📏 Mifano ya Biblia — Sehemu ya 4: Timazi📏 Parables of the Bible — Unit 4: The Plumb Line

UtanguliziOrientation

Baba yangu alikulia shambani, na wakulima wa siku zile walilazimika kuwa maseremala pia. Kwa miaka kadhaa alifanya kazi ya useremala ili kuitegemeza familia. Katika gereji yetu kulikuwa na vifaa vya zamani sana, na kimojawapo kilikuwa timazi iliyotengenezwa kwa shaba nyeupe: uzito uliofungwa mwishoni mwa kamba. Timazi ni karibu kifaa rahisi kuliko vyote alivyo navyo mjenzi, lakini haidanganyi. Nguvu ya uvutano huuvuta uzito moja kwa moja chini, na unaposhika kamba hiyo kando ya ukuta, unajua mara moja kama ukuta umenyooka au umeinama.My father grew up on a farm, and farmers in those days had to be carpenters too. For a few years he worked as a carpenter to support the family. In our garage there were some very old tools, and one of them was a plumb line made of brass: a weight on the end of a string. A plumb line is about the simplest tool a builder owns, but it does not lie. Gravity pulls the weight straight down, and when you hold the string beside a wall, you know at once whether the wall is straight or leaning.

Katika Amosi 7:7–9 Mungu alimwonyesha nabii Amosi timazi. Ni mmojawapo wa mifano mifupi kabisa katika Biblia, mistari mitatu tu, lakini unauliza swali mojawapo zito kuliko yote ambalo mtu au kanisa linaweza kukabili: Mungu anaposhika kipimo chake kilichonyooka kando ya maisha yangu, anaona nini? Katika Sehemu ya 2 na ya 3 tulimsikia Mungu akitafuta matunda katika shamba lake la mizabibu na akiufinyanga udongo kwenye gurudumu lake. Sasa tunamtazama akiupima ukuta.In Amos 7:7–9 God showed the prophet Amos a plumb line. It is one of the shortest parables in the Bible, only three verses, but it asks one of the most searching questions a person or a church can face: when God holds His straight standard beside my life, what does He see? In Units 2 and 3 we heard God looking for fruit in His vineyard and shaping clay on His wheel. Now we watch Him measuring a wall.

I. Nabii na Nyakati ZakeI. The Prophet and His Times

Amosi hakuwa nabii wa kikazi. "Mimi sikuwa nabii, wala sikuwa mwana wa nabii; bali nalikuwa mchungaji, na mtunza mikuyu" (Amosi 7:14). Alitoka Tekoa, kijiji katika Yuda kusini mwa Bethlehemu, lakini Mungu alimtuma kaskazini katika ufalme wa Israeli wakati wa utawala wa Yeroboamu II, takriban 760 K.K. (Amosi 1:1).Amos was not a professional prophet. "I was no prophet, nor was I a son of a prophet, but I was a sheepbreeder and a tender of sycamore fruit" (Amos 7:14). He came from Tekoa, a village in Judah south of Bethlehem, but God sent him north to the kingdom of Israel during the reign of Jeroboam II, around 760 BC (Amos 1:1).

Ile ilikuwa miaka ya ustawi mkubwa. Israeli ilikuwa imerudisha maeneo yake, biashara ilikuwa imara, na matajiri walijenga nyumba za wakati wa joto na nyumba za wakati wa baridi zilizopambwa kwa pembe za ndovu (Amosi 3:15). Mahali pa ibada huko Betheli na Gilgali palijaa waabudu. Kwa vipimo vya nje, Israeli ilionekana kubarikiwa. Lakini chini ya ustawi huo taifa lilikuwa limeinama vibaya. Matajiri "wamemwuza mwenye haki kwa fedha, na mhitaji kwa jozi ya viatu" (Amosi 2:6). Waamuzi walipokea rushwa (5:12). Wafanyabiashara walidanganya kwa mizani ya udanganyifu (8:5). Matajiri walijinyoosha juu ya vitanda vya pembe, walikunywa divai katika mabakuli, na "hawahuzuniki kwa ajili ya mateso ya Yusufu" (6:4–6).Those were boom years. Israel had recovered territory, trade was strong, and the wealthy built summer houses and winter houses decorated with ivory (Amos 3:15). The religious shrines at Bethel and Gilgal were crowded with worshipers. By outward measures Israel looked blessed. But underneath the prosperity the nation was leaning badly. The rich "sell the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of sandals" (Amos 2:6). Judges took bribes (5:12). Merchants cheated with false scales (8:5). The wealthy lounged on ivory couches, drank wine by the bowlful, and were "not grieved for the affliction of Joseph" (6:4–6).

