Be Saved From The Fire

“The words of Amos, who was among the sheep breeders of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.” Amos 1:1

Amos saw the words of the Lord. He saw them in a vision. In Jeremiah 1:11, 13, Jeremiah saw the Lord’s words in a vision.

Amos was a sheep breeder not a theologian or a priest. His résumé did not thwart God from speaking to him and through him. God chooses “the weak things of the world to confound the mighty.” God anointed a humble care-giver of sheep with a gift of prophecy to reprove the cruelties of people on people violence and abuse in his day.

Amos received this prophecy in 762 BC two years before an earthquake struck Israel during the days of King Uzziah. This same earthquake is mentioned in the prophecy of Zechariah 14:5 which says that the Lord will stand on the Mount of Olives and the enemies of Jerusalem shall flee as they fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah.

This prophecy begins with words of judgment against enemies outside of Israel, but afterwards, focuses on enemies within Israel, namely themselves. God had raised up prophets among them, but they hated them. So, God sent to them Amos from Tekoa of Judah. Perhaps, the northern tribes of Israel would listen to a prophet from the tribe of Judah. Oh, by the way, Jesus God’s Son, will also come to them one day from the tribe of Judah.

“And he said: ‘The Lord roars from Zion and utters His voice from Jerusalem; the pastures of the shepherds mourn, and the top of Carmel withers.’” Amos 1:2

The Lord roars from Zion and utters His voice from Jerusalem. As terrible as a roar of a lion sounds to shepherds and sheep, so ominous is God’s roar at people via His prophets. The Lord uses a lion’s roar as a metaphor for His prophetic voice in Hosea 11:10 and Joel 3:16. The lion roars before he tears. God warns before He strikes.

It is wise to give heed to God’s prophetic warnings because they will certainly come to pass.

Psalms 19:7-11 says, “The Law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul. The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever. The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold, sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them Your servant is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward.”

Each nation in Amos is warned with the phrase, “Thus says the Lord, for three transgressions... for four transgressions.” God might have spared them, but since, after having been so often pardoned, and they still persevere in sin, He will no longer “turn away” their punishment. The Hebrew is simply, “I will not reverse it.” [JFBC]

“Thus says the Lord: for three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, because they have threshed Gilead with implements of iron. But I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, which shall devour the palaces of Ben-Hadad. I will also break the gate bar of Damascus and cut off the inhabitant from the Valley of Aven, and the one who holds the scepter from Beth Eden. The people of Syria shall go captive to Kir, says the Lord.” Amos 1:3-5

Damascus was the head-city of Syria. The leaders in Damascus led their people to thresh Gilead with threshing-instruments of iron which were instruments of torture.

In 2 Kings 8:12 and 2 Kings 10:32-33, Hazael king of Syria dashed Israel’s children, and ripped open their pregnant women. God promised to send fire on Hazael’s house and on the palaces of Ben-Hadad. Palaces, though richly furnished and strongly fortified, are indefensible against God Almighty. Their nation shall be carried captive into Kir of the Medes. God fulfilled this promise in 2 Kings 16:9, about fifty years later.

“Thus says the Lord: for three transgressions of Gaza, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, because they took captive the whole captivity to deliver them up to Edom. But I will send a fire upon the wall of Gaza, which shall devour its palaces. I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, and the one who holds the scepter from Ashkelon; I will turn My hand against Ekron, and the remnant of the Philistines shall perish, says the Lord God.” Amos 1:6-8

Gaza was a chief city of the Philistines. These leaders captured people from Israel and Judah. In 2 Chronicles 21:17, they took away King Jehoram’s sons and his substance and sold them to the Grecians (Joel 3:4-6), and to the Edomites. Fire from God shall devour the palaces of Gaza. Like the devil who misleads people and ends up in the lake of fire, so the leaders of the Philistine cities of Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, and Ekron were about to perish.

“Thus says the Lord: for three transgressions of Tyre, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, because they delivered up the whole captivity to Edom, and did not remember the covenant of brotherhood. But I will send a fire upon the wall of Tyre, which shall devour its palaces.” Amos 1:9-10

Tyre was a famous city for its wealth and strength. They sold Israelites who fled to them for safety to the Edomites. They betrayed the covenant that they had made with Solomon back in 1 Kings 5:12. Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Tyre’s palaces with fire.

“Thus says the Lord: for three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, because he pursued his brother with the sword, and cast off all pity; his anger tore perpetually, and he kept his wrath forever. But I will send a fire upon Teman, which shall devour the palaces of Bozrah.” Amos 1:11-12

When Israel’s enemies put them to flight, the Edomites slew the survivors that were half dead. They cast off all pity. His cruelty was insatiable like the devil. God will send a fire on their palaces in Bozrah, which was major city in the region of Teman within the land Edom.

“Thus says the Lord: for three transgressions of the people of Ammon, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, because they ripped open the women with child in Gilead, that they might enlarge their territory. But I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah, and it shall devour its palaces, amid shouting in the day of battle, and a tempest in the day of the whirlwind. Their king shall go into captivity, he, and his princes together, says the Lord.” Amos 1:13-15

The leaders of the Ammonites rejoiced in Israel’s calamities. They were filled with such lust for property that they ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead. They falsely assumed that by reducing the population of certain classes of people, they could seize their property. A fire accompanied with a sword shall come swiftly like a wind against them. In a sense, hell will breathe on them. Their palaces in their capital city of Rabbah shall be devoured by fire. Their king and princes shall be carried away to Babylon.

