Amos the "burden bearer"

The Oracles Against the Nations:

• Damascus --- 1:3-5 Threshed Gilead with sledges having iron teeth
  
• Gaza --- 1:6-8 Took captive whole communities and sold them to Edom
  
• Tyre --- 1:9-10 Sold whole communities of captives to Edom, disregarding a treaty of brotherhood
  
• Edom --- 1:11-12 Pursued his brother with a sword stifling all compassion
  
• Ammon --- 1:13-15 ripped open pregnant women in order to extend his borders
  
• Moab --- 2:1-3 Burned the bones of the King of Edom
  
• Judah --- 2:4-5 Rejected the law of the Lord, have not kept his decrees and have been led astray by false gods
  
• Israel --- 2:6-16 Sell the righteous and poor people for money and p0sessions, they are oppressive and immoral, and prosper on the misery of others.

Though other surrounding nations are judged first, Amos warms up his audience to hear what God thinks about the people he was sent to warn - Israel.

In Matthew 7:3 we are told that its easier to see the speck in another's eye that it is to see the log in our own. The people of Israel could easily nod with approval at the judgments placed on everyone else and then cried "oops" when the truth came home to roost.