Reading: Amos 6-9 and Obadiah
Thus he shewed me: and, behold, the Lord stood upon a wall made by a plumbline, with a plumbline in His hand. And the Lord said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumbline. Then said the Lord, Behold, I will set a plumbline in the midst of My people Israel: I will not again pass by them any more (Amos 7:7-8).
Amos was a man filled with genuine love for the people of God. He saw their wickedness and pleaded with them to change, yet he cared for them enough to still intercede with God on their behalf (Amos 7:2,5). The Lord responded to Amos’ pleas by sharing with him a vision that demonstrated just how far Israel had fallen from the will of the Lord.
In Amos’ vision, the Lord stood upon a wall made by a plumbline, with a plumbline in His hand. A plumbline is an ancient tool first used by Egyptian builders. In its simplest form, it is a line with a weight at one end. The mason (a craftsman who builds with stone or brick) uses it to ensure the walls are in exact vertical alignment as they lay the stones one upon the other. As the Lord stood upon the wall, His purpose was not to construct but rather to test an existing structure for soundness. The plumbline in His hand represented the message of Truth that God was delivering via His prophets, and the wall symbolized the godly separation of the kingdom of Israel from the ways of the world. God’s inspection revealed that the wall had become so hopelessly off-center that destruction was the only solution (Amos 7 – 8). Still, God assured Amos that destruction did not mean the end of His Covenant promise. God vowed that He would one day renew His people and gather them together again (9:13-14). And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the Lord thy God (9:15).
The Word of God is our plumbline. It is the guide that God has given us to ensure that our thoughts and ways are upright in His sight. Just as a mason uses a plumbline to ensure the wall is aligned properly, we as Christians must be just as precise in applying Biblical truths to our lives. Christ Himself is holding the line; it is up to us to align our lives to it. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear (Heb. 11:3).
God's Word reveals to us when our lives are being lived in disobedience to Him and when we have slipped into sin. Without the Word of God, right and wrong become nothing more than subjective concepts, determined not by an absolute truth but instead by the personal convictions of the individual. God’s Word sets the standard by which every person's life will be measured.
And if any man hear My words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejecteth Me, and receiveth not My words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day(Matt. 7:21).
Thought for Today: Seeking to follow a moral path is admirable, but it amounts to nothing if that path is not set by God.
Christ Revealed: As the Plumbline (Amos 7:7-8). A plumb line is an 49 instrument used in measuring an absolutely straight vertical line. Being perfect, Christ alone is qualified to walk in the midst of His people, measuring and exposing good and bad, true and false (Rev. 2 & 3).
Word Studies: Amos 6:8 excellency of Jacob = pride, arrogance (Jacob means the whole of Israel, including the palaces of Jerusalem and Samaria); 6:11 with breaches = into ruins; with clefts = fragments; 6:13 horns by our own strength = pride over their accomplishments, military power (Deuteronomy 33:17; I Kings 22:11).
Pray for StaffGilbert Palafox )• Government Official: Rep. Nathaniel Moran (TX)• Country: Central African Republic (5,277,959) Central Africa • Major Languages: French, Sangho • Religious Freedom • 35% Indigenous Beliefs; 25% Protestant; 25% Roman Catholic; 15% Muslim • Prayer Suggestion: thank God for His mercy to cleanse from all sins (Ps. 51:2).