II. Maono Matano (Amosi 7–9)II. Five Visions (Amos 7–9)

Timazi ni maono ya tatu kati ya maono matano ambayo Mungu alimpa Amosi. Katika ya kwanza, Amosi aliona nzige wakila mazao. Akalia, "Ee Bwana MUNGU, samehe, nakusihi; Yakobo atawezaje kusimama? Maana yeye ni mdogo," na "BWANA akaghairi katika jambo hili" (7:1–3). Katika ya pili, aliona moto ulao, naye akaomba tena, na tena BWANA akaghairi (7:4–6). Hapa tunaona ukweli ule ule tuliokutana nao katika Yeremia 18: hukumu ambazo Mungu anazitangaza ni za kweli, naye hujibu maombi na toba.The plumb line is the third of five visions God gave Amos. In the first, Amos saw locusts devouring the crops. He cried out, "O Lord GOD, forgive, I pray! How shall Jacob stand, for he is small?" and "the LORD relented concerning this" (7:1–3). In the second, he saw a consuming fire, and again he prayed, and again the LORD relented (7:4–6). Here we see the same truth we met in Jeremiah 18: God's announced judgments are real, and He responds to prayer and repentance.

Lakini maono ya tatu ni tofauti. "Tazama, Bwana alisimama karibu na ukuta uliojengwa kwa timazi, mwenye timazi mkononi mwake. BWANA akaniambia, Amosi, unaona nini? Nikasema, Timazi. Ndipo Bwana akasema, Tazama, nitaweka timazi katikati ya watu wangu Israeli; sitawapita tena" (7:7–8). Safari hii Amosi haombei. Hakuna cha kubishana. Timazi haijadiliani; inaonyesha tu yaliyo kweli. Ukuta ulikuwa umejengwa ukiwa umenyooka, lakini ulikuwa umepotoka, na sasa Mwenyewe alikuwa akiupima.But the third vision is different. "Behold, the Lord stood on a wall made 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: 'Behold, I am setting a plumb line in the midst of My people Israel; I will not pass by them anymore'" (7:7–8). This time Amos does not intercede. There is nothing to argue. A plumb line does not debate; it only shows what is true. The wall had been built straight, but it had drifted, and now the Owner was measuring it.

Maono mengine mawili yanafuata. Kikapu cha matunda ya wakati wa hari (8:1–3) kina mchezo wa maneno wa Kiebrania: matunda ya wakati wa hari ni qayits, na mwisho ni qets. Israeli ilikuwa imeiva kwa hukumu. Katika maono ya mwisho Bwana anasimama kando ya madhabahu na kuamuru hekalu lipigwe (9:1). Maono haya yanasonga kutoka hukumu iliyozuiliwa kwa maombi hadi hukumu isiyoweza kucheleweshwa tena.Two more visions follow. A basket of summer fruit (8:1–3) contains a Hebrew wordplay: summer fruit is qayits, and the end is qets. Israel was ripe for judgment. In the final vision the Lord stands beside the altar and commands that the temple be struck (9:1). The visions move from judgment averted by prayer to judgment that can no longer be delayed.

