Observing how the writers of the Bible arranged their material aids us in our understanding of Scripture. In Amos 1-6, the prophet’s messages are prefaced with “this is what the Lord says” (see 1:3, 6, 9, 11, 13) or some other call to “hear” what God has to say (see 3:1; 4:1). In Amos 7, there’s a noticeable shift from “words” spoken by God Himself to “visions” God “showed” the prophet (v. 1). This pattern continues for the remainder of the book (see 8:1; 9:1). The visions of chapter 7 include a plumbline used to see if a wall was straight (vv. 7-8). It represented a standard for correctness. The standard for correct living for believers in Jesus is Christ Himself. The apostle John says, “Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked” (1 John 2:6 esv).