We turn again this morning to
1 Kings 6 and this chapter in which we read of Solomon's building
of the temple. As we read before, in verse 37,
it says, In the fourth year was the foundation of the house of
the Lord laid in the month Ziph. in the eleventh year in the month
bull which is the eighth month was the house finished throughout
all the parts thereof and according to all the fashion of it so was
he seven years in building it. so was he seven years in building
it. in this chapter we read of all
the majestic things that Solomon built in this temple. The way
it was built, the way it was built out of stones which were
hewn elsewhere and brought up into the place where they were
laid so that there was no tool, there was no hammer, there was
no sound of an axe or iron heard in the building of the house.
All was prepared so that it was brought together in silence.
and the wood, the cedar, was carefully carved and brought
and laid in place. We read of the exact measurements
of the house and the arrangement of the house, the arrangement
of the chambers round about. We read of how the Holy of Holies,
the Oracle, and the doors of this built. We read of the cherubims
and the flowers and the palm trees and the overlaying of the
gold, the great glory and honor which is given unto God in the
building of this house which was built as it were in figure
in perfection within seven years. Though this house was but a building
upon the earth though it would one day be brought to the ground
and destroyed. Though it was but a type and
a figure, it was a figure of that which is true, which is
everlasting. It is a figure of that eternal
temple of God in Christ, which lasts forever. And so rightly
so, Solomon was seven years in building it. picture of the perfection
which was built. But when we read of Christ in
the Gospels and his reference to himself as the temple of God. When he said, destroy this temple
and in three days I will build it again. And the Pharisees heard
him and scoffed at his claim. not knowing that he spake of
the temple of his own body. When we read of them, their response
is, forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt
thou rear it up in three days? Forty and six years, well why
the difference when it says here that Solomon built the temple
in seven years? Well this temple that Solomon
built, the first temple, was brought into ruin by the Babylonians
when Israel was taken up into captivity. And when they were
brought out of captivity, we read elsewhere in Ezra and Nehemiah
of how this temple began to be rebuilt. And in the time in which
Christ came to the Jews, they were still working on this temple.
There was a second temple built. It was a rebuilt temple. And
after so many years of rebuilding, it never quite captured the glory
of the first temple that Solomon built. But this temple that they rebuilt,
which took them so long, demonstrates the contrast between that which
God builds and that which man builds. When Solomon built the
temple, he built it at the command of God, when God would have it
built in the manner in which God would have it built. His
father David could not build it, but God promised that his
son would. And although Solomon, an earthly
king, was the man that oversaw the building of this house, it
is in figure the Lord's house. The king built this house. The
king of kings built his house in perfection in seven years. But when men came to build the
house of God, when it was rebuilt, it took them decades. It took
them decades. And that temple into which Christ
entered when he was upon earth, in which the scribes and the
Pharisees sat, over which they were so protective, of which
they were so proud and so zealous in their keeping of the outward
form of the law of God in the midst, that which they had outwardly,
was nothing compared to the glory of Solomon's temple built in
seven years and nothing compared to that which Solomon's temple
is a picture of. In this, the first temple and
the second temple, we see in many respects the contrast between
God's work, God's work of grace the work of man in religion.
God's work is perfect, it's performed in his time, in his manner, at
the right hour, in the right way, by grace, in perfection. What he chooses to do comes to
pass it came to pass in the 480th year after the children of israel
would come out of the land of egypt in the fourth year of solomon's
reign over israel in the month ziph which is the second month
that he began to build the house of the lord what god purposes
to do comes to pass when god chooses to send his gospel to
a fallen and a lost sinner who is far off, lost in their sin,
a rebel against God, blind in the darkness, hating God, having
no thought for God. When God chooses to send His
Gospel unto them, there is nothing that will stop it. When He chooses
by His Spirit to speak His Word into their heart, No matter what
they may do to flee, no matter what they may do to resist, no
matter how disinterested they may be, no matter how far off
they may be, no matter how lost and rebellious they may be, He
will draw them and break them and bring them down low before
Him and cause them to cry out, Lord have mercy upon me, a sinner. When He chooses to wash a sinner
in the blood of His Son, they will be washed. When He chooses
to put faith into an unbelieving and a disinterested heart, that
sinner will believe. When God chooses to pour His
grace upon us, we are brought to faith in His Son. God saves. Salvation is of the Lord and
none can stay it, none can prevent it. And when God chooses to build
His temple and bring a lost sinner in as a stone to be laid in His
temple and built up into this glorious place in which God dwells
in the midst of His people, it comes to pass. So he was seven
years in building it. God's grace is invincible, it's
irresistible. It comes to pass, it accomplishes
what God would have it do. God will save. And nothing that
man can do can stop it. But in contrast, when men rebuilt
the temple, their strength. It took them decades and the
end result when Christ came into this world and came under his
own and came unto this religious people the Jews and walked amongst
the scribes and the Pharisees and entered into their temple
what did he find there? But death. but blindness, but
darkness. They had all the outward form.
