July 9th Reflection by Bill Lynch

Amos 7:7–17
This is what he showed me: the Lord was standing beside a wall built with a plumb line, with a plumb line in his hand. And the Lord said to me, “Amos, what do you see?” And I said, “A plumb line.” Then the Lord said, “See, I am setting a plumb line in the midst of my people Israel; I will never again pass them by; the high places of Isaac shall be made desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste, and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.”

Then Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, sent to King Jeroboam of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the very center of the house of Israel; the land is not able to bear all his words. For thus Amos has said, ‘Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel must go into exile away from his land.’” And Amaziah said to Amos, “O seer, go, flee away to the land of Judah, earn your bread there, and prophesy there; but never again prophesy at Bethel, for it is the king’s sanctuary, and it is a temple of the kingdom.” Then Amos answered Amaziah, “I am no prophet, nor a prophet’s son; but I am a herdsman, and a dresser of sycamore trees, and the Lord took me from following the flock, and the Lord said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’ “Now therefore hear the word of the Lord. You say, ‘Do not prophesy against Israel, and do not preach against the house of Isaac.” Therefore thus says the Lord: ‘Your wife shall become a prostitute in the city, and your sons and your daughters shall fall by the sword, and your land shall be parceled out by line; you yourself shall die in an unclean land, and Israel shall surely go into exile away from its land.’”

Reflection
This is one of several visions of Amos. The Lord comes to test a wall built by the workers. Specific instructions for the building of the wall were given. So, as the Lord, tests the wall, the test is nothing more stringent than the tests that the builders should have been using all along.

Was the plumb line perpendicular? Was the wall straight?

We are given the law in order to build our lives in a straight and plumb manner. The manner that God would have us build our lives. Do we do this? If God were to measure our lives with the plumb line, would we pass the test?

If we have not, we really have no excuse. The instructions were given. Why didn't we follow them?

Will God "pass by?" Will God "pass-over?" Will God forgive my out of plumb and crooked life?

I know that God has made exceptions in the past. Think of all of the matriarchs and patriarchs of the Bible. They have all sinned. The Israelites have sinned as well. Even God "passed-over" the Israelites in Egypt.

Just what is it that God wants from me? How can I please God now that I have fallen short of his measurements?

I see in this passage that God hates it when I worship other idols. God is displeased when I make "high places" for man-made areas of false religion.

God must want my devoted attention. God must want me! Does God want me even when I'm crooked and out of plumb?

Yes, God wants me just like I am, crooked and out of plumb! God will use me in his work and in his plan. God has chosen to forgive my sin. I turn to God and run into his arms, thankful for this forgiveness. I jump into the arms of God with joy to be reunited once again. I'm not lost in my sin but I'm found in the arms of God!

God chooses you and me, not because of what we have done, but because of whose we are. It's not about our capacity to do God's work, it's about God's love for us. God gives us the gifts needed to do the work. God wants us to do it!

It's not our choice to do God's work. It's our privilege and honor and love to do God's work. We were lost and crooked and out of plumb. We were condemned to rubble but now are put to use through God's love for you and for me.

God has come to us to love us in fellowship. God has come to us and given us a purpose. God has come to us and given us a place and time to act out God's love for God and all those God chooses to give to us.

And God does this not just with you or me personally. God does this with groups of people as well.

Thanks be to God!

Prayer
Lord, take me and use me in your love. I live my life because of your love for me. I have no other reason to live other than for you. Shape me and mold me and use me to do as you wish... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen