Hammer and nails are some of the tools of a carpenter. Our Lord was a carpenter, and He learned from His earthly father, as well as His heavenly Father, to build well. His Father gave Him the work of building a holy temple; a temple from which His glory would shine forth, and He proved Himself to be a true and faithful worker. 

He purchased the best and most costly tools He could, (His righteousness and grace worked out in His life and death on the cross). This was so that the building would be the most beautiful and most glorious ever made. Its glory would be an everlasting glory, praised and admired by all forever. 

His Father made up the plans for this glorious temple and determined how, when, and with what materials it would be built (Acts 2:23). The Son agreed with the plan, and when the time came to begin the work, He did it not only willingly, but gladly. He gave not only His heart and soul to the work, but He gave Himself totally, all He had and all He was. Because He did, He learned much about hammers and nails. He learned as the soldiers hammered the nails into His precious body what obedience entailed (Heb. 5:8). Yet He knew that it was really His Father that was holding the hammer. They would not have had any power to do what they did unless He had given them the power (Jn. 19:11). So as a nail, He quietly submitted Himself to the hammer as it pounded the nails into His body because He knew the love and wisdom of His Father. 

Because He did this, He became a "Nail" for us, a nail fastened in a sure place to hang our hopes, and lives upon (Isa. 22:23). 

Now as He, we must submit ourselves as nails to the blows of the hammer, arming our-selves with the same mind (I Pet. 4:1). His word is like a hammer, and if we will not submit ourselves quietly and gladly to it, we shall find that the hammer will strike again, and again, breaking the hardness of our hearts, until our nails are fastened correctly, and perfectly, into the beautiful temple that the Lord is making of us (Jer. 23:29). 

His promise is that He will perfect us, and it is impossible for Him to lie or fail in His purpose (Psa. 138:8). He that has begun a good work will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ (Phil. 1:6). 

God, Himself, cut the chief cornerstone and laid the foundation for this temple. Now the whole building is being fitted together, growing into a holy temple in the Lord in whom we also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit (Eph. 2:20-21). 

As we feel the blows of the hammer, and the sharp pain of the nails being driven into our body, let us remember who it is that is holding the hammer and pounding the nails. He is a wise Master-builder, and He is building His temple - the temple of the living God (II Cor. 6:16). 

Let us also remember what a glorious privilege we have to be living stones in this holy temple, and offer up our spiritual sacrifices to God through Jesus Christ at His glorious throne (I Pet. 2:5, Isa. 22:23). 

Oh, that we could learn to be as the enraptured Rutherford who could shout in the midst of serious and painful trials, "Praise God for the hammer, the file and the furnace."