#1139 Amos 2 Three And To The Four

 

Thus says the Lord:

“For three transgressions of Moab,

and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,

because he burned to lime

the bones of the king of Edom.

2 So I will send a fire upon Moab,

and it shall devour the strongholds of Kerioth,

and Moab shall die amid uproar,

amid shouting and the sound of the trumpet;

3 I will cut off the ruler from its midst,

and will kill all its princes with him,”

says the Lord.

Judgment on Judah

4 Thus says the Lord:

“For three transgressions of Judah,

and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,

because they have rejected the law of the Lord,

and have not kept his statutes,

but their lies have led them astray,

those after which their fathers walked.

5 So I will send a fire upon Judah,

and it shall devour the strongholds of Jerusalem.”

Judgment on Israel

6 Thus says the Lord:

“For three transgressions of Israel,

and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,

because they sell the righteous for silver,

and the needy for a pair of sandals—

7 those who trample the head of the poor into the dust of the earth

and turn aside the way of the afflicted;

a man and his father go in to the same girl,

so that my holy name is profaned;

8 they lay themselves down beside every altar

on garments taken in pledge,

and in the house of their God they drink

the wine of those who have been fined.

9 “Yet it was I who destroyed the Amorite before them,

whose height was like the height of the cedars

and who was as strong as the oaks;

I destroyed his fruit above

and his roots beneath.

10 Also it was I who brought you up out of the land of Egypt

and led you forty years in the wilderness,

to possess the land of the Amorite.

11 And I raised up some of your sons for prophets,

and some of your young men for Nazirites.

Is it not indeed so, O people of Israel?”

declares the Lord.

12 “But you made the Nazirites drink wine,

and commanded the prophets,

saying, ‘You shall not prophesy.’

13 “Behold, I will press you down in your place,

as a cart full of sheaves presses down.

14 Flight shall perish from the swift,

and the strong shall not retain his strength,

nor shall the mighty save his life;

15 he who handles the bow shall not stand,

and he who is swift of foot shall not save himself,

nor shall he who rides the horse save his life;

16 and he who is stout of heart among the mighty

shall flee away naked in that day,”

declares the Lord. Amos 2 ESV

Amos 2

Because he burned to lime the bones of the king of Edom - We continue with the judgments on the nations, to Moab, who was also called out by God, through the prophet Isaiah for her pride. Moab is in close relation to Israel and Edom, this nation was the result of an incestuous relationship between Lot and one of his daughters. I could not find any other Biblical account of this incident, but it is a sign of extreme hatred and revenge, just like it was considered a disgrace to leave a body unburied. It's also silly and arrogant to the extent that men have no true grasp on the afterlife, it can only be revealed to them. Not only do they have ignorance about such, but they most certainly have no control over it or the afterlife of others, only God holds that and men just have the natural questions. Men always try reaching outside of their jurisdiction, playing God.

…5in loving devotion a throne will be established in the tent of David. A judge seeking justice and hastening righteousness will sit on it in faithfulness. 6We have heard of Moab’s pomposity, his exceeding pride and conceit, his overflowing arrogance. But his boasting is empty. 7Therefore let Moab wail; let them wail together for Moab. Moan for the raisin cakes of Kir-hareseth, you who are utterly stricken.… Isaiah 16: 5-7

…27What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the housetops. 28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.… Matthew 10: 27-29

They despised the law of the Lord - Judah received not only that which all men know, that there is right and wrong, for they live by that, regardless of what they say, for they think and say, "fair and unfair, right and wrong". The same man that steals shall hope to have laws against such when they are in his favor, no one should steal from him. Joel has dealt with all those who are a law unto themselves, now he switches from those hypocrites to the church kind of hypocrites, to Judah, who has receive God's law. The more light we receive, the more freedom we enjoy, come on now, think about it, who bears the greater sin?

