September 5th -Common or Consecrated?

Common or Consecrated?

(Ezekiel 40:1-49; 41:1-26; 42:1-20; 43:1-27; 44:1-3)

Ministering Priests

Artwork from Bibliotheque Nationale de France

Around 570 years before the birth of Christ, the Lord gave His Old Testament prophet Ezekiel an amazing vision of His Great Temple. Included in the extremely detailed description is a set of specific instructions for priestly conduct and clothing.

Then he said to me,

"The north and south rooms facing the temple courtyard are the priests' rooms, where the priests who approach the LORD will eat the most holy offerings. There they will put the most holy offerings—the grain offerings, the sin offerings and the guilt offerings—for the place is holy.

Once the priests enter the holy precincts, they are not to go into the outer court until they leave behind the garments in which they minister, for these are holy. They are to put on other clothes before they go near the places that are for the people."

(Ezekiel 42:13-14, NIV, emphasis added)

Are you as intrigued by these instructions as I am? Why would the Lord care so deeply about the attire of the priests?

Perhaps it is not the apparel itself that is of concern. The main issue seems to be consecration (or set-apartness) of the priestly garb. God wanted the priests to wear clean, pure and holy clothing for ministering in His Presence, rather than their everyday outfits. The garments in which the priests mingled with the masses were apparently not acceptable for serving in the Lord’s own company.

How often might we mingle the righteous and the rough, the sacred and the sinful, the consecrated and the common?

In our church, even the pastors often wear blue jeans to church, although for centuries clergy wore fancy robes to minister. Some ordained leaders don neckties or even clerical collars for serving in the Lord’s house. Others choose to participate and lead in sportswear or even athletic attire. Is this wrong?

And what about the apparel worn by those in the choir – or the congregation at large?

What apparel is appropriate for holy service? Do fashions figure into fully acceptable worship of the Lord?

Is clothing really the issue here? In what other ways might we inadvertently mix unholy and holy matters? How might we best prepare ourselves to praise and honor the Lord aright?

Of course, the Lord promises to clothe His people with His own “garments of salvation” and “robes of righteousness” (see Isaiah 61:10) to live forever in His Presence. May it be ever so.

Will you pray with me?

Holy One,

We long to honor You.

Reveal to us

Any areas of our lives

Where we have allowed

Unholy things

To contaminate

Our holy worship of You –

Both individually

And corporately.

Make us pure,

Even as You are pure.

Make our motives mindful of the Master,

And clothe us in Your own righteousness.

Amen.

June 22nd - A Burning Question

A Burning Question

(2 Kings 14:28-29; 15:5, 8-18)

(2 Chronicles 26:16-21)

(Amos 7:10-17)

King Uzziah Struck with Leprosy

Artist Unknown

In the late Eighth Century B.C., Uzziah (or Azariah) was King of Judah. Uzziah’s regal power, as it all too often does, fueled his pride to the point of his own peril.

King Uzziah entered the Temple of the Lord at Jerusalem and attempted to burn holy incense. By doing so, he was not only ejected from the House of the Lord, but also from his own house, the royal palace of Judah.

The priests confronted King Uzziah and criticized his bold and brash action. Immediately, as King Uzziah argued with the priests of the Lord, his face became leprous. He was immediately removed from the Temple.

Uzziah’s son Jotham became co-regent (co-ruler) of Judah and governed the nation.

Leprosy may seem like a harsh price to pay for a little incense burning. However, King Uzziah clearly incensed the Lord with his brazen attempt to usurp priestly power. Although Uzziah held the God-granted position of King of Judah, he was not appointed or anointed to the holy priesthood. He was not a descendant of the priestly line of Aaron. He was not a Levite.

Certainly, King Uzziah had overstepped the boundaries of propriety and the rules of the Lord. The results were disastrous.

King Uzziah could not save his own skin.

How might we act like Uzziah?

This raises a burning question. In our zeal to serve the Lord, can we also be propelled by our own human pride to pursue positions to which our God has not called us?

May our Great Shepherd guide us to prayer before action. May He hold us back from roads to which He has not led us. May He place His gentle boundaries around us, to keep us safely and obediently walking the paths He has appointed for us. For only there may we fully please Him.

Will you pray with me?

Most Holy One,

We want only to serve You.

Drive us to our knees,

And hold our hearts,

So that our feet may follow

Where You will lead us.

Guard our hearts

From envying

The ministries of others.

Open our ears and our eyes,

So we may hear Your voice

And follow You clearly.

Amen.

May 15th - A Queen's Questions

A Queen’s Questions

(1 Kings 4:1-34; 7:1-12; 9:1-15, 17-24, 26-28; 10:1-25, 27)

(2 Chronicles 1:14-17; 7:11-22; 8:1-11, 17-18; 9:1-28)

(Psalm 72:1-19)

Solomon and the Queen of Sheba

By Giovanni Demin

19th Century

A Palace and Provisions

King Solomon of Israel spent thirteen years constructing his elegant royal palace. In fact, Solomon spent nearly twice as long building his own dwelling as he did constructing the Temple of the Lord.

