God’s Plumb Line
Scripture: Amos 3:3; 7:7-8; Numbers 23:19; Isaiah 28:16
Good morning Strangers Rest. In my message last week, I talked about our being independent together with God and with one another. I read the Scripture from Amos 3:3 which says, “Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?” At the close of the message, I told you that for Christians to be independent together with God, it requires us to come into agreement with Him first, and when we come into agreement with Him, then the foundation is laid for our coming into agreement with one another. This morning, I want to focus our attention to our coming into agreement with God. Remember, when we come into agreement with God, it becomes much easier for us to come into agreement with one another. As Amos said, two cannot walk together if there is no agreement. We love the saying “Won’t He Do It!” because we know that God can do all things, but for that statement to be true in our lives, we must be in agreement with Him. When we come into agreement with God, we can depend on Him “doing it” – whatever that “it” is for us in the moment.
Last week during the altar call, I mentioned the two blind men who cried out to Jesus for healing. Matthew 9:27-30 records the following: “(27) When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, ‘Son of David, have mercy on us!’ (28) And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, ‘Do you believe that I am able to do this?’ They said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord.’ (29) Then He touched their eyes, saying, ‘According to your faith let it be to you.’ (30) And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, saying, ‘See that no one knows it.’” I want you to see something in this passage. Before Jesus touches their eyes, He asks the blind men if they believed He could heal them. Everything we receive from God starts with our believing He can do it. After Jesus asks them the question and they answer affirmative that they believed that He could do it, He then tells them “According to your faith let it be to you.” What I want you to remember is that if they had been lying to Jesus about believing He could heal them, they would have remained blind. In their belief, they came into agreement with Jesus. Jesus knew He could do it, but they needed to agree with Him – they needed to agree that He could do it – before He could do it for them!
I share this story with you so that you understand how important it is that we come into agreement with God. We must come into agreement with Him in order to walk with Him. We must come into agreement with Him for Him “to do it.” Unlike our personal relationships, where each person gives and takes to form an agreement, it doesn’t work that way with God. When it comes to our relationship with God, we are the ones coming into agreement with Him – not the other way around. Psalm 119:89 says, “Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven.” The word “settled” communicates this simple truth: God has a standard and it is our responsibility to learn it, know it, accept it, and then live by it. There is no give and take which I will explain in more detail shortly. Believe me when I tell you that the interpretation of the standard can be different depending on who you are talking to, but God knows what it is, and it is not up for individual interpretation. This morning, I want to encourage you to set aside what you think you know. We cannot meet a standard that we do not know exists or are not in complete agreement with. The title of my message this morning is “God’s Plumb Line.”
Now before you get too concerned and start thinking that I am going to beat you up about something you may not be doing, I want you to hear me out. Two weeks ago, I spoke to you about establishing a faith budget. That request was not because you were doing something wrong, it was because I wanted you to consider expanding on some things you are doing correctly. This Church has members who believe in giving and readily and consistently support the work of the Church. I cannot speak to what anyone gives other than Nikki and me, but what I can speak to is that it is God’s responsibility to provide for Strangers Rest when we come into alignment with Him. I read to you Second Corinthians 9:6-8 which says, “(6) But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. (7) So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. (8) And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.”
When you read verse eight, God does something after we have done our part. Did you see it? Once we have given – not because we have to, but because we want to – and have done what we are supposed to do (come into agreement with God about how much He wants us to give) then God does His part. He makes all grace abound towards us for a reason – so that we will have our needs met first and have money above our needs for every good work – money to do God’s work. Strangers Rest, I believe the work you are doing in this Church is a good work. There are givers here supporting that good work. Therefore, God is ready to make all grace abound towards us so that we will have an abundance to continue that good work! My suggestion for a faith budget was simply me asking you to come into agreement with God and believe for what seems impossible. So, this morning we are going to look at what the Scriptures say about God’s plumb line which represents the starting point for our coming into agreement with Him.
