We are blessed in the valley to have many gifted individuals in the construction industry. Carpenters, masons, plumbers, electricians, concrete workers, roofers, caulkers, HVAC specialists and more bless all of us as they build the physical structures of our lives. We can be especially thankful in Shenandoah County for Triplet Tech that provides instruction in several of these building trades that not only benefits the students but all for whom they build.
Most builders understand and know the value of ensuring straight walls and square corners. Failure to do so not only complicates construction but creates havoc for all who will inhabit such buildings for years to come. I still remember a brick wall on a home I saw in Culpeper years ago that more closely resembled a serpentine wall from the grounds of Thomas Jefferson than an exterior wall of a mason’s house.
Builders have utilized levels, plumb lines, and squares for thousands of years to construct buildings that are straight and true. Using basic tools, ancient civilizations raised up pyramids, temples, theatres, fortifications and many other structures that still bear witness to the genius of their designers and builders.
Over 2700 years ago, God revealed a plumb line to the prophet Amos to illustrate how crooked the people of Israel had become with idolatry and similar sins. Through Amos, God warned His people of impending judgment if they failed to repent and straighten their wall. Sadly, that judgment did in fact come in the form of being conquered by a neighboring kingdom.
Seven hundred years after Amos, Jesus dropped the perfect plumb line of His Father. Not only did He teach and preach how we should live and act, He also demonstrated what a perfectly straight life looks like. As He did so, His perfection exposed our obvious and clear crookedness that make our lives appear much more like the Tower of Pisa than the Greek Parthenon.
We often compare ourselves to others to demonstrate our own goodness. We say, “At least I’m no Hitler,” or whatever other despot we may insert. When we evaluate our own lives beside these other people, we may appear pretty straight and true. Other people, however, are not the standard for we can always find someone we consider more wicked than ourselves. Jesus is the standard. He is the plumb line. He is the square that we must use to evaluate our thoughts and actions.
Unfortunately, no amount of labor or construction on our part will bring us back to plumb. The more effort we exert, the more out of square we grow. Thankfully, Jesus can rebuild our lives. When we repent of our sins, He clears out the crookedness and rebuilds us straight and true. When the Heavenly Father, aka “the Building Inspector,” examines our lives, He sees the perfection of Jesus rather than our own failed attempts.
The blood of Jesus is the great rectifier. It provides the grace that moves us back to square and then the Holy Spirit’s work of sanctification builds on that to produce lives that will glorify the Father and souls in which His own presence can dwell.
As we enjoy the benefits of square buildings and straight walls, may they remind us of the importance of inviting Jesus to square up our own lives and bring them in line with God’s Word. Blessings, George