"Establish Thou The Work Of Our Hands"(psalm 90.17)

by T.W. Fullerton, Melbourne, Australia | Category: General | Jun 1968

Solomon exercised himself that he might know "what it was good for the sons of men that they should do under the heaven all the days of their life" (Ecclesiastes 2.3).

From time to time down the ages there have been those who have looked beyond temporal things, whether ease, pleasure, fame, riches, thrones, or empires. They have seen that all such things come to nought and crumble to dust, like the empires which king Nebuchadnezzar saw, as depicted in the hook of Daniel the prophet. Men of faith have sought an answer to the question which exercised the mind of Solomon.

Many centuries before Solomon's day, Moses the first great leader of God's earthly people Israel, left behind him in the land of Egypt prospects of a throne in order that in his generation he might engage in the service of God, and carry out the revealed will of God on earth. We suggest that we find the intense longing of the heart of Moses expressed in Psalm 90. After referring to the brevity and frailty of human life, he concludes with the plea, "And establish Thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish Thou it". At the giving of the law Mount Sinai quaked at the presence of Jehovah, and Moses knew something of the truth of the coming shaking of all things. His longing was to be found putting his hands to the work of building something that would stand throughout and beyond the final convulsive scenes of time.

That the work of man's hands can be of such a character that it will endure and stand, when the heavens and earth are shaken, has encouraged many who have come to the knowledge of God, to turn from the things of time which are destined to be shaken and perish, and occupy their hands with that which will endure eternally.

A summary of the life of Moses (Hebrews 11.2~28) indicates that he lived and acted by faith in the spoken word of God, which had reached both his ears and heart. When Moses led Israel out of Egypt the word of the LORD to Israel at Mount Sinai was "Now therefore, if ye will obey My voice indeed, and keep My covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto Me from among all peoples: ... And ye shall be unto Me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation" (Exodus 19.5,6). In the midst of this kingdom and holy nation was to be erected a dwelling-place for the mighty God of Israel. This dwelling-place was to be the work of the hands of men and women (see Exodus 35.20-35), made according to the pattern given from heaven. For many days the hands of Moses and many others were engaged in building the Tabernacle and when it was completed they further engaged in the divine service pertaining thereto. Although at a later date the Tabernacle thus builded ceased to be, yet its value in God's estimation was such that the work of their hands will survive the shaking of all things. This we suggest, was the desire expressed by Moses in the words to which we have referred in Psalm 90.17.

We might ask, did Solomon himself find "what it was good for the sons of men that they should do under heaven all the days of their life"? Yes, we are sure that he did. Solomon carried out the plan which his father David had received by revelation from God, and built the Temple for the earthly service of Jehovah. This was a more permanent structure than the Tabernacle. Solomon had discovered what it was good that he should be found doing during the days of his life. He did many things, some to his credit and some otherwise, but the value of building a dwelling-place for the God of Israel will stand the test of the shaking of all things.

We have in the New Testament the thought of the works of the hands of men, working or labouring together for God. An example of this can be seen in 1 Corinthians 3.5-17, where the church of God at Corinth is referred to by the apostle as "God's building", yet he and others are viewed as builders therein. Encouragement, combined with warning, is given by the apostle as he anticipates the possible result of the work of their hands in the day of testing. The church of God at Corinth was part of God's New Testament dwelling-place among men, to which we shall refer later.

We may with profit ask in this dispensation of grace, "What is good for the sons of men that they should do under heaven all the days of their life?" Turning to Hebrews 12.26-29, we find a reference to the giving of the law at Sinai and to the manifestation of God's majesty on that occasion. The writer states, "Whose voice then shook the earth: but now He hath promised, saying, Yet once more will I make to tremble not the earth only, but also the heaven, and this world, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that have been made, that those things which are not shaken may remain. Wherefore, receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us have grace, whereby we may offer service well-pleasing to God with reverence and awe: for our God is a consuming fire".

Israel as a nation through centuries of sin and failure, and finally through the rejection of their rightful King, forfeited the right to the kingdom of God, which had been committed to their trust. It was now to be taken from them and given to another nation (Matthew 21.43), a nation with no earthly territories, unrecognized by the nations of earth, a people who found Jesus of Nazareth to be the King of Israel. Their recognition of Him could be summarized in the words of Nathanael, "Thou art the Son of God; Thou art the King of Israel" (John 1.49). To those who had thus confessed Him He said, "Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom" (Luke 12.32).

During the forty days following the resurrection of the Lord, we find Him speaking to His disciples, "the things concerning the kingdom of God" (Acts 1.3), while in chapter 2.41,42, we find the basic principles governing the kingdom, and entrance thereto. To these conditions willing-hearted believers in Him conformed. The truth of His Kingship, rejected by others was accepted by them. They owned Him as the destined Ruler of earth. But they had also heard of pardon for all sin through His blood shed on Calvary, and pardon for the greatest sin of all, His murder. That pardon they had accepted, having owned their willingness to reverse the dread decision, "Away with Him, crucify Him". They were now prepared to place themselves under His authority in His present kingdom among men. Baptism in water in subjection to Him has been called "The sign of. the kingdom". Then there was adding together, continuing stedfastly in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and prayers. Such churches of God are viewed in Ephesians 2.21,22, "each several building, fitly framed together, groweth into a holy temple in the Lord". Each church, as we have seen in the case of the church of God at Corinth, was "God's building", nevertheless, it was the work of men's hands to plant and maintain the churches. Thus we find the kingdom and house of God closely linked together. This is the kingdom to which the writer of the Hebrews refers, a kingdom that cannot be shaken, because its constitution comes from heaven. Though the churches of God of apostolic days ceased to exist yet their value in God's sight remains, and the work of those who builded therein will stand the test of the shaking of all things.

We do not know at what stage these churches of God ceased to be, but it was after the departure of the apostles. We are aware that down through the ages there have been many devoted children of God on earth; but to become a child of God by faith in Christ does not bring one into the kingdom and house of God. The new birth is necessary for a person to be able to see the kingdom (John 3.3), but in order to enter it, the steps outlined in Acts 2 are necessary. During the past century godly men had the longing to build something for God according to the divine pattern. They found much for which there was no warrant in the word of God. Finally they came together on the ground of New Testament teaching as churches of God, owning the all authority of their absent Lord, and seeking to give effect to the principles of the kingdom of God.

Are we satisfied to be haphazard in our service to God? We do well to ponder, as did Solomon, what is "good for the sons of men that they should do under the heaven all the days of their life". We should be looking into the word of God to discern the pattern of the house of God and the kingdom of God, and crying to Rim who gave His only-begotten Son to redeem us from all iniquity,

"Establish Thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands established Thou it".

T.W. Fullerton, Melbourne, Australia | Jun 1968
General