Again and Again | Amos
By Rev. Jeremiah Cheung
From Amos 1:1 – 2:3
1:1 The words of Amos, one of the shepherds of Tekoa—the vision he saw concerning Israel two years before the earthquake, when Uzziah was king of Judah and Jeroboam son of Jehoash was king of Israel.
2 He said: “The Lord roars from Zion and thunders from Jerusalem; the pastures of the shepherds dry up, and the top of Carmel withers.”
3 This is what the Lord says: “For three sins of Damascus, even for four*, I will not relent. Because she threshed Gilead with sledges having iron teeth, 4 I will send fire on the house of Hazael that will consume the fortresses of Ben-Hadad. 5 I will break down the gate of Damascus; I will destroy the king who is in the Valley of Aven and the one who holds the scepter in Beth Eden. The people of Aram will go into exile to Kir,” says the Lord.
6 This is what the Lord says: “For three sins of Gaza, even for four, I will not relent. Because she took captive whole communities and sold them to Edom, 7 I will send fire on the walls of Gaza that will consume her fortresses. 8 I will destroy the king of Ashdod and the one who holds the scepter in Ashkelon. I will turn my hand against Ekron, till the last of the Philistines are dead,” says the Sovereign Lord.
9 This is what the Lord says: “For three sins of Tyre, even for four, I will not relent. Because she sold whole communities of captives to Edom, disregarding a treaty of brotherhood, 10 I will send fire on the walls of Tyre that will consume her fortresses.”
11 This is what the Lord says: “For three sins of Edom, even for four, I will not relent. Because he pursued his brother with a sword and slaughtered the women of the land, because his anger raged continually and his fury flamed unchecked, 12 I will send fire on Teman that will consume the fortresses of Bozrah.”
13 This is what the Lord says: “For three sins of Ammon, even for four, I will not relent. Because he ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead in order to extend his borders, 14 I will set fire to the walls of Rabbah that will consume her fortresses amid war cries on the day of battle, amid violent winds on a stormy day. 15 Her king will go into exile, he and his officials together,” says the Lord.
2:1 This is what the Lord says: “For three sins of Moab, even for four, I will not relent. Because he burned to ashes the bones of Edom’s king, 2 I will send fire on Moab that will consume the fortresses of Kerioth. Moab will go down in great tumult amid war cries and the blast of the trumpet. 3 I will destroy her ruler and kill all her officials with him,” says the Lord.
*NLT Translation: “The people of Damascus have sinned again and again,…”
The prophet Amos conveyed the message of God’s judgment to Israel. But the message was not only for Judah and Israel, it was for the whole world for He is the Lord of the whole earth. Yet, the Lord does not give judgment for the sake of judgment alone. His desire is for the whole earth to repent, for all mankind to prepare to meet the Judge of the whole earth.
In Amos 1 and 2, we see the Lord announce his message of judgment for eight nations. These eight nations represent all nations on the earth apart from Judah and Israel. But the Lord specifically mentioned six nations, because these six nations often have much to do with Israel. These six nations are Damascus, Philistine, Tyre, Edom, Ammon, and Moab.
Careful readers will recognize the speech pattern that the Lord used to proclaim his message to these six nations:
- First: “This is what the Lord says”.
- Second: “For three sins, even for four (sinned again and again)”.
- Third: “Because (the sin committed).”
- Fourth: “I will send fire (God’s plan).“
- Fifth: “Says the Sovereign Lord”.
Notice that each message begins with “The Lord says” and ends with “says the Sovereign Lord.” This is the ordained will of God, no nation shall escape God’s judgment. The Lord God also repeated, “For the three sins of [a nation], even for four” which the NLT Bible translates to “For the people of [nation] have sinned again and again”.
This turn of phrase highlights man’s stubbornness and God’s mercy. Mankind has sinned time and time again; meanwhile, the Lord gives us opportunities for repentance time and time again. Although the Lord is a God who is not quick to anger, His day of judgment will someday come, for He is also a God of justice; He will not put up with sin forever. The day of judgment will be terrible because God is a consuming fire; that is why every time the prophet speaks of God’s judgment, he speaks of the Lord sending down fire.
Church, do not take for granted the Lord’s justice nor abuse His love. Now is the time to repent; now is the time to seek Him. Take hold of today’s opportunity to turn back to the Lord, stop sinning again and again, lest it be too late for us.
