"The gospel church is what God will establish, what He will strengthen, and what the gates of hell can never prevail against."

"The best saints, while they are in such a shaking world as this, have need to be more and more established..." - both quotes are from Matthew Henry

"This covenant promise ought to be urged in prayer before the Lord, for the great lack of the church at this time is power. We have everything except the divine energy, and we must never rest content until we see it in full operation among us." - Charles Spurgeon

Look around you! Everything that can be shaken is being shaken. Nothing is really very stable any more.

So what is the church's greatest need in a shaking world?

Surprisingly, the answer can be found in 1 Kings 7 where it speaks of Solomon building the temple.

1 Kings 7:21, in particular, mentions two specific pillars which were built at the entrance to the porch. They were not pillars which supported any part of the building. They were simply built as a memorandum to the priests and others who came to worship at God's door. Here is what the verse says - "And he set up the pillars in the porch of the temple: and he set up the right pillar, and called the name thereof Jachin: and he set up the left pillar, and called the name thereof Boaz."

1 Kings 7:13-14 mentions that Solomon hired Hiram out of Tyre to do the actual brazen work of the temple. One work of brass that Hiram was responsible for was the construction of the two pillars aforementioned. However, it is argued by some scholars that even though Hiram "set up the pillars in the porch of the temple," it was actually Solomon who submitted their very expressive names.

Let's look at their names more closely.

"And he set up the pillars in the porch of the temple: and he set up the right pillar, and called the name thereof Jachin: and he set up the left pillar, and called the name thereof Boaz."

The name of the pillar on the right side was named - "Jachin" - while the name of the pillar on the left side was named - "Boaz."

What do their names mean and what significance did they carry for the people of God in those days? What significance do they have for us today?

The name "Jachin" means - "He will establish." The name "Boaz" means - "in Him is strength." Both names are emblematic of the Lord God Almighty. Hence, these two pillars stood as memorandums to the people - reminding them to depend wholly upon God and not upon any sufficiency of their own. Every time they entered the temple, they were reminded of this truth - God is your strength and stability in the good times as well as in the bad.

It wouldn't be a bad idea to have such memorandums set up somewhere at the entrances of our churches so that the people of God could be continually reminded of the fact that Jesus Christ is indeed their one and only source of strength and stability in a shaking world undergoing shaky times.

Who should the church fear?

Even though she may feel weak and feeble at times - almost to the point of tottering and falling - yet the Lord Jesus - her "Jachin" - has promised to establish and settle her.

Can she hold out to the end amidst perilous times?

Indeed she can - for she has a Heavenly "Boaz" in Whom her strength lies and Who will see to it that she makes it to the end.

What about you, O Christian? Do you find that your heart is wandering and unfixed due to the many troubling circumstances that are coming your way?

Your Heavenly "Jachin" will fix your roving mind and settle your thoughts on Him and His Holy Word.

Do you find yourself weak and unable to carry out your Christian duties as you should?

Your Heavenly "Boaz" is your strength and is at work in you right now "to will and to do of His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13).

One thing you must understand is that it is the Lord's will that you be established and strengthened in these troublesome times.

Psalm 89:21 confirms this truth by saying of David - "With whom My hand shall be established: Mine arm also shall strengthen him."

Here we have the mentioning of the establishing and strengthening of the servant of the Lord. God promises to hold, aid, and protect him...to ever be present with him - not merely to interpose at intervals but to be a constant protector. His hand will be constantly extended to help him or render aid to him at his point of need. His "hand" will hold, aid, and protect him, while His "arm" will sustain him - bear him up under all his afflictions.

Child of God, this is God's promise for you as well. Your Redeemer promises to stand by you and strengthen you - especially in the worst of times.

The next verses - Psalm 89:22-22 - offer the result of having God's establishing "hand" and strengthening "arm" at work in one's life - "The enemy shall not exact upon him; nor the son of wickedness afflict him. And I will beat down his foes before his face, and plague them that hate him."

Because of God's establishment and strength on your life, the enemy will not be able to oppress, subjugate, conquer, or prevail against you. You will never fall into the hands nor under the power of wicked men. The Almighty will crush and overturn them and their evil plans. If need be - He will bring calamities, judgments, and afflictions upon them to stop them in their wickedness.

It is God's will that you be established and strengthened for these troublesome times. Hebrews 13:9 tells us - "...For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace..." The "heart" is the true point of contact with God and also the source of all departures from Him. Hence, it is crucial that it is kept from fluctuating and being unsettled in the things of God.

Jesus is your "Jachin" and "Boaz." He is the "God of all grace" Who promises to "stablish" and "strengthen" you (1 Peter 5:10). He imparts all needful grace to make you steadfast...render you immoveable...make you firm in your character...and support and console you in your trials and temptations. He is the One Who "strengthens you with might by His Spirit in the inner man" (Ephesians 3:16).

He has the power and is well able to confirm, uphold, and make you stable. Romans 16:25 says - "Now to Him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel..."

At times, you may feel as though your heart is unstable and unfixed. You may feel as though you are repeatedly being plagued by the fears of men...the frowns of the world...and the temptations of Satan. 1 Thessaloninas 3:12-13 tells us - "And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you: To the end He may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints."

God will use His ministers to "impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end you may be established" (Romans 1:11). He will send a "Timothy" "to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith" (1 Thessalonians 3:2). His desire is that all of the gifts of the Spirit be imparted to you so that you are made stronger in the truths of the Gospel and His cause is advanced throughout the earth.

He is the true establisher. He is your "Jachin" and "Boaz." His ministers are simply His instruments - sent to make you firm and strong in your faith.

In summary, God desires for His church to be "established in the faith" (Acts 16:5) and "established in the present truth" (2 Peter 1:12). At times, she has appeared to be like the lame man who "laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful" - asking alms of all who were passing by (Acts 3:2). She has appeared to be like one who is feeble and weak - looking unto man, the world, and the philosophies of men for answers to her problems. God wants to forever remove that image from our minds. He wants to replace the picture of a weak, feeble, powerless, and anemic church with the picture of the brazen pillars - "Jachin" and "Boaz" - found "in the porch of the temple."

Acts 3:16 relates the source of power and strength behind the lame man's healing - "And His name (Jesus), through faith in His name, hath made this man strong, Whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by Him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all."

The world may - for the most part - see and know an anemic, lame, and powerless church - sitting at the "gate" or "porch" of the temple. But not for long!

For Jesus - her "Jachin" and "Boaz" - is revealing Himself to her in a way as never before. She is beginning to see that her strength all along has been found in Him. She is tapping into His power and becoming the established and strengthened Body of Christ she needs to be.

Just as the pillars of "Jachin" and "Boaz" were a mememorandum to the priests and other worshippers to look to God only for their srength and power, even so today as a true follower of the Lord Jesus, you are exhorted to look to Him only to make you all that He wants you to be. He will establish and strengthen you.

Read again the opening quotes from Matthew Henry -

"The gospel church is what God will establish, what He will strengthen, and what the gates of hell can never prevail against."

"The best saints, while they are in such a shaking world as this, have need to be more and more established..."

Look out world! The true church of Jesus Christ is arising from the dust! Her "Jachin" and "Boaz" - by His mighty right hand and outstretched arm - is establishing and strengthening her to be the Triumphant Church He created her to be!

No more will power or divine energy be her greatest lack!


May God Bless His Word,

Connie



No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. (Isaiah 54:17)

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