In the days of Moses, the Lord chose to give visible form to His plan for the salvation of humanity. He commanded Israel to build the tabernacle. Before it was built and afterward, the Lord visibly remained with His people as a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night (Exodus 13:22).
God brought His chosen people out of Egyptian slavery. When the tabernacle was built, the ground served as its foundation. Although the sanctuary was portable, the visible presence of God filled all the surrounding tribes with fear and dread. God Himself was the King of His people. Yet the history of the Israelites shows us that, despite all the miracles and signs, murmuring and rebellion periodically arose among them.
After God’s people entered the Promised Land and settled there, the Israelites rejected God as their supreme Ruler and chose a king. In time, King Solomon built the first temple, which God honored with His visible presence at its dedication.
When the foundation of this temple was being laid, a stone of unusual shape was brought to the site, but the builders rejected it. They used other material for the foundation.
Then disaster struck. God’s people fell into idolatry and brought His righteous judgments upon themselves. As a result, the first temple was destroyed and plundered, and the people were taken into captivity for seventy years.
Yet according to God’s plan, this captivity ended in deliverance, and Israel came out of Babylon. Upon returning to their homeland, the people built the second temple for the Lord. Services were held there, and sacrifices were offered.
During the construction of this building, however, a problem arose. The foundation required a stone that could bear the weight of the entire structure and become its chief cornerstone. To everyone’s surprise, the builders turned their attention to the stone that had previously been rejected. In every dimension and respect, it fit that place perfectly, and it was laid in the foundation of the second temple.
Later, Jesus compared Himself to this stone, making it clear that He Himself would become the Foundation of the third temple. During Christ’s earthly life, however, no one understood this declaration, but it was recorded for our instruction.
After Christ’s death and resurrection, the second temple was burned and destroyed, and all of Christ’s followers were scattered throughout the world.
But God has a plan to build His House in my heart and in the heart of every one of His sons and daughters. The Lord is steadily moving toward this goal.
This construction begins when God’s people come out of the slavery of sin and out of spiritual Babylon. Because this building has been under construction for nearly two thousand years, there is confusion about what exactly is being built.
The biblical accounts tell us very clearly that God intends to dwell in our bodies and write His law in our hearts and minds. Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. We are therefore expected to treat this sanctuary with care and to understand what is taking place within it.
The little house of happiness that we have decided to build in our school is not something new or revolutionary. It is an attempt to put into words and organize all those biblical truths that must come alive in our minds and give us a clear understanding of what God is building and how it relates to me. When the example of construction helps me see Who the Foundation is, what serves as the binding material, what materials are used for the walls, and what the roof looks like, all these images come alive in my mind. I can then work with them because I understand what is taking place.
I know many happy Christians whose faith has a solid foundation and strong walls. Yet at times they do not understand or distinguish eternal happiness from earthly happiness and try to blend the two. As a result, they experience disappointment and hardship. But when a person of God clearly understands what is eternal and secure, he becomes a wise builder who builds with stone upon the Rock without mixing dirt and debris into his structure.
Happiness is directly connected with our thoughts and feelings and very quickly permeates the heart, becoming part of my life. To say that it is only a principle would be dry and lifeless, but to limit it to feelings would make it excessively sentimental. Each person may understand happiness in whatever way he considers right, and it is difficult to argue with that. Yet there is a common understanding: happiness is when you feel well. There is, however, a great difference between the Christian meaning of ‘well’ and the worldly one. Although the two may become intertwined both in the world and in the church, they should be distinguished from each other.
Worldly happiness is temporary and can cease to exist or change at any moment, even though its presence greatly delights my heart and gives my soul temporary pleasure.
Christian happiness is an eternal and unshakable condition of the soul that no circumstances can destroy unless I choose to let them. The only person who can deprive me of this happiness is I myself, when I choose my own path and the sin that I prefer to eternal values.
The laws of happiness work in the same way for all people, regardless of their religious beliefs or age, and they are capable of working wonders in the human mind. Yet they are powerless to give salvation to the soul. These laws cannot become the foundation of my house. That would be like building on sand. ‘I am happy without Christ’ is the most hopeless kind of structure, one that will lead the soul to inevitable disaster. Sadly, many people build their lives in precisely this way.
What is our life in comparison with Eternity? It is a tiny point in a boundless ocean. Yet people choose that point and build a comfortable life upon such a foundation of nothing, failing to notice the Eternal.
If I decided to build my house on an elephant, would that be a wise decision? One day I would go out on an errand and return to an empty place. My little house would have run away, and I would not be able to find it. At best, I might discover the remains of the ruined building. Perhaps these comparisons make you laugh, but I see people who believe in Jesus and yet build in exactly this way. When their little house runs away, you have to comfort them and offer them an eternal Foundation and durable materials. Not everyone agrees, however, and then they make you a participant in their troubles.
Let me give you an example. Please do not judge me too harshly.
Lately, people have very often asked for money for medical treatment or rehabilitation, even though there is no guarantee that it will help. You can invest everything you have in such requests and rejoice that you have helped. Yet we should look deeper and offer these people not only continued life in a healthy body, but eternal hope as well. The Lord is able to restore and heal very quickly and to teach people how to avoid illness, but this is often rejected. When people need money, money is what they expect, and everything else seems foreign to them. Your love is measured by the amount you are willing to give. You want so much to prove your love, but it is like a bottomless barrel for which you can work from morning until night with only the slightest chance that anything worthwhile will come of it. Jesus has a better remedy—He Himself.
Yet the very Stone rejected by these misguided builders becomes the chief cornerstone of the entire structure. When I lay my foundation upon Christ, my soul finds rest. It does not fear death; it is healed. If sickness comes, it does not tremble with fear, but entrusts itself to the Best Hands and calmly waits for an answer.
Bible verses for this chapter:
Isaiah 28:16; Jeremiah 31:33; Hebrews 8:10; James 4:14; Acts 17:24–26; Revelation 18:2–5; 1 Corinthians 3:11, 16–17; 1 Peter 2:4–8; 2 Corinthians 2:14–15; 3:3–4; Romans 8:11, 14, 16; Isaiah 26:4