from place to place. God wanted it in the record that He had never suggested a house for Himself in the past, and it was David, and not God, who finally made such a suggestion. Judged by its outward appointments, Judaism must have seemed like a fourth class religion to the heathen. Their great temples suggested great gods. Even their ruins are outstanding tourist at tractions today. The craftsmanship displayed is superb and the engi neering defies explanation. How could Judaism, with its humble tent, compete with such grandeur? It would seem that a temple for Is rael was long overdue. But God, the creator, waited for man, the creature, to suggest a temple for His dwelling and wor ship. God, the highest, took the lowest dwelling, a tent, and waited for lowly man to suggest a better place. What an example and lesson in humility! Long before Christ gave the par able of the ambitious guest God had demonstrated its moral truth by waiting for David to suggest He move from a tent to a temple. And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them, When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honorable man than thou be bidden of him; And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room; and when he that bade thee cometh, he may say un to thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee (Luke 14:7-10). But the greatest demonstration of the humility of God is seen in the coming and cross of Christ. He who was God humbled Himself to become a man of no reputation, and descended to the lowest
depths by obedience to the shame ful death of the cross. How elo quently the humility of Christ is described in II Corinthians 8:9: "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich." Why should we hesitate to humble ourselves when the God of glory has set such an example? That sinners should be proud is one of the proofs of total deprav ity. The low door of humility is the gateway to salvation and blessing. "Humble yourselves therefore un der the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time" (I Peter 5:6). Now in humility and love God beseeches sinners to be reconciled to Him: "Now then we are ambas sadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye recon ciled to God" (II Corinthians 5:20). But the time will come when all will be humbled before Christ: "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heav en, and things in earth, and things under the earth" (Philippians2:10). Better to humble yourself now and be exalted with Christ then, than to exalt yourself now and be humbled at last—but lost. "God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble" (James 4:6b).
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