Missives

In God’s good providence and timing, and for purposes and reasons known only to Him, my construction project began precisely when material prices went sky high. Lumber in particular ran three times the normal cost. Shortages of commonly used parts introduced incredibly lengthy delays, in some cases up to four months. So naturally, as an ever-industrial engineer seeking ways to contain costs to have some hope of remaining in budget, I sought to reuse old parts.

The first attempt was to re-use my old exterior heat pump located where mother’s bedroom would be located. To me, the cheaper solution was to simply relocate it to the other side of the house. I had meticulously maintained my Trane unit over the years and was confident it would keep running and providing me good service for more to come. However, all the contractors who looked at it said, no, if you move this, we can’t guarantee that we can start it up after a disconnect. So, I ended up buying a new one, which turned out to be a good move. Little did I realize, the air handler in the attic was full of mold and contributed to some lingering health problems I had at night with breathing. It definitely was time to go.

In the end, the only thing that got reused was an old fan in my office, which went to the bedroom after removing the light kit. It, too, was a headache, and probably would have been better if I had ditched it and simply bought a new unit. It would’ve saved me a lot of time.

To me, the gospel parallels couldn’t be sharper. The Lord Jesus spoke specifically about trying to reuse old parts in parables.  In Matthew 9, Jesus said no man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse. Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved. I remember foolishly thinking that I could fix the knee hole in my jeans with a sew-on patch; after all, we’ve progressed in our technology since the 1^st century. I learned that some things never change, including Jesus’ eternal words.

Spiritually speaking, what is the old that can’t be reused in the new?  When we think of the phrases “old” and “new”, the word “covenant” should come to mind – as in, Old Testament (covenant) and New Testament.  Simply put, the old covenant, also known as the Mosaic covenant, consisted of types, shadows, and figures which served only to reflect the realities fulfilled in the New Testament church.  Once the concrete is poured and hardened, you don’t leave the forms laying around.  Once the wedding is over, you don’t keep sending out the wedding invitations.

Hebrews chapter 9 so aptly describes this stark contrast between old and new.  Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary. … Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God. But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people: The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing: which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience; which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.

But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people, saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you. … It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.  Hallelujah that the New Testament church is built out of all new parts!