Dokezo kwa wanafunzi makini: neno la Kiebrania linalotafsiriwa "timazi," 'anak, linaonekana hapa tu katika Agano la Kale, na baadhi ya wasomi wanadhani linamaanisha "bati" au "risasi." Tafsiri nyingi bado zinasoma "timazi," na picha ya kamba ya mjenzi yenye uzito inafaa muktadha wa ukuta unaopimwa. Maana yoyote iliyo sahihi, hoja ya maono iko wazi: Mungu alikuwa akiwapima watu wake na kuwakuta wamepotoka.A note for careful students: the Hebrew word translated "plumb line," 'anak, appears only here in the Old Testament, and some scholars think it means "tin" or "lead." Most translations still read "plumb line," and the image of a builder's weighted line fits the context of a wall being measured. Whichever meaning is correct, the point of the vision is clear: God was measuring His people and finding them crooked.

III. Timazi katika MaandikoIII. The Plumb Line in Scripture

Amosi hakuwa nabii pekee aliyetumia picha hii. Isaya alimsikia Mungu akisema, "Nami nitaifanya hukumu kuwa kamba ya kupimia, na haki kuwa timazi" (Isaya 28:17). Katika 2 Wafalme 21:13 Mungu alionya kwamba angenyoosha juu ya Yerusalemu "timazi ya nyumba ya Ahabu," kipimo kile kile cha hukumu kilichoangukia nasaba ovu ya kaskazini. Timazi inasimama kwa ajili ya kipimo cha Mungu mwenyewe cha haki. Haibadiliki kwa utamaduni, kwa utajiri, wala kwa maoni ya watu wengi.Amos was not the only prophet to use the image. Isaiah heard God say, "I will make justice the measuring line, and righteousness the plummet" (Isaiah 28:17). In 2 Kings 21:13 God warned that He would stretch over Jerusalem "the plummet of the house of Ahab," the same standard of judgment that had fallen on the wicked northern dynasty. The plumb line stands for God's own standard of right. It does not change with culture, with wealth, or with popular opinion.

Katika Agano Jipya kipimo kinakuwa Mtu. Paulo anazungumza juu ya kukua "hata kufikia kimo cha cheo cha utimilifu wa Kristo" (Waefeso 4:13). Yesu si Yule tu anayepima; Yeye ndiye kipimo. Mungu anaposhika timazi yake leo, anamshika Mwanawe.In the New Testament the standard becomes a Person. Paul speaks of growing up "to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:13). Jesus is not only the One who measures; He is the measure. When God holds up His plumb line today, He holds up His Son.

IV. Kuta Tatu ZisizonyookaIV. Three Walls Out of Plumb

Timazi iliipima Israeli katika siku za Amosi, lakini haijawahi kuwekwa kando. Tunaweza kuishika kando ya makundi matatu: Israeli wa wakati ule, viongozi wa dini wa siku za Yesu, na kanisa la sasa.The plumb line measured Israel in Amos's day, but it has never been put away. We can hold it beside three groups: Israel then, the religious leaders of Jesus' day, and the church now.

1. Israeli katika Siku za Amosi1. Israel in Amos's Day

Dhabihu bila utii. Mungu alisema, "Nazichukia sikukuu zenu, nazidharau... Naam, ijapokuwa mnanitolea sadaka zenu za kuteketezwa na sadaka zenu za unga, sitazikubali" (Amosi 5:21–22). Sadaka ya kuteketezwa, ambamo mnyama mzima aliteketezwa juu ya madhabahu, ilikusudiwa kuonyesha kujisalimisha kikamilifu kwa Mungu. Israeli walishika ibada ya nje wakaacha kujisalimisha. Nilipokuwa nikikua nilikuwa na rafiki mzuri ambaye wakati mwingine alitumia Jumamosi usiku kufanya mambo asiyoyaonea fahari. Lakini Jumapili asubuhi alikuwa mwaminifu kuweka zaka yake katika sahani ya sadaka, kana kwamba alikuwa akilipia Jumamosi usiku. Mungu hakubali dhabihu badala ya utii.Sacrifices without obedience. God said, "I hate, I despise your feast days... Though you offer Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them" (Amos 5:21–22). The burnt offering, in which the whole animal was burned on the altar, was meant to picture complete surrender to God. Israel kept the ritual and abandoned the surrender. When I was growing up I had a good friend who sometimes spent Saturday night doing things he was not proud of. But on Sunday morning he was faithful to put his tithe in the offering plate, as if he were paying for Saturday night. God does not accept sacrifice in place of obedience.

