The power and strength of Damascus would be broken. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty., Genesis 37:7 Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright. 1 Kings 19:17 And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay. I will not turn away the punishment thereof. For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four. The punishment is first denounced upon their enemies, and that, for their sins, directly or indirectly, against themselves, and God in them. P What Does the Bible Say About Overcoming? The Lord says: I will not relent from punishing Damascus for three crimes, even four, because they threshed Gilead with iron sledges. 12:19; 2 Kgs. 4 So I will send fire against Hazael's house and it will consume the citadel fortresses of Ben-Hadad. Matthew 13:18 Hear then the parable of the sower:Ruth 2:17 So she gleaned in the field until evening. More insights from your Bible study - Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free! Not until God gave Israel a saviour, could they dwell in their tents as beforetime 2 Kings 13:5. : The waters of the river were spread over the surface of the soil in the fields and gardens; underneath, other canals were tunnelled to collect the superfluous water which percolates the soil, or from little fountains and springs below. They shall not labor in vain or bear children for calamity, for they shall be the offspring of the blessed of theLord, and their descendants with them. As such, patience is a required virtue for a farmer. Chapter Parallel. See the passionate exclamation of Ulysses, in the storm, Odyss., lib. The consequences, however, are essentially the samefire will burn destroy the cities/citadels (1:7, 10, 12). The work has to be done. All the blood of all the prophets and servants of God under the Old Testament came upon that generation. What Does the Bible Say About A Man Providing For His Family? Nature takes its own time. And he told them many things in parables, saying: A sower went out to sow. As a result of God breaking the gate bar of Damascus, the people of Aram would go exiled to Kir. God authorized human government in Genesis, where He said, Whoever sheds mans blood, by man his blood shall be shed, forin the image of God He made man (Genesis 9:6). International ethics are important to Amos. Any crime committed against human beings is ultimately against the LORD because He is the sole creator. Abijam was in league with the father of Benhadad 1 Kings 15:19. Literally, the text says they shut up the whole into captivity. The Philistines assaulted surrounding communities. Then, as to those enemies themselves, the order is not of place or time, but of their relation to Gods people. The sun rises, and the sun goes down, and hastens to the place where it rises. From the standpoint of the synergistic point of view of Sanders,Dunn,and Wright. The place called Beth-Eden refers to an Aramean state located on the Euphrates River south of Carchemish. F . Chedorlaomer and the four kings with him, doubtless, came that way, since the first whom they smote were at Ashteroth Karnaim Genesis 14:5-6 in Jaulan or Gaulonitis, and thence they swept on southward, along the west side of Jordan, smiting, as they went, first the Zuzim, (probably the same as the Zamzummim Deuteronomy 2:2 O) in Ammonitis; then the Emim in the plain of Kiriathaim in Moab Genesis 14:15. Farmers work throughout the year, regardless of the weather. The Arameans have crushed [the people of] Gilead with iron-spiked threshing sledges. These are the men of Recah. 16:9). The city named Kir was the place where the Arameans originally lived (Amos 9:7), although its precise location is unknown. Proverb: Because of the three transgressions of and because of four, I will not cause (him/it) to return.. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 2023 John Mark Hicks. "Thrice happy Greeks! He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. G 3 Thus says Yahweh, "For three transgressions of Damascus and for four I will not revoke the punishment, because they threshed Gilead with threshing sledges of iron! Its native historian admits that the Damascenes were, in the time of David, and continued to be, the aggressors, while he veils over their repeated defeats, and represents their kings, as having reigned successively from father to son, for ten generations, a thing unknown probably in any monarchy. What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun? This is what the LORD says: "For three sins of Damascus, even for four, I will not relent. Damascus (Syria, also called Aram) threshed Gilead. Change). Stated differently, the cities/nations would not be judged merely because of one transgression or even two. This likely refers to the entire kingdom of Aram, of which Damascus was the capital. He shall not exact it of his neighbor, his brother, because theLords release has been proclaimed. Very, very exceedingly; and so it was used among the ancient Greek and Latin poets. . Job 5:19 He shall deliver thee in six troubles: yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee. Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! Many things in life take time just as farming takes time. The fourth transgression of these pagan nations is alone mentioned. Whom hate devoured, and fraud, hard pressing on, And so the ancient oracle quoted by Pausanias Achaic., lib. Gaza represents the alliance of Philistine citiesAshdod, Ashkelon, and Ekron [Gath is not named here]in southwestern Palestine. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. Thanks John Mark. Its whole plain was intersected with canals, and tunneled below. The smart farmer knows when the moment is ready. This judgment includes the peoples of this region (probably the Biqah Valley) which was likely also a part of the kingdom of Aram. Labs . Kings who entered treaties with each other typically thought of themselves as brothers (cf. with threshing sledges of iron. You shall not wear cloth of wool and linen mixed together., Luke 10:2 And he said to them, The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. And God separated the light from the darkness. N They journeyed to the entrance of Gedor, to the east side of the valley, to seek pasture for their flocks, where they found rich, good pasture, and the land was very broad, quiet, and peaceful, for the former inhabitants there belonged to Ham. Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear., 2 Chronicles 24:1-26:23 Joash was seven years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. The cities will be razed to the ground by an invading force. The order of Gods threatenings seems to have been addressed to gain the hearing of the people. Philistia removed Judeans who lived in the lush farmland of the Judean foothills to the desert regions of Edom (cf. The moral majesty of a king is obviously greater than the rest. In pagan poetry also, as a trace of a mystery which they had forgotten, three is a sacred whole; from where thrice and fourfold blessed stands among them for something exceeding even a full and perfect blessing, a super-abundance of blessings. v., ver. " (Cf. Meonothai fathered Ophrah; and Seraiah fathered Joab, the father of Ge-harashim, so-called because they were craftsmen. Judging, probably, of Davids defensive conquests by its own policy, it joined the other Syrians who attacked David, was subdued, garrisoned, and became tributary 2 Samuel 8:5-6. Sie suchen nach einem 70413 lego, das Ihren Ansprchen gerecht wird? And he answered, Because I know the evil that thou wilt do unto the children of Israel: their strong holds wilt thou set on fire, and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword, and wilt dash their children, and rip up their women with child. And God saw that it was good., John 15:1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.Hosea 10:12 Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek theLord, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you.1 Corinthians 3:6-9 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. Seeking the Gospel in Malachi, the Last Book of the Old Testament. Fire is used symbolically for Gods judgment, which would fall on the house of Hazael and the citadels of Ben-hadad. So Seneca in Hippolyt., Act. Damascus, Gaza and Tyrethree important cities in the region of Israel and Judahare called to account for their actions by a shepherd from Judah. Weeds have to be removed, the land watered, and fertilizer added. (Comp. This was done by Hazael king of Syria, who is said to destroy the people, and make them "like the dust by threshing", 2 Kings 10:32. 24:22) with stone or metal teeth embedded in the bottom side were dragged over the grain by these animals. Does he continually open and harrow his ground?Ecclesiastes 5:9 But this is gain for a land in every way: a king committed to cultivated fields., Hosea 10:12 Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek theLord, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you.Micah 4:1-4 It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of theLordshall be established as the highest of the mountains, and it shall be lifted up above the hills; and peoples shall flow to it, and many nations shall come, and say: Come, let us go up to the mountain of theLord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths. For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of theLordfrom Jerusalem. You shall not sow your field with two kinds of seed, nor shall you wear a garment of cloth made of two kinds of material.Genesis 1:1-31 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 24:22) with stone or metal teeth embedded in the bottom side were dragged over the grain by these animals. J , Deuteronomy 11:1-32 You shall therefore love theLordyour God and keep his charge, his