6). YHWH's Judgment On Moab (Amos 2:1-3).
Unlike the remainder Moab are not condemned for any action against God's people. Rather they are condemned for their deliberate desecration of the bones of the king of Edom. It was not honourable cremation that was being condemned, but an act of flagrant and vicious mistreatment of the dead (contrast 2 Kings 9:34 even of Jezebel). The idea was probably in order to prevent the possibility for him of decent burial (compare Isaiah 14:19-20) or even possibly to prevent his dimly surviving in a shadowy form in the underworld (see Ezekiel 32:18-32). We can compare Marcus Aurelius' similar treatment of the Christian martyrs of Lyons, which was a foolish attempt to prevent their resurrection. It was an attempt to strike at the very root of YHWH's final right to decide what became of men beyond the grave.
“Thus says YHWH.
For three transgressions of Moab, yes, for four,
I will not turn away his punishment,
Because he burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime.
But I will send a fire on Moab,
And it will devour the palaces of Kerioth,
And Moab will die with tumult,
With shouting, and with the sound of the ram's horn,
And I will cut off the judge from among him,
And will slay all his princes with him,
Says YHWH.”
So sixthly YHWH has spoken against Moab, Ammon's brother tribe. The fact that they would be punished for ‘three transgressions, and for four', indicated that more was in mind than the sole desecration of the king of Edom's body. That was rather selected out as an indication of their basic inhumanity in their continual warfare against Edom and Israel. The line of fortresses built between Moab and Edom was a reminder of their constant enmity. The description was possibly seen as also indicating similar atrocious treatment meted out to Israelites who were on Moab's northern border, but it would certainly appear to have in mind an outstanding crime which had become a byword around that time, something seen as depicting the callousness and hardheartedness of Moab (compare 2 Kings 3:27 for another Moabite action which shocked Israel to the core). Even the bloodthirsty Jehu had not been prepared to do anything like that to the body of a king's daughter (2 Kings 9:34), even one so depraved as Ahab's wife Jezebel. For a description of further vicious treatment of Israelites by Moab see Mesha's boasts in the Moabite Stone. It is, however, especially significant that it was YHWH's concern over the treatment of the king of Edom that was focused on. It emphasised YHWH's position in Amos's eyes as ‘Judge of all the earth' (Genesis 18:25), and His watch over all the descendants of Abraham.
The consequence for Moab would be that the palaces in their capital city of Kerioth would be ‘devoured', and Moab would be overwhelmed by a victorious army. This would include their king who as their ‘judge' was responsible for ‘justice' (an emphasis stressing the greatness of his subsequent crime) and all his princes. And this would be at the word of YHWH.
Thus as we come to the end of God's dealings with the six nations on the borders of Israel/Judah we are presented with a picture of total judgment on the whole area, something largely carried out by the Assyrians, and finally fulfilled in later history. The delay in the coming of this judgment on these nations (for these transgressions had taken place over centuries) was presumably because their iniquity was not yet seen as ‘full' (Genesis 15:16). They were still therefore being given time to repent. From Amos's point of view it was a description of a ‘universal' conflagration over all the land personally allocated by YHWH. This is one reason why the oracles must all be seen as given together. They are intended to present a total picture.