SUMMARY
AmosProphet to the northern kingdom who condemned Israel's oppression of the poor, calling for justice to "roll down like waters." More announces that God hates the people’s “festivals” and “will not accept” their offerings. Rather: “Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an everflowing stream.”
ANALYSIS
The pilgrimage festivals of the Israelite year were PassoverPassover commemorates the deliverance of the Hebrew people from Egypt as described in the book of Exodus. It is celebrated with worship and a meal on the fourteenth day of the month called Nisan, which is the first month of the Jewish year. The time... More, Weeks/Pentecost, and Booths/Tabernacles (similar in importance to Christmas, Easter, and PentecostPentecost was originally a Jewish harvest or pilgrimage festival that fell on the fiftieth day after Passover. It was during this festival that the Holy Spirit visited Jesus' followers in tongues of fire and caused them to speak in many languages, as reported in Acts... More for Christians). Doubly maddening for God and Amos is that people celebrated the festivals without making the pilgrimage to God’s intended worship site in Jerusalem. Thus the festivals become occasions in which disobedience and idolatry were thrown in God’s face. Amos announces that God is so angry because of the suffering of the poor and marginalized that God will not accept offerings given at the major festivals of the year. Instead, God wants justice and righteousness from the people.
