The God of the Oppressed

Tuesday, July 8, 2025


One of the common themes throughout the Old Testament is God’s commitment to the poor, the powerless, and the marginalized. Lest God’s people forget the kind of God they worshipped, God repeatedly reminds them that he is the “God who brought you up out of Egypt” (Exod 20:2; Lev 11:45; etc.). God, who has the freedom to define God’s self in terms of anything, including his power, authority, or sovereignty, instead chooses to self-identify as the God who saves and redeems the most lowly and subjugated people. God is always on the side of the oppressed.

During the times of the prophets, wealth and power clouded the memory of God’s people. They no longer were able to empathize with the poor and the oppressed, because they were disconnected from their ancestral heritage as people who were once poor and oppressed. In the Northern Kingdom, the allure of affluence and political power especially distorted the identity of God’s people. God was no longer seen as the God of the poor, but as the God of the nation/state (see the priest Amaziah’s language in Amos 7:12-13). In response, the prophet Amos issued the following words to the Israelites:
“Woe to those who are at ease in Zion
and for those who feel secure on Mount Samaria,
the notables of the first of the nations,
to whom the house of Israel resorts!
Woe to those who lie on beds of ivory
and lounge on their couches
and eat lambs from the flock
and calves from the stall,
who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp
and like David improvise on instruments of music,
who drink wine from bowls
and anoint themselves with the finest oils
but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph!
Therefore they shall now be the first to go into exile,
and the revelry of the loungers shall pass away.”
(Amos 6:1, 4-7)
This imagery of excess starkly contrasts with Israel’s humble beginnings, and Amos demonstrates the startling consequences of what happens when God’s people neglect the poor. In particular, the “beds of ivory” (v. 4) give us an idea of just how affluent the religious elite had become. Did you know that elephants used to inhabit the Mediterranean region? They were hunted to extinction during the reign of King Ahab, who insisted on lavishing his palace with intricate ivory carvings. By 800 B.C.E., elephants had to be imported from Asia to Samaria at an exorbitant cost to furnish Israelite households. Their consumerism had a catastrophic environmental impact!
In addition, God’s people engorged themselves on the richest of food, including the best meat straight from the flock and wine by the bowlful. In ancient Israel, domestic animals (such as sheep and cows in this passage) were rarely consumed, and when they were, they had to be first ritually presented as a fellowship offering to God. Eating a domesticated animal straight from the flock and stall was considered bloodshed/murder because it failed to first honor the life of the animal in God’s presence (Lev 17:3-4).
But Amos saves the gravest accusation for last: God’s people were not “grieved over the ruin of Joseph.” The word translated “grieve” here (חלה; ḥalah) is a strong, visceral verb that means “to become sick.” In this context, it denotes empathy and compassion. In other words, God’s people were so busy sating their stomachs that they failed to become “sick” over the “ruin of Joseph,” a phrase that refers to the poorest of the poor.
Despite living in an American culture that is driven by consumerism, greed, and power at the expense of the poor, it is way too easy for me to assume this passage is meant for someone else: the Jeff Bezos, the Elon Musks, the Bill Gates of the world. Really, anyone else who’s not on a teacher salary. Yet, I must continuously remind myself that I am this Israel Amos is addressing. I am the religious elite who is so distracted by Amazon Prime week and my too-full refrigerator and my growing birthday wishlist that I fail to become “sick” over those who are hungry, vulnerable, and scared in my own community.
These past few months in the United States, the poor have become poorer and the vulnerable have become more vulnerable. We are becoming a nation characterized by our apathy toward the hungry. We are characterized by how cruelly we treat those from other countries. Yet God remains the same: God is the God who, in solidarity, enters into the suffering of the poor and the vulnerable. And worshipping this God who comes to the rescue of the most destitute should shape us into more empathetic people, because we always become what we worship.
May we be the people who grieve those facing food scarcity.
May we be the people who become sick over those without medical care.
May we be the people who come to the defense of the foreigner.
May we be the people who join God’s side: the side of the oppressed.
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Quick Catch-Up

Saturday, July 5, 2025

Believe it or not, I’ve had somewhat of a life these past few years. Here are some noteworthy highlights, beginning with professional accomplishments:

1.     I successfully defended my Ph.D. Thanks be to God! My research concerned the ways in which several classical prophetic voices (Amos, Hosea, and First Isaiah) portrayed the non-human creation's relationship with eschatological themes. It's way more interesting than it sounds, I promise.
(Side note: I’m surprised by how much I appreciate it when my students call me “Dr. Bohn.” Not because I want to tout my degree, but because this is the first time I’ve ever been titled without reference to my marital status. Being called “Dr. Bohn” has, for the first time, made me feel defined by my own self and not by a husband.)

2.     I’ve hit the milestone of teaching 5 years at my current college (not including teaching at another institution and adjuncting). To my great surprise, my favorite class to teach has been Historical Books, in which we analyze what constitutes ancient Near Eastern “history” via the books of Joshua, Judges, and Ruth. This class has proved to have some of the richest discussion, and there have been a number of classes where I remember my chest feeling so tight with pride and gratitude (Describing it sounds like a heart attack, but it’s the opposite of painful, I promise!). I leave those particular classes in awe that I get paid to have meaningful dialogue with others who are asking the same hard questions I ask. I’m so grateful for this life I get to live.

3.     I’ve read lots and lots of books. Here are some particular favorites:
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrel by Susanna Clark
Was this book over 1000 pages? Yes. Did it need to be 1000 pages? No. Yet, I savored every part of this unique British tales of two dueling magicians.
Know My Name by Chanel Miller
I cried my way through this book. This story of a survivor of sexual assault was moving and deeply troubling. While every survivor’s story is important, Miller’s account of her very public legal embattlement was especially eye-opening.  
Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson
Sanderson is no stranger to fantasy fans, and this book was a heartfelt adventure with humor similar to The Princess Bride. Say less!
The Book That Wouldn’t Burn by Mark Lawrence
This book was an absolute masterpiece and a love letter to stories and libraries.
A Fever in the Heartland by Timothy Egan
I read this book in one setting. How did the KKK manage to take over the state of Indiana? This book was riveting, fascinating, and sobering.

4.     I’ve perfected the best iced matcha. I’m already counting down the days to summer so I can make lavender and mint simple syrup from my garden and live my best matcha dreams. And speaking of my garden…

5.     I’m in my gardening era.
I’ve always loved plants, and I’ve been slowly redoing the landscaping around my home. But now that I’m done with my Ph.D., I’ve been leaning into gardening like it’s my whole personality. Who knew that a hobby could so quickly take over your life? We’ve converted half of our front yard to garden beds and I have seedlings all over the house preparing to be transplanted. I’ve been reading about how to properly stratify milkweed seeds and which vegetables are companions to cabbage. What has even happened to me?

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