Amos 1:11-2:3
11 This is what the Lord says:
“For three offenses of Edom, and for four,
I will not revoke its punishment,
Because he pursued his brother with the sword
And stifled his compassion;
His anger also tore continually,
And he maintained his fury forever.
12 So I will send fire upon Teman
And it will consume the citadels of Bozrah.”
13 This is what the Lord says:
“For three offenses of the sons of Ammon, and for four,
I will not revoke its punishment,
Because they ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead
In order to enlarge their borders.
14 So I will kindle a fire on the wall of Rabbah,
And it will consume her citadels
Amid war cries on the day of battle,
And amid a storm on the day of tempest.
15 Their king will go into exile,
He and his princes together,” says the Lord.
<Chapter 2>
1 This is what the Lord says:
“For three offenses of Moab, and for four,
I will not revoke its punishment,
Because he burned the bones of the king of Edom to lime.
2 So I will send fire upon Moab
And it will consume the citadels of Kerioth;
And Moab will die amid the panic of battle,
Amid war cries and the sound of a trumpet.
3 I will also eliminate the judge from her midst
And slay all her leaders with him,” says the Lord.
To Edom, Ammon, and Moab
To Edom
Edom were descendants of Esau, the brother of Jacob, and thus were related to Israel. The sins of Edom were as follows. (1) They harbored hostility toward Israel, their own kinsmen, and afflicted Israel. (2) The hostility they held against Israel was not temporary, but persistent and continual. (3) Because of those sins, Edom will be judged. Teman and Bozrah, representative cities of Edom, will both be burned with fire. Because of the continual hostility that Edom harbored against Israel, the people of the covenant, its land will remain devastated even in the Millennial Kingdom.
To Ammon
Ammon were descendants of Lot, Abraham’s nephew. They too were related to Israel. The sins of Ammon were as follows. (1) They invaded Gilead and committed an utterly heinous act by ripping open pregnant women, massacring both mothers and their unborn children. (2) Their purpose was to expand their own territory. (3) Because of that sin, Rabbah, the capital of Ammon (present-day Amman, the capital of Jordan), will be devastated by a great fire in the midst of fierce battle. At the same time, the king and his officials will be taken away into captivity (by Assyria). In other words, there will be no hope of restoration.
To Moab
Moab, like Ammon, were descendants of Lot. The sins of Moab were as follows. (1) They burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime. That is, they further mistreated someone who was already dead and desecrated the dead. The king of Moab was so cruel that he even offered his own son as a sacrifice (ref. 2 Kings 3:26-27). (2) Because of that sin, Moab will receive the same punishment as the other nations. Fire will consume Moab and Kerioth. Kerioth was the capital of Moab, and there stood the sanctuary of the national god Chemosh (ref. 1 Kings 11:7, 33). Furthermore, its judge and its leaders will also be put to death, so all hope of national restoration will be cut off. Although Edom, Ammon, and Moab were given a special status by the Lord, they abused it and grieved the heart of the Lord. Let us learn a lesson from their failure. “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more” (Luke 12:48). Are you using what the Lord has given you for the glory of God?
Today's prayer
Almighty God, please help me to use the gifts You have given me to display Your glory. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.