Dini bila haki. Maskini hawakuweza kusikilizwa kwa haki. Mahakama zilinunuliwa, mizani ilichezewa, na mtu aliweza kuuzwa utumwani kwa deni dogo kama bei ya jozi ya viatu. Kwa hiyo Mungu alisema, "Bali hukumu na itelemke kama maji, na haki kama maji makuu yasiyopunguka" (Amosi 5:24). Nabii Mika alilifupisha katika mstari mmoja: "Ee mwanadamu, yeye amekuonyesha yaliyo mema; na BWANA anataka nini kwako, ila kutenda haki, na kupenda rehema, na kwenda kwa unyenyekevu pamoja na Mungu wako?" (Mika 6:8).Religion without justice. The poor could not get a fair hearing. The courts were bought, the scales were rigged, and a person could be sold into slavery over a debt as small as the price of a pair of sandals. So God said, "Let justice run down like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream" (Amos 5:24). The prophet Micah summed it up in a single verse: "He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?" (Micah 6:8).

Mjenzi anayepuuza mwinamo mdogo mwanzoni mwa ujenzi ataliona jengo lote likianguka baadaye. Israeli waliipuuza timazi, na mwaka 722 K.K. ufalme wa kaskazini ulianguka mikononi mwa Ashuru. Watu wake walitawanywa, na taifa la Israeli la kaskazini halikurudi kamwe.A builder who ignores a small lean early in construction will see the whole building fall later. Israel ignored the plumb line, and in 722 BC the northern kingdom fell to Assyria. Its people were scattered, and the nation of Israel in the north never returned.

2. Viongozi wa Kiyahudi katika Siku za Yesu2. The Jewish Leaders in Jesus' Day

Karne saba baadaye, baada ya uhamisho na kurudi, watu wa Mungu hawakuinama tena mbele ya sanamu za kuchongwa. Lakini ukuta ulikuwa bado umeinama kwa njia nyingine.Seven centuries later, after exile and return, the people of God no longer bowed to carved idols. But the wall was still leaning in other ways.

Kuipotosha sheria ya Mungu. Yesu alinukuu Isaya dhidi ya Mafarisayo: "Watu hawa huniheshimu kwa midomo, ila mioyo yao iko mbali nami" (Marko 7:6). Sheria ilisema waheshimu baba na mama, jambo lililojumuisha kuwatunza katika uzee wao. Lakini baadhi walitangaza fedha zao kuwa korbani, yaani wakfu kwa Mungu, ili wasilazimike kuwategemeza wazazi wao (Marko 7:11–13). Walitoa zaka ya mnanaa na jira lakini wakaacha "mambo makuu ya sheria, yaani, adili, na rehema, na imani" (Mathayo 23:23). Walisafisha nje ya kikombe wakaacha ndani kuwa kuchafu.Twisting God's law. Jesus quoted Isaiah against the Pharisees: "This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me" (Mark 7:6). The law said to honor father and mother, which included caring for them in old age. But some declared their money corban, dedicated to God, so that they did not have to support their parents (Mark 7:11–13). They tithed their mint and cumin but neglected "the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith" (Matthew 23:23). They cleaned the outside of the cup and left the inside filthy.

Kumnyang'anya Mungu utukufu wake. Mungu anasema, "Mimi ni BWANA; ndilo jina langu; na utukufu wangu sitampa mwingine" (Isaya 42:8). Baadhi ya viongozi walitoa na kuomba hadharani "ili kutazamwa na watu" (Mathayo 6:1–5), na "walipenda utukufu wa wanadamu kuliko utukufu wa Mungu" (Yohana 12:43). Mfalme Nebukadreza alipojivuna juu ya Babeli mkuu aliloujenga kwa uweza wake mwenyewe, Mungu alimnyenyekeza hata akaishi kama mnyama kondeni (Danieli 4:30–33). Anania na Safira walimdanganya Roho Mtakatifu ili wapate sifa ya ukarimu, nao wakafa (Matendo 5:1–11). Kujipatia sifa kwa ajili ya kile Mungu amefanya ni upotovu mzito.Robbing God of His glory. God says, "I am the LORD, that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another" (Isaiah 42:8). Some leaders gave and prayed in public "that they may be seen by men" (Matthew 6:1–5), and they "loved the praise of men more than the praise of God" (John 12:43). When King Nebuchadnezzar boasted of the great Babylon he had built by his own power, God humbled him until he lived like an animal in the field (Daniel 4:30–33). Ananias and Sapphira lied to the Holy Spirit to gain a reputation for generosity, and they died (Acts 5:1–11). Taking credit for what God has done is a serious misalignment.

