pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: ark


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God as the Center

Readings: 1st Chronicles 13, 1st Chronicles 14, 1st Chronicles 15, 1st Chronicles 16

1st Chronicles 14:16-17 – “David followed God’s orders exactly… David’s fame spread… the LORD made all the nations fear him.”

Today’s four chapters focus on David’s efforts to establish Jerusalem as the center of worship in Israel. This effort in chapter 13 begins with his first attempt to move the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem. It seems and feels like a good idea, so off they go! Part way tragedy strikes and the ark is left there with Oded-edom.

King Hiram of Tyre then builds David a palace and David marries more secondary wives, which leads to more children. The Philistines test David’s kingship twice. Both times David seeks God’s direction. Both times Israel is victorious. In verses 16 and 16 we read, “David followed God’s orders exactly… David’s fame spread… the LORD made all the nations fear him.”

This same approach guides David’s second attempt to bring the ark to Jerusalem. He prepares a place for the ark to reside. David appoints the proper Levites to their proper roles. All is done according to what is written in the instruction scroll of Moses. With great joy and celebration, the ark enters Jerusalem. David dances joyfully, but Michal, his wife, loses all respect for him. She thinks this is not how Kings should act. Sacrifices are offered and gifts are given, all in celebration, thanksgiving, and worship. David’s prayer reflects these three things.

In chapter 16 we find David continuing to follow God’s instructions. Priests are assigned and instructed to carry out the daily requirements of the Law – both before the ark and at the tabernacle in Gibeon. David returns home to bless his house. He has led well, moving to establish God as the center of his life and of the nation Israel.

Prayer: Lord God, today we see the outcomes of choices to follow your will and way. When David is faithful and obedient, you are present and you offer the right way to go. By the power and presence of your Holy Spirit, lead us to seek and to listen to your voice. Guide us to walk faithfully and obediently in the ways that you reveal. Strengthen us to live with you at the center of our lives. Amen.


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A Temple and a Palace

Readings: 1st Kings 5, 1st Kings 6, 1st Kings 7, 1st Kings 8

1st Kings 8:58 – “May God draw our hearts to him to walk in all his ways and observe his commands, his laws, and his judgments.”

In today’s chapters the temple and Solomon’s palace are constructed. The King of Tyre, Hiram, reiterates the promise he made to David. Solomon and Hiram make an agreement. Solomon will receive wood and Hiram will receive wheat and oil. A huge work force is called up. The temple is 90′ by 30′ and is 45′ tall. It is beautiful and ornate and much is covered in gold. After 7 years, the temple is built. Hiram comes and makes items for the outer area: pillars, a huge tank, stands, washbasins… – all of bronze. For the inside items are made of gold: altar, table, lampstands…

Solomon is also building his palace. It will be 150′ by 75′ and is 45′ tall. It is much larger than the temple but is also much less ornate… It takes 13 years to finish the palace. As this is ongoing, the temple is dedicated. The ark of the covenant is brought into the Holy of Holies. God’s glory fills the temple. Solomon offers a long and beautiful prayer. He begins by acknowledging that there is no god like the one God. He acknowledges the covenant and God’s loyalty. He calls for the temple to be the center of worship and the focus of their faith. Whether famine or plague or sin or enemy invasion or exile, he calls on the people to look to the temple, to repent, to pray to God, and to turn their hearts fully to God. Solomon asks God to listen to their prayers and to do what is right. He closes and then offers an invitation: “May God draw our hearts to him to walk in all his ways and observe his commands, his laws, and his judgments.”

Extravagant sacrifices are made to dedicate the temple and courtyard. This is followed by a great celebration that lasts 14 days. The people are dismissed. They bless the king and head to their tents happy and pleased. It is a good day.

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for the picture painted today – a king and a people focused on doing something for your glory. Thank you for the example of a people with hearts turned fully towards you. Lead us to walk in these ways. Amen.


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Finding God

Readings: 1st Samuel 4, 1st Samuel 5, 1st Samuel 6, 1st Samuel 7

1st Samuel 5:11 – “Send the chest of Israel’s God away! Let it go back to its own home so it doesn’t kill us and our people.”

Have you ever been around someone who has said something like, “I feel like we should say a prayer or something?” This thought reminds me of Israel at this point in their story. They have a vague notion of God but have no clue about how to really connect to the Lord. As the battle with the Philistines goes badly, they wonder why God would let this happen. But instead of praying or doing anything else that might connect them to God, they decide to bring the ark of the covenant to the next battle. This battle turns out worse. 30,000 die, the ark is captured, and Hophni and Phinehas die. This news causes Eli to fall over dead.

The ark brings nothing but trouble to the Philistines. They put it in their temple and their god Dagon falls over. They set it aright and the next morning it’s toppled again, this time missing its head and hands. The hand of God brings tumors on the people. Finally the Philistines say, “Send the chest of Israel’s God away! Let it go back to its own home so it doesn’t kill us and our people.” The Philistines even include an offering to honor God. At this point they know God better than the Israelites know God. The ark is received back. Time passes and Israel begins to long for God. Something is beginning to stir in their hearts.

Samuel calls the people back to God. He tells them to get rid of their idols and foreign gods. They gather with Samuel at Mizpah. Samuel draws and pours out water. They fast and confess their sins. And the Philistines gather an army. Israel is afraid. They look to Samuel. He prays to God and makes an offering. God brings Israel the victory. Samuel sets up an Ebenezer – a stone of remembering. There is peace. Samuel rules as a judge. All seems well…

Prayer: Lord God, today I’m reminded of how life seems to go when we go it on our own versus walking with you. When I’m tempted to sort of seek you, call me out. Remind me that it is my whole heart, soul, and mind that you seek. Pour those temptations out like water and draw me to the rock of faith that is a sure foundation. Amen.


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Wonderful Things

Readings: Joshua 1, Joshua 2, Joshua 3

Joshua 3:5 – “Make yourselves holy! Tomorrow the LORD will do wonderful things among you.”

Photo credit: John Towner

The book of Joshua begins with God’s direction and encouragement. Israel is to get ready to cross the Jordan. God encourages Joshua, telling him “no one will be able to stand up against you.” God encourages him to be “brave and strong.” And then God tells him to obey all of the Law, to recite it always. Why? “Then you will accomplish…” Faith and obedience will be required.

Joshua reaffirms the Transjordan tribes’ commitment to lead into the Promised Land and into battle. They pledge their support to Joshua and his leadership. Spies are sent into the land. They end up at a prostitute’s house. The king of Jericho hears about it and tells Rahab to send out the spies. Instead she lies, sending the king’s men on a wild good chase. Rahab then acknowledges the people’s fear of Israel and expresses her faith in Israel’s God. She seeks and receives assurance that she and her family will be spared. Rahab lowers the spies to safety. A red cord in the window will be a sign for death to pass over her home – like the red blood in Egypt. Rahab demonstrates the faith, initiative, and resolve needed to conquer the Promised Land.

In chapter 3 the Jordan is crossed. The river is at flood stage. Yet as the priests carrying the ark step into the river, dry ground is created. The people cross over, witnessing the “wonderful things” that Joshua has promised to a holy people. God goes before and the people follow. God makes a way once again. As we step forward as God leads, may we also trust fully in our God who always goes before.

Prayer: Lord God, in today’s readings there is a new sense of trust, of faith, of confidence in you. Joshua embodies this and it translates into the people’s lives. Use us today as you used Joshua – as pillars of faith and trust in your power and might. May these things seep into the lives of those we encounter today. Amen.


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In Love and in Grace

Readings: Genesis 6, Genesis 7, Genesis 8, Genesis 9:1-17

Genesis 6:9b: “Noah was a moral and exemplary man; he walked with God.”

Today’s readings center on the great flood. God sees that humanity has become “thoroughly evil.” Every thought was “completely evil.” The world was so bad that God even regrets making human beings. This situation leaves God “heartbroken.” Things are almost as bad as they can get. Almost. There is Noah. In Genesis 6:9b we read, “Noah was a moral and exemplary man; he walked with God.” At least there is Noah. At least there is one person that is worth saving.

Today our world is not perfect. It is far from it. Noah was an Old Testament example of piety. I wonder, as God looks down on the earth today, who are the Noahs? Specifically, are you and I modern day examples of an exemplary relationship with God?

In obedience to God, Noah builds an ark and gathers up his family and the animals – a pair of some, seven pairs of others. This gathering up insures not just Noah’s salvation, but the salvation of all of creation. God then shuts the hatch and the rains come down and the “springs of the deep sea” open up. In 7:22 we read, “Everything on dry land with life’s breath in its nostrils died.” The loss of all life is catastrophic, horrific, complete.

Eventually the waters recede. Noah sends out a dove to test the earth’s readiness for life. The third time the dove does not return. God tells Noah to exit the ark. Noah’s first acts on dry land are to build an altar and then to offer a sacrifice to God. This pleases God and moves God to make a covenant. There will never be another flood “to destroy the earth.” God placed “his bow” in the sky – it will be a frequent reminder to God of God’s commitment to stay in relationship with humanity. This is a gift that we rejoice in yet today.

Prayer: Lord God, what a horrible place the world became. Humanity broke your heart. Things deteriorated to the point that your justice required action. Thanks be to you, O God, that we had Noah – an example of faithful living. In your love you provided a way for the world to continue. In your grace you committed to us and to creation forever. Thank you, God. Amen.


