The expression one who holds the scepter is a figurative way of talking about someone who occupies a royal position. 4 So I will send a fire on the house of Hazael, and it shall devour the strongholds of Ben-hadad. : 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. And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. : the drag (or board), under the same name rtz (properly something sharpened) which it has in Amos 1:3, in Isaiah 28:27, "For not with a sharp threshing-board is Nigella-seed [Tristram, N. H. B. p. 444] trodden out; nor is the wheel of a (threshing-) wagon turned about upon cummin," Job 41: . Rezon renewed, throughout the later part of Solomons reign, the aggression of Hadad. If Amoss preaching bears witness to his insistence that nations need to acknowledge their sin, should not our preaching do the same? , Proverbs 12:11 Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits lacks sense.Isaiah 65:22-24 They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands. Notice that the illustrations that Jesus needed to make His points were literally all around Him. Where the water of one is diffusing life and verdure over the surface, another branch is collecting a new supply. In former days these extended over the whole plain to the lakes, thus irrigating the fields and gardens in every part of it., Damascus then was, of old, famed for its beauty. If you go into your neighbors standing grain, you may pluck the ears with your hand, but you shall not put a sickle to your neighbors standing grain., Micah 4:12 But they do not know the thoughts of theLord; they do not understand his plan, that he has gathered them as sheaves to the threshing floor.Amos 1:3 Thus says theLord: For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they have threshed Gilead with threshing sledges of iron.Leviticus 19:9-10 When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, neither shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. This should not be too surprising because most of Jesus listeners were farmers themselves or, at least, very familiar with farming. Jehoash recovered from Benhadad III the cities this side Jordan 2 Kings 13:25; Jeroboam II, all their lost territories and even Damascus and Hamath 2 Kings 14:28. Threshing SledgeThe purpose of threshing was to separate usable grain from the waste straw or chaff. It was the "metropolis" of Syria, Isaiah 7:8; and so Pliny calls it, "Damascus of Syria". Success in life requires hard work. which leads to the comprise of and ingratiation of the Nations being the primary benefactor of the poor and the marginalized of our capitalistic morality. I will not turn away the punishment thereof. Fire is used symbolically for Gods judgment, which would fall on the house of Hazael and the citadels of Ben-hadad. And God said, Let there be light, and there was light. God promised to make His people into a new threshing sledge with sharp teeth and use them to bring judgment on those who oppress the godly (Is. For their brutality, Syria is promised judgment. "For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment; because they have threshed Gilead with threshing sledges of iron. So Paul speaks of those who treasure up to themselves wrath against the Day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God Romans 2:5. {ime fie fie tke the fhe ike fhe hours with the bible; or, the scriptures in the light of modern discovery and knowledge. Here, Damascus represents the entire nation of Aram (or Syria). The identified crime becomes the central ethical condemnation (1:3, 6, 9). , Job 39:10 Can you bind him in the furrow with ropes, or will he harrow the valleys after you?1 Samuel 6:7 Now then, take and prepare a new cart and two milk cows on which there has never come a yoke, and yoke the cows to the cart, but take their calves home, away from them.Ecclesiastes 11:4-6 He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap. It shall be a year of solemn rest for the land. Fewer and fewer of us grew up on farms, and thus, we miss a lot of subtle points Jesus is making in some of His stories. It includes: Complete but concise outlines of every Old Testament book A . After this Joash decided to restore the house of theLord. We need only look at the history of nations, including the United States, to know that these kinds of atrocities have happened over and over. For the prophet had no mission to them; he only declares to Israel the ground of the visitation which was to come upon them. 1 Kings 9:13the brotherhood between Hiram of Tyre and Solomon of Israel). The name of his servant Eliezer my God is help, implies that at this time too the servant was a worshiper of the One God. F f tribe of Manasseh returned to go into the country of Gilead, to the land of their possessions Joshua 22:9. They enslaved their inhabitants and sold them to Edom. 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. G What then shall we say to these things? All the fields have to be checked. . It lay on the best route from the interior of Asia to the Mediterranean, to Tyre, and even to Egypt. 