A couple of years ago, my family and I took a trip to Chicago. It was a family summer trip to see as much as we could on as little as we could as quickly as we could. When we got to just outside Chicago, we decided to take the train into downtown. This allowed all of us to view Chicago, including my husband, who usually drives.
Looking through the green glass out onto the landscape presented before us, we saw some building being built. We could see this giant hole that had been excavated, and at its perimeter, we could see the cinder blocks and cement that had been placed. There was rebar all throughout the cement and the floor of the hole. We noticed the construction workers throughout the sight. Some sanding to the side of the cement truck. Some standing inside to the right of a truck with pipes stacked on the back of it. Equipment could be seen throughout the site. There were some people with suits on looking and pointing at a large paper along with a couple of construction people. There was a lot going on from what we could tell. But it all looked orderly. It looked like a firm foundation.
In Ezra 3:10-11 says:
When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, the priests stood in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise the LORD, according to the ordinance of David king of Israel. And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the LORD: "For He is good, For His mercy endures forever toward Israel!"
These builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD. In that time, for the Israelites, this was the most important building that could be built. And being as important to them as it was, they made absolutely sure that everything was as perfect as they could humanly make it. This was the temple to the Almighty God. So if the foundation wasn’t right, the Temple wouldn’t be right. It could look askew, or worse, it could fall down. The foundation has to be right.
Notice, there were lots of people there – the priests and the Levites, the sons of Asaph. And they had their tools and equipment of sorts. The priests had their “apparel” on, and they had trumpets. The Levites had cymbals. They were carrying out the plans that had been laid out before the foundation was even begun. These plans were written out by ordinance of King David. So they were carrying out exactly what had been thoroughly planned and prepared for.
During their work, they continued in singing responsively. They kept praising and giving thanks to God. He provided all of the material. He created it all. He provided the creativity and ingenuity. He put it on King David’s heart to build the temple. He is worthy to be praised, honored, and glorified. He is so good, and His mercy truly does endure forever, not only to Israel, but to us all.
When I read about the foundation, the thought of it reminded me of what Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 3:11, “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” The very foundation of our faith is Jesus Christ. Once the foundation is laid, you cannot change it to make a new foundation without tearing down the entire building.
Jesus is our very foundation. Everything was made by Him, in Him, and through Him. He is so good, and His mercy endures forever and ever. He is the foundation of the universe. He is the foundation of our faith. And He is the foundation of our salvation. Without Him, we would have no faith, no salvation, and no universe. God in His great goodness laid the perfect foundation.
Gotta go fill up my cup…..
Coffee with Candee 