Minor Prophets

Amos
GOD’S WORD IS OUR PLUMB LINE
When I think about the prophet Amos, I always
think of three things: justice, righteousness, and the
plumb line. Amos has been called the Plumb Line
Prophet because he had a vision of God standing by
a wall with a plumb line in His hand. In case you are
not familiar with a plumb line, it is simply a weight
suspended from a string. It is used to determine
an exact vertical — it is a reference line used by
carpenters to keep their work straight. The plumb line
sets the standard and it does not change with the
whim of the carpenter. It remains true and all work
must line up with it. In Amos’ prophecy, God was
using the plumb line to measure Israel’s faithfulness
to His Law. Sadly, they did not line up.
Most of Amos’ prophecy is an indictment of the
nations, including Israel and Judah, for their sins
against Him. Not one measured up to God’s plumb
line, and because He is a God of justice, judgment
would fall on the guilty. Israel was singled out because
they were His privileged people. He had chosen them,
made a covenant with them, delivered them from
slavery in Egypt, and given them His law. But they
had despised God’s law. Theirs’ was a sham religion.
They exploited the poor, were ungrateful for God’s
mercies, and silenced the prophets from speaking
the truth. They worshiped idols and failed to honor
God. God asked them a rhetorical question, “Can two
walk together unless they are agreed.” (Amos 3:3)? Of
course not!
When you walk with someone you must walk in the
same direction and at the same pace. But Israel had
strayed far from God, far from the plumb line of His
law. They were not walking with God.
“When you walk with someone
you must walk in the same direction
and at the same pace.”
God did not give His law to be a burden to Israel,
but to be a blessing: to enable them to live peaceful,
prosperous, happy, and holy lives. But the Book of
Judges tells us that they did not want to live God’s
way. They wanted to do what was right in their own
eyes (Judges 17:6, 21:25), and so that is what they did.
They refused to live according to God’s standard, and
so they had no standard at all. They lived by their own
whims.
As I think of that and the sadness and misery that
followed in their lives because of their choice to reject
God and His Law, it makes me sad for our world
today. We live in a secular world and it is increasingly
easy for Christians to fall into the secular trap and lean
away from God. He has given us His Word in the Bible
as a Plumb Line for our lives, to keep us close to Him
and enable us to live peaceful, prosperous, happy, and
holy lives. But if we do not read His Word, ponder it
in our hearts and minds, and obey it, then we are like
the Israelites — we follow our whims and do what is
right in our own eyes. Then we end up suffering the
consequences — if not now, then later.
Just as the prophet Joel proclaimed the day of the
LORD, Amos also warns of that day, a day of woe and
a day of darkness…, very dark with no brightness in
it for those who have not been found true to God’s
plumb line (Amos 5:1-20).
Everyone needs a plumb line in his or her life — a
reference point to keep us on a path of good and
not evil (Amos 5:14) and Amos has shown us that
God and His Word are our plumb line. In Amos
5:24, God says, “Let justice roll down like water and
righteousness like and ever--flowing stream.” Indeed,
it will. God promises justice, which means judgment
of evil, and, on the day of judgment, righteousness will
flow and those who have lived their lives by the Plumb
Line will have no reason to fear or be ashamed.
May you always find joy in walking in line with the
Plumb Line.
10 INTRODUCTION TO MINOR PROPHETS DISCIPLERS BIBLE STUDIES 11