Thrust Statement:  God issues an announcement of judgment against eight nations for their disregard for proper social behavior and lack of right ethical conduct.

Scripture Reading: Amos 1:3—2:16

            God is not a respecter of nations. Amos 1:3—2:16 contain six oracles against the six nations that surrounded Judah and Israel, but this section of Scripture also contains two oracles against Judah and Israel. Israel had joined the other nations in their rebellion against God. Thus Amos begins his book with God’s judgment against six nations that surrounded Judah and Israel for their sins against humanity.  But Amos does not stop with castigation of the surrounding nations; he goes right to the jugular vein in his condemnation of Israel and Judah. He issues judgments against Israel and Judah for refusing to let God be God. In other words, they reject the precepts of God in their lives. The nations of Israel and Judah do not follow God’s will and thus profaned God’s name, which was a violation of one of the Ten Commandments (see Exodus 20:7).

            The Third Commandment reads: “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD (hwhy, YHWH) will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name” (Exodus 20:7).^[1] The nations of Israel and Judah profane the name of God by their ethical conduct. The KJV reads: “Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain” (20:7).^[2] One frequently associates taking the name of God in vain as using the name God in cursing, but the misuse of God’s name is much broader. People who shutter at the use of the name God with the word damn never associate lack of respect for parents, murder, adultery, stealing, false witnessing, and coveting as taking the name of God in vain, or misusing His name.

            When one dishonors God by the life that he/she lives, then this unethical behavior is taking the name of the Lord in vain, especially for one who professes to know God. The Book of Amos is a commentary on Exodus 20:7. And because of this flagrant disregard of God’s sacred name, the Lord roars from Zion with His call of impending judgment: “The LORD (hwhy, YHWH) roars from Zion and thunders from Jerusalem” (Amos 1:2a).  One cannot read this without thinking of a lion and the dire consequences. Amos says, “The LORD roars” (ga*v=y] , y!va*G, “to roar”). He also employs this same type language in 3:8: “The lion has roared— who will not fear?” This symbolism is the symbolism of judgment. As Amos begins his denunciation of the six surrounding nations, one can almost hear the joy that Israel and Judah received. One can associate with the delight that Israel and Judah no doubt experienced when they learned of the impending destruction upon their enemies.

When one reflects upon the downfall of Nazi Germany under the leadership of Hitler, one can understand something of the ecstasy that Israel and Judah experienced.   Many in this country despise the mentality of anti-Semitism.  Christians abhor race discrimination. The people in the United States, as a whole, despise ungodliness and violence in this country. But what if God, instead of condemning Russia, had condemned the United States for its unethical behavior. One wonders how pleased the masses would react if one came from Russia to tell the American people that God is ready to sentence this nation. If God had directly issued judgments against the United States, as He did with the nations surrounding Israel and Judah, through one of His prophets for its many atrocities, the people in American, no doubt, would be ready to ship that prophet back home. As one reads the various judgments in this section of Scripture (1:3—2:16), it is as if Amos is addressing the people in America.

Paul also echoes this sentiment of Amos in his letter to Rome: “For God does not show favoritism” (Romans 2:11). God is the God of the whole world. Each individual is still responsible for his/her behavior. Nevertheless, in all of this negligence, Israel still had the greater responsibility to be a light to the nations because she had received the direct revelation from God through Moses. Today, the Christian community is the “light of the world” (Matthew 6:14).  Christians are to let their light shine before men in order that the world may see their good works and glorify the Father of heaven (6:16). Just as Israel was responsible for violating God’s Law, so, too, Christians are responsible for their violation of God’s Law. God is not a respecter of nations or individuals. It is in this same regard that Peter admonishes the Christians in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia (1 Peter 1:1) to devote their lives to holy living. He writes:

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.  ¹⁰ Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. ¹¹ Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.  ¹² Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us (2:9-12).

            Israel, like the other nations, had refused to let God be God.  Amos details God’s judgment upon the surrounding nations as well as the judgments against Israel and Judah for rejection of His Law. All nations are responsible to God for their crimes against humanity. Amos begins his denunciation of the surrounding nations with the following words:

This is what the LORD says: “For three sins of Damascus, even for four, I will not turn back my wrath. Because she threshed Gilead with sledges having iron teeth, ⁴ I will send fire upon the house of Hazael that will consume the fortresses of Ben-Hadad. ⁵ I will break down the gate of Damascus; I will destroy the king who is in the Valley of Aven and the one who holds the scepter in Beth Eden. The people of Aram will go into exile to Kir,” says the LORD (1:3-5).

            As one analyzes the six judgments pronounced against the six pagan nations, one quickly discovers that the one common denominator against all the nations had to do with sins against humanity. Damascus (northeast) is condemned for its cruelty to Gilead. Gaza (southwest) is judged for enslaving and selling individuals to Edom. Tyre (northwest) is censured for breaking a treaty of brotherhood. Edom (southeast) is reprimanded for pursuing her brother with a sword. Ammon (southeast) is denounced for the murder of pregnant women in Gilead. Moab (southeast) is denounced for desecrating the bones of Edom’s king. All of these nations violated the basic code of mercy that is written in the heart of all people. God held all these nations responsible for their merciless behavior. Amos zeros in on just one sin committed by the various pagan nations. The nations had been guilty of multiple sins, and now the various countries were to be judged at last by God who had been more than merciful for their many transgressions. Their cups were running over with iniquity. So, God finally steps in to bring the nations to their knees for rebellion against His laws.

FIRST ORACLE: JUDGMENT AGAINST DAMASCUS

            Thus, God says (hw`hy+ rm^a*, a*m^r y+hw*h, YHWH) through Amos: “For three sins of Damascus, even for four, I will not turn back my wrath” (Amos 1:3). The idiom—“For three sins of Damascus, even for four”—refers to repeated violations against humanity. The formula, Yahweh says, is a call to take the words of God seriously. The verdict against Damascus is that they had been guilty of one atrocity after another. Thus, judgment is pending. In God’s denunciation of this power, God only mentions one of the many sins that the people were guilty of.  This prophetic formula is very similar to the formula utilized by Christians today, “the Bible says.”  Damascus is condemned for its innumerable crimes against the Gileadites. John H. Hayes calls attention to the formula—“For three sins of Damascus, even for four”—as an idiom of the quality of wrongdoing. In other words, one might paraphrase the formula as: “again and again.” The basic idea is that of stressing the persistence of the wrongdoing.^[3]

Damascus is the capital of Aram (Syria). This denunciation of Damascus, no doubt, was welcomed news for Israel. Hazael (841-806 BCE)^[4] seized the throne of Damascus and waged war against Israel and took much of their territory, which included sections of Gilead.^[5] The author of 2 Kings writes:

In those days the LORD began to reduce the size of Israel. Hazael overpowered the Israelites throughout their territory ³³ east of the Jordan in all the land of Gilead (the region of Gad, Reuben and Manasseh), from Aroer by the Arnon Gorge through Gilead to Bashan (2 Kings 10:32-33).

Even though the name Hazael refers to a dynasty, the Hazael mentioned by Amos, more than likely, was the king that Elisha anointed as king (1 Kings 19:15-17; 2 Kings 8:7-15). Both Hazael and his son, Ben-Hadad (2 Kings 13:24), were Syrian kings.

            Amos does not reproach Damascus for its struggle to gain Gilead, but rather for its cruelty to wipe out an unfortunate population: “Because she threshed Gilead with sledges having iron teeth” (Amos 1:3).  God reveals the cruelty of which the Arameans (Syrians) were guilty. Damascus is charged with using excessive force in the time of war. The armies of Damascus treated the inhabitants of northern Gilead much more cruelly than was necessary in the time of war. One must always be conscious of a higher power in dealing with other nations involved in conflict. Divine mercy upon conquered individuals must always be upon the heart of the aggressor. 

In ancient times, threshing was done with a sled-like object that was dragged over the grain by animals. The Arameans did something like this to the people of Gilead. One can only surmise that the armies of the Syrians did something like this in their treatment of the vanquished foe—destroyed whole villages or massacred the people. They showed no mercy to the conquered.  James Montgomery Boice’s comments are to the point: “He says that even in warfare there are certain obligations that mercy imposes, and the victors must not be ruthless either after the victory or on their way to achieving it.”^[6] The Twentieth-century also witnessed atrocities by the victors in war that appalls any right thinking man/woman. God did not then, and will not now, tolerate such behavior; He will condemn now, as He did then, when individuals exceed what is necessary in conquering another people. The Arameans had committed ungodliness in its worst form. 

This sin was so great that God informed Damascus that He would not turn back His wrath (Amos 3:c). The crime is so immense that God says, WNb#yv!a& aO (l) a&v!‚b#nnW, “I will not reverse it”). The threshing of the Gileadites with iron threshing machines is highlighted as the principal transgression of the Arameans (Syrians), which is here named after the capital Damascus. The context seems to indicate a literal crushing of the prisoners to pieces with iron threshing machines. This machine was a cart with iron wheels underneath, and it was designed to crush straw in the threshing floors after the grain had been beaten out.^[7] God reveals the appalling meanness of which the Arameans were guilty.

