Amo 2:2 | KingComments | STEP | Not only the nations around Judah and Israel are judged by God. After God first pronounces the judgment on Moab, He also pronounces the judgment on Judah and Israel. It is a disgrace for God’s people to be aligned with the nations. But when Judah and Israel have descended to the level of the heathens, they also receive from God the same treatment as the heathens. Only that has greater consequences for them than for the other nations because God’s people have a much greater responsibility ( ). Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel also prophesy about the nations around Israel, but only after they have first prophesied about Israel. Amos reverses that order with a purpose. The nations are punished for violating the laws of nature, conscience, and natural feelings. Israel is punished for its greater sin of going against the revealed will of God. After Ammon, his brother Moab appears before God’s judgment seat. Moab was born out of Lot’s incest relationship with his eldest daughter. He “is the father of Moab to this day” ( ). He is sentenced for the horrible act of corpse burning or cremation. Since all previous nations are judged because of some offense against Israel, the judgment of Amos on Moab is, according to some interpreters, based on an event mentioned in 2 Kings 3 ( ). The “firstborn son” mentioned there is the eldest son of the king of Edom, the heir and probably co-king. It concerns the burning of a living son, an evil that is even more serious than the burning of bones. In what Amos says, we do have a clue as to what God thinks about cremation. God punishes any violation of His established orders. The God-fearing King Josiah also burns bones, but he exercises the judgment of God ( ; ). The judgment of the dead belongs to God alone. The judgment of Moab will be exercised by “the sons of the east” ( ). All announced judgments will be carried out by Nebuchadnezzar, who conquers and deports all the nations addressed by Amos (Jeremiah 47-49; Ezekiel 25-28; cf. ; ). Ammon lacks respect for life in its earliest existence ( ). The application to today is abortion. The brother nation Moab lacks respect for death. The application to today is also not difficult. There is no respect for death anymore. From the burning of a dead person it is a small step to euthanizing a dying person. Euthanasia, like abortion, is transferred from crime to beneficence. Thus, proponents of euthanasia do not speak of ‘committing’ euthanasia, but of ‘granting’ euthanasia. Cremation and euthanasia – euthanasia means ‘soft death’ or ‘good death’ – violate the rights of God. Man believes that he has the right to self-determination over both life and death. God will judge this thinking and acting of man, in which there is no place for His revealed will. As with the judgment of the crimes of the Ammonites, the judgment of the Moabites is accompanied by much tumult and confusion. It is as if those who are used by God to this judgment will carry out this judgment with the greatest pleasure. All the leaders, “the judge … and all her princes”, under whose responsibility these atrocities were committed, receive a separate treatment in the judgment. They will be wiped out from the midst of Moab.

‏ Amos 2:2

Introduction

Not only the nations around Judah and Israel are judged by God. After God first pronounces the judgment on Moab, He also pronounces the judgment on Judah and Israel. It is a disgrace for God’s people to be aligned with the nations. But when Judah and Israel have descended to the level of the heathens, they also receive from God the same treatment as the heathens. Only that has greater consequences for them than for the other nations because God’s people have a much greater responsibility (Amos 3:2).

Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel also prophesy about the nations around Israel, but only after they have first prophesied about Israel. Amos reverses that order with a purpose. The nations are punished for violating the laws of nature, conscience, and natural feelings. Israel is punished for its greater sin of going against the revealed will of God.

Judgment on Moab

After Ammon, his brother Moab appears before God’s judgment seat. Moab was born out of Lot’s incest relationship with his eldest daughter. He “is the father of Moab to this day” (Gen 19:36-37). He is sentenced for the horrible act of corpse burning or cremation.

Since all previous nations are judged because of some offense against Israel, the judgment of Amos on Moab is, according to some interpreters, based on an event mentioned in 2 Kings 3 (2Kgs 3:26-27). The “firstborn son” mentioned there is the eldest son of the king of Edom, the heir and probably co-king. It concerns the burning of a living son, an evil that is even more serious than the burning of bones.

In what Amos says, we do have a clue as to what God thinks about cremation. God punishes any violation of His established orders. The God-fearing King Josiah also burns bones, but he exercises the judgment of God (2Kgs 23:16; 1Kgs 13:2). The judgment of the dead belongs to God alone.

The judgment of Moab will be exercised by “the sons of the east” (Eze 25:10). All announced judgments will be carried out by Nebuchadnezzar, who conquers and deports all the nations addressed by Amos (Jeremiah 47-49; Ezekiel 25-28; cf. Zep 2:9; Dan 11:41).

Ammon lacks respect for life in its earliest existence (Amos 1:13). The application to today is abortion. The brother nation Moab lacks respect for death. The application to today is also not difficult. There is no respect for death anymore. From the burning of a dead person it is a small step to euthanizing a dying person.

Euthanasia, like abortion, is transferred from crime to beneficence. Thus, proponents of euthanasia do not speak of ‘committing’ euthanasia, but of ‘granting’ euthanasia. Cremation and euthanasia – euthanasia means ‘soft death’ or ‘good death’ – violate the rights of God. Man believes that he has the right to self-determination over both life and death. God will judge this thinking and acting of man, in which there is no place for His revealed will.

As with the judgment of the crimes of the Ammonites, the judgment of the Moabites is accompanied by much tumult and confusion. It is as if those who are used by God to this judgment will carry out this judgment with the greatest pleasure. All the leaders, “the judge … and all her princes”, under whose responsibility these atrocities were committed, receive a separate treatment in the judgment. They will be wiped out from the midst of Moab.