When I was a teenager, I worked sometimes with my grandfather during the summer building or repairing houses. My grandfather was a carpenter, mason, electrician, and plumber; a true “jack of all trades” of which he mastered. Once when I was working with him on a new house he was building, he had poured the foundation floor and was starting to work on the foundation walls. I watched as my grandfather took a string with a weight on in and used it to determine if the wall was straight. Then he would tie another string from one end of the wall to the next to ensure the wall was level thus creating a straight, balanced wall. I asked him what were the purpose of the two strings and he told me that it would be used to ensure that the foundation wall was built straight and level. Based on the lines created by the two strings, we began building the foundational wall. Utilizing those two strings ensured that the wall was straight regardless of the slope of the yard. I was amazed at how he did that and knew it was a gift from God since he had no formal training.
As we worked on the wall, my grandfather would check the wall, constantly comparing it to the string. Then he would hold up a leveler to ensure that everything was where it was supposed to be. His string gave him the guide that he needed to make sure the walls were straight vertically and horizontally. My point in telling you this is that the first string with the weight on it was the plumb line and was used to ensure the foundation wall was built correctly. Now, for those of you not familiar with a plumb line, it is simply a tool that is used by masons and other contractors to build walls that are straight up and down, at a perfect right angle to the earth, to align with the gravitational pull.
Now, having said all that you need to know that God has a plumb line. He has a standard. He knows where He wants us to be and how we should get there, and He has provided a path for us to follow if we are willing to take it. As I go through this message this morning, I want you to think about your plumb line. The reason we need to think about this is because if your plumb line is based on mine, then your plumb line is not secure. If your plumb line is based on your parents, friends, society, or any other standard for which you are basing your standards on, then your plumb line is not secure. The kinds of instruments we use to measure our life will often determine what we uncover and how we face life in general. When we begin to examine our plumb lines, if they are faulty – if they are based on the world’s standard of right and wrong – our assessments of where we are will be faulty. When our assessments are off – when they are different from those established by God – we must course correct to mirror our plumb lines to God’s.
Before we go further, I want to explain in a little more detail the plumb line and demonstrate it for you. As I said previously, the plumb line was a string with a weight on the end. When the string is held up with the weighted end free, and unobstructed as it hangs down, gravity ensures that the string is perfectly vertical making it a reference line to ensure a structure is centered. This is a version of a plumb line. The plumb line ensures that everything is in the right vertical alignment. When held next to a building, the plumb line provides a sure measurement by which to check whether the structure is “in line” with the physical universe. A building in line with the plumb line will be sturdy and it will function in the way that it is “designed to function.” Now if the building’s walls are out of line, they are not straight and will eventually collapse. A sad example of this was the collapse of the condominium in Miami a few years ago. The shifting sand caused the foundation of the building to misalign which led to its collapse. For a plumb line to work properly, the weight at the end of the line must not be obstructed (hindered) by any outside force. It must be allowed to hang free. So, the weight cannot be allowed to rest on the ground because the line could then be shifted even though the weight is stationary. I want you to see this clearly.
God’s plumb line is His Word and if we are measuring our plumb lines next to His Word, then we cannot obstruct His Word. In other words, we must accept what the Bible says without adding anything to it. Yes I know the Bible was written thousands of years ago and the culture at that time is different from the culture we live in today. But the core tenants of what the Bible teaches about how we are to live are still applicable for us today. Strangers Rest, God’s word is settled in heaven. Truth is truth. God’s Word is keeping the line straight. Now, for the purposes of this message, I want you to think of the weight at the end of our plumb line as being how we choose to interpret the Word of God. If we read and accept it “as is” our weight is not obstructed, and the line is held straight. But, if we begin to question God’s Word and its meaning for our lives as individuals, then we allow the weight to rest on the ground allowing us to keep the line straight even though it is tilted off center. Now the line looks straight to us, but it is no longer centered when placed next to God’s plumb line. So, the fact that it is not straight when it is placed next to God’s is where our problems begin. This will become clearer as I demonstrate it as we go further into the message. When we alter or refuse to believe God’s Word, we shift our plumb line even though God’s plumb line remains the same. When we do this we begin utilizing a false plumb line. And, my friends, as you will hear in this message, when we are using a false plumb line, whatever we are measuring will be off, unstable and therefore, not in agreement with God.
