The Psalmist had to say: “Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.” David desired to build a house for the Lord but was not permitted to do so. Solomon was to build that house but David gave him instructions concerning it and prepared much material for it. Yet it was the Lord who built it, for He gave the pattern for it so Solomon and the builders were but instruments in His hand.
But the Lord is building a far greater house for Himself, that is, the Church of God. It is to be fashioned according to His ordering. Every stone in that temple is to be prepared and polished and set in the building. Every stone is to be a living stone. Who can do this but the Lord Himself? He does it by His Holy Spirit. He it is who is the great Builder and Fashioner of the temple of God. It is the work of the Spirit of God to take a dead stone and give life to it. He alone can reveal Christ to the needy soul in order that it may be delivered from the power of sin and Satan and be brought into the kingdom of God’s dear Son. It is the Spirit of God who begins a good work in the soul that is to be carried on until the day of Jesus Christ. It is the Spirit of God alone who can impart Christlikeness to the soul so that it may be fitted for the everlasting kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Lord, then, is building the house though men are used as instruments in connection with the building of it — instruments in the hand of God. Left to themselves they could only mar the house but the Lord is their guide. In themselves they are unprofitable servants, yet they look to the Lord for grace and strength for the work to which He has called them. They will never attribute any of the glory of the house to themselves or any man but only to the Lord. All their labour would be in vain apart from Him. He alone can bless His Word by His Spirit to the good of souls in this world. In this way He builds His Church by adding daily to it such as shall be saved.
The protection of His people and of His Church is also in His hands. It is true that He has set watchmen on the walls of Zion yet they cannot keep the city. The Lord is the Keeper of Israel who slumbers not nor sleeps. The watchmen may grow weary but the eye of the Lord is ever on His Cause. He knows every effort of the enemy of souls to overthrow it. The watchman may stay awake but his alertness would not save the city unless the Lord was keeping it from all danger and harm. How secure the Church of God is then. The Psalmist understood this when he said:
“Walk about Sion, and go round;
the high tow’rs thereof tell;
Consider ye her palaces,
and mark her bulwarks well;
That ye may tell posterity
For this God doth abide
Our God for evermore; He will
ev’n unto death us guide.”
Psalm 48: 12-14 (Met. Psalms)