Alesaggio
06-05-2006, 11:47 AM
This is the story of the Stellar Men of the Cellar.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Chronicles 27:28, "And over the olive trees and the sycamore trees that were in the low plains was Baal-hanan the Gederite: and over the cellars of oil was Joash:"
Moffatt's -- Joash, managed the cellars of oil.
Young's Literal Translation -- over the treasures of oil [is] Joash
In 1 Chronicles 27 there is a list that numbers certain groups and defines the jobs of other groups. These groups of men are a list of officers who served David and they felt very honored to have been chosen for a service for the King.
Notice that:
Every person has a place of special service for the Lord.
Each person was called by his name. God knows each person on an individual level.
Each person served a different capacity. We are put into place by God and we can grow wherever He places us.
Joash is named among the greatest of David's men and his job is worthy of being mentioned. Young's Literal Translation -- over the treasures of oil [is] Joash. He is over the "treasures of oil." The Hebrew root word for "cellar" can also give the connotation of: armory, stone house, or place of the garner.
Joash is a man who is placed in a special service to the king. His job is not a flashy job nor is it one that really attracted a lot of attention. In fact, much of his time is spent hidden away from the eyes of men. Very few visitors come to the dark, damp, and deserted cellars where Joash and his men were laboring. However, what was being worked out in the cellar was going to have a lasting impact not only on Joash's generation but the one that followed.
There are many unsung heroes in the church during these days. They labor on faithfully, methodically, carefully, and often hidden. Obscurity marks the path of many and only when they pass from this life is it evident exactly how great their own value was. Faithful and obscure service has been one of the vast resources that has contributed to the church over the years.
The duties of Joash create some insight into being used of God. Joash worked in close conjunction with the priests of his day. They were to manufacture the oil according to the Law of Moses. There were to be no substitutes or anything left out of this oil that was made. The specifics of this oil is to found in Exodus 30, "Moreover the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying, Take thou also unto thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty shekels, and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty shekels, And of cassia five hundred shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of oil olive a hin: And thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary: it shall be a holy anointing oil."
[Oil is also a symbol of the Holy Ghost. We must be careful to guard the treasure that is within us. We need to be keepers of the treasure. 2 Corinthians 4:7; "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us."]
In the day of Joash, the keeper of the treasure literally kept the lights of Israel going. Joash was to prepare the oil. He was also to preserve the oil. Joash and his company had to make certain that no one could come in and steal or corrupt the source of oil. Preserve the oil. Do not let your guard down when you are troubled. Do not get discouraged in the cellar. . . . You are guarding the treasure.
Very few people ever saw Joash and his men laboring under the task of treasuring the oil--it was a cellar job. The control room of Joash was not somewhere that was clean and fresh and great to be. He had to live and work in the cellar. That cellar was dark, it was damp, and it was deserted. Joash found himself in the very un-enviable position of being unappreciated but still he KEPT the oil!
Joash had no idea that what he was doing was going to reach beyond his own generation. Because of his tenacity of purpose with the oil, because he had to supply the source of light, medicine, commerce, and other needs of oil for Israel. A revival was waiting in the wings.
Solomon's Temple--day in and day out the priests came to get oil for the Temple of Solomon. His pure, precise, and protected oil of the finest quality was being delivered to the huge oil lamps. These ten golden lampstands would illuminate the Temple holy place and all the furnishings within. Everything would have been in darkness without their light. The priests could walk in the light of the lamps and enjoy the table of showbread. They could see the altar of incense and see the beauty of the ornamented walls of the Temple. They could observe the golden floor and the golden ceiling. All of the other material would be seen in the light of the lampstands.
Joash probably had no idea that when he signed on for the job that it would entail such majesty and such dignity and such importance. He was working in the cellar for something that he could not see. He was one of the king's men even down in the cellar!
--+--
--------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Chronicles 27:28, "And over the olive trees and the sycamore trees that were in the low plains was Baal-hanan the Gederite: and over the cellars of oil was Joash:"
Moffatt's -- Joash, managed the cellars of oil.
Young's Literal Translation -- over the treasures of oil [is] Joash
In 1 Chronicles 27 there is a list that numbers certain groups and defines the jobs of other groups. These groups of men are a list of officers who served David and they felt very honored to have been chosen for a service for the King.
Notice that:
Every person has a place of special service for the Lord.
Each person was called by his name. God knows each person on an individual level.
Each person served a different capacity. We are put into place by God and we can grow wherever He places us.
Joash is named among the greatest of David's men and his job is worthy of being mentioned. Young's Literal Translation -- over the treasures of oil [is] Joash. He is over the "treasures of oil." The Hebrew root word for "cellar" can also give the connotation of: armory, stone house, or place of the garner.
Joash is a man who is placed in a special service to the king. His job is not a flashy job nor is it one that really attracted a lot of attention. In fact, much of his time is spent hidden away from the eyes of men. Very few visitors come to the dark, damp, and deserted cellars where Joash and his men were laboring. However, what was being worked out in the cellar was going to have a lasting impact not only on Joash's generation but the one that followed.
There are many unsung heroes in the church during these days. They labor on faithfully, methodically, carefully, and often hidden. Obscurity marks the path of many and only when they pass from this life is it evident exactly how great their own value was. Faithful and obscure service has been one of the vast resources that has contributed to the church over the years.
The duties of Joash create some insight into being used of God. Joash worked in close conjunction with the priests of his day. They were to manufacture the oil according to the Law of Moses. There were to be no substitutes or anything left out of this oil that was made. The specifics of this oil is to found in Exodus 30, "Moreover the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying, Take thou also unto thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty shekels, and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty shekels, And of cassia five hundred shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of oil olive a hin: And thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary: it shall be a holy anointing oil."
[Oil is also a symbol of the Holy Ghost. We must be careful to guard the treasure that is within us. We need to be keepers of the treasure. 2 Corinthians 4:7; "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us."]
In the day of Joash, the keeper of the treasure literally kept the lights of Israel going. Joash was to prepare the oil. He was also to preserve the oil. Joash and his company had to make certain that no one could come in and steal or corrupt the source of oil. Preserve the oil. Do not let your guard down when you are troubled. Do not get discouraged in the cellar. . . . You are guarding the treasure.
Very few people ever saw Joash and his men laboring under the task of treasuring the oil--it was a cellar job. The control room of Joash was not somewhere that was clean and fresh and great to be. He had to live and work in the cellar. That cellar was dark, it was damp, and it was deserted. Joash found himself in the very un-enviable position of being unappreciated but still he KEPT the oil!
Joash had no idea that what he was doing was going to reach beyond his own generation. Because of his tenacity of purpose with the oil, because he had to supply the source of light, medicine, commerce, and other needs of oil for Israel. A revival was waiting in the wings.
Solomon's Temple--day in and day out the priests came to get oil for the Temple of Solomon. His pure, precise, and protected oil of the finest quality was being delivered to the huge oil lamps. These ten golden lampstands would illuminate the Temple holy place and all the furnishings within. Everything would have been in darkness without their light. The priests could walk in the light of the lamps and enjoy the table of showbread. They could see the altar of incense and see the beauty of the ornamented walls of the Temple. They could observe the golden floor and the golden ceiling. All of the other material would be seen in the light of the lampstands.
Joash probably had no idea that when he signed on for the job that it would entail such majesty and such dignity and such importance. He was working in the cellar for something that he could not see. He was one of the king's men even down in the cellar!
--+--