Historical background: (verses 1&2), If we can assume the village of Tekoa was located at or near the present site, it was in the rolling hill country about 16 miles south of Jerusalem.
Second, Amos tells us that he received a vision from God two years before the earthquake. Geologists have explored that site and determined the earthquake happened about 760 BCE. Also, Amos told us that Uzziah was king of Judah and Jeroboam II was king of Israel. There may also be a place in scripture that suggests the earthquake happened simultaneously with Uzziah being struck with leprosy for burning incense in the Temple.
Third, Amos wrote, “The Lord roared – like a ferocious lion in his lair – from His Temple on Mount Zion. And suddenly the lush pastures of Mount Carmel withered and dried, and all the shepherds mourned.” This sounds as though God gave a warning to Amos so that people would believe when the earthquake happened that he was God’s prophet.
In verses 3-5, God began to tell Amos about His judgment against many nations around Amos’ area. These verses deal with Damascus in Aram (now Syria).
In verses 6-8, God spoke about Gaza and the Philistine people. There were other cities besides Gaza in the area and each had a king.
In verses 9-10, God spoke about Edom. Edom was the nation Esau controlled; Esau may have married two women from the area of Teman and Bozrah, and his parents did not approve those marriages. (Gen. 26:34). Esau had a son named Eliphaz who may have been Eliphaz the Temanite who was a friend of Job. (Job 2:11). It would make sense that Eliphaz understood who Yahweh was as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
In verses 13-15, God spoke about Ammon. We have a tendency to forget, but Ammon and Moab were descendants of Lot, Abraham’s nephew. God spared Lot, his wife, and two daughters from the destruction of Sodom. But when Jacob took his family to Egypt for 400 years, there was a loss of familiarity between nations. Ammon and Moab would not let the Israelis pass through their territory after they left Egypt. We would not normally trust people who came to us claiming to be relatives from back in the 1620’s. But even after being neighbors for several hundred years, they didn’t like each other.
Man may forget, but God does not forget our sins unless they are under the blood of Christ!