Four Transgressions of Damascus Amos 1:3

Amos, the “herdsman of Tekoa”, prophesied during “the days of Uzziah king of Judah” and “Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel”. The timing of his prophesy was “two years before the earthquake” which made it sometime around eight hundred (800) B.C.. He proclaimed “the LORD will roar from Zion” and “utter his voice from Jerusalem” which would cause the “shepherds” to “mourn” and “the top of Carmel” to “wither”. In chapter one and verse three of his prophesy, Amos proclaims judgment upon “Damascus” for “four transgressions” where we read:

Thus says the LORD; For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron;

The verse begins, “Thus says the LORD; For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not turn away ...” Amos began with the words, “Thus says” or “utters, speaks, commands, promises and intends” “the LORD” which refers to “Yehovah or Jehovah who is the existing One and the true name for the one true God”; “For three transgressions” or “the three or a triad of rebellions and willful sin” “of Damascus” which means “silent is the sackcloth weaver” and was “an ancient trading city, capital of Syria, located in the plain east of Hermon, 130 (205 km) miles northeast of Jerusalem”, “and for four” which refers to “four transgressions”, “I will not turn” which means “the LORD will not return, turn back, refresh, restore or repair”. Amos began his prophesy against “Damascus” because they committed “four transgressions”, and the LORD had no intention of “restoring or repairing” them after His judgment came upon them.

The verse goes on to say, “...the punishment thereof because they have threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron;” Amos continued, “the punishment thereof because they have threshed” which is all one Hebrew word “duwsh” and means “tread out, trampled on or be broken and torn” “Gilead” which means “rocky region” and was “a mountainous region bounded on the west by the Jordan, on the north by Bashan, on the east by the Arabian plateau, and on the south by Moab and Ammon. It is sometimes called 'Mount Gilead' or the 'land of Gilead' or just 'Gilead' and is divided into north and south Gilead” “with threshing instruments” which refers to “sharp pointed and diligent tools such as a threshing-sledge” “of iron” or “harsh and strong metal used as material of furniture, utensils and implements”. “Damascus'” transgressions included attacking “Gilead” with “sharp iron weapons”.

When we consider these words of Amos, we see “Damascus” directly in the crosshairs of God's judgment. The LORD does not take kindly toward “transgressions” or “sins” which are deliberate and willful against His people, and Damascus evidently had attacked “Gilead” with “iron” weapons. We must be careful not to go against God's standards of law, and should we fail them in any way, we must have Jesus Christ as the “propitiation” or “appeasing sacrifice” for our sins. If we are without Jesus, we are directly in the path of the judgment of God, and woe be to those who contend with their maker.

Next time Amos shares how God will “send a fire into the house of Hazael”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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