Saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit?
They're literally counting down the minutes until religious holidays are over so they can get back to business. 'When will the new moon festival end so we can sell grain again? When will the Sabbath be over so we can open up shop?' And they're planning to cheat people too, giving less product, charging more money, and rigging their scales to steal from customers.
When you're more excited about making money than honoring God, you've got your priorities completely backwards.
📚 Historical Context
In the 8th century BC, the prophet Amos was delivering God's message to the Northern Kingdom of Israel during a time of economic prosperity but moral corruption, where the rich exploited the poor. The merchants in this verse were impatiently waiting for religious observances like the new moon and Sabbath to end so they could resume dishonest practices, such as using false weights and measures to cheat customers. This highlighted a broader societal problem of hypocrisy, where people outwardly followed God's laws while ignoring His call for justice and fairness.
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