Judgment is coming! God’s response is total devastation for the Arameans. The royal palaces are to be committed to the flames: “I will send fire upon the house of Hazael that will consume the fortresses of Ben-Hadad” (Amos 1:4). This destruction took place in 732 BCE when Tiglath-Pileser III (745-727 BCE, “Pul,” as he is known in the Bible) exterminated the inhabitants in the area.^[8] Judgment by fire refers to military action (see 2 Kings 8:12). The people of Damascus, no doubt, considered themselves secure with their strong gate. But Amos warns the inhabitants that not even their fortified gate will protect them from God’s judgment. Amos describes the overthrow this way:

⁵ I will break down the gate of Damascus; I will destroy the king who is in the Valley of Aven and the one who holds the scepter in Beth Eden. The people of Aram will go into exile to Kir,” says the LORD (1:5).

            According to verse 5, Amos speaks of other kings within the realm of Aram (Syria) that God will destroy. The “Valley of Aven” (/w\a* tu^q=B! , B!q+u^t a*w#/, valley of wickedness) and “Beth Eden” (house of pleasure) are depicted as falling. After Damascus collapses, God issues judgments against the other rulers. In other words, none of the Arameans will escape God’s judgment. God will cut off the inhabitants  (bv@oy , yov@b ), especially the kings or rulers who sit upon their thrones.^[9] God thinks not just in terms of Damascus, but also in terms of a region. The judgment of God is a reversal of their history. Amos not only predicts a military defeat against the Arameans, but he also predicts their return to Kir, a site in Mesopotamia near Elamite territory from which YHWH had brought them (see Amos 9:7; Isaiah 22:6). God will return them to their original homeland. Once again, God is revealing that international relations are subject to His will, not the whims of human beings.^[10]  As Douglas Stuart has written:

Kir was Aram’s country of origin (Amos 9:7) in eastern Mesopotamia just as Egypt was for Israel. And just as Egypt stands symbolically for captivity to Israel (Deut 28:68; Hos 7:16 et al.) so Kir would, in a sort of reversal of history, be Aram’s place of reentry into oppression. Their accomplishments as a people will be undone; they will revert to their obscure, subjugated origins as a punishment for their crimes against Gilead.^[11]

Amos begins this pericope with “Yahweh says” (hw`hy+ rm^a*, a*m^r y+hw*h) and ends this pericope with “Yahweh says” (hw`hy+ rm^a*, a*m^r y+hw*h). Amos reinforces the judgment against the reigning king of Damascus, the kings of the Valley of Aven and Beth Eden, and the exiling of the people of Aram (Syria) back to their place of origin (Kir, hr`yq! q!‚r*h) with the words “Yahweh says.”  According to the author of Second Kings, the Assyrians carried out the threatened fate against Aram (Syria): “The king of Assyria complied by attacking Damascus and capturing it. He deported its inhabitants to Kir and put Rezin to death” (2 Kings 16:9). God also identifies the origin of the Arameans:

⁷ “Are not you Israelites the same to me as the Cushites?” declares the LORD. “Did I not bring Israel up from Egypt, the Philistines from Caphtor and the Arameans from Kir (Amos 9:7)?

SECOND ORACLE: JUDGMENT AGAINST GAZA

            This second pericope signals out Gaza as ripe for destruction. Just as Damascus was put in the forefront among the Arameans, so God puts Gaza in the front position among the Philistines. Apparently Gaza (three miles from the Mediterranean coast) was considered foremost among the Philistine cities. Again, Amos calls attention to the solemnity of the occasion by beginning and ending the denunciation of the people of Gaza with “The Lord says” (hw`hy+ rm^a*, a*m^r y+hw*h):

   ⁶ This is what the LORD says: “For three sins of Gaza, even for four, I will not turn back my wrath. Because she took captive whole communities and sold them to Edom, ⁷ I will send fire upon the walls of Gaza that will consume her fortresses. ⁸ I will destroy the king of Ashdod and the one who holds the scepter in Ashkelon. I will turn my hand against Ekron, till the last of the Philistines is dead,” says the Sovereign LORD  (Amos 1:6-8).

Just a cursory glance of this section of Scripture (1:6-8), reveals the gravity of their sins. God employs the same idiom in his condemnation of Gaza that He made use of in His disapproval of Damascus. As stated above, the idiom—“For three sins of Damascus, even for four”—refers to repeated violations against humanity.  God denounces the Gathites for their insensitivities toward humanity: “Because she took captive whole communities and sold them to Edom” (1:6). God is very much concerned with freedom and dignity of persons. In other words, God aims at equality of elevating the slave to the status of brother to the free man.^[12]  As one reflects upon this inequality perpertrated by the Philistines against whole communities, one cannot help but recall the words of Paul over seven hundred years later to the churches located in the province of Galatian churches: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.  ²⁹ If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:28-29).  Approximately fourteen hundred years before Amos (760 BCE) wrote his prophetic book, Job (ca 2100 BCE) also addresses the treatment to be accorded to individuals:

¹³ “If I have denied justice to my menservants and maidservants when they had a grievance against me, ¹⁴ what will I do when God confronts me? What will I answer when called to account? ¹⁵ Did not he who made me in the womb make them? Did not the same one form us both within our mothers?  (Job 31:13-15).

God has always been concerned about relationships. He is concerned about husband and wife relationships. He is concerned about parents and children relationships. Listen to Peter as he addresses how husbands and wives should treat one another:

Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, ² when they see the purity and reverence of your lives.  ³ Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes.  ⁴ Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.  ⁵ For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful. They were submissive to their own husbands, ⁶ like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear. ⁷ Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers (1 Peter 3:1-7).

Do you have this kind of bond with your spouse? Do you treat one another with dignity? Do you berate one another? Are you kind to one another? Are you considerate of one another? Do you treat your spouse as an equal? Today, spousal mistreatment is rampant among the nations. Spousal violence takes two forms—physical abuse and verbal abuse. Neither physical nor mental mistreatment is pleasing to God. Are you ruthless in your relationship with your spouse?  Are you oppressive to your spouse? Again, listen to God as he speaks: “ He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God” (Proverbs 14:31).  Every man must always keep this Scripture in mind in his relationship with his wife. If God were to address you as He did the eight nations, one cannot help but wonder what God would say to you today.

What did God have against the eight nations that He issued judgments against in the Book of Amos? Was it not about human relationships? This principle—He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker—is still as relevant today as it was at the time Solomon wrote these words. One can apply this passage in one’s everyday walk with God. Yes, this wisdom saying is also valid to relationships between husbands and wives, and between children and parents, and between slaves and masters. If the husband oppresses his wife, then he is showing contempt for his Maker. If the wife oppresses her husband, then she is showing contempt for her Maker. One cannot treat people with contempt and expect to please God. One’s way of life must be a life of worship—twenty-four hours daily.  One must never forget that his/her body is the temple of God. If you show disrespect toward other believers, then you are showing disrespect for the body of Christ. Every believer should remember the words of James:

If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.  ²⁷ Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world (James 1:26-27).

God has never changed; He is still concerned about relationships. God is not only concerned about husband and wife relationships, but He is also concerned about relationships between parents and children. He is concerned about Christians getting along with one another. God wants His people to be one. God wants a good relationship between fathers and their children.  Once more, Paul, as God’s chosen ambassador to the Gentiles, writes to the Christians at Ephesus concerning children’s obedience to parents and parents’ relationships to their children:

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.  ² “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise—³ “that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” ⁴ Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord (Ephesians 6:1-4).

Children are to be treated with respect. Children are to treat their parents with admiration. If you think that you can be disrespectful to your children, you need to reread Ephesians 6:1-4.  God weighs your motives. Once more listen to Solomon:

All a man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the LORD. ³ Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.  ⁴ The LORD works out everything for his own ends—even the wicked for a day of disaster.  ⁵ The LORD detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished (Proverbs 16:2-5).

 

Where do you stand in your relationship to God? Husband where do you stand in your relationship to your wife? Wives where do you stand in your relationship to your husband? Fathers and mothers where do you stand in your relationship to your children? Children where do you stand in your relationship to your parents? Husbands are you treating your wives as mere objects? Wives are you treating your husbands as mere objects? If so, this kind of behavior is sinful.

The people of Gaza had treated people as mere objects, which only served the interest of the powerful. This clandestine operation of slavery revolved around economics—not just the deportation of people captured in war. Had God previously addressed this issue? Solomon goes to the very heart of the matter when he writes: “He who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth and he who gives gifts to the rich—both come to poverty (22:16). As one reflects upon so many Old Testament Scriptures, perhaps the words of Paul to the Romans come to mind:

For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. ⁵ May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, ⁶ so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁷ Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God (Romans 15:4-7).

