I
was reading in 1 Kings Chapter 6 about Solomon building the temple
for the Lord. As always I suggest you read it for yourself.
Maybe we are to try to the best of our ability to do things in peace and a sense of quietness that brings unity to the church. Maybe when we are at the quarry getting chopped and hacked it won't hurt as much if it's being done in love by our church family. Maybe this would attract others to want to be there own temple for the living God.
Gems
before you read this jewel I need to add a disclaimer. I am not a
scholar on the Bible and what I share are my thoughts, unless I quote
scripture. I just like to share to open my mind and perhaps yours.
OK?
OK
so I get to verse 7 of 1Kings Chapter 6. And the temple, when it
was being built, was built with stone finished at the quarry, so that
no hammer or chisel or any iron tool was heard in the temple while it
was being built.
Have
you ever noticed that? Why did Solomon say there could be no sound of
chisel or any iron tool heard in the temple while it was being built?
That must have been a pretty difficult request to adhere to wouldn't
you think?
I
started my own dig on the subject figuring there were nuggets of
truth I must be missing.
One
commentary said Solomon wanted it to be sacred so it needed to be
quiet. Really? That didn't seem like the answer to me. I felt like
there was more to it so I asked the Holy Spirit for days what the
meaning was.
Funny
story I hadn't shared this investigation with anyone yet and my son
Anthony calls me and says “mom I was reading in 1 Chronicles 22
about the stones Solomon used to build the temple.” REALLY me too!!
Now
I know I'm onto some new epiphany I haven't discovered yet.
At
first I thought it might have something to do with what God commanded
in Exodus about building Him an alter.
Exodus
20:25 And if you make Me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of
hewn stone; for if you use your tool on it, you have profaned it.
I
have to admit I had to look up what hewn meant...
dictionary.com:
to strike forcibly
with an ax, sword, or other cutting instrument; chop; hack.
Since
we know the stones were cut at the quarry from what 1 Kings tells us
it's safe to say that the commandment from Exodus was not a factor
because the commandment stated every tool was forbidden.
Hewn
stone was made from man's intelligence and abilities but the stone
itself represented something divine since God was the creator of the
original rock.
No
sound at the temple could mean the stones that were brought in were
already altered to the truths of God's word not mans intelligence or
interpretation. What I mean is the way into the temple was by faith
in God not any of mans traditions or requirements. Just a thought.
The
first temple represented the introduction into the Kingdom of God by
means of totally trusting and obeying God.
Later
Jesus became the perfect temple that again man had no part in
creating.
John
2:19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I
will raise it up.”
There
is something to this stone thing. Did you know the Lord was referred
to as the stone of Israel.
1
Peter 2:4 As you come to him, the living
Stone--rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him--
1 Peter 2:4-8 (MSG)Welcome to the living Stone, the source of life. The workmen took one look and threw it out; God set it in the place of honor. Present yourselves as building stones for the construction of a sanctuary vibrant with life, in which you’ll serve as holy priests offering Christ-approved lives up to God.
So
what I get is, a stone referred to in Exodus is a stone God created
with no help from man. It would make sense when God gave Moses the 10
commandments the first time He gave him the tablet and wrote
on it with His own finger, man was not involved with the process.
The
new temple we enter in is Jesus Christ. We are still building the
church here on earth until He comes back for us.
Maybe
that quietness Solomon commanded in 1 Kings continues to be
instruction to us today. How do we handle the work of the church? Do
we have the “noise” of back
biting
or gossip? Do we have church splits because of misunderstandings or
pride? Do we complain and grieve the Holy Spirit by how we treat each
other?
Perhaps
each one of us, the stones of the church, also need to be hewned
before we are brought to the final Holy Temple of God.
Hewn
to strike forcibly
with an ax, sword, or other cutting instrument;chop;hack.
Sounds
painful. In a quarry you take a large stone and break it down to a
smaller size that you can actually work with. Sometimes we have to be
broken down in areas so we can be used for the good of the whole
community of the church. This is impossible on our own it can only be
done through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Since
I have been in TN these past 3 months God continues to show me more
about myself, some good, some not so good. I am being hewn for sure.
He has taken larger pieces of my selfish side and is breaking them
off. This is done so I can fit together better when he adds me to the
rest of the body of Christ I serve with. He reminds me my negative
attitudes don't edify and my grumblings don't build up.
I'll
give you an example. I am currently going to 2 different churches on
Sunday, I enjoy them both. At both churches I showed up for a class
that was supposed to be happening. At both churches on two different
days when I got there the class was canceled and no one bothered to
tell me. Can you imagine no one told me, Gena Duran! What the heck
The
thing is Gems I had a decision to make at that moment, complain and
grumble toward my fellow brothers and sisters or suck it up and
figure out how I can make sure I'm in the loop for the future. I got
hewned :)
Maybe we are to try to the best of our ability to do things in peace and a sense of quietness that brings unity to the church. Maybe when we are at the quarry getting chopped and hacked it won't hurt as much if it's being done in love by our church family. Maybe this would attract others to want to be there own temple for the living God.
I'm
sure there is way more to this than I have uncovered so far but it's
a good start.
Gems
we need to remember that no man is perfect. The higher you put a
person on a pedestal the farther down he or she has to fall. What are
we the church building our temple with?
If
God were building the temple with flawless stones they would all fit
together perfectly but He's not, He's using us. So our opinions and
self intelligence don't really matter the only thing that matters is
what the word of God says. We have to leave our imperfections at the
quarry with the Holy Spirit so when we come together to worship our
God and represent Jesus well. I'm not talking about pretending to be
perfect I'm talking about accepting one anothers flaws and
imperfections yet stick together to make a strong wall. To decide to
be a beautiful temple of love and unity.
Gems
each one of us are all still building our Temple, please try not to
chop or hack but to groom and grow.
