G-d’s Eye View

Last month’s blog was about G-d’s Road Map. This month we will look at our journey on this map from His perspective using His plumb line.

 A plumb line is used to determine a perpendicular. Theoretically, with gravity’s help, it draws an imaginary line to the center of the earth. Webster’s Dictionary says that masons and carpenters use it to test their work.  As a carpenter and a mason, Yeshua would have learned how to use a plumb line from Joseph, His earthly father.              

 I wonder if Yeshua ever built a rock wall for a sheep pen or a house and thought ahead to the time when His Heavenly Father would use His plumb line?

 When a plumb line is attached to a narrow board it becomes a plumb rule. Isaiah 28:17 says that G-d “will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plumb line.” Where the line and board meet a right angle is formed. Remember geometry? A right angle is always 90 degrees. Even a fraction of a degree off and it’s no longer a right angle. In essence, all other variations are wrong angles.

G-d’s truth, His Word, varied by any degree - no matter how slight - will at first appear right, but as it is drawn out, it becomes more and more obvious that it’s not right, it’s not G-d’s truth.

For example: a popular saying among believers is, “G-d will not give me more than I can bear.” This sounds right, many even believe it to be scripture, but it’s not. If this were true and right, why would we need G-d? To draw this angle - this line of reasoning out further away from the beginning point on the plumb rule - “If I am a believer I should be able to handle anything and everything that comes my way.” Or, “Maybe I am not really a Christian after all since I cannot bear this.” (This may be the thinking of some of our suicide cases.) Drawn out further - “Maybe G-d isn’t aware or interested or involved with individual lives.” And even further, “Maybe G-d doesn’t even exist.”

“G-d not giving me more than I can bear” is often confused with 1 Corinthians 10:13 where we are told that “G-d will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear, but will also provide a way of escape so that we will be able to endure it.” Circumstances and tragedies in our lives are much different than temptations. If I can bear all things - handle everything in my own power - why would I need G-d?

Katie Davis, a missionary in Uganda, has this perspective:

“I have learned to accept it, even ask for it, this ‘more than I can handle.' Because in these times, God shows Himself victorious. He reminds me that all of this life requires more of Him and less of me. God does give us more than we can handle. Not maliciously, but intentionally, in love, that His glory may be displayed, that we may have no doubt of who is in control, that people may see His grace and faithfulness shining through our lives. And as I surrender these situations to Him, watch Him take over and do the impossible, I am filled with joy and peace - so much more than I can handle.” (Kisses from Katie pp. 136-7) 

In Amos 7:7-9, Amos sees the L-rd standing next to a vertical wall with a plumb line in His hand. This wall has been constructed correctly and He is using the plumb line to see if it has retained it’s correct alignment - to see if it is still straight.  Old walls are tested in this way to see if they need to be torn down for safety’s sake.              

G-d says, “I am about to put a plumb line in the midst of My people Israel, I will spare them no longer.” G-d set His plumb line against His chosen people to see if they were still “straight” - living right - lining up with His Word of Truth, but they weren’t. They had to be torn down because they were now “crooked.”

Hebrew is a fascinating language in that each letter has a numeric value and a symbolic picture.  Letters in a word can also be rearranged making new words that can add layers of meaning to the original context.  Hebrew root words also have no vowels, so when vowels are changed new words are made with new definitions adding another layer of meaning. Letters can also be enlarged, diminished, elevated, backwards, added, broken, or even missing - all giving additional meaning to the surface reading of G-d's Word.  So, let’s take a closer look at the Hebrew words used for plumb line and see what else we can learn.

The Hebrew word, anak אנך, is used four times in Amos chapter 7 as the “plumb line.” When אנך is rearranged toךנא  it spells “jealous.”

The numerical value in gematria is 551; א = 1, נ  = 50,ך  = 500.

Other words that also share this same numerical value of 551 are:

שאלה העמק “make deep” or “ask”

משורה “measure”

מורשה ”possession”

ישראלי “Israelite” or “G-d wrestler”

When G-d puts His plumb line deep into our lives - into our hearts and minds, He’s asking and measuring to see if we are His possession, an Israelite -  one who wrestles with Him and prevails. Jacob was one who wrestled and prevailed - are we his descendant? Will He be jealous because we are not His? (Shemot/Exodus 19:5; Bereshit/Genesis 32:25-29).

