The Book Of Amos. Day 27, A Plumb Line

Today's passage has to do with something called "a plumb line". These were instruments for measuring if a wall was straight or for measuring depth. Typically it involved a rope with a weight attached to the bottom. A person could stand on the highest level of a wall, as each level was laid in place, and hang the plumb line down the side. This would allow the builders to see whether they were veering off course. It is generally not desirable for walls to bow outwards and using the plumb line helped to prevent that.

Amos has already mentioned two visions in Chapter 7 and now he tells us of a third. "This is what He showed me: The Lord was standing by a wall that had been built true to plumb, with a plumb line in His hand. And the Lord asked me, 'What do you see, Amos?' 'A plumb line,' I replied." (Amos 7:7-8a)

In the Bible a plumb line is often used as a symbol of a spiritual standard of living. The standard to which the people were to aspire was to be true to plumb---to be on course. Amos sees the Lord standing by a wall that's perfectly straight. It was built true to plumb. And now the Lord uses the plumb line in His hand to measure the nation of Israel to see how it compares to His standard.

"Then the Lord said, 'Look, I am setting a plumb line among My people Israel; I will spare them no longer.'" (Amos 7:8b) He has not found the nation to be true. Its people have gone very far off course spiritually. He has been patient with this situation for a long time while He sent prophet after prophet to plead with the people to repent. But nothing has changed; in fact, they have only continued to fall farther into apostasy. So He's saying the time is at hand to take action.

A plumb line was used not only for keeping the lines of a building or wall on course but could also be used to destroy a structure, perhaps somewhat in the manner of a wrecking ball. The Lord appears to speak of a plumb line as a wrecking ball in 2 Kings 21:13 when He mentions the destruction of the house (the royal family line) of the wicked King Ahab. He also speaks of a plumb line in this manner in Isaiah 28:17 when He uses the plumb line as a symbol of righteousness that sweeps away lies. And in Lamentations 2:8 He refers to the plumb line as what He will use to tear down the wall around Jerusalem. 

The Lord previously threatened to send a plague of locusts against the land but Amos interceded for the people in prayer and the Lord granted them a reprieve. Some time later He threatened to send drought and famine but Amos interceded again and the Lord granted them a reprieve again. We don't know how much time elapsed between each of those conversations between the Lord and Amos. We don't know how much time elapsed between those conversations and the one they are having in today's text. But I feel there was a period of time in which the Lord mercifully gave the people opportunities to repent. They have not repented and it's interesting to note that, unlike on the two previous occasions, Amos doesn't immediately cry out in alarm on behalf of the people when the Lord says this: "The high places of Isaac will be destroyed and the sanctuaries of Israel will be ruined; with My sword I will rise against the house of Jeroboam." (Amos 7:9) 

The remainder of the book of Amos will contain dire prophecies about what is going to happen to the nation. It does not look to me as if Amos cries out again for the Lord to relent. This may be because he has come to the realization that bringing disaster into the land in the form of an enemy army is the only thing that is going to get the attention of those who have forsaken the Lord for idols. 

Have you ever had a loved one whose life went severely off course? And although you hated to see them having to suffer the consequences of their poor decisions, you realized that some people have to hit bottom before they will look up to the Lord? There was a situation like that in my own life some years ago. A person very close to me kept digging a deeper and deeper pit of sin. I saw that some very unpleasant consequences were about to come this person's way and I begged the Lord to put a halt to what was about to happen or to show me what I could do to help, but He made it very clear to me that the best thing that could happen was for the person to hit bottom. He showed me that this was the only effective, loving, and merciful solution to the problem. So I stepped back and stopped asking Him to avert the consequences and let Him do what He needed to do. It worked! The person finally saw what a mess they had made of their life and repented of their sin and turned to the Lord. That person is still living for the Lord today, many years later, but what if they had never had to face the consequences of their actions? Would they have repented or would they still be living in a pit of sin? I think Amos knows now that he has to step back and let the Lord do what He needs to do; if the Lord doesn't bring about unpleasant consequences for the people's sin, they will all keep living in sin. I sympathize with the prophet because I know how hard it is to stand back. But to comfort Amos, at the end of the book the Lord gives him a message of hope regarding the restoration of Israel. With that good news on his mind and in his heart, Amos is able to accept that the Lord's way of handling the situation is the best way.