Once Solomon’s palace was completed, he made a covenant with the Lord. God offered a solemn promise for His people. This Scripture has often been quoted as a national call to faithfulness:

“If My people, who are called by My Name,

will humble themselves

and pray

and seek My face

and turn from their wicked ways,

then will I hear from heaven

and will forgive their sin

and will heal their land.”
(2 Chronicles 7:14, NIV)

Following this promise of divine providence, the Lord explains how the converse may also be true. Under the Old Testament covenant, even as the people’s obedience might invite God’s favor, so disobedience might lead to disfavor.

A Period of Peace and Prosperity

The Lord blessed Solomon with wisdom and wealth, and He covered the nation of Israel with protection, peace and prosperity. King Solomon forged strategic alliances with neighboring nations, as God granted him favor.

The wealth of Solomon was unequalled, and the world’s leaders sought audiences with him for his wondrous wisdom.

Counting his many blessings, King Solomon continually offered praise to God, giving the Lord the glory for His bounty.

A Royal Visitor

The famous Queen of Sheba traveled more than 1,200 miles in a camel caravan to meet with King Solomon and enjoy the benefit of his discernment and understanding. Arriving at King Solomon’s palace, the Queen instructed her servants to unload many elegant gifts, as she unloaded the mysteries of her own heart. She marveled at Solomon’s wise answers.

“She said to the king,

‘The report I heard in my own country

about your achievements and your wisdom is true.

But I did not believe what they said

until I came and saw with my own eyes.

Indeed, not even half the greatness

of your wisdom was told me;

you have far exceeded the report I heard.

How happy your men must be!

How happy your officials,

who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom!

Praise be to the Lord your God,

who has delighted in you

and placed you on His throne as king

to rule for the Lord your God.

Because of the love of your God for Israel

and His desire to uphold them forever,

He has made you king over them,

to maintain justice and righteousness.’"

(2 Chronicles 9:5-8, NIV, emphasis added)

King Solomon of Israel, with his God-given wisdom, penned more than 3,000 proverbs and wrote more than a thousand songs, proclaiming the truth of the Lord (see 1 Kings 4:32). What a wonder!

Who is the smartest, most well-read and highly educated person you have ever known? Apparently, Solomon’s smarts exceeded even that. What would it have been like to spend a few moments with such a mind?

If you were granted an audience with a sage such as Solomon, what would you ask?

What sorts of questions would you like to explore? Would you ask about justice and mercy? Would you wonder why good people suffer, while evildoers may seem to prosper? Would you like to know the plans of the Lord?

The Queen of Sheba traveled far, undoubtedly at great expense, to meet with the wise King Solomon. But we can meet with the God of all wisdom wherever we are.

What questions would you like to ask, if you had a personal appointment with the omniscient One, the Lord of all? You have only to ask.

Will you pray with me?

Almighty One,

Creator of all wisdom

And knowledge

And understanding,

How humbled we are

To consider

Who You are.

We understand so little,

And yet we trust You,

For You understand all things.

Tell us the secrets

Of Your great love.

Give us understanding,

That we might choose wisely

Each day,

As we seek the truth.

Draw us closer to Yourself,

That we might be filled

With a greater desire

For only You.

Nothing else satisfies

But You,

The source of all wisdom

And truth.

Amen.

May 14th - Dedicated to the Divine

Dedicated to the Divine

(1 Kings 8:1-66)

(2 Chronicles 5:2-14; 6:1-42; 7:1-10)

Solomon Dedicates the Temple to the Lord

Artist Unknown

Having completed the Lord’s step-by-step instructions for constructing His holy Temple, Solomon led the people of Israel in dedicating it to God. Solomon offered a sacred prayer of consecration, marking the Temple as the Lord’s dwelling place among men.

Once the Temple was fully dedicated to God, the Lord’s glory filled it as a cloud, so that the priests could not even perform their regular duties. The people were overcome by the presence of the Lord.

Under the New Covenant of God’s grace, fulfilled through the Messiah Jesus Christ, we have learned that our very bodies are the temples of the living God. What a wonderful and miraculous mystery.

^“Do you not know

that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit,

who is in you,

whom you have received from God?

You are not your own;

you were bought at a price.

Therefore honor God with your body.”

(1 Corinthians 6:19-20, NIV)

How often do we pray for revival and the manifest glorious presence of the Lord? What is the secret to inviting God’s glory into our midst? Perhaps we must become fully devoted and dedicated to Him.

Let’s consider the consecratory prayer of Solomon, adapting it to fit the New Covenant through Christ. May we pray this Scripture together. Might we not consider all believers to be Israel, the Lord’s people, adopted by God’s love and mercy?

Will you pray with me?

"Praise be to the LORD,

who has given rest to his people Israel

just as he promised.

Not one word has failed of all the good promises

he gave through his servant Moses. ⁵⁷

May the LORD our God be with us

as he was with our fathers;

may he never leave us nor forsake us.

⁵⁸ May he turn our hearts to him,

to walk in all his ways

and to keep the commands,

decrees

and regulations he gave our fathers.

⁵⁹ And may these words of mine,

which I have prayed before the LORD,

be near to the LORD our God

day and night,

that he may uphold

the cause of his servant

and the cause of his people Israel

according to each day's need,

⁶⁰ so that all the peoples of the earth

may know that the LORD is God

and that there is no other.

⁶¹ But your hearts must be fully committed

to the LORD our God,

to live by his decrees

and obey his commands,

as at this time."

(1 Kings 8:56-61, NIV, emphases added)

Amen.