Links for today’s readings:
Nov 20 Read: 1 Chronicles 15 Listen: (4:38) Read: Psalms 89 Listen: (5:29)
Scripture Focus: 1 Chronicles 15.11-15
11 Then David summoned Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel and Amminadab the Levites. 12 He said to them, “You are the heads of the Levitical families; you and your fellow Levites are to consecrate yourselves and bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, to the place I have prepared for it. 13 It was because you, the Levites, did not bring it up the first time that the Lord our God broke out in anger against us. We did not inquire of him about how to do it in the prescribed way.” 14 So the priests and Levites consecrated themselves in order to bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel. 15 And the Levites carried the ark of God with the poles on their shoulders, as Moses had commanded in accordance with the word of the Lord.
Reflection: Handling God’s Presence and Word
By John Tillman
The first time he moved the ark, David failed.
David missed (or ignored) important instructions in God’s word. He moved the ark just like the Philistines did, on a cart. David treated the ark like a load of goods or an idol instead of the throne representing the presence of a real and living God. Chronicles clarifies David studied the proper procedure for moving the ark before his second attempt. David read the syllabus.
A good syllabus contributes to student success. However, professors, teachers, and students know that students often fail to thoroughly read syllabi.
Since I was in graduate school, syllabi have gone beyond simple instructions. Many syllabi are bloated documents of legal jargon meant to shield professors against complaints and campus politics. Students skip or skim syllabi for the same reasons we skip or skim the “Terms and Conditions” we consent to for digital services that dominate our lives.
Some professors go to extremes to promote reading their syllabi or to humiliate students who don’t. In a viral stunt, a music professor put fifty dollars in a locker. In his syllabus he included the locker’s number, combination, and instructions that the cash was free to the first student who claimed it. At the end of the semester, the cash was still there.
Does this prove students don’t read syllabi? Or does it prove syllabi are unreadable and unhelpful?
The Bible is not an unreadable syllabus and God is not a sneaky professor or a corrupt corporation trying to trick or make fools of his people. The instructions for carrying the ark showed respect for God’s presence, power, and person represented by the ark. There was no excuse for David carrying it before the people in an unworthy way.
We have God’s Holy Spirit in our hearts. How are we handling it?
Are we carrying God’s presence before people in an unworthy way? Are we missing (or ignoring) important instructions in God’s word? Are we treating God (or the Bible) like a mascot or idol? Does our obedience respect God’s presence, power, and person?
Moses told Israel God’s commands were not too difficult or beyond reach. (Deuteronomy 30.11-15) Moses’ encouragement is as true for us today as it was for Israel. Be a good student of God’s word, using all the tools we are blessed with today. Don’t neglect our clear instructions to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly. (Micah 6.8)
Divine Hours Prayer: The Refrain for the Morning Lessons
My eyes are upon the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me… — Psalm 101.6
– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Autumn and Wintertime by Phyllis Tickle.
Read more: Daughters of Saul and Sons of Moses
Michal, daughter of Saul and wife of David, critiqued the celebration…The daughter of Saul despised this lowly king.
Read more: When Temples Fall
God would rather destroy his temple than see it continue in unrighteousness, but the psalmist’s good news is that God also restores.