“Thus says the Lord: for three transgressions of Moab, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, because he burned the bones of the king of Edom to lime. But I will send a fire upon Moab, and it shall devour the palaces of Kerioth. Moab shall die with tumult, with shouting and trumpet sound. And I will cut off the judge from its midst, and slay all its princes with him, says the Lord.” Amos 2:1-3

Probably the “burning of the bones” means, “he burned the king of Edom alive, reducing his very bones to lime” [Maurer]. Kerioth was a major city in Moab. It was a center of worship for the Moabite god Chemosh. Moab’s palaces shall be destroyed with fire. An allusion to the devil’s destiny in the lake of fire, and the destiny of false prophets who mislead their followers.

“Thus says the Lord: for three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, because they have despised the Law of the Lord, and have not kept His commandments. Their lies lead them astray, lies which their fathers followed. But I will send a fire upon Judah, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem.” Amos 2:4-5

God’s justice is equal. Judah is the tribe from which Messiah would come. Yet, when Judah’s leaders despised God’s law and rejected His commandments, God judged them with equal judgment. They had led their followers astray. Fire will devour their palaces. The Babylonians burnt the king’s palace, the houses of great people and the temple down.

“Thus says the Lord: for three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, because they sell the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of sandals. They pant after the dust of the earth which is on the head of the poor, and pervert the way of the humble. A man and his father go in to the same girl, to defile My holy Name. They lie down by every altar on clothes taken in pledge and drink the wine of the condemned in the house of their god.” Amos 2:6-8

Certain categories of people were exploited in Israel. Righteous people and poor people were only useful to them for buying and selling. Revelation 18:13 describes merchants selling “souls of men” as “merchandise.” Their treatment of human lives as commodities contrasts with Jesus Christ who died on a cross to redeem the souls of people from eternal destruction due to sin.

The rich in Israel panted after the dust of the earth, that is, for earthly things. They were willing to push the poor to the ground (step on them) to get what they wanted.

The poor throw dust on their heads to express grief and lament due to being treated miserably.

The father and son went into the same girl likely means that they had sex with temple prostitutes. They placed garments of the poor that they obtained as collateral for making loans to them near to the altars of their idols and had sex with prostitutes on them. They drank wine that was offered to idols. They perverted the ways of the poor by forcing them to serve their self-gratifying pleasures. Thus, God had to deal with them.

“Yet it was I who destroyed the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars, and he was as strong as the oaks; yet I destroyed his fruit above and his roots beneath. Also it was I who brought you up from the land of Egypt, and led you 40 years through the wilderness, to possess the land of the Amorite. I raised up some of your sons as prophets, and some of your young men as Nazirites. Is it not so, O you children of Israel? says the Lord. But you gave the Nazirites wine to drink, and commanded the prophets saying, ‘Do not prophesy!’” Amos 2:9-12

How foolish it is for people to silence the voices of those who speak for God. God’s prophets endured losses and physical abuse in attempt to restrain people from perishing.

The people of Israel treated God unjustly. He had destroyed enemies that were way too big and strong for them to defeat. He freed them from slavery in Egypt. He gave to them the lands of nations. He anointed some of their sons with His Spirit to speak for Him unto them. But they wanted these godly men to compromise with sin as they compromised with sin. They told them not to talk about God in their presence.

“Behold, I am weighed down by you, as a cart full of sheaves is weighed down. Therefore flight shall perish from the swift, the strong shall not strengthen his power, nor shall the mighty deliver himself. He shall not stand who handles the bow, the swift of foot shall not escape, nor shall he who rides a horse deliver himself. The most courageous men of might shall flee naked in that day, says the Lord.” Amos 2:13-16

God’s special treasure, His dearly loved people, had become a burden to Him. He described their future as one of wars and running for their lives. Even the most courageous of men will leave his clothes behind and flee naked due to fear.

2 Timothy 1:7 says, “God has not given unto us a spirit of fear but of power and love and self-control.” A lack of power, love and self-control is a sign that something is not right in our relationship with God.

In 2 Timothy 3:5, the Lord warned us that in the last days people will “have a form of godliness but deny its power.” He said to “have nothing to do with such people.” This verse describes people who appear religious but reject the spiritual power and transformative influence that true faith offers, such as the power of the Holy Spirit. In a sense, these people pose a greater threat to one’s soul than those who are obviously evil. They appear to be “Christians” but they stealthily urge lovers of Jesus to stop talking so much about Him and to “loosen up” and drop their beliefs and disciplines that keep their relationship with Jesus strong. The Lord says, “Have nothing to do with such people.”

As for the people in palaces who lead their nations astray, God dealt with such leaders in the past, He is doing it now, and He will keep dealing with evil leaders until every last one of them is either burning in fire or saved and transformed because they repented and gave their souls to Jesus Christ to be saved by Him.

The Lord urges us to pray for our leaders because He wants all people to be saved...

2 Timothy 2:1-4 says, “I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

Amen!


[JFBC] = Jamieson Fausset Brown Commentary

I also referred to Matthew Henry Commentary and Google for insights into some names of places and meanings of some phrases.