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from the Lord our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations. Lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood.

[John Weaver] And if you read on down, it's talking about idolatry. It's the curse of God upon the idolaters. And by the way, Someone tell me, what was the penalty for idolatry? Death. And notice how he uses it, lest there be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood or hemlock. You drink hemlock, you're dead. You leave God and go to idols, you're dead. You have the curse of God upon you.

[John Weaver] Skip right over to the book of Proverbs chapter 5. and verse 4. Proverbs 5 and verse 4. Now I want you to note in this passage, Proverbs 5 and verse 4, he's talking about the harlot. Proverbs 5 verse 4, and look what God says concerning those who visit the harlots. He says in Proverbs 5 and verse 4, end is bitter as wormwood or hemlock, sharp as a two-edged sword, her feet go down to death, her step takes hold in hell." Huh. What's he talking about? Death, wormwood, hemlock, but it's still death. Look in your Bibles to the book of Revelation chapter 8 and verse 11. Revelation 8 and verse 11. Notice the word wormwood and notice if you would that death is associated with it. Revelation 8 and verse 11.

[John Weaver] And the name of that star is called wormwood and the third part of the waters became wormwood and many men died of the waters because they were made bitter. Wormwood equals death.

[John Weaver] Now go back to the book of Amos. Because I want you to see in Amos 5 and verse 7. Amos 5 verse 7. Here's the word wormwood again. Look at Amos 5 verse 7. He says, you who turn judgment to wormwood and leave off righteousness in the earth. You who turn judgment or justice into wormwood and leave off righteousness in the earth. Now the Hebrew word for judgment in Amos 5 and verse 7 is the word mishpat, which is exactly the same word that is used in Amos 6 and verse 12. Notice that turning judgment into wormwood is the same as turning justice into hemlock. It is death. Death to individuals, death to families, death to cultures, death to societies, and death to nations. Once judgment is turned into wormwood, gall, or hemlock, Righteousness is no more. It is gone. It is perverted.

[John Weaver] It has now become injustice, corruption, and fraud. Now, John Calvin in his commentary gave three possible interpretations for verse 12 of Amos chapter 6. Look at Amos 6 and verse 12 again. And I want to tell you what these three possible interpretations are. And I'll tell you which one I believe is correct. But in verse 12 of Amos 6, shall horses run upon the rock? Will one plow there with oxen?

[John Weaver] For you've turned judgment into gall and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock. Calvin says, for some think that the prophet by these figurative expressions means that the people were wholly unprofitable as to anything good. As someone says, The slothful ox wishes for the saddle, the horse wishes to plow. They therefore suppose that this is the meaning of these words. You're no more fitted to lead a good life than a horse is to run on a rock or an ox to plow upon a rock. Here's the second interpretation. Others think that the prophet complains that the order of things was subverted as though, he said, you have alike confounded all equity in government and justice. In short, you have subverted all right, as when one tries to ride swiftly over a high rock, or attempts to plow there, which is contrary to the nature of things, as you are therefore become monsters. And then here's the third one. Others again think that the prophet here complains that he lost all of his labor, for he had been singing according to the common proverb to the death.

[John Weaver] What do I affect as to this iron generation? It is the same as if one tried to ride on the rock, to mount a rock on a swift horse, or as one attempted to plow there, both which are impossible. So now when I address stupid men, there is no fruit to my labor, and no advantage is gained." So here's three simple interpretations. One of them says the people are not fitted for anything.

[John Weaver] Number two, the government has perverted all right and all justice, society as well. And thirdly, that Amos is complaining about the fact that nobody listens to him. I believe the second interpretation is right because it not only fits the immediate context but it also fits the remote context. Amos is complaining, I believe, that the fact and the reality is that they had confounded all equity in government and justice. It had become so polluted, it had become so poisoned, it had become so perverted that the only remedy was for God to destroy them in judgment and in justice. In other words, there was no longer any justice in the nation, and therefore there was no hope for the nation. I want you to turn in your Bibles, hold Amos 6, but turn to the book of Jeremiah chapter 22. I hope you can put two and two together. I want you to see the impact and implication of hemlock justice.

[John Weaver] You know, before I read this, I've used this illustration before, but I want you to think about it. I tell people I'm not a communist. I have no sympathies for communism. I have no leanings toward communism. But there is one communist that said one thing that I do quote fairly often. Gus Hall said this, the reason we referred our judicial system as the halls of justice is because the only place you can get any justice is out in the halls. Which is basically true. You can't get any in the courtroom today because no one is interested in justice.

[John Weaver] Not the judges, not the attorneys. There's a big difference between justice and legalities and technicalities and wanting to win. Look in Jeremiah chapter 22 beginning there with verse 13. Look what God says. I want you to compare our society today with what is being said in Jeremiah 22 beginning there with verse 13. God says, Warned him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by wrong, that useth his neighbor's service without wages, and giveth him not for his work, that saith, I will build me a wide house and large chambers, and cutteth them out windows, and it is sealed with cedar, and painted with vermilion." In other words, it's a very expensive house. How did he get this expensive house?

[John Weaver] Through fraud, and corruption, and deceit. Now watch. Look what God asks in verse 15. "...shalt thou reign, because thou closest thyself in cedar." Did not thy father eat and drink, and do judgment and justice? And then it was well with him. He judged the cause of the poor and needy. Then it was well with him. Was not this to know me, saith the Lord? Note if you would. But thine eyes and thine heart are not but for thy covetousness, and for to shed innocent blood, and for oppression, and for violence to do it. Therefore, thus saith the Lord concerning Joachim, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, they shall not lament for him, saying, Ah, my brother, or Ah, my sister. They shall not lament for him, saying, Ah, Lord, or Ah, his glory.

[John Weaver] He shall be buried with the burial of an ass, drawn and cast forth beyond the gates of Jerusalem." Now look what God is saying. Look. He said, you're building your great palaces. You're building your expensive homes. Man, you have them sealed with cedar. You have them painted with vermilion.

[John Weaver] Now God asks, shalt thou reign because you have all of this? All this wealth, all this money, all these riches, all this power, all this prestige, shalt thou reign because of all this? You've done this! And then God asks these questions. Look at it, verse 15. Shalt thou reign, because thou closest thyself in cedar? Did not my father eat and drink, and do judgment and justice? Look, then it was well with him. What did he mean by doing justice and judgment? Well, skip down if you would to verse 16. He judged the cause of the poor and the needy, then it was well with him.

[John Weaver] Was not this to know me, saith the Lord? What is it to know God? To obey Him. to honor Him, to follow His law.

[John Weaver] Now look what He's saying. Your fathers obeyed Me, but you don't. They didn't have all of this, but it was well with them. Because they obeyed Me. You've got all of this and you disobey Me. And you think things are going to go well for you now? Oh no. Now look what God does. God then singles out, He tells them in verse 17, here's what you're doing.

[John Weaver] Thine eyes and thine heart are not but for covetousness. In other words, the only thing you want is for yourself. And by the way, if that doesn't describe this generation, I don't know what does. Everyone is out for themselves, period. They could care less about anyone else. He says, but thine eyes and thine heart are not but for thy covetous, and for to shed innocent blood, and for oppression, and for violence to do it.

[John Weaver] Now God picks out a prime example of this injustice, of this corruption, and this fraud, and it happens to be Jehoiakim, who was a wicked ungodly king, the son of Josiah of Judah. And God says, look, here's what's going to happen, Jehoiakim, I'm going to kill you. No one's going to lament for you, No one's going to mourn for you. In fact, he said, you're going to be buried with the burial of an ass. You're going to be drawn and cast forth beyond the gates of Jerusalem.

[John Weaver] How did they bury asses? They didn't. They just threw them on the dung heap and let them rot.

[John Weaver] Now, listen carefully. Listen carefully. Here's what God is saying. I don't think too highly of those individuals who pervert justice, who violate my law, who refuse to bow to me. I don't think too highly of those who pervert justice and turn it into hemlock, who exercise covetousness and oppression and violence When he says Jehoiakim was going to be buried with the burial of an ass, he meant that Jehoiakim was going to be unloved, unmourned, uncared for, and treated as unclean. Here's what he meant. That when Jehoiakim died, no one lost anything. It was good riddance.

[John Weaver] The nation benefited from his death. He was a wicked, corrupt, perverted ruler who had met his match in God. And God said, I'll show you what I think of him. Drag him out of Jerusalem and throw him on the dung heap. Let him rot.

[John Weaver] And the people said, good riddance. Let me ask you, if God would not let Jehoiakim, if God would not let Jerusalem, if God would not let Samaria escape because they had perverted His law and His justice, do you somehow think that we're going to be permitted to escape? Do you think those men who are in high positions with high power And lots of money. Do you think somehow they're going to escape? Oh no. Like Jehoiakim, they'll be buried with the burial of an ass.

[John Weaver] Now, watch verse 13 of Amos chapter 6. Go back to Amos. Because God is saying this. We'll read verse 12. Shall horses run upon the rock? The answer is no. Will one plow there with oxen? The answer is no. He says, for you have turned judgment into gall and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock. Here's what's going to happen because you've done this. Watch verse 13. You who rejoice in a thing of naught. Now watch.

[John Weaver] Who say, have we not taken to us horns by our own strength? Let me just stop right there. You who rejoice in a thing of naught. They were rejoicing in a thing of naught. You know what naught is? Naught is nothing. It is zilch. It is zero. It is nada. It was not one thing. In other words, their rejoicing was totally empty. Why? Because they were rejoicing in themselves.

[John Weaver] Look at it in verse 13. You who rejoice in the thing of naught, who say, have we not taken to us horns by our own strength?

[John Weaver] Now, what does it mean when it means that they were rejoicing in themselves? It means that they were rejoicing in absolutely nothing. Somehow, in those days and in our days, we rejoice in government. We rejoice in our political leaders. We rejoice in our political programs. We rejoice in our political programs and our political parties. How many people really think somehow that Obama is going to change this country for the better? He will change it, but not for the better. And if McCain had gotten in, would he have changed it for the better? No.

[John Weaver] Salvation is not in man. Salvation is not in parties. Salvation is not in programs. Salvation is in the Lord alone.

[John Weaver] Now here's the epitome of the pride of Jerusalem and the pride of Samaria. Watch it. Verse 13, You who rejoice in a thing of naught, who say, Have we not taken us horns by our own strength? Have we not taken to us horns by our own strength? Horns in the Bible speak of power, strength, pride, and position.

[John Weaver] Now the word horn or horns may be used in a good sense and it also may be used in a bad sense. Let me show you. Look in your Bibles. Follow me very quickly. Hold Amos 6. But go to 1 Samuel chapter 2. I'm going to first show you a couple of verses where the word horn or horns is used in a good sense. Remember the word horn speaks of power. It speaks of strength. When you think of a rhinoceros, you think of its horn.

[John Weaver] I probably told you this, but at our place, there is an eight-foot harrow, you know, one of those big implements that turns soil, and it probably weighs 1,000 pounds. When Voregard was alive and in his prime, that big bull, Alice and I went out to hook up to that harrow. because I was going to plow up some land. And I found that harrah turned upside down, totally, completely flipped over. And here that big bull had stood there, put his horns under that thing and raised his head and totally flipped that harrah over. Had to take a chain in the tractor and pull it back over before I could hook up to it. Horns speak of strength. Horns speak of power. Here's the good part.

[John Weaver] Look in 1 Samuel chapter 2 and verse 1. Here's the good use of it. And Hannah prayed and said, My heart rejoiceth in the Lord, my horn is exalted in the Lord, my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies, because I rejoice in thy salvation. What was Hannah doing? She was rejoicing in her power, in her strength over her enemies, which only was in the Lord. It wasn't anywhere else. Look in your Bibles to Psalm 148 and verse 14. Psalm 148 and verse 14. Here's the good sense. Psalm 148 and notice if you would please verse 14. The Bible says, referring to our God, He also exalted the horn of His people. The praise of all of his saints, even of the children of Israel, the people near them, praise ye the Lord. He exalted the horn of his people. In other words, it is God who gives us strength. It is God who gives us power. So it's used in a good sense. If you look back in your Bibles to... Boy, I should have...

[John Weaver] That's all right. Let me just quote this one. This one's back in 1 Samuel 2 and verse 10. Listen carefully. The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces. Out of the heaven shall he thunder upon them, the Lord shall judge the ends of the earth, he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed." So here are three passages, there are a multitude more, where the word horn is used in a good sense.

[John Weaver] But if you will turn now to Psalm 75. Psalm 75. Here's a warning for men not to exalt themselves. Notice in Psalm 75, beginning there with verse 4, Psalm 75 verse 4, I said unto the fools, lift not up the horn, lift not up your horn on high, speak not with a stiff neck. Now what do the wicked do when they lift up their horn? They speak with a stiff neck.

[John Weaver] They're glorying in their power, in their strength, in their position. God says you better not do it. Look in Jeremiah chapter 48. And notice if you would please verse 25. Here's another example of that horn. That horn of power of the wicked being cut off. Notice Isaiah 48 and verse 25. I'm sorry. I said Isaiah, it's Jeremiah. Jeremiah 48. and verse 25. Jeremiah 48, verse 25, and I could multiply scriptures like this, but here it is. Jeremiah 48, verse 25, the horn of Moab is cut off, and his arm is broken, saith the Lord. What does God do when He cuts off the horn? He breaks the arm. When your arm is broken, what have you lost? Your power, your strength, your ability. And then, of course, in Lamentations chapter 2 and verse 3, if you'll turn there, you'll see that this is exactly what God did to Jerusalem. This is what Amos chapter 6 is talking about. Notice Lamentations chapter 2 and verse 3. He says it like this, He hath cut off in His fierce anger all the horn of Israel.

[John Weaver] He hath drawn back His right hand from before the enemy, and He burned against Jacob like a flaming fire, which devoured round about him." What did God do? He cut off the horn of Jerusalem. What did He do? He broke their power. He broke their strength. He broke their back.

[John Weaver] Now, when you look back in your Bibles to the book of Amos chapter 6, look at verse 13 again now. In light of verse 12, what were they doing in verse 12? They were turning judgment into Gaul, and the fruit of righteousness into Hemlock. Then he says in verse 13, You who rejoice in a thing of naught, who say, Have we not taken us horns by our own strength?

