Pam Padgett ... teacher
Josiah did what was right in the sight of God. After destroying all the
altars, groves, graven images, and idols throughout the land, he sent
to have the house of the Lord repaired ...
2 Chronicles 34:8 Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he
had purged the land, and the house, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah,
and Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz the
recorder, to repair the house of the LORD his God. 9 And when they came
to Hilkiah the high priest, they delivered the money that was brought
into the house of God, which the Levites that kept the doors had
gathered of the hand of Manasseh and Ephraim, and of all the remnant of
Israel, and of all Judah and Benjamin; and they returned to Jerusalem.
10 And they put it in the hand of the workmen that had the oversight of
the house of the LORD, and they gave it to the workmen that wrought in
the house of the LORD, to repair and amend the house: 11 Even to the
artificers and builders gave they it, to buy hewn stone, and timber for
couplings, and to floor the houses which the kings of Judah had
destroyed. 12 And the men did the work faithfully: and the overseers of
them were Jahath and Obadiah, the Levites, of the sons of Merari; and
Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites, to set it
forward; and other of the Levites, all that could skill of instruments
of musick. 13 Also they were over the bearers of burdens, and were
overseers of all that wrought the work in any manner of service: and of
the Levites there were scribes, and officers, and porters.
It stood out to me that various workmen and overseers were needed to complete this work, working together as each did that which they were assigned and had the ability to do. And they did the work faithfully.
I was reminded of how we
are set in the body of Christ. God has assigned what each of us is to do and enabled us to do the work, as pleased Him. Jesus is the head of the body, and
we are each to bring forth according to the calling and gifts we've been
given, each supplying what we're given by the Holy Spirit, that the
church would function together and be edified (built up and established)
and perfected ...
1 Corinthians 12:4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the
same Spirit. 5 And there are differences of administrations, but the
same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same
God which worketh all in all. 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. 8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the
word of knowledge by the same Spirit; 9 To another faith by the same
Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; 10 To
another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another
discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another
the interpretation of tongues: 11 But all these worketh that one and the
selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. 12 For as
the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one
body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit
are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles,
whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one
Spirit. 14 For the body is not one member, but many.15 If the foot shall
say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore
not of the body? 16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I
am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? 17 If the whole
body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing,
where were the smelling? 18 But now hath God set the members every one
of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
Ephesians 4:4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are
called in one hope of your calling; 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6
One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in
you all. 7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the
measure of the gift of Christ. 8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up
on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. 9 (Now that
he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower
parts of the earth? 10 He that descended is the same also that ascended
up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11 And he
gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and
some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the
work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13 Till
we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son
of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the
fulness of Christ: 14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to
and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight
of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15
But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things,
which is the head, even Christ: 16 From whom the whole body fitly joined
together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according
to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase
of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.