RTW May 22

Our Cornerstone

He was half Israelite, since his mother was a widow from the tribe of Naphtali, and his father had been a craftsman in bronze from Tyre. Huram was extremely skillful and talented in any work in bronze, and he came to do all the metal work for King Solomon.
1 Kings 7:14

 

 

My Takeaways

Something Old

Solomon called in the best, most qualified, and excellent bronze worker for the job of the Temple.

God called in the best, most qualified, and excellent person for the job of building us.

So, this is what the sovereign Lord says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed. I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plumb line.” (NIV) Isaiah 28:16-17

Jesus, is our cornerstone.

  • Jesus laid down His life for us as our foundation.
  • God put His Word and Spirit within us for guidance
  • He put His faithfulness over us as protection from the storms of life.

Something New

It took seven years to build the Temple and thirteen years for Solomon to build his own house. Am I putting more time and effort into things for myself or into the things of God?

Something to Do

Praise God for Jesus, my Cornerstone.

An oldie, but goodie.

 

 

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9 Comments

  1. Good morning all!

    What stood out to me today was the naming of the pillars – Jakin (he establishes) and Boaz (in him is strength) so I went to the trusted commentary and this is what Guzik says:

    “Every time someone came to the house of the LORD in the days of Solomon they said, “Look! There is He Shall Establish. And there is In Him Is Strength.” This set them in the right frame of mind to worship the LORD. When the crowds gathered at the morning and evening sacrifice to worship the LORD, the Levites led the people standing in front of the temple with these two great, bronze pillars behind them. It was always before them: He Shall Establish and In Him Is Strength.”

    I was immediately convicted of my heart condition when I enter the house of the Lord (church). I treat it like “yup, it’s Sunday, church day” – like it’s a casual thing. And I know that church isn’t where God “lives” per se but it also shouldn’t be treated as if it’s just what I do on Sunday in the same way Saturday is cleaning day. OUCH! It is a special and holy time to gather together and remember Who God is! What is my frame of mind?

    And it’s the same with my bible reading and prayer time (still struggling with the prayer part!) What is my frame of mind? Is it something to check off the list?

    To Do: Be aware of my frame of mind.

    1. The naming of the pillars stood out to me too. These two pillars can be a reminder of two essential truths in my life. First, Jakin — “He establishes” — my salvation is in God’s hands! It is He who has established a covenant with me through Christ. Without this pillar, I would never be allowed into God’s Presence, to have right standing with Him, to be forgiven of my sins, or to have eternal life.
      Second, Boaz — “in Him is strength” — the Christian life is a supplied life. I cannot live it in my own strength but I must rely upon the Spirit of God to help me. The flesh is weak and unreliable. To resist temptation, to overcome sin, to understand God’s Word, to serve and share Christ with others, and to remain faithful to God through difficult times, I will need supernatural help. Thank God He has given me this power, this strength, through the Holy Spirit in me (Acts 1:8).

      “Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy and that is what you are” (1 Corinthians 3:16).

  4. I noted thag Solomon took 7 yrs to build the temple and 13 yrs to build his palace. I looked up Guziks notes on 1Kings 7:1 and he referenced Haggai 1:1-10. I read these verses and was so challenged by them. Where is my priority? I have felt the Lord really calling me to change areas in my parenting and in our home and yet haven’t done the work. It is easy to rationalize away these convictions because the work is hard and I don’t always know the way to do this but I saw today that I need to do the hard work and trust the Lord for His strength, wisdom and provision along the way. I need to consider where my current path is taking me and see that it is not leading the end result that I desire and that God desires.

    1. Thank you for sharing. This spoke volumes to me in so many areas of my life where my priorities are pretty messed up! It is nice to.know that I’m not alone. But I can’t use that as an excuse to not get to work.

    2. What a contrast between what we read in 1 Kings compared to what Haggai 1:4 has to say. Solomon took time to build the Lord’s house first. (1 Kings 6:38) His attention was mostly on the temple. Building his own house wasn’t as important. His House took longer because it was a much larger complex. A large group of people lived in his house. Though he referred to it as a house, It was actually many houses. Preparations for the temple had been made, both by David and Solomon, for a long time beforehand. Solomon had to take time to gather materials and plan for the palace.. He Chose the finest craftsmen to build the Lord’s temple and had lots of help. I’m not sure he had as much help with his own place. Solomon was not selfish. He had a high reverence and regard for God. He dealt with the temple before worrying about his palace. My prayer is that I too can have the devotion, respectfulness, submission and faith as Solomon did in regards to building the Lords house verses what I read in Haggai.

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