[John Weaver] In other words, we don't need God. We don't need God's law. We don't need anyone to tell us what to do or how to do. We can handle it ourselves.

[John Weaver] Get to verse 14. God says, But behold, I will raise up against you a nation, O house of Israel, saith the LORD, the God of hosts, and they shall afflict you from the entering in of Hemath unto the river of the wilderness. What did the people in Amos' day say? We have strength. We have power. We can work things out. Why in the next two years I'm going to create two and a half million jobs? I'm going to turn this economy around.

[John Weaver] I will do this and I will do that. And we're going to keep the same old gang in power. and we'll rejoice in our perversion, in our corruption, in our fraud, and we will continue to turn judgment into gall and the fruits of righteousness into hemlock. God had a word for the haughty rulers of Israel and for the haughty rulers of Jerusalem who imagined that they could defy God and His law and escape judgment. God says, listen, I will raise up against you a nation, O house of Israel, saith the Lord God of hosts, and they shall afflict you.

[John Weaver] Time they get into the country, they will start afflicting you until they finish the job. And you know that God sent Assyria against the northern kingdom. and Eastern Assyria against the Southern Kingdom, as well as Babylon. You know what the Bible says in Isaiah 28 verse 21? Let me just quote it. I want you to understand that judgment is the work of God. It is something that God does. He will do it. In Isaiah 28 verse 21, we read this, For the Lord shall rise up in Mount Perazim, He shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his strange work, and bring to pass his act, his strange act." Judgment is referred to as God's strange act and God's strange work, but He said, I will bring it to pass. I will do it.

[John Weaver] Now, I do want you to turn in your Bibles to Deuteronomy chapter 7, because I want to show you this. Deuteronomy chapter 7. I want to show you that God is not embarrassed to bring forth His judgment. And if you think that God is embarrassed or will act slowly in judging, you need to read these verses. Look in Deuteronomy chapter 7, beginning there with verse 9. God says, know therefore that the Lord thy God, He is God, the faithful God, who keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love Him and keepeth His commandments to a thousand generations, and repayeth them that hate Him to their face, to destroy them.

[John Weaver] He will not be slack to him that hateth Him. He will repay Him to His face. God is not embarrassed to bring forth His judgment. God was not embarrassed to raise up those Assyrians. God was not embarrassed to raise up those Babylonians. And God continued to send them until the nation basically was destroyed and the people carried into captivity. Those rulers who perverted and poisoned justice finally received their justice. They discovered, they found out that God was the just God. And as they had done to others, so God did unto them.

[John Weaver] Now let me make just a couple of quick applications. The first one is this. As you look at Amos 6 and verse 12, Amos uses illustrations from agriculture to illustrate the stupidity and the insanity of fighting against God and seeking to profit from poisoned justice, which is not justice, but it is injustice, corruption, and fraud. Those who seek to run horses upon rocks and those who seek to plow upon rocks with oxen will soon discover that they're not just fighting against nature, They're fighting against divine providence and ultimately the sovereign God of heaven and earth, who happens to be the judge of all the earth. And by the way, I don't have time to get to it, but if you would look, when you get home, to Psalm 82. Psalm 82 is a psalm against judges. And God says because of their corruption and their perversion, They literally turned the world upside down. Let me just spell it out for you like this. When hemlock justice issues forth, the world is turned upside down, society dies, righteousness dies, and wickedness flourishes.

[John Weaver] when the unrighteous are exalted, the wicked walk on every side." Let me conclude with this. God is the determiner of justice. God is the one who defines justice. God is the one who tells us what is just and what is unjust. God is the one who tells us what is right and what is not right. Are you listening? It is absolutely impossible to have justice without God. Just as it is impossible to have righteousness without God. So when men then violate God's law and go contrary to the truth of the Bible, they are neither right nor just, nor can they be.

[John Weaver] Our Lord said it very plainly, In Proverbs 8, 35 and 36, listen to what he said. He said, For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favor of the Lord. But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul. All they that hate me love death. What is him love, justice? It's death. Death to the individual, death to the family, death to the church, death to society, death to the culture, death to the nation. All they that ate Christ loved death. If we love Christ and love His Word, we'll bring our lives in conformity to that Word and bring forth true justice and true righteousness. Let's pray. Father, we do ask in the name of Jesus Christ for Your love and Your grace and Your mercy. We do pray, Lord, that You would strengthen us, give us wisdom, give us discernment, give us understanding.

[John Weaver] Help us, Lord, to know where we've come from and where we are so that we may see where we're going. And Father, we do pray that Thou wouldst indeed overthrow the wicked, that You would break their horn, break their power, break their arm. We pray for the establishment of Thy kingdom. Thou didst say, and Thou didst teach us to pray, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. We pray for the establishment of Thy righteousness, of Thy people, and Thy law.

[John Weaver] And once again, we would worship Thee and serve the inobedient in truth. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen.

Hemlock Justice

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	TuCDzyNU3LE
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Revelation: Witness, Judgment, and the Throne
Genre	Sermon
Date	2012-01-25
Dictation Name
Book	Book 140: Revelation: Witness, Judgment, and the Throne — Chapter 10
Source Timed Segments	82

Formatted Transcript

Introduction: Hemlock Justice Defined

Weaver introduces the message as an exposition of Amos 6:12, explaining that 'hemlock justice' refers to the perversion of justice into poison, contrasting it with Old West 'hemp justice' (execution by hanging).

Amos chapter 6 and verse 12. I'm going to be bringing a message today. The title is "Hemlock Justice." Hemlock Justice. Now, let me tell you that the message today is going to be an exposition of Amos 6 and verse 12. However, next week, Lord willing, I'm going to give you a historical example of this in the life and death of one particular man. And I think you're going to see the connection. Not that this is part one and next week is part two.

Each of these messages will stand or fall together. That is certainly true. But I want you to understand that there is indeed a connection, and if you—and I'll repeat this next week—if you know from where you have come and where you are at the present, you'll have a pretty good idea of where you're going. So let's look in the book of Amos chapter 6 at the subject of hemlock justice. Amos 6 and verse 12. Notice if you would, the Word of God says this. Amos 6 and verse 12:

Scripture Reading — Amos 6:12

"Shall horses run upon the rock? Will one plow there with oxen? For you have turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock."

The Greek philosopher Socrates killed himself by drinking poisoned hemlock. The Old West had that which was known as hemp justice, where the wicked men were hanged by a hemp rope as they were executed. We no longer have hemp justice today; we now have what is known as hemlock justice, which in reality is not justice, but rather it is injustice. We live in a day of injustice, immorality, unrighteousness, and confusion. One of the greatest sins of men in general, and of government in particular, is the lack of justice or the perversion of justice. I want you to hold Amos chapter 6, but look in your Bibles very quickly to the book of Isaiah chapter 59, because I want you to see one of the main charges that God levels against society as well as civil rulers.

God's Concern for Justice

Using Isaiah 59:4,14 and Deuteronomy 32:4, Weaver shows that God is just and condemns societies where justice is absent, truth is fallen, and equity cannot enter.

In Isaiah 59 and verse 4, look what God says:

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 59:4,14

"None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth. They trust in vanity and speak lies. They conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity."

Now note if you would please, He says,

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 59:4,14

"None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth."

What are they doing? They're trusting in vanity, they're speaking lies, they're conceiving mischief, and they're bringing forth iniquity. That almost sounds exactly like today. Now skip down to verse 14. In Isaiah 59, here again God says this: "And judgment is turned away backwards, and justice standeth afar off, and truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter." So notice if you would again, He says judgment is turned away backwards, justice standeth afar off, truth is fallen in the street, and equity, that which is right, cannot enter. Certainly it cannot enter, because righteousness and truth and justice have fallen. Now God is indeed concerned with justice. He is the just God. Deuteronomy 32 and verse 4 proclaims it like this: "He is the rock, His work is perfect, all of His ways are judgment, a God of truth, and without iniquity, just and right is He."

Again, the Word of God declares in Isaiah 45 and verse 21, "There is no God beside me, a just God and Savior, there is none beside me." Note, if you would, over and over in Scripture, God is referred to as the just God. If I were to ask you why in the world did God establish judges, or if I were to ask you why we have a judicial system, you would respond, hopefully, that it is the duty of judges to condemn the guilty and to justify the innocent.

The Role of Judges and the Abomination of Injustice

Judges are to represent God's law, but when they justify the wicked and condemn the righteous, both acts and judges become an abomination to the Lord (Proverbs 17:15).

But, of course, when you live in a hemlock society with hemlock justice, you find, therefore, that the wicked are justified and oftentimes the righteous are condemned. And the Bible declares in the book of Proverbs 17 and verse 15, listen carefully, God says,

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 17:15

"He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are an abomination to the Lord."

So both the acts and the judges become an abomination to the Lord. So the judge or the individual who will justify the wicked, and who will condemn the just, even they both are an abomination to the Lord. And you have to remember the word "abomination" means literally a stench in God's nostrils. Now keep in mind that God is just. And since God is just, God will in no wise justify the wicked. In fact, He said in Exodus 23 and verse 7, let me quote it: "Keep thee far from a false matter, and the innocent and the righteous slay thou not, for I," says God, "for I will not justify the wicked."

And the reason God will not justify the wicked is because God is just. Let me ask this question again. Why did God establish judges? Why did God give us men to judge in these matters in the first place? I want you to look in your Bibles, if you would, to the book of 2 Chronicles, chapter 19, verses 6 and 7, and hold Amos 6. We're going to come back there. This is just introduction. But look in 2 Chronicles, chapter 19, and let's begin reading there at verse 6. Notice 2 Chronicles 19 and verse 6. Notice what God says to the judges. 2 Chronicles 19 and verse 6: "And said to the judges, Take heed what you do, for you judge not for man, but for the Lord who is with you in the judgment. Wherefore now let the fear of the Lord be upon you, take heed and do it, for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts." Now note if you would what He said to the judges: "Take heed what you do." Why?

"For you judge not for man, but you judge for the Lord." In other words, judges are responsible and accountable to represent God and His law to the people, and in doing so, they are to rule justly and righteously.

Context of Amos 6: Carnal Security and Wickedness

Amos 6 begins with a woe on those at ease in Zion who trust in their own strength. Their false security leads to increased wickedness, luxury, and indifference to the affliction of others.

So, notice what he says in verse 1: "Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria." Well, let me ask you, what would the mountain of Judah be? The mountain of Israel would be Samaria, which would be its capital. And the mountain of Judah would be Jerusalem, which would be its capital. So basically, what they're doing is they're trusting in their fortified capitals. They're trusting in their military defense. They're trusting in their economics. They're trusting in their politics.

In other words, here are people that think, "We cannot fall. This would never happen in Samaria. This would never happen in Jerusalem. I mean, after all, we're God's covenant people. Come on! Nothing bad can ever happen to us. We're special." But look what God does in verse 2. After He says, "Woe to them that are at ease in Zion," He says, "Pass you into Calna and see, and from thence go ye to Hamath the great, then go down to Gath of the Philistines."

"Be they better than these kingdoms, or their border greater than your border?" Now look what God is doing. God says, "You consider how graciously, how beneficently, and how wonderfully I've dealt with you. You compare where you are and what you have with all of these other heathen, and you see the advantages that you had. Now wait a minute," says God. "I destroyed them for their sins. I've given you thus and thus. And now somehow, because I've given you all these great advantages, you now think that you're exempt from My chastisement and from My judgment."

Skip down to verse 3. Look what he says: "Ye that put far away the evil day and cause the seed of violence to come near." Ye that put away the evil day. Verse 3 gives us ample evidence of an insane mentality. They would not consider the grace or the goodness of God. Moreover, they would not consider the curses and the threats that God had pronounced against them for their rebellion and their wickedness. In other words, they're saying, "Look, that evil day will never come upon us." "That's not going to happen to us. That will not be in our generation. That will not be in our time. No, no, no, no. It may happen to somebody else down the road. But it will never ever happen to us." And now watch what happens. He says in verse 3, "Ye that put far away the evil day." In other words, you don't really believe that God's going to judge you. You don't really believe that God's threats and God's curses are real. What is the result?

Scripture Reading — Amos 6:1-3

"You cause the seed of violence to come near."

In other words, you increase in wickedness. You increase in rebellion. You know, Paul said it something like this, "There is no fear of God before their eyes." When you don't believe the blessings or the curses of God, it just merely increases wickedness. Now let me just show you. Our Lord taught this same truth in the New Testament. Here's the point that needs to be understood. Cursed carnal security and the hope of impunity, that is thinking that somehow you can get away with your sins and your wickedness, is the source of even greater wickedness. If you do not think that you're going to be judged for an action, would you not tend to think, "Well, if I'm not going to be judged for this action, I can do thus and thus because I will not be judged for those actions either." Look in your Bibles, hold Amos 6, but turn right over to Matthew 24. Look what our Lord says.

He gives a perfect illustration. Matthew 24, and let's begin reading there verse 48. He's talking about a wicked, wicked servant. Matthew 24, note if you would please verse 48. Look what happens. Matthew 24, verse 48: "But, and if that evil servant say in his heart, My Lord delayeth his coming," that is he's not coming back or he's not going to judge, "and shall begin to smite his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken. The Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour which he is not aware of, and shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites."

"There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Now note if you would, the evil servant said in his heart, "He's not coming back. It's not going to happen. Nothing's going to happen to us in our time." And what does it cause him to do? It causes him to be drunken. It causes him to smite his fellow servants. In other words, it increases wickedness. Now go back to Amos chapter 6.

