An Oracle Against The Nations
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Introduction
Introduction
In 1948 the United Nations drafted a universal document on human rights - yet there are still nations world wide that are notorious offenders in the areas of human rights
Iran - most notably the recent exposure of a mass exocution in 1988 involving 30,000 political dissidents
North Korea -
Pakistan - religious oppression of the masses leads to multiple human rights violations
Afghanistan - until the Taliban was defeated women couldn’t even think about getting an education
The list could go on
The one thing the United Nations failed to account for was the fundamentally flawed human nature that each of us possess
Tonight Amos is going to show us that this condition isn’t new
what is unforgivable is such misuse and abuse of helpless people for the profit of the mighty. This theme is reflected in one way or another in all eight oracles in the present passage, and in Amos as a whole
If you walked out of here tonight and heard someone condemning North Korea what would you think?
You might have one of two reactions
What’s your point - we’re not really threatened by North Korea, things here are good so why are you prophecying their destruction
Or Yeah you tell them, it’s about time they get what’s coming to them
As Amos opened up his mouth to declare these oracles the reaction in Israel would have been much the same
The country was prosperous and peaceful
There were no imminient threats on the horizon so you could understand why some would wonder why Amos was attacking these nations now
Some others would have fallen into the second reaction of taking pleasure in the condemnations of the nations
The Setup
The Setup
Amos delivers six oracles against various foreign nations
Syria
Syria
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.
“So I will send fire upon the house of Hazael
And it will consume the citadels of Ben-hadad.
“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.
Syria and Israel were longstanding enemies
Located to the Northeast of Israel
Subdued by David
Then David put garrisons among the Arameans of Damascus, and the Arameans became servants to David, bringing tribute. And the Lord helped David wherever he went.
Broke free during Solomon’s reign and had troubled Israel ever since
God also raised up another adversary to him, Rezon the son of Eliada, who had fled from his lord Hadadezer king of Zobah. He gathered men to himself and became leader of a marauding band, after David slew them of Zobah; and they went to Damascus and stayed there, and reigned in Damascus. So he was an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon, along with the evil that Hadad did; and he abhorred Israel and reigned over Aram.
There were multiple battles over the area of Gilead
Here Amos condemns the leadership of Syria for the atrocities committed
He says that they will be soundly defeated
Aram will not merely lose a war. It will be crushed and conquered, its kingship killed, and its people deported—all by Yahweh, working through unspecified intermediary nations in fulfillment of the curses of his implicit international covenant.
All of these nations put their faith in their strong leadership and the walls and citadels their cities were built on
In every one of these oracles God will send fire on those areas where the people feel most comfortable
Threshing sleds drug over people - huge sleds with iron teeth that would be used to thresh grain - to seperate the chafe from the wheat were drug over people
Much like the atrocities committed by the Nazis in World War 2
'I used to shoot at everything,' he said laconically, 'certainly not just military targets. We liked to go for women pushing prams, often with children at their sides. It was a kind of sport really.....'
One Nazi airman was heard to brag
This wasn’t for a military conquest - this was an incursion into Israel to grab people which would then be sold on the slave market
It was for human atrocities that Amos was condemning Syria
And Syria was not the only target of his condemnation
Philistia
Philistia
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.
“So I will send fire upon the wall of Gaza
And it will consume her citadels.
“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.
The Philistines had also been longstanding enemies of Israel
Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. Then Saul blew the trumpet throughout the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear.” All Israel heard the news that Saul had smitten the garrison of the Philistines, and also that Israel had become odious to the Philistines. The people were then summoned to Saul at Gilgal.
Now the Philistines assembled to fight with Israel, 30,000 chariots and 6,000 horsemen, and people like the sand which is on the seashore in abundance; and they came up and camped in Michmash, east of Beth-aven.
Now when Saul had taken the kingdom over Israel, he fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, the sons of Ammon, Edom, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines; and wherever he turned, he inflicted punishment.
Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle; and they were gathered at Socoh which belongs to Judah, and they camped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim.
Philistia lay just to the southwest of Israel and they were in constant contact
But again this oracle is not about military conquests performed by the Philistines
This is for the deportation of an entire population
The Mosaic law required the death penalty for precisely this kind of kidnapping and selling into slavery (Exod 21:16), and it was surely recognized internationally as a cruelty, no matter how frequently it may have been practiced in biblical times
It would appear that the first three nations
Syria
Philistia
and next to be mentiond Tyre
were involved in traficking in persons
TCN’s in Kuwait
Trafficking in persons here in the United States - California is reported to be the number 1 state for human trafficking
Every major city state of the Philistines is mentioned denoting a total destruction of their population
Tyre
Tyre
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.
“So I will send fire upon the wall of Tyre
And it will consume her citadels.”
Lying to the northwest of Israel, This rich seaport city state in the region of Phonecia is one in the list that has no military history with Israel
However they are being punished for their human rights violations - using their ships to deport an entire population
No commentary I read could shed light on what exactly the covenant of brotherhood meant but suffice it to say that the Tyrinians failed to keep their word to someone
Jesus mentions Tyre in connection with judgement
“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had occurred in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. Nevertheless I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you.
