“I Will Build this House…”

Imagine for a second a group of ragtag ex-slaves.  They’ve just passed out of a four hundred year oppression (consider our own nation has only existed for some paltry 232 years–give or take)…They’ve seen horrors and wonders. They’ve witnessed God’s strong arm and mighty hand in a way that seems almost inconceivable today. And as their last act of fellowship with the great empire Egypt, they received the treasures of a terrified aristocracy, almost bribing them to leave and leave quickly.  Of course I’m talking about Israel–that blessed beautiful woman who’s triumphant exit from slavery still gives hope to the captives.  And the story climaxes just on the other side of the newly parted Red Sea.  God commissions a structure–a symbolic reminder that a space exists for God and Man to relate, eternally.  The tent of meeting.  And beyond that were images and icons to each testify of how amazing God’s reality was. God’s requirements are immaculate. He lays out in breath taking detail how He wants this to look and that to be.  But the most incredible element is that every last stitch of it is to be ornate–glittering–opulent.  And where will a bunch of slaves come up with these sort of supplies to build this testimony to God’s purpose?  You guessed it…the storehouses and plunder of Egypt.  God’s building, commissioned by God, is constructed out of the offerings of the world and the baggage brought out by God’s people.  That’s interesting to me…am I the only one?

Isn’t that funny?  The things that we so often keep from God, suspecting he’d not want to have anything to do with them, he seems to be wanting to use in His great building project. He doesn’t systematically strip them of what they’ve brought out of Egypt just so He can miraculously materialize new treasures to use for His glory. That’s sort of what we expect Him to do sometimes…but He doesn’t. He works with the things we have brought out of Egypt…

And like Johnny said in his reply to my last post…”Be what you are” (my paraphrase)…use what you’ve got…bring the treasures you have.

So…we as Christians need to give each other permission to be brilliant in the giftings God has graced us with.  If intellect and the capacity of analysis and thought–do so unto the glory of God and the building of His House…if emotion and empathy and artistry–do so unto the glory of God…if blindness (like my friend Win) then use even that to testify to His House…use the the things He’s given you to build His house.

My point…you’re ok and I’m ok…we come with so many things…many many things. And though we mistrust those often, God’s feeling is that He’d like to use those for His miraculous and immaculate purpose.  Isn’t that wonderful?

My final point on the Exodus narrative…none of them were sitting still or camping out.  The building of God’s House is always more active than we’d care to realize.  The faithful friend who would wish to simply sit back and recline in the Lazy Spirit Boy recliner will not make it…will not last.  The house is built as we take a journey.

Use who you are and what you’ve got for God’s glory.