Apart from social justice that had been corrupted , the religion of the Israelites was no longer practiced as they had deviated from observing the covenant made with God. Their hearts were not truly with God, they only pretended by fulfilling the physical obligations of worship such as payment of tithes and offering sacrifices while the real fear of God was not in them. Their religion had been polluted with the worship of idols; a case in point was the golden calves made by Jeroboam which he put one at Bethel and the other at Dun. This Bethel was the place of worship for Israelites by then. Also, there were other idols brought by the foreign women that various kings of Israel had married. All these combined to pollute the true worship of God in Israel, they felt they could appease God by their sacrifices but God rejected their offerings and sacrifices because they were not from people with a pure heart (Amos 5:21-24).

The Theme of Amos Message to the Israelites

1. The people should repent and seek God with all their strength and might so that God would surely forgive them
2. They should uphold justice in all their dealings
3. Righteousness should be seen in all their lives
4. God was after their hearts and not their offerings
5. They should do away with religious practices
6. They days of the Lord should be kept

Lessons to Learn

1. People should worship God in spirit and in truth
2. Payment of tithes and offerings is meaningless without an upright life
3. The society should love those who speak the truth
4. Too much of luxuries and pleasures drag people into all kinds of evil and social vices
5. In Nigeria, bribery, corruption and cheating, oppression of the poor by the rich have their roots in love of money and pleasure.

EVALUATION

1. Explain the practices Amos condemned in Israel.