Readings:
II Chronicles 6:1-21
Acts 17:24-34
Focus:
II Chronicles 6:18b: "Heaven itself, the highest heaven, cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built!"
Acts 17:24: "The God who created the world and everything in it, and who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands."
Solomon built the temple that his father David had planned. When it was done, he led the people in prayers of consecration, and asked God to bless it. Solomon knew that God would not truly dwell there, but he asked that when people turned their hearts towards the temple in prayer, that God would hear, and consider the prayers as being made towards him.
Centuries later Paul used this same knowledge, that God cannot live in a human dwelling, to tell the Athenians about the true God. Although some scoffed, many were interested and ended up becoming believers.
Today we also know that God does not live in churches and temples. Instead, they are places where we can gather to worship God together. They can also be centers of ministry to help other people. Above all, they must be used for God. But we must always remember that God is infinitely greater.
Showing posts with label David. Show all posts
Showing posts with label David. Show all posts
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Giving His Gifts Back
Readings:
I Chronicles 29
Acts 15:12-35
Focus:
I Chronicles 29:14: "But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give willingly like this? For everything comes from you, and it is only of your gifts that we give to you."
In praying before the assembled Israelites, King David utters a great truth, one that is easy to forget: everything that we have comes from God, and so when we give to him, we are only giving back what he gave us to begin with. It makes no sense, therefore, to clutch it to ourselves and be unwilling to give.
When I was a young girl, my grandmother told me that if I always tithed (gave 10% to the church), I would never be sorry. In Malachi 3:10a it says, "Put me to the proof, says the Lord of Hosts, and see if I do not open windows in the sky and pour a blessing on you as long as there is need."
God gives us things so that we will use them for him. In return, he will give us what we need. I have always found that to be true; my grandmother was right. All things come from God, and it is only his gifts that we give back to him.
I Chronicles 29
Acts 15:12-35
Focus:
I Chronicles 29:14: "But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give willingly like this? For everything comes from you, and it is only of your gifts that we give to you."
In praying before the assembled Israelites, King David utters a great truth, one that is easy to forget: everything that we have comes from God, and so when we give to him, we are only giving back what he gave us to begin with. It makes no sense, therefore, to clutch it to ourselves and be unwilling to give.
When I was a young girl, my grandmother told me that if I always tithed (gave 10% to the church), I would never be sorry. In Malachi 3:10a it says, "Put me to the proof, says the Lord of Hosts, and see if I do not open windows in the sky and pour a blessing on you as long as there is need."
God gives us things so that we will use them for him. In return, he will give us what we need. I have always found that to be true; my grandmother was right. All things come from God, and it is only his gifts that we give back to him.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Putting God First
Readings:
I Chronicles 21
Acts 12:18-25
Focus:
Acts 12:23a: "Instantly an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he had usurped the honor due to God."
Throughout the Bible, the worst sin of all is the sin of counting oneself more important than God. In the story in I Chronicles 21, what makes God angry with King David is the fact that David takes a census to find out what his military strength might be. God wants David to rely instead on God himself for protection.
Israel is supposed to be different from the other countries because they derive their security not from armies, but from God. Yet David, normally a man after God's own heart, succumbs to military pride, views himself as the victorious leader of Israel, and takes a census to see just how vast his might is. He thinks of his own greatness instead of God's greatness.
Herod goes further and allows people to call him a god. This is of course far worse, and it results in his death.
In the 21st century we don't usually think of ourselves as gods. But we often think of ourselves before anything or anyone else, including God. It's the greatest sin I have to struggle with. And it's not trivial. God wants us to put him before everything, including before ourselves.
The best thing is that when we do that, God takes care of us and fills our cup of blessing to overflowing. David found that to be true, and I too have found that to be true, over and over again.
I Chronicles 21
Acts 12:18-25
Focus:
Acts 12:23a: "Instantly an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he had usurped the honor due to God."
Throughout the Bible, the worst sin of all is the sin of counting oneself more important than God. In the story in I Chronicles 21, what makes God angry with King David is the fact that David takes a census to find out what his military strength might be. God wants David to rely instead on God himself for protection.
Israel is supposed to be different from the other countries because they derive their security not from armies, but from God. Yet David, normally a man after God's own heart, succumbs to military pride, views himself as the victorious leader of Israel, and takes a census to see just how vast his might is. He thinks of his own greatness instead of God's greatness.
Herod goes further and allows people to call him a god. This is of course far worse, and it results in his death.
In the 21st century we don't usually think of ourselves as gods. But we often think of ourselves before anything or anyone else, including God. It's the greatest sin I have to struggle with. And it's not trivial. God wants us to put him before everything, including before ourselves.
The best thing is that when we do that, God takes care of us and fills our cup of blessing to overflowing. David found that to be true, and I too have found that to be true, over and over again.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
General Rejoicing
Readings:
I Chronicles 13
Acts 8:2-25
Focus:
I Chronicles 13:8:"David and all Israel danced for joy before the Lord with all their might to the sound of singing, of lyres, lutes, tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets."
Acts 8:12:"But when they came to believe Philip, with his good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, men and women alike were baptized."
