Great Stones and Costly: Part 2

 •  7 min. read  •  grade level: 6
Now, the temple was built on the rock of Moriah—the place where divine judgment was stayed by the altar of burnt offerings and peace offerings; for there the Lord answered by fire upon the altar of burnt offering (1 Chron. 21:2626And David built there an altar unto the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called upon the Lord; and he answered him from heaven by fire upon the altar of burnt offering. (1 Chronicles 21:26)); even so the voluntary offering of Jesus, and the shedding of His precious blood, is the foundation of every sinner saved by grace from the deserved wrath of God. One thing is certain, that where the foundation stone was laid, there the temple was built. Standing on that bold rock of Moriah, "the house that is to be builded for the LORD must be exceeding magnificent, of fame and of glory throughout all countries." Now, when God raised Jesus, the foundation stone, from the dead, where did He place Him? "Far above all principality, and power," etc. (Eph. 1:2121Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: (Ephesians 1:21).) "And He is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things He might have the preeminence." Col. 1:1818And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. (Colossians 1:18). God did not raise Him from the dead to improve the old creation, but to be the beginning of the new creation—not to build an earthly house, or earthly society, but a heavenly temple. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ"; "Hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus." That word in Christ Jesus is very precious. It is very blessed to see this in the type; all those great stones were covered with cedar wood. "And the cedar of the house within was carved with knops and open flowers: all was cedar; there was no stone seen." 1 Kings 6:1818And the cedar of the house within was carved with knops and open flowers: all was cedar; there was no stone seen. (1 Kings 6:18). Thus in the heavenly building there is not a sinner seen. Every saved one, though once a great sinner, now fairly wainscoted in Christ—hid in Christ. And not only was the stone covered with cedar wood, but this overlaid with pure gold. "So Solomon overlaid the house within with pure gold.... And the whole house he overlaid with gold, until he had finished all the house" (vv. 21,22). It is written, fellow believer, "Ye are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and power." Col. 2:1010And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: (Colossians 2:10). It was not the stones themselves that were seen, but the gold upon them; so it is not ourselves, but Christ upon us. Yes, the glory of God shines in the face of Jesus Christ, in whom we are complete. And all within, how perfect! Beautiful carvings of knops and of open flowers, all covered with pure gold.
You observe all was done to these stones. Not one atom did they do. They were hewn, they were drawn out, they were built in the temple, they were covered with cedar. The pure gold was put upon them. It is so with the poor sinner. Salvation from beginning to end is all of God. Look at the poor prodigal—not an atom of merit. The father met him as he was, fell upon his neck, and kissed him. He had not to buy a new robe. No, the robe was ready, the shoes were ready, the ring was ready. Like the gold that covered the stones, so with this new best robe; he had not even to put it on. No, the father said, "Put it on him." Just so with Joshua, when the filthy garments were taken away. God said, "Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.... So they set a fair miter upon his head" (Zech. 3:4, 54And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment. 5And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the Lord stood by. (Zechariah 3:4‑5)). Yes, the new creation work is all of God. "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God" (2 Cor. 5:17, 1817Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; (2 Corinthians 5:17‑18)). The fact is, all this seems too good to be true, and the poor heart is so slow to believe God. Yet, true it is; and if the temple was for glory throughout all ages, this heavenly building of God is for God's glory throughout all ages, predestinated "To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved." Eph. 1:66To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. (Ephesians 1:6). "That in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace, in His kindness toward us, through Christ Jesus" (chap. 2:7); yea, "To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom. of God." Chap. 3:10. C.S.
If the change was great, as every stone was drawn out of the pit of darkness and placed in that temple of splendor and dazzling light, what is the change when a sinner is taken from the dungeon of darkness and "built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord." Eph. 2:20, 2120And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 21In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: (Ephesians 2:20‑21).
Oh, what thousands of poor sinners have been built into this heavenly temple of late! Silently and swiftly is God taking out the appointed stones.
To every believer God does not say, "Ye shall be built," but, "Ye... are built." Oh, that every believing reader may enter into the full joy of being complete in Christ! for God has made such a blessed finish of it, within and without.
It may be asked, If salvation is so entirely of God, what has the person so saved to do? Well, certainly he can do no more for his salvation than the great stones and costly could do for their hewing and drawing out of the pit. But let us turn to a passage in 1 Pet. 2:4-104To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, 5Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. 6Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. 7Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, 8And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. 9But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: 10Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. (1 Peter 2:4‑10): "To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." It is God who has laid this chief corner stone, elect, precious, "And he that believeth on Him shall not be confounded." Oh, surely the more I see what God has made Him to be to me, the more precious He will be; as it is written, "Unto you therefore which believe He is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner." Yes, here is the grand test to every heart—what is Christ to you? Can my reader say, He is everything to me; before Him I had nothing, and after Him I can have nothing? I do not ask what profession you make. Every religious builder who is trying to improve humanity in one way or another, makes light of Christ. This whole world is one vast pit of darkness, sin, and death. God has no more thought in the gospel of improving this dark pit, than Solomon had when taking the great stones out of the cavern of perpetual darkness. He took out the stones. God is now taking out of the world sinners for Himself. Now man disallows this; he sees no need of a new creation. He says, Why not build up and improve the old? And thus the new creation temple, built on the risen Christ from the 'dead, is almost forgotten among the builders; and instead of waiting for the coming of the Lord, and the manifestation of this heavenly building, men are vainly dreaming that Christianity will gradually improve this dark cavern of sin. The masons of Solomon would not have made a greater mistake if, instead of going on hewing and drawing, they had commenced building in the dark cavern.
No, believer, I ask you to look at yonder risen Christ, raised from among the dead. There see God's chosen foundation stone. Is He precious to you? Are you built on Him? The faith that rests in Him shall never be confounded. To you the Spirit of God says, "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of Him who bath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." v. 9. This is what the saved sinner should do.