Commentary - Amos 4:4-5

Bird's-eye view

In this passage, the prophet Amos, speaking for Lord Yahweh, unleashes a torrent of divine sarcasm against the northern kingdom of Israel. Their worship is meticulous, zealous, and utterly corrupt. God does not command them here to go and sin; rather, He mocks their existing patterns of sin by extending a formal, ironic invitation to continue in them. They were already going to Bethel and Gilgal, centers of their apostate, syncretistic worship, and God essentially says, "Go on then! Keep it up! Let's see where it gets you." This is not permission, but rather a prophetic indictment that highlights the profound disconnect between their religious activity and true, covenantal faithfulness. The very acts they believed were earning them divine favor were, in fact, multiplying their transgressions before a holy God who despises worship that is not offered in spirit and in truth.

The central point is that external religious performance, no matter how precise or enthusiastic, is an abomination when the heart is estranged from God and His explicit commands. Israel had abandoned Jerusalem, the place God had chosen, and had set up their own convenient, man-made religious system. In doing so, they were not worshiping Yahweh as He is, but rather a domesticated idol of their own making. This passage is a stark warning against all forms of self-styled religion and a powerful reminder that true worship begins with submission to God's Word, not with our own preferences or traditions.

Outline

Context In Amos

This passage comes after Amos has delivered a series of oracles against the surrounding nations, only to pivot and bring the hammer down on Israel itself. In chapter 3, God established His unique covenant relationship with Israel as the very basis for His judgment: "You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities" (Amos 3:2). Chapter 4 opens with a blistering denunciation of the opulent and oppressive women of Samaria, the "kine of Bashan." The connection between social injustice and corrupt worship is a central theme for Amos. The people who crush the needy (4:1) are the same people who are so diligent in their religious observances. These verses (4-5) function as the connecting tissue, showing that their worship was not just flawed, but was the very engine of their covenant rebellion.

Key Issues

Clause-by-Clause Commentary

v. 4 "Enter Bethel and transgress;" God is not commanding sin. This is holy mockery. It is as if a father, seeing his son determined to touch a hot stove after numerous warnings, says with grim irony, "Go ahead. Touch it." The command exposes the heart. Bethel, meaning "house of God," had been consecrated by Jacob, but it was now the primary center of Jeroboam's calf-worship, a political and religious rebellion against the house of David and the temple in Jerusalem (1 Kings 12:28-29). For an Israelite to go to Bethel to worship was, by definition, to transgress. They were in the wrong place, worshiping the wrong way, and so every religious act they performed there was simply another layer of sin.

"In Gilgal multiply transgression!" Gilgal was another site with a rich history in Israel's story. It was where Israel first camped after crossing the Jordan, where the reproach of Egypt was "rolled away," and where Saul was made king. But like Bethel, it had become a center for syncretistic worship (Hosea 4:15). God's point is that their activity is not just simple transgression; it is a multiplication of it. Their religious zeal was not canceling out their sin; it was compounding it. Getting the details of the ceremony right while you are in the wrong building entirely just makes the whole affair more wicked.

"Bring your sacrifices every morning," Here the sarcasm deepens. The Mosaic law required a daily morning sacrifice (Num. 28:3-4), and on the surface, Israel appears to be diligently obedient. But their obedience is a sham. It is externalism detached from the covenant heart. God is saying, "Yes, keep up your perfect attendance. Be prompt with your rituals. Check all the liturgical boxes." But it is all transgression because it is offered in a state of rebellion. It is like a man who brings his wife flowers every morning but is sleeping with another woman every night. The gesture is not just empty; it is insulting.

"Your tithes every three days." This is hyperbole, designed to mock their supposed scrupulousness. The law required tithes to be brought every three years (Deut. 14:28). By saying "every three days," God is pointing out their absurd zeal. They are going above and beyond the requirements, but in a completely wrongheaded way. They think their meticulous, over-the-top tithing is making them righteous, but it is just making their rebellion more ostentatious. They are polishing the brass on a sinking ship.

v. 5 "And offer a thank offering also from that which is leavened," This is another jab at their liturgical innovations. The law specified that most grain offerings were to be unleavened, as leaven was often a symbol of corruption (Lev. 2:11). While there was a provision for leavened bread with a thank offering (Lev. 7:13), Amos's mention of it here, in this torrent of sarcasm, suggests they were making a proud show of it, perhaps even using it where it was not appropriate. They were worshiping according to their own appetites and aesthetic preferences, not according to God's careful instruction. This is the essence of will-worship.

"And call for freewill offerings; cause them to be heard about." True freewill offerings were to be given from a glad and willing heart. But here, the practice has been corrupted into a noisy, public spectacle. They are not giving to God; they are giving for the applause. They announce their offerings, they publish them, they make sure everyone knows just how generous and devout they are. This is the sin of the Pharisees, who loved to pray on the street corners to be seen by men (Matt. 6:5). Their worship was not directed upward to God, but outward to their peers.

"For so you love to do, you sons of Israel," Here is the punchline. This is the diagnosis of the disease. Why do they do all this? Not because they love God, but because they love doing all this. They love the religious pomp. They love the feeling of piety it gives them. They love the social standing that comes with being seen as devout. Their religion was a form of entertainment and self-gratification. It was a worship of self, conducted under the guise of worshiping Yahweh. They had turned the worship of God into a hobby.

"Declares Lord Yahweh." The passage ends with the ultimate seal of authority. This is not Amos's cynical take on their worship. This is not the opinion of a disgruntled prophet from the south. This is the divine verdict of the covenant Lord God Himself. He sees the heart, He knows the motivation, and His judgment is final. The one they claimed to be worshiping is the very one who utterly rejected their worship.

Application

The message of Amos is a perennial word to the church. The temptation to substitute external religious busyness for true heart-felt repentance and obedience is ever-present. We can have our morning quiet times, tithe meticulously, volunteer for every church program, and publish our good deeds on social media, and yet have a heart that is far from God. We can love the feeling of being religious more than we love God Himself.

This passage forces us to ask hard questions. Is our worship according to Scripture, or according to our traditions and preferences? Are we worshiping at the "Bethel" of our own comfort and convenience, or have we submitted to the "Jerusalem" of God's revealed will? Is our giving done quietly for the glory of God, or loudly for the applause of men? The great danger is not in being irreligious, but in being zealously religious in a way that God despises.

The only remedy is the gospel. True worship is not something we conjure up; it is a response to the grace of God in Jesus Christ. Christ is our true temple, our perfect sacrifice, and our faithful high priest. It is only when we are united to Him by faith that our offerings become acceptable to God. He cleanses our motives and presents our flawed worship as perfect before the Father. Therefore, let us abandon all self-made religion and cling to Christ, offering ourselves as living sacrifices, which is our true and spiritual worship (Rom. 12:1).