Amos 1:6-10 - For three sins, even four

1:6-8

All the separate oracles in this section of the prophecy are introduced with the “for three .. and for four” phrase, and follow the same formula. Presumably Amos gave all these oracles at the same time. We are not told where he gave these utterances. Amos 7:10 would imply it was at a central location. This oracle refers to four cities: Gaze, Ashdod, Ekron and Ashkelon. Gaza and Ashdod were about five kilometers inland from the Mediterranean, Ashkelon was on the coast, and Ekron was about twenty kilometers inland. The Syrians of Damascus, and the Philistines who lived in these cities, were persistent bugbears to Israel (see Isaiah 9:12).

Note that the first reason given for the judgement. In fact, note that reasons are given for judgement. God’s wrath, His judgement, is not arbitrary. People worry about the concept of hell. Well people are quite right to worry about hell, indeed most do not worry enough about hell, but to worry about the concept of hell is not sensible. Hell will not be a matter of God arbitrarily sending people there, there will be a judgement and every decision will be seen by all to be right and just. Anyway, back to the first reason. It concerns slave trading. Critics often accuse the Bible of condoning slavery, well here God judges those who trafficked people. The Philistines would be completely defeated.

1:9,10

Next in the line of fire is Tyre. Tyre was on the Lebanese coast, and, like Philistine, involved slavery. So it is worth noting again that this is an example of the Bible condemning slavery (the whole matter is far more complicated that comments by some make out). The punishment would not be revoked. Now why does God say this, surely Tyre had not heard the word of the Lord? Well, first of all it cannot be absolutely ruled out that a messenger had been sent to them saying it was wrong, but let’s assume that this did not happen. All people have a conscience, and our conscience (Rom 2:15). They would have known, at least at the outset, that what they were doing was wrong. “Covenant of brotherhood” probably refers to a treaty she made with some nation or other, and then she reneged on it, handing the people over to Edom.