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. A threshing sledge was pulled by a large animal. A Disciple Seeking to Follow Jesus into the World for the Sake of the World to the Glory of God, because they carried into exile a whole people to deliver them up to Edom (1:6), because they delivered up a whole people to Edom and did not remember the covenant of brotherhood. (1:9), Amos 1:3-10 Amos Addresses Damascus, Gaza and Tyre, Theological Hermeneutics IV Exploring the Story, Thomas Flemings Disease in the Public Mind, Jesus Suffers: Garden, Via Dolorosa, and Cross, Jesus Serves: Temple, Template, and Table, because they have threshed Gilead with threshing sledges of iron (1:3). And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of theLordyour God. with threshing sledges of iron. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. The fourth transgression of these pagan nations is alone mentioned. The authority of Aram will end here as well. 2007. The sense is, that he would not spare them, or have mercy on them, or defer the execution of punishment any longer; he would not forgive their transgressions. 3 Thus saith the Lord; For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron:. As such, it attracted the Arameans who were one of the most frequent enemies of Israel. And this is the manner of the release: every creditor shall release what he has lent to his neighbor. Blog, A God would cause the one holding the scepter to be cut off from Beth-Eden. What was the significance of the horns of the altar (Amos 3:14)? Other poets use the same form of expression. Today, more and more people are moving away from rural areas where farming is highly practiced and into cities characterized by industrialization. Not the ethics and the morality of the fathers community. And God saw that it was good. What Does the Bible Say About Depression and Hopelessness? Like the other names connected with Aram in the Old Testament, it is, in conformity with the common descent from Aram, Aramaic. The smart farmer knows when the moment is ready. No wonder Jesus talked so much about farming. Many factors can control the time it takes for the crop to ripen. 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.Isaiah 17:10-11 For you have forgotten the God of your salvation and have not remembered the Rock of your refuge; therefore, though you plant pleasant plants and sow the vine-branch of a stranger, though you make them grow on the day that you plant them, and make them blossom in the morning that you sow, yet the harvest will flee away in a day of grief and incurable pain., 2 Timothy 2:6 It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops.James 5:7 Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. (LogOut/ The vats will overflow with new wine and olive oil.". Deeper sins bring deeper damnation at the last. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap. Proverbs 20:4 says, The lazy man does not plow when the winter [planting] season arrives; So he begs at the [next] harvest and has nothing [to reap]. Likewise, Proverbs 21:5 says, The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty. Furthermore, Ecclesiastes 11:6 says, Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let your hands not be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well. The Bible talks against laziness. Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! 3 Thus says the Lord: "For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, Hebrew I will not . So does the wisest of us in living. Weeds grow everywhere and all of the time. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Of a foreigner you may exact it, but whatever of yours is with your brother your hand shall release. The area has been calculated at 236 square geographical miles. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. And he will bless you in the land that the LORD your God is giving you., Genesis 1:29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. They cover an area at last 25 (or 30) miles in circuit, and make the environs an earthly Paradise. Whence the Arabs said, If there is a garden of Eden on earth, it is Damascus; and if in heaven, Damascus is like it on earth. But this its beauty was also its strength. 1:93. Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! 14-15) Solomon gave this to Hiram year by year.1 Corinthians 3:6-9 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, TheLordhas done great things for them. TheLordhas done great things for us; we are glad. , 1 Chronicles 4:10-41 Jabez called upon the God of Israel, saying, Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm so that it might not bring me pain! And God granted what he asked. Theme: Contempt by Vault9. because they have threshed m Gilead . As the sledge was pulled over the threshing floor the stones or iron teeth would separate the grain from the stalks. Assyrian chronicles relate only Assyrian victories. Why Did Jesus Talk So Much About Agriculture? VERSION, NIV Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. ABUNDANCE OR JUDGMENT. The other things cannot be satisfied; the fourth, fire, grows fiercer by being fed. 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. 