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THE TEMPLE OF GOD - FIRST READING

WJH I thought that we might be able to consider the preparation and construction of the temple by Solomon, as typifying the work of the Lord at the present time. It must be evident to us all that God is working. We cannot think of God as doing nothing. He has worked during these last two thousand years — He has accomplished a great work. Creation tells us the wonders of His works. While He prepared the earth for man in six days, God has now been working for two thousand years and the work which He is in process of completing is supremely great. The temple is one of the features of His present work. The Lord is seated on a throne in glory in order to continue this work, to build the temple of God.

I thought that, if we might consider the first five chapters of the Second Book of the Chronicles, it would help us to see the materials used and the way in which they are assembled. The end of everything is the glory that fills the house; God comes to dwell in His temple.

We form part of this temple, beloved brethren, in its local aspect, as in Corinthians, where the apostle says, “ye are the living God’s temple” (2 Corinthians 6: 16), as well as in its universal character, as in Ephesians where “all the building fitted together increases to a holy temple in the Lord” (Ephesians 2: 21). I trust that the Lord will help us to discern the part which we have in these great thoughts.

ThD It is striking to see that God used six days to prepare the earth for man and that two thousand years are applied to the preparation of the temple for His glory.

WJH Does not that give us a sense of the greatness of the present work of God? God was able, in six days, to set in their places the sun, the moon and the stars, to create the trees, the plants, the animals, the fish and man. But for two thousand years He has been working by His Spirit on something different; this work is not yet finished; how great it must be!

M When would you say that the preparation began? At Pentecost, I suppose.

WJH It began with David, who prepared in abundance but the building,

strictly speaking, was the work of Solomon, who is Christ glorified. The Holy Spirit has been sent down here by Him to reach this end.

M Does the preparation continue along with the construction?

WJH Yes, because the building grows, as we see in the epistle to the Ephesians; we are, “built together for a habitation of God in the Spirit” (Ephesians 2: 22). In a certain sense, it is also true that each local assembly is a temple of God, which is preceded by the work of God in the locality.

M Preparation continues in an individual way.

WJH Before arriving at Solomon, we find that the reign of David has come to an end. His kingdom is established; every enemy has been brought into subjection. David leaves the scene; Solomon takes his place. Before arriving at the thought of the construction of the temple, we must enter the kingdom — David’s kingdom. Our wills have to be made subject. I think that most of us spend all our lives at this point.

ThD What is the difference between David’s kingdom and the kingdom of Solomon?

WJH David’s kingdom is to make us subject and to break the power of enemies. The kingdom of Solomon has in view the construction of the house. It is Christ seen in a different aspect. I have the impression that most of us spend our lives in the kingdom of David. We are continually fighting enemies; our wills are not yet subject; we are not in the Lord’s hands as to the thought of the temple until David’s kingdom has had its effect.

PN Does Peter’s teaching speak to us of David’s kingdom, and Paul’s of the kingdom of Solomon?

WJH That is a very good thought. Peter is the first of the apostles. You cannot put John or Paul before Peter. The Lord chooses Peter to be the first. The ministry of Peter prepares for the construction of the house.

DF David might rather be a type of Christ in His sufferings, His death and His resurrection, bringing all enemies into subjection, while Solomon would rather present to us Christ in glory.

WJH Exactly; but there must be a continuation in our souls in a personal way. We enter David’s kingdom; we must be brought into subjection; enemies must be vanquished. Without that,

we do not know much about the temple. The ministry of the kingdom is in view of helping us in connection with this.

“And the acts of David the king, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of Samuel the seer” — these are the Scriptures; they instruct us regarding the kingdom of David — “and in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the book of Gad the seer” — that is written ministry; you do not find these books in the Scriptures; but we have ministry to help us. If we do not pay attention to the Scriptures and the ministry, we cannot understand the kingdom of David. The acts of David, first and last, are written in these books; none is missing. How great David becomes when we consider each of his acts, from his first act to his last. Thus, by means of the Scriptures and the ministry, he occupies the place in our hearts, which is suited to him; he is enthroned. All this prepares us for Solomon. If we do not read the Scriptures and the ministry, we shall not be at the height of what belongs to the kingdom, far less that of the temple.

John concludes his gospel thus — “And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which if they were written one by one, I suppose that not even the world itself would contain the books written.” The purpose of much of the ministry from Pentecost to our own day has been the development of these acts, from the first to the last, in order to exalt David in our hearts, so that we should be subject to him. This prepares the ground for Solomon and allows him to begin the great edifice which God has in view.

JM What is the difference between the prophet and the seer?

WJH There is not a great difference, since, in early days, the prophet was called “seer”. The seer is one who sees — that is the idea conveyed in the word. He sees what God is doing, which is of the greatest importance. Where there is no vision, the people perish. If we do not have brethren who see (they are not exactly prophets, but they see), the people perish. The old men dream dreams, but the young men see visions. We need both of these elements in each local meeting.

Rem Spiritual prosperity depends on these two sides.

