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| But the heart of his message was this: if you truly love God, you will practice justice. Wealthy Israelites, especially in the capital city of Samaria, were using their political clout to oppress the poor. They gave unfair payment for goods, they cheated the poor with unequal scales, and they took essential items for pledges. It didn’t matter that these same people participated in all the religious activities. Because of their oppressive, unjust ways, God hated their religious festivals. In some ways, the message was too late, for God showed Amos that judgment was coming, which came true with the Assyrian conquest in 722. But, like many prophets, Amos also gave a glimmer of hope. Amos chapter 9 speaks of restoration and renewal for God’s people. *For more cultural-historical details on chapter 5 see the section called Explore the Bible. |
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