“I hate, I despise your feast days”: Religious activity without heart reality is repugnant to God. Amos was a prophet from the Southern Kingdom. It was admitted that they complied in this respect with the requirements of the law; and that they offered an abundance of sacrifices, so numerous as to be called a multitude - רב rôb, a vast number. Israel's rebellion exhausted the patience of the Lord and the northern kingdom would soon be carried away into slavery. The little remnant was reminded that the Lord is Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 20 Shall not the day of the LORD be darkness, and not light? It had its "feasts" of solemn "joy" and the "restraint" of its "solemn assemblies" , which all were constrained to keep, abstaining from all servile work. But God could not stand their hypocritical offerings and ungodly assemblies - "I hate, I reject your festivals", He thundered, "nor do I delight in your solemn assemblies". Why do you long for the day of the Lord? Amos 5:21 Translation & Meaning. Read verse in New International Version That day will be darkness, not light. Ver. Amos 5:21-24. Hymns of praise, full-toned chorus, instrumental music! They smugly engaged in the three pilgrimage feasts, implemented by Moses. The blood was sprinkled round the altar, and the other parts of the animal which was slain, were laid upon the altar and entirely burned; see Leviticus 1. Amos 5:21-24. Amos lived in a time of prosperity and growth, due to God's goodness and grace. What does this verse really mean? Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. It is used here with great force, denoting that their offerings had been so numerous and so incessant, that God was satiated with them. It was in those days, and it is today. How much more the Last! In our text today, we hear God say some pretty harsh things. Amos 5:21-27 We often sing a song that proclaims that the Lord is worthy of worship, praise, honor, glory, offerings, reverence, fear, love, and devotion. Amos 5:21-24 (“I hate, I despise your festivals…”) is one of the best-known passages in the prophetic corpus. The fat was burned on the altar. 19 As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him. Any offering that consisted in an animal that was slain came under this general denomination of sacrifice, Exodus 10:25; Leviticus 17:8; Numbers 15:5. burnt-offerings - עלות 'olôth, from עלה ‛âlâh, to go up, ascend. And so those things, whereby they hoped to propitiate God, were the object of His displeasure. This threatening judgment will not be averted by the Israelites, even by their feasts and sacrifices (Amos 5:21, Amos 5:22). Amos was a humble shepherd called by the Lord to prophesy to the people of Israel in the eighth century B.C.E. Let us never become complacent in our own righteousness, but seek to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with our God. The first mention of the day of the Lord from a Hebrew prophet is found in the book of Amos: “Woe to you who long for the day of the Lord! As he has just mentioned the behavior of the people it is likely that also justice and righteousness may here be used to characterize the behavior Yahweh expected from his people”(Kapelrud, Central Ideas, 65). Without a doubt, each of these statements are true. Amos 5:24 - 'But let justice roll down like waters And righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. I will not listen to the music of your harps. Look at this passage in Amos 5:21-23. when the Assyrians invaded and conquered the northern kingdom. It corresponds to the Greek ὁλόκαυστον holokauston, that which is entirely consumed. The word rendered peace offering should be translated as in the margin. and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies; a sweet savour of rest, as in Genesis 8:21; take no pleasure in their duties and services performed, in their solemn assemblies convened together for religious purposes, nor accept of them; but, on the contrary, dislike and abhor them; see Isaiah 1:11. The prophet is in fact saying that the people of Israel thought the Day of the Lord was one of total light. Amos condemns Israel not only on the ground of their thinking to satisfy God by sacrifices without obedience (the charge brought by Isaiah against the Jews), but also because even their external ritual was a mere corruption, and unsanctioned by God. Though you offer Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them, nor will I regard your fattened peace offerings. Amos 5:18-24, Studies on Old Testament texts from Series A, Ralph W. Klein, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. Rather: "Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an everflowing stream." Sharp, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2008. And ouch…a reminder that even during the years in the wilderness the original nation was unfaithful (Amos 5:25). Ver. "I hate, I reject your festivals, Nor do I delight in your solemn assemblies. The Book of Amos is the third of the Twelve Minor Prophets in the Tanakh/Old Testament and the second in the Greek Septuagint tradition. Let us praise His holy name that the indwelling Spirit of God has promised to lead and guide all those that trust His word and obey his command and let us rejoice that in Him is the spirit of liberty and eternal freedom. I hate, I despise your feast days ] Wherewith ye think to stop my mouth and to make me your debtor; saying, as that Roman emperor, when his enemy came against him, Non sic Deos coluimus ut ille nos vinceret, We have not so served the gods that they should serve us no better than to give the enemy … Amos 5:21 Parallel Verses [⇓ See commentary ⇓] Amos 5:21, NIV: "I hate, I despise your religious festivals; your assemblies are a stench to me." Amos 5 is the fifth chapter of the Book of Amos in the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. to what end is it for you? With that context in mind, Amos' meaning in verses 18-20 becomes clearer. Let us rejoice that the same God that cares for Israel loves and cares for us and has promised to finish the good work He has started in each of our lives - just as He will finish the good work He started in His people Israel. on StudyLight.org. 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