Fire of Judgment vs. Hope for the Sheep

Amos 1:1-15

1 The words of Amos, who was among the sheepbreeders 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.

2 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."

3 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.

4 But I will send a fire into the house of Hazael,
Which shall devour the palaces of Ben-Hadad.
5 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.

6 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.
7 But I will send a fire upon the wall of Gaza,
Which shall devour its palaces.

8 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.

9 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.
10 But I will send a fire upon the wall of Tyre,
Which shall devour its palaces."

11 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.
12 But I will send a fire upon Teman,
Which shall devour the palaces of Bozrah."

13 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.

14 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.
15 Their king shall go into captivity,
He and his princes together,"
Says the LORD.

Amos, “Burden-Bearer,” was a farmer called to be a prophet to deliver God’s message of judgment on God’s people because of their hypocrisy and refusal to repent.  He spoke these things in the days of Uzziah king of Judah when Isaiah had seen the vision of the holiness of the LORD and asked to be sent with a similar task to the people.  Amos also addressed the ungodly nation surrounding Israel, bringing judgment on the nations in no small words as well.  The words against Syria and the Philistines, against Ashdod, Gaza, Tyre, Edom, Ammon, and others demonstrated the judgment of the LORD against all unrighteousness and rejection of His word.  Their sins of violence, evil, and greed earned them wages of unrelenting judgment and punishment.  The pastures of the shepherds of Israel heard from Jerusalem and mourned the wages of sin earned (Romans 6:23) and they were brought low in humiliation as if Mount Carmel was cut done to size for comparison.  The judgment against Israel’s enemies was more harsh, bringing destruction by fire against them all spoken of by name here.  This judgment by God’s consuming fire is a reflection of the future lake of hellfire for those rejecting the gospel of the risen Lord Jesus Christ.  Those before the coming of Christ had enough revealed to trust Him but did not; those after His death and resurrection likewise spurned even the things made clear which they were unable to hear because they were not His sheep (John 6:44, 65, 8:47, 10:26-28).  There is therefore a day of final judgment pictured in these judgments against the nations rejecting the Lord and His word, as well as accountability for those who hear, believe, and receive to them live accordingly (2 Timothy 2:19).  The burden of the prophet is the burden of the LORD for all He calls to hear and receive His good news as they are able and therefore find peace with Him instead of the fire of judgment due upon the whole world (John 3:16, 18-19).  The warnings of the past echo into the present day and until the end of time.  The sheep are begged to hear and consider these things to follow Him in holiness and with purpose in all humility.  Remember this resurrection Sunday we celebrate that Jesus Christ died and indeed rose from death to life to offer all he calls the same hope (John 5:24, 6:47)!  He is risen indeed, and so will we in Him be.  Amen.