Moab, as well as Ammon, is the subject of prophecy, and in each case there is promise of judgment on them. Isaiah 11:14; 1514But they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west; they shall spoil them of the east together: they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them. (Isaiah 11:14) and 16; 25:10-12; Jeremiah 9:25, 2625Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will punish all them which are circumcised with the uncircumcised; 26Egypt, and Judah, and Edom, and the children of Ammon, and Moab, and all that are in the utmost corners, that dwell in the wilderness: for all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in the heart. (Jeremiah 9:25‑26); Jeremiah 48 and 49; Ezekiel 25, and Zephaniah 2:8-118I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the revilings of the children of Ammon, whereby they have reproached my people, and magnified themselves against their border. 9Therefore as I live, saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, even the breeding of nettles, and saltpits, and a perpetual desolation: the residue of my people shall spoil them, and the remnant of my people shall possess them. 10This shall they have for their pride, because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the people of the Lord of hosts. 11The Lord will be terrible unto them: for he will famish all the gods of the earth; and men shall worship him, every one from his place, even all the isles of the heathen. (Zephaniah 2:8‑11) disclose the penalty for their guilt concerning Israel. The occasion spoken of in verse 1 is evidently that recorded in 2 Kings 3:26, 27,26And when the king of Moab saw that the battle was too sore for him, he took with him seven hundred men that drew swords, to break through even unto the king of Edom: but they could not. 27Then he took his eldest son that should have reigned in his stead, and offered him for a burnt offering upon the wall. And there was great indignation against Israel: and they departed from him, and returned to their own land. (2 Kings 3:26‑27) when the eldest son of the king of Edom, and probably joint king of that country, was made a burnt offering by the king of Moab who had got possession of him in war.
And now (verse 4) we reach the solemn pronouncements of God. upon His own earthly people, which occupy the remainder of the prophecy of Amos. Judah comes first; the charge against the two tribes is despising the law of Jehovah and lying, which had caused them to err. Israel, the ten tribes, is accused of utter selfishness, covetousness, immorality, and idolatry.
God had destroyed the Amorites for them; powerful enemies they had been; He had indeed brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt; had graciously led them forty years in the wilderness, and given them the land for a possession. He had raised up prophets from among their sons, and Nazarites, separated to God, among their young men; but the prophets were commanded to not prophecy, and the Nazarites (who were never to touch wine) were given it to drink.
What then shall God do to a nation that professes His name, but is guilty more than the nations that know Him not? He will commence to deal with them by removing flight from the swift, strength from the strong, power from the mighty, courage from the brave. Chapter 3 introduces a more solemn word from Him.