The word “plummet” משקלת, a plumb with a line attached, is used only twice; once in 2 Kings 21:13 and once in Isaiah 28:16-17 where G-d says, Behold, I am laying in Zion a costly cornerstone for a foundation, firmly placed. He who believes in it will not be disturbed. I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the level.”  

In Hebrew it is pronounced mish-keh-leth. Each letter has multiple symbolic meanings, but to keep on this topic, we will focus on just one for each letter.

The mem מ represents testing; the shin ש represents the three worlds in which man lives - this world, the Messianic era, and the World to Come. The kuf ק represents

G-d’s holiness and man’s holiness - we are to be holy as He is holy. The lamed ל as the tallest letter, symbolizes the King of Kings, the Supreme Ruler; and the tav ת stands for truth.

The King of Kings is testing to see if His people are true and holy as He is holy while living in this world, and worthy of living in the Messianic era and the World to Come.

 In simple gematria, the numerical value of the letters in this word add up to 870.

מ = 40, ש = 300, ק = 100, ל = 30, ת = 400.

Other words that have the same numerical value of 870 and add another layer of meaning to the original word are:

akanעקן  “to be bent or crooked”

et עתת “to set, determine, time, now”

kutonet כתנת  “a shirt” or “tunic worn by the High Priest”

 The plumbline is put in our midst at G-d’s timing to determine if we are bent or crooked. He will see by our “shirt” whose team we are on - Yeshua’s (as our High Priest) or the satan’s.  

In Zechariah 3:9, the Hebrew wordאבן  evan, meaning “stone” is used for the plumb and in 4:10 it is translated “plumb stone.” On this plumb stone are the seven eyes of HaShem which run to and fro through the whole earth. Figuratively, these seven eyes express the concept of “many” and shows that something is being taken to its full limit. The Foundation Stone or Cornerstone is watched by these eyes of HaShem.

In 1 Peter chapter 2, we are called “living stones” and we are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to G-d through Yeshua HaMashiach.

G-d laid the first stone, the Chief Cornerstone - Yeshua, the Word made flesh, and we as living stones, are built upon Him. G-d’s Word is the line of the plumb. (John 12:47-50) Is my stone built straight upon His Foundation - does it line up with G-d’s Word?

G-d measures us by His standard and His measurement is always accurate.

If G-d were to put His plumb line down in our midst today, what would it show? What would His perspective be on our country? Our schools? Our places of worship? Our homes? Our relationships? Our lives? How straight is our spiritual house? 

Isaiah 55:8 says, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, declares the L-rd.”  We must be in His Word, we must intimately know Yeshua, The Word, so that we can have His mind (1 Cor 2).  We must adjust our lives to the plumb line of G-d’s Word! It is the straight and narrow path.

One more aspect to the plumb rule in masonry is that another board is balanced on the bottom to level the surface of the floor. When we think of the Earth being G-d’s footstool (Matt 5:35), His floor, we have another insight into Luke’s words from Isaiah. “Make ready the way of the L-rd, make His paths straight, every ravine shall be filled, and every mountain and hill will be brought low; the crooked will become straight and the rough roads smooth; and all flesh will see the salvation of G-d.”

 The plumb line of G-d’s Word also makes our paths straight and level.

The mountains and valleys of our emotions can be leveled out with G-d’s Word. We don’t grieve as others who have no hope (1 Thess 4:13); we don’t have to be anxious about anything (1 Peter 5:7); and we don’t have to be afraid for our lives or what others think about us (1 Peter 3:14). G-d’s Word, Yeshua, frees us from being a people-pleaser to being a G-d pleaser (1 Peter 4:2).

When G-d puts His plumb line down in our midst, He should see that we are women of prayer and that we are not only wives of warriors, but warriors ourselves fighting in His Name in the spiritual battles that we face. The plumb line needs to show that we are faithful as moms, leading His little ones (no matter their age) in His ways and faithful stewards of His resources.

