A plumb line

https://odb.org/2026/07/21/doing-right

Amos 7:1–8 (NIV): 7 This is what the Sovereign LORD showed me: He was preparing swarms of locusts after the king’s share had been harvested and just as the late crops were coming up. 2 When they had stripped the land clean, I cried out, “Sovereign LORD, forgive! How can Jacob survive? He is so small!”
3 So the LORD relented. “This will not happen,” the LORD said.
4 This is what the Sovereign LORD showed me: The Sovereign LORD was calling for judgment by fire; it dried up the great deep and devoured the land. 5 Then I cried out, “Sovereign LORD, I beg you, stop! How can Jacob survive? He is so small!”
6 So the LORD relented. “This will not happen either,” the Sovereign LORD said. 7 This is what he showed me: The Lord was standing by a wall that had been built true to plumb, with a plumb line in his hand. 8 And the LORD asked me, “What do you see, Amos?” “A plumb line,” I replied.
Then the Lord said, “Look, I am setting a plumb line among my people Israel; I will spare them no longer.

Ben had bought pirated computer software for years, simply because it was cheaper. Even though it was illegal and broke copyright laws, he didn’t feel that it was morally wrong. After all, everyone did it, and why should he buy expensive original software? Who would check? After hearing a talk on daily examples of living by God’s standards, however, Ben, a new believer growing in the faith, began to wonder, What does it mean to do the right thing? Ben decided to replace all his software with original versions. It cost a lot more, but, as he explained to his friends, “God knows. And He calls us to do what’s right, right?”

In Amos 7, God reminded the Israelites that His standards were impartial and absolute and applied to all, including His favored nation. His laws and moral standards were like “a plumb line” (v. 8)—a weighted line used by builders to ensure structural integrity by showing if a wall wasn’t being built perfectly vertical. (Leslie Koh, Our Daily Bread 21st July 2026)

A plumb line is a string with a heavy weight (called a plumb bob) attached to one end. When hung freely, gravity pulls it to find an exact vertical line, ensuring structures are straight and true. Metaphorically, because the plumb line is dictated by gravity, it represents an unchangeable standard of truth and righteousness. In the Bible, it is frequently used to symbolize God’s unchanging moral standards.

As Christians, I believe we will wrestle with this issue of following our flesh to chase after worldly wealth and success or follow God and His righteousness and trust that all these shall be added unto us ala Matthew 6:33. Some Christian circles preach that we may also achieve worldly success and gain wealth if we follow God and not the world because the LORD will bless His people, His children. Thus the plumb line will be the measure of whether we are adhering to His standards of righteousness or we follow the ways and standards of the world.

As we progress in our faith, however, as we do not conform to the ways (pattern) of this world, we are transformed by the renewing of our minds. In the process, we will test and approve His good, pleasing and perfect will. In discovering God’s will for our lives especially His plans and purposes, we will then realise that actually wordly success and wealth are not really what we want after all. We realise that we do not need to prove to our families and friends that following God has its share of blessings that are equivalent or will even surpass what we would have gained had we followed our flesh. In fact, the path that Jesus has now opened for us is a path that we want to follow. Spiritual enrichment and understanding are more useful compared to worldly wealth or success. The plumb line has now become our moral compass, to keep us on the narrow path that leads to righteousness.

Just that every now and then we may face situations where we may be tempted to deviate from the plumb line and snag a gold coin or two. This is what happened to Elisha’s servant Gehazi in 2 Kings 5. After Naaman was healed of his leprosy (a skin disease during biblical times, but not Hanson’s disease of modern times) and gave Elisha the gifts worth millions today’s money he brought all the way from Damascus to Samaria, Elisha refused – to illustrate the point that divine healing cannot be bought or measured in terms of the wealth of the world. However Gehazi later ran after Naaman and spinned a tall tale to elicit two talents of silver (worth 40 years of wages, not savings) and 2 sets of clothing. Gehazi gave in to his flesh ( his greed) in a momentary lapse of judgment and suffered the consequences as Naaman’s leprosy then clung on to him and his descendants.

Make the plumb line our moral compass in all that we do. Always do the right thing. Live right-side up. Even if no one sees or bothers, God sees. Indeed, do not conform to the pattern of this world. It is deceitful and a snare to draw us away from God. Be transformed by the renewing of our minds that we may test and approve His good, pleasing and perfect will!