Daily Devotions
Amos
"Transgression of Damascus"
Text: Amos 1:3
THE NATIONS THAT WERE JUDGED
The first six nations that received Divine Judgments from God were ancient enemies of Israel and Judah. However, these Judgments were not confined to these six nations. Judah and Israel did not escape Divine Judgments!
THE NATION OF SYRIA
The first nation to be judged was Syria. In the text, Damascus was mentioned because it was the capital of the nation. It represented the nation.
“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.'”
Amos 1:3
1. “Thus says the LORD”
a) This judgment comes from Him.
b) In His Divine capacity
i) As the sovereign LORD.
ii) As the Divine Judge.
2. “For three transgressions and for four”
a) Damascus or Syria had transgressed God’s Laws.
b) These were not minor infringements.
c) These were transgressions that God had noted down.
d) They were serious enough for God to mete out a sentence or a judgment against the nation.
3. “I will not turn away its punishment”
a) There was no sign of remorse or repentance noted.
b) God thus could not overlook their sinful ways.
4. “Because they have threshed Gilead with implements of iron”
a) The Lord was employing the imagery of a threshing machine.
b) The threshing machine had iron teeth.
c) Gilead, a region belonging to Israel had been cruelly mistreated by the Syrians.
5. In modern day terminology
a) This would be atrocities of war (war crime).
b) What Syria did to weak and defenceless Gilead was uncalled for.
The war-like Syrians were virtually killing civilian Gileadites!