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HUS he shewed me: and, behold, the Lord stood upon a wall made by a plumbline, with a plumbline in his hand. 8 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)
From the building of the Great Pyramids until today, the plumbline has been the choice tool to make vertical measurements. In fact, I have a plumb bob in my desk that is used to create a plumbline. It is a heavy petard-shaped weight attached to a string. When the string is attached to a high point, the plumbline points directly to the center of the earth. This describes a vertical line by which to construct buildings in perfectly upright state.
The plumbline is used to construct as well as to destroy. If an edifice is built consistent with the vertical plumbline, it will stand perfectly erect; however, if the foundation becomes unstable, it will no longer conform to the vertical plane established by the plumbline and will likely be destroyed (unless it is in Italy at a town called Pisa).
The plumbline of our text describes a coming judgment against Israel. God stands on the Wall of Defense that has preserved the land for many generations, but the wall appears to be bulging and weak. God will certainly measure the defenses and bring judgment in time. The people were disobedient to the Laws of God. They could not be perfect in His sight not more than you and I can be perfect by the measure of the Law of God depicted by the perfectly vertical plumbline.
I will set a plumbline in the midst of my people Israel. In the fulness of time God did establish a plumbline in the midst of His people by which they could be measured perfect in righteousness. What was that Plumbline? It was the Lord Jesus Christ who was perfectly upright. Instead of a direct line to the center of the world, His person described a vertical line directly to the Father. Being perfect, He was the only intercessor qualified to pay the wages of sin for us which was death on the cross. 21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: 24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. (1 Peter 2:20-24)
Here are some interesting facts regarding the plumbline: 1) it cannot be fastened to a lower point than the plumb bob; 2) it must be fastened to the highest point available for the plumbline to be vertical; and, 3) the weighted point must not be in contact with the ground. We cannot place our trust in men or worldly rulers for they are men like unto ourselves. We place our faith and trust in God on High – not any person or thing beneath the heavens. Our faith must be centered on the right object of our faith – Jesus Christ. If our plumb bob is centered on things earthly, we can never be considered righteous in the eyes of the Lord. It is the perfectly vertical and perfectly righteous Plumb Line established by our Lord Jesus Christ and His righteousness by which our lives will be considered righteous.
The Plumbline, if properly utilized will form a vertical line against the horizontal resulting in the cross upon which Christ – the perfectly righteous – died for us who were of the world of sin. (see illustration):
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