When G-d drops His plumb line in our midst will He see living stones built in straight alignment upon His Cornerstone; people who tremble at His Word? If He does, He will make our hearts His dwelling place (Is 66:1-2).

The last blog was “G-d’s Word, Our Road Map” and we saw that Yeshua is G-d’s Word and He is The Road Map worthy to be followed. Now that we see that The Road Map is also G-d’s Plumb Line there are some questions we can ask ourselves.

1. Is this the right Road Map for me? Do I believe it will take me where I want to go? Have I given any thought to my destination? Each of us is on a journey and we are going places. Each of us needs to decide our final destination - the choice is ours.

G-d’s Word is our Road Map if we choose eternity with Him. (John 14:6)

2. Do we know how to read G-d’s Road Map? If you speak and read English, a Bible written in German is probably not going to be helpful. The Hebrew/English Stone Edition of the Chumash or Tanach is good for the Torah, Prophets, and Writings and the New American Standard for the Apostolic Scriptures. (I avoid using the terms Old and New Testaments because G-d’s Word is not “old” or outdated as implied by the designation of “Old Testament.”)

3. Do we believe in it and trust it enough to commit our way to it? In a Barney’s poll several years ago 7% said they were born again, 12% were agnostic, 33% were non-evangelical - they said that they love G-d but don’t believe that their lives have to be ordered by the Bible. Another 33% were not involved in reading G-d’s Word and thought that “every man must pursue their own road.” Sadly, we often show by our behavior that we put more confidence, more belief and trust in a man-made road map than we do G-d’s Word, our Road map for life and eternity. Do we obey His directional signs or take costly detours? Some think that much of the Bible is outdated or not applicable to us personally. We pick and choose what we can agree with, “I’ll take a little of this, but that doesn’t set well with me.” (2 Tim. 3:16-17)

4. Do we read it for ourselves or let someone else read it for us? Sometimes we let others tell us what they think the Bible says, not even questioning what scriptures they are referring to. A very sweet, sincere lady gave me a big hug and said, “Everyone needs 7 hugs a day - it says so in the Bible.” I politely asked her where in the Bible and she said, “I don’t know exactly, but it’s in there somewhere.” My eldest daughter used to be a banker and she called me one day to tell me about receiving counterfeit money and all the reports she had to file with the authorities. I asked her how she knew it was counterfeit and she said, ”When you handle the real stuff long enough, it’s easy to spot the fake.” The more time we spend in G-d’s Word, the more we will be able to discern the false when we see or hear it.

5. Do we even want to read it? We live in a very fast-paced society. Is reading G-d’s Word a priority or is it the last thing on our already very long to-do list? Maybe we are not teachable or life is great so don’t need to read. Did you know that we are not commanded to read the Bible? We are, however, commanded to study it. “Study to show yourself approved to G-d, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth.” (2 Tim 2:15 KJV) Our rabbi friend told us that the study of G-d’s Word is the highest form of worship.

Here are just a few of the many benefits to reading, studying, and following G-d’s Roadmap:

• We will find instruction for the journey through this life and into eternity.
• Our prayers will be heard and answered (John 15:7)
• We will not only know G-d’s will for our lives, we will come to know G-d.
• We will be able to discern G-d’s truth from that which isn’t.
• We will have the mind of Yeshua and be able to stay “straight” in our crooked and perverse generation (Phil 2:15)
• We will be able to see our lives from G-d’s perspective and align our path and living wall to be straight according to His measurement.

The satan doesn’t want us to know G-d or His Word because we are sheep easily led astray. So, trust in the L-rd with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your path straight” (Prov 3:5-6). G-d will find His resting place in the one who is humble and contrite of spirit and who trembles at His Word (Is 66:1-2). Let’s keep our eyes on The Cornerstone and build our lives “straight” in line with His Word and we will build a beautiful house for HaShem!

E. Becraft Ward ©1-27-2023 

Sources used:  New American Standard Bible, Stone Edition Chumash & Tanach, Wisdom in the Hebrew Alphabet, Gematria by Bill Hendrick