Edom
Edom
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.
“So I will send fire upon Teman
And it will consume the citadels of Bozrah.”
Edom had withstood the Israelites during the Exodus
From Kadesh Moses then sent messengers to the king of Edom: “Thus your brother Israel has said, ‘You know all the hardship that has befallen us; that our fathers went down to Egypt, and we stayed in Egypt a long time, and the Egyptians treated us and our fathers badly. But when we cried out to the Lord, He heard our voice and sent an angel and brought us out from Egypt; now behold, we are at Kadesh, a town on the edge of your territory. Please let us pass through your land. We will not pass through field or through vineyard; we will not even drink water from a well. We will go along the king’s highway, not turning to the right or left, until we pass through your territory.’ ”
Edom, however, said to him, “You shall not pass through us, or I will come out with the sword against you.” Again, the sons of Israel said to him, “We will go up by the highway, and if I and my livestock do drink any of your water, then I will pay its price. Let me only pass through on my feet, nothing else.” But he said, “You shall not pass through.” And Edom came out against him with a heavy force and with a strong hand. Thus Edom refused to allow Israel to pass through his territory; so Israel turned away from him.
Edom as a nation was a decendent of line of Esau
When her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. Now the first came forth red, all over like a hairy garment; and they named him Esau. Afterward his brother came forth with his hand holding on to Esau’s heel, so his name was called Jacob; and Isaac was sixty years old when she gave birth to them.
From the first, even in the womb, Jacob and Esau were at odds and that would continue throughout history
The prophecy for this nation is that it would perish in fire from Terran to Bozrah (two cities at extreme ends of the Kings Highway that ran through the middle of Edom) denoting a judgement of the whole country
Ammon
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.
“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.
“Their king will go into exile,
He and his princes together,” says the Lord.
Amos now moves north to the country of Ammon
Unike Edom, Ammon only had one major city
A rough arid land, they had often fought with Israel for control of the region of Gilead
Now the sons of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord. So the Lord strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the Lord. And he gathered to himself the sons of Ammon and Amalek; and he went and defeated Israel, and they possessed the city of the palm trees. The sons of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.
Now Nahash the Ammonite came up and besieged Jabesh-gilead; and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, “Make a covenant with us and we will serve you.” But Nahash the Ammonite said to them, “I will make it with you on this condition, that I will gouge out the right eye of every one of you, thus I will make it a reproach on all Israel.” The elders of Jabesh said to him, “Let us alone for seven days, that we may send messengers throughout the territory of Israel. Then, if there is no one to deliver us, we will come out to you.” Then the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and spoke these words in the hearing of the people, and all the people lifted up their voices and wept.
Now behold, Saul was coming from the field behind the oxen, and he said, “What is the matter with the people that they weep?” So they related to him the words of the men of Jabesh. Then the Spirit of God came upon Saul mightily when he heard these words, and he became very angry. He took a yoke of oxen and cut them in pieces, and sent them throughout the territory of Israel by the hand of messengers, saying, “Whoever does not come out after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen.” Then the dread of the Lord fell on the people, and they came out as one man. He numbered them in Bezek; and the sons of Israel were 300,000, and the men of Judah 30,000. They said to the messengers who had come, “Thus you shall say to the men of Jabesh-gilead, ‘Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you will have deliverance.’ ” So the messengers went and told the men of Jabesh; and they were glad. Then the men of Jabesh said, “Tomorrow we will come out to you, and you may do to us whatever seems good to you.” The next morning Saul put the people in three companies; and they came into the midst of the camp at the morning watch and struck down the Ammonites until the heat of the day. Those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.
But now was firmly under Israel’s thumb
He restored the border of Israel from the entrance of Hamath as far as the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word of the Lord, the God of Israel, which He spoke through His servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet, who was of Gath-hepher.
No other oracle more closely ties the falling of fire with warfare - here notice there is a difference rather than sending fire, God will kindle the fire
Amos makes it very clear that this nation will be sent into military exile
This is for the ripping open of pregnant women in Gilead - a crime against the most innocent and vulnerable in society
This is one our society is guilty of as well
During the year 2016 Planned Parenthood accomplished more than 1 million aboritions worldwide
Moab
Moab
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.
“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.
“I will also cut off the judge from her midst
And slay all her princes with him,” says the Lord.
Moab’s crime is reported as burning the bones of the King of Edom
This nation lies to the east of Israel between Amon and Edom
There was a longstanding hostility between Edom and Moab that led to the building of fortifications along the border between Moab and Edom
To burn someone’s bones, i.e., desiccated bodily remains, was an attempt to prevent—at least symbolically—the opportunity for that person to participate in the resurrection, thus to wish for him or her eternal death
The desecration of conquered kings was a longstanding practice
But Adoni-bezek fled; and they pursued him and caught him and cut off his thumbs and big toes. Adoni-bezek said, “Seventy kings with their thumbs and their big toes cut off used to gather up scraps under my table; as I have done, so God has repaid me.” So they brought him to Jerusalem and he died there.
