2nd Chronicles 4:17. “In the plain of Jordan did the king cast them, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zeredathah.” THE CLAY GROUND. The beauty of the golden work – candlesticks, basins, tongs and doors – The great amount of brass in the laver with flowers that did it adorn – All these magnificent pieces of furniture and art had something in common as one – Each had been formed in the clay ground.
Without the clay they couldn’t have been molded or shaped as they were – The malleable clay could be carefully worked before the precious metal was poured. In the clay changes could be made or mistakes corrected not seen before – The final product could be seen first in the clay ground.
We were not much to look at when we were still the hole of the pit. It took the hand of the Master Artist to make each stone to fit – No one else but the One who could see the end product would make sense out of it – But He knew what could be done with the clay ground.
The place was far away from where the temple would be raised. There was only a plain and dirt when the shovel was once placed. But from that obscure location came the results that could be praised – The beauty was first seen in the clay ground.
Day after day it was shoveled, scraped, carved, molded and cut. Until just the right final motion was done and then it was sealed shut So the precious metal could be poured and then from out of it – Would come evidence of the worth of clay ground.
No one would probably consider when they came to worship at God’s house –
That before the amazing beauty could be seen, someone had to search out And find a fundamental material about which no one would ever shout – He had to look for and find the clay ground.
I don’t know what the final result will look like when the Church is finally done. I don’t know what the angels will sing when the Church is finally at home. I do know there is One there who knows all – it’s God the Son – He’s the One who formed me out of the clay ground.
“O Lord God, in this house of clay I live. May I be pliable and useable enough that You can form from this clay something that can display Thy glory. May the pressure of divine hands reveal the character of God in someway through this clay ground. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.”