S) "9 The weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold. He also overlaid the upper rooms with gold."
2 Chronicles 3:9 (NASB)
O) Solomon spares no expense when building this temple for the LORD. Everything inside the temple was overlaid with gold. The floors, doors, and walls, all were overlaid with pure gold. With this verse, we see even some of the nails were made of gold. This brings up an interesting point about Solomon's dedication to making this house extravagant. First, let's point out that nails made of gold would not be very practical. It's a relatively soft metal, especially compared to the metals available at that time, especially iron. Second, the vast majority of the nail itself would be hidden, once the nail is driven into the wood - so what's the point? If only the head of the nail is seen, wouldn't it be easier, more secure, to fasten the wood with regular nails, and overlay that with gold? But, then it wouldn't just be easier and more secure - it'd be cheaper. Solomon wanted this to be expensive, I think, because that was an expression of it's importance.
A) The descriptions of such ornate, yet mundane, objects, also reminded me of the description in Revelation, of the famous streets paved with gold. I'd always taken that passage to mean that everything else was so glorious, that gold was seen as completely pedestrian by comparison. While that may prove to be true, I don't think that it's the only thing to take away. Looking at the above verse, what I think is really expressed, is that nothing about God's glory is mundane. Nothing about God is pedestrian. I don't think the gold streets, or gold nails, are meant to be dull by comparison, to give some kind of extrapolated, relative, extraordinary beauty to the rest. These nails were gold, but so was the rest. With God, I need to remember that it's all glorious. I need to treat it all as magnificent. Even when the things of God will be hidden away, like the nails driven into the wood, to mostly disappear from sight, they are still awesome when I do get to see them, before they are put to their uses.
A) The descriptions of such ornate, yet mundane, objects, also reminded me of the description in Revelation, of the famous streets paved with gold. I'd always taken that passage to mean that everything else was so glorious, that gold was seen as completely pedestrian by comparison. While that may prove to be true, I don't think that it's the only thing to take away. Looking at the above verse, what I think is really expressed, is that nothing about God's glory is mundane. Nothing about God is pedestrian. I don't think the gold streets, or gold nails, are meant to be dull by comparison, to give some kind of extrapolated, relative, extraordinary beauty to the rest. These nails were gold, but so was the rest. With God, I need to remember that it's all glorious. I need to treat it all as magnificent. Even when the things of God will be hidden away, like the nails driven into the wood, to mostly disappear from sight, they are still awesome when I do get to see them, before they are put to their uses.
P) Father, open my eyes to see just how glorious You truly are. Help me to understand, with better awe and wonder, how amazing it is, everything about You. Rebuke me, Lord, if I ever treat any part of You as mundane or pedestrian. Correct my senses, to be rapt by Your glory. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.
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