Again, Paul addresses the relevance of the Old Testament to every believer with the following endorsement: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ¹⁷ so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

The offense mentioned by God is just one of the many sins against God and humanity. Because of the insensitivity of the Philistines, God says that He will not turn away His wrath. As stated above, God details their crime: “Because she took captive whole communities and sold them to Edom” (Amos 1:6). The Philistines used their superior power to enslave entire communities for commercial profit. The helpless were not to be misused and badly treated as material objects to increase the earnings of the strong. Twenty years after Amos issued this judgment of God’s wrath against the Philistines, Isaiah (739 BCE) also addresses a similar scenario with the leaders of Israel and the poor:

Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, ² to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless. ³ What will you do on the day of reckoning,  when disaster comes from afar? To whom will you run for help? Where will you leave your riches? ⁴ Nothing will remain but to cringe among the captives or fall among the slain (Isaiah 10:1-4). 

            One observes in this unit (pericope^[13]) of Scripture (Amos1: 6-8) that God addresses other city-states within the country of Philistia. Just as God addresses Damascus, He also speaks to other city-states within the country of Aram. The Philistines, from whom the name Palestine is derived, was the principle city within the territory.^[14] Approximately ten miles to the north was Ashkelon (lay on the coast [three miles inland], halfway between Gaza and Ashdod), then Ashdod (located some twenty-one miles north-northeast of Gaza and three miles from the coast), then Gath, and finally Ekron (twelve miles northeast of Ashdod) located in the northernmost settlement of Philistia.  God’s denunciation covers four of the five cities in the Philistine territory. In addition to Gaza, located on the southwest of the Mediterranean Sea and on the International Coastal Highway, Amos adds Ashkelon, Ashdod, and Ekron in verse 8:

⁸ I will destroy the king of Ashdod and the one who holds the scepter in Ashkelon. I will turn my hand against Ekron, till the last of the Philistines is dead,” says the Sovereign LORD (Amos 1:8).

            Amos moves from the northeast (Aram) to the southeast (Philistia), another region, to specify the sins of the Philistines.^[15] Again, the sins of the Philistines were sins against humanity. They engaged in border raids to capture whole communities and sell them to Edom, possibly to be used in their mining endeavors.^[16] Also, it is possible that the Edomites acted as middlemen in their maritime (sea) contacts with other countries. Kidnapping is a crime. God legislated to the children of Israel through Moses the following comments about the stealing of human beings: “Anyone who kidnaps another and either sells him or still has him when he is caught must be put to death” (Exodus 21:16). Again, Stuart sharpens the focus:

The Edomites, to whom the impressed slaves were sold in this instance, may have used them for their own commerce, which included mining, shipping, and of course farming, but may also have simply resold them elsewhere (see N. K. Gottwald, All the Kingdoms of the Earth [New York: Harper and Row, 1964] 94–114). But these slaves, sold to foreigners, were still human beings, in God’s image (cf. Exod 23:9). The technique of the transaction is unimportant in the oracle; what is unforgivable is such misuse and abuse of helpless people for the profit of the mighty. This theme is reflected in one way or another in all eight oracles in the present passage, and in Amos as a whole.^[17]

            The territory raided is not said, but the proximity of Israel and Judah were, no doubt, the targets for the capture of slaves. Raids, such as recounted here by God, could have been carried out, possibly, only with the defenseless condition of Israel during the time that Jehoahaz (815-802 BCE), king of Israel reigned. Jehoahaz was preoccupied with Aram (Syria), a nation condemned earlier by Amos (1:3-5). What the Philistines engaged in is similar to Joel’s (835 BCE) condemnation of slavery by the Philistines seventy-five years earlier:

Now what have you against me, O Tyre and Sidon and all you regions of Philistia? Are you repaying me for something I have done? If you are paying me back, I will swiftly and speedily return on your own heads what you have done.  ⁵ For you took my silver and my gold and carried off my finest treasures to your temples.  ⁶ You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks, that you might send them far from their homeland (Joel 3:4-6).

Jeffery Niehaus advances the idea that the atrocities committed by the Philistines occurred during the reign of Jehoram (849-842 BCE).^[18] During Jehoram’s reign, the Philistines and the Arabs penetrated Judah and plundered the palace, carried off the royal household, plundered the temple, and sold the people into slavery. Niehaus cites the following Scriptures to give credibility to his hypothesis: 2 Chronicles 21:16-17; Joel 3:5; Joel 3:3-6. The following chart contains the Scriptures cited for ease of reference:

Carried off the Royal Household	Plundered the Temple	Sold the People into Slavery
2 Chronicles 21:16-17	Joel 3:4-5	Joel 3:3-6
16 The LORD aroused against Jehoram the hostility of the Philistines and of the Arabs who lived near the Cushites.  17 They attacked Judah, invaded it and carried off all the goods found in the king’s palace, together with his sons and wives. Not a son was left to him except Ahaziah, the youngest.	Now what have you against me, O Tyre and Sidon and all you regions of Philistia? Are you repaying me for something I have done? If you are paying me back, I will swiftly and speedily return on your own heads what you have done.  5 For you took my silver and my gold and carried off my finest treasures to your temples.	3 They cast lots for my people and traded boys for prostitutes; they sold girls for wine that they might drink. 4 ‘Now what have you against me, O Tyre and Sidon and all you regions of Philistia? Are you repaying me for something I have done? If you are paying me back, I will swiftly and speedily return on your own heads what you have done.  5 For you took my silver and my gold and carried off my finest treasures to your temples.  6 You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks, that you might send them far from their homeland.

 

There is no way to pinpoint with any degree of accuracy as to when the atrocities actually occurred. Did the raids occur during the reign of Jehoram (849-842 BCE) or Jehoahaz (815-802 BCE)? No one knows for sure since Amos did not give the information. But from the internal evidence from Chronicles and Joel, one can surmise that this kind of warfare was rampant among the Philistines.  Also, Edom (see also Amos 1:11-12) violated her covenantal heritage with God’s people. Philistia assisted Edom in violating her fraternal covenant. And, as a result of this complicity, God forewarned Philistia that she would be punished with the fire of divine judgment (1:7), which probably occurred under the leadership of Tiglath-Pileser III (745-727 BCE).  The prophet Obadiah (845 BCE), approximately eighty-five years before Amos, issues a warning to Edom for violation of her ancestral covenantal heritage with Israel. Obadiah writes his denunciation of Edom with very graphic poetic language:

Because of the violence against your brother Jacob, you will be covered with shame; you will be destroyed forever. ¹¹ On the day you stood aloof while strangers carried off his wealth and foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem, you were like one of them. ¹² You should not look down on your brother in the day of his misfortune, nor rejoice over the people of Judah in the day of their destruction, nor boast so much in the day of their trouble. ¹³ You should not march through the gates of my people in the day of their disaster, nor look down on them in their calamity in the day of their disaster, nor seize their wealth in the day of their disaster. ¹⁴ You should not wait at the crossroads to cut down their fugitives, nor hand over their survivors in the day of their trouble (Obadiah 10-14).

The Philistines sold God’s people to Edom. When Edom accepted the Israelites—their relatives—into slavery, they violated their covenant heritage with Israel. Both Israel and Edom descended from Abraham (2166 BCE) through his son Isaac (see also Matthew 1:2). The nation of Israel came from Jacob and the nation of Edom came from Esau. Moses gives the following information about the two boys and the two nations:

The LORD said to her (Rebekah), “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.” ²⁴ When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb.  ²⁵ The first to come out was red, and his whole body was like a hairy garment; so they named him Esau.  ²⁶ After this, his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esau’s heel; so he was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when Rebekah gave birth to them (Genesis 25:23-26).

Isaac would have circumcised both boys (Jacob and Esau) in keeping with the covenant God made with Abraham.  God informed Abraham about the covenant of circumcision:

⁹ Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you for the generations to come.  ¹⁰ This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised.  ¹¹ You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you.  ¹² For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner—those who are not your offspring.  ¹³ Whether born in your household or bought with your money, they must be circumcised. My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant.  ¹⁴ Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant” (17:9-14).

SLAVERY AND THE EARLY CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY

In the time of Jesus, slavery was prevalent. In the New Testament, the early church had to deal with a situation that it could not change without causing irreparable harm to the spread of the Gospel. The youthful church could practice what was generally accepted with guidelines. For example, they, no doubt, reflected upon the words of Moses: “Do not oppress an alien; you yourselves know how it feels to be aliens, because you were aliens in Egypt” (23:9). Elizabeth Achtemeier writes:

In the NT, of course, the grace of God reaches even further to make the slave a beloved brother or sister in the Lord (Phlm 15-17; cf. Gal. 3:28). Here in Amos, God’s wrath will wipe out the Philistines and their rulers, so that not even a remnant will be left to them.^[19]

Chart of the Above Citations

Philemon 15-17	Galatians 3:26-28
Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back for good— 16 no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a man and as a brother in the Lord. 17 So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me.	You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.  28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.  29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

THIRD ORACLE: JUDGMENT AGAINST TYRE

            Tyre was located on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and was the leading city of Phoenicia in the middle of the eight-century, having supplanted Sidon as the dominant urban center of the region.^[20] Tyre was also noted for its maritime trade (see Ezekiel 26—28). Ezekiel 27 paints a glowing portrait of Tyre’s wide-ranging maritime trade. Not only were the Phoenicians blessed through their maritime adventures, but also God had blessed them with a “covenant of love” and a “covenant of brotherhood” between David and Hiram, and between Solomon and Hiram. The geographical location of Tyre is northwest. One quickly observes that Amos appears to point to the points of the compass. He starts with Damascus in the northeast, after that Gaza in the southwest, followed by Tyre in the northeast, and then followed by Edom in the southeast. The next three oracles all concern southeast nations. Douglas Stuart explains the maritime trade of the Phoenicians:

