Amos 1

Amos 1:1–15 (NASB)

1 The words of Amos, who was among the sheepherders from Tekoa, which he envisioned in visions concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake. 2 He said, “The Lord roars from Zion And from Jerusalem He utters His voice; And the shepherds’ pasture grounds mourn, And the summit of Carmel dries up.” 3 Thus says the Lord, “For three transgressions of Damascus and for four I will not revoke its punishment, Because they threshed Gilead with implements of sharp iron. 4 “So I will send fire upon the house of Hazael And it will consume the citadels of Ben-hadad. 5 “I will also break the gate bar of Damascus, And cut off the inhabitant from the valley of Aven, And him who holds the scepter, from Beth-eden; So the people of Aram will go exiled to Kir,” Says the Lord. 6 Thus says the Lord, “For three transgressions of Gaza and for four I will not revoke its punishment, Because they deported an entire population To deliver it up to Edom. 7 “So I will send fire upon the wall of Gaza And it will consume her citadels. 8 “I will also cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, And him who holds the scepter, from Ashkelon; I will even unleash My power upon Ekron, And the remnant of the Philistines will perish,” Says the Lord God. 9 Thus says the Lord, “For three transgressions of Tyre and for four I will not revoke its punishment, Because they delivered up an entire population to Edom And did not remember the covenant of brotherhood. 10 “So I will send fire upon the wall of Tyre And it will consume her citadels.” 11 Thus says the Lord, “For three transgressions of Edom and for four I will not revoke its punishment, Because he pursued his brother with the sword, While he 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 Thus says the Lord, “For three transgressions 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 a storm on the day of tempest. 15 “Their king will go into exile, He and his princes together,” says the Lord.

Amos 2:1–3 (NASB)

1 Thus says the Lord, “For three transgressions 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 tumult, With war cries and the sound of a trumpet. 3 “I will also cut off the judge from her midst And slay all her princes with him,” says the Lord.

1. (v. 2) He said, “The Lord roars from Zion And from Jerusalem He utters His voice; And the shepherds’ pasture grounds mourn, And the summit of Carmel dries up.”

The word for roar is “sa’ag”. It literally means the roar of a lion.

Why do lion’s roar? They roar for a lot of reasons, but zoologists believe the primary purpose of the lion’s roar it to proclaim dominance over it’s territory.

There are 4 other passages in the Scripture where God is said to be roaring like a lion.

Hosea 11:10 (NASB)

10 They will walk after the Lord, He will roar like a lion; Indeed He will roar And His sons will come trembling from the west.

Joel 3:16 (NASB)

16 The Lord roars from Zion And utters His voice from Jerusalem, And the heavens and the earth tremble. But the Lord is a refuge for His people And a stronghold to the sons of Israel.

Jeremiah 25:30 (NASB)

30 “Therefore you shall prophesy against them all these words, and you shall say to them, ‘The Lord will roar from on high And utter His voice from His holy habitation; He will roar mightily against His fold. He will shout like those who tread the grapes, Against all the inhabitants of the earth.

2 Peter 3:10 (NASB)

10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.

By using this terminology, what is Amos telling us?

What about the pasture grounds and Carmel?

Joel 1:18 (NASB)

18 How the beasts groan! The herds of cattle wander aimlessly Because there is no pasture for them; Even the flocks of sheep suffer.

1 Kings 18 is Elijah and the prophets of Baal. What did they do? They needed lots of water. The slaughtered the prophets of Baal at the Kishon River. Carmel had springs and run off streams that fed into the Kishon River, which ran alongside the base of the mountain.

So what Amos is saying is that the land is suffering. Food is scarce and the water is drying up. Things were looking bad and it wasn’t random. This was part of God’s judgement.

2. “For three transgressions of…and for four…”

The phrase is used 2 more times at the beginning of chapter 2, after Moab, when God calls out Judah and the Northern Kingdom of Israel as well, but we only went as far as Moab.

