1 Kings 7:15-22

The Pillars of Brass.

If, as some think, the importance of any Scripture subject is to be gauged by the space assigned to it in the sacred page, then surely the fact that eight long verses of this chapter are occupied with the description of these two columns and their capitals proves, first, their importance in the eyes of Jewish writers, and, secondly, that they must have a significance for the minds of Christian readers. But the importance of these monuments (which is also attested

I. WHAT MEANING THEY HAD FOR THE JEW ?

II. WHAT LESSONS THEY HAVE FOR OURSELVES ?

I. But in order to arrive at their meaning , we must first consider their purpose. We have seen that they were not structural, but monumental (note on 1 Kings 7:21 ); in fact they served instead of an inscription upon the building. The Western world, with its love of the concrete, often stamps its great edifices with appropriate legends. But the children of the East have ever preferred the mystical teaching of symbolism. For them there has always been a charm in "the view of things half seen." And so the Jewish temple bore no letters on its front, but its representative pillars stood forth, embodiments in themselves of the ideas of the building, and silently proclaimed its object and character. And this is the teaching they had for the wise—

1. That the temple was strong and firm and lasting. Their very materials proclaimed this. They were not of perishing wood or stone, but of enduring bronze. Then, they were of unusual girth in proportion to their height, for whereas the shaft was 12 cubits in circumference, it was but 18 cubits high ( Jeremiah 52:21 ). The first impression they gave, consequently, would be that of strength, of fixity, and so they spoke, by their very character as well as by their names, of the stability of the house. It was no longer a tent (cf. Isaiah 38:12 ), it was a house of cedar ( 2 Samuel 7:2 ), it was a κτῆμα ἐς ἀεί The two columns, that is to say, served instead of these two inscriptions, " I have surely built thee a house to dwell in, a settled place for thee to abide in forever" ( 1 Kings 8:18 ), and" This is my rest forever here will I dwell, for I have desired it" ( Psalms 132:14 ).

2. That its strength and stability were in God. Of course this is an idea which symbolism could only express imperfectly. And yet it may be (as some have thought) that the brazen pillars would recall to some minds the pillar of cloud, the token of God's presence. And if we may see in the steeple a "silent finger . pointing to the sky," then surely these erect columns may have carried men's thoughts upwards to the throne of God. But if not, the names, Jachin, Boaz, at any rate, witnessed for Him and proclaimed Him to all as the hope and stay of the new sanctuary. It was, therefore, as if in the place of pillars these superscriptions also had been conspicuous on the temple: for Jachin—"God is in the midst of her; she shall not be removed;" and for Boaz—"Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it" ( Psalms 127:1 . Note. This psalm is ascribed to Solomon. And these words were inscribed on the late Eddystone lighthouse).

3. That it was the shrine of a holy God. The two columns, standing as sentinels over the house, confronted all who came into its courts with the idea of consecration. We have seen that column and chapiter together bore a rough resemblance to a lily—the column the stalk, the chapiter the flower. Now the lily is the emblem of purity (see on 1 Kings 7:19 ). The" lily work in the porch" proclaimed the house as belonging to the All-Holy One of Israel. The columns, therefore, in their esoteric symbolic language, spoke to the same effect as if these words had been blazoned on the temple's front (as on the high priest's mitre): " Holiness unto the Lord" ( Exodus 28:1-43 :86; Exodus 39:30 ), or these, "I the Lord your God am holy" (Le 1 Kings 19:2 ; 1 Kings 21:8 ).

4 . That it was for the worship of a holy people. The chapiters were fashioned after a lily cup. The columns, i.e; blossomed into purity under the shelter of the sanctuary, and so proclaimed that holiness was to be the product of the temple services and ritual. They served accordingly as memoranda both to priests and worshippers. It is said that on the front of the second temple words were inscribed, viz; these: "Know before whom thou art going to stand." In this first temple the two columns spoke to the same purport. To the priests they cried, " Be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord" ( Isaiah 52:11 ); to the people they spoke, like the "fringe with the ribband of blue," " Be ye holy unto your God" ( Numbers 15:38 , Numbers 15:40 ).

5. That it was for a people zealous of good works. On the columns were 400 pomegranates. Pomegranates are said to be emblems of fruitfulness. If so, they taught the Hebrew worshipper this last lesson—they served instead of this inscription, "Thou shalt not delay to offer the first of thy ripe fruits" ( Exodus 22:29 ); or this, "He looked that his vineyard should bring forth grapes" ( Isaiah 5:2 ).

II. But what lessons have Jachin and Boaz for ourselves? Do they not speak to us

1. Of the Church. The lessons these brazen columns had for the Hebrew people, the same they have for ourselves, with this difference, that they also speak to us by their fall. They image forth the stability of the Church—that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it; that its strength is in God—its weapons are not carnal, but spiritual ( 2 Corinthians 10:4 ; Matthew 28:20 ; John 15:4 ); that its object is holiness ( Ephesians 5:27 ; Ephesians 1:4 ; Titus 2:12 ) and fruitfulness ( John 15:8 ; 2 Corinthians 9:10 ; Philippians 1:11 ). But they have an additional lesson for us, derived from their destruction. For why were these splendid works of art removed out of their place, broken up, and carried to Babylon? ( Jeremiah 52:17 , Jeremiah 52:21 .) It was because their lessons were unheeded, because the people were not pure and holy ( Jeremiah 22:8 , Jeremiah 22:9 ; Jeremiah 5:31 ; Acts 7:43 ). And so we learn—net that the Catholic Church will "likewise perish:" that can never be ( Matthew 16:18 ); of that it might be said, with a propriety of which the Latin poet was all unconscious, "Exegi monumentum aere perennius"— the columns lasted 423 years, the Church 1800 already—but that particular churches, if unfaithful, shall have their candlesticks removed out of their places ( Revelation 2:5 ). "If God spared not the natural branches," etc. ( Romans 11:21 ).

2. Of the Christian. He may learn hence—