They had a building on the earth. They had a holy of holies in
the midst. They had an altar. They had their
sacrifices. They had their priesthood. And
they didn't know the God who commanded it when he came into
their presence. When the very Son of God, when
the very God whom they professed to worship, of which that temple
in which they dwelt was a picture, when the very sacrifice came
into their midst, when the great high priest of which their priest
was a picture walked amongst them, they did not recognize
Him. They did not see Him. Their religion had got them nowhere,
they were in darkness, they were blind. And all their building,
all their works in religion had simply darkened their understanding. Far from bringing them closer
to the truth, it had led them away from it. Oh how the works of man the wisdom
of man, the will of man in the things of God brings him nowhere. Decades they'd been in building
this temple and they did not recognize their God and Savior
when God came in the person of Jesus Christ and stood in their
very midst. three days. He would rebuild his temple. How they mocked. How they scoffed. Forty and six years was this
temple in building and wilt thou rear it up in three days? They
could not see. They did not know. Oh what a
difference between faith and works. What a contrast with Anna
and Simeon, who when the babe Christ was brought into the temple,
saw him for whom they had waited. These who were given faith to
see in the scriptures the promises to wait for the coming of Christ
and to see him and rejoice at him in his coming. He had seen
their salvation. He'd come into the temple where
they waited for him. But all around there were those,
those builders, those builders in religion, those workmen in
religion, those who were so proud of their understanding, so proud
of their knowledge, so proud of their wisdom, so proud of
their righteousness. And they did not recognize him.
And in the end, they tried to stone him. They cast his words
in his teeth. They rejected his every saying. They depicted him as a blasphemer. They cried out, crucify him,
crucify him. And they put him to death. And in so doing, unwittingly,
The sacrifice was nailed to a tree, was offered up, his blood was
shed, the temple would be built and salvation would be wrought.
Father forgive them, they know not what they do. What is your
reaction to Christ when he comes your way? Do you see in Him the King who
builds the temple in seven years in perfection? The Saviour who
lays down His life and rises again on the third day. Do you
see in Him your God and your Saviour? Or do you say away with
this man? I will not have him to reign
over me. The temple that Solomon built
in depicting Christ was built in perfection, in just the manner
and in just the way that God would have it built. The house
which King Solomon built for the Lord, the length thereof
was three score cubits, and the breadth thereof twenty cubits,
and the height thereof thirty cubits. and the porch before
the temple of the house 20 cubits was the length thereof according
to the breadth for the house and 10 cubits was the breadth
thereof before the house and for the house he made windows
of narrow lights he built it the width, the length, the height
that God would have him build it there is not one word in this
chapter which is just impassive. There is not one measurement
which is without meaning. There is not one detail which
is mentioned which does not have a purpose. Consider some of what
we see here. What a house he made windows
of narrow lights. Why does the Lord single the
windows out? When men consider the Word of
God they read these things and all they see is the practical
details. They'll look at these windows
and they'll say he built narrow windows to keep out the elements. So that birds would not be flying
in etc. All they can see is a practical
reason for building narrow windows. But if that's the reason why
the Spirit of God mentions them that could be said of so many
other things. Why mention the windows when
that's just what you would do? There's more to these narrow
windows than just the practical need for them. These windows
of narrow lights would lead to the sunlight shining
in through shafts in particular places and in particular ways. The temple of God was not made
for all. It was built in Zion, built for
God's people to come unto their God and to worship him. It was
built for a particular, a chosen, an elect people. There were those
who were called to come to this temple to bring their sacrifices. They were to come in a particular
way and in a particular manner at a particular time. They could
not just enter. at any time, in any way. The doors were not wide open.