4 So I will send a fire on the house of Hazael, and it shall devour the strongholds of Ben-hadad. This is what the LORD says: 'The people of Damascus have sinned again and again, and I will not let them go unpunished! I would like to bring this forward in how we hear Amos,as individuals in the kingdom of THE FATHERS NEW COVENANT RELATIONSHIP. What is the Biblical Perspective on Agriculture, Why Did Jesus Talk So Much About Agriculture, Why Jesus Talked So Much About Agriculture. Mail (will not be published) __('(required)'). Of Damascus - Damascus was one of the oldest cities in the world, and one of the links of its contact. The farmer has something to do every day. Kings who entered treaties with each other typically thought of themselves as brothers (cf. Probably not the punishment in itself alone, but the attempt so to extirpate the people of God brought down this judgment on Damascus. These are the men of Recah. S God commissioned Amos of Tekoa to proclaim His words to the Arameans to let them know that He took note of their transgressions, their offenses, and would judge accordingly. What Does the Bible Say About Overcoming? The words of Amos, who was among the shepherds of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake. Adam, the first human in the Bible, is also the first farmer. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. A man . john mark OpenBible.info 24:22) with stone or metal teeth embedded in the bottom side were dragged over the grain by these animals. Publication date: Jun 3, 2010. God was and is seeking usfor He will separate usable grain from the waste straw or chaff. .--Rather, will not turn it back--i.e., the sore judgment I have purposed. Any crime committed against human beings is ultimately against the LORD because He is the sole creator. The punishment is first denounced upon their enemies, and that, for their sins, directly or indirectly, against themselves, and God in them. a aq as _ \\ \ \ \ ss ce ake i arthur s. phelps his booke god give him grace. v., ver. For three transgressions and for four - These words express, not four transgressions added to the three, but an additional transgression beyond the former, the last sin, whereby the measure of sin, which before was full, overflows, and Gods wrath comes. Job 5:19 He shall deliver thee in six troubles: yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee. Its wealth, as a great emporium of transit-commerce, (as it is now) furnished it with sinews for war. And God saw that the light was good. 12:19; 2 Kgs. The words of Amos, who was among the herdmen of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel, two years before the earthquake. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. In all that he does, he prospers.Hosea 6:3 Let us know; let us press on to know theLord; his going out is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth.Isaiah 5:24 Therefore, as the tongue of fire devours the stubble, and as dry grass sinks down in the flame, so their root will be as rottenness, and their blossom go up like dust; for they have rejected the law of theLordof hosts, and have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel., Luke 12:18 And he said, I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.Hosea 12:11 If there is iniquity in Gilead, they shall surely come to nothing: in Gilgal they sacrifice bulls; their altars also are like stone heaps on the furrows of the field.2 Corinthians 9:6 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.Isaiah 32:2 Each will be like a hiding place from the wind, a shelter from the storm, like streams of water in a dry place, like the shade of a great rock in a weary land., Ruth 2:15 When she rose to glean, Boaz instructed his young men, saying, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her.Jeremiah 4:11 At that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem, A hot wind from the bare heights in the desert toward the daughter of my people, not to winnow or cleanse,Jeremiah 9:22 Speak: Thus declares theLord, The dead bodies of men shall fall like dung upon the open field, like sheaves after the reaper, and none shall gather them.Isaiah 30:25 And on every lofty mountain and every high hill there will be brooks running with water, in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall., Job 29:23 They waited for me as for the rain, and they opened their mouths as for the spring rain.Leviticus 25:1-7 TheLordspoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, saying, Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you come into the land that I give you, the land shall keep a Sabbath to theLord. You shall have them for food.Proverbs 20:4 The sluggard does not plow in the autumn; he will seek at harvest and have nothing.Proverbs 21:5 The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.Ecclesiastes 11:6 In the morning sow your seed, and at evening withhold not your hand, for you do not know which will prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good.Matthew 13:1-10 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. These are the men of Recah. There Elisha announces the coming death of Ben-hadad but weeps over the future that Hazael will bring to Israel. