Amos 7:6-11: a reflection

6The LORD relented concerning this. “This also shall not be,” says the Lord GOD. 7Thus he showed me: behold, the Lord stood beside a wall made by a plumb line, with a plumb line in his hand. 8The LORD said to me, “Amos, what do you see?” I said, “A plumb line.” Then the Lord said, “Behold, I will set a plumb line in the middle of my people Israel. I will not again pass by them any more. 9The high places of Isaac will be desolate, the sanctuaries of Israel will be laid waste; and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.” 10Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the middle of the house of Israel. The land is not able to bear all his words. 11For Amos says, ‘Jeroboam will die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of his land.’”

God shows Amos a vision that reveals how he measures his people: Behold, the Lord stood beside a wall made by a plumb line, with a plumb line in his hand. A plumb line is a weighted cord that shows whether a wall is truly straight, measured against a fixed vertical standard. And God says, I will set a plumb line in the middle of my people Israel. God was measuring his people against his own straight standard, not against their own crooked measure or the standards of the nations around them. The plumb line reveals what is truly straight and what has gone crooked; and God measures his people against his own straightness.

Notice how God measures: against his own straight standard, the plumb line. A wall may look straight to the eye, or straight by comparison with a neighboring crooked wall; but the plumb line reveals the truth, measuring against a fixed, straight standard. So God measures his people not against their own estimate of themselves, nor against the crooked standards of the nations, but against his own straightness. The plumb line shows what has truly gone crooked, however straight it seemed by other measures. God's standard, not ours, is the true measure; and against his plumb line, what is crooked is revealed. We are measured not against ourselves or others, but against God's own straight standard.

That is worth taking to heart, for God measures us against his own straight standard, not against our own or others'. We can measure ourselves against our own estimate, or against those around us who may be more crooked than we, and think ourselves straight enough; but God measures us against his own plumb line, his own straightness, which reveals what has truly gone crooked. Our own measure, or comparison with others, is not the true standard; God's is. Do not measure yourself against your own estimate or against others who may be more crooked, thinking yourself straight; God measures against his own straight standard. Let yourself be measured against God's own straight standard rather than your own estimate or comparison with others, as God set a plumb line in the midst of his people to reveal what had gone crooked; for God's standard, not ours, is the true measure, and against his plumb line what is crooked is revealed, however straight it seemed by other measures.

Lord, you show Amos a vision that reveals how you measure your people: behold, the Lord stood beside a wall made by a plumb line, with a plumb line in his hand. A plumb line is a weighted cord that shows whether a wall is truly straight, measured against a fixed vertical standard. And you say, I will set a plumb line in the middle of my people Israel. You were measuring your people against your own straight standard, not against their own crooked measure or the standards of the nations around them. Show me how you measure: against your own straight standard, the plumb line. A wall may look straight to the eye, or straight by comparison with a neighboring crooked wall; but the plumb line reveals the truth. So you measure your people not against their own estimate of themselves, nor against the crooked standards of the nations, but against your own straightness. The plumb line shows what has truly gone crooked, however straight it seemed by other measures. Your standard, not ours, is the true measure. Take that to my heart, for you measure me against your own straight standard, not against my own or others'. I can measure myself against my own estimate, or against those around me who may be more crooked than me, and think myself straight enough; but you measure me against your own plumb line, which reveals what has truly gone crooked. My own measure is not the true standard; yours is. Keep me from measuring myself against my own estimate or against others who may be more crooked, thinking myself straight; you measure against your own straight standard, Lord. Help me let myself be measured against your own plumb line rather than my own estimate or comparison with others.