Amos 1: 1-5…..Strike One!

The words of Amos, who was among the shepherds 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.
Judgment on Israel’s Neighbors
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.”
Thus says the LORD:
“For three transgressions of Damascus,
and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,
because they have threshed Gilead
with threshing sledges of iron.
So I will send a fire upon the house of Hazael,
and it shall devour the strongholds of Ben-hadad.
I will break the gate-bar of Damascus,
and cut off the inhabitants from the Valley of Aven,
and him who holds the scepter from Beth-eden;
and the people of Syria shall go into exile to Kir,”
says the LORD.

Comment: Amos lived in Judea, Tekoa was a short distance from Jerusalem. It seems as if he was of humble origins but called of God to be a prophet of judgement. Apparently from a financial and superficial point of view everything was relatively good at that time in Israel but underneath, from God’s viewpoint of things, everything was not as He desired for His people. But in bringing his message of God’s coming judgement Amos starts by getting the people of Israel on his side. He, initially, makes a quick trip around Israel’s neighbours telling how God is going to deal with them. The introduction sets the prophecy in history not fantasy. Then he says that his own area mourns and Carmel (a very fertile area) withers which, I think, maybe a hint that God is bringing a bit of catastrophe on them.

Then Amos turns to the north-east of Israel to Damascus in Syria. Apparently Syria had used sharp spiked heavy metal threshing sledges to be drawn over the population of Gilead mashing their bodies. Such was bringing God’s judgement on Syria, their rulers, and many would be sent into exile in Kir, which possibly means Iraq. Judgement on their neighbours may have caused joy on Israel!

Prayer: Help me to hear what You mean me to hear about Your thoughts of me and mine!