5) AMOS 5:10-12
“They hate the one who reproves in the gate, and they abhor the one who speaks the truth. Therefore, because you trample on the poor and take from them levies of grain, you have built houses of hewn stone, but you shall not live in them; you have planted pleasant vineyards, but you shall not drink their wine. For I know how many are your transgressions and how great are your sins- you who afflict the righteous, who take a bribe, and push aside the needy in the gate.”
From verse 10 we can realize that Amos gave crucial importance for the court in the gate. The one who reproves in the gate can be understood as an advocate with righteousness. By hating them Israel was threatening the strength of the whole juridical system. Thus
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Even though you offer me your burnt-offerings and grain-offerings, I will not accept them; and the offerings of well-being of your fatted animals I will not look upon. Take away from me the noise of your songs; I will not listen to the melody of your harps. But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”
The festivals and solemn assemblies are seemed to be traditional practices among the people of Israel. Verse 21 has a clear cut indication that YHWH will have nothing to do with them. The hollowness of their cult was totally ruled out. As we know festivals, sacrifices, praises etc were essential elements of Israel’s worship. From our OT studies, we understand that people of Israel were performing burnt offerings to renew the relationship between God and the sinful one. The grain offerings were done to worship God and to acknowledge His provisions. What they were doing was good before the people but not pleasing to God. The reason was that, they did not imbibe the spirit of those offerings but mechanically performed some rituals for sake of doing. Even after these offerings they committed sins before God without any regret. Thus they adulterated the divine laws and fell into the clutches of religious injustice. So what was pleasing before God since ancient times became a curse. Israel’s praising hymns and melodies of their harps were rejected