In this chapter, the Lord adds Judah and Israel to the list of kingdoms that He will judge. Here’s the chapter in its entirety: “This is what the Lord says: “The people of Moab have sinned again and again, and I will not forget it. I will not let them go unpunished any longer! They desecrated the tomb of Edom’s king and burned his bones to ashes. So I will send down fire on the land of Moab, and all the fortresses in Kerioth will be destroyed. The people will fall in the noise of battle, as the warriors shout and the trumpets blare. And I will destroy their king and slaughter all their princes. I, the Lord, have spoken!
God’s Judgment on Judah and Israel
This is what the Lord says: “The people of Judah have sinned again and again, and I will not forget it. I will not let them go unpunished any longer! They have rejected the laws of the Lord, refusing to obey him. They have been led astray by the same lies that deceived their ancestors. So I will send down fire on Judah, and all the fortresses of Jerusalem will be destroyed.”
This is what the Lord says: “The people of Israel have sinned again and again, and I will not forget it. I will not let them go unpunished any longer! They have perverted justice by selling honest people for silver and poor people for a pair of sandals. They trample helpless people in the dust and deny justice to those who are oppressed. Both father and son sleep with the same woman, corrupting my holy name. At their religious festivals, they lounge around in clothing stolen from their debtors. In the house of their god, they present offerings of wine purchased with stolen money.
“Yet think of all I did for my people! I destroyed the Amorites before my people arrived in the land. The Amorites were as tall as cedar trees and strong as oaks, but I destroyed their fruit and dug out their roots. It was I who rescued you from Egypt and led you through the desert for forty years so you could possess the land of the Amorites. I chose some of your sons to be prophets and others to be Nazirites. Can you deny this, my people of Israel?” asks the Lord. “But you caused the Nazirites to sin by making them drink your wine, and you said to my prophets, ‘Shut up!’ (Wow! The Lord has done so much for us, yet we continue to sin against Him. When will we learn?)
“So I will make you groan as a wagon groans when it is loaded down with grain. Your fastest runners will not get away. The strongest among you will become weak. Even the mightiest warriors will be unable to save themselves. The archers will fail to stand their ground. The swiftest soldiers won’t be fast enough to escape. Even warriors on horses won’t be able to outrun the danger. On that day, the most courageous of your fighting men will drop their weapons and run for their lives. I, the Lord, have spoken!” (Amos 2)
Lord, thank you for your Word today! Help us recognize that our sins against you are not worth it! You are everything we need! Help us embrace you and all of your wonderful blessings you continually provide, never forgetting what you have done for us. Lord, we love you!
May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)
….AND MAY WE ALL PRACTICE THIS WITH ONE ANOTHER.
Comments