WJH I think so. It depends on the Scriptures, that is the book of Samuel, and it depends on the book of Nathan, the prophet, and on the book of Gad, the seer. These teach us about David and all his acts, about the acts of the true David, who was of Bethlehem until his elevation; these are the acts “first and last”. To the extent that this penetrates into our hearts, we accept Him as our Lord and we are then available for Solomon, whose great work is to build the house of God.

Rem Part of the material was gathered by David, part by Solomon.

WJH “The crowd of names who were together was about a hundred and twenty” (Acts 1: 15); this is what the Son of David prepared. What excellent material was there, gold, silver, precious stones assembled by David. But he said to Solomon, “Thou shalt add to it”. That is where we come in. The material for the temple is composed of persons. We should hold in our hearts that the building which God is constructing is wonderful. Solomon says that the house will be “great and wonderful”, composed of millions of persons, each reflecting some of the immense variety of the features of Christ. The whole creation has to be involved, trees, minerals, precious stones. The whole creation is required for material.

M Would you say that the ministry which, for us, corresponds to the kingdom of David produces material for the construction of the temple?

WJH I think so. The gospel is announced to lead us into David’s kingdom but then Solomon adds to that. The first verse of chapter 1 teaches us that Jehovah magnified Solomon exceedingly. It is a beautiful expression — He “magnified” Solomon. He made Solomon greater and greater. If Solomon is not great in our hearts, we shall not be available. Wherever you find that Christ is great, you also find quickly the characteristics of the temple. It would seem to be the prime matter — Solomon is truly great.

M You mean that the appreciation of Christ in our hearts makes us suitable material for the construction of the temple.

WJH Christ becomes greater and greater. I am sure that, in recent years, Christ has become greater in the hearts of many of the saints; it is in view of arriving at the temple.

PR What is the difference between the temple and the house?

WJH Both suggest the same thought — a habitation for God. The main thought in the temple is holiness, while with the house it is dwelling; but both speak of a habitation. When I think of a brother’s house, I think of the place where he lives, where I can find him, where he is known. That is not a temple. When I think of a temple, I think of glory; it is a magnificent building where holiness is always maintained.

Rem And worship too.

PN Could we say that the temple has an official character and the house is where intimacy is known?

WJH That is a good thought. In a certain sense, God, in the temple, is at a distance from what is outside, while in the house He is close. In the holy city, there is no temple, because God is the temple. When Solomon had the construction of the house in view, he called everyone to take part in it. It says, “And Solomon spoke to all Israel, to the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and to the judges, and to all the princes of all Israel, the chief fathers;” “all Israel”, that included children. Then “the captains of thousands and of hundreds”, representing all those who have some influence; the “judges”, those who know how to judge righteously. “All the princes of all Israel”; these are all the leaders. The “chief fathers”; these are men who have children, who have affections; a father has affections. Solomon gives orders so that all participate. Is it thus among the brethren here? If it is our desire, we shall participate; no one is either too young or too old to take part. God is in process of building His temple. Everything else, our businesses, our houses, our health, our money, all must be subordinated to the most important thing on earth.

ThD There are four different groups — the captains of thousands and of hundreds, the judges, the princes and the chief fathers.

WJH These are the different leaders which you find among the saints. The captains of thousands and of hundreds relate to war; the judges have to judge righteously; the princes are those who show the way for others to follow but the fathers bring in family affections. All have their part in the work.

The position here was that God’s tent of meeting was in one place and the ark in another — “Solomon, and all the congregation with him, went to the high place at Gibeon; for there was God’s tent of meeting which Moses the servant of Jehovah had made in the wilderness. But the ark of God had David brought up from Kirjath-jearim to the place that David had prepared for it; for he had spread a tent for it at Jerusalem” (2 Chronicles 1: 3, 4). This means that Christ did not have His full place. He is so humble that He is content to dwell under a tent. The temple is constructed in order to place the ark there. The temple of God has in view that Christ should have a place which is suited to Him. This gives assurance of the presence of God.

M Why is Moses mentioned here?

WJH It is an allusion to the time when Moses was with the people in the wilderness. It is wonderful that the Lord was willing to dwell under a tent. A tent is not really great enough for Jesus. He must have a house which is “great and wonderful”. The Lord was content with very humble conditions, which often, perhaps, were not really worthy of Him. But we desire that He should have a “great and wonderful” house, and Solomon wishes that all should contribute to it. The fact that the Lord has consented to dwell under a tent for years does not mean that we should not give Him a better place.

According as He increases, we desire to give Him something better. It will be understood that I am not speaking of the meeting room but of the place which He has in our hearts, of an increase in substance there.

DF This thought has a special appeal to the heart.

WJH Yes. There is a passage where David says that he had prepared materials in his affection for the house of his God. All the materials for the tabernacle were offered willingly.