Notice if you would, please. God has pronounced a woe. He's pronounced a curse. He said, "Look at the nations around you." Now he says, look in verse 3. You don't believe anything's going to happen to you. And because you don't believe that, it's increasing in your wickedness. Now look at verses 4 through 6. Here's evidence of their carnal security: "that lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall, that chant to the sound of the vial, and invent to themselves instruments of music like David, that drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves

with the chief ointments, but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph." It kind of reminds you of this economic summit that our leaders had just recently where they were served $300 bottles of wine. I mean, you know, an economic summit, the world's in collapse, people are losing their homes, people can't eat, and they're having $300 bottles of wine with their meal. All I'm trying to show you is just simply this. When you believe in a false carnal security, when you believe in a false hope of impunity, you increase in wickedness. And what these people were doing, they were adding to themselves luxuries, leisure, and licentiousness. Isn't that happening today? Look at the ruling elite and see where in the world they are and what they are doing. Note if you would please, he says in verse 6, "that drink wine in bowls," boy plenty of it, "and anoint themselves with the chief ointments," they spare nothing.

Now watch, "but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph." But they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph. Let me spell this out for you. Here it is in good South Georgia lingo. They couldn't give a flip concerning anybody else. They were only interested in themselves. The persecutions, the afflictions, the injustices, and the suffering of their people did not faze them one little bit. They viewed the people, they viewed their brethren as sheep to be shorn, a people that needed to be ruled, and a prize ripe for the picking. Now, I certainly disagree

Judgment Pronounced on the Rulers

God declares that the rulers will be the first to go into captivity; their palaces will be destroyed, and both great and small houses will be broken (Amos 6:7-11).

That's what God says in the day of Amos. These rulers were not grieved for the affliction of Joseph. Now, let me show you the judgment that's going to be upon these rulers. Look in verse 7 and verse 8.

Scripture Reading — Amos 6:7-8

"Therefore now shall they go captive with the first that go captive, and the banquet of them that stretch themselves shall be removed. The Lord God hath sworn by himself, saith the Lord God of hosts, I abhor the excellency of Jacob, and hate his palaces, therefore will I deliver up the city and all that is therein."

I want you to note what God said. God said all of these rulers, all of these people that are making hay while the sun's shining, and robbing and stealing and corruption and fraud and all that. God said, "I'm going to make sure that they go into captivity first. I'm going to make sure that everything that they have is going to be removed. I'm going to make sure that they lose." And God says they've become so wicked,

Scripture Reading — Amos 6:7-8

"I hate the excellency of Jacob."

"Their palaces. And I'm going to deliver everyone up." Now let me show you how thorough and how complete the judgment is going to be. Skip down to verse 11. Watch. "For behold, the Lord commandeth, and he will smite the great house with breaches and the little house with clefts." If God is going to smite the great house with breaches, that is, break it open, and the little house with clefts, that is, break it open, cleave it asunder too, what's left? Nothing. What's God saying? God's saying, in essence, "I'll get them all. They're not going to escape. I shall get them all." Now, I want you to look, if you would please, at verse 12 with this context in mind, and remember it's a context of judgment. Verse 12, "Shall horses run upon the rock?

The Absurdity of Perversion: Horses on Rocks

Amos uses the illustrations of horses running on rocks and oxen plowing on rocks to show the foolishness of thinking one can pervert justice and escape God's judgment.

Will one plow there with oxen? For you have turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock." Now, let me tell you what Amos is doing. After Amos has given them the curse of God upon them, he told them exactly what God is going to do. He now grabs their attention with two very powerful illustrations. He asks two simple questions. "Shall horses run upon the rock? Will one plow there with oxen?" You and I both know horses were not made to run upon rocks. It is true that today, in our day and time, we may shoe horses and they may travel upon some hard surfaces with their shoes. But even those shoes do not last. Those shoes have to be replaced. And even if they do have shoes on, they still cannot run upon the rocks. If you try to run a horse upon rocks without proper shoeing, it's going to destroy their hooves. It's going to destroy their ankles, their limbs.

In other words, the animals would become absolutely useless and worthless. Everyone has seen the old western where the horse supposedly breaks his leg. And what does the cowboy do? He shoots the horse. Why? Because the horse is worthless. It's useless. It can't do anything.

Now this is the question. He's trying to get them to think this thing through. "Shall horses run upon the rocks?" No. They don't run upon rocks. It's impossible. If a horse tried it, it's self-destruction. Now he asks another simple question. "Do oxen plow upon the rocks?" Well, oxen are no more suited to be climbing upon rocks than horses are. Even if an oxen could get upon the rocks, what do you think would happen to the plow point in the plow that's falling behind the ox? It would be broken. Because plows are not intended to rip open rocks and mountains. They're intended to rip open dirt.

Now look what Amos is saying. He's asked these two simple questions. "Shall horses run upon the rocks?" No. "Shall oxen plow upon the rocks?" No. How stupid could you be to think such a thing? Now listen, he's saying what you are doing is not only against nature, it's also against common sense. Why did he ask those questions? Well, go back to verse 12. "Shall horses run upon the rock? Will one plow there with oxen?"

Now notice what he says, "for you have turned judgment into gall and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock." Having established the impossibilities of such acts as running horses upon the rock and plowing with oxen upon the rock, the prophet continues with his charge and states, "You've turned judgment into gall and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock." As absurd as it is to run horses upon the rocks and try to plow with oxen upon the rocks, it is equally absurd to seek gain from injustice and oppression to which God has annexed both loss and woe, both temporal and eternal. One cannot change the course of nature any more than he can hinder or change God's providence or God's laws of retribution. In other words, what he's saying is what you're doing in your society, what you're doing in your judicial system is not only against nature, it's against common sense. If you think, he says, that you may profit from running horses upon rocks and plowing upon rocks with oxen, you're equally foolish for thinking that you can pervert God's law and God's justice and escape His righteous vengeance. It's impossible. Now look what he says in verse 12.

"For you have turned judgment into gall and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock." The Hebrew word for "judgment" is the word "mishpat" which indicates judgment, justice, and righteousness. The rulers were turning justice or judgment and righteousness into gall. Now the word for "gall" is the Hebrew word "rosh" which is translated as gall, venom, poison, and hemlock. Watch carefully. In the context of Amos 6 and verse 12, judgment equals justice and the fruit of righteousness not only refers to justice, but to the sweet results obtained thereby. It refers to the equity and justice that would have been produced with the application of God's law. Now look in verse 12. He said, "for you have turned judgment or justice into gall or poison, and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock." The word for "hemlock," and by the way, hemlock is a known and notorious poison, is "la'anah," which refers to wormwood, hemlock, which is an extremely bitter poison that produces sickness and death. Sometimes this word is translated as "wormwood" in our Bibles. I want you to follow me because I'm going to show you that even when it is translated as "wormwood," it still indicates death.

Turning Judgment into Gall and Hemlock

The Hebrew words for judgment, gall, and hemlock are examined. Turning justice into poison brings death to individuals, families, and nations, as seen in other scriptures.

One cannot change the course of nature any more than he can hinder or change God's providence or God's laws of retribution. In other words, what he's saying is what you're doing in your society, what you're doing in your judicial system is not only against nature, it's against common sense. If you think, he says, that you may profit from running horses upon rocks and plowing upon rocks with oxen, you're equally foolish for thinking that you can pervert God's law and God's justice and escape His righteous vengeance. It's impossible. Now look what he says in verse 12. "For you have turned judgment into gall and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock." The Hebrew word for "judgment" is the word "mishpat" which indicates judgment, justice, and righteousness. The rulers were turning justice or judgment and righteousness into gall. Now the word for "gall" is the Hebrew word "rosh" which is translated as gall, venom, poison, and hemlock. Watch carefully. In the context of Amos 6 and verse 12, judgment equals justice and the fruit of righteousness not only refers to justice, but to the sweet results obtained thereby. It refers to the equity and justice that would have been produced with the application of God's law. Now look in verse 12. He said, "for you have turned judgment or justice into gall or poison, and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock." The word for "hemlock," and by the way, hemlock is a known and notorious poison, is "la'anah," which refers to wormwood, hemlock, which is an extremely bitter poison that produces sickness and death. Sometimes this word is translated as "wormwood" in our Bibles. I want you to follow me because I'm going to show you that even when it is translated as "wormwood," it still indicates death.

Look in your Bibles, hold Amos 6, but turn if you would please to Deuteronomy 29 and verse 18. Deuteronomy 29 and verse 18. Deuteronomy 29 verse 18. Watch carefully now.

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 29:18

"Lest there should be among you man or woman or family or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from the Lord our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations. Lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood."

And if you read on down, it's talking about idolatry. It's the curse of God upon the idolaters. And by the way, someone tell me, what was the penalty for idolatry? Death. And notice how he uses it,

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 29:18

"lest there be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood"

or hemlock. You drink hemlock, you're dead. You leave God and go to idols, you're dead. You have the curse of God upon you.

Skip right over to the book of Proverbs chapter 5 and verse 4. Proverbs 5 and verse 4. Now I want you to note in this passage, Proverbs 5 and verse 4, he's talking about the harlot. Proverbs 5 verse 4, and look what God says concerning those who visit the harlots. He says in Proverbs 5 and verse 4,

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 5:4-5

"Her end is bitter as wormwood"

or hemlock,

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 5:4-5

"sharp as a two-edged sword, her feet go down to death, her step takes hold in hell."

Huh. What's he talking about? Death, wormwood, hemlock, but it's still death. Look in your Bibles to the book of Revelation chapter 8 and verse 11. Revelation 8 and verse 11. Notice the word "wormwood" and notice if you would that death is associated with it. Revelation 8 and verse 11.

"And the name of that star is called Wormwood and the third part of the waters became wormwood and many men died of the waters because they were made bitter." Wormwood equals death. Now go back to the book of Amos. Because I want you to see in Amos 5 and verse 7. Amos 5 verse 7. Here's the word "wormwood" again. Look at Amos 5 verse 7. He says, "You who turn judgment to wormwood and leave off righteousness in the earth.

Scripture Reading — Amos 5:7

" You who turn judgment or justice into wormwood and leave off righteousness in the earth. Now the Hebrew word for "

judgment" in Amos 5 and verse 7 is the word "mishpat," which is exactly the same word that is used in Amos 6 and verse 12. Notice that turning judgment into wormwood is the same as turning justice into hemlock. It is death. Death to individuals, death to families, death to cultures, death to societies, and death to nations. Once judgment is turned into wormwood, gall, or hemlock, righteousness is no more. It is gone. It is perverted.

It has now become injustice, corruption, and fraud. Now, John Calvin in his commentary gave three possible interpretations for verse 12 of Amos chapter 6. Look at Amos 6 and verse 12 again. And I want to tell you what these three possible interpretations are. And I'll tell you which one I believe is correct. But in verse 12 of Amos 6, "Shall horses run upon the rock? Will one plow there with oxen?

Calvin's Interpretations and the Correct View

John Calvin offered three interpretations of Amos 6:12; Weaver argues the second—that government and society have confounded all equity and justice—is correct.

For you've turned judgment into gall and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock." Calvin says, "For some think that the prophet by these figurative expressions means that the people were wholly unprofitable as to anything good. As someone says, 'The slothful ox wishes for the saddle, the horse wishes to plow.' They therefore suppose that this is the meaning of these words: 'You're no more fitted to lead a good life than a horse is to run on a rock or an ox to plow upon a rock.' Here's the second interpretation. Others think that the prophet complains that the order of things was subverted as though, he said, 'You have alike confounded all equity in government and justice. In short, you have subverted all right, as when one tries to ride swiftly over a high rock, or attempts to plow there, which is contrary to the nature of things, as you are therefore become monsters.' And then here's the third one. Others again think that the prophet here complains that he lost all of his labor, for he had been singing according to the common proverb to the deaf.

'What do I affect as to this iron generation? It is the same as if one tried to ride on the rock, to mount a rock on a swift horse, or as one attempted to plow there, both which are impossible. So now when I address stupid men, there is no fruit to my labor, and no advantage is gained.'" So here's three simple interpretations. One of them says the people are not fitted for anything. Number two, the government has perverted all right and all justice, society as well. And thirdly, that Amos is complaining about the fact that nobody listens to him. I believe the second interpretation is right because it not only fits the immediate context but it also fits the remote context. Amos is complaining, I believe, that the fact and the reality is that they had confounded all equity in government and justice. It had become so polluted, it had become so poisoned, it had become so perverted that the only remedy was for God to destroy them in judgment and in justice. In other words, there was no longer any justice in the nation, and therefore there was no hope for the nation. I want you to turn in your Bibles, hold Amos 6, but turn to the book of Jeremiah chapter 22. I hope you can put two and two together. I want you to see the impact and implication of hemlock justice.

Jehoiakim: An Example of Hemlock Justice

Jeremiah 22:13-19 describes Jehoiakim's corruption and oppression; God promises he will be buried like an ass, unloved and unmourned, as a warning to unjust rulers.

You know, before I read this, I've used this illustration before, but I want you to think about it. I tell people I'm not a communist. I have no sympathies for communism. I have no leanings toward communism. But there is one communist that said one thing that I do quote fairly often. Gus Hall said this, "The reason we referred our judicial system as the halls of justice is because the only place you can get any justice is out in the halls." Which is basically true. You can't get any in the courtroom today because no one is interested in justice.

Not the judges, not the attorneys. There's a big difference between justice and legalities and technicalities and wanting to win. Look in Jeremiah chapter 22 beginning there with verse 13. Look what God says. I want you to compare our society today with what is being said in Jeremiah 22 beginning there with verse 13. God says,

Scripture Reading — Jeremiah 22:13-19

"Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by wrong, that useth his neighbor's service without wages, and giveth him not for his work, that saith, I will build me a wide house and large chambers, and cutteth them out windows, and it is sealed with cedar, and painted with vermilion."

In other words, it's a very expensive house. How did he get this expensive house?

Through fraud, and corruption, and deceit. Now watch. Look what God asks in verse 15. "Shalt thou reign, because thou closest thyself in cedar? Did not thy father eat and drink, and do judgment and justice? And then it was well with him. He judged the cause of the poor and needy. Then it was well with him. Was not this to know me, saith the Lord?" Note if you would. "But thine eyes and thine heart are not but for thy covetousness, and for to shed innocent blood, and for oppression, and for violence to do it. Therefore, thus saith the Lord concerning Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, they shall not lament for him, saying, Ah, my brother, or Ah, my sister. They shall not lament for him, saying, Ah, Lord, or Ah, his glory.