There were not great big broad doors and huge windows for the
whole world to come into this place. This was the temple of
God, where he would meet with his
people. There was, in the midst of the
temple, the Holy of Holies, into which Only the high priest could
enter at a particular time, taking with him blood which he would
sprinkle on the ground and on the mercy seat. Only one man
could enter into that place. Only one could pass through the
veil. These narrow windows, windows of narrow lights, are a picture
of the sovereign electing grace of God, in which his gospel and
the light of his gospel shines into the hearts of his chosen
elect people. It is not for all, but for those
whom God has chosen to save. They are narrow. They're not
easy to enter through. Only so much light could shine
through these windows. They're particular. They remind
us of a straight gate and a narrow way. As Christ said in Matthew
7, enter ye in at the straight gate for wide is the gate and
broad is the way that leadeth to destruction. And many there
be which go in thereat, because straight is the gate, and narrow
is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find
it. Salvation's not for all. And indeed, left to ourselves,
there is none that seeks it. We are all by nature, on a broad
way that leadeth to destruction. We've gone through a very wide
gate. We walk with a great company
on a very broad way, and that way leads to death. Left to ourselves, that's the
way we walk. except God come into our pathway
as he came into Saul's pathway on the way to Damascus, except
he come into our pathway and enter into our consciousness,
except he stand before us and turn us, we would never find
ourselves entering through a straight gate on a narrow way. We would never enter spiritually
this temple. And even if we were brought into
this temple, there's only one man that can enter into the Holy
of Holies, under the mercy seat on our behalf. To offer up blood from a sacrifice,
to appease the wrath of God against our sins, there's only one who
can deliver us. From the wrath of God, which path are you on? Has light shone through a narrow
window into your heart? Has God shone some light upon
you and in you to show you what you are? and to show you your
need of a saviour to wash your sins away. Oh how we need God to open a
window within. Oh how we need some light to
shine in the darkness. and the depravity of our hearts
because left to ourselves we could not care less. We're blind. And no matter how much man may
reason with us, no matter how much we may know in a practical
sense that this world is sick with sin, that this world is
full of misery, that there are multitudes around us who go to
the grave with nothing. No matter how wretched our lives
may be, no matter how much trouble may come upon us, by nature we
still just head along on this broad way, having no care and concern for
our soul and no care and concern for God. nothing seems to shake
our foolish minds out of this foolish idea that we will somehow
live forever that our life will just carry on going and we have
no concern for what is next no concern for eternity before us
unless God come in his gospel and shine a light in and shows
us what we are and shows us his son Christ and says, I've given
my son for sinners like you. He laid down his life that you
might not die but live. As he shone the light of the
gospel your way. Is that light just shining outside? Is the sunlight outside and there
you are in darkness? Or is there a narrow window opened
and light shining in? Has he begun to speak unto your
soul and to say unto you, sinner, turn unto me? Wash your sins in my blood. Solomon built windows of narrow
lights. There was light within this temple. There was glory within this temple. But it was particular. And it
was for a particular people whom God would choose and gather and
lead in. And that people would be brought
to that temple and they would have to wait while a priest on
a given day took a sacrifice offered on their behalf and went
in to a place that they could not see where there were two
cherubims whose wings met across the mercy seat upon which he
would sprinkle blood and God's mercy would extend to those for
whom that blood was offered. Has one gone into the Holy of
Holies for you? Has a priest gone for you, taking
with him blood? Unto the two cherubims, unto
the mercy seat, has he sprinkled blood for you? to wash away your
sins. As we read further in this chapter
of these cherubims. And within the oracle he made
two cherubims of olive tree, each ten cubits high, and five
cubits was the one wing of the cherub, and five cubits the other
wing of the cherub. From the uttermost part of the
one wing unto the uttermost part of the other were ten cubits.
