And he that is courageous among the mighty shall flee away naked in that day, saith the LORD. And he that is courageous among the mighty shall flee away naked in that day, saith the LORD.
And he that is courageous among the mighty shall flee away naked - if any escape, it must be with the loss of accoutrements, and all that would impede rapid flight. They must be content with saving their life alone.
Remarks:
(1) Moab's spite against Edom, her former ally, when the latter acted in concert with her enemies, illustrates the principle that men are often more indignant with a friend who has come to an understanding with their enemy than with the enemy himself (Amos 2:1). The malice which vents itself on the insensible corpse is the impotent rage of one who would, if only he could, pursue everlastingly the soul that is beyond his reach. 'Hatrod which death cannot extinguish is the beginning of the eternal hate of hell!' (Pusey). For once, though probably by constraint, Edom was on the side of the people of God: therefore Moab hated him with an unrelenting hatred. This malice of Moab sealed her doom.
(2) Other nations were to be punished for offences against the laws of nature and of conscience, and natural feeling: Judah was to be punished for offences against the revealed will and law of God. God is no respecter of persons: nor will the mere possession of religious privileges save any man; but, on the contrary, will only increase the condemnation of those who sin in the face of them. Professors of religion, who join with transgressors in sin, shall be joined by God with them in their punishment. Judah, by "not keeping," virtually "despised" God's law: and then, by choosing willfully his own "lies" (Amos 2:4), he was, in judicial retribution, given up to be deluded by them. A liar, conscious of his lie at the first, comes to believe it himself at the last. He who deals dishonestly with conscience, and tries to explain away the holy strictness of God's law, in order to justify his own wrong practice, is sooner or later "caused to err" by his own "lies," and loses the power to discriminate between truth and error.
(3) Judah's error then became hereditary. The children stereotyped the false maxims of their fathers, and filled up the measure of their guilt. We must not follow the precepts or practice even of the so-called 'fathers' of the Church, whereinsoever they cannot be proved to accord with the Word of God. Evil acquires authority by time and long usage. Therefore we must make Scripture the test, and not walk after the ways of the 'fathers,' except their ways be also the ways of God. Our prayer should be that of David, whenever we are tempted by the deceits, of gain, pleasure, pride, self-love, or vanity, "Remove from me the way of lying, and grant me thy law graciously" (Psalms 119:29).
(4) The fire that consumed Judah (Amos 2:5) should ever remind us of the "fiery stream" (Daniel 7:10) which shall come forth before the coming Judge of all men, to consume all that is dross, however specious it may look now. Two centuries elapsed after Amos' prophecy before the first "fire devoured the palaces of Jerusalem; and men therefore thought it would never come: yet it did come in the exact time appointed by God. Let us beware lest the seeming delay in Christ's second coming should be abused to generate in us a virtual unbelief as to His coming at all. He will come just at the time when men least expect His coming. Let us, therefore, watch and always be ready.
(5) Amos finally convicts of sin Israel, to whom especially he was sent. They perverted justice; oppressed the needy, the meek, and the lowly; practiced incestuous abominations; and combined shameless luxury with barefaced idolatry (Amos 2:6-8). Covetousness is generally the sin, not of the destitute, but of the affluent. It grows with that which it feeds on-gain. The more it has, the more it "pants after" (Amos 2:7). And it is reckless of the misery it inflicts on the poor. For the most paltry gain it will trample upon the lowly (Amos 2:6). The culmination of the nation's sin in this respect was when, for thirty pieces of 'silver, the sold the righteous, meek, and lowly' Saviour.
(6) When the people of God fall, they often fall even lower than the people of the world: and so the holy name of (6) When the people of God fall, they often fall even lower than the people of the world: and so the holy name of God, and His religion, are profaned in the person of those who are presumed to be His and its representatives. The religion of Christ has no such enemies as inconsistent Christians.
(7) What a contrast to Israel's conduct toward God and man is presented by God's course toward herself! When she was a bond-servant in Egypt, God delivered her from bondage; and again, when she was a homeless wanderer for forty years in the wilderness, God led her through it, to possess the land of the Amorites. The more stately was "the height" of the Amorites, the more evident was it that Israel "got not the land in possession by their own sword" (Psalms 44:3), but that it was "God's right hand, and God's arm, and the light of God's countenance, because He had a favour unto them." Then also God's spiritual favours to Israel were still greater than the temporal ones. He had raised up for them a long succession of prophets, from Samuel the Ephrathite to Elijah and Elisha, and now, more recently, Hosea, Jonah, and Amos. Then, as God had given them prophets to instruct them in heaven-taught wisdom, so He had also raised up of their young men Nazarites, as living representatives of the principle of separation from the ungodly world, which was designed to be the distinguishing characteristic of the people of God. Their outward aspect and whole life was a standing rebuke to a life of sensuality; and this in the season of youth, when the animal appetites are strongest.
(8) Israel herself must confess that God's grace was even so great. Yet Israel perverted God's good gifts into an occasion for greater sin. Her people seduced or forced the Nazarites to break their vow by drinking wine; and they commanded their prophets, "Prophesy not" (Amos 2:12). How awful is the responsibility of those who corrupt the young, when the latter are turning their faces heavenward! Thousands of the young, who once promised well, have made shipwreck of faith and of a good conscience through strong drink. And how dreadful is the doom awaiting those who are so hardened against the truth that they try to stifle the voice of God's ministers, when these hold out to the lost the offer of grace! Even the long-suffering of God is at last wearied out with the obstinacy of sinners (Amos 2:13). Then neither swiftness of foot, nor strength of hands, nor courage of spirit, can save the object of His wrath. Where can they flee that have God, who is the only true place of refuge, as their Pursuer? (Amos 2:14.) Let us humble ourselves now before Him, that He may deliver us from falling into the ingratitude and unfaithfulness, and so incurring the doom, of the apostates of Israel!