Judah Judged Amos 2:4

Amos the prophet shared the judgments that were to come upon the enemies of the LORD's people Judah and Israel. In chapter two and verse four of his prophesy, Amos turns his attention toward the people of God who lived in “Judah” where we read:

Thus says the LORD; For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have despised the law of the LORD, and have not kept his commandments, and their lies caused them to err, after the which their fathers have walked:

The verse begins, “Thus says the LORD; For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof;” Amos began with the words, “Thus says” or “utters, declares and proclaims” “the LORD” which refers to “Yehovah or Jehovah who is the existing One and the proper name for the one true God”; “For three transgressions” or “the three or a triad of rebellions and willful sins” “of Judah” which means “praised” and was “the kingdom comprised of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin which occupied the southern part of Canaan after the nation split upon the death of Solomon”, “and for four” or “four transgressions”, “I will not turn away” or “the LORD will not return, turn back, refresh, restore or repair” “the punishment thereof” which means “the treading out, trampling on or being broken and torn”. “The LORD” was to bring judgment upon his own people of “Judah” because of their “four transgressions” against Him.

The verse goes on to say, “because they have despised the law of the LORD, and have not kept his commandments, and their lies caused them to err, after the which their fathers have walked:” Amos continued with the word, “because” which means “since and on account of” “they have despised” or “rejected and refused” “the law” which refers to “the direction and instruction” “of the LORD” which refers to “Yehovah or Jehovah who is the existing One and the proper name for the one true God”, “and have not kept” or “have not heeded, guarded, observed and given charge of” “his commandments” which refers to “statutes, ordinances, limits, something prescribed or due”, “and their lies” or “untruths, falsehoods, deceptive things” “caused them to err” or “wander, go astray and stagger as if intoxicated”, “after the which” or “afterward and behind” “their fathers” which means “the heads and founders of a household, group, family or clan” “have walked” or “gone away, departed, proceeded or moved”. The reason for God's judgment upon “Judah” was similar to their “forefathers” and their “rejection and refusal” of His law as well as their disobedience to His “statutes and ordinances”.

When we consider these words of Amos, we should be reminded of the apostle Peter's words in chapter four and verse seventeen of his first letter, “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?” The LORD does not hold even His own people as harmless when they disobey His commandments and forsake His ways. The LORD's desire is for us to obey Him through His Son Jesus Christ, and should we oppose Him, He will bring judgment upon His own like He did unto “Judah”.

Next time we see how God will “send a fire upon Judah”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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