Tyre was a slave-trading nation, and this oracle echoes the Philistia oracle before it (the oracles echo each other in many ways; several are linked to one another by multiple “catchwords”). Tyre, particularly powerful in the eighth century and thereafter (cf. Ezek 26–28), gained wealth and influence as the hub of a far-flung trading empire, its ocean-going ships ranging the Mediterranean Sea. This is the first OT mention of Tyre’s involvement in the slave trade, a dehumanizing business for which it became notorious (Joel 3:6; Ezek 27:13). Again, Edom served as the middleman in the transaction (cf. Joel 3:8 for a similar arrangement), which involved, presumably, the captured population of some town and district in Israel, though this is unspecified.^[21]

Tyre, like Gaza (1:6), was involved in the cold-blooded traffic of human flesh. Profit-making ties to Edom created additional wealth for the powerful in Tyre. Tyre, in the vein of Gaza, was insensitive to human suffering. But Tyre was guilty of another crime—the crime of breaking a treaty obligation. Tyre did not keep her treaty made with David (1000-960 BCE). One’s word should be his/her bond. One’s pledge should never be negotiable simply for self-interest and self-advantage.^[22] Amos describes Tyre’s transgression with the same formula found in God’s denunciation of Damascus and Gaza—“For three sins of Tyre, even for four” (Amos 1:9). In this pericope, one discovers two sins that result in God’s judgment of destruction upon Tyre—“Because she sold whole communities of captives to Edom, disregarding a treaty of brotherhood” (1:9). Amos writes:

⁹ This is what the LORD says: “For three sins of Tyre, even for four, I will not turn back my wrath. Because she sold whole communities of captives to Edom, disregarding a treaty of brotherhood, ¹⁰ I will send fire upon the walls of Tyre that will consume her fortresses” (1:9-10).

            There is some disagreement as to whom the treaty obligation was made since the text does not identify the party to whom Tyre had entered into the “Covenant of Brothers.”^[23]  But the “brotherhood treaty” (<yh!a^ tyr]B=,  B+r!‚t ah!‚<) was apparently Amos' way of describing the cooperative relationship that had existed earlier between the Phoenicians and the Israelites. The reference may be to the treaty with David (2 Samuel 5:11), Solomon (1 Kings 5:1, 11), and Ahab (1 Kings 16:31). There is no evidence that this  “brotherhood treaty” consisted of a treaty between Israel and Moab because Jacob and Esau were blood brothers. Tyre is the subject of  “did not remember” (rk^z* aO, l)a z*k^r) and “uninvolved parties do not ‘honor’ covenants.”^[24] Tyre is rebuked for not keeping the covenant, not Edom. Even though the Edomites were brothers to Israel, they were not so by an international treaty, but by family descent.^[25]

The following chart is printed in order to facilitate the ease of grasping the “brotherhood treaty” between Phoenicia and Israel:

David	Solomon	Ahab
2 Samuel 5:11	1 Kings 5:1, 11	1 Kings 16:31
Now Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedar logs and carpenters and stonemasons, and they built a palace for David.	When Hiram king of Tyre heard that Solomon had been anointed king to succeed his father David, he sent his envoys to Solomon, because he had always been on friendly terms with David (5:1)   Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand cors of wheat as food for his household, in addition to twenty thousand baths of pressed olive oil. Solomon continued to do this for Hiram year after year (5:11).	He not only considered it trivial to commit the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, but he also married Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and began to serve Baal and worship him.

            Tyre did not remember her covenant with God’s people. She sold God’s people to Edom, and Edom was totally devoid of family affection. God still warns His people through the chosen envoys of Jesus to avoid this kind of unethical behavior. For example, almost eight hundred years after Amos, Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, catalogues a list of sins in which he describes the moral decay of individuals who reject God’s Law:

²⁸ Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.  ²⁹ They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, ³⁰ slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents;  ³¹ they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless.  ³² Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them (Romans 1:23-32).

Paul’s statement that “They are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless” adequately describes the Phoenicians and the Edomites. Again, Paul calls attention to the lack of love in his own day, which also depicts the same attitude that Amos condemns among the various nations:

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.  ² People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, ³ without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, ⁴ treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—⁵ having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them (2 Timothy 3:1-5).

One should read about God’s reaction to sin as graphically portrayed by Paul. He demonstrates the utter degradation of individuals that reject God’s Law as the absolute standard by which to judge between right and wrong.

18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. 24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. 26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion. 28 Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless (Romans 1:18-31).

In conclusion, the words of Amos concerning judgment against Tyre are worth reflecting upon once more: “I will send fire upon the walls of Tyre that will consume her fortresses” (Amos 1:10).  Niehaus makes the following succinct observation about the downfall of Tyre:

Sennecherib apparently subdued it and took captives (Luckenbill, Annals of Sennacherib, pp. 73, 104). Esarhaddon conquered it (Borger, Die Inschriften Asarhaddons, p. 86; see also p. 49) and make a suzerainty treaty with it (Borger, Die Inschriften Asarhaddons, pp. 107-9, “Der Vertrag mit Baal von Tyrus”). Ashurbanipal besieged it, and received tribute (Piepkorn, Historical Prism Inscriptions of Ashurbanipal, pp. 40-45; ANET, p. 295). Nebuchadnezzar (604-562 B.C.) besieged it for thirteen years, but in vain (Bright, History of Israel, p. 352; Ezek. 29:18). Alexander the Great took it after seven-month siege in 332 B.C., and thirty thousand of its inhabitants were sold as slaves (Bright, History of Israel, p. 413). There may be a note of irony in this latter event, for those who dealt in slaves had now become slaves. Tyre was finally taken by the Saracens in A.D. 1291 and is now only a ruin.^[26]

FOURTH ORACLE: JUDGMENT AGAINST EDOM

            As one embarks upon the judgment against Edom (<oda#, a#do<), one quickly discovers that there is no area of human life that lies outside of God’s rule. God judges Edom for its failure to honor its bond of brotherhood. As stated earlier, Jacob (2006 BCE—date of birth) and Esau were twins. The Israelites descended from Jacob, but the Edomites descended from Esau. Moses gives the background information about these two boys and nations in his record as recorded in the Book of Genesis:

When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb.  ²⁵ The first to come out was red, and his whole body was like a hairy garment; so they named him Esau.  ²⁶ After this, his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esau’s heel; so he was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when Rebekah gave birth to them (Genesis 25:24-26).

            Edom, as stated above, is located in the southeast. It is located in the region south of the Dead Sea on both sides of the Arabah. The name Edom (<oda#, a#do<) means “the red region,” derived from the reddish sandstone found in the area. Edom is separated from Moab on the north by the Zered River. Also, the King’s Highway ran north-south through the middle of Edom.^[27] Edom’s prosperity increased because she controlled the caravan routes passing from India and South Arabia to Egypt. Amos reveals, as noted above, that Edom participated in the slave trade with Gaza (Amos 1:6) and Tyre (1:9).

            During the reign of Jehoram, king of Judah, (849-843 BCE), the Edomites revolted and were able to maintain independence for sixty years. In the eighth-century, Uzziah, king of Judah, (783-742 BCE) recaptured Edom. But in the reign of Ahaz, king of Judah, (735-715 BCE) Edom defeated Judah.  During the final conquest of the kingdom of Judah in 586 BCE, the Edomites were overjoyed that the Babylonians sacked Jerusalem. Psalms 137 records the reaction of the Edomites against their blood brothers:

⁷ Remember, O LORD, what the Edomites did on the day Jerusalem fell. “Tear it down,” they cried, “tear it down to its foundations!”  (Psalm 137:7).

After the fall of Jerusalem, the Edomites migrated west of the Arabah to southern Judah, where they became known as the Idumeans.

This fourth oracle of Amos bears the same structure that one finds in Amos 1:9-10 concerning the sins of Tyre. Amos issues the following judgment against Edom:

¹¹ This is what the LORD says:  “For three sins of Edom, even for four, I will not turn back my wrath. Because he pursued his brother with a sword, stifling all compassion, because his anger raged continually and his fury flamed unchecked, ¹² I will send fire upon Teman that will consume the fortresses of Bozrah.”