He shall be buried with the burial of an ass, drawn and cast forth beyond the gates of Jerusalem." Now look what God is saying. Look. He said, "You're building your great palaces. You're building your expensive homes. Man, you have them sealed with cedar. You have them painted with vermilion."

Now God asks, "Shalt thou reign because you have all of this? All this wealth, all this money, all these riches, all this power, all this prestige, shalt thou reign because of all this? You've done this!" And then God asks these questions. Look at it, verse 15. "Shalt thou reign, because thou closest thyself in cedar? Did not thy father eat and drink, and do judgment and justice? Look, then it was well with him." What did he mean by doing justice and judgment? Well, skip down if you would to verse 16. "He judged the cause of the poor and the needy, then it was well with him."

"Was not this to know me, saith the Lord?" What is it to know God? To obey Him, to honor Him, to follow His law. Now look what He's saying. "Your fathers obeyed Me, but you don't. They didn't have all of this, but it was well with them. Because they obeyed Me. You've got all of this and you disobey Me. And you think things are going to go well for you now? Oh no." Now look what God does. God then singles out, He tells them in verse 17, here's what you're doing.

"Thine eyes and thine heart are not but for covetousness." In other words, the only thing you want is for yourself. And by the way, if that doesn't describe this generation, I don't know what does. Everyone is out for themselves, period. They could care less about anyone else. He says, "But thine eyes and thine heart are not but for thy covetousness, and for to shed innocent blood, and for oppression, and for violence to do it."

Now God picks out a prime example of this injustice, of this corruption, and this fraud, and it happens to be Jehoiakim, who was a wicked ungodly king, the son of Josiah of Judah. And God says, "Look, here's what's going to happen, Jehoiakim, I'm going to kill you. No one's going to lament for you, no one's going to mourn for you. In fact," he said, "you're going to be buried with the burial of an ass. You're going to be drawn and cast forth beyond the gates of Jerusalem." How did they bury asses? They didn't. They just threw them on the dung heap and let them rot.

Now, listen carefully. Listen carefully. Here's what God is saying. I don't think too highly of those individuals who pervert justice, who violate My law, who refuse to bow to Me. I don't think too highly of those who pervert justice and turn it into hemlock, who exercise covetousness and oppression and violence. When He says Jehoiakim was going to be buried with the burial of an ass, He meant that Jehoiakim was going to be unloved, unmourned, uncared for, and treated as unclean. Here's what He meant. That when Jehoiakim died, no one lost anything. It was good riddance.

The nation benefited from his death. He was a wicked, corrupt, perverted ruler who had met his match in God. And God said, "I'll show you what I think of him. Drag him out of Jerusalem and throw him on the dung heap. Let him rot."

Rejoicing in Naught and Self-Exaltation

The rulers rejoiced in their own strength ('horns'), but God will cut off their power. They trusted in themselves rather than God, leading to judgment.

"Who say, Have we not taken to us horns by our own strength?" Let me just stop right there. "You who rejoice in a thing of naught." They were rejoicing in a thing of naught. You know what naught is? Naught is nothing. It is zilch. It is zero. It is nada. It was not one thing. In other words, their rejoicing was totally empty. Why? Because they were rejoicing in themselves.

Look at it in verse 13. "You who rejoice in the thing of naught, who say, Have we not taken to us horns by our own strength?" Now, what does it mean when it means that they were rejoicing in themselves? It means that they were rejoicing in absolutely nothing. Somehow, in those days and in our days, we rejoice in government. We rejoice in our political leaders. We rejoice in our political programs. We rejoice in our political programs and our political parties. How many people really think somehow that Obama is going to change this country for the better? He will change it, but not for the better. And if McCain had gotten in, would he have changed it for the better? No.

Salvation is not in man. Salvation is not in parties. Salvation is not in programs. Salvation is in the Lord alone.

Now here's the epitome of the pride of Jerusalem and the pride of Samaria. Watch it. Verse 13, "You who rejoice in a thing of naught, who say, Have we not taken us horns by our own strength?" Have we not taken to us horns by our own strength? Horns in the Bible speak of power, strength, pride, and position.

Now the word "horn" or "horns" may be used in a good sense and it also may be used in a bad sense. Let me show you. Look in your Bibles. Follow me very quickly. Hold Amos 6. But go to 1 Samuel chapter 2. I'm going to first show you a couple of verses where the word "horn" or "horns" is used in a good sense. Remember the word "horn" speaks of power. It speaks of strength. When you think of a rhinoceros, you think of its horn.

I probably told you this, but at our place, there is an eight-foot harrow, you know, one of those big implements that turns soil, and it probably weighs 1,000 pounds. When Voregard was alive and in his prime, that big bull, Alice and I went out to hook up to that harrow because I was going to plow up some land. And I found that harrow turned upside down, totally, completely flipped over. And here that big bull had stood there, put his horns under that thing and raised his head and totally flipped that harrow over. Had to take a chain in the tractor and pull it back over before I could hook up to it. Horns speak of strength. Horns speak of power. Here's the good part.

Look in 1 Samuel chapter 2 and verse 1. Here's the good use of it. "And Hannah prayed and said, My heart rejoiceth in the Lord, my horn is exalted in the Lord, my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies, because I rejoice in thy salvation." What was Hannah doing? She was rejoicing in her power, in her strength over her enemies, which only was in the Lord. It wasn't anywhere else. Look in your Bibles to Psalm 148 and verse 14. Psalm 148 and verse 14. Here's the good sense. Psalm 148 and notice if you would please verse 14. The Bible says, referring to our God, "He also exalted the horn of His people, the praise of all of His saints, even of the children of Israel, the people near them, praise ye the Lord." He exalted the horn of His people. In other words, it is God who gives us strength. It is God who gives us power. So it's used in a good sense. If you look back in your Bibles to... Boy, I should have...

That's all right. Let me just quote this one. This one's back in 1 Samuel 2 and verse 10. Listen carefully. "The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces. Out of the heaven shall He thunder upon them, the Lord shall judge the ends of the earth, He shall give strength unto His king, and exalt the horn of His anointed." So here are three passages, there are a multitude more, where the word "horn" is used in a good sense.

But if you will turn now to Psalm 75. Psalm 75. Here's a warning for men not to exalt themselves. Notice in Psalm 75, beginning there with verse 4, Psalm 75 verse 4, "I said unto the fools, lift not up the horn, lift not up your horn on high, speak not with a stiff neck." Now what do the wicked do when they lift up their horn? They speak with a stiff neck. They're glorying in their power, in their strength, in their position. God says you better not do it. Look in Jeremiah chapter 48. And notice if you would please verse 25. Here's another example of that horn. That horn of power of the wicked being cut off. Notice Jeremiah 48 and verse 25. I'm sorry. I said Isaiah, it's Jeremiah. Jeremiah 48 and verse 25. Jeremiah 48, verse 25, and I could multiply scriptures like this, but here it is. Jeremiah 48, verse 25, "The horn of Moab is cut off, and his arm is broken, saith the Lord." What does God do when He cuts off the horn? He breaks the arm. When your arm is broken, what have you lost? Your power, your strength, your ability. And then, of course, in Lamentations chapter 2 and verse 3, if you'll turn there, you'll see that this is exactly what God did to Jerusalem. This is what Amos chapter 6 is talking about. Notice Lamentations chapter 2 and verse 3. He says it like this, "He hath cut off in His fierce anger all the horn of Israel.

He hath drawn back His right hand from before the enemy, and He burned against Jacob like a flaming fire, which devoured round about him." What did God do? He cut off the horn of Jerusalem. What did He do? He broke their power. He broke their strength. He broke their back.

Now, when you look back in your Bibles to the book of Amos chapter 6, look at verse 13 again now. In light of verse 12, what were they doing in verse 12? They were turning judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock. Then he says in verse 13, "You who rejoice in a thing of naught, who say, Have we not taken us horns by our own strength?" In other words, we don't need God. We don't need God's law. We don't need anyone to tell us what to do or how to do. We can handle it ourselves.

God's Certain Judgment and Applications

God raised up Assyria and Babylon to afflict Israel. Applications: fighting against God's justice is as foolish as plowing rocks; without God, true justice is impossible; hemlock justice leads to death.

Get to verse 14. God says,

Scripture Reading — Amos 6:14

"But behold, I will raise up against you a nation, O house of Israel, saith the LORD, the God of hosts, and they shall afflict you from the entering in of Hemath unto the river of the wilderness."

What did the people in Amos' day say? "We have strength. We have power. We can work things out. Why in the next two years I'm going to create two and a half million jobs? I'm going to turn this economy around."

"I will do this and I will do that. And we're going to keep the same old gang in power, and we'll rejoice in our perversion, in our corruption, in our fraud, and we will continue to turn judgment into gall and the fruits of righteousness into hemlock." God had a word for the haughty rulers of Israel and for the haughty rulers of Jerusalem who imagined that they could defy God and His law and escape judgment. God says, "Listen, I will raise up against you a nation, O house of Israel, saith the Lord God of hosts, and they shall afflict you." Time they get into the country, they will start afflicting you until they finish the job. And you know that God sent Assyria against the northern kingdom, and Assyria against the southern kingdom, as well as Babylon. You know what the Bible says in Isaiah 28 verse 21? Let me just quote it. I want you to understand that judgment is the work of God. It is something that God does. He will do it. In Isaiah 28 verse 21, we read this, "For the Lord shall rise up in Mount Perazim, He shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that He may do His work, His strange work, and bring to pass His act, His strange act." Judgment is referred to as God's strange act and God's strange work, but He said, "I will bring it to pass. I will do it."

Now, I do want you to turn in your Bibles to Deuteronomy chapter 7, because I want to show you this. Deuteronomy chapter 7. I want to show you that God is not embarrassed to bring forth His judgment. And if you think that God is embarrassed or will act slowly in judging, you need to read these verses. Look in Deuteronomy chapter 7, beginning there with verse 9. God says, "Know therefore that the Lord thy God, He is God, the faithful God, who keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love Him and keepeth His commandments to a thousand generations, and repayeth them that hate Him to their face, to destroy them. He will not be slack to him that hateth Him. He will repay Him to His face." God is not embarrassed to bring forth His judgment. God was not embarrassed to raise up those Assyrians. God was not embarrassed to raise up those Babylonians. And God continued to send them until the nation basically was destroyed and the people carried into captivity. Those rulers who perverted and poisoned justice finally received their justice. They discovered, they found out that God was the just God. And as they had done to others, so God did unto them.

Now let me make just a couple of quick applications. The first one is this. As you look at Amos 6 and verse 12, Amos uses illustrations from agriculture to illustrate the stupidity and the insanity of fighting against God and seeking to profit from poisoned justice, which is not justice, but it is injustice, corruption, and fraud. Those who seek to run horses upon rocks and those who seek to plow upon rocks with oxen will soon discover that they're not just fighting against nature, they're fighting against divine providence and ultimately the sovereign God of heaven and earth, who happens to be the judge of all the earth. And by the way, I don't have time to get to it, but if you would look, when you get home, to Psalm 82. Psalm 82 is a psalm against judges. And God says because of their corruption and their perversion, they literally turned the world upside down. Let me just spell it out for you like this. When hemlock justice issues forth, the world is turned upside down, society dies, righteousness dies, and wickedness flourishes.

"When the unrighteous are exalted, the wicked walk on every side." Let me conclude with this. God is the determiner of justice. God is the one who defines justice. God is the one who tells us what is just and what is unjust. God is the one who tells us what is right and what is not right. Are you listening? It is absolutely impossible to have justice without God. Just as it is impossible to have righteousness without God. So when men then violate God's law and go contrary to the truth of the Bible, they are neither right nor just, nor can they be.

Conclusion: Love Christ, Love Life

Proverbs 8:35-36 teaches that those who hate Christ love death. Hemlock justice is death; true justice comes only by conforming to God's Word.

Our Lord said it very plainly, in Proverbs 8:35-36, listen to what He said. He said, "For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favor of the Lord. But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul. All they that hate me love death." What is hemlock justice? It's death. Death to the individual, death to the family, death to the church, death to society, death to the culture, death to the nation. All they that hate Christ love death. If we love Christ and love His Word, we'll bring our lives in conformity to that Word and bring forth true justice and true righteousness. Let's pray. Father, we do ask in the name of Jesus Christ for Your love and Your grace and Your mercy. We do pray, Lord, that You would strengthen us, give us wisdom, give us discernment, give us understanding.

Help us, Lord, to know where we've come from and where we are so that we may see where we're going. And Father, we do pray that Thou wouldst indeed overthrow the wicked, that You would break their horn, break their power, break their arm. We pray for the establishment of Thy kingdom. Thou didst say, and Thou didst teach us to pray, "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." We pray for the establishment of Thy righteousness, of Thy people, and Thy law. And once again, we would worship Thee and serve Thee in obedience and truth. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen.

Study Guide

Major Themes

The Perversion of Justice

Summary: Society has turned judgment into poison (gall/hemlock), resulting in injustice, corruption, and fraud, which is an abomination to God.

Evidence: Amos 6:12: 'For you have turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock.'

God as the Just Judge

Summary: God is inherently just and will not justify the wicked; He established judges to represent His law and execute true justice.

Evidence: Deuteronomy 32:4: 'He is the rock, his work is perfect... a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.'

Carnal Security Leads to Greater Wickedness

Summary: When people believe judgment is far off, they increase in sin, luxury, and oppression, ignoring the affliction of others.

Evidence: Amos 6:3: 'Ye that put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near.'

The Certainty of Divine Judgment

Summary: God will not be slack in repaying the wicked; He will raise up nations to afflict those who pervert justice, as He did with Israel and Judah.

Evidence: Amos 6:14: 'But, behold, I will raise up against you a nation, O house of Israel... and they shall afflict you.'

The Foolishness of Opposing God's Order

Summary: Trying to profit from injustice is as absurd as running horses on rocks; it defies nature, common sense, and divine providence.

Evidence: Amos 6:12: 'Shall horses run upon the rock? will one plow there with oxen?'

Hemlock Justice Brings Death

Summary: When justice is poisoned, it results in death to individuals, families, cultures, and nations; those who hate Christ love death.