Sometimes it feels like not very many people care about God. But there have been other times when lots of people have joined together with enthusiasm in belief and worship. Two of those times are in these readings.
When David had become king, he decided to bring the Ark of God to Jerusalem. It had been in a sort of temporary location due to some complicated history. When the Ark was being carried towards Jerusalem, there was great happiness, and David and many other people danced for joy. They were overwhelmed with happiness that the Ark, the symbol of God, was going to be in their midst.
When Philip went down from Jerusalem to a Samaritan town and preached, large numbers of the population listened attentively and became Christians. It was so impressive that more apostles came from Jerusalem to help out. All of them were happy in their new faith.
It's good to think about these times when there have been large groups of people rejoicing together in their faith in God. We have a connection with them; all believers are in the family of God together. In a sense we can rejoice with them, too.
I Chronicles 13
Acts 8:2-25
Focus:
I Chronicles 13:8:"David and all Israel danced for joy before the Lord with all their might to the sound of singing, of lyres, lutes, tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets."
Acts 8:12:"But when they came to believe Philip, with his good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, men and women alike were baptized."
Sometimes it feels like not very many people care about God. But there have been other times when lots of people have joined together with enthusiasm in belief and worship. Two of those times are in these readings.
When David had become king, he decided to bring the Ark of God to Jerusalem. It had been in a sort of temporary location due to some complicated history. When the Ark was being carried towards Jerusalem, there was great happiness, and David and many other people danced for joy. They were overwhelmed with happiness that the Ark, the symbol of God, was going to be in their midst.
When Philip went down from Jerusalem to a Samaritan town and preached, large numbers of the population listened attentively and became Christians. It was so impressive that more apostles came from Jerusalem to help out. All of them were happy in their new faith.
It's good to think about these times when there have been large groups of people rejoicing together in their faith in God. We have a connection with them; all believers are in the family of God together. In a sense we can rejoice with them, too.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Real Details
Readings:
I Chronicles 11
Acts 7:1-22
Focus:
I Chronicles 11:13-14a:"He was with David at Pas-dammim where the Philistines had gathered for battle in a field carrying a good crop of barley. When the people had fled from the Philistines he stood his ground in the field, defended it, and defeated them."
Sometimes when I read some of the details in the Bible it makes me realize how real these people's lives were. Eleazar son of Dodo, the person who defended this field of barley, wasn't just some named warrior in King David's retinue. We don't just hear that he was mighty in battle. We also hear that there was a specific field at Pas-dammim that had a good crop of barley, which was important to the Israelites, and that Eleazar successfully defended it.
Another detail in this chapter concerns a different one of David's fighting men, Benaiah son of Jehoiada. Among his exploits we find that once he went down in a pit and killed a lion (presumably some kind of wildcat) on a snowy day. We don't just hear that he killed a lion; we hear that it happened on a snowy day.
And then there's the list of all of David's heroes, at the end of the chapter. It includes their names, and usually their fathers and where they're from, such as "Ahiam son of Sacar the Hararite." But sometimes it's something like "Helez from a place unknown."
Why do we have these details and these items such as "from a place unknown"? Because it's real. These things really happened, and people remembered the barley field, and the snowy day. Someone had a list of David's heroes, but they didn't have all the information about each one of them, so some of them were listed with "from a place unknown."
We're not just reading myths and mystical stories. We're reading about events that happened, and they're recorded for our benefit under the guidance of a God who loves us. The overarching plan of the Bible is for God to communicate to us how much he loves us and how he wants to have a relationship with us. It's worth our reading it.
I Chronicles 11
Acts 7:1-22
Focus:
I Chronicles 11:13-14a:"He was with David at Pas-dammim where the Philistines had gathered for battle in a field carrying a good crop of barley. When the people had fled from the Philistines he stood his ground in the field, defended it, and defeated them."
Sometimes when I read some of the details in the Bible it makes me realize how real these people's lives were. Eleazar son of Dodo, the person who defended this field of barley, wasn't just some named warrior in King David's retinue. We don't just hear that he was mighty in battle. We also hear that there was a specific field at Pas-dammim that had a good crop of barley, which was important to the Israelites, and that Eleazar successfully defended it.
Another detail in this chapter concerns a different one of David's fighting men, Benaiah son of Jehoiada. Among his exploits we find that once he went down in a pit and killed a lion (presumably some kind of wildcat) on a snowy day. We don't just hear that he killed a lion; we hear that it happened on a snowy day.
And then there's the list of all of David's heroes, at the end of the chapter. It includes their names, and usually their fathers and where they're from, such as "Ahiam son of Sacar the Hararite." But sometimes it's something like "Helez from a place unknown."
Why do we have these details and these items such as "from a place unknown"? Because it's real. These things really happened, and people remembered the barley field, and the snowy day. Someone had a list of David's heroes, but they didn't have all the information about each one of them, so some of them were listed with "from a place unknown."
We're not just reading myths and mystical stories. We're reading about events that happened, and they're recorded for our benefit under the guidance of a God who loves us. The overarching plan of the Bible is for God to communicate to us how much he loves us and how he wants to have a relationship with us. It's worth our reading it.
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