 

            Amos now completes the chiastic (x) coverage of the compass points surrounding Judah and Israel by focusing on Edom. He mentions two other cites within the borders of Edom—Teman and Bozrah. Teman (/m*yT@, T?m*n) was Edom’s southernmost major city and Bozrah (hr`x=B*, B*x+r*h) was Edom’s northernmost city. Both cities lay along the King’s Highway. It was this highway that Moses and the children of Israel sought to pass through peacefully (1446 BCE), but they were opposed “with the sword” (br\j#b^, b^j#r#b). Moses writes about Edom’s denial of passage and their threat of the sword:

¹⁴ Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom, saying:  “This is what your brother Israel says: You know about all the hardships that have come upon us.  ¹⁵ Our forefathers went down into Egypt, and we lived there many years. The Egyptians mistreated us and our fathers, ¹⁶ but when we cried out to the LORD, he heard our cry and sent an angel and brought us out of Egypt. “Now we are here at Kadesh, a town on the edge of your territory.  ¹⁷ Please let us pass through your country. We will not go through any field or vineyard, or drink water from any well. We will travel along the king’s highway and not turn to the right or to the left until we have passed through your territory.”  ¹⁸ But Edom answered:  “You may not pass through here; if you try, we will march out and attack you with the sword.”  ¹⁹ The Israelites replied:  “We will go along the main road, and if we or our livestock drink any of your water, we will pay for it. We only want to pass through on foot—nothing else.”  ²⁰ Again they answered:  “You may not pass through.”  Then Edom came out against them with a large and powerful army.  ²¹ Since Edom refused to let them go through their territory, Israel turned away from them (Numbers 20:14-21).

God’s complaint—“Because he pursued his brother with a sword, stifling all compassion”—against Edom appears to be a reference to the events that transpired approximately seven hundred years earlier. This hatred still remained among the Edomites against their brothers—“because his anger raged continually and his fury flamed unchecked.” This hatred is witnessed during the reign of Saul. The author of First Samuel writes:

After Saul had assumed rule over Israel, he fought against their enemies on every side: Moab, the Ammonites, Edom, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines. Wherever he turned, he inflicted punishment on them (1 Samuel 14:47).

 David (1000-960 BCE), too, encountered the Edomites. Again, the author of Second Samuel writes about David’s conquest of the Edomites:

Edom and Moab, the Ammonites and the Philistines, and Amalek. He also dedicated the plunder taken from Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah. ¹³ And David became famous after he returned from striking down eighteen thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt. ¹⁴ He put garrisons throughout Edom, and all the Edomites became subject to David. The LORD gave David victory wherever he went (2 Samuel 8:12-14).

David’s son, Solomon (960-922 BCE) also fought against the Edomites. The author of First Kings gives the following account of this conflict:

14 Then the LORD raised up against Solomon an adversary, Hadad the Edomite, from the royal line of Edom. 15 Earlier when David was fighting with Edom, Joab the commander of the army, who had gone up to bury the dead, had struck down all the men in Edom. 16 Joab and all the Israelites stayed there for six months, until they had destroyed all the men in Edom. 17 But Hadad, still only a boy, fled to Egypt with some Edomite officials who had served his father. 18 They set out from Midian and went to Paran. Then taking men from Paran with them, they went to Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt, who gave Hadad a house and land and provided him with food. 19 Pharaoh was so pleased with Hadad that he gave him a sister of his own wife, Queen Tahpenes, in marriage. 20 The sister of Tahpenes bore him a son named Genubath, whom Tahpenes brought up in the royal palace. There Genubath lived with Pharaoh’s own children. 21 While he was in Egypt, Hadad heard that David rested with his fathers and that Joab the commander of the army was also dead. Then Hadad said to Pharaoh, “Let me go, that I may return to my own country.” 22 “What have you lacked here that you want to go back to your own country?” Pharaoh asked. “Nothing,” Hadad replied, “but do let me go!” 23 And God raised up against Solomon another adversary, Rezon son of Eliada, who had fled from his master, Hadadezer king of Zobah. 24 He gathered men around him and became the leader of a band of rebels when David destroyed the forces of Zobah; the rebels went to Damascus, where they settled and took control. 25 Rezon was Israel’s adversary as long as Solomon lived, adding to the trouble caused by Hadad. So Rezon ruled in Aram and was hostile toward Israel (1 Kings 11:14-25).

In the time of Jehoram (849-843 BCE), king of Judah, the author of Second Kings chronicles an event that took place between Judah and Edom:

²⁰ In the time of Jehoram, Edom rebelled against Judah and set up its own king.  ²¹ So Jehoram went to Zair with all his chariots. The Edomites surrounded him and his chariot commanders, but he rose up and broke through by night; his army, however, fled back home.  ²² To this day Edom has been in rebellion against Judah. Libnah revolted at the same time (2 Kings 8:20-22).

Also, in the reign of Amaziah (800-783 BCE), conflict still existed between Judah and Edom. The record says that he “defeated ten thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt” (2 Kings 14:7). The full account is given in Second Kings:

⁷ He was the one who defeated ten thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt and captured Sela in battle, calling it Joktheel, the name it has to this day. ⁸ Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, with the challenge: “Come, meet me face to face.” ⁹ But Jehoash king of Israel replied to Amaziah king of Judah: “A thistle in Lebanon sent a message to a cedar in Lebanon, ‘Give your daughter to my son in marriage.’ Then a wild beast in Lebanon came along and trampled the thistle underfoot.  ¹⁰ You have indeed defeated Edom and now you are arrogant. Glory in your victory, but stay at home! Why ask for trouble and cause your own downfall and that of Judah also?” (14:7-10).

            Approximately twenty years after Amos’ (760 BCE) denunciation of Edom, Isaiah (739 BCE) foretold the utter destruction of Edom as a nation:

5 My sword has drunk its fill in the heavens; see, it descends in judgment on Edom, the people I have totally destroyed. 6 The sword of the LORD is bathed in blood, it is covered with fat—the blood of lambs and goats, fat from the kidneys of rams. For the LORD has a sacrifice in Bozrah and a great slaughter in Edom. 7 And the wild oxen will fall with them, the bull calves and the great bulls. Their land will be drenched with blood, and the dust will be soaked with fat.  8 For the LORD has a day of vengeance, a year of retribution, to uphold Zion’s cause. 9 Edom’s streams will be turned into pitch, her dust into burning sulfur; her land will become blazing pitch! 10 It will not be quenched night and day; its smoke will rise forever. From generation to generation it will lie desolate; no one will ever pass through it again. 11 The desert owl and screech owl will possess it; the great owl and the raven will nest there. God will stretch out over Edom the measuring line of chaos and the plumb line of desolation. 12 Her nobles will have nothing there to be called a kingdom, all her princes will vanish away. 13 Thorns will overrun her citadels, nettles and brambles her strongholds. She will become a haunt for jackals, a home for owls. 14 Desert creatures will meet with hyenas, and wild goats will bleat to each other; there the night creatures will also repose and find for themselves places of rest. 15 The owl will nest there and lay eggs, she will hatch them, and care for her young under the shadow of her wings; there also the falcons will gather, each with its mate. 16 Look in the scroll of the LORD and read: None of these will be missing, not one will lack her mate. For it is his mouth that has given the order, and his Spirit will gather them together. 17 He allots their portions; his hand distributes them by measure. They will possess it forever and dwell there from generation to generation (Isaiah 34:5-17).

            Edom was truly a brother (ja*, a*j) to Israel. Yet Edom did not respect this relationship of brotherhood. Amos writes about this entrenched hatred contrary to the law of kindred: “he pursued his brother with a sword, stifling all compassion, because his anger raged continually and his fury flamed unchecked” (Amos 1:11). Twelve hundred years had not checked the ill feelings of Edom (Esau) against Israel (Jacob). But with God, time does not wipe out relationships of kindred. It is significant that Jesus—two thousand years after the birth of Jacob (2006 BCE) and Esau—came to create one new man: “to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ” (Ephesians 1:10).

            God’s people are still under obligation to receive one another with love and respect, regardless as to race. Paul, in Athens, calls attention to unity of mankind:

From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.  ²⁷ God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.  ²⁸ ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring’ (Acts 17:26-28).

How do you react toward other Christians? How do you act in response to your spouse when things do not go the way you wish? How do you treat your children? Are you thoughtful toward your employees? Are you considerate of your employer? Paul, in writing to the Christians of Ephesus, encourages a certain kind of behavior toward others:

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.  ³⁰ And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.  ³¹ Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.  ³² Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you (Ephesians 4:29-32).

Are you an imitator of God? Listen, once more, to the words of Paul as he encourages a certain kind of behavior from God’s children: “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children ² and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (5:1-2). Since Christians are a new creation in Christ Jesus, then this demands a new life style for every believer in his/her relationships with others:

¹⁵ Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶ making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. ¹⁷ Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. ¹⁸ Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.  ¹⁹ Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, ²⁰ always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²¹ Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ (5:15-21).

Why does Paul demand that Christians “submit to one another out of reverence for Christ”? Earlier, Paul laid the foundation for his exhortations in Ephesians five. Listen to Paul as he elaborates the why:

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. ¹⁴ For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, ¹⁵ by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, ¹⁶ and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. ¹⁷ He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.  ¹⁸ For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit (2:13-18).

A proper concept of what God has accomplished for humanity should bring about change in one’s attitude toward others. As one studies the sin of Edom—hatred—one may wonder what principle can be deduced for a life that is pleasing to God.  It is simply this: one cannot nourish hatred in his/her heart. If one’s life does not consist in an outflow of forgiveness, then there can be no inflow of forgiveness from God.  In principle, God said to the Edomites through Amos what Jesus says to His people today:

“Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to.  ³³ Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’  ³⁴ In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. ³⁵ “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart” (Matthew 18:32-33).