Evidence: Proverbs 8:36: 'All they that hate me love death.'

Key Arguments

Injustice is an Abomination to God

Summary: Justifying the wicked and condemning the righteous makes both the act and the judge a stench in God's nostrils.

Evidence: Proverbs 17:15: 'He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are an abomination to the Lord.'

Judges Are Accountable to God

Summary: Judges do not judge for man but for the Lord; they must rule justly without iniquity or respect of persons.

Evidence: 2 Chronicles 19:6-7: 'Take heed what ye do: for ye judge not for man, but for the Lord... there is no iniquity with the Lord our God, nor respect of persons.'

False Security Fuels Oppression

Summary: When rulers think they are immune to judgment, they indulge in luxury and ignore the suffering of their people, leading to greater wickedness.

Evidence: Amos 6:4-6: 'That lie upon beds of ivory... but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.'

Perversion of Justice is Self-Destructive

Summary: Just as horses and oxen cannot function on rocks, a society that perverts justice cannot prosper and will face God's vengeance.

Evidence: Amos 6:12: 'Shall horses run upon the rock? will one plow there with oxen? for ye have turned judgment into gall.'

God Will Repay the Wicked to Their Face

Summary: God is not slack in judgment; He will destroy those who hate Him, as He did with Jehoiakim, who was buried like an ass.

Evidence: Deuteronomy 7:10: 'He will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face.'

Human Strength Cannot Avert Judgment

Summary: The rulers boasted in their own 'horns' (strength), but God cut off their power; salvation is in the Lord alone, not in political leaders.

Evidence: Amos 6:13: 'Have we not taken to us horns by our own strength?'

Without God, Justice is Impossible

Summary: God defines justice; when men reject His law, they cannot be right or just, leading to societal death.

Evidence: Proverbs 8:35-36: 'Whoso findeth me findeth life... all they that hate me love death.'

Scripture References

Amos 6:12

Context: The central text: turning judgment into gall and righteousness into hemlock is as absurd as horses running on rocks.

Isaiah 59:4,14

Context: God charges that none call for justice; judgment is turned away backward, truth is fallen, and equity cannot enter.

Deuteronomy 32:4

Context: God is the rock, just and right, without iniquity.

Isaiah 45:21

Context: There is no God beside me; a just God and a Saviour.

Proverbs 17:15

Context: Justifying the wicked and condemning the just are both an abomination to the Lord.

Exodus 23:7

Context: God will not justify the wicked.

2 Chronicles 19:6-7

Context: Judges are to take heed, for they judge for the Lord, who has no iniquity or respect of persons.

Isaiah 5:23

Context: Wicked judges justify the wicked for reward and take away the righteousness of the righteous.

Amos 6:1-3

Context: Woe to those at ease in Zion; they put far away the evil day and cause violence to come near.

Amos 6:4-6

Context: Rulers lie on ivory beds, drink wine in bowls, and are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.

Amos 6:7-8

Context: They shall go captive first; God abhors the excellency of Jacob and will deliver up the city.

Amos 6:11

Context: God will smite the great house with breaches and the little house with clefts.

Deuteronomy 29:18

Context: A root bearing gall and wormwood (hemlock) is associated with idolatry and death.

Proverbs 5:4-5

Context: The harlot's end is bitter as wormwood; her feet go down to death.

Revelation 8:11

Context: The star Wormwood makes waters bitter, and many men die.

Amos 5:7

Context: You who turn judgment to wormwood and leave off righteousness in the earth.

Jeremiah 22:13-19

Context: Woe to Jehoiakim for building his house by unrighteousness; he will be buried with the burial of an ass.

Amos 6:13

Context: You rejoice in a thing of naught, saying, Have we not taken to us horns by our own strength?

Amos 6:14

Context: God will raise up a nation against Israel to afflict them.

Proverbs 8:35-36

Context: Whoso findeth me findeth life; all they that hate me love death.

Historical References

Socrates

Context: Mentioned as the Greek philosopher who killed himself by drinking poisoned hemlock.

Old West 'hemp justice'

Context: Refers to the historical practice of hanging wicked men with a hemp rope, contrasted with modern 'hemlock justice.'

Gus Hall (communist)

Context: Quoted as saying the only place to get justice is in the halls, illustrating the corruption of the judicial system.

Jehoiakim, son of Josiah, king of Judah

Context: Used as a biblical example of a wicked ruler who perverted justice and was buried like an ass.

Assyria and Babylon

Context: Nations God raised up to judge the northern and southern kingdoms of Israel for their injustice.

2008 economic summit

Context: Mentioned as an example of rulers indulging in $300 bottles of wine while people suffer, paralleling Amos 6.

Obama and McCain (2008 election)

Context: Referenced to argue that salvation is not in political leaders or parties.

Important Quotes

Shall horses run upon the rock? Will one plow there with oxen? For you have turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock.

Significance: The central verse of the sermon, illustrating the absurdity and self-destructiveness of perverting justice.

He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are an abomination to the Lord.

Significance: Highlights God's view of injustice as a stench in His nostrils.

Take heed what you do, for you judge not for man, but for the Lord who is with you in the judgment.

Significance: Establishes the divine accountability of judges to represent God's justice.

Ye that put far away the evil day and cause the seed of violence to come near.

Significance: Shows how false security leads to increased wickedness.

But they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.

Significance: Condemns the indifference of rulers to the suffering of their people.

He will not be slack to him that hateth Him. He will repay Him to His face.

Significance: Emphasizes the certainty and swiftness of God's judgment on the wicked.

All they that hate me love death.

Significance: Connects hemlock justice (poison) with spiritual death for those who reject Christ.

Discussion Questions

What does the metaphor of 'hemlock justice' reveal about the nature of injustice in society?

Context: Weaver explains that hemlock is a poison, so turning justice into hemlock means making it deadly and corrupt.

How does the illustration of horses running on rocks and oxen plowing on rocks help us understand the consequences of perverting justice?

Context: The absurdity of these actions parallels the self-destructive nature of injustice.

In what ways do modern rulers resemble those in Amos 6 who were 'not grieved for the affliction of Joseph'?

Context: Weaver compares the indifference of ancient rulers to modern political elites who ignore the suffering of ordinary people.

Why does God consider justifying the wicked and condemning the righteous an abomination?

Context: Proverbs 17:15 is cited to show that such acts are a stench in God's nostrils because they contradict His just nature.

What does the example of Jehoiakim teach us about God's view of corrupt leaders?

Context: Jehoiakim's burial like an ass shows God's contempt for rulers who oppress and pervert justice.

How does the concept of 'rejoicing in a thing of naught' apply to modern political trust?

Context: Weaver argues that trusting in political leaders or programs is empty because salvation is only in the Lord.

What is the relationship between rejecting God's law and the rise of injustice in a nation?

Context: Weaver states that without God, true justice is impossible, leading to societal death.

Applications

Recognize the Poison of Injustice

Summary: Believers should identify and reject the 'hemlock justice' in society—laws and rulings that pervert righteousness and harm the innocent.

Evidence: Amos 6:12: 'Ye have turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock.'

Trust in God, Not Human Strength

Summary: Do not put confidence in political leaders or economic systems; salvation and true justice come only from the Lord.

Evidence: Amos 6:13: 'Have we not taken to us horns by our own strength?'

Grieve for the Afflicted

Summary: Unlike the rulers in Amos, Christians should be grieved by the suffering and injustice around them and act with compassion.

Evidence: Amos 6:6: 'But they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.'

Uphold God's Standard of Justice

Summary: In personal and civic life, believers must advocate for justice that aligns with God's law, not man's corrupt statutes.

Evidence: 2 Chronicles 19:6-7: 'Take heed what ye do: for ye judge not for man, but for the Lord.'

Fear God's Judgment

Summary: Do not presume upon God's patience; He will repay the wicked. Live in reverent obedience to avoid His wrath.

Evidence: Deuteronomy 7:10: 'He will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face.'

Choose Life by Loving Christ

Summary: Reject the death that comes from hating Christ and His Word; embrace life by conforming to His truth.

Evidence: Proverbs 8:36: 'All they that hate me love death.'

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T20:14:30Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T12:48:34Z

