Amos 2

In the first chapter of Amos, God speaks to the neighboring nations of Israel/Judah. In the second chapter, God speaks to Judah and Israel though there is small passage that is addressed to Moab. To Moab, God expresses his anger and judgment because of what she did to the remains of Edom's king. The bone of Edom's king, not the dead body as such, was burnt by Maob. Since it was a sign of extreme hatred and cruelty, God promises that Moab will be punished. 

To Judah, the kingdom of Amos comes from, God says that he will send fire to destroy the fortress because the people rejected God's law...because they refused to keep God's command. 

To Israel, God has different issues. Israel was morally corrupt. The poor people were oppressed and taken advantaged of. God had reminded them again and again that widow, orphan and the aliens were to be cared for because they were vulnerable. Instead the people of Israel oppressed them, and God was not please with it. They would take garment from the poor as a pledge for the money borrowed and yet used the same garment during their immoral activities. God had told them as a nation that the poor man's garment cannot be kept with the lender at night because the poor man needs it to cover himself; yet by keeping the poor man's garment with the money lender, the poor remained in cold throughout the night. This is oppression of the poor people. In spite of having done so much for the people of Israel, even those dedicated to serve the Lord were abused and dishonoured. Thus God says that he will crush the people and there won't be none to rescue them! 

The idea of taking advantage of the poor and creating life difficult for them is now no longer the way it used to be in Amos' era. Our social and economic context has changed a lot. The poor does not give his garment as a pledge for the money borrowed; it is now his field or house or something of that sort. God did allow taking of a pledge so that the poor man remains responsible for the loan taken. But God did not allow making his life miserable by keeping the garment with the money lender. When do we make the life of the poor man miserable when his house/field has been kept as a pledge? I think when the interest rate is so high so that instead of being able to pay back the loan, he is driven to sell the pledge to pay back the loan, it amounts to making his life miserable. What God is upset about is making the life of the poor man miserable. This may work out in different ways in different context. But in certain context, high interest rate is that which makes the life of the poor ones miserable. This is oppression of the poor men, and the Spirit of God is not pleased!