God’s children cannot allow old sores to fester. Jesus taught the disciples to pray: “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” (6:12). As Jesus concludes His prayer for the disciples, He informs them: “¹⁴ For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  ¹⁵ But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins” (6:14-15). The words of Paul, too, are filled with admonition about love. Listen to him as he encourages the Romans to practice biblical love:

⁹ Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.  ¹⁰ Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.  ¹¹ Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.  ¹² Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. ¹³ Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality (Romans 12:9-13).

Is hatred the fourth sin of Edom: “For three sins of Edom, even for four, I will not turn back my wrath” (1:11)? Have you stifled all compassion for your brothers and sisters in Christ? One should reread God’s warning against Edom and then reflect upon one’s own life. What did you see?

FIFTH ORACLE: JUDGMENT AGAINST AMMON

            Ammon lay north of Edom and Moab. Because of the atrocities committed by the Ammonites, God said that He would set fire to the walls of Rabbah (hB*r~, r^bb*h, literally, the great [city]) their capital, which is the location of modern Amman (Jordan) today.^[28] Ammon extended its borders northward into Gilead. Ammon lay on the east side of the Jordan between Moab on the south and Gilead on the north. On the eve of the death of Moses, he concludes his final book, Deuteronomy (1406 BCE). As he begins this Book, he calls attention to God’s instructions concerning the land of the Ammonites:

When you come to the Ammonites, do not harass them or provoke them to war, for I will not give you possession of any land belonging to the Ammonites. I have given it as a possession to the descendants of Lot” (Deuteronomy 2:19).

 

But in accordance with the command of the LORD our God, you did not encroach on any of the land of the Ammonites, neither the land along the course of the Jabbok nor that around the towns in the hills (2:37).

Even though Israel respected the territory of the Ammonites, yet, the Ammonites did not reciprocate. The history of the Ammonites is one of hostility toward Israel.  The author of Judges reveals a collusion of the Ammonites with Moab (blood relatives):

¹² Once again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, and because they did this evil the LORD gave Eglon king of Moab power over Israel.  ¹³ Getting the Ammonites and Amalekites to join him, Eglon came and attacked Israel, and they took possession of the City of Palms.  ¹⁴ The Israelites were subject to Eglon king of Moab for eighteen years (Judges 3:12-14).

The two cities north of Edom—Moab and Ammon—were genetically related to Israel. Moses gives the origin of these two nations as having come through Abraham’s nephew, Lot. Moses paints a picture of incest with Lot and his two daughters:

³⁰ Lot and his two daughters left Zoar and settled in the mountains, for he was afraid to stay in Zoar. He and his two daughters lived in a cave.  ³¹ One day the older daughter said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is no man around here to lie with us, as is the custom all over the earth.  ³² Let’s get our father to drink wine and then lie with him and preserve our family line through our father.” ³³ That night they got their father to drink wine, and the older daughter went in and lay with him. He was not aware of it when she lay down or when she got up. ³⁴ The next day the older daughter said to the younger, “Last night I lay with my father. Let’s get him to drink wine again tonight, and you go in and lie with him so we can preserve our family line through our father.”  ³⁵ So they got their father to drink wine that night also, and the younger daughter went and lay with him. Again he was not aware of it when she lay down or when she got up. ³⁶ So both of Lot’s daughters became pregnant by their father.  ³⁷ The older daughter had a son, and she named him Moab; he is the father of the Moabites of today.  ³⁸ The younger daughter also had a son, and she named him Ben-Ammi; he is the father of the Ammonites of today (Genesis 19:30-38).

These two sons of Lot—Ben-Ammi and Moab—became two nations. Eventually, these two nations came under God’s judgment during the time of Amos (760 BCE). For instance, the Ammonites come under God’s judgment for their many sins, especially sins against humanity. The Ammonites transgressed the margins of human emotion when they ripped out the powerless babies in the wombs of the Gileadite women. Both Ammon and Moab (sixth oracle of judgment) violated the rights of the weak and helpless. The rulers who have power have a responsibility to protect the rights of the helpless.  This refusal of safeguard for the weak brought about the downfall of both nations. The Ammonites sought to expand their own territory, in spite of God’s gift to them. Their barbaric behavior was a rejection of the Noahic covenant:

⁶ “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man (Genesis 9:6).

            A cursory glance at God’s judgment on Ammon reveals the degradation of a people who had no regard for human life—the mother and her unborn. This heartless crime was for the sake of gaining more territory for its northern frontier—Gileadite territory. She violated the standards of humanity laid down by God. Amos writes:

¹³ This is what the LORD says: “For three sins of Ammon, even for four, I will not turn back my wrath. Because he ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead in order to extend his borders, ¹⁴ I will set fire to the walls of Rabbah that will consume her fortresses    amid war cries on the day of battle, amid violent winds on a stormy day. ¹⁵ Her king will go into exile, he and his officials together,” says the LORD (1:13-15).

            Through Amos, God confronts another nation—Ammon—for its sinful ways. One cannot read this account of God’s judgment against Ammon without a consciousness that God watches over the whole career of one’s sinfulness. Yes, God sees the first, second, third, and the fourth transgressions. Nothing escapes His eyes. 

SIXTH ORACLE: JUDGMENT AGAINST MOAB

            Moab is located east of the Dead Sea with Ammon to the north and Edom to the south. As stated above, the Moabites were related to the Israelites through Lot, Abraham’s nephew.  H. Porter, in his description of the history of Moab, calls attention to Moab as the land in which Herod incarcerated John the Baptist, almost eight hundred years after Amos. He writes:

At a later date Moab was overrun by the Nabathean Arabs who ruled in Petra and extended their authority on the east side of Jordan even as far as Damascus (Josephus, Ant, XIII, xv, 1, 2). The Moabites lost their identity as a nation and were afterward confounded with the Arabs, as we see in the statement of Josephus (XIII, xiii, 5), where he says that Alexander (Janneus) overcame the Arabians, such as the Moabites and the Gileadites. Alexander built the famous stronghold of Macherus in Moab, on a hill overlooking the Dead Sea, which afterward became the scene of the imprisonment and tragical death of John the Baptist (Josephus, BJ, VII, vi, 2; Ant, XVIII, v, 2; Mk 6:21–28). It was afterward destroyed by the Romans. Kir became a fortress of the Crusaders under the name of Krak (Kerak), which held out against the Moslems until the time of Saladin, who captured it in 1188 AD.^[29]

            Amos reveals the intense hatred of brother against brother—Moab against Edom. God, through Amos, addresses the heinousness of Moab’s crime against the dead king of Edom—burning the skeletal remains to prevent resurrection, so they thought.  Amos begins this sixth oracle as he began the first oracle—the LORD says:

This is what the LORD says: “For three sins of Moab, even for four, I will not turn back my wrath. Because he burned, as if to lime, the bones of Edom’s king, ² I will send fire upon Moab that will consume the fortresses of Kerioth. Moab will go down in great tumult amid war cries and the blast of the trumpet. ³ I will destroy her ruler and kill all her officials with him,” says the LORD (Amos 2:1-3).

This judgment against Moab underscores the social nature of the crime. God holds Moab responsible for its unholy act. One can surmise from the six oracles against the nations that God makes nations responsible for their crimes against humanity. This offense against the king of Edom was especially bad, since the belief prevailed that if one’s skeletal remains were burned, than that act prevented one from having eternal life. It is not that God endorsed this superstitious belief, but rather that He conceded this concept as far as the people were concerned. This malicious deed is the height of hatred and contempt. Stuart explains the seriousness of the crime:

To burn someone’s bones, i.e., desiccated bodily remains, was an attempt to prevent—at least symbolically—the opportunity for that person to participate in the resurrection, thus to wish for him or her eternal death. The Bible attributes no efficacy to such acts of sympathetic magic; but the Moabites and Edomites probably did regard a proper burial as an essential guarantee of eternal life. In some past military clash (cf. 2 Kgs 3) the Moabites had captured an Edomite king and burned his bones “to lime” (dyvl), i.e., to a powdery ash. Perhaps they scattered this ash as well (cf. 2 Kgs 23:4–6) in order to make the potential of resurrectional reconstitution even less likely. This was, at any rate, an example of all-out vengeful war. Brother hated brother intensely and acted out the hatred.^[30] 

            Just a casual reading of God’s judgments against Ammon and Moab helps one to think about the future. Amos seeks to drive home the point that ambition must be within the bounds of mercy and kindness. On the other hand, through Moab, he seeks to stress the necessity of renouncing vengeance as a way of life. On the day Moab opened the king’s tomb, she sealed her own doom forever.  Moab failed to take into account that vengeance belongs to God. God says, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay” (Deuteronomy 32:35). Also, the author of Hebrews, as he concludes his epistle, writes: “For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay” (Hebrews 10:30).

            God still refuses individuals to take the law into their own hands. Christians cannot take vengeance; vengeance belongs to God, not man/woman. Paul writes:

¹⁹ Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.  ²⁰ On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head” ²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good (Romans 12:19-20).

