What does God desire more than "burnt offerings and grain offerings" in Amos 5:22?

Setting the scene in Amos 5

Amos addresses people who keep up religious rituals while ignoring God’s moral demands. The Lord exposes the emptiness of their worship because their hearts and daily conduct are corrupt.

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The problem: empty rituals

Amos 5:22–23

“Even though you offer Me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them;

nor will I regard the peace offerings of your fattened cattle.

Take away from Me the noise of your songs!

I will not listen to the melodies of your harps.”

God rejects:

• Burnt offerings

• Grain offerings

• Peace offerings

• Worship music

The outward forms are right, but they are detached from inward devotion and ethical living.

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What God does desire

Amos 5:24

“But let justice roll on like a river,

and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”

What surpasses sacrifices:

• Justice—fair, impartial treatment of others, especially the vulnerable

• Righteousness—consistent, covenant-faithful living that matches God’s character

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Biblical echoes

• 1 Samuel 15:22—“Indeed, obedience is better than sacrifice…”

• Hosea 6:6—“For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.”

• Micah 6:8—“To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”

• Psalm 51:16–17—God values “a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart.”

• Mark 12:33—To love God and neighbor “is more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

These passages confirm that heartfelt obedience, mercy, and justice outperform ritual offerings.

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Practical takeaways for today

• Examine worship: Do my songs and prayers align with my weekday conduct?

• Pursue justice: Defend the oppressed, practice honesty, reject partiality.

• Live righteously: Obey Scripture in family, work, finances, and speech.

• Cultivate mercy: Show compassion, forgive readily, give generously.

• Seek genuine relationship: Know the Lord personally, not merely through routine.

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Key verses to remember

Amos 5:24—“But let justice roll on like a river, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”

Hosea 6:6—“For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.”