and the other cherub was ten cubits. Both the cherubims were
of one measure and one size. The height of the one cherub
was ten cubits, and so was it of the other cherub. And he set
the cherubims within the inner house, and they stretched forth
the wings of the cherubims, so that the wing of the one touched
the one wall, and the wing of the other cherub touched the
other wall, and their wings touched one another in the midst of the
house. and he overlaid the cherubims with gold and he carved all the
walls of the house round about with carved figures of cherubims
and palm trees and open flowers within and without and the floor
of the house he overlaid with gold within and without. What a place this was and what
a picture these cherubims are of those cherubims that guard
the way the glory that guard the way to life that guard the
way to the tree of life we read of the cherubims over the mercy
seat we read of the cherubims here and they remind us of those
cherubims in eden when man sinned when sin entered this world and
death by sin and Adam and Eve were driven out of Eden, they
were driven out of the garden, they were driven away from the
tree of life. They had taken off the tree of
the knowledge of good and evil. They sought to know what is right
and wrong and to strive to live accordingly. They'd gone to the
law in order to justify themselves in figure. They'd gone to produced
their own righteousness, their own works. They turned from Christ,
they turned from God and life alone in Him. And they turned
to their own wisdom, their own knowledge of good and evil. They
took of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and ate thereof
and in the day that they ate thereof they died. So God drove
them out of the Garden of Eden. They never went to the tree of
life, which if they'd eaten off, they'd have lived forever. They
never went to Christ. They went to the law. They turned
to their works. They turned to their own wisdom,
their own understanding, their own will, as we all have. God drove out the man and he
placed at the east of the garden of Eden cherubims and a flaming
sword which turned every way to keep the way of the tree of
life. This is what these cherubims
depict. Two cherubims over the mercy seat in the oracle of God
in the holy of holies they guard the way of the tree of life you
cannot get here without passing this flaming sword which turned
every way, without coming before these two cherubims, they kept
the way of the tree of life and yet this is where Adam, Eve should
have gone. This is where they could have
gone if they hadn't turned from God and His word. If they hadn't
gone against His word and taken of the tree of the knowledge
of good and evil. If they hadn't turned to their
own understanding. If they hadn't turned to their
own wisdom. If they hadn't turned to their
own works. If they hadn't turned to their
own righteousness. If they hadn't turned to the
law. which slew them and killed them, they could have come to
the tree of life. But now having sinned, death
having entered, the way to the tree of life is barred. And this
is depicted in figure. in that every year the high priest
would enter into this place, take in blood and come to the
mercy seats over which were two cherubims and offer for the people. Only one person could bring them
back. Only one person could bring them
life. Only one person could bring them
salvation. Only one person could forgive
their sins. Only one person could come to
this tree of life and bring them salvation that cannot be taken
away. They needed somebody to enter
in for them. They needed somebody to come
unto the cherubims. They needed somebody to come
unto the tree of life as it were. They needed a priest. and a sacrifice
all of which are a picture of course of Jesus Christ who came
into the darkness of this world who came to where his people
were driven out of the Garden of Eden lost in the darkness
outside of where the tree of life is, lost in the darkness. He came unto them. He came to
where they were and he offered himself. He came as their priest
and he went to the cross as their great high priest and he took
a sacrifice which was himself and the sacrifice was slain.
It bore his people's sins. He was made sin in their stead. And the sword of God's justice,
a flaming sword which turned every way, came down upon His
Son. It came down upon His Son, for
you cannot come unto the tree of life, you cannot bring life,
except that flaming sword which turns every way, exacts justice. upon the sin which had been committed. So Christ nailed to that tree,
placed himself under the wrath of God. God took that flaming
sword and drove it into his son and slew his own son. And the
son offered himself up freely and his blood was shed. and his
blood washed away the sins of every one for whom he suffered. He entered, as it were, into
this oracle, into the holy of holies, unto the mercy seat,
unto these cherubims, and sprinkled his blood and said, it is finished. And salvation was wrought, not
by the works of man, not by the righteousness of man, not by
the wisdom or the will of man, but by the grace of God, who
for a people who would not, who could not, He went to this place
where they could not enter. He went to the cherubims. He went past the flaming sword. He died for those who were dead. that in him the dead might live. And having cried out at his finish,
he was taken from the tree and laid in a grave, sealed with
a stone, buried, the sins of his people to be seen no more.
And on the third day, early in the morning on the third day,
the temple, as it were, having been destroyed, rose up, rebuilt
in Christ. He rose from the grave. He rose from the dead victorious. And the disciples came seeking
him, and found the stone rolled away, and found in the grave
that Christ was not there. Mary came, as we read in John
20, unto the sepulchre. But Mary stood without at the
sepulchre, weeping. And as she wept she stooped down
and looked into the sepulcher and see if two angels in white
sitting, the one at the head and the other at the feet where
the body of Jesus had lain. She came under him and there
in the tomb she found instead two angels of which these two
cherubims in the oracle were figures. There where Christ had
been, the angels were. And they say unto her, Woman,
why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because
they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have
laid him. And when she had thus said, she
turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not
that it was Jesus. Jesus saith unto her, Woman,
why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou? She, supposing
him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne
him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him and I will take
him away. Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself and
saith unto him, Rabboni, which is to say, Master. Has the Lord brought you where
he brought Mary? Has he brought you to the cross? to see his son offered up in
your stead. Has he led you to the grave?
Has he brought you to that place where Jesus laid? Have you seen
two angels, one sat at the head and one sat at the foot? Have
you seen the cherubims and their wings across the mercy seat?
In the Holy of Holies, where only one could enter, Have you
seen where the high priest entered on your behalf? Have you seen
that he's finished the work? Have you seen that he's no longer
there? He's no longer in the grave.
He died but now he's risen. He died but now he's alive. Have
you seen him? Have you heard his voice? Has
he called out unto you by name, Mary? Have you turned and seen your
risen Saviour who entered in on your behalf? Have you seen His salvation? We read of these things in Hebrews. The first covenant had ordinances
of divine service and a worldly sanctuary. There was a tabernacle
made. The first wherein was the candlestick, and the table, and
the showbread, which is called the sanctuary. And after the
second veiled the tabernacle, which is called the holiest of
all, which had the golden censer. And the ark of the covenant overlaid
round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna,
and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant.
And over it the cherubims of glory shadow in the mercy seat,
of which we cannot now speak particularly. Now when these
things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the
first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God. But into
the second went the high priest alone, once every year, not without
blood, which he offered for himself and for the errors of the people.
The Holy Ghost this signifying that the way into the holiest
of all was not yet made manifest. while as the first tabernacle
was yet standing, which was a figure for the time then present, in
which were offered both gifts and sacrifices that could not
make him that did the service perfect as pertaining to the
conscience, which stood only in meats and drinks and diverse
washings and carnal ordinances imposed on them until the time
of reformation. Christ being come and high priest
of good things to come by a greater and more perfect tabernacle not
made with hands that is to say not of this building neither
by the blood of goats and calves but by his own blood he entered
in once into the holy place having obtained eternal redemption for
us. For if the blood of bulls and
goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifyeth
to the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood
of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without
spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the
living God? And for this causes he is the
mediator of the New Testament, that by means of death For the
redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament,
they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. This has Christ entered in to
this tabernacle for you. All that Solomon built in that
seven years, so perfectly according to the command of God, was but
a picture but a glorious picture of that which Christ would work
for his people. Christ is not entered into the
holy places made with hands which are the figures of the true but
into heaven itself now to appear in the presence of God for us.
Nor yet that he should offer himself often as the high priest
entreath into the holy place every year with blood of others
for then he must often have suffered since the foundation of the world
but now once in the end of the world have he appeared to put
away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And as it is appointed
unto men once to die but after this to judgment So Christ was
once offered to bear the sins of many and unto them that look
for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. Christ entered once. He entered
into the reality of which that temple was but a picture. He
entered into the reality of which the Holy of Holies was but a
picture. He entered into that place of
death. which was depicted by the altar. He took his own blood and sprinkled
it upon the mercy seat. He took that sword that turned
every way and it was plunged into him. He died that sinners
should live. Oh has God come unto you. With
the light of his gospel, with the knowledge of his salvation,
has he opened that window and started to shine into your heart? Do you know that Christ was once
offered to bear the sins of many? He accomplished the work. He
did what he purposed to do, it came to pass, it's not left to
chance. It's not left for you to perfect. It's not left up unto us. If
we but will, it's not left for our decision. He came to save
his people. He offered himself. He saved
everyone for whom he laid down his life. And in the preaching
of his gospel, he will cause them one by one to hear, to see,
and to believe. He will go about throughout this
earth where the stones of his temple are scattered. He will
pick those stones up and build them up. He will put narrow windows
in the walls and shine the light into the hearts of his own and
cause them to see and cause them to hear as he come unto you and
caused you. to see and to hear of the one
who gave himself for sinners like us. Are you one wretched
sinner, lost in the darkness, for whom God has shown mercy? O may he not leave us to our
own understanding, our own wisdom, our own way. May he not leave
us like those Jews of old, who he came unto, and they despised
and rejected him. May when the gospel comes our
way, may we not be left to our own wisdom to turn from it and
to say, away with this man. But may he break us, like Mary's
heart was broken. May he lead us to his cross,
lead us to the tomb, lead us to those two angels sat at each
end. May he call our voice from behind
us, Mary. And may we turn, with God-given
faith, by the grace of God, unto our Lord and Saviour, and cry
out, Master.