Amos II
Thus says the Lord: “For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment…” (Amos 1:3 ESV)
Punishment
This same statement, for three transgressions and for four, that cause God to not revoke punishment is repeated against Gaza, Tyre, Edom, Ammon, Moab, Judah, and Israel. Does not that sound very severe? God appears harsh, full of judgment, and absolute in his pronouncement.
And while modern ‘nicey-nice’ understandings of God might wish that God just decided to look the other way, and revoke after all… He did not revoke.
if He had simply revoked, simply forgotten, simply been nice, it would NOT have been a good thing. He would have not been just. He would have made His law, His Laws, the Laws of the Universe into nothing.
Perhaps our universe would have fallen apart, and ceased to exist.
instead, He punished JESUS for His people in those groupings. He did not revoke His pronouncement against aggressive Damascus, against idolatrous Gaze, against greedy Tyre, against proud Edom, against cruel Moab, against unfaithful Judah, and against rebellious Israel. Instead, He punished JESUS.
Because of the threefold (symbolic of ‘complete’) atrocities of those people, and then even one more… God punished. But He punished Jesus instead.
And while we might not be of those nations or races, we are just as guilty. And because God did it so strongly before, we can rest assured He will do it with us, too!
Not just because He is nice. But because of Jesus, and Jesus alone. Through Jesus, and Jesus alone. By Jesus, and Jesus alone. In Jesus, and Jesus alone.