Amos 2:1-16.  Today we continue the “oracles’ we started yesterday.  These are mini-messages within Amos’ first sermon or talk that he gave to the Northern tribes.

The next oracle, the sixth in this set, is about Moab.  We have already seen God proclaim that he is going to judge the Philistines and the people of Tyre along the coast, Syria to the  north, and both Edom and Ammon to the east for the way they have treat the Israelites.  Now the warning of judgment is going to another group of people to the east, the Moabites.  Moab was located east of the southern half of the Dead Sea just above the territory of Edom.  The interesting thing about this proclamation is that Moab is being condemned for actions against Edom not against any of the Israelites.  As we saw in our recent reading in Joel God is concerned with all people and is gong to deal with the sins (disobedience and rebellion) of all men.  God’s judgment and love apply to all people.

The next oracle is about Judah.  Wait a minute; back up the bus, Judah?  They are Israelites, you know, God’s chosen people.  So we see that God will judge even his chosen people.  Now I’m sure the people in the Northern Kingdom didn’t object to this too much but they should have felt the heat being turned up.  Notice that Judah is being condemned not for how they treated others but for their attitude toward God and his rules.  I just read a little thing on the internet this morning about how certain celebrities have spoken out about homosexuality in the recent past.  The interesting thing is there were two distinct groups; those who pointed out that God is not in favor of it and another group who were rude and disgusting in their remarks about homosexual people.  On the other side people want to paint homosexuality in a good light, “It’s just their way of loving each other.”  The problem is God’s rules are God’s rules and breaking them is wrong, that goes for homosexuality but it also goes for lying, adultery, stealing, fornication, hatred, disobeying parents.  The list goes on and by the end we all find that we have failed.  That doesn’t mean that we can forget about it.  We need help, help to live lives which honor God and that is where Jesus comes in and, as we saw in Joel, the Holy Spirit.

The eighth and final oracle in this set is against Israel.  No surprise there.  Their current disobedient lifestyle is condemned and involves oppression of the others and some of the sins mentioned above.  Verses 9-16 may be an extension of this oracle but in them God reminds the Northern Israelites of the great things he has done for Israel (the whole nation).  He displaced a strong people who had lived in the land so they could live there, he brought them out of slavery in Egypt to live in the land, he took care of them for forty years in the desert even as they were being punished for their rebellion.  He also gave them prophets to keep them on track and showed them how to put aside their personal desires to live special dedicated lives for a time (that’s what Nazirites were about, Numbers 6;1-21).  Instead of honoring those who were trying to honor God they pushed them around and made fun of them.  That sort of sounds like the people who are making fun of and worse, those people I mentioned above who are standing up for God and his standards.  Notice God’s response in verse 13, he is weighed down.  It’s not that God is not strong; he is indicating that it makes him sad.  But God’s sadness will not divert him from doing what is right, sin has consequence and in this case the people will suffer for their disobedience.

I think it is important to think back to the first oracle in today’s reading as we look at the end of this chapter.  God hates sin and will punish it, that is what al of these oracles are about, but God loves sinners, that is what Jesus is all about.  Notice that the “sin” of Moab was disrespect for a king of Edom.  I think we need to respect God and his Law (remember that is what Judah was condemned for not doing) but we also need to show respect for others.  It is wrong for people to be rude and disrespectful of others and it is also wrong not to honor God with our lives and the things we say.  We need to be clear about the things that please and displease God but we need to do it in a respectful way.  God gives each human being a chance and a choice.  Heaven is open for all and as Paul taught in Romans (3:23) none of us deserves it.  But the other side of the coin is that not all will go to Heaven, there is judgment for those who reject God offer of peace.  We need to be careful that we do not cloud the message of divine love and divine judgment by our personal actions.

God help me not be “self-righteous”.  Let me be clear about sin and it’s effects, first in my own life and by example and words help me help others see their need for Jesus.  Let me be an ambassador of your love and righteousness not of my own hatred and self-righteousness.