Solomon knows that it is a great and glorious work and he desires wisdom. When God asks him what he would desire, he asks for wisdom to judge “this thy great people”, because he has in view the participation of all in the construction of this great edifice. The people represent the material for the house of God; this is why Solomon asks for wisdom to regulate them. If you have fifty or even twenty brothers and sisters in a meeting, how will they be regulated, built up together? Solomon says, “I need wisdom”. The Lord has wisdom; Solomon needed to receive it, for he was only a man, but Christ is “God’s wisdom” (1 Corinthians 1: 24). If we simply put ourselves into His hands, He will direct us to our place. He will not put any of us into the place of another brother or sister. If we are subject to Solomon, he will put us into the place which is suited to us.

ThD That is very important, since nothing should be out of place in the assembly.

WJH Trouble in localities comes from persons getting out of their place. It is said of the Lord, “he shall grow up from his own place” (Zechariah 6: 12). In Judges it says, “The stars from their courses fought with Sisera” (Judges 5: 20); “from their courses” — that is the important place. If every brother and every sister is in their course, the path which has been divinely assigned to them, evil is overcome. It is when we get out of our place that things go badly.

Rem It says of Gideon’s soldiers that “they stood every man in his place” (Judges 7: 21); this is how the victory is won.

WJH This is what is needed in every meeting, that every brother and every sister fills the place which is suited to them, as related to others and in relation to the Lord. God put the sun at the centre of the solar system. If the planet Venus sought to take the place of Mars, there would be disorder. What is needed in every meeting is that each brother and each sister is in their own place.

Solomon’s desire was very good in God’s eyes. He desired wisdom to direct so great a people, to build the temple of God. God made available to him all that he needed, wealth, goods, glory, the life of his enemies. Everything was provided to allow him to accomplish this great work.

Verse 15 shows us how the way is prepared — “And the king made silver and gold in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he as the sycamores that are in the lowland for abundance.” He had not begun to build, but it says that he made silver and gold as stones and cedars as sycamores. The first thing that we need in the meetings of the Haute-Loire, and everywhere else, is an abundance of silver and of gold and of cedars. When the true Solomon gains his place in our hearts, there is an abundance of silver, gold and cedars. With these materials, there will soon be a freshness in our meetings.

PN Could you give us some of the features of these three materials?

WJH In Scripture, silver, when properly used, represents the recognition of the Lord’s redemptive rights over us. It is the silver of redemption. We are not our own but we belong to Him. We need an abundance of silver. The greater Solomon is in our eyes, the more silver we have. Each brother and each sister says, therefore, ‘I am not my own; I belong to Him; He has bought me at a price’. There is no beginning without silver; a large quantity of silver is required.

Then comes the gold. You cannot have this temple without gold. It represents divine love in operation among the saints. There is an abundance of gold; the saints are “united together in love” (Colossians 2: 2). Think of gold in such quantity that it is like stones. It is not just brotherly love, but love towards God and towards men; first of all towards God. Solomon furnished this. God called him Jedidiah, which means Beloved of Jehovah. The greater Christ is in our eyes, the more we love God.

There is much cedar; cedars are as common as sycamores; they represent truly great persons. The cedar is the great tree of Scripture,

the king of trees. Instead of briars and thorns, which you cannot touch without being pricked, vile and despicable things introduced by sin, you have the cedars which grow up to heaven. Christians are persons who are truly great on the earth, marked by true greatness. This is what Solomon undertook in Jerusalem before beginning to build.

ThD What is the thought related to the horses brought from Egypt?

WJH Horses are for the battle. My impression is that the silver was used to assemble an army. If there is silver, there will be horses and chariots; that is, there will be the power to face the enemy. It is when the silver disappears from a meeting that the enemy gets in, when we are not subject to the Lord. When we are subject to Him, no enemy can touch us.

Rem It is encouraging to see that the horses, which are brought from Egypt, can have become useful to the Lord.

WJH Yes. We shall come from heaven but we have come from Egypt. This first chapter prepares for the next one.

Rem The key to the whole chapter would be the greatness of Christ in our hearts.

WJH It is also the foundation of it. The first verse tells us that Jehovah magnified Solomon exceedingly. This is at the base of everything which follows; we begin there; we have been made subject to David. Then Solomon becomes greater and greater, and silver, gold and cedars appear in abundance; horses and chariots emerge to prevent the entry of enemies.

M If anyone had refused the authority of David, he would not be any more subject to Solomon.

WJH What David did was to deliver Joab and Shimei, who had not subjected themselves, into the hands of Solomon. That is very important and means that if we are not genuinely subject to David, we shall not be with Christ in Solomon’s day. We must not separate these two periods; they go together in our exercises. In a certain sense, David and Solomon are on the throne together. We are subject to both.

M It says of Hiram that he always loved David. He was thus capable of co-operation with Solomon.

WJH Solomon is looking for material. He says, ‘I know someone who always loved David’. Whoever loves David can provide material. It says, “Hiram always loved David” (1 Kings 5: 1). He had loved him during his rejection, when Absalom had usurped his place; he had loved him when he went down into the valley to meet Goliath; he had loved him on the throne; he had always loved him. That is the kind of man who is able to provide material. If someone loves David, he will love Solomon and he will love God.

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