Clean Transcript

Hemlock Justice

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

Amos chapter 6 and verse 12. I'm going to be bringing a message today. The title is "Hemlock Justice." Hemlock Justice. Now, let me tell you that the message today is going to be an exposition of Amos 6 and verse 12. However, next week, Lord willing, I'm going to give you a historical example of this in the life and death of one particular man. And I think you're going to see the connection. Not that this is part one and next week is part two.
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Each of these messages will stand or fall together. That is certainly true. But I want you to understand that there is indeed a connection, and if you—and I'll repeat this next week—if you know from where you have come and where you are at the present, you'll have a pretty good idea of where you're going. So let's look in the book of Amos chapter 6 at the subject of hemlock justice. Amos 6 and verse 12.
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Notice if you would, the Word of God says this. Amos 6 and verse 12: "Shall horses run upon the rock? Will one plow there with oxen? For you have turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock." The Greek philosopher Socrates killed himself by drinking poisoned hemlock. The Old West had that which was known as hemp justice, where the wicked men were hanged by a hemp rope as they were executed. We no longer have hemp justice today; we now have what is known as hemlock justice, which in reality is not justice, but rather it is injustice. We live in a day of injustice, immorality, unrighteousness, and confusion. One of the greatest sins of men in general, and of government in particular, is the lack of justice or the perversion of justice. I want you to hold Amos chapter 6, but look in your Bibles very quickly to the book of Isaiah chapter 59, because I want you to see one of the main charges that God levels against society as well as civil rulers.
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In Isaiah 59 and verse 4, look what God says: "None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth. They trust in vanity and speak lies. They conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity." Now note if you would please, He says, "None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth." What are they doing? They're trusting in vanity, they're speaking lies, they're conceiving mischief, and they're bringing forth iniquity. That almost sounds exactly like today. Now skip down to verse 14. In Isaiah 59, here again God says this: "And judgment is turned away backwards, and justice standeth afar off, and truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter." So notice if you would again, He says judgment is turned away backwards, justice standeth afar off, truth is fallen in the street, and equity, that which is right, cannot enter. Certainly it cannot enter, because righteousness and truth and justice have fallen. Now God is indeed concerned with justice. He is the just God. Deuteronomy 32 and verse 4 proclaims it like this: "He is the rock, His work is perfect, all of His ways are judgment, a God of truth, and without iniquity, just and right is He."
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Again, the Word of God declares in Isaiah 45 and verse 21, "There is no God beside me, a just God and Savior, there is none beside me." Note, if you would, over and over in Scripture, God is referred to as the just God. If I were to ask you why in the world did God establish judges, or if I were to ask you why we have a judicial system, you would respond, hopefully, that it is the duty of judges to condemn the guilty and to justify the innocent.
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But, of course, when you live in a hemlock society with hemlock justice, you find, therefore, that the wicked are justified and oftentimes the righteous are condemned. And the Bible declares in the book of Proverbs 17 and verse 15, listen carefully, God says, "He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are an abomination to the Lord." So both the acts and the judges become an abomination to the Lord. So the judge or the individual who will justify the wicked, and who will condemn the just, even they both are an abomination to the Lord. And you have to remember the word "abomination" means literally a stench in God's nostrils. Now keep in mind that God is just. And since God is just, God will in no wise justify the wicked. In fact, He said in Exodus 23 and verse 7, let me quote it: "Keep thee far from a false matter, and the innocent and the righteous slay thou not, for I," says God, "for I will not justify the wicked."
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And the reason God will not justify the wicked is because God is just. Let me ask this question again. Why did God establish judges? Why did God give us men to judge in these matters in the first place? I want you to look in your Bibles, if you would, to the book of 2 Chronicles, chapter 19, verses 6 and 7, and hold Amos 6. We're going to come back there. This is just introduction. But look in 2 Chronicles, chapter 19, and let's begin reading there at verse 6. Notice 2 Chronicles 19 and verse 6. Notice what God says to the judges. 2 Chronicles 19 and verse 6: "And said to the judges, Take heed what you do, for you judge not for man, but for the Lord who is with you in the judgment. Wherefore now let the fear of the Lord be upon you, take heed and do it, for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts." Now note if you would what He said to the judges: "Take heed what you do." Why?
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"For you judge not for man, but you judge for the Lord." In other words, judges are responsible and accountable to represent God and His law to the people, and in doing so, they are to rule justly and righteously.
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Now, the problem that existed in the day of Amos, and the problem that exists in our day is this, that men turn from God and His law, and they invent their own statutes, their own laws, their own ordinances, and their own regulations, which are diametrically opposed to the law of God. Thus, instead of justice, you have injustice, graft, fraud, and corruption. In the book of Isaiah chapter 5 and verse 23, God is speaking of these wicked, corrupt judges, and look what He says. Isaiah chapter 5 in verse 23. Very interesting. Isaiah 5 verse 23. He says, "Who justify the wicked for reward and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him." So what does a hemlock justice do? A hemlock justice then justifies the wicked for reward and it takes away the righteousness from the righteous.
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You know, as you read through the Bible, you find that men are still sinners. And men are still in rebellion against God. Just like in the days of Amos. So likewise in our days, you can conclude that basically there is no difference between the time of Amos and in this day and age in 2008. Let's go back to Amos chapter 6 because I want you to see the context before I begin expounding verse 12. I want you to note in Amos chapter 6 and verse 1, this chapter begins with a woe or curse upon those that are at ease in Zion. And he says in Amos 6 and verse 1, "Woe to them that are at ease in Zion and trust in the mountain of Samaria which are named chief of the nations to whom the house of Israel came." Now, when he says "woe to them that are at ease in Zion," the word "woe," of course, would refer to a calamity or a curse. And when God is talking about those who are at ease in Zion, He not only refers to Judah and Jerusalem, but also to the northern kingdom, which had Samaria as its capital.
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So, notice what he says in verse 1: "Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria." Well, let me ask you, what would the mountain of Judah be? The mountain of Israel would be Samaria, which would be its capital. And the mountain of Judah would be Jerusalem, which would be its capital. So basically, what they're doing is they're trusting in their fortified capitals. They're trusting in their military defense. They're trusting in their economics. They're trusting in their politics.
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In other words, here are people that think, "We cannot fall. This would never happen in Samaria. This would never happen in Jerusalem. I mean, after all, we're God's covenant people. Come on! Nothing bad can ever happen to us. We're special." But look what God does in verse 2. After He says, "Woe to them that are at ease in Zion," He says, "Pass you into Calna and see, and from thence go ye to Hamath the great, then go down to Gath of the Philistines."
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"Be they better than these kingdoms, or their border greater than your border?" Now look what God is doing. God says, "You consider how graciously, how beneficently, and how wonderfully I've dealt with you. You compare where you are and what you have with all of these other heathen, and you see the advantages that you had. Now wait a minute," says God. "I destroyed them for their sins. I've given you thus and thus. And now somehow, because I've given you all these great advantages, you now think that you're exempt from My chastisement and from My judgment."
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Skip down to verse 3. Look what he says: "Ye that put far away the evil day and cause the seed of violence to come near." Ye that put away the evil day. Verse 3 gives us ample evidence of an insane mentality. They would not consider the grace or the goodness of God. Moreover, they would not consider the curses and the threats that God had pronounced against them for their rebellion and their wickedness. In other words, they're saying, "Look, that evil day will never come upon us."
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"That's not going to happen to us. That will not be in our generation. That will not be in our time. No, no, no, no. It may happen to somebody else down the road. But it will never ever happen to us." And now watch what happens. He says in verse 3, "Ye that put far away the evil day." In other words, you don't really believe that God's going to judge you. You don't really believe that God's threats and God's curses are real. What is the result?
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"You cause the seed of violence to come near." In other words, you increase in wickedness. You increase in rebellion. You know, Paul said it something like this, "There is no fear of God before their eyes." When you don't believe the blessings or the curses of God, it just merely increases wickedness. Now let me just show you. Our Lord taught this same truth in the New Testament. Here's the point that needs to be understood.
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Cursed carnal security and the hope of impunity, that is thinking that somehow you can get away with your sins and your wickedness, is the source of even greater wickedness. If you do not think that you're going to be judged for an action, would you not tend to think, "Well, if I'm not going to be judged for this action, I can do thus and thus because I will not be judged for those actions either." Look in your Bibles, hold Amos 6, but turn right over to Matthew 24. Look what our Lord says.
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He gives a perfect illustration. Matthew 24, and let's begin reading there verse 48. He's talking about a wicked, wicked servant. Matthew 24, note if you would please verse 48. Look what happens. Matthew 24, verse 48: "But, and if that evil servant say in his heart, My Lord delayeth his coming," that is he's not coming back or he's not going to judge, "and shall begin to smite his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken. The Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour which he is not aware of, and shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites."
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"There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Now note if you would, the evil servant said in his heart, "He's not coming back. It's not going to happen. Nothing's going to happen to us in our time." And what does it cause him to do? It causes him to be drunken. It causes him to smite his fellow servants. In other words, it increases wickedness. Now go back to Amos chapter 6.
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Notice if you would, please. God has pronounced a woe. He's pronounced a curse. He said, "Look at the nations around you." Now he says, look in verse 3. You don't believe anything's going to happen to you. And because you don't believe that, it's increasing in your wickedness. Now look at verses 4 through 6. Here's evidence of their carnal security: "that lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall, that chant to the sound of the vial, and invent to themselves instruments of music like David, that drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves
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with the chief ointments, but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph." It kind of reminds you of this economic summit that our leaders had just recently where they were served $300 bottles of wine. I mean, you know, an economic summit, the world's in collapse, people are losing their homes, people can't eat, and they're having $300 bottles of wine with their meal. All I'm trying to show you is just simply this.
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When you believe in a false carnal security, when you believe in a false hope of impunity, you increase in wickedness. And what these people were doing, they were adding to themselves luxuries, leisure, and licentiousness. Isn't that happening today? Look at the ruling elite and see where in the world they are and what they are doing. Note if you would please, he says in verse 6, "that drink wine in bowls," boy plenty of it, "and anoint themselves with the chief ointments," they spare nothing.
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Now watch, "but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph." But they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph. Let me spell this out for you. Here it is in good South Georgia lingo. They couldn't give a flip concerning anybody else. They were only interested in themselves. The persecutions, the afflictions, the injustices, and the suffering of their people did not faze them one little bit. They viewed the people, they viewed their brethren as sheep to be shorn, a people that needed to be ruled, and a prize ripe for the picking. Now, I certainly disagree
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with what our government has done in these bailouts. They're not only unconstitutional, not only unbiblical, but contrary to common sense. Well, let me ask you a question. How many of the little people are going to be helped by these bailouts? Not one. Not one. But I'll guarantee you the cronies of the ruling elite are going to prosper. You see what is happening? While they are building themselves beds of ivory and drinking wine out of bowls, increasing their portfolios, ripping off the people left and right, they don't care one little bit for the people.
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That's what God says in the day of Amos. These rulers were not grieved for the affliction of Joseph. Now, let me show you the judgment that's going to be upon these rulers. Look in verse 7 and verse 8. "Therefore now shall they go captive with the first that go captive, and the banquet of them that stretch themselves shall be removed. The Lord God hath sworn by himself, saith the Lord God of hosts, I abhor the excellency of Jacob, and hate his palaces, therefore will I deliver up the city and all that is therein." I want you to note what God said. God said all of these rulers, all of these people that are making hay while the sun's shining, and robbing and stealing and corruption and fraud and all that. God said, "I'm going to make sure that they go into captivity first. I'm going to make sure that everything that they have is going to be removed. I'm going to make sure that they lose." And God says they've become so wicked, "I hate the excellency of Jacob."
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"Their palaces. And I'm going to deliver everyone up."
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Now let me show you how thorough and how complete the judgment is going to be. Skip down to verse 11. Watch. "For behold, the Lord commandeth, and he will smite the great house with breaches and the little house with clefts." If God is going to smite the great house with breaches, that is, break it open, and the little house with clefts, that is, break it open, cleave it asunder too, what's left? Nothing. What's God saying? God's saying, in essence, "I'll get them all. They're not going to escape. I shall get them all." Now, I want you to look, if you would please, at verse 12 with this context in mind, and remember it's a context of judgment. Verse 12, "Shall horses run upon the rock?
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Will one plow there with oxen? For you have turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock."
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Now, let me tell you what Amos is doing. After Amos has given them the curse of God upon them, he told them exactly what God is going to do. He now grabs their attention with two very powerful illustrations. He asks two simple questions. "Shall horses run upon the rock? Will one plow there with oxen?" You and I both know horses were not made to run upon rocks. It is true that today, in our day and time, we may shoe horses and they may travel upon some hard surfaces with their shoes. But even those shoes do not last. Those shoes have to be replaced. And even if they do have shoes on, they still cannot run upon the rocks. If you try to run a horse upon rocks without proper shoeing, it's going to destroy their hooves. It's going to destroy their ankles, their limbs.
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In other words, the animals would become absolutely useless and worthless. Everyone has seen the old western where the horse supposedly breaks his leg. And what does the cowboy do? He shoots the horse. Why? Because the horse is worthless. It's useless. It can't do anything.
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Now this is the question. He's trying to get them to think this thing through. "Shall horses run upon the rocks?" No. They don't run upon rocks. It's impossible. If a horse tried it, it's self-destruction. Now he asks another simple question. "Do oxen plow upon the rocks?" Well, oxen are no more suited to be climbing upon rocks than horses are. Even if an oxen could get upon the rocks, what do you think would happen to the plow point in the plow that's falling behind the ox? It would be broken. Because plows are not intended to rip open rocks and mountains. They're intended to rip open dirt.
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Now look what Amos is saying. He's asked these two simple questions. "Shall horses run upon the rocks?" No. "Shall oxen plow upon the rocks?" No. How stupid could you be to think such a thing? Now listen, he's saying what you are doing is not only against nature, it's also against common sense. Why did he ask those questions? Well, go back to verse 12. "Shall horses run upon the rock? Will one plow there with oxen?"
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Now notice what he says, "for you have turned judgment into gall and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock." Having established the impossibilities of such acts as running horses upon the rock and plowing with oxen upon the rock, the prophet continues with his charge and states, "You've turned judgment into gall and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock." As absurd as it is to run horses upon the rocks and try to plow with oxen upon the rocks, it is equally absurd to seek gain from injustice and oppression to which God has annexed both loss and woe, both temporal and eternal.
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One cannot change the course of nature any more than he can hinder or change God's providence or God's laws of retribution. In other words, what he's saying is what you're doing in your society, what you're doing in your judicial system is not only against nature, it's against common sense. If you think, he says, that you may profit from running horses upon rocks and plowing upon rocks with oxen, you're equally foolish for thinking that you can pervert God's law and God's justice and escape His righteous vengeance. It's impossible. Now look what he says in verse 12.
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"For you have turned judgment into gall and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock." The Hebrew word for "judgment" is the word "mishpat" which indicates judgment, justice, and righteousness. The rulers were turning justice or judgment and righteousness into gall. Now the word for "gall" is the Hebrew word "rosh" which is translated as gall, venom, poison, and hemlock. Watch carefully. In the context of Amos 6 and verse 12, judgment equals justice and the fruit of righteousness not only refers to justice, but to the sweet results obtained thereby. It refers to the equity and justice that would have been produced with the application of God's law. Now look in verse 12. He said, "for you have turned judgment or justice into gall or poison, and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock." The word for "hemlock," and by the way, hemlock is a known and notorious poison, is "la'anah," which refers to wormwood, hemlock, which is an extremely bitter poison that produces sickness and death. Sometimes this word is translated as "wormwood" in our Bibles. I want you to follow me because I'm going to show you that even when it is translated as "wormwood," it still indicates death.
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Look in your Bibles, hold Amos 6, but turn if you would please to Deuteronomy 29 and verse 18. Deuteronomy 29 and verse 18. Deuteronomy 29 verse 18. Watch carefully now. "Lest there should be among you man or woman or family or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from the Lord our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations. Lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood."
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And if you read on down, it's talking about idolatry. It's the curse of God upon the idolaters. And by the way, someone tell me, what was the penalty for idolatry? Death. And notice how he uses it, "lest there be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood" or hemlock. You drink hemlock, you're dead. You leave God and go to idols, you're dead. You have the curse of God upon you.
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Skip right over to the book of Proverbs chapter 5 and verse 4. Proverbs 5 and verse 4. Now I want you to note in this passage, Proverbs 5 and verse 4, he's talking about the harlot. Proverbs 5 verse 4, and look what God says concerning those who visit the harlots. He says in Proverbs 5 and verse 4, "Her end is bitter as wormwood" or hemlock, "sharp as a two-edged sword, her feet go down to death, her step takes hold in hell." Huh. What's he talking about? Death, wormwood, hemlock, but it's still death. Look in your Bibles to the book of Revelation chapter 8 and verse 11. Revelation 8 and verse 11. Notice the word "wormwood" and notice if you would that death is associated with it. Revelation 8 and verse 11.
