As Abie Corzette and his sons were working on the house, a board was fitting in a space too tightly. “Virgil, take that planer and shave off about an 1/8th of an inch from this board,” as Abie said to his son while handing him the board. Several swipes later and smooth as glass, he handed the board back to his dad to continue on the construction work. Hammer and saws may be the tools of a carpenter, but planers and other finer tools belong to craftsmen who pride themselves in their work. Any job worth doing is worth doing right (a modernized quote from Philip Stanhope, lifted from Ecclesiastes 9:10 which begins with, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might...”.
Decades later another man who has worked with wood some held this same planer in his hands. A gift received, a tool forgotten in a barn and then later thrown into a box of “junk tools” for a few decades and would had made its way to a burn barrel soon, may not plane another board. Among its delicate adjustment knobs, small pieces of wood remain from its last job several decades prior. Certain tools may be a dime a dozen and don't mean too much. But some tools ought to be kept guarded from damage and respected. And while holding this planer in my hand, I felt a connection from the past. Hard manual work made men men. Modern furniture is made by computers, robots, and cheap material...quick, cheap, and disposable is the guiding principle. And often this brings certain people at a cross roads. A verse of scripture was deposited into my spirit by God this morning while attending a local church near where my grandparents' lived. No one mentioned this verse of scripture and yet this verse brings clarity to what God desires. 2 Timothy 2:15 says, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth”. The King James version begins with, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God...” This word study or to be diligent means to make effort. This effort is not like cramming for tests like those of us who took college classes did—in our heads long enough for the test and then forget everything after the test/class is over. This study doesn't mean to ponder something, taking a very passive view of something until it finally makes sense. This study means lifelong with lots of disciplined effort. It means having to cast aside things that hinder us from being our best for God. It means to read and pray, yes. But it means to apply what we are learning. In other words the Bible is modern. The Bible is just as applicable as it was thousands of years ago. And to contradict those who say that the Bible is out of date and we are modern; rather all we have learned to do is to sin more blatantly and how far can we remove God out of our lives enough to avoid the reality that there is a heaven and hell and there are those who do go to either. We are to live out what God teaches but also by the living examples found in the Word of God.
The danger is how we occupy our time. While holding the planer in my hands just as a person would when using the device, I felt God also directing me to a particular verse of scripture where the word planer is used. And because context is important, Isaiah 44:9 begins to address the matter of idolatry. In Exodus 20 God desires for some things to be rough and imperfect to show how God takes us—as we are—to show us He has value and bestows a dignity upon us. This dignity elevates us to desire to be changed and used for Him to bring Him glory and to serve as a testimony that if God can change us, He can easily do it in others. It is God who creates and bestows worth, not man. But Isaiah 44:9 reveals a backslidden and/or heathen heart desires to create (just like the heart of Peter when he declared that we should erect three tabernacles for Moses, Elijah, and Jesus). He was ready to go into the construction business until God shortly spoke out of Heaven, this is My beloved Son hear Him. Our hearts have a bent to create when all God desires is us. As Isaiah 44 continues, we see a portion of scripture dedicated to a craftsman involved with wood. “The craftsman stretches out his [ruler/tape measure], he marks one with [a pencil]; he fashions it with a plane, he makes it out with the compass, and makes it like the figure of a man. According to the beauty of a man, that it may remain in the house. He cuts down cedars for himself, and takes the cypress and the oak; he secures it for himself among the trees of the forest. He plants a pine, and the rain nourishes it. Then it shall be for a man to burn, for he will take some of it and warm himself; yes, he kindles it and bakes bread; indeed he makes a god and worships it; he makes it a carved image, and falls down to it. He burns half of it in the fire; with this half he eats meat; he roasts a roast, and it is satisfied. He even warms himself and says, “Ah! I am warm, I have seen the fire,” Isaiah 44:13-16 emphasis added and some words replaced with modern tools. At the surface we can quickly lift a detailed word picture for a creator of idols using wood. But let us carefully examine what is really said in these few verses. Whether using wood or stone, careful work has to be given with these materials. You can only take away but you cannot add. Even with dowels or pegs (or nails and glue), seamless work are done by the skills of a craftsman. They cannot waste the materials but they must do something with it. So time is involved. Perhaps there are sketches, even if in their mind. Proportions and realism count. This isn't cutting a few 2x4 pine lumber sorta straight and nailing a few nails to hold it up even if it is off plumb slightly. Like in second Timothy, diligence is to be our trait quality. “Good enough” won't cut it. A true craftsman makes a singular piece to represent the quality and heart/passion of the worker goes into every piece. Attention to detail is important.
