AMOS 1:13

The Bible says in Amos 1:13-15, “Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of the children of Ammon, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have ripped up the women with child of Gilead, that they might enlarge their border:[14] But I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah, and it shall devour the palaces thereof, with shouting in the day of battle, with a tempest in the day of the whirlwind:[15] And their king shall go into captivity, he and his princes together, saith the LORD.” Nation after nation is being judged by God because of how they have treated their fellow man. In this case it is unspeakable violence against the most innocent and defenseless: mothers with child. Human nature has not changed. In our day also terrible and unspeakable violent acts are committed against the most innocent. But one thing is for sure. God is judge. Judgment is coming and the number on e reasons is because of the violence that human beings have committed against their brothers.

The Bible says in Amos 2:1-3, “Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Moab, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime:[2] But I will send a fire upon Moab, and it shall devour the palaces of Kerioth: and Moab shall die with tumult, with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet:[3] And I will cut off the judge from the midst thereof, and will slay all the princes thereof with him, saith the LORD.” The sin that Moab committed is described in Amos 2:1 as “he burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime.” This is showing disrespect for a person after they are dead. Remember that we should have brotherly love towards our neighbors. We should be willing to forgive those who wrong us, and we should show respect and honor to all human beings who come across our paths. It goes without saying that to desecrate a grave or a dead body is disrespecting a person and their memory after they have died. Why should we respect another human being? They were created in the image of God, just as we were. God gave them life, and in that sense they are God’s children just as we are. In spite of their faults and failures, God loves them as much as He loves us. To disrespect another human being is to deny these truths, and in a way to deny God and God’s authority and purpose in the life of everyone.

The Bible says in Amos 2:4-5, “Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have despised the law of the LORD, and have not kept his commandments, and their lies caused them to err, after the which their fathers have walked:[5] But I will send a fire upon Judah, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem.” God is holy and He is Judge of the whole earth. Therefore, He must judge and He does judge. He judges the believers and the unbelievers. It says in First Peter 4:17-18, “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?[18] And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?” Notice the judgment that came against Judah. The first sin listed is: “they have despised the law of the LORD.” The greatest book in the world is the Bible. It is the only book that comes directly from God. It tells us about faith, and hope, and love. It tells us about salvation and forgiveness of sins that is in Christ. It tells us about the Creation and the past and how everything got here. It tells us about the future, and what will eventually happen to the earth. It tells us how to live our lives. What a book. Thank God that we have it. The Bible says in Psalms 138:2, “I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.” God’s Word has been magnified above His name, and we know how important His name is. God told us in the third commandment in Exodus 20:7, “Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.” It is no wonder that Jesus said in Matthew 4:4, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” When Christians neglect the Word of God, it becomes obvious in their lack of spiritual strength. But the people of Judah did not only neglect the Word of God, they “despised” it.

The people of Judah despised the Word of God, and they “have not kept his commandments.” Of course, if you do not read, and study, and memorize, and listen to, and think about the Word of God, then you will not be aware of what the Lord wants you to do and you will break His commandments. One of the primary reasons to study the Word of God is to keep the commandments. Unfortunately, some people study the Word of God and it only becomes an intellectual exercise. They gain head knowledge, but not heart knowledge. Their life is not changed by it. We should always read the Word of God asking ourselves the question: How can I put what I am reading into practice in my actions and in my life?

The Word of God is the truth. Every word is true. There are no errors and no mistakes. God gave His Word and He preserved His Word. Jesus said in John 17:17, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” It is no wonder that it says about those who despise the Word of God, “their lies caused them to err.” If you reject the truth, then you will believe lies, and you yourself will become a liar.

