rifices which you
were never bid to offer, but understand that what you do is not worship,
but sin.' That is a smiting sentence to pass upon elaborate ceremonial.
The word literally means treason or rebellion, and by it Amos at one
blow shatters the whole fabric. Note, too, that the offering of tithes
was not called for by Mosaic law, 'every three days' (Revised Version),
and that the use of leaven in burnt offerings was prohibited by it, and
also that to call for freewill offerings was to turn spontaneousness
into something like compulsion, and to bring ostentation into worship.
All these characteristics spoiled the apparent religiousness, over and
above the initial evil of disobedience, and warrant Amos's crushing
equation, 'Your worship = rebellion.' All are driven home by the last
words of verse 5, 'So ye love it.' The reason for all this prodigal
ostentatious worship was to please themselves, not to obey God. That
tainted everything, and always does.

The lessons of this burst of sarcasm are plain. The subtle influence of
self creeps in even in worship, and makes it hollow, unreal, and
powerless to bless the worshipper. Obedience is better than costly
gifts. The beginning and end of all worship, which is not at same time
'transgression' is the submission of tastes, will, and the whole self.
Again, men will lavish gifts far more freely in apparent religious
service, which is but the worship of their reflected selves, than in
true service of God. Again, the purity of willing offerings is marred
when they are given in response to a loud call, or, when given, are
proclaimed with acclamations. Let us not suppose that all the brunt of
Amos's indignation fell only on these old devotees. The principles
involved in it have a sharp edge, turned to a great deal which is
allowed and fostered among ourselves.

II. The blaze of indignation changes in the second part of the passage
into wounded tenderness, as the Prophet speaks in the name of God, and
recounts the dreary monotony of failure attending all God's loving
attempts to arrest Israel's departure by the mercy of judgment. Mark the
sad cadence of the fivefold refrain, 'Ye have not returned unto Me,
saith the Lord.' The 'unto' implies reaching the object to which we
turn, and is not the less forcible but more usual word found in this
phrase, which simply means 'towards' and indicates direction, without
saying anything as to how far the return has gone. So there may have
b