Amos 7:7-8 records the following, “(7) Thus He showed me: behold, the Lord stood on a wall made with a plumb line, with a plumb line in His hand. (8) And the LORD said to me, ‘Amos, what do you see?’ And I said, ‘A plumb line.’ Then the Lord said: ‘Behold, I am setting a plumb line in the midst of My people Israel; I will not pass by them anymore.’” (Amos 7:7-8) Amos prophesied in Israel during the reign of King Jeroboam II. He recorded in his vision that God was getting ready to set a plumb line amid the people of Israel. He would measure them against the straightness of that plumb line and when they did not measure up, He would no longer spare them from punishment. While this was during a time of much peace and prosperity, Amos argued that Israel was going in the wrong direction with an example being “they sold the righteous for silver and the poor for a pair of sandals.” (Amos 2:6) They were doing a lot more than this before the eyes of God. Amos proclaimed God’s judgment upon His people for failing to live by God’s standards of justice and righteousness.
Now I want you to understand something: God had judged Israel on five separate occasions in Amos chapter 4. After each judgment, the book records the following, “Yet ye have not returned to Me,’ says the Lord.” (verses 6, 8, 9, 10 and 11) The children of Israel were rebelling against God’s holy standards, and they were unrepentant. But Amos pleads with God two times to relent from His judgment and God does. But when God told him that He was getting ready to judge Israel with a plumb line in Amos chapter 7, Amos did not intercede. He knew God was giving them a standard from which He would measure their conduct. He gave them the standard and it was now up to them to reach it. When God said He was setting a plumb line among His people, He was declaring an end to their attempts to justify their crooked ways. The Lord was setting the standard and that is why He says at the end of verse eight that “I will not pass by them anymore.” In other words, God says He will no longer spare them the judgment that they deserve. Strangers Rest, God does not negotiate His laws for anyone – He does not change with the whims of culture. Numbers 23:19 says “God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man, that He should repent: has He said, and shall He not do it? Or has He spoken, and shall He not make it good?” Won’t He do it? Amen, He will do everything that He said in His Word – when we are walking with Him and agreeing with Him.
Amos is not the only prophet that records statements about God’s plumb line. Isaiah 28:16 says, “Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, ‘Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation: he that believes shall not be in haste.’” This was the promise of the kingdom that Jesus would establish as the Messiah. Jesus is the precious cornerstone. God has a plumb line that He revealed through His Son, Jesus Christ, and in His word, the Bible. If we are not using God’s plumb line as our measurement, then we have a problem – and I am not just talking about our problems with sin. I am talking about a problem with living! Just as we cannot argue with the law of gravity, we cannot change the spiritual laws revealed to us in God’s Word. If we are going to be in agreement with God, we must measure our life by the plumb line of His word. The plumb line does not change or move with the desires of the carpenter. It remains true, and all work must line up with it or risk being crooked. Now notice what was recorded in verse seventeen: “Justice also will I make the measuring line, and righteousness the plummet (plumb line): and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.” (Isaiah 28:17) Do you see it? Jesus became the precious cornerstone while justice was the measuring line and righteousness the plumb line. As Jesus builds His kingdom, He is ensuring that it is perfect in every way. There is a standard!
How does your plumb line compare to God’s? Remember what I said earlier that if the weight attached to the line is allowed to rest on the ground then the line will be off center while still appearing straight? I want to demonstrate to you what this looks like. As we look at a few examples, please keep Proverbs 14:12 in mind as it says, “There is a way which seems right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” When we slightly shift our plumb lines off center from God’s plumb line, it might appear right in our eyes, but the end is not good. Our plumb lines are only as good as they are aligned to God. So, let us look at a few examples before I close. Remember, Isaiah 28:17 says that righteousness is the plumb line. Righteousness is defined as “always behaving according to a religious or moral code” so we will use this definition for our plumb line examples this morning.
Jesus made the following statement in Matthew 7:24-27, “(24) Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: (25) and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. (26) But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: (27) and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.” Jesus’ expectations are that we will walk according to His word; that we come into agreement with Him. Just as the Law of Moses served as a plumb line for Israel, the teachings of Christ serve as ours. We are called to be the image of Christ here on earth as our lives reflect His love and grace to others as he has done for us.
