Amos 1:3-2:3

Amos begins his prophecy with judgment pronounced on the surrounding six nations that were Israel’s most frequent antagonists.  Syria (1:3-5), Philistia (1:6-8) and Tyre (1:9-10) are followed by those nations related to the descendants of Jacob: Edom (1:11-12), Ammon (1:13-15) and Moab (2:1-3).  This will be followed by judgments on Judah (2:4-5) and then Israel, the Northern Kingdom (2:6-16).  Remember that Amos was a prophet from Judah sent by God to Bethel in the North.  Likely they were happy to hear their neighbors were coming under God’s judgment.  But in the end it would be Judah and then especially Israel whose privileged position with God would bring greater judgment from God.

Each judgment begins the same: For three transgressions, and for four.  God is saying the sins of these nations is complete, that He will no longer withhold His justice.  Amos’ prophecy concerning these nations is valuable to us in the United States and the rest of the world because it tells us what God bases His judgment on with respect to the nations.  It also tells us that while His people are special to Him, He also holds accountable every nation.  Oh how we need to hear this!

Consider briefly the message against each nation.

·        Syria s judged for her vicious thrashing of Gilead in Israel east of the Jordan River.  This happened in the times of the Syrian King Hazael and his son Ben-Hadad (cf. 2 Kings 8:7-15,28-29; 10:32-33; 13:3-7).  It was a judgment from God but the Syrian kings went beyond God’s desire in their atrocities. 

·        Philistia was a confederacy of several city-states (Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Ekron are mentioned).  Their sin was to deliver the captives of Israel over to Edom, Israel’s most contentious neighbor (Ezek. 35; Obadiah 1; etc.).  Edom (Esau’s descendants) wanted to have as their own the land God gave to Jacob.

·        Tyre, which had close relations with Israel in the time of David and Solomon, did the same thing, delivering captives over to the Edomites.

·        Edom’s extreme cruelty is the cause of her anger.  She cast off all pity.

·        Ammon, along with Moab, were descendants of Lot through his daughters (Gen. 19:30-38).  Ammon is judged because of atrocities committed against the Israelites in Gilead as Ammon sought to increase her territory.

·        Moab is judged for the cruelty of burning the bones of the king of Edom to lime.  This is not recorded in Scripture but may have occurred in the time that Judah, Israel and Edom united in war against Moab (2 Kings 3:26-27).

God holds the Gentile nations accountable for their treatment of Israel.  This is consistent with God’s covenant with Abraham, to bless those who bless you, and … curse him who curses you (Gen. 12:3).  This has never been revoked, even in times of Israel’s displacement from the land.  The promise was to the physical descendents of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  God cares about who we are and what we do.  One of those things is how we treat the descendants of Jacob.