Thought for Thursday
And the men did the work faithfully; and the overseers of them were Jahath and Obadiah, the Levites of the sons of Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites to set it forward, and other of the Levites, all that could skill of instruments of musick. 2 Chronicles 34:12
It’s a renovation job, and a huge one. The Temple, the House of God, is in bad shape and needs an incredible amount of work. Money has been collected to cover the cost, and the workmen are hired. Because of the importance of the job, planning is carried out and only the most qualified people are hired to oversee the various aspects of the work. The project begins, and everybody does their job to the best of their abilities. This is a delightful expression to read – they did the work faithfully! It is still important today that the workmen repairing and restoring the House of God do their work faithfully.
So, who are today’s workmen who are repairing the House of God? I remember reading the account of repairs made many years ago to a large hand with a finger pointing heavenward, a huge carving that perched atop the steeple of the Wilmot United Church in Fredericton. The work captured widespread attention. But were they repairing the House of God? No, they were repairing part of a building occupied by a religious group… the House of God is today not a building made with hands. God today dwells not in buildings but in hearts, not in temples but in companies of believers who gather to the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
How were the workers in today’s text faithful? In several ways: they were faithfully performing to the best of their abilities. Men with several trades were hired, and each did his own task well. They faithfully gave good return for their pay. God today also expects those in His Assembly to perform our own tasks well, whatever He has given to us to do. These men were also faithful in following the plans for the work. God Himself had given the plans for the temple, and restoration was to return it to the condition described in the plans. That too is the purpose of today’s faithful workers. We ought ever to strive to bring God’s Assembly ever closer to the Plan in His Word.
How faithfully are you working on the renovations to God’s Assembly? Are you putting your heart into the work? Are you sticking to the Divine plan? – Jim MacIntosh