“The Lord roars
from Zion and utters His voice from Jerusalem; the pastures of the shepherds
mourn, and the top of Carmel withers.
Thus says the Lord: ‘For three transgressions
of Damascus, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they have
threshed Gilead with threshing sledges of iron.” Amos 1:2-3 (ESV).
In Amos’ pronouncements of the Lord’s
judgment upon Israel’s neighbors, the people must have rejoiced that their
enemies were to receive punishment for their brutality and cruel treatment to
the people around them. Six neighboring
nations were singled out for the “three transgressions, yea, four.” Punishment would fall upon Damascus (1:3-5),
Gaza (1:6-8) Tyre (1:9-10), Edom (1:11-12), Ammon (1:13-15) and Moab
(2:1-3). At the time of Amos’ prophecy,
the coastal area along the Mediterranean Sea (now Palestine) was occupied by
these nations. Assyria was a threat to
them, but Amos showed by his pronouncement that the calamities about to befall
them were not caused by the aggressor nation but came as a direct result of
their rebellion against Creator God because of their inhumane treatment to
others. Perhaps those hearing Amos’
pronouncements against these six nations were glad that they would be punished,
for they were their enemies. But then
Amos pointed out both Judah and Israel as recipients of God’s wrath. Judah’s sin was not obeying the statutes of
the Lord and following lies (probably a reference to worshiping idols). Israel’s apostasy was gross social injustice,
“they sell the righteous for silver and
the needy for a pair of sandals…trample the head of the poor…turn aside…the
afflicted” and practice illicit sex, idolatry and graft (see 2: 6-8). Amos sums up the Lord’s anger and judgment by
these strong words: “The lion has roared; who will not fear? The Lord God has spoken; who can but
prophesy?”(3:8). This was a strong way
of saying that the Lord God has announced judgment and unless immediate
corrective action (repentance) occurred, disaster would come soon.
Are you thinking, as I am, what would
Amos say about America today? In his
“Deserted Village” written by English poet Oliver Goldsmith in 1770, he said:
Ill fares the
land, to hast’ning ills a prey,
Where wealth
accumulates and men decay.”
America and many nations today are
guilty of the same sins that Judah, Israel and the surrounding nations
committed. We are more enlightened on
the truth and statutes of God, and therefore may be even more guilty than
they. Repeatedly God gives opportunity
for His people to make things right and to live according to His ways. But the refrain is repeated time and again as
it was in Amos: “yet you did not return to me, declares the Lord” (4:6b, 8b, 9b,
10b, 11b). And as we hear the condemnation of not
returning to the Lord, we likewise see His longsuffering toward us and His
often-repeated invitation, seek the Lord
and live” (5:5a, 6a) and this even stronger appeal: “Seek
good and not evil, that you may live; and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will
be with you” (5:14).
Will we, even now, commit to be “the remnant of Joseph” (5:15b) who
returns to God and stands firmly on His
principles? “Hate evil and love good, and establish justice in the gate”
(5:15a). These are God’s requirements
for us to receive His mercy.
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