Amos - For Three Sins of Edom
“For Three Sins of Edom”
(Amos 1:11-12, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, April 2, 2006)
Amos 1:11-12 11 Thus says the LORD: "For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because he pursued his brother with the sword and cast off all pity, and his anger tore perpetually, and he kept his wrath forever. 12 So I will send a fire upon Teman, and it shall devour the strongholds of Bozrah."
THE PASSAGE CONSIDERED:
The history of Israel and Edom begins with the history of two boys (Genesis 25:22-26) While the two boys would be born within minutes of one another, Esau (Edom) was the older boy and Jacob (Israel) was the younger boy. Before they were born, God revealed to their mother Rebecca that the older would serve the younger. Esau had the birthright by age, but Jacob would be the child of promise.
Later in their lives Esau would sell his birthright for a bowl of stew. Years later still when their father Isaac was ready to pass on the covenant blessing to his favorite son Esau, Jacob and Rebecca worked to deceive Isaac into blessing Jacob with the words Isaac intended for Esau. The older brother was bitter and envious against the one whom God designated as the promised child so long ago. Esau comforted himself with thoughts of killing Jacob. With his parents’ blessing, Jacob returned to the “old country” to find a wife. He found two, and had many children and grew in possessions. Amazingly, on his return back to the place where his older brother was living, Esau received him very well. But though the personal animosity may have faded, the hatred of the nation of Edom for the nation of Israel would go on for many generations.
A seller needs a buyer. Philistia and Tyre captured whole communities of Israelites to sell them to an angry and envious enemy. Edom was the buyer. When Judah later was sent into exile, Edom show off their hatred of the descendants of the chosen younger brother with these words of Psalm 137:7: “Lay it bare, lay it bare, down to its foundations!” Amos speaks in this passage of this pattern of hatred. The descendants of Esau have pursued their brother (Israel) with the sword. They have “cast off all pity.” Their anger would not quit. They kept their envious wrath forever. For this reason God would destroy Edom.
THE POINT: The world is a place of seething anger and vengeance, where men take it upon themselves to subjugate and abuse their enemies.
THE APPLICATION: The cross was a place where the energetic malice of the world was expressed against the chosen Son, Jesus Christ. Men have no grounds to be angry with Jesus Christ, and yet they not only rejected Him, they also despised Him. (Isaiah 53:3) Oddly enough, it is the wrath of God against humanity that should be unending. But God the Son has taken eternal wrath and swallowed up our punishment in His own death. Now He lives and invites us into a community where man’s anger does not bring about the righteousness of God. While we may get angry, we are not to sin in our anger. Vengeance is not ours. We are called to be a people of patient faith. We are people who say, “Forgive them Lord they do not know what they are doing.” By the grace of God, do not let the sun go down on your anger.
A PRAYER: Merciful Savior, look on us in our pitiful weakness. We have been forgiven much. How could it be that we would hold on to anger? Direct us again to the beauty of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ for us. Grant to us what we can have only by your gift. In Jesus Name. Amen.
(Amos 1:11-12, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, April 2, 2006)
Amos 1:11-12 11 Thus says the LORD: "For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because he pursued his brother with the sword and cast off all pity, and his anger tore perpetually, and he kept his wrath forever. 12 So I will send a fire upon Teman, and it shall devour the strongholds of Bozrah."
THE PASSAGE CONSIDERED:
The history of Israel and Edom begins with the history of two boys (Genesis 25:22-26) While the two boys would be born within minutes of one another, Esau (Edom) was the older boy and Jacob (Israel) was the younger boy. Before they were born, God revealed to their mother Rebecca that the older would serve the younger. Esau had the birthright by age, but Jacob would be the child of promise.
Later in their lives Esau would sell his birthright for a bowl of stew. Years later still when their father Isaac was ready to pass on the covenant blessing to his favorite son Esau, Jacob and Rebecca worked to deceive Isaac into blessing Jacob with the words Isaac intended for Esau. The older brother was bitter and envious against the one whom God designated as the promised child so long ago. Esau comforted himself with thoughts of killing Jacob. With his parents’ blessing, Jacob returned to the “old country” to find a wife. He found two, and had many children and grew in possessions. Amazingly, on his return back to the place where his older brother was living, Esau received him very well. But though the personal animosity may have faded, the hatred of the nation of Edom for the nation of Israel would go on for many generations.
A seller needs a buyer. Philistia and Tyre captured whole communities of Israelites to sell them to an angry and envious enemy. Edom was the buyer. When Judah later was sent into exile, Edom show off their hatred of the descendants of the chosen younger brother with these words of Psalm 137:7: “Lay it bare, lay it bare, down to its foundations!” Amos speaks in this passage of this pattern of hatred. The descendants of Esau have pursued their brother (Israel) with the sword. They have “cast off all pity.” Their anger would not quit. They kept their envious wrath forever. For this reason God would destroy Edom.
THE POINT: The world is a place of seething anger and vengeance, where men take it upon themselves to subjugate and abuse their enemies.
THE APPLICATION: The cross was a place where the energetic malice of the world was expressed against the chosen Son, Jesus Christ. Men have no grounds to be angry with Jesus Christ, and yet they not only rejected Him, they also despised Him. (Isaiah 53:3) Oddly enough, it is the wrath of God against humanity that should be unending. But God the Son has taken eternal wrath and swallowed up our punishment in His own death. Now He lives and invites us into a community where man’s anger does not bring about the righteousness of God. While we may get angry, we are not to sin in our anger. Vengeance is not ours. We are called to be a people of patient faith. We are people who say, “Forgive them Lord they do not know what they are doing.” By the grace of God, do not let the sun go down on your anger.
A PRAYER: Merciful Savior, look on us in our pitiful weakness. We have been forgiven much. How could it be that we would hold on to anger? Direct us again to the beauty of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ for us. Grant to us what we can have only by your gift. In Jesus Name. Amen.
A POEM
A brother buys his brother out of hate?
Where is the pity for your father’s son?
But Esau’s violent anger finds no end,
And Jacob’s people live as Edom’s slaves.
You hate the One,
Who came to save.
The thorns are pushed upon the brow.
What mercy shown by Christ for sinners slain!
Where is the pity for your father’s son?
But Esau’s violent anger finds no end,
And Jacob’s people live as Edom’s slaves.
You hate the One,
Who came to save.
The thorns are pushed upon the brow.
What mercy shown by Christ for sinners slain!
posted by Pastor Magee at 4:34 PM
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