3 Thus says the Lord, “For three transgressions of Damascus and for four I will not revoke its punishment…”

6 Thus says the Lord, “For three transgressions of Gaza and for four I will not revoke its punishment…”

9 Thus says the Lord, “For three transgressions of Tyre and for four I will not revoke its punishment…”

11 Thus says the Lord, “For three transgressions of Edom and for four I will not revoke its punishment…

13 Thus says the Lord, “For three transgressions of the sons of Ammon and for four I will not revoke its punishment…

1 Thus says the Lord, “For three transgressions of Moab and for four I will not revoke its punishment…

The phrase is a Jewish or Hebrew idiom that means “an indefinite number that has finally come to the end.” The “Three sins” represents fullness or completeness; and the “four” represents an overflow of sin and rebellion that has become the tipping point for God’s judgement.

God is patient and long-suffering with sinners (2 Peter 3:9), but He marks what they do and His patience will eventually come to an end. To try God’s patience is to tempt the Lord; and when we tempt the Lord, we invite judgment.

Deuteronomy 6:16 (NASB)

16 “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test…”

Genesis 15:13–16 (NASB)

13 God said to Abram, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years. 14 “But I will also judge the nation whom they will serve, and afterward they will come out with many possessions. 15 “As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you will be buried at a good old age. 16 “Then in the fourth generation they will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete.”

Daniel 8:21–23 (NASB)

21 “The shaggy goat represents the kingdom of Greece, and the large horn that is between his eyes is the first king. 22 “The broken horn and the four horns that arose in its place represent four kingdoms which will arise from his nation, although not with his power. 23 “In the latter period of their rule, When the transgressors have run their course, A king will arise, Insolent and skilled in intrigue.

Matthew 23:31–32 (NASB)

31 “So you testify against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 “Fill up, then, the measure of the guilt of your fathers.

1 Thessalonians 2:14–16 (NASB)

14 For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, for you also endured the same sufferings at the hands of your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews, 15 who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out. They are not pleasing to God, but hostile to all men, 16 hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved; with the result that they always fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them to the utmost.

3. The Specific Locations:

Damascus (The Capital City of Syria):

3 Thus says the Lord, “For three transgressions of Damascus and for four I will not revoke its punishment, Because they threshed Gilead with implements of sharp iron. 4 “So I will send fire upon the house of Hazael And it will consume the citadels of Ben-hadad. 5 “I will also break the gate bar of Damascus, And cut off the inhabitant from the valley of Aven, And him who holds the scepter, from Beth-eden; So the people of Aram will go exiled to Kir,” Says the Lord.

Be Concerned 1. Judgment on the Gentile Nations (Amos 1:2–2:3)

The phrase “I will send a fire” (Amos 1:4, 7, 10, 12, 14; 2:2, 5) means “I will send judgment”; for fire represents the holiness and judgment of God (Deut. 4:11, 24, 36; Heb. 12:29). Indeed, the Lord did judge Syria: the dynasty of King Hazael ended; his son Ben-Hadad was defeated; Damascus lost its power (business was done at the city gate, Amos 1:5); and “the house of Eden” (delight, paradise) became a ruin. King Josiah defeated Ben-Hadad three times (2 Kings 13:25), but it was the Assyrians who finally subdued Syria and took them into captivity.

Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath and Ekron (The Major Cities of Philistia):

6 Thus says the Lord, “For three transgressions of Gaza and for four I will not revoke its punishment, Because they deported an entire population to deliver it up to Edom. 7 “So I will send fire upon the wall of Gaza And it will consume her citadels. 8 “I will also cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, And him who holds the scepter, from Ashkelon; I will even unleash My power upon Ekron, And the remnant of the Philistines will perish,” Says the Lord God.

Philistia was always at war with Israel. But here, they are called our for their slave trade.