Utukufu wa Mungu si kitu kidogo cha kuazimwa. Musa alipoomba kwa ujasiri, "Nakusihi, unionyeshe utukufu wako," Mungu alimficha katika ufa wa mwamba na kumruhusu kuona mgongo wake tu, kwa sababu hakuna mtu awezaye kuuona uso wake akaishi (Kutoka 33:18–23). Ikiwa Musa hakuweza kuutazama utukufu huo moja kwa moja, sisi tunathubutuje kujaribu kuuvaa? Jaribu hili lina nguvu hasa kwa walio katika huduma. Kanisa linapokua, mahubiri yanapowagusa watu, au huduma inapostawi, kiongozi hujaribiwa kupokea sifa zinazomstahili Mungu. Kila mchungaji lazima ajifunze kusema pamoja na Yohana Mbatizaji, "Yeye hana budi kuzidi, bali mimi kupungua" (Yohana 3:30). Sisi ni wakaribishaji tunaoelekeza kwenye kiti cha enzi, si wakaaji tunaoketi juu yake.God's glory is not a small thing to be borrowed. When Moses boldly prayed, "Please, show me Your glory," God hid him in the cleft of a rock and allowed him to see only His back, because no one could see His face and live (Exodus 33:18–23). If Moses could not look directly on that glory, how dare we try to wear it? This temptation is especially strong for those in ministry. When a church grows, a sermon moves people, or a ministry prospers, the leader is tempted to accept the praise that belongs to God. Every pastor must learn to say with John the Baptist, "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30). We are ushers who point to the throne, not occupants who sit on it.

Yesu alionya kwamba nyumba iliyojengwa juu ya mchanga itaanguka dhoruba ikija (Mathayo 7:26–27). Mwaka 70 B.K. Warumi waliuharibu Yerusalemu na hekalu lake, na hekalu hilo halijajengwa upya hadi leo.Jesus warned that a house built on sand will fall when the storm comes (Matthew 7:26–27). In AD 70 the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and its temple, and the temple has never been rebuilt.

Kanisa limekabili mtihani huo huo. Mwaka 1517 Martin Luther alishtuka sana kwamba Johann Tetzel alikuwa akiuza vyeti vya msamaha (indulgences), akiahidi kwamba fedha zingeweza kufupisha muda wa ndugu waliofariki katika toharani. Hoja Tisini na Tano za Luther zilishika timazi ya Maandiko kando ya kanisa la siku zake na kulikuta limeinama kuelekea tamaa iliyowanyonya maskini.The church has faced the same test. In 1517 Martin Luther was horrified that Johann Tetzel was selling indulgences, promising that money could shorten the time of departed relatives in purgatory. Luther's Ninety-Five Theses held the plumb line of Scripture beside the church of his day and found it leaning toward greed that exploited the poor.

3. Kanisa la Leo3. The Church Today

Imani ya uvuguvugu. Yesu aliliambia kanisa la Laodikia, "kwa sababu u vuguvugu, wala hu moto wala hu baridi, nitakutapika utoke katika kinywa changu" (Ufunuo 3:16). Walidhani kwamba walikuwa matajiri na hawana haja ya kitu, lakini kiroho walikuwa maskini na vipofu.Lukewarm faith. Jesus told the church in Laodicea, "because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth" (Revelation 3:16). They thought they were rich and needed nothing, but they were spiritually poor and blind.

