Amos 9:7

Rhetorically Yahweh asked if Israel was not just like other nations. It was in the sense that it was only one nation among many in the world that lived under His sovereign authority. It was like them too in that it was full of idolaters. The Ethiopians (Cushites) were a remote people in Amos’ day, living on the edge of the earth from an ancient Near Easterner’s perspective, yet God watched over them. He had separated the Philistines from Caphtor (Crete; cf. Deuteronomy 2:23) and the Syrians (Arameans) from Kir in Mesopotamia (cf. Amos 1:5) just as He had led Israel from Egypt to the Promised Land. The Philistines and Syrians were Israel’s enemies, but God had done for them what He had done for Israel. He could justly send the Israelites into another part of the world since He had formerly relocated these other nations. The Israelites considered themselves superior because of their election, but really they were no better or less accountable than any other nation.

By referring to the pagan nations at the end of the book, Amos came full circle having begun with oracles against these nations. Thus the emphasis on Yahweh’s universal sovereignty brackets the rest of the contents like bookends.