A Steady Construction

It is a fact that we live in a very insecure and dangerous world. Everybody looks for something steady to hold on to. Most principles have vanished and there is no security and therefore no peace or joy.

In the Holy Scriptures we can always find consolation and hope. In Proverbs 9:1 we read: “Wisdom hath built her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars.”

Wisdom has built a house, a steady construction upon seven pillars or columns. Seven is a symbol for perfection; therefore, what wisdom has built is perfect and indestructible.

Nowadays, when we hear so much about natural disasters, accidents and everything seems to be so fragile and ephemeral, including man’s own life, it is important to know how one can build a house on firm foundations.

Do we maybe need more cement and iron, a better ground, to dig deeper? How much iron and cement were employed in the construction of the World Trade Centre with its 110 storeys? In spite of all precautions, this building does not exist any longer. The tower of Pisa was not built on steady ground and has been leaning badly for centuries; the Greek temples which were built with so many columns, as worshiping places for heathen gods, are all in ruin, although their architects left a name that has been famous throughout the centuries.

Is it possible that this verse refers to something else, that this house is used as a symbol? If we search the Holy Scriptures we find something very interesting in 2 Corinthians 5:1-4, “For we know that if our earthly house of [this] tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house, which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in [this] tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.” In fact, this house is our body, this earthly dwelling place that will once be destroyed. But Paul, who has no fear of death, says that we groan and have a great longing to be clothed with this heavenly “house” and he adds, “that mortality might be swallowed up of life.”

In a previous letter to the Corinthians, he had already explained to them what will happen at Jesus’ second coming, “Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal [must] put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.” 1Corinthians 15:51-54.

We are literally going to be clothed with the glorious garment of immortality. Who does not want to have such a wonderful “house”, an immortal body?

Now that we have seen what this steady construction is let us go back to our original verse, “Wisdom hath built her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars.” There is only one architect who can build such a construction, and it is Wisdom. There are and there have always been so many wise people in this world. Paul writes to the Corinthians, “The Greeks seek after wisdom” and the history of this country testifies to Paul’s words. There is no other country as well know as Greece because of its philosophers. Who has not heard about Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Epicure? The same word philosophy (philo- love, sophia- wisdom) tells us that these men treasured wisdom above all things. Can even one of these men clothe us with this heavenly house? No, absolutely not. They themselves have turned into dust. So, who is this Wisdom that can build such a wonderful construction? Nobody can give what he himself does not have; nobody can give us immortality if he himself is not immortal.

In Proverbs chapter 8 we read, “The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. When [there were] no depths, I was brought forth; when [there were] no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth: while as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world” (22-26). And Paul writes to the Corinthians, “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.” 1 Corinthians 1:30.

Therefore, Jesus Christ is Wisdom and only He can build a steady construction that rests upon seven pillars. What are actually these seven pillars upon which our immortality is built? What will be taken from us to heaven when Jesus comes back? Nothing from what we have, but what we ourselves are, only our character. These seven pillars are the seven traits that form a perfect Christian character and that we have to develop here, upon this earth, in this life. The Architect is the one who hews the pillars, as an expert sculptor, He uses the chisel and hammer and gives shape to the lifeless stone.

It is said that when Michelangelo saw a piece of marble, he rejoiced at the idea of what he could make out of it. In his mind he could see the finished work of art and worked hard until he obtained the results desired. In the same way, our Lord does not get discouraged or tired of working upon our character, because He trusts His own power and knows well that the finished personality will be for the glory of God.

The Bible speaks very clearly about these traits of character and already in Jesus’ invitation to all men to come to Him, two of these traits are mentioned which are the real foundation of a Christians character. If they are missing, our “house” looks like the scenario of an opera or a theatre, foldable and useful only for a couple of performances. These pillars are mentioned in Matthew 11:28, “take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart,” in other words: humbleness and meekness. It is interesting the definition of humbleness found in the dictionary, “Virtue based on the knowledge of our limitations and weaknesses that makes us act accordingly.” Therefore, it is absolutely necessary to know ourselves, to be honest and acknowledge our shortcomings and defects of character. How important it is to see ourselves as God sees us, to have a revelation of what we are really like. This is only possible when we have a revelation of Christ.

Meekness, in Spanish, for example, is used much as an adjective referring to the docility of an animal that follows his master in perfect obedience, such as a sheep or an ox. Actually, the example of these two animals is given in the Scriptures to illustrate our submission to the Lord’s will.

Another very important pillar closely related to these ones, and actually a result of them is mercifulness, a very outstanding trait of our Father’s character. It is easy to be merciful with people who are in an inferior situation: with the poor, the sick, the ignorant, but the Lord gave us an example to imitate: He was merciful with a disobedient and stiff-necked people. But, how do we react with people who are proud, snobbish and pretentious? Who usually makes use of their self-righteousness, without mercy? To find the balance between mercy and righteousness is very difficult and we usually go to extremes, either we are too permissive or too hard. Therefore, we need GodÕs Spirit to hew in us this fourth pillar: righteousness. For this purpose was God’s word given to us, “All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” 2 Timothy 3:16, 17.

We need to be educated in the kind of righteousness that is valid before God, as the German translation of 2 Corinthians 5:21 goes. The purpose of this education is that we may be able to do the good works the Lord has prepared for us. In order to do good works, goodness has to be a part of our character. Therefore, the fifth pillar of a Christian character is goodness, as opposed to evil. This goodness that we learn from God’s word and that was personified in Jesus is translated into: living for others, forgetting oneself, setting the needs of others as a priority to our own needs, do everything that can lighten someone else’s burden, live a life of service and remain faithful in every situation. And we have found the sixth pillar: faithfulness. A wonderful divine trait of character! Who has not experienced God’s faithfulness? Our trust is not in our works, but in His promises and His faithfulness! How wonderful is to find this trait of character in His children! How nice it is to know people can trust even in little things! To be and to remain faithful even when others are unfaithful requires not only goodness, but also patience and thus we come to the last pillar of a Christian character: patience. A patient person has all the other virtues: humbleness, meekness, mercifulness, righteousness, goodness and faithfulness. It is not a coincidence that this is the only virtue mentioned as characterizing the people of God at the end of times, “Here is the patience of the saints: here [are] they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” Revelation 14:12.

These patient people will have gone through all the trials of the end times thanks to the fact that they have God’s law written in their hearts and a faith equal to that of Jesus, that led Him to the cross and may lead them to the fulfilment of 1 John 3:16, “Hereby perceive we the love [of God], because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down [our] lives for the brethren.” Love is identified with our disposition to give our life for others, like Jesus did it for us. Love; have we forgotten to mention love as one of the most important traits of a Christian character? No, because every one of the pillars we mentioned before: humbleness, meekness, mercifulness, righteousness, goodness, faithfulness and patience are crowned with love, in the same way that every material pillar is crowned with a more or less elaborate capital. “And above all these things [put on] charity [love], which is the bond of perfection.” Colossians 3:14. Amen.

Teresa Corti