Next post: Do Not Fall from Grace
三番四次 | 阿摩司書
張國強牧師
阿摩司書 1:1-2:3
1:1 當猶大王烏西雅, 以色列王約阿施的兒子耶羅波安在位的時候, 大地震前二年, 提哥亞牧人中的阿摩司得默示論以色列。
2 他說: 耶和華必從錫安吼叫, 從耶路撒冷發聲, 牧人的草場要悲哀, 迦密的山頂要枯乾。
3 耶和華如此說: 大馬色三番四次的犯罪, 我必不免去他的刑罰, 因為他以打糧食的鐵器打過基列。4 我卻要降火在哈薛的家中, 燒滅便哈達的宮殿。1:5 我必折斷大馬色的門閂, 剪除亞文平原的居民和伯伊甸掌權的, 亞蘭人必被擄到吉珥, 這是耶和華說的。
6 耶和華如此說: 迦薩三番四次的犯罪, 我必不免去他的刑罰,因為他擄掠眾民交給以東。7 我卻要降火在迦薩的城內, 燒滅其中的宮殿。8 我必剪除亞實突的居民和亞實基倫掌權的, 也必反手攻擊以革倫, 非利士人所餘剩的必都滅亡。這是主耶和華說的。
9 耶和華如此說: 推羅三番四次地犯罪, 我必不免去他的刑罰, 因為他將眾民交給以東, 並不記念弟兄的盟約。10 我卻要降火在推羅的城內, 燒滅其中的宮殿。
11 耶和華如此說: 以東三番四次的犯罪, 我必不免去他的刑罰, 因為他拿刀追趕兄弟, 毫無憐憫, 發怒撕裂, 永懷忿怒。12 我卻要降火在提幔, 燒滅波斯拉的宮殿。
13 耶和華如此說: 亞捫人三番四次的犯罪, 我必不免去他們的刑罰, 因為他們剖開基列的孕婦, 擴張自己的境界。14 我卻要在爭戰吶喊的日子, 旋風狂暴的時候, 點火在拉巴的城內, 燒滅其中的宮殿。15 他們的王和首領必一同被擄去。這是耶和華說的。
2:1 耶和華如此說: 摩押三番四次的犯罪, 我必不免去他的刑罰, 因為他將以東王的骸骨焚燒成灰。2 我卻要sup>降火在摩押, 燒滅加略的宮殿, 摩押必在鬨嚷吶喊吹角之中死亡。3 我必剪除摩押中的審判者, 將其中的一切首領和他一同殺戮。這是耶和華說的。
阿摩司先知向以色列傳達神審判的信息, 但不單是對猶大, 以色列, 神要審判全地, 因為神是全地的主; 但神不是因為審判而審判, 神要全地都悔改, 讓他們好好預備迎見這個審判全地的主。
在阿摩司書1-2章裡, 我們看見神向八個國家宣告審判的信息, 這八個國家是代表全地的國家, 除了猶大與以色列外, 但神特別提出六個國家, 因為這六個國家與以色列常常產生關係。神提出六個國家的名字, 分別為: 大馬士革、非利士、推羅、以東、亞捫與摩押這六個國家。神對這六個國家宣告的模式都是相同的:
- 第一. 耶和華如此說;
- 第二. 他三番四次的犯罪;
- 第三. 因為他(宣告罪行);
- 第四. 我必降火(神的安排);
- 第五. 這是耶和華說的。
我們注意開始與結束都是神說的, 這是神旨意的安排, 沒有一個國家可以逃避神的審判; 但神卻又說: 他三番四次的犯罪。這告訴我們人的頑梗與神的憐憫, 人一次又一次的犯罪, 神一次又一次給人悔改的機會, 神公義的神不是永遠允准我們犯罪, 神不容易動怒, 但神總有一天會動怒的, 而且是很可怕的, 因為神是烈火, 所以每次當先知宣告神審判的時候, 先知都是用降火來表達, 神要降火下來。
教會, 不是輕看神的公義, 也不會濫用神的慈愛, 現在是悔改的時候, 現在是尋求祂的時候, 好好把握今天, 不要再三番四次的犯罪, 將來我們後悔也太遲了。