Amos 1:11-15

PUNISHMENT PROMISED, THE HEATHENNATIONSEDOM AND MOAB

TEXT: Amos 1:11-15

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Thus saith Jehovah: For three transgressions of Edom, yea, for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he did pursue his brother with the sword, and did cast off all pity, and his anger did tear perpetually, and he kept his wrath for ever:

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but I will send a fire upon Teman, and it shall devour the palaces of Bozrah.

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Thus saith Jehovah: For three transgressions of the children of Ammon, yea, for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have ripped up the woman with child of Gilead, that they may enlarge their border:

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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;

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and their king shall go into captivity, he and his princes together, saith Jehovah.

QUERIES

a.

Who was the Edomites brother whom he pursued with the sword?

b.

Did the Ammonites actually butcher pregnant women?

c.

Did the king of Ammon go away into captivity?

PARAPHRASE

This is the Lord's word: For sin after sin of Edom, I will not leave him unpunished. Because these Edomites have chased their brethren, the Israelites, with the sword to make them prisoners and slaves and because these Edomites were pitiless, relentless in their anger and continually full of wrath, I will consume the whole nation, from Teman in the north to Bozrah in the south, in the fires of My judgment.
This is the Lord's word: For sin after sin of Ammon, I will not leave him unpunished. In their wars to extend the borders of their country these Ammonites committed cruel crimes, ripping open pregnant women with their swords. Because they have done these things I will consume them with the fire of My judgment and they shall go down with shouting and the battle will roar like a whirlwind in a mighty storm. Their king and princes will be taken captive into exile together, says the Lord.

SUMMARY

Edom and Ammon were related by blood to Israel yet they committed some of the most inhumane cruelties toward Israel. For these the Lord promises punishment,

COMMENT

Amos 1:11-12. FOR THREE TRANSGRESSIONS OF EDOM. HE DID PURSUE HIS BROTHER WITH THE SWORD. CAST OFF ALL PITY. HIS ANGER DID TEAR PERPETUALLY. I WILL SEND A FIRE UPON TEMAN. The Edomites were descendants of Esau, brother of Jacob (Israel), Edom became the relentless enemy of Israel constantly cultivating an implacable, mortal hatred towards the Israelites, which broke out into acts of cruelty at every possible opportunity. The Edomites were always busy raiding the cities and villages of Palestine, taking captives and using or selling them for slaves. God pronounces His judgment upon Teman and Bozrah which represent the extreme north and south, respectively, of the nation of Edom. Thus God says He will judge the whole nation. Be sure to refer to our comments on the book of Obadiah for Edom's relation to Israel.

Amos 1:13-15. FOR THREE TRANSGRESSIONS OF THE CHILDREN OF AMMON. THEY HAVE RIPPED UP WOMEN WITH CHILD OF GILEAD, THAT THEY MAY ENLARGE THEIR BORDER. BUT I W LL KINDLE A FIRE IN THE WALL OF RABBAH. AND THEIR KING SHALL GO INTO CAPTIVITY. The Ammonites (descendants of Ben-ammi) were related to the Moabites and Israelites through Lot (cf. Genesis 19:38). The Israelites were told by the Lord not to enter into battle with them as they journeyed toward the land of Promise (Deuteronomy 2:19). Their nation was supposed to be just east of Moab stretching to the north as far as the Jabbok River and on the south to the hills of Edom but the Ammonites were continually trying to extend the borders of their land. They were a fierce people by nature, rebellious against Israel and idolatrous in their religious practices. They thrust out the right eye of all in Jabesh Gilead (1 Samuel 11:2). They were given to cruel atrocities (Jeremiah 40:14; Jeremiah 41:5-7; Amos 1:14). Though related to Israel, they refused to help them when asked (Deuteronomy 23:4) and they joined with Moab in securing Balaam to curse them (Deuteronomy 23:3-4). Later on in Israel's history they united with Sanballat to oppose the work, of Nehemiah in restoring the walls of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 2:10-19). The chief god of the fierce Ammon was Milchom, the principle of destruction, who was appeased with sacrifices of living children, given to the fire to devour, (1 Kings 11:7). Because of their sins and especially because they constantly opposed Israel, Ezekiel predicted their complete destruction (Ezekiel 25:1-7). Their last stand seems to have been against Judas Maccabeus (1Ma. 5:6).

The occasion on which the Ammonites were guilty of ripping up pregnant women is not recorded in the O.T. They probably joined with Hazael (of whom it is also prophesied by Elisha, 2 Kings 8:12) when that Syrian king was at war with Israel. The Ammonites then would have availed themselves of the opportunity to widen their territory by conquering back the land which had been taken from them by Sihon, king of the Amorites, and was in turn taken possession of by the Israelites.

Greedy, heartless, inhuman rulers and peoples have committed the same (and often times worse) atrocities for the same aggrandizing purposes. And the same God who held the Ammonites accountable for their cruelties holds such nations today accountable with the same omniscient justice and holiness and power! Especially does God find it necessary to condemn those who make war on His saints!

QUIZ

1.

Who were the Edomites and why did God hold them under condemnation?

2.

Who were the Ammonites and why did God hold them under condemnation?