Amos

When I was in college I had a job as a framer. Each morning at daybreak we would be on the site from sunup to sundown. When our team was operating at our best we could put up a house and clean the site in a week. Other subcontractors would come in when our job was done but it was our job to frame the house. One of the key tools of the framer is the chalk-line or plumb-line as it is otherwise called. With this tool we can lay out our floor plans, build our walls and test the “true-ness” of a wall. If a wall is out of plumb or is not straight the whole house can crumble.

Amos 7:8 (NIV84)

⁸And theLordasked 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.

Through out the book of Amos Israel is called to turn back to the Lord and seek Him and live both through knowing His word and living accordingly. Israel had fallen out of “true” and had become wealthy and self-indulgent.  They thought they were living the way the Lord wanted but their extravagant lifestyle had blinded them to the needs of the poor around them.

“If Hosea is about God's love, Amos is about God's passion for righteousness and justice.” (Craigie)

“Israel was externally prosperous, smug and powerful but internally the nation is corrupt to the core. The sins for which Amos chastens the people are neglect of God's Word, idolatry, pagan worship, greed, corrupted leadership and oppression of the poor.” (GotQuestions.org)

Although there is great judgment proclaimed in most of Amos’ message there was still a call to hope for those who turned back to God and exhibited His life by how they would pursue righteousness and justice.

What does it mean to live a righteous life?
What does it mean to love and live in a way that honors the justice of God?