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ). Does a snare spring up from the ground, when it has taken nothing? Amos 1 contains a brief historical account on the prophetic ministry of Amos, providing the reader with the date of Amoss ministry and how the LORD has called him to minister to Israel. On the west and north its plain lay sheltered under the range of Anti-libanus; on the east, it was protected by the great desert which intervened between its oasis-territory and the Euphrates. This space rather became the center of its dominions, than measured their extent. Amos 1:3 . For this they will be judged by God. So the handmaid which displaceth her mistress Proverbs 30:21-23 is more intolerable and overbearing than the others. Geocoding It is possible that Syrians ran over peoplemen, women, and childrenwith these boards. 2. Literally, the text says they shut up the whole into captivity. The Philistines assaulted surrounding communities. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. And the rock badger, because it chews the cud but does not part the hoof, is unclean to you. Your threshing shall last to the time of the grape harvest, and the grape harvest shall last to the time for sowing. An example of Damascuss war against Israel is found in 2 Kings 10 where Hazael [the king of Damascus] defeated them throughout the territory of Israel: from the Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilead, the Gadites and the Reubenites and the Manassites, from Aroer, which is by the valley of the Arnon, even Gilead and Bashan (2 Kgs. The cities will be razed to the ground by an invading force. K Visit the Bible online to search for words if you dont know the specific passage yourre looking for. 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. Genesis 2:15 says, The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it., Agriculture is highly encouraged throughout the Scriptures. Copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. What is the meaning of the symbolism in Amos? These quotations are sufficient to show that this form of speech is neither unfrequent nor inelegant, being employed by the most correct writers of antiquity. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. Kimchi thinks that this respects four particular seasons, in which Damascus, or the Syrians, evilly treated and distressed the people of Israel; first in the times of Baasha; then in the times of Ahab; a third time in the days of Jehoahaz the son of Jehu; and the fourth in the times of Ahaz; and then they were punished for them all: because they have threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron; that is. Whichever is the case, Amos condemns Damascus for their violent aggression against Israel. Cows, like people, reproduce in about nine (9) months. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. This is Judahs traditional enemy on its southwest border. 4 tn Heb "they threshed [or "trampled down"] Gilead with sharp iron implements" (NASB similar). To report dead links, typos, or html errors or suggestions about making these resources more useful use the convenient, for three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not turn away, because they have threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron, I will not turn away the punishment thereof -, Because they have threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron -, For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four -, , . English Standard Version. Farmers work throughout the year, regardless of the weather. threshedReverso Context-: Rock threshing floors: seeds were threshed there with the help of animals. Will the sun really be turned to darkness and the moon to blood (Joel 2:31). This is what the LORD says: 'For three sins of Damascus, even for four, I will not relent. You are Gods field, Gods building., Mark 4:26 And he said, The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground.Mark 4:31 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth,Jeremiah 29:5 Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce.Leviticus 19:23-25 When you come into the land and plant any kind of tree for food, then you shall regard its fruit as forbidden. It is a probable conjecture that Jehu, by his political submission to Assyria, drew on himself the calamities which Elisha foretold. D , Job 24:10 They go about naked, without clothing; hungry, they carry the sheaves;Psalm 35:5 Let them be like chaff before the wind, with the angel of theLorddriving them away!Job 21:18 That they are like straw before the wind, and like chaff that the storm carries away?1 Chronicles 21:23 Then Ornan said to David, Take it, and let my lord the king do what seems good to him. The inclusion of the valley of Aven as well as Beth-Eden together with Damascus might indicate the entire kingdom of Aram. Abijam was in league with the father of Benhadad 1 Kings 15:19. 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. For we are Gods fellow workers. At the time of our era, the name of Abraham was still held in honor in the country of Damascus; a village was named from him Abrahams dwelling; and a native historian Nicolas said, that he reigned in Damascus on his way from the country beyond Babylon to Canaan. Get our Question of the Week delivered right to your inbox! The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. Then she beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley.Matthew 12:1 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath.