Principles for building #5.

“The word of the Lord came to Solomon:  “As for this temple you are building, if you follow my decrees, carry out my regulations and keep all my commands and obey them, I will fulfill through you the promise I gave to David your father.  And I will live among the Israelites and will not abandon my people Israel.”  So Solomon built the temple and completed it.” ^[1]

Being involved in a new venture that will involve construction of a building (kingdomlink.ca), I thought it wise to study the Scriptural principles for doing so.  In my last  four blogs, I looked at four different principles for considering such a project to the glory of God.  In this one, we look at building from the perspective of someone who’s already started.

Solomon had been tasked with fulfilling his father’s vision for a temple to God Most High in Jerusalem.  After his father’s death, he consolidated power and set about that task.  In 1Kings 5 he prepares to build and in 1Kings 6 he starts construction.   With construction in full swing, the Lord appears to Solomon with four specific conditions:

1)   Follow My decrees

2)   Carry out My regulations

3)   Keep all My commands

4)   Obey them

Some might argue that all four are really saying the same thing.  In a way that’s true, but each is subtly different (and surely Solomon with all his wisdom would understand exactly how).  You could spend some great amount of time digging into that in detail[2], and such a study would no doubt be useful.  But I rather think the point is much more obvious - the Lord is clearly telling Solomon to be careful.

It wasn’t the first time the Lord told Solomon to be careful.  When He first appeared to Solomon He said basically the same thing, “And if you walk in my ways and obey my statutes and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life.”^[3]   Interestingly, it also wasn’t the last time the Lord said this.  When he (Solomon) dedicates the temple, the Lord responds in part with, “As for you, if you walk before me in integrity of heart and uprightness, as David your father did, and do all I command and observe my decrees and laws, I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever.” ^[4]

Perhaps you see a theme here.  Over and over the Lord blatantly tells Solomon to watch his life.  It almost seems unnecessary – after all, Solomon has tremendous wisdom and if there is anyone who can, he ought to know how to live his life with integrity.  So why the repeated warnings, and what does this teach us about building? 

Several things:

a1)    First of all, if Solomon had to be warned about living with integrity before, during and after the temple construction, how much more so do we?  We cannot honor God with a lasting structure if we are not honoring Him with a consistent faith walk.

b2)   Secondly, Solomon was told to pay attention to details.  How much more do we need to be very careful when we are raising, handling and spending funds for a building that will bear His Name? 

c3)    Lastly, the effort Solomon expended in building the temple resulted in pagan nations helping (voluntarily as Hiram of Tyre did, and also involuntarily as Solomon’s workforce did in 1Ki 9:20) and also giving glory to God (as the Queen of Sheba did in 1Ki 10:9).  This teaches us that what we do, we do in community.  The whole world can see a building project.  It is not only what we do - but also how we do it - that captures the world’s attention.   

It is my prayer that as KingdomLink works on The Coyoacan Project, people far and wide will see God’s people acting with integrity, working diligently and honestly.  But even more so, see what God is doing through us.  If you would like to join us in that, or if you know someone who might – please look at the website www.kingdomlink.ca and call for an appointment.

---

^[1] The Holy Bible: New International Version. (1984). (1 Ki 6:11–14). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

[2] Far be it from me to think I know what Solomon knew, but a look into the Hebrew reveals that the first (follow decrees) is to behave in accordance with Mosaic law, the second (carry out regulations) to apply God’s rules, the third (keep all commands) to protect and ensure everything God had prescribed was carried out and the last (obey them) meaning to take the lead in walking in obedience.

^[3] The Holy Bible: New International Version. (1984). (1 Ki 3:14). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

^[4] The Holy Bible: New International Version. (1984). (1 Ki 9:4–5). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Principles for Building (#4).

Being involved in a new venture that will involve construction of a building (kingdomlink.ca), I thought it wise to study the Scriptural principles for doing so.  In my last  three blogs, I looked at three different principles for considering such a project to the glory of God.  In this one, we’ll look at one more.

One of the most ambitious building projects ever was the building of the temple of God in Jerusalem.  We know that David purposed to do that in his lifetime, but God sent the prophet Nathan to tell him that it would not be his privilege, but Solomon’s (see 2Sam 7:5-16).  So when Solomon ascends to the throne and consolidates his power, he sends word to his friend Hiram:

““You know that because of the wars waged against my father David from all sides, he could not build a temple for the Name of the Lord his God until the Lord put his enemies under his feet.  But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side, and there is no adversary or disaster.  I intend, therefore, to build a temple for the Name of the Lord my God, as the Lord told my father David...”^[1]

There are two principles for building that we can see in this passage.  The first is that Solomon “intended”.   It was a purposeful and deliberate choice.  A choice made in light of the circumstances that permitted it (he now had peace and the wealth necessary).  There’s much to unpack in those two circumstances, but I’ll leave that to the reader to look into further.  For now the meaning is obvious – circumstances have to allow the construction of what we purpose to build, or we cannot proceed. 

That seems like a very straightforward principle, but it isn’t followed by many builders in our day.  Just a few nights ago there was a TV expose on construction in a Chinese port city, where dozens and dozens (perhaps hundreds) of enormous high rise buildings sit idle.  Concrete shells with no work going on, funding having run dry.  That’s a pretty powerful object lesson.

Secondly, Solomon determined to build, “as the Lord told my father David”.  That’s another packed phrase, because David hadn’t dreamed small.  It was going to be a massively audacious project.  A project worthy of the Name of God.  Nothing would be held back in doing this project right.  Not only in terms of consruction materials, but that materials were paid for, workers were treated fairly and the project managed well.  To do that well, his supervisory workforce was bigger than the total workforce of many of the significant construction projects in our world today (see 1Ki 5:16).

While we are not building on anything near that scale, we will seek to embody all the same principles.  KingdomLink is a private equity company, seeking to bring together a group of investors for a fixed term investment in an ambitious building project in Mexico City.  If you would like to join us, or if you know someone who might – please look at the website www.kingdomlink.ca and call for an appointment.

---

^[1] The Holy Bible: New International Version. (1984). (1 Ki 5:3–5). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.