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Step Forward and See

Reading: Joshua 3:10-17

Verses 15-16: “Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests… reached the Jordan… the water from upstream stopped flowing.”

If yesterday’s lesson from the first part of Joshua 3 was “come here and listen,” then today’s lesson is “step forward and see.” In verses 10-13 of today’s passage, Joshua tells the Israelites what is about to happen: God will be ahead of you, 12 men will pick up stones for a memorial, the water will be cut off. What is implied is this: we will cross through into the Promised Land. Then, in verse 14, they break camp and the priests, with the ark, lead the way. The ark of the covenant is God’s presence going ahead of them. As they step forward towards the Jordan we learn that “now the Jordan is at flood stage during the harvest.” There is potential in this realization to falter, to doubt, to question moving forward.

We can come to this place in our journeys of faith. We’ve heard the voice or felt the nudge. We’ve been beckoned and have drawn near to hear, to be invited into the plan that God has placed before us. And then that challenge or obstacle appears and it seems huge – “at flood stage.” We can give up or can turn back. Or we can return to what we heard when we drew near, trusting in God’s plan, continuing to move forward in faith.

In the next verse we read, “Yet as soon as the priests… reached the Jordan… the water from upstream stopped flowing.” Yes, see the power of God at work! That step of faith opened the door for God to do an amazing thing. This too is our promise. When we are faithful to draw near and to listen to God, when we step forward in trust, then we too will see the power of God at work. That huge obstacle or giant challenge – nothing to God. With this assurance, may we boldly move forward in faith in the Lord our God.

Prayer: Lord God, you plant seeds and you whisper visions and dreams. You open my heart to acts of mercy, to people and places in need of your experiencing your love and grace. As I draw near and hear your heart for those in need, guide me to step forward, to move out into the world, assured that you go with me and before me in power and might. Amen.


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Healing and Wholeness

Reading: 2nd Samuel 6: 14-19

Verse 16: “When she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him in her heart”.

Photo credit: Noah Silliman

The Ark enters Jerusalem to a great and joyous celebration. There are sacrifices and singing and dancing and music and rejoicing. In verse fifteen we read, “the entire house of Israel” was present to celebrate this event. It seems that everyone is enjoying this time of celebration.

Some nights at youth group we are playing a game or singing worship songs and a kid is off by themselves, either physically or emotionally. They do not want to participate. More often than not they have been hurt by something someone did or said and rightly so. Some of the time it is because of something that happened at school or at home. The same thing can happen with us as adults. We wall up when we are hurting. We’re just better at hiding it. People are hurting all around us.

As the Ark proceeded we read of Michal watching from a window. She is not down in the street with the crowd. As she watches David we read, “When she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him in her heart”. To see her husband, the king, celebrating when she was grieving, it hardened her heart. She had just lost her father and three brothers.

At youth group that young person looks at us playing or worshipping and wonders how we could do that when they’re hurting. In church the one who has lost a job or a loved one or… wonders how we can be joyous when they are in such pain. There are hurting people all around.

Our task is to notice – to connect with that kid at youth group or that person in church or that stranger on the bench. We are to have eyes that see and hearts that feel – gifts that allow and help us to draw others into the circle of God’s love. Doing so, may God’s love and our love bring healing and wholeness to our broken and hurting world.

Prayer: Lord God, grant that I may see and sense those who need to know your love today. May your love flow in and through me. Amen.


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Praise and Worship

Reading: 2nd Samuel 6: 1-5 and 12b-19

Verse 5: “David and the whole house of Israel were celebrating with all their might before the Lord”.

Photo credit: Hannah Skelly

As chapter six opens, David begins to bring the Ark of God to Jerusalem. The Ark had first traveled with the Israelites through the desert during their wanderings and had always dwelt in the tabernacle. It represented God’s very presence with the people. A foolish decision was made to bring the Ark into battle. It was lost to the hated Philistines. But it brought disaster upon them and they sent it back. The Ark ended up at Abinadab’s house. His home was blessed by its presence. David decides that the Ark of God should be in the main city of Jerusalem.

A great crowd gathers to move and then welcome the Ark into the city of David. It is a joyous occasion, one worthy of great worship. We read in verse five that “David and the whole house of Israel were celebrating with all their might before the Lord”. The Ark was once again in the central place in Israel! The city would be blessed! What a great day!

David, the king, is leading the procession – both physically and spiritually. He is unashamed of his worship of the Lord. He “danced before the Lord with all his might”. He must have inspired others to worship wholeheartedly too. When has your worship moved others? When has your passion for the Lord drawn others deeper into the act of worship?