And if this was all there was to it in verse 13 of an idolatrous man making an idol with diligent work, then that would end it. But the following verses shared above reveal something even more. He (the craftsman) cuts down cedar (a hard, long lasting, and fragrant wood), cypress (an expensive wood), and oak (a hardy wood). He not only uses this wood for the idol, but also uses it to heat his home and cook his food (as fuel for the fire). It is one thing when using the waste or scrap materials for heating and cooking. But the Bible shares that he harvests these quality/expensive woods and half goes to the idol and the other half goes to himself. Often associated with idolatry is the lie of take care of self. This began with God declaring to leave the tree of the knowledge of good and evil alone but the Serpent said, “...You will be like God...”. We love ourselves. Self preservation. Least punishment or suffering. Less work. Less effort. Less sacrifice. Whatever costs us less but gives us the maximum value (even if others have to do without) is our carnal goal. Or we can look at it another way. God requires the tithe—10%--and generous people often will give above that, even if not measured in the offering plate. But the heart of the man above believes that even 10% is too much to God. They chip away at the tithe, spending it and giving the left over to God. Instead of 10% they give maybe 5% with the promise to pay the remaining 5% later after the bills have been paid, eaten out enough times, bought a number of things for ourselves, and then perhaps we remember to give God a little more with perhaps the remaining 5% if things are going well enough. When Malachi 3 challenges us to put God to the test, this is the time of reciprocity where our deposits to God and His kingdom pays back.
And if that were not the worst of it all by cheating God with our hearts—not giving God our best not only in our tithe but our work to Him and to abstain from idolatrous behavior, the craftsman shames or doesn't give God glory. Verse 14 ends with that he plants pine. So for every good and quality tree that makes the craftsman money, heats his home, fuel to cook his food, he plants pine. Pine is cheap wood. It is decent wood, but it is far from quality. Anyone who has ever made any furniture that wants to be as beautiful as the purpose that it serves, never uses pine. Pine is also soft and so it blemishes easy and doesn't retain longevity for beauty after construction. This paints of picture of “thank You God for this job but I am only going to show up for about 20 hours of time but expect to be paid for 40 hours.” It is like giving our boss mediocre quality for craftsmanship wages. It is also like going to prayer but truly only praying maybe five minutes out of the hour but spending the rest of the time working on other things or just sitting there watching other people pray. It is like going on an outreach to share Jesus with people but all we did was walk around and hold fliers in our hands and did nothing with them and didn't talk to anyone. It is like wanting God's blessings and favor and for Him to reveal Himself but not during football season or when we're too tired to go to church on Sunday or justify for our lack of involvement by insanely believing that our measure of faith—longevity--is sufficient. A true craftsman gives back equal or more than what he/she took.
Living the life of a Christian is a lot more than just attending church services and putting religious artwork around our house or place of work. Living the life of a Christian takes diligence. It takes effort. It is hands on; but it is also all-heart in/on. Fellow craftsmen, let us take up our tools of our trade and get to work on His kingdom (like when working with people, especially new Christians). After all, it is for His glory. So let us take up our plane (as the Holy Spirit uses His plane on us to hone us to His desires, John 15:2) and give our whole hearts to His work.