Judgment on Moab and Judah
September 13, 2019
Commentary
In today’s passage, the Lord passes judgement upon Moab (vv. 1-3) and Judah (vv. 4-5). Moab was situated east of the Dead Sea between Ammon and Edom (vv. 1-3). They had descended from an incestuous relationship between Lot and his oldest daughter. Balak, king of Moab tried to hire the prophet Balaam to curse the Israelites so they could be defeated. Instead, Balaam spoke the Lord’s word of blessing, but some of the Moabites succeeded in getting Israel to worship Baal (Num. 22-25).
Moab’s great sin was the dishonor they showed to the body of the king of Edom. They burned the king’s body until there was nothing left (v. 1). This was their way of saying, “We hope his soul knows no peace for all eternity.” The Philistines treated King Saul’s body with similar dishonor (1 Sam. 31:10). Moab’s crime would be met with a fitting punishment. The Lord would send a devouring fire upon Kerioth, a major Moabite city and stronghold (v. 2), and Moab and its rulers would die in battle (v. 3). Nebuchadnezzar conquered Moab in 598 B.C. opening the way for Arab tribes to settle in their land (Jer. 48).
Sadly, Judah is listed among Israel’s enemies. God’s people had willingly rejected God’s Law, the Torah (v. 4a). The current generation had gone astray, following the same lies their ancestors had followed: listening to false prophets and worshiping false gods (v. 4b). Fire from the Lord would be the punishment (v. 5), the same punishment as her sinful neighbors. Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem in 586 B.C. (2 Kings 25:1-12).
Application
How am I guilty of dishonor towards my fellow man? How have I failed to honor God? What can I do today to show honor towards those I meet and towards the God who created us?
Amos 2:1– 5 (NET)
1 This is what the Lord says: “Because Moab has committed three crimes — make that four —I will not revoke my decree of judgment. They burned the bones of Edom’s king into lime.
2 So I will set Moab on fire, and it will consume Kerioth’s fortresses. Moab will perish in the heat of battle amid war cries and the blaring of the ram’s horn.
3 I will remove Moab’s leader; I will kill all Moab’s officials with him.” The Lord has spoken!
4 This is what the Lord says: “Because Judah has committed three covenant transgressions — make that four —I will not revoke my decree of judgment. They rejected the Lord’s law; they did not obey his commands. Their false gods, to which their fathers were loyal, led them astray.
5 So I will set Judah on fire, and it will consume Jerusalem’s fortresses.”