Day 228
2 Chronicles 5:2-7:10, 1 Corinthians 10:14-11:1, Proverbs 20:5-14
The details of the Ark of the Covenant being transported made me think about the cars that surround the president of the United States. Absolutely everything seems to follow him including an ambulance at the back with his own blood in it. Every effort is put into that journey. It was not much different for the ark, a lot of effort went into bringing it up to the temple, just look at everything that went in front of it and everything that was around it, and that is before you even get onto the sacrifices.
I was more struck however by the fact that the priests could not do their work because the glory of the Lord filled the place like a cloud. That must have been pretty impressive. I have been up some pretty big hills in some pretty thick cloud and sometimes you just have to stop because you can’t see 2 inches in front of you. Those clouds were pretty cold damp things that made you feel a bit wet and miserable. Now imagine that it is not cold and wet but that you are faced by the shining glory of the Lord. I was immediately struck by the question of whether anything in this day and age strikes that sense of awe that stops you from functioning?
The final thing that we need to note is that we are getting into some of Paul’s meatier sections of theology. When Paul says “everything is permissible” he was back in the realm of food but we can easily move it into the none food. Now not everything is permissible (murder for one), but the church over the years has got tied up with questions as to whether something is or is not ok – alcohol for instance. Now Paul sets a much more useful benchmark for the church to make judgements against. Some things are clear cut right and wrong, eg murder and adultery (they’re wrong, not right!) and then Paul says that if you are not sure, or it is causing a problem, ask whether it is beneficial or constructive. Alcohol can be beneficial for the health but getting completely drunk is neither beneficial or constructive, so that latter one is clearly something we should avoid. This can be applied to a number of other areas of life.
Being in the presence of the glory of the Lord is both beneficial and constructive, even if you don’t get any work done (and no that is not a valid excuse for homework or the office). What else though do we need to weigh up using this scale of Pauls? Take a look at your life with this benchmark in mind and see where it takes you.
The details of the Ark of the Covenant being transported made me think about the cars that surround the president of the United States. Absolutely everything seems to follow him including an ambulance at the back with his own blood in it. Every effort is put into that journey. It was not much different for the ark, a lot of effort went into bringing it up to the temple, just look at everything that went in front of it and everything that was around it, and that is before you even get onto the sacrifices. I was more struck however by the fact that the priests could not do their work because the glory of the Lord filled the place like a cloud. That must have been pretty impressive. I have been up some pretty big hills in some pretty thick cloud and sometimes you just have to stop because you can’t see 2 inches in front of you. Those clouds were pretty cold damp things that made you feel a bit wet and miserable. Now imagine that it is not cold and wet but that you are faced by the shining glory of the Lord. I was immediately struck by the question of whether anything in this day and age strikes that sense of awe that stops you from functioning?
The final thing that we need to note is that we are getting into some of Paul’s meatier sections of theology. When Paul says “everything is permissible” he was back in the realm of food but we can easily move it into the none food. Now not everything is permissible (murder for one), but the church over the years has got tied up with questions as to whether something is or is not ok – alcohol for instance. Now Paul sets a much more useful benchmark for the church to make judgements against. Some things are clear cut right and wrong, eg murder and adultery (they’re wrong, not right!) and then Paul says that if you are not sure, or it is causing a problem, ask whether it is beneficial or constructive. Alcohol can be beneficial for the health but getting completely drunk is neither beneficial or constructive, so that latter one is clearly something we should avoid. This can be applied to a number of other areas of life.
Being in the presence of the glory of the Lord is both beneficial and constructive, even if you don’t get any work done (and no that is not a valid excuse for homework or the office). What else though do we need to weigh up using this scale of Pauls? Take a look at your life with this benchmark in mind and see where it takes you.
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