When they are in church, two little girls love to dance. The twins are going into first grade this fall. When they dance to the music it warms my heart and makes me smile all over. It connects me closer to God. Their joy raises my joy. It is something we can all do. May we too be willing to dance before the Lord with all our might.

Prayer: Lord of all, you alone are worthy of our praise and worship. Each day may I praise you and bring you the glory that is due. May my worship draw others deeper into relationship with you. Amen.


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Covenant God

Reading: Genesis 9: 8-17

Verse 9: “I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you”.

Photo credit: Iker Urteaga

Noah is the central character in our passage but he is far from alone. Noah and family have been on the ark with every other living animal, bird, reptile, insect… for almost a whole year. Imagine being confined to a fairly small space for that long! In reality, though, the current pandemic has felt like that for many. For Noah and crew, the waters finally receed and God calls them out of the ark with the imperative to “be fruitful and increase in number”. The earth must be populated again. New life must return. As they exit the ark, God says, “I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you”. Never again will the whole earth be destroyed by water. A rainbow will remind God and humanity of the covenant.

If the pandemic has not felt like being locked in an ark for you, we all have had other trials and experiences where we wondered if we’d make it through, where we questioned if we’d survive the storm, where we’ve longed to finally catch our breath… As I’m sure Noah and family did from time to time, we have asked why God would allow this terrible thing to happen. This is a questioning born from grief or pain. After these emotions have passed we realize again that death and disease and illness and natural disasters are all part of life. None of these things are God punishing us or the world. At times maybe you, like me, briefly wondered this about COVID. It can sometimes feel that way. At the time of this writing, 2.43 million have died worldwide, with almost half a million of those deaths in the US. This disease has reminded us that we are powerless in many ways and that we can’t totally control everything. In the midst of the loss and grief we have also been reminded again and again of the hope, joy, strength, peace, assurance… that we find in our faith and in our covenant God.

Just as it did for Noah and family, the world as we once knew it has changed forever. We are in a place we never imagined we’d be. Just as the people of Noah’s day said ‘the rain will stop soon’, so too do we think this cannot last forever. We approach a year living in a pandemic. All of us have lost someone or have been impacted by this powerful disease. Yet Noah’s truths remain for us: God is more powerful than any earthly thing and that God is our covenant God. We too need to remember that God is more powerful than anything, even death. God promises to be our God in this life and in the life to come. Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Lord, you are all-powerful and everlasting. You are in total control and you are limitless. Yet you know my name and even the limited number of hairs on my head. You love me. You call me child. Thank you for wanting to be in a personal relationship with even me. Amen.


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Moving Forward in Trust and Faith

Reading: Joshua 3: 7-17

Verse 11: “The ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go into the Jordan ahead of you”.

In today’s passage the nation of Israel is finally to the point of stepping into the Promised Land. Their forty year trek in the wilderness comes down to this bookend event. As their journey began, with Pharaoh’s army pressing down on them, in fear they fled on the path that God provided as they walked through the waters. This time, they are not the same people. They now step forward towards danger in trust and with faith in God. The walled city of Jericho stands just across the Jordan.

In the years since they left Egypt the Israelites have been shaped, formed, taught, and brought into community. In our passage today, God assures Joshua that he will go with him, promising to “exalt you in the eyes of all Israel”. God does this by giving Joshua the words to speak and the actions to take as he leads the crossing of the Jordan. Joshua does not lead alone. God has been preparing him and the nation of Israel for this time. The Israelites have a priestly order and they have the ark – the physical item that represents God’s presence with them. In verse eleven we read, “The ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go into the Jordan ahead of you”. With God leading, the priests carry the ark into the waters. One leader from each tribe steps forward with the ark. Symbolically this represents two important truths: God goes before the people and the people go forth together.

The Jordan River is at flood stage. There could not have been a worse time to attempt to cross the river. Yet the entire nation once again passes through the waters on dry ground. In faith and trust, the people follow Joshua’s lead and the example set by the priests and leaders of each tribe. The journey into the land that God has promised continues.

At times in our faith journeys we too will stand on the edge of moving forward to where God is calling us. There will be a Jericho right there on the other side. It may be a challenge, it may be something we fear, it may be the unknown that lies behind the wall. The call to step forward remains. As you prepare to step forward, answering God’s call or following his lead, who will you call upon to stand with you? And as you make your crossings, how will you become one who stands with others as they step forward in faith and trust?

Prayer: Leading God, sometimes the steps forward are clear – into a promised land where we can see the way. Sometimes it feels more like the unknown. The call forward is there, but the path or where it might lead is unclear. In both cases you still call me forward in trust and faith. May I always sense or hear your call and may I follow where you lead. Amen.