As mentioned in the introduction, the word used for shepherd implies that Amos was actually quite wealthy. Israel was divided into Israel, the northern Kingdom, and Judah, the southern kingdom. Jereboam II was king of Israel. He had succeeded Joash. 2 Kings 14:24 that he did evil in the sight of the Lord and continued in the ways for his forefather, Jereboam I. However, 2 Kings 14 also tells us that God gave some relief to Israel, and allowed them to restore their borders. This is an example of prosperity definitely not being a sign of the Lord's approval of the land. Rather it was given because of what previous prophets had said, and because of the Lord's mercy on Israel. A human reaction to mercy can often be to think "phew, we have got away with it" and to continue sinning in our old ways. The correct response is to take the opportunity to repent. We must always assess ourselves in the light of the word of God, not in the light of circumstances.
Uzziah was king of Judah. He was also known as Amaziah, and he was quite a good king.
Amos begins his message by declaring that the Lord roars from Zion and Jerusalem. Note that Jerusalem was not the capital of Israel because it was part of Judah. However, while Israel was split for a time, it was always God's intention that one day it would be reunited. In the same way, although the church is split into many denominations and groupings, it is the Lord's intention that one day it will be united.
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