LIVING WATERS
For the proclamation of the Gospel and the edification of the Body of Christ
Who Can Raise House to Him?
In chapter 25 of Exodus, one of the major purposes for which God brought His people out of Egypt is made known: to build them a house. However, it is not until chapter 35 -ten chapters later- that the gathering of the materials for the building begins.
The cause of this delay is Israel's failure regarding the golden calf. But beyond that, as we know, is the failure to recognize their true condition and nature. They were a disobedient people, incapable of any good thing, but the drama was that they did not know it. After the remarkable humiliation of the people, in chapter 33, God decides to continue with them, and to achieve the longed-for purpose.
From all this arises a very important question: Who, then, are those whom God can use to erect a house for Him? Not merely the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; not merely the chosen people, led by a meek man, treated by God. Recall Paul's reasoning in Romans: "For not all who are descended from Israel are Israelites, nor because they are descended from Abraham are they all children" (Rom. 9:6-7).
They had to go through a period of learning about God and about themselves before they could do anything for God. Therefore, the giving of the law in Exodus 20, in which God's holy and righteous character was revealed, could not be witnessed by them standing up. Their fallen nature was far from God's parameters; yet they did not know it.
This is the great deficit in many of God's children, the lack of self-knowledge. They have never experienced the tragedy of Paul in Romans 7:24: "Wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of death?", nor, of course, have they received the divine answer.
God cannot work in alliance with the flesh, nor can He become the partner of sinners unconscious of their sin. Only redeemed sinners, who have lost all self-confidence, who have failed in their own strength, are those whom God can use to build Him a house.
Moses was a builder used by God. So was Paul. And it is interesting to see the similarity of their experiences, of their failures, of their long sojourn in the desert (both in Arabia) for the cleansing of all self-righteousness. Today God also requires builders, but he will not give this sacred trust to those who do not meet these minimum requirements.
It is not that they must be better than others; on the contrary, it is precisely that they see that they are not better than anyone else, that this is why God chose them; and then, that they truly know how high God is and how low they themselves are.
Only such will be able to conduct themselves with fear and trembling in the work of God, not daring to do anything on their own, but only what God has commanded them. Of Moses it is said that "he was faithful in all the house of God" (Heb. 3:5); this is the main point. Who obey faithfully? Those who distrust the flesh and rely exclusively on God's grace.