4 of 8 “I will not relent”

​“The Lord says: I will not relent from punishing Edom for three crimes, even four, because he pursued his brother with the sword. He stifled his compassion, his anger tore at them continually, and he harbored his rage incessantly. Therefore, I will send fire against Teman, and it will consume the citadels of Bozrah.”

‭‭Amos‬ ‭1:11-12‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/72/amo.1.11-12.HCSB

On to Edom. Edom is to the southeast of Judah. Edom is the nation born out of Esau, which was the brother of Jacob, son of Isaac, and grandson of Abraham. God held the nation of Edom in high regard for the Israelites on their way out of Egypt. 

“Do not despise an Edomite, because he is your brother. Do not despise an Egyptian, because you were a foreign resident in his land. The children born to them in the third generation may enter the Lord’s assembly.”

‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭23:7-8‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/72/deu.23.7-8.HCSB

The Edomites were not one of the nations they had to drive out but they were not to make any treaties with them either. They were to be friendly neighbors who would worship the one true God together in peace. But Edom stifled his compassion, fueled his anger, and rage burned inside. So therefore he neglected the right thing of compassion toward his brother but pursued Judah and Israel with the sword accepting at least two communities from Philistia and Phoenicia to be sold or killed. 

“All bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander must be removed from you, along with all malice. And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4:31-32‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/72/eph.4.32.HCSB

The six things that must be removed from our relationships are bitterness, anger, wrath, shouting, slander, and malice. 

These six things grow into each other. Bitterness grows into anger if left unchecked. And will eventually become malice. (See this post from me June 10, 2020, about malice: http://bharper504.blogspot.com/2020/06/the-one-who-says-he-is-in-light-but.html?m=1)

The three things that must be growing in our relationships are kindness, compassion, and forgiveness. 

Edom forgot the three good things but let the six bad things grow toward their brother the true Israelites. Let us not fall into the trap against God's children, our brothers.