The proper response for every believer is love, kindness, and compassion. God deals with proper behavior for the children of Israel: “If you come across your enemy’s ox or donkey wandering off, be sure to take it back to him.  ⁵ If you see the donkey of someone who hates you fallen down under its load, do not leave it there; be sure you help him with it” (Exodus 23:4-5). Once more, God says: “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD” (Leviticus 19:18). As the children of Israel were preparing to go into Canaan, Moses writes: “Do not abhor an Edomite, for he is your brother. Do not abhor an Egyptian, because you lived as an alien in his country” (Deuteronomy 23:7).

Jesus’ words on the Sermon on the Mount goes right to the heart of love, not revenge:

⁴³ “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  ⁴⁴ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵ that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.  ⁴⁶ If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?  ⁴⁷ And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?  ⁴⁸ Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:43-48).

Is there hatred in your heart? Is there bitterness in your heart? Is there the spirit of revenge in your heart? Or is there the spirit of love? Which? Do you love your brothers and sisters in Christ? Do you love or do you hate? Which? Do you seek God’s forgiveness? If so, are you willing to extend forgiveness toward others? If you have not extended forgiveness to those who have wronged you, then repent of your unforgiving spirit and change. If you have hated in the past, then stop your hatred and pursue love. One cannot change his/her past actions, but one can change his/her current behavior. Remember that repentance brings about cleansing; repentance removes the cobwebs of the past and liberates one to live for God now.^[31] Remember the words of Paul to the Romans:

⁸ Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.  ⁹ For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.  ¹⁰ The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. ¹¹ In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.  ¹² Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.  ¹³ Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.  ¹⁴ For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace (Romans 6:8-14).

SEVENTH ORACLES: JUDGMENT AGAINST JUDAH

            The oracle against Judah focuses on the crime of rejection of God’s Law. Unlike the six previous oracles, this oracle speaks of rebellion against God’s will. The Judeans sought to make God less than God and to make Him less than Lord of all. Thus, God issues His complaint and judgment:

This is what the LORD says: “For three sins of Judah, even for four, I will not turn back my wrath. Because they have rejected the law of the LORD and have not kept his decrees, because they have been led astray by false gods, the gods their ancestors followed, ⁵ I will send fire upon Judah that will consume the fortresses of Jerusalem” (Amos 2:4-5).

            This complaint is not a direct grievance against humanity, as set forth in the other oracles, but rather it is a protest against the negative response to God’s Law. Just as God observed the behavior of the surrounding nations, so God also observes the behavior of Judah and Israel. God is now ready to tighten the noose of judgment around the necks of Judah and Israel for their rejection of His Law. Judah and Israel had turned divine election into the doctrine of divine favoritism. Even today, many Christians labor under the impression that divine election allows one to live a life of sin without the fear of retribution. But election demands responsibility on the part of the elect.

            Many today throw out the Law of God because they do not want to abandon sin. Both Judah and Israel rejected the Torah because they did not want to forsake a behavior that would bring about less money in their coffers. By eliminating God’s Word as the standard of right and wrong, then Judah and Israel rejected God. When one discards the Bible today, one rejects the God of the Bible. If you disallow the Bible a place in your life, other gods will move in and take His place. One cannot live in a vacuum. One’s life must be filled with something—God or sin. One cannot exist without a higher being or idol to fill their lives.  If one puts the true God out, then a lesser God will come in. If one puts the Bible out, then other books will take its place. If one puts true morality out, then a lesser morality will come in. If one rejects the absolute standard of God’s Word, then man becomes his own god; he determines what is right and what is wrong.

As noted above, the earlier six oracles deal with cruel and inhuman conduct. The various nations committed atrocities against defenseless individuals. Both Judah and Israel are guilty of inhuman conduct against the poor and the afflicted. By their unconcern for the poor, they rejected God’s covenant law. Even though both nations claimed God as their God, yet their actions spoke otherwise. One cannot serve God outwardly, and, at the same time, disregard the plight of humanity as a whole. Even though God did not begin this pericope (Amos 2:4-5) with a specific transgression against humanity, nevertheless, God still addresses sins against humanity in condemning Judah and Israel for rejecting His Law, which governs human relationships. A brief survey of the kings associated with Amos and after Amos illustrates how the various kings of Judah accepted or spurned God’s Law.

            At the time of this prophecy against Israel by Amos, he says that Uzziah (783-743 BCE) reigned.  The author of First Kings gives some information about Uzziah’s dedication to the Lord and the people’s rejection of the Lord: “He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father Amaziah (800-783 BCE) had done.  ⁴ The high places, however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there” (2 Kings 15:3-4). Uzziah’s son, Jotham (742-735 BCE) also did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. But, he, too, did not remove the high places: “He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father Uzziah had done.  ³⁵ The high places, however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there” (15:34-35).

            But, as a whole, the nation did not do that which was right; they had forgotten God’s covenant law. The son of Jotham, Ahaz (735-715 BCE), did the opposite of his father:

Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. Unlike David his father, he did not do what was right in the eyes of the LORD his God.  ³ He walked in the ways of the kings of Israel and even sacrificed his son in the fire, following the detestable ways of the nations the LORD had driven out before the Israelites.  ⁴ He offered sacrifices and burned incense at the high places, on the hilltops and under every spreading tree (16:2-4).

Yet, one does witness reform with the advent of his son, Hezekiah (715-687/6 BCE).  He removed the “high places,” destroyed the “sacred pillars,” cut down the Asherah polls, and broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made:

In the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, Hezekiah son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign.  ² He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was Abijah daughter of Zechariah.  ³ He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father David had done.  ⁴ He removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. (It was called Nehushtan.) [18:1-4].

These reforms by Hezekiah were short lived, because his son, Manasseh (687/6-642 BCE) reversed his father’s good reforms:

Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. His mother’s name was Hephzibah.  ² He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, following the detestable practices of the nations the LORD had driven out before the Israelites.  ³ He rebuilt the high places his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he also erected altars to Baal and made an Asherah pole, as Ahab king of Israel had done. He bowed down to all the starry hosts and worshiped them.  ⁴ He built altars in the temple of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, “In Jerusalem I will put my Name.”  ⁵ In both courts of the temple of the LORD, he built altars to all the starry hosts.  ⁶ He sacrificed his own son in the fire, practiced sorcery and divination, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the eyes of the LORD, provoking him to anger (21:1-6).

Another reform occurred under Josiah (640-609 BCE), but this did not last long. Once more the people of Judah refused to bring their lives into harmony with the Word of God. Amos knew that their rebellion would bring about the overthrow of Jerusalem, which it did in 586 BCE. Amos expresses the final overthrow of Jerusalem this way: “I will send fire upon Judah that will consume the fortresses of Jerusalem” (Amos 2:5).  The Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BCE fulfilled the prediction in verse five. Over one hundred and fifty years after this prophecy, King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, fulfilled this prediction. The author of Second Kings writes:

On the seventh day of the fifth month, in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard, an official of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem.  ⁹ He set fire to the temple of the LORD, the royal palace and all the houses of Jerusalem. Every important building he burned down.  ¹⁰ The whole Babylonian army, under the commander of the imperial guard, broke down the walls around Jerusalem.  ¹¹ Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard carried into exile the people who remained in the city, along with the rest of the populace and those who had gone over to the king of Babylon.  ¹² But the commander left behind some of the poorest people of the land to work the vineyards and fields (2 Kings 25-8-12).

Judah (hd`Why+, y+hWd*h) was the fourth son of Jacob (Israel).  The following is an account by Moses of the birth of Judah, from which the tribe of Judah descended:

³¹ When the LORD saw that Leah was not loved, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.  ³² Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, “It is because the LORD has seen my misery. Surely my husband will love me now.” ³³ She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “Because the LORD heard that I am not loved, he gave me this one too.” So she named him Simeon. ³⁴ Again she conceived, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “Now at last my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” So he was named Levi. ³⁵ She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “This time I will praise the LORD.” So she named him Judah. Then she stopped having children (Genesis 29:31-35).

In spite of God’s many blessings, Judah, like Israel, rejected the instructions of God and His rules and regulations. Like the other six oracles in opposition to the surrounding nations, God, too, speaks of the numberless sins of the Judeans: “For three sins of Judah, even for four, I will not turn back my wrath” (Amos 1:4). Even though Amos does not catalogue the transgressions against Judah, nevertheless, the sins charged against Israel is easily applicable to Judah. Contemporaries of Amos detail the sins of Judah—Isaiah (739 BCE) and Micah (735 BCE). These two books are prophecies against the sins of Judah, whereas the greater bulk of the prophecy of Amos details the sins of Israel.

Jerusalem was to be a place of peace. The name Jerusalem (<!l^v*Wry+, y+rWv*l^!m) means “city of peace.” The author of the Hebrews letter says:

This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, ² and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, his name means “king of righteousness”; then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.”  ³ Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, like the Son of God he remains a priest forever (Hebrews 7:1-3).

The city of Jerusalem no longer represented a “city of peace,” but rather it was a city in which sins abounded. Thus, God issued His judgment of destruction against this city that no longer followed after Him. What brought about God’s judgment? Listen to God as He gives His complaint: “Because they have rejected the law of the LORD and have not kept his decrees, because they have been led astray by false gods, the gods their ancestors followed” (Amos 2:4).

Three terms stand out in God’s complaint: law, decrees, and false gods. The word law is from the Hebrew word hr`oT (Tor*h), which is the more general term. The second word decrees is from the Hebrew word  <yQ!j% (j%qq!‚m), which refers to specific rules and regulations. And finally, the words false gods is from the Hebrew word  <h#yb@z=K! (K!z+b?h#m), which is literally lies. This phrase is employed figuratively to idolatry.^[32]  This section (2:4-5) sets the stage for the development, on the part of Israel, of the sins against Judah. Since the Book of Amos is primarily an oracle of judgment against Israel, the next segment (2:6-16) details the sins of Israel. But in itemizing the sins of Israel, one also discovers that Judah, too, was engaged in the same sins (see Isaiah and Micah for an analysis of Judah’s sins).

EIGHTH ORACLE: JUDGMENT AGAINST ISRAEL

            One cannot read Amos 2:6-16 without a consciousness of Israel’s moral deterioration. The nation had piled one sin upon another; their sins were, as it were, immeasurable: “For three sins of Israel, even for four, I will not turn back my wrath” (2:6). Israel had deserted its calling of election—a light to the nations. Amos piles one sin upon another in his catalogue of transgressions against the Law of God. The enumeration of the various acts (crimes) by Israel’s leaders portrays the character of the society. As one reflects upon the sins mentioned by God through Amos, one cannot help but reflect upon God’s earlier admonition to the children of Israel: “Do not deny justice to your poor people in their lawsuits” (Exodus 23:6).

            Amos begins his catalogue of sins with economic oppression: “They sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals” (Amos 2:6b).  Amos goes right to the heart of greed among the rich and influential. The wealthy corrupted the courts in the city. The innocent are judged guilty and sold into slavery debt, even if their debts are as insignificant as “a pair of sandals.” He graphically depicts the defenselessness of the poor before the tightfisted money lovers: “They trample on the heads of the poor as upon the dust of the ground” (2:7a). Amos returns to this economic concern for financial gain as he continues to develop the violation of one of the Ten Commandments—“You shall not covet” (Exodus 20:17): 

⁴ Hear this, you who trample the needy and do away with the poor of the land, ⁵ saying, “When will the New Moon be over that we may sell grain, and the Sabbath be ended    that we may market wheat?”—skimping the measure,  boosting the price and cheating with dishonest scales, ⁶ buying the poor with silver and the needy for a pair of sandals,    selling even the sweepings with the wheat (8:4-6).

            Human life was treated so lightly that Amos describes the ridiculously low payment required to purchase the “poor.” According to the upper class—the wealthy—the poor were worth no more than just “a pair of sandals.” With poetic style, Amos deals not only with social injustice, but he also confronts sexual misconduct:

They trample on the heads of the poor as upon the dust of the ground and deny justice to the oppressed. Father and son use the same girl and so profane my holy name (2:7)

When God led the children of Israel out of Egypt, He reminded them of the sexual habits of Egypt and Canaan (Leviticus 18). He warned them against adopting the life styles of those whom he condemned:

The LORD said to Moses, ² “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘I am the LORD your God.  ³ You must not do as they do in Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. Do not follow their practices.  ⁴ You must obey my laws and be careful to follow my decrees. I am the LORD your God.  ⁵ Keep my decrees and laws, for the man who obeys them will live by them. I am the LORD (Leviticus 18:1-5).

Amos says that a man and his father (wyb!a*w+ vya!w+, w+a!‚v w+a*b!‚w) had sex with the same girl. This violated God’s Law concerning sexuality. But this sexual promiscuity also failed to honor God’s name. God describes behavior such as this as a profanation of His holy name (yv!d+q* mv@, v@m q*d+s!‚). The basic meaning of vd~q* (a*d^v) is separateness. God warned them of the dire consequences for violating His Law and decrees, which inevitably profaned His holiness. Ultimately, God did drive the northern kingdom of Israel out of the land through the Assyrians in 721 BCE. God will not tolerate sin among the heathens nor among His people. His people then, as well as now, were/are to be a light to the nations. Listen to God as He addresses the children of Israel:

See, I have taught you decrees and laws as the LORD my God commanded me, so that you may follow them in the land you are entering to take possession of it.  ⁶ Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people”  (Deuteronomy 4:5-6).

Jesus also taught His disciples the same principles of right conduct:

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.  ¹⁵ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:14-16).

Paul, too, encourages the Christians at Rome to live pure lives: 

The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.  ¹³ Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.  ¹⁴ Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature (Romans 13:12-14).

Again, Paul stresses the importance of holy living in his epistle to the Christians at Ephesus:

1 Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. 3 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. 4 Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. 5 For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a man is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. 7 Therefore do not be partners with them. 8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, 14 for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: “Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” 15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. 19 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 5:1-20).

            Amos continues to drive home the lack of apathy for the less fortunate. The wealthy violated even the most fundamental instructions of the Law to fulfill the voracious appetite for luxury and pleasure. Again he writes:

⁸ They lie down beside every altar on garments taken in pledge. In the house of their god    they drink wine taken as fines (2:8).

God had forbidden the practice of keeping a garment taken in pledge after the sun goes down. Through Moses, God says, “If you take your neighbor’s cloak as a pledge, return it to him by sunset, ²⁷ because his cloak is the only covering he has for his body. What else will he sleep in? When he cries out to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate” (Exodus 22:26-27). God did not want the poor to be deprived of the necessities of life. The cloak was the only thing that the poor had to keep warm at night. Not only did the wealthy violate the rights of the poor through an illegal confiscation of their garments, but they also confiscated additional moneys through illegal or excessive fines. All of this was done in order to further the lifestyle of the rich.

            God has not changed His attitude toward the poor. Christians too must consider oppression and abuse as trampling upon His people. Paul addresses this issue of respect to the Corinthians for one’s body: “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; ²⁰ you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19).  Again, Paul calls attention to the nature of true worship in his correspondence with the Christians at Rome: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.” (Romans 12:1).

            The northern kingdom, as well as the southern kingdom, had become like the ones that God had uprooted in west of the Jordan (Amorites). Amos describes the scene:

⁹ “I destroyed the Amorite before them, though he was tall as the cedars and strong as the oaks. I destroyed his fruit above and his roots below. ¹⁰ “I brought you up out of Egypt, and I led you forty years in the desert to give you the land of the Amorites (Amos 2:9-10).

The nation of Israel had become like the ones that God had supplanted. God used Israel to bring punishment upon the Amorites for their sins. Now, God is going to use the Assyrians to bring punishment upon Israel for its sins. Just as the land of Canaan had reached it full measure, so Israel had reached its full measure. God had told Abraham (2166 BCE): “In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure” (Genesis 22:16). John the Baptist also warned the kingdom of Judah with its religious leaders: “The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matthew 3:10).

            The warning is just as applicable today as it was then. God’s people must take advantage of His grace. Jesus says,

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.  ⁶ If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.  ⁷ If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.  ⁸ This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples (John 15:5-8).

Paul also addresses the necessity of producing good fruit in one’s lifestyle:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.  ²⁴ Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.  ²⁵ Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.  ²⁶ Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other (Galatians 5:22-26).

Just as God redeemed Israel, so God has redeemed His new Israel—the church—to be a faithful witness in its battle for good. God raised up prophets and Nazirites. The Nazirites were to live a life dedicated to Yahweh. Amos was conscious that God had raised up prophets as well as Nazirites to bring back the people to a life of holiness, but the people did not respond in the way God desired:

¹¹ I also raised up prophets from among your sons   and Nazirites from among your young men. Is this not true, people of Israel?” declares the LORD. ¹² “But you made the Nazirites drink wine and commanded the prophets not to prophesy. (Amos 2:11-12).

Amos also faced the rejection of his prophetic activities (7:14-15). In chapter three, Amos defends his position as a prophet of God. Because of their rejection, God intervened in their ability to defend themselves:

¹³ “Now then, I will crush you as a cart crushes when loaded with grain. ¹⁴ The swift will not escape, the strong will not muster their strength, and the warrior will not save his life. ¹⁵ The archer will not stand his ground, the fleet-footed soldier will not get away, and the horseman will not save his life. ¹⁶ Even the bravest warriors  will flee naked on that day,” declares the LORD (2:13-16).

Nothing can save Israel. All hope is gone! None of the skilled, none of the mighty, and none of the able will be able to avert the coming judgment of punishment for its transgressions. Are you living in sin? Are you seeking to do the will of God in your own life? Are you in the narrow way? Or are you in the broad way that leads to destruction? Listen to the words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount:

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.  ¹⁴ But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it (Matthew 7:13-14).

Are you conscious of God’s grace? God reminded the children of Israel about His marvelous acts of mercy on their behalf (2:9-10). He drove the inhabitants out of the land; He gave them prophets to rebuke their sins and to teach them the ways of God. But they had no memory of these things. Have you forgotten Jesus’ words to Nicodemus? Listen to God’s love:

¹⁶ “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.  ¹⁸ Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.  ¹⁹ This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.  ²⁰ Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.  ²¹ But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God (John 3:16-21).