I Kings 6:7 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.
Solomon was building the temple. Or rather, an army of men under Solomon’s direction were building the temple! He had the vision of a magnificent structure that would reflect the glory of Almighty God. He planned for elaborate furnishings and decorative elements inside and out. Solomon knew that when this temple was finished, it would be a place of reverence and awe. He imagined worshippers bowing in silence considering the majesty of God. So he decided that it should be a place of relative quiet even when it was being built! The usual noise of construction could take place at other sites, like the quarry.
What a contrast between the two places! At the temple, a general quiet prevailed as large stones, perfectly cut and dressed, were slipped into place. These stones weren’t in their natural state. Great effort had gone into getting these formerly-rough stones ready. At the quarry, a cacophony would have filled the air. An assault of dust, the tremendous sharp sounds of hammers on rock, and grunts of strained effort was everywhere. The rocks had come from there, but were in no fit state for their final destination. They needed to be made ready. The work of master craftsmen was necessary for that. They didn’t just make the stones better. Only the stones that were made perfect left the quarry for the temple. But the ones that did, slipped into place as though they’d always belonged there.
We start here. In our natural state we’re not fit for Heaven. It takes a lot of work by a Master Craftsman to make us ready. We live amidst a profusion of noise and tumult. But we must be made ready. To go from our natural state to the perfection required for Heaven requires first and foremost the saving work of Jesus on the cross. But after we accept Him, He begins His work in us. There will likely be times of ‘dust’, the noise of ‘hammers’, and even some grunts of effort on our part. We aren’t ready for our final destination. But we can be made ready! If we allow Him, the Master Craftsman, free rein in our lives to make whatever changes and adjustments are necessary, then someday we will reach our final destination. On that day, we’ll fit right in as though we had always belonged!
Blessings,
Pastor Russ