We find it easy – and comfortable – to expose and rebuke the sins of those who aren’t the followers of God. That is what Amos did with the first six pronouncements of judgment, but just as Amos went on to look at sin among God’s people, we should do the same. - Enduring Word

I will send fire upon Judah - There are very interesting archeological discoveries where immense amounts of wood were put up against the walls of a city under siege, and after the heat reaches a point it causes the walls to be weakened. Judah saw Assyria take the north, then Assyria wrecked some of Judah, and she camped outside Jerusalem, but God sent her away. Judah did not repent and did not follow God's law, so Babylon was sent as promised. God is against sin, and Judah thought that it had the temple, so God would not allow sin to be punished there. Many churches today have confused people into thinking it is a place of refuge in sin, protected from God's wrath. They see the church as a building, a formula of words that you repeat to set you free from what? If you think only from God's wrath then you have not understood, because He is against all ungodliness. Finding people to agree with you is not church, and rituals do not save. If you belong to God He will correct you.

…16But if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but glorify God that you bear that name. 17For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who disobey the gospel of God? 18And, “If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”… 1 Peter 4: 16-18

…5And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not take lightly the discipline of the Lord, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you. 6For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastises every son He receives.” 7Endure suffering as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?… Hebrews 12: 5-7

Sell the righteous for silver - Judah's sister, Israel to the north, she will not escape punishment, and, as mentioned before, is taken captive by Assyria. She has honored wealth above human beings, even fashion, like a pair of sandals, reducing the value of human life. The poor are with you always and this is always how they treated them. People come in the name of the poor now, saying tax the rich, not because they want to help the poor, but because they want the rich guys sandals. Judas was the same about the woman who anointed Christ's feet with perfume; he didn't care about the poor, but he did like money. 

A man and his father go into the same girl - They were told first of all, "thou shalt not commit adultery", and they had received the laws of relations, which forbid a father to be with his son's wife and or a son to be with his father's wife or concubine. They were not to commit the acts of those fornicating pagans who God drove out of the land before them. A man was not supposed to cheat on his wife nor a wife to cheat on her husband, and yet we know from other books that this was rampant in both Israel and Judah. This is possibly the sharing of a temple prostitute, which idolatry was also forbidden. The worship of these pagan gods were tied to fertility rites and led to human sacrifice of their own children, just like we do today, but under the god called "the science", you know, the "compassionate" one. 

27You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ 28But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.… Matthew 5: 27-28

20You must not lie carnally with your neighbor’s wife and thus defile yourself with her. 21You must not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molech, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.… Leviticus 18: 20-21

…6None of you are to approach any close relative to have sexual relations. I am the LORD. 7You must not expose the nakedness of your father by having sexual relations with your mother. She is your mother; you must not have sexual relations with her. 8You must not have sexual relations with your father’s wife; it would dishonor your father.… Leviticus 18: 6-8

On garments taken in pledge - They do these unlawful deeds atop the garments of the poor they have taken advantage of, and probably with the poor that are degraded for lack of bread. You, who have received the law, men, who should be the head protectors of women and children, are the cause for their demise, for their going away hungry and cold, as you drink the wine you bought by taxing them.

…26If you take your neighbor’s cloak as collateral, return it to him by sunset, 27because his cloak is the only covering he has for his body. What else will he sleep in? And if he cries out to Me, I will hear, for I am compassionate. 28You must not blaspheme God or curse the ruler of your people.… Exodus 22: 26-28

Yet it was I Who destroyed the Amorite before them - Your guilty of the same as the Amorite, and God drove them out of the land for their sins. Most of Israel was too scared to face the Amorites, but a little prosperity and now they forget, God brought you out of Egypt, He fed you in the wilderness. He gave you prophets that He raised up from among your brethren, and you hated them, though they told you the words of God. You killed them, and you despised the Nazirites, who were a picture of a chaste life, dedication to God, a rebuke though to your apostasy and disobedience. Israel, you were proud and ungrateful, you did not make yourself yet thought yourself autonomous.  

But you made the Nazirites drink wine - No better than the Hellenizers that come later, forcing the priests to eat pork, you hated righteousness, and wanted the reminder removed from your site, you soiled everything.

Nor shall the mighty save his life - Here it comes, its coming for you, and you thought you were so strong. What is this? The young is now old, the strong feeble, the fast has a broken leg, and the voice of the proud has become a stutter.

…46This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand. This day I will strike you down, cut off your head, and give the carcasses of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the creatures of the earth. Then the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. 47And all those assembled here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and He will give all of you into our hands.” 48As the Philistine started forward to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him.… 1 Samuel 17: 46-48