Kuhukumu kwa mambo ya nje. Petro aliona maono ya wanyama najisi akasikia, "Vilivyotakaswa na Mungu, usiviite wewe najisi" (Matendo 10:15). Muda si mrefu alikuwa akihubiri nyumbani kwa Kornelio, Mmataifa, naye akakiri, "Hakika natambua ya kuwa Mungu hana upendeleo" (Matendo 10:34). Yakobo anayaonya makanisa yasimpe mgeni tajiri kiti bora na maskini nafasi sakafuni (Yakobo 2:1–4). Haijalishi kama mtu ni mweusi au mweupe, tajiri au maskini, msomi au la. Hakuna mshiriki wa kanisa aliye wa maana zaidi kuliko mwingine kwa sababu anaweza kuweka fedha nyingi zaidi katika sadaka. Yesu alisema yule mjane aliyetoa senti mbili alitoa zaidi kuliko wengine wote (Marko 12:41–44).Judging by externals. Peter saw a vision of unclean animals and heard, "What God has cleansed you must not call common" (Acts 10:15). Soon he was preaching in the home of the Gentile Cornelius, and he confessed, "In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality" (Acts 10:34). James warns churches not to give the best seat to the rich visitor and a place on the floor to the poor one (James 2:1–4). It does not matter whether a person is Black or white, rich or poor, educated or not. No church member is more important than another because he can put more money in the offering. Jesus said the widow who gave two small coins gave more than all the rest (Mark 12:41–44).

Ibada inayotuzunguka sisi. Maneno ya Isaya bado yanahusika: watu wanaweza kukaribia kwa vinywa vyao huku mioyo yao iko mbali (Isaya 29:13). Ibada haihitaji kuwa ya kuchosha, lakini mwangaza wake lazima siku zote umwangukie Yesu, si waimbaji, jengo, wala sisi wenyewe. Kwa takriban karne mbili za kwanza, Wakristo walikutana hasa majumbani, si katika majengo maalum ya kanisa. Yesu alipomwambia yule kijana tajiri, mtawala, afanye nini na mali yake, hakusema, "Yape hekalu." Alisema, "Uza ulivyo navyo vyote, ukawagawie maskini" (Luka 18:22). Rick Warren alianza kitabu chake The Purpose Driven Life (Maisha Yenye Kusudi) kwa maneno "Si juu yako," akielekeza kwa Wakolosai 1:16: vitu vyote viliumbwa kwa njia ya Kristo na kwa ajili yake. Kiongozi wa sifa Matt Redman aliandika wimbo wake "The Heart of Worship" (Moyo wa Ibada) baada ya kanisa lake huko Uingereza kuweka kando bendi yake na vyombo vya sauti kwa kipindi fulani, ili watu wajifunze tena kwamba ibada inamhusu Yesu na si muziki.Worship centered on us. Isaiah's words still apply: people can draw near with their mouths while their hearts are far away (Isaiah 29:13). Worship does not need to be dull, but its spotlight must always fall on Jesus, not on the performers, the building, or ourselves. For roughly the first two centuries, Christians met mostly in homes, not in special church buildings. When Jesus told the rich young ruler what to do with his wealth, He did not say, "Give it to the temple." He said, "Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor" (Luke 18:22). Rick Warren opened The Purpose Driven Life with the words "It's not about you," pointing to Colossians 1:16: all things were created through Christ and for Him. The worship leader Matt Redman wrote his song "The Heart of Worship" after his church in England set aside its band and sound system for a season, so that the people would learn again that worship is about Jesus and not about the music.

