The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Kings 7:48-50,
"Solomon also made all the furnishings that were in the Lord's temple: the golden altar; the golden table on which was the bread of the Presence; the lampstands of pure gold (five on the right and five on the left, in front of the inner sanctuary); the gold floral work and lamps and tongs; the pure gold basins, wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls, dishes and censers; and the gold sockets for the doors of the innermost room, the Most Holy Place, and also for the doors of the main hall of the temple."
This list of furnishings for the temple is only a partial inventory of all that was made and provided the temple by Solomon. Huram, a highly skilled craftsman from Tyre, created all kinds of things for Solomon for the temple. In verses 41-45 we read of what he created, "the two pillars; the two bowl-shaped capitals on top of the pillars; the two sets of network decorating the two bowl-shaped capitals on top of the pillars; the four hundred pomegranates for the two sets of network (two rows of pomegranates for each network decorating the bowl-shaped capitals on top of the pillars); the ten stands with their ten basins; the Sea and the twelve bulls under it; the pots, shovels and sprinkling bowls."
The temple of the Lord that Solomon built was well appointed with the most exquisite and artful furnishings that could be had anywhere. No expense spared and no talent, no skill and no experience spared in the building of it.
I note that the Lord is building his temple today. All who embrace Jesus Christ in faith become a part of this temple within which the Lord lives through his Spirit. Again, I am reminded of Peter's words, "As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ... you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy." 1 Peter 2:4-10.
As God builds his "spiritual house", his temple, he is furnishing it with the most precious of furnishings, furnishings artfully and skillfully created to suit his perfect purposes. Since his is making a temple of us within which he abides through the Holy Spirit, he does a magnificent work in each of our lives to appoint his temple with only the best of things. "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." Galatians 5:22-23.
Among the purposes of transforming us, the fruit of his Spirit, is that we might "serve one another humbly in love", Galatians 5:13. Peter instructs us to use what the Lord has done in our lives (those things he has done to adorn his temple…), "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms." 1 Peter 4:8-10.
Just as Solomon equipped the temple with the very best of things to provide an abode for the Lord and a facility within which to worship him, so the Lord does likewise in his work within us today!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
"Solomon also made all the furnishings that were in the Lord's temple: the golden altar; the golden table on which was the bread of the Presence; the lampstands of pure gold (five on the right and five on the left, in front of the inner sanctuary); the gold floral work and lamps and tongs; the pure gold basins, wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls, dishes and censers; and the gold sockets for the doors of the innermost room, the Most Holy Place, and also for the doors of the main hall of the temple."
This list of furnishings for the temple is only a partial inventory of all that was made and provided the temple by Solomon. Huram, a highly skilled craftsman from Tyre, created all kinds of things for Solomon for the temple. In verses 41-45 we read of what he created, "the two pillars; the two bowl-shaped capitals on top of the pillars; the two sets of network decorating the two bowl-shaped capitals on top of the pillars; the four hundred pomegranates for the two sets of network (two rows of pomegranates for each network decorating the bowl-shaped capitals on top of the pillars); the ten stands with their ten basins; the Sea and the twelve bulls under it; the pots, shovels and sprinkling bowls."
The temple of the Lord that Solomon built was well appointed with the most exquisite and artful furnishings that could be had anywhere. No expense spared and no talent, no skill and no experience spared in the building of it.
I note that the Lord is building his temple today. All who embrace Jesus Christ in faith become a part of this temple within which the Lord lives through his Spirit. Again, I am reminded of Peter's words, "As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ... you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy." 1 Peter 2:4-10.
As God builds his "spiritual house", his temple, he is furnishing it with the most precious of furnishings, furnishings artfully and skillfully created to suit his perfect purposes. Since his is making a temple of us within which he abides through the Holy Spirit, he does a magnificent work in each of our lives to appoint his temple with only the best of things. "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." Galatians 5:22-23.
Among the purposes of transforming us, the fruit of his Spirit, is that we might "serve one another humbly in love", Galatians 5:13. Peter instructs us to use what the Lord has done in our lives (those things he has done to adorn his temple…), "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms." 1 Peter 4:8-10.
Just as Solomon equipped the temple with the very best of things to provide an abode for the Lord and a facility within which to worship him, so the Lord does likewise in his work within us today!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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