Amos 4-5

“There are those who oppress the innocent and take bribes and deprive the poor of justice in the courts” (5:12). The rich women of Samaria oppressed the poor and lived for entertainment and comfort (4:1), and yet they bragged about their religious rituals. Through Amos, God told Israel that He rejected their meaningless sacrifices and offerings (4:5). The God who “made the Pleiades and Orion, who turns midnight into dawn” cared for the vulnerable in Israel (5:8).

“Seek good, not evil, that you may live” (5:14). God is not interested in empty religious activity. He calls us to know His heart and love people made in His image, imitating His ways of justice, mercy, generosity, and compassion.