Be Concerned 1. Judgment on the Gentile Nations (Amos 1:2–2:3)

Throughout the history of ancient Israel, slavery was practiced, but the Law of Moses clearly governed how the slaves were treated. The law that permitted slavery at the same time protected the slaves. However, it was one thing to put a prisoner of war to work and quite something else to kidnap innocent people and sell them like cattle. Neither Jesus nor the apostles openly denounced slavery, but they made it clear that all people are sinners whom God loves and that all saved people are one and equal in Christ

2 Kings 18:7–8 (NASB)

7 And the Lord was with him; wherever he went he prospered. And he rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him. 8 He defeated the Philistines as far as Gaza and its territory, from watchtower to fortified city.

Tyre: (A major city of Phoenicia, modern day Lebanon)

9 Thus says the Lord, “For three transgressions of Tyre and for four I will not revoke its punishment, Because they delivered up an entire population to Edom and did not remember the covenant of brotherhood. 10 “So I will send fire upon the wall of Tyre and it will consume her citadels.”

Tyre was such a major city in Phoenicia, often it was used just to refer to the whole region. Just like the other cities mentioned already.

During David and Solomon’s reign, the Phoenicians, particularly those of Tyre, had a close relationship with David.

1 Kings 5 (NASB)

1 Now Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon, when he heard that they had anointed him king in place of his father, for Hiram had always been a friend of David. 2 Then Solomon sent word to Hiram, saying, 3 “You know that David my father was unable to build a house for the name of the Lord his God because of the wars which surrounded him, until the Lord put them under the soles of his feet. 4 “But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side; there is neither adversary nor misfortune. 5 “Behold, I intend to build a house for the name of the Lord my God, as the Lord spoke to David my father, saying, ‘Your son, whom I will set on your throne in your place, he will build the house for My name.’ 6 “Now therefore, command that they cut for me cedars from Lebanon, and my servants will be with your servants; and I will give you wages for your servants according to all that you say, for you know that there is no one among us who knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians.” 7 When Hiram heard the words of Solomon, he rejoiced greatly and said, “Blessed be the Lord today, who has given to David a wise son over this great people.” 8 So Hiram sent word to Solomon, saying, “I have heard the message which you have sent me; I will do what you desire concerning the cedar and cypress timber. 9 “My servants will bring them down from Lebanon to the sea; and I will make them into rafts to go by sea to the place where you direct me, and I will have them broken up there, and you shall carry them away. Then you shall accomplish my desire by giving food to my household.” 10 So Hiram gave Solomon as much as he desired of the cedar and cypress timber. 11 Solomon then gave Hiram 20,000 kors of wheat as food for his household, and twenty kors of beaten oil; thus Solomon would give Hiram year by year. 12 The Lord gave wisdom to Solomon, just as He promised him; and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them made a covenant. 13 Now King Solomon levied forced laborers from all Israel; and the forced laborers numbered 30,000 men. 14 He sent them to Lebanon, 10,000 a month in relays; they were in Lebanon a month and two months at home. And Adoniram was over the forced laborers. 15 Now Solomon had 70,000 transporters, and 80,000 hewers of stone in the mountains, 16 besides Solomon’s 3,300 chief deputies who were over the project and who ruled over the people who were doing the work. 17 Then the king commanded, and they quarried great stones, costly stones, to lay the foundation of the house with cut stones. 18 So Solomon’s builders and Hiram’s builders and the Gebalites cut them, and prepared the timbers and the stones to build the house.

After Solomon, the Phoenician impact on Israel became negative in the divided kingdom. Jezebel was a princess of Phoenicia. She was from Sidon, the neighboring city to Tyre. She married Ahab and introduced Baal worship to the northern kingdom.

Judgment came in 332 B.C. when Alexander the Great wiped Tyre off the face of the earth

Edom (The Descendants of Esau)

11 Thus says the Lord, “For three transgressions of Edom and for four I will not revoke its punishment, Because he pursued his brother with the sword, While he 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.”

Teman and Bozrah were the fortified cities of the Edomites. They were high in the mountains and they had great confidence in their defenses.

Be Concerned 1. Judgment on the Gentile Nations (Amos 1:2–2:3)

The Edomites nursed a long-standing grudge against the Jews, perpetuating the ancient rivalry between Jacob and Esau, which began before the twin boys were born (Gen. 25:21–26).

