In this chapter, I learnt about the holiness of God and the heart posture I should adopt in His presence. There are 3 artifacts in the ark of the covenant. The gold jar of unspoiled manna represented God's provision, Aaron's staff (which budded long after it was cut) symbolised the power of God and the tablets were God's commandments. The ark also symbolised God's presence. In this chapter, one man lay dead and another was dancing before the ark. From these scenes, we can learn a how to have a right heart posture before God.
The man who lay dead was Uzzah. He was a priest, a descendant on Aaron. The ark has been kept in the house of his father. He had grown up with it. For 30 yrs the Israelites forgot abt the ark. David wanted to do something about it. Uzzah and Ahio were put in charge of transporting the ark. They load it on an ox-drawn wagon and begin to march. On a patch of unstable road, the oxen stumble, wagon shakes and the ark shifts. Uzzah, thinking the holy chest is about to fall off the wagon extends his hand to steady it. At this, Uzzah was struck down. He was struck down because he was lax before the holy. God gave specific instructions on how to transport the ark. Only the priests could draw near after they had offered sacrifices for themselves and their families. The ark was not to be lifted by hands but with acacia poles. The priests were not to touch the sacred objects or they will die. Uzzah should have known this. He was afterall a priest. Uzzah exchanged commands for convenience, instead of using poles, they used a wagon, and bulls instead of priests. Wee see no obedience. The question is not why God killed Uzzah, rather, we should ask ourselves why does He let us live? Uzzah's story sends a sobering and shuddering reminder to all of us, to be careful not to be lax with the holy. Don't become too familiar with God's presence. After all of this, David determines to get it right this next time round. The ark is successfully transported back and David danced in front of it.
A lesson I learnt the most from this chapter is to be reverent before a holy God. Be aware of His presence in my daily life and have a healthy sense of fear. The chapter sums up teaching us to have a reverent and joyful heart in God's presence.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Monday, July 09, 2007
I don't know why blogger doesn't allow me to add a title for this post. Anyway this entry is about grace.
I'm currently reading Max Lucado's Facing Your Giants. The book talks about the life of David. The first chapter describes David as the giant slayer. He was the most unlikely of heroes. Even as Samuel went to Jesse to anoint the new king, he was not even among those considered worthy. He was out in the field tending the sheep. When he faced the giant, one could observe that he had set his sight on God. There's a stark contrast in the chapters that follow. Max Lucado proceeded to tell David's story. Our giant slayer friend starts to fall apart when Saul starts persecuting him. He falters around six times, on many of these occasions lied or deceived to protect himself out of fear. It seems he has lost sight of God. Max Lucado wrote:"Wilderness begins with disconnection and continues in deceit." David was disconnected. His wife, Michal helped him to flee Saul, but when confronted, said David forced her to allow him to flee. Jonathan, his best friend could not help him because he had to tend the court of a raving mad king father. He went to Samuel, but someone saw him and reported to Saul. He then escaped again. In times like these it's not difficult to sympathise with David. Many times out of fear, he could not see God's presence. So the author asks:"You see your giant, but is that all you see?" David finally finds a refuge in a cave in Adullam. He turns to God and soon finds refuge in Him again. God then sends many other people to join him to ultimately form his army.
The one thing that touched me a lot was the grace of God. David was later called in the new testament by God the man after God's heart. He was no saint! He committed adultery, murder, lied... He faltered. That's what happens to sinful imperfect people. I was really touched to day in worship when I thought about this. Grace is getting something we don't deserve. That is the love and forgiveness of God. I thought of this verse. Hebrews 4:15-16 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are-- yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
I'm currently reading Max Lucado's Facing Your Giants. The book talks about the life of David. The first chapter describes David as the giant slayer. He was the most unlikely of heroes. Even as Samuel went to Jesse to anoint the new king, he was not even among those considered worthy. He was out in the field tending the sheep. When he faced the giant, one could observe that he had set his sight on God. There's a stark contrast in the chapters that follow. Max Lucado proceeded to tell David's story. Our giant slayer friend starts to fall apart when Saul starts persecuting him. He falters around six times, on many of these occasions lied or deceived to protect himself out of fear. It seems he has lost sight of God. Max Lucado wrote:"Wilderness begins with disconnection and continues in deceit." David was disconnected. His wife, Michal helped him to flee Saul, but when confronted, said David forced her to allow him to flee. Jonathan, his best friend could not help him because he had to tend the court of a raving mad king father. He went to Samuel, but someone saw him and reported to Saul. He then escaped again. In times like these it's not difficult to sympathise with David. Many times out of fear, he could not see God's presence. So the author asks:"You see your giant, but is that all you see?" David finally finds a refuge in a cave in Adullam. He turns to God and soon finds refuge in Him again. God then sends many other people to join him to ultimately form his army.
The one thing that touched me a lot was the grace of God. David was later called in the new testament by God the man after God's heart. He was no saint! He committed adultery, murder, lied... He faltered. That's what happens to sinful imperfect people. I was really touched to day in worship when I thought about this. Grace is getting something we don't deserve. That is the love and forgiveness of God. I thought of this verse. Hebrews 4:15-16 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are-- yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
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