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"And the name of that star is called Wormwood and the third part of the waters became wormwood and many men died of the waters because they were made bitter." Wormwood equals death.
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Now go back to the book of Amos. Because I want you to see in Amos 5 and verse 7. Amos 5 verse 7. Here's the word "wormwood" again. Look at Amos 5 verse 7. He says, "You who turn judgment to wormwood and leave off righteousness in the earth." You who turn judgment or justice into wormwood and leave off righteousness in the earth. Now the Hebrew word for "judgment" in Amos 5 and verse 7 is the word "mishpat," which is exactly the same word that is used in Amos 6 and verse 12. Notice that turning judgment into wormwood is the same as turning justice into hemlock. It is death. Death to individuals, death to families, death to cultures, death to societies, and death to nations. Once judgment is turned into wormwood, gall, or hemlock, righteousness is no more. It is gone. It is perverted.
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It has now become injustice, corruption, and fraud. Now, John Calvin in his commentary gave three possible interpretations for verse 12 of Amos chapter 6. Look at Amos 6 and verse 12 again. And I want to tell you what these three possible interpretations are. And I'll tell you which one I believe is correct. But in verse 12 of Amos 6, "Shall horses run upon the rock? Will one plow there with oxen?
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For you've turned judgment into gall and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock." Calvin says, "For some think that the prophet by these figurative expressions means that the people were wholly unprofitable as to anything good. As someone says, 'The slothful ox wishes for the saddle, the horse wishes to plow.' They therefore suppose that this is the meaning of these words: 'You're no more fitted to lead a good life than a horse is to run on a rock or an ox to plow upon a rock.' Here's the second interpretation. Others think that the prophet complains that the order of things was subverted as though, he said, 'You have alike confounded all equity in government and justice. In short, you have subverted all right, as when one tries to ride swiftly over a high rock, or attempts to plow there, which is contrary to the nature of things, as you are therefore become monsters.' And then here's the third one. Others again think that the prophet here complains that he lost all of his labor, for he had been singing according to the common proverb to the deaf.
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'What do I affect as to this iron generation? It is the same as if one tried to ride on the rock, to mount a rock on a swift horse, or as one attempted to plow there, both which are impossible. So now when I address stupid men, there is no fruit to my labor, and no advantage is gained.'" So here's three simple interpretations. One of them says the people are not fitted for anything.
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Number two, the government has perverted all right and all justice, society as well. And thirdly, that Amos is complaining about the fact that nobody listens to him. I believe the second interpretation is right because it not only fits the immediate context but it also fits the remote context. Amos is complaining, I believe, that the fact and the reality is that they had confounded all equity in government and justice. It had become so polluted, it had become so poisoned, it had become so perverted that the only remedy was for God to destroy them in judgment and in justice. In other words, there was no longer any justice in the nation, and therefore there was no hope for the nation. I want you to turn in your Bibles, hold Amos 6, but turn to the book of Jeremiah chapter 22. I hope you can put two and two together. I want you to see the impact and implication of hemlock justice.
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You know, before I read this, I've used this illustration before, but I want you to think about it. I tell people I'm not a communist. I have no sympathies for communism. I have no leanings toward communism. But there is one communist that said one thing that I do quote fairly often. Gus Hall said this, "The reason we referred our judicial system as the halls of justice is because the only place you can get any justice is out in the halls." Which is basically true. You can't get any in the courtroom today because no one is interested in justice.
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Not the judges, not the attorneys. There's a big difference between justice and legalities and technicalities and wanting to win. Look in Jeremiah chapter 22 beginning there with verse 13. Look what God says. I want you to compare our society today with what is being said in Jeremiah 22 beginning there with verse 13. God says, "Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by wrong, that useth his neighbor's service without wages, and giveth him not for his work, that saith, I will build me a wide house and large chambers, and cutteth them out windows, and it is sealed with cedar, and painted with vermilion." In other words, it's a very expensive house. How did he get this expensive house?
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Through fraud, and corruption, and deceit. Now watch. Look what God asks in verse 15. "Shalt thou reign, because thou closest thyself in cedar? Did not thy father eat and drink, and do judgment and justice? And then it was well with him. He judged the cause of the poor and needy. Then it was well with him. Was not this to know me, saith the Lord?" Note if you would. "But thine eyes and thine heart are not but for thy covetousness, and for to shed innocent blood, and for oppression, and for violence to do it. Therefore, thus saith the Lord concerning Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, they shall not lament for him, saying, Ah, my brother, or Ah, my sister. They shall not lament for him, saying, Ah, Lord, or Ah, his glory.
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He shall be buried with the burial of an ass, drawn and cast forth beyond the gates of Jerusalem." Now look what God is saying. Look. He said, "You're building your great palaces. You're building your expensive homes. Man, you have them sealed with cedar. You have them painted with vermilion."
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Now God asks, "Shalt thou reign because you have all of this? All this wealth, all this money, all these riches, all this power, all this prestige, shalt thou reign because of all this? You've done this!" And then God asks these questions. Look at it, verse 15. "Shalt thou reign, because thou closest thyself in cedar? Did not thy father eat and drink, and do judgment and justice? Look, then it was well with him." What did he mean by doing justice and judgment? Well, skip down if you would to verse 16. "He judged the cause of the poor and the needy, then it was well with him."
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"Was not this to know me, saith the Lord?" What is it to know God? To obey Him, to honor Him, to follow His law.
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Now look what He's saying. "Your fathers obeyed Me, but you don't. They didn't have all of this, but it was well with them. Because they obeyed Me. You've got all of this and you disobey Me. And you think things are going to go well for you now? Oh no." Now look what God does. God then singles out, He tells them in verse 17, here's what you're doing.
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"Thine eyes and thine heart are not but for covetousness." In other words, the only thing you want is for yourself. And by the way, if that doesn't describe this generation, I don't know what does. Everyone is out for themselves, period. They could care less about anyone else. He says, "But thine eyes and thine heart are not but for thy covetousness, and for to shed innocent blood, and for oppression, and for violence to do it."
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Now God picks out a prime example of this injustice, of this corruption, and this fraud, and it happens to be Jehoiakim, who was a wicked ungodly king, the son of Josiah of Judah. And God says, "Look, here's what's going to happen, Jehoiakim, I'm going to kill you. No one's going to lament for you, no one's going to mourn for you. In fact," he said, "you're going to be buried with the burial of an ass. You're going to be drawn and cast forth beyond the gates of Jerusalem."
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How did they bury asses? They didn't. They just threw them on the dung heap and let them rot.
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Now, listen carefully. Listen carefully. Here's what God is saying. I don't think too highly of those individuals who pervert justice, who violate My law, who refuse to bow to Me. I don't think too highly of those who pervert justice and turn it into hemlock, who exercise covetousness and oppression and violence. When He says Jehoiakim was going to be buried with the burial of an ass, He meant that Jehoiakim was going to be unloved, unmourned, uncared for, and treated as unclean. Here's what He meant. That when Jehoiakim died, no one lost anything. It was good riddance.
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The nation benefited from his death. He was a wicked, corrupt, perverted ruler who had met his match in God. And God said, "I'll show you what I think of him. Drag him out of Jerusalem and throw him on the dung heap. Let him rot."
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And the people said, "Good riddance." Let me ask you, if God would not let Jehoiakim, if God would not let Jerusalem, if God would not let Samaria escape because they had perverted His law and His justice, do you somehow think that we're going to be permitted to escape? Do you think those men who are in high positions with high power and lots of money, do you think somehow they're going to escape? Oh no. Like Jehoiakim, they'll be buried with the burial of an ass.
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Now, watch verse 13 of Amos chapter 6. Go back to Amos. Because God is saying this. We'll read verse 12. "Shall horses run upon the rock?" The answer is no. "Will one plow there with oxen?" The answer is no. He says, "For you have turned judgment into gall and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock." Here's what's going to happen because you've done this. Watch verse 13. "You who rejoice in a thing of naught." Now watch.
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"Who say, Have we not taken to us horns by our own strength?" Let me just stop right there. "You who rejoice in a thing of naught." They were rejoicing in a thing of naught. You know what naught is? Naught is nothing. It is zilch. It is zero. It is nada. It was not one thing. In other words, their rejoicing was totally empty. Why? Because they were rejoicing in themselves.
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Look at it in verse 13. "You who rejoice in the thing of naught, who say, Have we not taken to us horns by our own strength?"
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Now, what does it mean when it means that they were rejoicing in themselves? It means that they were rejoicing in absolutely nothing. Somehow, in those days and in our days, we rejoice in government. We rejoice in our political leaders. We rejoice in our political programs. We rejoice in our political programs and our political parties. How many people really think somehow that Obama is going to change this country for the better? He will change it, but not for the better. And if McCain had gotten in, would he have changed it for the better? No.
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Salvation is not in man. Salvation is not in parties. Salvation is not in programs. Salvation is in the Lord alone.
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Now here's the epitome of the pride of Jerusalem and the pride of Samaria. Watch it. Verse 13, "You who rejoice in a thing of naught, who say, Have we not taken us horns by our own strength?" Have we not taken to us horns by our own strength? Horns in the Bible speak of power, strength, pride, and position.
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Now the word "horn" or "horns" may be used in a good sense and it also may be used in a bad sense. Let me show you. Look in your Bibles. Follow me very quickly. Hold Amos 6. But go to 1 Samuel chapter 2. I'm going to first show you a couple of verses where the word "horn" or "horns" is used in a good sense. Remember the word "horn" speaks of power. It speaks of strength. When you think of a rhinoceros, you think of its horn.
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I probably told you this, but at our place, there is an eight-foot harrow, you know, one of those big implements that turns soil, and it probably weighs 1,000 pounds. When Voregard was alive and in his prime, that big bull, Alice and I went out to hook up to that harrow because I was going to plow up some land. And I found that harrow turned upside down, totally, completely flipped over. And here that big bull had stood there, put his horns under that thing and raised his head and totally flipped that harrow over. Had to take a chain in the tractor and pull it back over before I could hook up to it. Horns speak of strength. Horns speak of power. Here's the good part.
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Look in 1 Samuel chapter 2 and verse 1. Here's the good use of it. "And Hannah prayed and said, My heart rejoiceth in the Lord, my horn is exalted in the Lord, my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies, because I rejoice in thy salvation." What was Hannah doing? She was rejoicing in her power, in her strength over her enemies, which only was in the Lord. It wasn't anywhere else. Look in your Bibles to Psalm 148 and verse 14. Psalm 148 and verse 14. Here's the good sense. Psalm 148 and notice if you would please verse 14. The Bible says, referring to our God, "He also exalted the horn of His people, the praise of all of His saints, even of the children of Israel, the people near them, praise ye the Lord." He exalted the horn of His people. In other words, it is God who gives us strength. It is God who gives us power. So it's used in a good sense. If you look back in your Bibles to... Boy, I should have...
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That's all right. Let me just quote this one. This one's back in 1 Samuel 2 and verse 10. Listen carefully. "The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces. Out of the heaven shall He thunder upon them, the Lord shall judge the ends of the earth, He shall give strength unto His king, and exalt the horn of His anointed." So here are three passages, there are a multitude more, where the word "horn" is used in a good sense.
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But if you will turn now to Psalm 75. Psalm 75. Here's a warning for men not to exalt themselves. Notice in Psalm 75, beginning there with verse 4, Psalm 75 verse 4, "I said unto the fools, lift not up the horn, lift not up your horn on high, speak not with a stiff neck." Now what do the wicked do when they lift up their horn? They speak with a stiff neck.
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They're glorying in their power, in their strength, in their position. God says you better not do it. Look in Jeremiah chapter 48. And notice if you would please verse 25. Here's another example of that horn. That horn of power of the wicked being cut off. Notice Jeremiah 48 and verse 25. I'm sorry. I said Isaiah, it's Jeremiah. Jeremiah 48 and verse 25. Jeremiah 48, verse 25, and I could multiply scriptures like this, but here it is. Jeremiah 48, verse 25, "The horn of Moab is cut off, and his arm is broken, saith the Lord." What does God do when He cuts off the horn? He breaks the arm. When your arm is broken, what have you lost? Your power, your strength, your ability. And then, of course, in Lamentations chapter 2 and verse 3, if you'll turn there, you'll see that this is exactly what God did to Jerusalem. This is what Amos chapter 6 is talking about. Notice Lamentations chapter 2 and verse 3. He says it like this, "He hath cut off in His fierce anger all the horn of Israel.
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He hath drawn back His right hand from before the enemy, and He burned against Jacob like a flaming fire, which devoured round about him." What did God do? He cut off the horn of Jerusalem. What did He do? He broke their power. He broke their strength. He broke their back.
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Now, when you look back in your Bibles to the book of Amos chapter 6, look at verse 13 again now. In light of verse 12, what were they doing in verse 12? They were turning judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock. Then he says in verse 13, "You who rejoice in a thing of naught, who say, Have we not taken us horns by our own strength?"
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In other words, we don't need God. We don't need God's law. We don't need anyone to tell us what to do or how to do. We can handle it ourselves.
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Get to verse 14. God says, "But behold, I will raise up against you a nation, O house of Israel, saith the LORD, the God of hosts, and they shall afflict you from the entering in of Hemath unto the river of the wilderness." What did the people in Amos' day say? "We have strength. We have power. We can work things out. Why in the next two years I'm going to create two and a half million jobs? I'm going to turn this economy around."
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"I will do this and I will do that. And we're going to keep the same old gang in power, and we'll rejoice in our perversion, in our corruption, in our fraud, and we will continue to turn judgment into gall and the fruits of righteousness into hemlock." God had a word for the haughty rulers of Israel and for the haughty rulers of Jerusalem who imagined that they could defy God and His law and escape judgment. God says, "Listen, I will raise up against you a nation, O house of Israel, saith the Lord God of hosts, and they shall afflict you."
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Time they get into the country, they will start afflicting you until they finish the job. And you know that God sent Assyria against the northern kingdom, and Assyria against the southern kingdom, as well as Babylon. You know what the Bible says in Isaiah 28 verse 21? Let me just quote it. I want you to understand that judgment is the work of God. It is something that God does. He will do it. In Isaiah 28 verse 21, we read this, "For the Lord shall rise up in Mount Perazim, He shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that He may do His work, His strange work, and bring to pass His act, His strange act." Judgment is referred to as God's strange act and God's strange work, but He said, "I will bring it to pass. I will do it."
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Now, I do want you to turn in your Bibles to Deuteronomy chapter 7, because I want to show you this. Deuteronomy chapter 7. I want to show you that God is not embarrassed to bring forth His judgment. And if you think that God is embarrassed or will act slowly in judging, you need to read these verses. Look in Deuteronomy chapter 7, beginning there with verse 9. God says, "Know therefore that the Lord thy God, He is God, the faithful God, who keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love Him and keepeth His commandments to a thousand generations, and repayeth them that hate Him to their face, to destroy them.
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He will not be slack to him that hateth Him. He will repay Him to His face." God is not embarrassed to bring forth His judgment. God was not embarrassed to raise up those Assyrians. God was not embarrassed to raise up those Babylonians. And God continued to send them until the nation basically was destroyed and the people carried into captivity. Those rulers who perverted and poisoned justice finally received their justice. They discovered, they found out that God was the just God. And as they had done to others, so God did unto them.
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Now let me make just a couple of quick applications. The first one is this. As you look at Amos 6 and verse 12, Amos uses illustrations from agriculture to illustrate the stupidity and the insanity of fighting against God and seeking to profit from poisoned justice, which is not justice, but it is injustice, corruption, and fraud. Those who seek to run horses upon rocks and those who seek to plow upon rocks with oxen will soon discover that they're not just fighting against nature, they're fighting against divine providence and ultimately the sovereign God of heaven and earth, who happens to be the judge of all the earth. And by the way, I don't have time to get to it, but if you would look, when you get home, to Psalm 82. Psalm 82 is a psalm against judges. And God says because of their corruption and their perversion, they literally turned the world upside down. Let me just spell it out for you like this. When hemlock justice issues forth, the world is turned upside down, society dies, righteousness dies, and wickedness flourishes.
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"When the unrighteous are exalted, the wicked walk on every side." Let me conclude with this. God is the determiner of justice. God is the one who defines justice. God is the one who tells us what is just and what is unjust. God is the one who tells us what is right and what is not right. Are you listening? It is absolutely impossible to have justice without God. Just as it is impossible to have righteousness without God. So when men then violate God's law and go contrary to the truth of the Bible, they are neither right nor just, nor can they be.
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Our Lord said it very plainly, in Proverbs 8:35-36, listen to what He said. He said, "For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favor of the Lord. But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul. All they that hate me love death." What is hemlock justice? It's death. Death to the individual, death to the family, death to the church, death to society, death to the culture, death to the nation. All they that hate Christ love death. If we love Christ and love His Word, we'll bring our lives in conformity to that Word and bring forth true justice and true righteousness. Let's pray. Father, we do ask in the name of Jesus Christ for Your love and Your grace and Your mercy. We do pray, Lord, that You would strengthen us, give us wisdom, give us discernment, give us understanding.
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Help us, Lord, to know where we've come from and where we are so that we may see where we're going. And Father, we do pray that Thou wouldst indeed overthrow the wicked, that You would break their horn, break their power, break their arm. We pray for the establishment of Thy kingdom. Thou didst say, and Thou didst teach us to pray, "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." We pray for the establishment of Thy righteousness, of Thy people, and Thy law.
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And once again, we would worship Thee and serve Thee in obedience and truth. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen.
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T20:14:30Z

