The biblical words for BUILD, BUILDER, BUILDING UP refer to making something by combining materials and parts. It can also mean enlarging, developing, increasing by stages, or making nearer to fullness or completion a project, including building moral strength or conscience and creating and developing a spiritual community. This is a picture of God holding blueprints and tools as He puts together His plans.
In the first part of the OT, this plan includes the Lord building a community of worshipers and promising them a faithful leader: “And I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who shall do according to what is in my heart and in my mind. And I will build him a sure house, and he shall go in and out before my anointed forever.” (1 Samuel 2:35)
King David and his son both desired to build a literal house of worship yet both realized the true Builder was God and “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.” (Psalm 127:1)
The prophets also realized that God was the builder of nations and that He has the power to tear them down by thwarting their plans . . .
If at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom, that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it, and if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I intended to do to it. And if at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will build and plant it, and if it does evil in my sight, not listening to my voice, then I will relent of the good that I had intended to do to it. (Jeremiah 18:7–10)
If you will remain in this land, then I will build you up and not pull you down; I will plant you, and not pluck you up; for I relent of the disaster that I did to you. (Jeremiah 42:10)
Therefore I will hedge up her way with thorns, and I will build a wall against her, so that she cannot find her paths. (Hosea 2:6)
This God who build nations and established a people for Himself also came to earth as a man and created another “building” — the church, not a literal structure as many view the church today, but a spiritual community in which He is the creator, sustainer, protector and strength, all the things that a builder does . . .
And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:18)
“We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands.’ ” (Mark 14:58)
For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building. (1 Corinthians 3:9)
The Christian community is not limited to a building nor are its members limited to a physical body. As Paul wrote, “For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” (2 Corinthians 5:1) Our “home” is secure, created by God to be our eternal dwelling!
In the meantime, this body or community is given what is needed that we might do what our Builder has designed us to do. “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-13)
GAZE INTO HIS GLORY. The Bible is clear that even though people might build all sorts of things here on earth, “the builder of all things is God.” (Hebrews 3:4) Not only that, so also is our eternal dwelling designed and built by God (Hebrews 11:10) giving a sense of stable permanence and purpose to life in general and to eternal life in Christ forever. Looking at God as Builder gives me a sense of who I am, how well I am created and how long I will endure. This also challenges me to keep His dwelling place worthy of the honor He gives it!
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