statutes, his rules, and his commandments always. Gilead is here doubtless to be taken in its widest sense, including all the possessions of Israel, east of Jordan, as, in the account of Hazaels conquests, all the land of Gilead 2 Kings 10:32-33 is explained to mean, all which was ever given to the two tribes and a half, and to include Gilead proper, as distinct from Basan. God is longsuffering and ready to forgive; but when the sinner finally becomes a vessel of wrath Romans 9:22, He punishes all the earlier sins, which, for the time, He passed by. The expression one who holds the scepter is a figurative way of talking about someone who occupies a royal position. Other Translations of Amos 1:3 King James Version. Its wealth, as a great emporium of transit-commerce, (as it is now) furnished it with sinews for war. Through studying this beautiful exposition on each of these eight books, you will gain understanding of the historical events and the countless precious spiritual applications and prophetic utterances that apply to the church today. He, having carried war against David, king of Judaea, and disputed with him in many battles, and that finally at the Euaphrates where he was defeated, had the character of a most eminent king for prowess and valor. Such atrocities would not be unknown in the ancient world. What was the significance of the horns of the altar (Amos 3:14)? This was to prevent the earth from again being filled with violence (Genesis 6:11). Its white buildings, embedded in the deep green of its engirdling orchards, were like diamonds encircled by emeralds. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. Joash, king of Judah, bought him off, when advancing against Jerusalem, with everything of gold, consecrated or civil, in the temple or in his own treasures 2 Kings 12:18. The river, says William of Tyre, having abundant water, supplies orchards on both banks, thick-set with fruit-trees, and flows eastward by the city wall. at least and that is a COMPARED TO WHAT because they have threshed Gilead with threshing sledges of iron. 3 Thus says the Lord,For three transgressions of Damascus and for fourI will not revoke its punishment,Because they threshed Gilead with implements of sharp iron.4So I will send fire upon the house of HazaelAnd it will consume the citadels of Ben-hadad.5 I will also break the gate bar of Damascus,And cut off the inhabitant from the valley of Aven,And him who holds the scepter, from Beth-eden;So the people of Aram will go exiled to Kir,Says the LORD. So in other places, where the like form of words occurs, the added number is one beyond, and mostly relates to something greater than all the rest. V Chelub, the brother of Shuhah, fathered Mehir, who fathered Eshton. T Beginning with Damascus, Amos stated, Thus says theLord, Forthree transgressions ofDamascus and for four, I will notrevoke itspunishment. As mentioned earlier, the statement thus says the LORD tells the reader that the message of Amos originated from God. This is Judahs traditional enemy on its southwest border. The farmer has something to do every day. 1:93. Conclusion: The Lord God has spoken (not always present). Amos specifically notes one defining cultural sin. He shall judge between many peoples, and shall decide disputes for strong nations far away; , 1 Samuel 13:21 And the charge was two-thirds of a shekel for the plowshares and for the mattocks, and a third of a shekel for sharpening the axes and for setting the goads.2 Kings 19:29 And this shall be the sign for you: this year eat what grows of itself, and in the second year what springs of the same. The three transgressions stand for a whole sum of sin, which had not yet brought down extreme punishment; the fourth was the crowning sin, after which God would no longer spare. The covenant of brothers probably refers to a treaty between nations whether imposed (as upon a vassal) or negotiated. Israel and Tyre had cooperated with each other from the time of David and Solomon, and that cooperation or treaty-relationship probably continued throughout the existence of the northern kingdom. (3) Three transgressions . The city named Damascus was the capital of the nation of Aram during the 10th through 8th centuries BC. These are the men of Recah. A busy threshing floor was a symbol of a plentiful harvest; a bare one indicated famine, and perhaps God's judgment. {ime fie fie tke the fhe ike fhe hours with the bible; or, the scriptures in the light of modern discovery and knowledge. The names Hazael and Ben-hadad, two kings of Aram, are also known from 2 Kings 8. Rezon renewed, throughout the later part of Solomons reign, the aggression of Hadad. What is Threshing? They are a good reminder of what is required from us every day of our own lives. a aq as _ \\ \ \ \ ss ce ake i arthur s. phelps his booke god give him grace. 