Question 1

What does it mean that Moab burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime?

Accepted Answer

This line shows how far Moab’s cruelty went. It was not enough that the king of Edom was defeated and dead. They burned his bones into lime, which is a way of saying they ground them down completely. In that culture, respect for the dead was basic human decency. To attack a man’s body after death showed deep hatred and a lack of any mercy. God points to this act to show Moab’s barbaric spirit and to explain why His judgment on them would be so severe.

Question 2

Why is Judah judged for despising the law of the LORD?

Accepted Answer

Judah had been given God’s law, His commandments, and clear teaching, yet they chose to despise it. That means they treated God’s word as something light and unimportant. Instead of following His commands, they followed lies and the same false ways their fathers had walked in. God’s judgment comes because they knew better but still turned away. Their problem is not just social injustice, but direct rejection of God Himself and the true worship He had taught them.

Question 3

What sins does God list against Israel in this passage?

Accepted Answer

Israel is accused of several serious sins. They sold the righteous for silver and the poor for a pair of shoes, showing that they were willing to ruin innocent people for small gain. They trampled on the poor and turned aside the way of the meek, meaning they blocked justice for humble people. There was shocking sexual sin, with a man and his father going in to the same woman, dishonoring God’s name. They also misused pledges and drank wine gained through unjust sentences, even while claiming to worship in religious places.

Question 4

What is the significance of God reminding Israel about Egypt and the Amorites?

Accepted Answer

When God reminds Israel that He destroyed the Amorite, who was as strong and tall as mighty trees, and that He brought them up from Egypt and led them through the wilderness, He is showing how much He had already done for them. He had fought for them, freed them from slavery, guided them for forty years, and gave them the land. By recalling these past mercies, God exposes how ungrateful and stubborn they have been. Their sins are worse because they rebelled against a God who had clearly cared for them.

Question 5

Who were the prophets and Nazarites mentioned, and how did Israel treat them?

Accepted Answer

The prophets were men God raised up from among Israel’s own sons to speak His word and warn the people. The Nazarites were young men set apart to God in a special way, which included staying away from wine. God points to them as signs of His care and presence among Israel. But instead of honoring them, the people tried to break their vows by giving the Nazarites wine and silencing the prophets, telling them not to prophesy. This shows Israel did not want God’s voice or God’s holy examples among them.

Question 6

What does it mean when God says He is pressed like a cart full of sheaves?

Accepted Answer

The picture of God being pressed like a cart full of sheaves shows how heavily Israel’s sins weigh on Him. A cart loaded with grain sinks and groans under the weight; in a similar way, their repeated disobedience and ingratitude press on God. It does not mean God is weak, but it shows His patience has been loaded down and there is no more room to overlook their behavior. Judgment is now certain, and no one will escape, not the swift, the strong, or the brave.

Question 7

Why does the passage say the swift and strong will not escape?

Accepted Answer

God says the swift will not flee, the strong will not keep their strength, the soldier will not stand, and even the courageous will run away naked. This teaches that when God’s judgment comes, human abilities and defenses will fail. Speed, strength, weapons, and horses cannot save anyone from God’s hand. Israel might have trusted in their own power, armies, or skill, but in that day none of these will help. The only true safety would have been to listen to God and turn from their sins.

Question 8

What does this passage teach about God’s justice toward His own people?

Accepted Answer

This passage shows that God does not overlook sin just because people belong to Him outwardly. He judges Moab, a foreign nation, but He also judges Judah and Israel, who had His law, His promises, and many blessings. In fact, their responsibility is greater because they knew Him and still turned to idols, injustice, and immorality. God’s justice is fair and even. Having religious forms, places of worship, or a special history does not protect anyone who hardens their heart and refuses to obey Him.

Question 9

How does this passage speak about social injustice against the poor?

Accepted Answer

The passage strongly condemns how the poor were treated. The people sold the righteous for silver and the poor for a pair of shoes, showing they would take away someone’s freedom or life for very little money. They “pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor,” which pictures greedy people so eager to crush the poor that they even covet the dust on their heads. They turn aside the way of the meek, blocking justice in the courts. God clearly sees and opposes this kind of oppression.

Amos 2:1

Thus saith the Lord; For three transgressions of Moab, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime:

Judgment on Moab, Judah, and Israel

Judgment on Moab, Judah, and Israel

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Amos 2:1

Thus saith the Lord; For three transgressions of Moab, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime:

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Judgment on Moab, Judah, and Israel

Judgment on Moab, Judah, and Israel

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