The Bible says in Amos 2:6-7, “Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes;[7] That pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, and turn aside the way of the meek: and a man and his father will go in unto the same maid, to profane my holy name:” It is no doubt that materialism is the great sin mentioned in these verses along with sexual immorality. The sins of materialism are mentioned four times in these two verses. The basic message is that the Jews came to regard money as being more important than people, and they became willing to sacrifice souls to satisfy their lust for wealth. First of all, nothing is more valuable than a soul. Jesus gave His life on Calvary to save souls. Jesus said in Mark 8:36-37, “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?[37] Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” It is interesting to notice what God calls wealth in Amos 2:7. God calls wealth “the dust of the earth.” Wealth is no better than dirt in God’s eyes. Maybe that is one of the reasons that the streets of heaven are paved with gold: not just to make it beautiful, but to remind everyone in heaven every day forever what money is really good for. The real purpose of money in this life is to use it for good and for God’s glory. There is nothing wrong with money. It is the lust for money that corrupts. The Bible says in First Timothy 6:7-11, “For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.[8] And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.[9] But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.[10] For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.[11] But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.”

The Bible says in Amos 2:8-9, “And they lay themselves down upon clothes laid to pledge by every altar, and they drink the wine of the condemned in the house of their god.[9] Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars, and he was strong as the oaks; yet I destroyed his fruit from above, and his roots from beneath.” God used the example of the Amorites for one main purpose: to demonstrate the fact that physical size and strength was inadequate. Man has many needs and the most important of which are the spiritual needs. Also, physical size and strength is no help at all in the most important things in life. We see that today in the area of professional sports. Some sports are designed around bigger and stronger athletes, such as tackle football. But the very individuals who are bigger and stronger than the average person often die at a much younger age than the average person. Their size is a real negative in regards to long life. Those who trust in physical size and strength instead of trusting in God, are making a serious mistake that will lead to their doom.

The Bible says in Amos 2:10-11, “Also I brought you up from the land of Egypt, and led you forty years through the wilderness, to possess the land of the Amorite.[11] And I raised up of your sons for prophets, and of your young men for Nazarites. Is it not even thus, O ye children of Israel? saith the LORD.” Now that we are on the subject of the big and physically strong Amorite people being destroyed, we can review some of the details about why they were destroyed and when. The Amorites were finally judged for their sins when God decided to give the land of Canaan to the Israelites. By the way, the land of Canaan does belong to the Israelites. They will finally take full possession of that land when Jesus comes back, saves them from their enemies, and gives them the land of Canaan based upon the great promises that God made to Abraham centuries ago.

In Amos 2:10-11 God is reminding the Israelites of what He had done for them over the years. First God took them out of the land of Egypt. That symbolizes salvation. If you know Jesus as your Savior, then you also have been delivered from the world. For that alone, you owe Jesus everything. But even so, Jesus has done much more for you too. Just as He did for the Israelites, He said in verse 10 that He “led you.” Walking through this world can be like walking through a minefield, so it is really beneficial to have a Guide. As it says in Psalms 23:1-2, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. He leadeth me…” God led the Israelites and then He caused them “to possess the land.” This symbolizes the fact that God has a place for you in this world and no one can take that place from you. It has to do with His purpose for your life. Jesus said in Revelation 3:8, “I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee and open door, and no man can shut it.” It also says in Romans 11:29, “For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.”

One of the great things that God has done for all people is stated very clearly in Amos 2:11, “I raised up of your sons for prophets, and of your young men for Nazarites.” Why does God raise up prophets? The reason is because God’s method to speak to people is through His preachers. God could speak with an audible voice for all to hear, but He has chosen not to do that for now. God’s method is to use people as His spokesmen and spokeswomen. A prophet is someone who speak forth the Word of God. We have the written Word, but God also wants His Word spoken forth by the individuals that He has called and chosen to do that work. Other believers God has called for other work for God’s glory. Find out what God has called and equipped you to do, and do that. In addition to mentioning the prophets, God also mentions the Nazarites that God raised up from the “young men.” A Nazarite was someone who was characterized by a holy life, and was someone who had made vows not to corrupt himself. This symbolizes the fact that God is not only interested that we speak forth His Word, but that we live a holy life. There may be no greater power than the power of holiness. God is holy. His Spirit is called The Holy Spirit. When we sin, we become weak. When we live holy lives we become more endued with God’s power. It is that simple. The Bible says in Ephesians 4:30, “And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.”

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