5 I will break down the gate of Damascus; I will destroy the king who is in the Valley of Avenand the . So the Targum. The two on the northern side water Salahiyeh at the foot of the hills about a mile from the city, and then irrigate the higher portions of the plain to the distance of nearly twenty miles. , Deuteronomy 22:10 You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together.Hebrews 6:7 For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God.Deuteronomy 22:9-11 You shall not sow your vineyard with two kinds of seed, lest the whole yield be forfeited, the crop that you have sown and the yield of the vineyard. Both instruments are alluded to in the O.T. f tribe of Manasseh returned to go into the country of Gilead, to the land of their possessions Joshua 22:9. Nevertheless, among those that chew the cud or part the hoof, you shall not eat these: The camel, because it chews the cud but does not part the hoof, is unclean to you. I really like this study. Of a foreigner you may exact it, but whatever of yours is with your brother your hand shall release. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am theLordyour God., Genesis 26:12 And Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold. A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever. Sin adds to sin, out of which it grows; it does not overshadow the former sins, it does not obliterate them, but increases the mass of guilt, which God punishes. Throughout that whole beautiful tract, including 2 12 degrees of latitude, Hazael had carried on his war of extermination into every peaceful village and home, sparing neither the living nor the unborn. We have detected that you are using extensions to block ads. Hazael was the king of Damascus in the second half of the ninth century BC, while Ben-hadad was his son and successor (2 Kgs. The amount of rain, the cool of the nights, the warmth of the days, soil conditions, insects, and many others. , Leviticus 19:19 You shall keep my statutes. E They reach nearly to Anti-libanus westward, and extend on both sides of the Barada some miles eastward. The word, yea, denotes, that the seventh is some heavier trouble, beyond all the rest, which would seem likely to break endurance. Because of the Arameans war crimes, the LORD said He would send fire upon the house of Hazael and it would consume the citadels ofBen-hadad. because they have threshed Gilead with threshing sledges of iron. Benhadad appears to have acted on the offensive, in alliance with the kings of the Hittites, the Hamathites and Phoenicians; Hazael was attacked alone, driven to take refuge in Anti-libanus, and probably became tributary. And God saw that the light was good. Success in life requires hard work. Threshing-sledges with iron (or basalt) are large boards (73 feet usually) pulled by oxen to separate the grain from the chaff. Of the three on the south side, one is led to the populous village Daraya, five miles distant; the other two supply the city, its suburbs, and gardens., The like use was made of every fountain in every larger or lesser plain. All rights reserved. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. <-144 , . As the sledge was pulled over the threshing floor the stones or iron teeth would separate the grain from the stalks. Benhadad was, according to Assyrian inscriptions defeated thrice, Hazael twice, by Shalmanubar king of Assyria. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. because they have threshed Gilead with threshing sledges of iron. vii., c. 6: ; "Those men shall be thrice and four times happy.". It was the "metropolis" of Syria, Isaiah 7:8; and so Pliny calls it, "Damascus of Syria". , John 4:35 Do you not say, There are yet four months, then comes the harvest? : The whole plain is filled with these singular aqueducts, some of them running for 2 or 3 miles underground. because they have threshed Gilead. Taught by the face of creation around them, where the course of every tiny rivulet, as it burst from the rocks, was marked by a rich luxuriance, the Damascenes of old availed themselves of the continual supply from the snows of Hermon or the heights of Anti-libanus, with a systematic diligence, of which, in our northern clime, as we have no need, so we have no idea. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, that theLordyour God may bless you in all the work of your hands., Deuteronomy 22:9 You shall not sow your vineyard with two kinds of seed, lest the whole yield be forfeited, the crop that you have sown and the yield of the vineyard.Deuteronomy 28:1-68 And if you faithfully obey the voice of theLordyour God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, theLordyour God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. They are carried along the precipitous banks of the ravine, being in some places tunnelled in the solid rock. Specially shod animals walked around on the stalks until the grain separated from the hulls. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.