PRECIOUS STONES!
One of the most amazing feats of construction ever recorded in history was the building of the temple in Jerusalem by Solomon. Preparation for the project was begun by Solomon's father; king David.
David purchased the site in order to stop a plague that God had sent among the men of Israel because of the pride of David (by which 70,000 died). It was originally owned by Ornan the Jebusite – 1 Chronicles 21 (one of the original inhabitants of Jerusalem, which was also known as Jebusalem prior to David taking the city from the Jebusites).
The site had been as a threshing floor; a large surface specially designed to separate grain from chaff. Grain would be brought onto the threshing floor; which had a raised surface and a winnowing fan was used to throw the grain into the air (a winnowing fan was a handled fork of kinds, which acted like a pitch fork). As the grain was thrown into the air, the lighter chaff would blow off the floor area to the lower sides and the heavier grain would fall to the floor for easy collection. The only purpose to our lesson for this explanation is that threshing floors [as an illustration] comes back to us in the Bible's teaching concerning separation of good from bad (see: Matthew 3:12).
All of Jerusalem was elevated in comparison to the areas around the city; however, the purchased site for the future temple of God was in fact on the highest mount in the city. This citadel site allowed the temple to be viewed from outside the city walls from a great distance.
David began to collect laborers, stone masons, iron, bronze, cedar trees, and other materials in preparation for building the temple. Alas, King David would not be allowed to build the temple because he was a man of war and had blood on his hands. So, the task fell to Solomon (1 Chronicles 22).
As Solomon began to build the temple, it was without question one of the most remarkable operations ever recorded. Much of the legendary beauty was attributed to the great stones; beautiful and costly stones (a process by which something insignificant becomes something beautiful to behold).
Each stone was cut to the exact and proper dimension while still in the quarry. This was done so the temple could be erected in reverent silence. As the stones were then brought to the temple site to be put into place, each fit perfectly (1 Kings 5:13-18; 6:2; 7).
In the construction process of the time, the first stone to be cut was the corner stone, which was the first of the foundation stones and without which the building would not be truly complete. The importance of this became training and teaching illustrations of scripture for the coming of the Messiah, note:
Psalm 118:22-23 “The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. 23 This was the LORD's doing; It is marvelous in our eyes.”
At the same time as the corner stone was cut, a cap stone was additionally cut. The importance of the corner and cap stone was in the completion of the building being perfectly joined together.
God literally took something that was nothing and through Solomon and the efforts of the workers and the exact instructions created one of the most awe inspiring sights in the world at that time. In the right light of day, the white lime stone and marble literally glowed and shone with the brilliance of the sun as one gazed from a distance.
After the destruction of this temple by the Babylonians, the re-built temple of Zerubbabel did not know the glory of Solomon's temple. By the time of the Lord and His earthly ministry, king Herod had been rebuilding the temple for forty-six years and it would take several more decades to complete (John 2:20). Herod was determined to restore the temple to the previous glory it had known in the days of Solomon. This became a talking point for the Lord's teaching on the destruction of Jerusalem because of the known rejection of Him and the coming Gospel (Luke 21:5; 20-24).
This stands as testimony that man's efforts cannot achieve what God can do with the base and insignificant, in the creation of the glorious and productive.
As we move forward to Christians; there are several important passages of scripture we want to look at, in order to enhance our understanding of this process of nothing to something significant (with the temple of Solomon in mind).
The Apostle Paul, writing to Christians concerning a process by which God through Christ had brought them from death and made them alive; in essence is describing the very same process of construction, by which nothing is turned into something of value (Ephesians 2:1-10). After the description of the power and purpose of this transformation, Paul also describes that it was not for a random effect, note:
Ephesians 2:19-22 “Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.”
Paul, by inspiration describes that we as Christians have been quarried from our sinful past and placed in our proper place (“being fitted together”), all of which has created a dwelling place for God. The “Most Holy Place” of this spiritual temple is of course heaven; where our Lord acts as our High Priest (Hebrews 9:11-14). Individually, as “members of the household of God”; He is to dwell in our hearts, where we are to sanctify Him (1 Peter 3:15).
Just as Paul sees Christians as the perfectly joined together “temple in the Lord”, Peter would see each stone in this temple as precious (you and me)!
1 Peter 2:4-10
“Coming to Him as to a
living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and
precious, 5
you also, as living stones,
are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up
spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
6
Therefore it is also contained in
the Scripture (Isaiah
28:16),
“Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, And he who
believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.”
7
Therefore, to you who believe,
He is precious; but to those who are disobedient (Psalms
118:22),
“The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief
cornerstone,”
8
and (Isaiah
8:14)
“A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense.”
They stumble, being disobedient to
the word, to which they also were appointed.
9
But you are a chosen
generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that
you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His
marvelous light;
10
who once were not a
people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy
but now have obtained mercy.”
Christ as the Chief Cornerstone is the first fruits of those who through Him would likewise become precious stones in the glorious spiritual temple of God.
1 Peter 1:22-23 “Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, 23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever”
1 Peter 3:21 “There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ”
Peter demands that we not only understand that we have been re-created into precious material for the temple of God, but that we are not idle stones! We have purpose and function – “to offer up spiritual sacrifices” .
Romans 12:1-2 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
And
“proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” .
1 Peter 2:11-12 “Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, 12 having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.”
The glory of God's house (Solomon's temple) on earth was a spectacular sight to both citizen and foreigner. The superior glory of the spiritual temple of God is not seen in the glorified things of this earth (1 Corinthians 1:26-31); but in the lives of those who make up this great spiritual kingdom (“that no flesh should glory in His presence” - 1 Corinthians 1:29).
We must uphold our part of this glorious temple and trust the simple wisdom of God!
1 Peter 5:10-11 “But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. 11 To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever.” Amen.
Be A Precious Stone!