“So I will send fire upon Judah and it will consume the citadels of Jerusalem.” (v.5)
In today’s reading, Amos continued with an additional oracle against Israel’s enemies. The sixth oracle was against Moab (vv.1-3). They were guilty of desecrating an enemy king’s body, thus showing sinful disrespect. For these and other sins, the judgment in both cases was the same as yesterday—a destroying fire representing military defeat, exile, or death. If you were look at a map, you would see that the seven nations condemned in today’s and yesterday’s readings form a circle around Israel.
The seventh and eighth oracles came as a surprise to Amos’s hearers, for they were directed against Judah and Israel. They probably enjoyed hearing that justice would be done against their enemies, but to find their own sins as the “climax” and main target of the message was a shock. Judah was guilty of idolatry and disobedience and would also be judged by fire (vv.4-5). Israel was even worse. The northern kingdom was guilty of sins including idolatry, exploitation of the poor, injustice, oppression, greed, sexual immorality, drunkenness, and self–indulgence (vv.6-16).
They had “forgotten” God’s character and what He had already done in their history, they had been unfaithful to the covenant. As a result, they were marked for destruction and would surely, despite their imagined immunity from judgment, be crushed. “The swift will not escape … the warrior will not save his life” (vv.15-16).
Their fundamental sin was pride. Pride allowed them to believe that as God’s “chosen people” they wouldn’t be held accountable for the various forms of wickedness in which they were engaged. Pride blinded them to the truth of the character of God. As we know, however: “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall” (Prov. 16:18).
Better to follow The Truth: “A man’s pride will bring him low, but a humble spirit will obtain honor.” (Proverbs 29:23)
In today’s reading, Amos continued with an additional oracle against Israel’s enemies. The sixth oracle was against Moab (vv.1-3). They were guilty of desecrating an enemy king’s body, thus showing sinful disrespect. For these and other sins, the judgment in both cases was the same as yesterday—a destroying fire representing military defeat, exile, or death. If you were look at a map, you would see that the seven nations condemned in today’s and yesterday’s readings form a circle around Israel.
The seventh and eighth oracles came as a surprise to Amos’s hearers, for they were directed against Judah and Israel. They probably enjoyed hearing that justice would be done against their enemies, but to find their own sins as the “climax” and main target of the message was a shock. Judah was guilty of idolatry and disobedience and would also be judged by fire (vv.4-5). Israel was even worse. The northern kingdom was guilty of sins including idolatry, exploitation of the poor, injustice, oppression, greed, sexual immorality, drunkenness, and self–indulgence (vv.6-16).
They had “forgotten” God’s character and what He had already done in their history, they had been unfaithful to the covenant. As a result, they were marked for destruction and would surely, despite their imagined immunity from judgment, be crushed. “The swift will not escape … the warrior will not save his life” (vv.15-16).
Their fundamental sin was pride. Pride allowed them to believe that as God’s “chosen people” they wouldn’t be held accountable for the various forms of wickedness in which they were engaged. Pride blinded them to the truth of the character of God. As we know, however: “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall” (Prov. 16:18).
Better to follow The Truth: “A man’s pride will bring him low, but a humble spirit will obtain honor.” (Proverbs 29:23)