We know that Jesus’ plumb line starts with love – our love for Him, our love for God and our love for one another. You have heard this repeatedly and it will not change. Jesus said, “(34) A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. (35) By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35) When you look at your plumb line compared to God’s as it pertains to your love, is yours hanging in alignment with His?
In Proverbs 3:27-28, God’s plumb line says, “(27) Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do so. (28) Do not say to your neighbor, ‘Go, and come back, and tomorrow I will give it,’ when you have it with you.” We are not to withhold good from those who are in need or deserve it, whenever we have the means and the opportunity. There is a well-known pastor of a large Church who told his congregation recently in one of his sermons that they should not be giving money to the poor. He claimed there is “no blessing connected to giving to the less fortunate, like the ‘multiplier’ blessings you receive from tithing in Church.” He says the problem with the Church is that “Anytime a person is in need ya’ll go running and dropping money. But let me tell you something, the poor will be with you always and there is no blessing connected to blessing the poor, other than getting back what you gave them – but no multiplication.” He further explained that the only way to receive an abundance of “blessings” is to tithe to the Church.
If your plumb line is based on his plumb line you are going to be off from God’s plumb line. If our plumb lines are in line with God’s, we will not hesitate to give freely to those in need. However, if we have allowed God’s Word to rest on the ground with teachings like this pastor or we have shifted the line oh so slightly and thus feel justified in withholding our gifts since we do not know what the person will do with it, our line is no longer in alignment with God’s. A puritan by the name of John Trapp said, “They are fools that fear to lose their wealth by giving but fear not to lose themselves by keeping it.” Do you remember the story of the rich young ruler who asked Jesus what he must do to have eternal life? In addition to keeping the commandments, “Jesus said to him, ‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.’” (Matthew 19:21) Strangers Rest, is your plumb line in agreement with God when it comes to you giving to the poor?
Let me give you one last example. In Second Peter 1:20-21 God’s plumb line says, “(20) Knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, (21) for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” Also, in Second Timothy 3:16-17 it says “(16) All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, (17) that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” God’s plumb line says His Word was inspired by the Holy Spirit and is not up for individual interpretation. The Amplified Bible translates Second Timothy 3:16 this way, “All Scripture is God-breathed [given by divine inspiration] and is profitable for instruction, for conviction [of sin], for correction [of error and restoration to obedience], for training in righteousness [learning to live in conformity to God's will, both publicly and privately, behaving honorably with personal integrity and moral courage].” It also says that it is profitable for our growth in righteousness and everything pertaining to this life. So, if I decide, as some have, that I can do what I want because God knows my heart then I can make His Word fit my life. I can lie if it is for the greater good. I can steal if it for the benefit of others. Do you see what I am saying? When we change God’s Word to fit our individual circumstances then we are trying to move God’s plumb line and that never worked before, nor will it work now.
Strangers Rest, I want to leave you with this. Paul wrote to the Church in Corinth, “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 3:18) This is what happens when we come into agreement with God and then align ourselves to His plumb line. When we do this we begin to be transformed. All Christians, who have accepted Jesus Christ and Lord and Savior, beholding as in a glass, the glory of the Lord – His glorious love. We are transformed into the same image, into the same love, from one degree of this glory to another, in a manner worthy of His almighty Spirit. When Moses saw the glory of the Lord it rendered his face so bright that he covered it with a veil because Israel was not able to bear the reflected light. We behold Christ’s glory in the glass of His word, and our faces shine too; yet we do not veil them because we are to be the light that shines in darkness. When our plumb lines are in alignment with God’s, our lights shine.
Strangers Rest, God has a plumb line – a standard. He has shown us how He wants us to live. We can make sure that our weight is not being hindered so that our line remains straight alongside God’s, or we can choose to ignore parts of God’s Word with which we do not agree. But remember this, we are supposed to be a light that is shining in a world full of darkness and that can only happen when our plumb line is in line with God’s.
Until next time, “The Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up His countenance on you and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)