Be Concerned 1. Judgment on the Gentile Nations (Amos 1:2–2:3)

Amos condemned the Edomites for their persistent hatred of the Jews, “… because his anger raged continually and his fury flamed unchecked” (Amos 1:11 NIV). We don’t know when the Edomites aided the enemy by pursuing the Jews with the sword. It could have been during any one of the numerous times when enemies invaded the land. When the Babylonians attacked and captured Jerusalem, the Edomites assisted the enemy and gave vent to their anger (Obad. 10–14; see Ps. 137:7).

Ammon (The Ammonites)

13 Thus says the Lord, “For three transgressions 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 a storm on the day of tempest. 15 “Their king will go into exile, He and his princes together,” says the Lord.

Genesis 19:30–38 (NASB)

30 Lot went up from Zoar, and stayed in the mountains, and his two daughters with him; for he was afraid to stay in Zoar; and he stayed in a cave, he and his two daughters. 31 Then the firstborn said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is not a man on earth to come in to us after the manner of the earth. 32 “Come, let us make our father drink wine, and let us lie with him that we may preserve our family through our father.” 33 So they made their father drink wine that night, and the firstborn went in and lay with her father; and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose. 34 On the following day, the firstborn said to the younger, “Behold, I lay last night with my father; let us make him drink wine tonight also; then you go in and lie with him, that we may preserve our family through our father.” 35 So they made their father drink wine that night also, and the younger arose and lay with him; and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose. 36 Thus both the daughters of Lot were with child by their father. 37 The firstborn bore a son, and called his name Moab; he is the father of the Moabites to this day. 38 As for the younger, she also bore a son, and called his name Ben-ammi; he is the father of the sons of Ammon to this day.

Be Concerned 1. Judgment on the Gentile Nations (Amos 1:2–2:3)

They were a ruthless people who were the avowed enemies of the Jews (Deut. 23:3–6; 1 Sam. 11:2; Neh. 2:10–19; Jer. 40:14; 41:5–7). In order to enlarge their land, they invaded Gilead; and not satisfied with attacking the men defending their homeland, the Ammonites killed women and unborn children (see 2 Kings 8:12; 15:16). To the Ammonites, land was more important than people, including defenseless women and innocent children. Such brutality shocks us, but is “modern warfare” any kinder?

Be Concerned 1. Judgment on the Gentile Nations (Amos 1:2–2:3)

Not only did Amos predict the destruction of their land, but so did Ezekiel (25:1–7). The chief god of Edom was Molech (Malcham, Milcom), which means “reigning one, king.” Amos 1:15 could be translated, “Molech will go into exile,” thus showing the inability of their god to save them.

Moab (The Moabites)

1 Thus says the Lord, “For three transgressions 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 tumult, With war cries and the sound of a trumpet. 3 “I will also cut off the judge from her midst And slay all her princes with him,” says the Lord.

Kerioth was a major walled city in Moab. It was their place of safety.

Be Concerned 1. Judgment on the Gentile Nations (Amos 1:2–2:3)

Animosity between Moab and Israel began very early when the Moabites refused to give the Jews passage on the major highway (Deut. 23:3–4; Jud. 11:17). The king of Moab also hired Balaam to curse Israel (Num. 22–24), and then the Moabite women seduced the Jewish men to commit fornication and idolatry (Num. 25). During the period of the judges, Israel was subject to the Moabites for eighteen years (Jud. 3:12–30).

Be Concerned 1. Judgment on the Gentile Nations (Amos 1:2–2:3)

Amos announced that the king of Moab and his officials were all guilty and would be destroyed, along with their cities. Moab was taken by the Assyrians, and the land eventually became the home of numerous nomadic tribes. The nation of Moab was no more. (For other prophecies of Moab’s doom, see Isa. 15–16; Jer. 48; Ezek. 25:8–11; Zeph. 2:8–11.)