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You asked

what specific injustices in amos's time provoked such a strong call for justice?

The passage, plainly, with room to sit with it.

Amos 5:24

But let justice roll on like rivers; and righteousness like a perennial stream.

Amos, a shepherd from Judah, was called by God to prophesy to the northern kingdom of Israel in the 8th century BCE. He confronted a society where religious ritual flourished alongside severe social injustice, speaking out against the wealthy oppressing the poor.

What aspect of communal life today most needs justice to 'roll on like rivers'?

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Read alongside it

  • Isaiah 1:17

    This verse also calls for seeking justice and defending the oppressed, echoing Amos's themes.

  • Micah 6:8

    This famous verse summarizes what God requires: 'to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.'

  • Psalm 82:3-4

    This psalm speaks of God's desire for rulers to defend the poor and fatherless, and do justice to the afflicted.

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