Amos sharply criticizes the Israelites’ acts of worship because they did not match how they lived.
Bethel, where Jacob saw his vision of a ladder with angels going up and down (Genesis 28:11–22), was the southern center of the religion started by Jeroboam I (see Amos 3:14; 1 Kings 12:28–29). Gilgal, Israel's campsite after crossing the Jordan River (Joshua 4:19–5:9), had become a popular shrine by the time of Amos and Hosea (Hosea 4:15; 9:15; 12:11).
sacrifices every morning … tithes every three days: Israelite males were required to appear before the Lord at the sanctuary three times a year (Exodus 23:14–19; 34:23; Deuteronomy 16:16–17). Tithes were usually paid annually (Deuteronomy 14:22–29), with a special tithe every three years (see Deuteronomy 14:28; 26:12). Amos points out that the Israelites were excessively religious, but they resisted true godliness (Amos 5:15; Hosea 6:6; Micah 6:8; see Luke 11:42).