Judah's despising of God's law and Israel's rejection of His commandments reveal a profound moral failing among the covenant people. Both refused to heed the voice of God as delivered through His prophets, turning what was meant to be their privilege into their central peril. This despising of God's law was internal, stemming from the heart, and manifested in personal and social failures that evidenced their rejection of truth. The people of Israel had become complacent about His revelation, seeking knowledge but not truly loving the truth, which led to their immorality. God found that they loved lies rather than His revelation, and thus Amos declares that they despised His law, devaluing their calling and considering it common. The instruction of God's law, derived from a Hebrew verb meaning to throw, as in casting lots, implies a teacher-student relationship where God's will was taught to His people. When the Israelites rejected this instruction, they also rejected the Instructor, causing their relationship with Him to deteriorate swiftly. The Hebrew word for commandment, suggesting permanence as if engraved in stone, contrasts with the temporary and changeable lies of men, highlighting that God's law comes from an unchangeable, righteous source. In every area of life, Israel perverted God's truth to accommodate human ideas, leading to spiritual and moral complacency. As the church of God, we must guard against slipping into this same attitude of despising His law, for God's justice remains the same for all, and He will punish apostasy as He did with ancient Israel.