Home>
Ministries>
The Pastor Nathaniel's Blog>
The Pastor's Blog Archives>
Pastor Nathaniel's Blog 2023>
Pastor Nathaniel's Blog April 13, 2023
"God’s Care and Judgement IV"
Last week we saw that God cares about human rights - that he wants humans to flourish, whether they have a relationship with him or not. This focus on "human rights" and human flourishing continues in Amos 1:11, which says, "Thus says the LORD: 'For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, because he pursued his brother with the sword, and cast off all pity; his anger tore perpetually, and he kept his wrath forever'" (NKJV).
Edom was an ancient empire south of the Dead Sea that was related to Israel and Judah. The Edomites were descended from Esau (Genesis 36:9), and thus related to the Israelites through their common ancestor, Isaac. The ancient near east put a premium on showing hospitality to strangers and taking care of relatives, regardless of how distantly they were related. Nevertheless, Edom's history with Israel and Judah was one of bloodshed, hostility, and almost-perpetual war. Edom is constantly described in the Bible as being antagonistic to their Israelite relatives, instead of helping them or simply leaving them alone (Numbers 20:14-21; 2 Samuel 8:11-14; 2 Kings 8:20-22; 2 Kings 14:7; Obadiah 1).
Of course, Israel and Judah were probably not entirely innocent in this hostile relationship. I can imagine that at least some of this rancor between the descendants of Esau and Jacob was the direct result of less-than-ethical actions on the part of Israel and Judah. But the Edomites usually started wars or rebellions against their Israelite kin, not the other way around. And apparently, God has a problem with this - or more correctly, God has a problem with people breaking faith with those to whom they are bound by ties of kinship, common ethnicity and culture, or similar language, religion, and history, and then treating them with barbarity, cruelty, and malice.
Friends, God treasures the bonds of kinship between people, because they ultimately unite and connect all of us to each other. Let us guard and protect the connections we have with others instead of disregarding or destroying them, because "thus says the Lord."
God bless,
Pastor Nathaniel Gamble
