The Builder  

Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, who was faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God's house. For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses—as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.) Now Moses was faithful in all God's house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, but Christ is faithful over God's house as a son. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope. (Hebrews 3: 1 to 6)  

Moses, the man of God, who led Israelites out of Egypt and built the tabernacle for God.  

Ever since then, Israelites have been trying to build a holy temple for God to dwell. King Solomon built the first holy temple for God in Jerusalem. Later, it was destroyed by Babylonian. Then Nehemiah rebuilt the holy temple and city. But the holy temple became desolated because Israelites no longer obeyed God’s commands. We can find all the sad history in the Bible. The last temple was built by King Herold, but it was also destroyed by the Roman Empire in AD 70. No man was greater than Moses. Yet, none of the dwelling places men built for God according to Moses' tabernacle would last. Why did God allow His dwelling place to be destroyed repeatedly like that? God had made it clear in the Bible as below.  

Thus says the Lord: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest?” (Isaiah 66: 1).   

Instead, God is only dwelling in a holy temple grown in Christ by the Spirit as described below. 

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. (Ephesians 2: 19 to 22) 

So, as a son, Jesus Christ, who is not only the cornerstone but also the builder of the holy temple, a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.  As fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, we are also being built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus being the cornerstone.  Not only that, but we could also be builders as Christ Jesus as apostle Paul described below. 

For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building. According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. (First Corinthians 3: 9 to 15) 

As a builder, we need to build upon Jesus Christ as the foundation. Jesus Christ is the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us. So, he is not only the cornerstone but also the apostles and prophets. The Bible described it as below. 

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21: 3 4) 

As the Hebrews writer says, "we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope". So, if we could hold fast our faith in Jesus Christ, then not only we could be the house of God but also built with gold, silver and precious stones in heaven. It's a promise and blessing from God. Emmanuel. 

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