What parallels exist between Amos 1:6 and God's judgment in other Scriptures? Setting Amos 1:6 in View “Thus says the LORD: ‘For three transgressions of Gaza, even four, I will not relent, because they led an entire population into exile, handing them over to Edom.’ ” (Amos 1:6) Immediate Pattern inside Amos • Formula of judgment—“for three transgressions… even four” (1:3; 1:6; 1:9; 1:11; 1:13; 2:1; 2:4; 2:6) shows the LORD’s patient but certain wrath. • Fire of judgment—“I will send fire upon the walls of Gaza” (1:7) parallels the identical sentence on Damascus (1:4), Tyre (1:10), Edom (1:12), Ammon (1:14), Moab (2:2), Judah (2:5), and Israel (2:10). Parallel Judgments on Philistia Elsewhere • Jeremiah 47:4—“the LORD will destroy the Philistines.” • Ezekiel 25:15-17—God stretches out His hand “because the Philistines acted in vengeance.” • Zephaniah 2:4-7—Gaza abandoned, Ashkelon laid waste; Judah inherits Philistine land. • Isaiah 14:29-31—Philistia warned of “a viper’s offspring” coming in wrath. All four echo Amos: a literal, future ruin of Philistine strongholds. Parallel Condemnations of Slave-Trading and Exile • Amos 1:9—Tyre judged “because they delivered up a whole captive community to Edom.” • Joel 3:4-6—Philistia and Tyre sell Judah’s sons to the Greeks; God vows to reverse the trade. • Obadiah 1:10-14—Edom’s violence against Judah brings disaster “as you have done, so it will be done to you.” • Exodus 21:16; Deuteronomy 24:7—kidnapping and selling persons bring the death penalty. • Genesis 12:3—“I will curse those who curse you” undergirds every oracle against nations that harm Israel. Parallels of Measure-for-Measure Justice • Obadiah 1:15—“Your deeds will return upon your own head.” • Isaiah 33:1—“When you finish destroying, you will be destroyed.” • Proverbs 22:22-23—The LORD “will take up their case” against those who rob the poor. God’s retribution on Gaza fits this consistent biblical principle: harm done to God’s people is repaid in kind. Parallels in Fire Imagery • Jeremiah 17:27—unquenched fire in Jerusalem’s gates. • Lamentations 4:11—“The LORD has poured out His wrath… kindled a fire in Zion.” • Ezekiel 30:8—“They will know that I am the LORD when I set fire to Egypt.” The same literal fire pictured in Amos signals divine wrath that no fortress can resist. Covenant-Justice Theme Across Scripture • Exodus 23:9—Israel warned not to oppress foreigners; God equally punishes foreigners who oppress Israel. • Isaiah 10:1-3—woe to those who decree iniquitous decrees; judgment falls when the LORD “visits punishment.” • Micah 2:1-3—those who seize fields will have their land seized. Amos 1:6 belongs to this unbroken thread: the righteous Judge defends the vulnerable and holds nations accountable. Key Takeaways for Study • God records and remembers national sins; patience is not permission (Amos’ “three… four”). • Slave-trading and human trafficking provoke swift, severe judgments across Scripture. • Divine vengeance is precise—Philistia suffers exactly what it inflicted. • Fire imagery underscores the certainty and completeness of the LORD’s wrath. • The same God who judged Gaza still rules history; His ethical standards have not shifted. |
    |