Details, Details!

T

here is a place in northeastern France which always held a special allure for me.  Although I lived in France for two years, it wasn't until my third visit, in 1994, that I was able to experience this tremendously beautiful region of France and see for myself the abbey at Mont St. Michel.  Mont St. Michel is a walled city on the border between Normandy and Brittany, two regions just a few hours northwest of Paris.  The wall around Mont St. Michel is necessary due to the very rapid and high tides that pour into the region from the Atlantic Ocean.  These are some of the fastest tides in the world and when they come in, they completely surround the city, cutting it off from the mainland.

I took several high school students for a tour of this region and they were all fascinated with the abbey and the city below it.  In 1066, monks from Mont St. Michel provided William the Conqueror with boats to sail to England where he fought and successfully won control of the English throne from his cousin.  Even though the history of this area was fascinating, there was something about Mont St. Michel which caught my attention.

Atop the abbey is a statue of the Archangel Michael, sword in hand, subduing Satan.  What is so amazing about this statue is the exquisite detail of its sculpture.  Close-up pictures of the monument show incredible detail, from the natural stance of St. Michael, to the feathers in his wing.  The artist meticulously fashioned this piece and then it was fixed to the spire of the abbey several hundred feet in the air.  From any point, except a helicopter, it is impossible to appreciate the artistry and attention given to the statue.  Why would someone go to such great pains when no one could fully appreciate his work?  What would cause a person to give of his time, effort, and talent, to create a statue that no one could ever see? 

The Old Testament book of 1 Kings records a similar event.  Chapter six of this book records the measurements and details for building the temple.  Solomon received his directions from God and they were very detailed.  Take a few moments to read through this chapter.  In addition to providing the starting and ending times for the temple (a period of seven years), explicit instructions are given for its construction.  The description of the most holy place is especially intriguing.  There was no stone visible in this room, only wood and gold.  It was built in the form of a perfect square and was dominated by two enormous wooden cherubim overlaid with pure gold.  The wings of these creatures spanned the room and touched the walls on either side.  Under their wings sat the ark of the covenant, where God's presence dwelled.

This room had to be lovely, but very few people ever saw it.  The high priest entered it only once a year to make atonement for the people.  For the next 359 days (the biblical year is equal to 360 days), no one entered the Holy of Holies, and no one even ventured near it.  Yet, God gave specific, extremely detailed instructions for its construction.

At the end of this chapter, there is a very interesting statement.  Verse 38 states, "And in the eleventh year, in the month of Bul, which is the eighth month, the house was finished in all its details and according to all its plans. So he was seven years in building it."  Notice how the biblical writer talks about the completion of the temple.  It was finished in "all its details, according to all its plans.!"

Sometimes in our daily walks with God, we become impatient.  We want to hurry the process, to be all God intends for us to be.  However, we wish to skip several steps and proceed to the finished product.  This is not God's way.  The temple was laid out according to a precise plan.  It was built to a certain height, to a certain width, to a certain length, and was made from certain, precisely ordered materials.  And what was the result of all this detail which most people never saw.  Take a look at verse 12, "Concerning this temple which you are building, if you walk in My statutes, execute My judgments, keep all My commandments, and walk in them, then I will perform My word with you, which I spoke to your father David."

The express purpose of following God's commands permitted Solomon to experience the full extent of God's promise.  When we obey God in every detail, we stand ready to receive the full blessing, inherit the full promise, and experience the total grace of God.  The scripture tells us that we are the temples of the Holy Spirit.  God does not dwell in substandard housing. No; he has a precise plan for the place where he dwells.  He has a plan for you, a precise plan which you must choose to follow.  When you do, you will experience the fullness of God's presence and the wonderful promise of his grace.  He has the plans, he knows the details, it is simply up to us to obey him.  Jeremiah said it best, "For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope"

God's plans for us are precise and detailed.  His desire is to for us to be perfectly conformed to the image of Christ, to be like him in every detail.  Why does God insist on details that no one else can see?  Because he will settle for nothing less than perfection, and nothing less than the best. And, even though no one else may see what is going on in your life, God does. Won't you let him take care of your life's details today?