God chose Israel to be a blessing to all the nations by telling them all about God’s love and truth. Instead, they focused on themselves, and treated the poor with cruelty and disrespect. So, Amos shares a few poems that expose Israel’s religious hypocrisy. These poems show how they are committed to attending the religious gatherings, making sacrifices to God while neglecting the poor and ignoring prejudice and injustice.
Amos 5:21-24
“I hate, I despise your religious festivals; your assemblies are a stench to me. 22 Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, I will have no regard for them. 23 Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. 24 But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!
Amos tells the people they are living a lie and God is sickened by their worship. God tells them that a real relationship with God would change how they treated people who were struggling.
We need to search our hearts and minds to see if pride and arrogance are causing us to look differently at those who are struggling.
These two words, “Justice and Righteousness” are used over and over in this book because they are so important to the Lord. The word justice means taking real actions to correct unfair situations. The word righteousness here means relationally treating people in a right way no matter who they are, regardless of social standing.
Amos 5:24
But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!
So, justice and righteousness are to fill all the hearts and minds of God’s people, like the water of a stream fills a riverbed.
What is the Holy Spirit saying to you through these scriptures?