V. Onyo na TumainiV. The Warning and the Hope

"Sitawapita tena" (Amosi 7:8). Kama tulivyoona katika Wimbo wa Shamba la Mizabibu, uvumilivu wa Mungu ni mkubwa lakini una mwisho. Vazi la Eliya lilimpita Elisha (2 Wafalme 2:13); kazi ya Mungu inaendelea, lakini inaweza kutoka katika mikono isiyojali kwenda kwa mikono iliyo aminifu. Yesu aliwaonya viongozi wa siku zake kwamba ufalme ungeondolewa kwao na kupewa taifa lizaalo matunda yake (Mathayo 21:43)."I will not pass by them anymore" (Amos 7:8). As we saw in the Song of the Vineyard, God's patience is great but not endless. Elijah's mantle passed to Elisha (2 Kings 2:13); God's work goes on, but it can pass from careless hands to faithful ones. Jesus warned the leaders of His day that the kingdom would be taken from them and given to a people who bear its fruit (Matthew 21:43).

Hata hivyo Amosi haishii katika uharibifu. Sura yake ya mwisho inaahidi, "Katika siku hiyo nitaiinua tena hema ya Daudi iliyoanguka, nami nitaziba mahali palipobomoka" (Amosi 9:11). Katika baraza la Yerusalemu, Yakobo alinukuu ahadi hii kuonyesha kwamba sasa Mungu alikuwa akiwakusanya Mataifa ndani ya watu wake (Matendo 15:15–17). Mungu anayepima kuta zilizopotoka ndiye pia Mungu anayejenga upya kuta zilizoanguka. Timazi inaifunua dhambi yetu, lakini pia inatuonyesha hasa mahali tunapohitaji neema yake.Yet Amos does not end in ruin. His last chapter promises, "On that day I will raise up the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down, and repair its damages" (Amos 9:11). At the Jerusalem council, James quoted this promise to show that God was now gathering the Gentiles into His people (Acts 15:15–17). The God who measures crooked walls is also the God who rebuilds fallen ones. The plumb line exposes our sin, but it also shows us exactly where we need His grace.

VI. Kuhubiri TimaziVI. Preaching the Plumb Line

Njia rahisi ya kuhubiri Amosi 7:7–9 ni kuishika timazi kando ya kuta tatu: Israeli katika siku za Amosi, viongozi wa dini katika siku za Yesu, na kanisa la leo. Chini ya kila mmoja, taja upotovu maalum na uuthibitishe kwa Maandiko na kielelezo kilicho wazi. Timazi halisi mimbarini, hata uzito uliofungwa kwenye kamba, hufanya mahubiri yakumbukwe. Funga kwa kusonga kutoka timazi hadi kwa Mtu: Yesu ndiye kipimo cha Mungu kilichonyooka, naye pia ni Mwokozi anayenyoosha maisha yaliyopotoka.A simple way to preach Amos 7:7–9 is to hold the plumb line beside three walls: Israel in Amos's day, the religious leaders in Jesus' day, and the church today. Under each, name the specific misalignment and support it with Scripture and a clear illustration. A real plumb line in the pulpit, even a weight on a string, makes the sermon memorable. Close by moving from the plumb line to the Person: Jesus is God's straight standard, and He is also the Savior who straightens crooked lives.

HitimishoClosing

Timazi haiwezi kupewa rushwa wala haijali ukuta unaonekana mzuri kiasi gani. Inasema tu ukweli. Amosi alimwona Bwana akisimama kando ya watu wake akiwa na timazi mkononi mwake, na taifa lililoonekana kubarikiwa sana lilikuwa likiinama kuelekea kuanguka. Bwana yule yule bado anawapima watu wake. Je, tunaishi kwa ajili ya utukufu wa Mungu au wetu wenyewe? Je, tunatenda haki, tunapenda rehema, na kwenda kwa unyenyekevu pamoja na Mungu wetu? Na tumrudie Kristo, tumwache anyooshe yaliyopotoka ndani yetu, na tumwabudu katika roho na kweli.A plumb line cannot be bribed and does not care how beautiful a wall looks. It only tells the truth. Amos saw the Lord standing beside His people with a plumb line in His hand, and the nation that looked so blessed was leaning toward collapse. The same Lord still measures His people. Are we living for God's glory or our own? Are we doing justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly with our God? Let us return to Christ, let Him straighten what is crooked in us, and worship Him in spirit and in truth.

— Dkt. Wayne Cook
Seminari ya Teolojia ya Chapala— Dr. Wayne Cook
Chapala Theological Seminary

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