I often think of King David's desiring to build a temple for God.
"Now it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of the LORD, the God of Israel. But the LORD said to David my father, 'Whereas it was in your heart to build a house for my name, you did well that it was in your heart. Nevertheless, it is not you who shall build the house, but your son who shall be born to you shall build the house for my name.'" - 2 Chronicles 6:7-9 ESV
"Then David gave Solomon his son the plan of the vestibule of the temple, and of its houses, its treasuries, its upper rooms, and its inner chambers, and of the room for the mercy seat; and the plan of all that he had in mind for the courts of the house of the LORD, all the surrounding chambers, the treasuries of the house of God, and the treasuries for dedicated gifts; for the divisions of the priests and of the Levites, and all the work of the service in the house of the LORD; for all the vessels for the service in the house of the LORD, the weight of gold for all golden vessels for each service, the weight of silver vessels for each service, the weight of the golden lampstands and their lamps, the weight of gold for each lampstand and its lamps, the weight of silver for a lampstand and its lamps, according to the use of each lampstand in the service, the weight of gold for each table for the showbread, the silver for the silver tables, and pure gold for the forks, the basins and the cups; for the golden bowls and the weight of each; for the silver bowls and the weight of each; for the altar of incense made of refined gold, and its weight; also his plan for the golden chariot of the cherubim that spread their wings and covered the ark of the covenant of the LORD. All this he made clear to me in writing from the hand of the LORD, all the work to be done according to the plan." - 1 Chronicles 28:11-19 ESV
All of 2 Chronicles chapters 2 through 4 talk about the process involved with building the temple.
"Thus all the work that Solomon did for the house of the LORD was finished. And Solomon brought in the things that David his father had dedicated, and stored the silver, the gold, and all the vessels in the treasuries of the house of God." - 2 Chronicles 5:1 ESV
There was great planning and attention to detail... tender loving care and dealings with people... King Hiram of Tyre supplied the wood needed... He has supplied materials for David's house and now he would deal with his son.
"But God said to me, 'You may not build a house for my name, for you are a man of war and have shed blood.' ... And of all my sons (for the LORD has given me many sons) he has chosen Solomon my son to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel." - 1 Chronicles 28:3, 5 ESV
We often feel that the warfare has disqualified us. We have desires to see God glorified and draw up plans to make it so. We want Him living close by in a house made by our hands.
In this instance we could say that Solomon was a picture of the new testament believer and David a picture of our natural man. Solomon had the genetic makeup of his father but where David was able to nothing but plan... Solomon had access to materials to built the temple.
Solomon is also a type of Christ Himself. This king full of wisdom.
Joseph, also a type of Christ, had no sins recorded in the scriptures. But, In many way Solomon is like us with times of darkness and disillusionment.
"Simon Peter replied, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.' ... And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."" - Matthew 16:16, 18-19 ESV
Peter's confession of Christ's identity was the rock that God would build His church upon and yet the ability to bind and loose is given to us. We can say what is said in Heaven declaring what Heaven permits and restricts and Christ builds His church.
He gathers His gold and cedar from the gentile nations. People are His dwelling place and His resource at the same time.
We can live like Solomon when he wrote Ecclesiastes, a natural man full of failure and dark perspective, or we can live like a Solomon writing his great song, as a person full of faith, love and connection.
Today I will be gathering gold for God's house. Revealing Christ's identity and watching Him build the thing that has become my heart's desire... a resting place for God in people and a place where people can rest in God.
--
No comments:
Post a Comment