In “Injustice and Unrighteousness” (Part 2 of The Greatest Commandments and the Prophets), Shaun Calix shows how the Old Testament prophets exposed Israel and Judah’s oppression of the poor, extortion, dishonest gain, and false worship. The lesson ties these sins directly to breaking the two greatest commandments and calls God’s people today to repent by actively seeking justice.

On March 22, 2026, at Oak Hollow church of Christ, teacher Shaun Calix continued the series “The Greatest Commandments and the Prophets” with Part 2: “Injustice and Unrighteousness.” Using powerful passages from Ezekiel, Amos, Jeremiah, and Isaiah, the lesson walks through the prophets’ indictments against the leaders, prophets, and ordinary people of Israel and Judah. The study reveals how they trampled the needy, seized dishonest gain, exploited workers, and lived in luxury built on injustice—all while claiming to worship God.

Shaun carefully connects these behaviors to a failure to love God and to love neighbor, showing that injustice is not just a social issue but a direct violation of the two greatest commandments. The lesson also addresses how people can participate in injustice indirectly (by supporting systems, staying silent, or benefiting from others’ wrongdoing) and examines righteous versus unrighteous attitudes toward wealth. It closes with the prophets’ urgent calls to repentance—cease evil, seek justice, protect the vulnerable—and the sobering consequences of refusing while holding out the promise of blessing for obedience.

1. **Opening: The Prophets’ Indictment**
- Theme: Injustice and unrighteousness as evidence of broken love for God and neighbor

2. **Ezekiel 22:27-31**
- Princes like wolves, false prophets whitewashing sin, people practicing extortion and oppression
- Discussion: Specific wrongs, lack of love for God/neighbor, indirect participation in injustice, and what it means to “stand in the breach”

3. **Amos 2:6-8 & 5:11-12**
- Selling the righteous for silver, trampling the poor, sexual immorality mixed with worship, building luxury homes through injustice
- Discussion: How worship and injustice can coexist, and God’s view of such hypocrisy

4. **Jeremiah 22:13-17**
- Building palaces by unpaid labor and oppression, shedding innocent blood
- Discussion: Righteous vs. unrighteous attitudes toward wealth (“Is not this to know me?”)

5. **Isaiah 5:7-10**
- God expected justice but found bloodshed; greedy land-grabbing and its consequences
- Discussion: What happens to wealth gained through injustice

6. **The Prophets’ Call to Repentance**
- Isaiah 1:16-17 – Wash yourselves, cease evil, seek justice, defend the fatherless and widow
- Jeremiah 7:5-7 & 22:1-5 – Execute justice, do no wrong to the vulnerable, or face desolation; obey and receive blessing
- Key questions: What repentance looks like, consequences of refusal, and rewards of obedience

The lesson ended with a clear challenge: true love for God is proven by how we treat our neighbor, especially the oppressed.