Hemlock Justice

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

Pastor John Weaver expounds Amos 6:12, contrasting God's just nature with the perversion of justice in society. He argues that when rulers turn judgment into 'gall' and righteousness into 'hemlock' (poison), they act as absurdly as running horses on rocks. Such injustice brings God's certain judgment, as seen in the destruction of Israel and Judah. The sermon applies this to modern corruption, warning that rejecting God's law leads to national death.

Introduction: Hemlock Justice Defined

Scripture Reading — Amos 6:12

"Shall horses run upon the rock? Will one plow there with oxen? For you have turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock."

God's Concern for Justice

Using Isaiah 59:4,14 and Deuteronomy 32:4, Weaver shows that God is just and condemns societies where justice is absent, truth is fallen, and equity cannot enter.

In Isaiah 59 and verse 4, look what God says:

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 59:4,14

"None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth. They trust in vanity and speak lies. They conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity."

Now note if you would please, He says,

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 59:4,14

"None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth."

The Role of Judges and the Abomination of Injustice

Judges are to represent God's law, but when they justify the wicked and condemn the righteous, both acts and judges become an abomination to the Lord (Proverbs 17:15).

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 17:15

"He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are an abomination to the Lord."

Context of Amos 6: Carnal Security and Wickedness

Amos 6 begins with a woe on those at ease in Zion who trust in their own strength. Their false security leads to increased wickedness, luxury, and indifference to the affliction of others.

Scripture Reading — Amos 6:1-3

"You cause the seed of violence to come near."

Judgment Pronounced on the Rulers

God declares that the rulers will be the first to go into captivity; their palaces will be destroyed, and both great and small houses will be broken (Amos 6:7-11).

Scripture Reading — Amos 6:7-8

"Therefore now shall they go captive with the first that go captive, and the banquet of them that stretch themselves shall be removed. The Lord God hath sworn by himself, saith the Lord God of hosts, I abhor the excellency of Jacob, and hate his palaces, therefore will I deliver up the city and all that is therein."

Scripture Reading — Amos 6:7-8

"I hate the excellency of Jacob."

The Absurdity of Perversion: Horses on Rocks

Amos uses the illustrations of horses running on rocks and oxen plowing on rocks to show the foolishness of thinking one can pervert justice and escape God's judgment.

Turning Judgment into Gall and Hemlock

The Hebrew words for judgment, gall, and hemlock are examined. Turning justice into poison brings death to individuals, families, and nations, as seen in other scriptures.

Look in your Bibles, hold Amos 6, but turn if you would please to Deuteronomy 29 and verse 18. Deuteronomy 29 and verse 18. Deuteronomy 29 verse 18. Watch carefully now.

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 29:18

"Lest there should be among you man or woman or family or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from the Lord our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations. Lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood."

And if you read on down, it's talking about idolatry. It's the curse of God upon the idolaters. And by the way, someone tell me, what was the penalty for idolatry? Death. And notice how he uses it,

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 29:18

"lest there be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood"

or hemlock. You drink hemlock, you're dead. You leave God and go to idols, you're dead. You have the curse of God upon you.

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 5:4-5

"Her end is bitter as wormwood"

or hemlock,

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 5:4-5

"sharp as a two-edged sword, her feet go down to death, her step takes hold in hell."

Scripture Reading — Amos 5:7

" You who turn judgment or justice into wormwood and leave off righteousness in the earth. Now the Hebrew word for "

Calvin's Interpretations and the Correct View

John Calvin offered three interpretations of Amos 6:12; Weaver argues the second—that government and society have confounded all equity and justice—is correct.

Jehoiakim: An Example of Hemlock Justice

Jeremiah 22:13-19 describes Jehoiakim's corruption and oppression; God promises he will be buried like an ass, unloved and unmourned, as a warning to unjust rulers.

Scripture Reading — Jeremiah 22:13-19

"Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by wrong, that useth his neighbor's service without wages, and giveth him not for his work, that saith, I will build me a wide house and large chambers, and cutteth them out windows, and it is sealed with cedar, and painted with vermilion."

In other words, it's a very expensive house. How did he get this expensive house?

Rejoicing in Naught and Self-Exaltation

The rulers rejoiced in their own strength ('horns'), but God will cut off their power. They trusted in themselves rather than God, leading to judgment.

Salvation is not in man. Salvation is not in parties. Salvation is not in programs. Salvation is in the Lord alone.

God's Certain Judgment and Applications

Get to verse 14. God says,

Scripture Reading — Amos 6:14

"But behold, I will raise up against you a nation, O house of Israel, saith the LORD, the God of hosts, and they shall afflict you from the entering in of Hemath unto the river of the wilderness."

Conclusion: Love Christ, Love Life

Proverbs 8:35-36 teaches that those who hate Christ love death. Hemlock justice is death; true justice comes only by conforming to God's Word.

Hemlock Justice

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	TuCDzyNU3LE
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Revelation: Witness, Judgment, and the Throne
Genre	Sermon
Date	2012-01-25
Dictation Name
Book	Book 140: Revelation: Witness, Judgment, and the Throne — Chapter 10
Source Timed Segments	82

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction: Hemlock Justice Defined: Weaver introduces the message as an exposition of Amos 6:12, explaining that 'hemlock justice' refers to the perversion of justice into poison, contrasting it with Old West 'hemp justice' (execution by hanging).
God's Concern for Justice: Using Isaiah 59:4,14 and Deuteronomy 32:4, Weaver shows that God is just and condemns societies where justice is absent, truth is fallen, and equity cannot enter.
The Role of Judges and the Abomination of Injustice: Judges are to represent God's law, but when they justify the wicked and condemn the righteous, both acts and judges become an abomination to the Lord (Proverbs 17:15).
Context of Amos 6: Carnal Security and Wickedness: Amos 6 begins with a woe on those at ease in Zion who trust in their own strength. Their false security leads to increased wickedness, luxury, and indifference to the affliction of others.
Judgment Pronounced on the Rulers: God declares that the rulers will be the first to go into captivity; their palaces will be destroyed, and both great and small houses will be broken (Amos 6:7-11).
The Absurdity of Perversion: Horses on Rocks: Amos uses the illustrations of horses running on rocks and oxen plowing on rocks to show the foolishness of thinking one can pervert justice and escape God's judgment.
Turning Judgment into Gall and Hemlock: The Hebrew words for judgment, gall, and hemlock are examined. Turning justice into poison brings death to individuals, families, and nations, as seen in other scriptures.
Calvin's Interpretations and the Correct View: John Calvin offered three interpretations of Amos 6:12; Weaver argues the second—that government and society have confounded all equity and justice—is correct.
Jehoiakim: An Example of Hemlock Justice: Jeremiah 22:13-19 describes Jehoiakim's corruption and oppression; God promises he will be buried like an ass, unloved and unmourned, as a warning to unjust rulers.
Rejoicing in Naught and Self-Exaltation: The rulers rejoiced in their own strength ('horns'), but God will cut off their power. They trusted in themselves rather than God, leading to judgment.
God's Certain Judgment and Applications: God raised up Assyria and Babylon to afflict Israel. Applications: fighting against God's justice is as foolish as plowing rocks; without God, true justice is impossible; hemlock justice leads to death.
Conclusion: Love Christ, Love Life: Proverbs 8:35-36 teaches that those who hate Christ love death. Hemlock justice is death; true justice comes only by conforming to God's Word.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

Injustice is an Abomination to God

Justifying the wicked and condemning the righteous makes both the act and the judge a stench in God's nostrils.

Proverbs 17:15: 'He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are an abomination to the Lord.'

Judges Are Accountable to God

Judges do not judge for man but for the Lord; they must rule justly without iniquity or respect of persons.

2 Chronicles 19:6-7: 'Take heed what ye do: for ye judge not for man, but for the Lord... there is no iniquity with the Lord our God, nor respect of persons.'

False Security Fuels Oppression

When rulers think they are immune to judgment, they indulge in luxury and ignore the suffering of their people, leading to greater wickedness.

Amos 6:4-6: 'That lie upon beds of ivory... but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.'

Perversion of Justice is Self-Destructive

Just as horses and oxen cannot function on rocks, a society that perverts justice cannot prosper and will face God's vengeance.

Amos 6:12: 'Shall horses run upon the rock? will one plow there with oxen? for ye have turned judgment into gall.'

God Will Repay the Wicked to Their Face

God is not slack in judgment; He will destroy those who hate Him, as He did with Jehoiakim, who was buried like an ass.

Deuteronomy 7:10: 'He will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face.'

Human Strength Cannot Avert Judgment

The rulers boasted in their own 'horns' (strength), but God cut off their power; salvation is in the Lord alone, not in political leaders.

Amos 6:13: 'Have we not taken to us horns by our own strength?'

Without God, Justice is Impossible

God defines justice; when men reject His law, they cannot be right or just, leading to societal death.

Proverbs 8:35-36: 'Whoso findeth me findeth life... all they that hate me love death.'

Scripture References

Amos 6:12: The central text: turning judgment into gall and righteousness into hemlock is as absurd as horses running on rocks.
Isaiah 59:4,14: God charges that none call for justice; judgment is turned away backward, truth is fallen, and equity cannot enter.
Deuteronomy 32:4: God is the rock, just and right, without iniquity.
Isaiah 45:21: There is no God beside me; a just God and a Saviour.
Proverbs 17:15: Justifying the wicked and condemning the just are both an abomination to the Lord.
Exodus 23:7: God will not justify the wicked.
2 Chronicles 19:6-7: Judges are to take heed, for they judge for the Lord, who has no iniquity or respect of persons.
Isaiah 5:23: Wicked judges justify the wicked for reward and take away the righteousness of the righteous.
Amos 6:1-3: Woe to those at ease in Zion; they put far away the evil day and cause violence to come near.
Amos 6:4-6: Rulers lie on ivory beds, drink wine in bowls, and are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.
Amos 6:7-8: They shall go captive first; God abhors the excellency of Jacob and will deliver up the city.
Amos 6:11: God will smite the great house with breaches and the little house with clefts.
Deuteronomy 29:18: A root bearing gall and wormwood (hemlock) is associated with idolatry and death.
Proverbs 5:4-5: The harlot's end is bitter as wormwood; her feet go down to death.
Revelation 8:11: The star Wormwood makes waters bitter, and many men die.
Amos 5:7: You who turn judgment to wormwood and leave off righteousness in the earth.
Jeremiah 22:13-19: Woe to Jehoiakim for building his house by unrighteousness; he will be buried with the burial of an ass.
Amos 6:13: You rejoice in a thing of naught, saying, Have we not taken to us horns by our own strength?
Amos 6:14: God will raise up a nation against Israel to afflict them.
Proverbs 8:35-36: Whoso findeth me findeth life; all they that hate me love death.

Historical References

Socrates: Mentioned as the Greek philosopher who killed himself by drinking poisoned hemlock.
Old West 'hemp justice': Refers to the historical practice of hanging wicked men with a hemp rope, contrasted with modern 'hemlock justice.'
Gus Hall (communist): Quoted as saying the only place to get justice is in the halls, illustrating the corruption of the judicial system.
Jehoiakim, son of Josiah, king of Judah: Used as a biblical example of a wicked ruler who perverted justice and was buried like an ass.
Assyria and Babylon: Nations God raised up to judge the northern and southern kingdoms of Israel for their injustice.
2008 economic summit: Mentioned as an example of rulers indulging in $300 bottles of wine while people suffer, paralleling Amos 6.
Obama and McCain (2008 election): Referenced to argue that salvation is not in political leaders or parties.

Important Quotes

Shall horses run upon the rock? Will one plow there with oxen? For you have turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock.

The central verse of the sermon, illustrating the absurdity and self-destructiveness of perverting justice.

He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are an abomination to the Lord.

Highlights God's view of injustice as a stench in His nostrils.

Take heed what you do, for you judge not for man, but for the Lord who is with you in the judgment.

Establishes the divine accountability of judges to represent God's justice.

Ye that put far away the evil day and cause the seed of violence to come near.

Shows how false security leads to increased wickedness.

But they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.

Condemns the indifference of rulers to the suffering of their people.

He will not be slack to him that hateth Him. He will repay Him to His face.

Emphasizes the certainty and swiftness of God's judgment on the wicked.

All they that hate me love death.

Connects hemlock justice (poison) with spiritual death for those who reject Christ.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

What does the metaphor of 'hemlock justice' reveal about the nature of injustice in society?

[Context]

Weaver explains that hemlock is a poison, so turning justice into hemlock means making it deadly and corrupt.

[Question]

How does the illustration of horses running on rocks and oxen plowing on rocks help us understand the consequences of perverting justice?

[Context]

The absurdity of these actions parallels the self-destructive nature of injustice.

[Question]

In what ways do modern rulers resemble those in Amos 6 who were 'not grieved for the affliction of Joseph'?

[Context]

Weaver compares the indifference of ancient rulers to modern political elites who ignore the suffering of ordinary people.

[Question]

Why does God consider justifying the wicked and condemning the righteous an abomination?

[Context]

Proverbs 17:15 is cited to show that such acts are a stench in God's nostrils because they contradict His just nature.

[Question]

What does the example of Jehoiakim teach us about God's view of corrupt leaders?

[Context]

Jehoiakim's burial like an ass shows God's contempt for rulers who oppress and pervert justice.

[Question]

How does the concept of 'rejoicing in a thing of naught' apply to modern political trust?

[Context]

Weaver argues that trusting in political leaders or programs is empty because salvation is only in the Lord.

[Question]

What is the relationship between rejecting God's law and the rise of injustice in a nation?

[Context]

Weaver states that without God, true justice is impossible, leading to societal death.

Applications

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