However here Moab had gone too far and for this God would judge them
The mention of Kerioth is also a judgement on the religion of Moab as that was the cultic center of worship for the god Chemosh
Up until this point Amos had merely circled Israel - He has touched on every nation that borders the compass point around Israel
Now he hits a little closer to home
Judah
Judah
Thus says the Lord,
“For three transgressions of Judah and for four
I will not revoke its punishment,
Because they rejected the law of the Lord
And have not kept His statutes;
Their lies also have led them astray,
Those after which their fathers walked.
“So I will send fire upon Judah
And it will consume the citadels of Jerusalem.”
The shortest of the oracles - this prophetic utterance was against the brothers of Israel to the south
This is one that the people of Israel would have certainly enjoyed hearing
They were looked down upon by the people of Judah as those who had betrayed their true religion and rejected the law of God
Yet here Amos was calling them to account for their rejection of His laws as well
By now the people were feeling pretty good about themselves
Amos had denounced every nation that surrounded Israel and you can almost sense the frenzy that each denunciation could have developed in the people listening
But the tables are about to turn
The Knife
The Knife
Thus says the Lord,
“For three transgressions of Israel and for four
I will not revoke its punishment,
Because they sell the righteous for money
And the needy for a pair of sandals.
“These who pant after the very dust of the earth on the head of the helpless
Also turn aside the way of the humble;
And a man and his father resort to the same girl
In order to profane My holy name.
“On garments taken as pledges they stretch out beside every altar,
And in the house of their God they drink the wine of those who have been fined.
The crimes listed in vv 6–8 all relate to social justice within Israel, in distinction to the first six oracles, which cite international atrocities, and the penultimate Judah oracle, which mentions general covenant-breaking and idolatry.
Israel wasn’t committing these atrocities against foreigners - they were taking advantage of their own countrymen
They were selling the innocent - the righteous and the needy is synonymous here with innocent - into slavery
A man and his father would turn to the same girl
Whether in sharing a concubine - a violation of the Mosaic law
If she is displeasing in the eyes of her master who designated her for himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He does not have authority to sell her to a foreign people because of his unfairness to her.
or as a cult prostitute in the temple
either one is a violation of the Mosaic laws for worship and treatment of women
These were religious people who were exploiting the poor
The Mosaic covenant did provide for taking someone’s garments for a pledge but only during daylight hours - then it had to be returned to them
“If you lend money to My people, to the poor among you, you are not to act as a creditor to him; you shall not charge him interest. If you ever take your neighbor’s cloak as a pledge, you are to return it to him before the sun sets, for that is his only covering; it is his cloak for his body. What else shall he sleep in? And it shall come about that when he cries out to Me, I will hear him, for I am gracious.
But the question is what do these oracles to ancient nations have to say to us?
Why does this matter?
Why does this matter?
These nations were not being condemned for their religion or their military conquests
They were being condemned for the way they treated people - whether stealing them to sell them as slaves, burning their bones to prevent resurrection, cutting open the pregnant women and killing their babies
And these are attitudes we are still guilty of today
Now you may never have stolen someone or helped with an abortion
However it is the overall attitude towards people that allowed them to do this
It is the dehumanizing of someone in their eyes that makes it possible for them to treat them that way
During the 1800 there was the 3/5 rule that made the black man only count for 3/5 of a person during the census
The propaganda of the Nazi’s (and the Allies) during World War 2 that made their enemies (and the Jews in Germany) seem like a caricature of a human rather than a human in truth
Our own attitudes towards the people around us
Anger
Lust
Arrogance
My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism. For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and you say to the poor man, “You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,” have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives? Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court? Do they not blaspheme the fair name by which you have been called?
If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not commit murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty. For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.
This isn’t a letter written to some foreign nation - this is written to the church
I warned you this would be depressing but the good thing is that there is hope...
Conclusion - The Gospel
Conclusion - The Gospel
For some of these nations this was not the end of the story - just as it is not the end of the story for us
Concerning the sons of Ammon. Thus says the Lord:
“Does Israel have no sons?
Or has he no heirs?
Why then has Malcam taken possession of Gad
And his people settled in its cities?
“But afterward I will restore
The fortunes of the sons of Ammon,”
Declares the Lord.
That which came as the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet concerning Elam, at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, saying:
‘But it will come about in the last days
That I will restore the fortunes of Elam,’ ”
Declares the Lord.
You see - Amos prophesied their destruction in the middle 8th century BC. But Jeremiah reveals more of the plan in the middle of the 7th…that God will restore these nations despite their atrocities
And none of this is deserved (it’s not like these nations woke up and started treating people better)
We have the same hope
Amos’ prophecies succeed in condemning all of mankind because of our attitudes toward our fellow brother
But One came who never mistreated anyone - in fact He was mistreated on our behalf
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.