Contemplative Bible Reading

1 Kings 15:11,14b (New Living Translation)

Asa did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight, as his ancestor David had done…Asa’s heart remained completely faithful to the Lord throughout his life.

I break with tradition in this blog with how I quote the scriptures in this post. I skip a few sentences and add half a verse to emphasize how King Asa was faithful as David.

King David had many faults. He committed adultery with another man’s wife and had that man killed in battle. David lost faith in God’s power and took a census to ensure his power on earth. David lied and cheated.

Given all these faults, God cherished David for being faithful to Jehovah the God of Israel and worshiping no other Gods. We read here that generations later King Asa followed the example of King David in this respect: Asa was faithful to Jehovah God of Israel and did not worship any other gods.

King Solomon, David’s own son, was praised and rewarded by Jehovah God of Israel for asking for wisdom instead of riches. God rewarded Solomon with wisdom, riches, and peace in his 40-year reign. Solomon, however, fell to temptation and worshiped other gods.

After the split of the kingdom into Judah in the south and Israel in the north, the kings of Israel all worshiped other gods as did many of the kings of Judah. They neglected the ways of David for the ways of Solomon.

Loyalty to the one true God is pretty important. From these examples, I surmise that loyalty to the one true God is paramount. Thanks be to the grace of God and my family heritage, I don’t worship the god of the sun or of rain or hurricanes or blizzards. I have enough other troubles.

1 Samuel 3:19-20 (New Living Translation)

19 As Samuel grew up, the Lord was with him, and everything Samuel said proved to be reliable. 20 And all Israel, from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south, knew that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of the Lord.

All Israel knew that Samuel was a prophet, i.e., God spoke to the people through Samuel. How did the people of Israel know this?

Everything Samuel said proved to be reliable.

Well, that’s pretty simple. I mean, surely a prophet would have credit for something spectacular or something, right? Just being reliable, well, anyone can be reliable, right?

Wrong. Everything Samuel said proved to be reliable. Not just this or that, not just the important things, not just the simple things, everything. But what about the temperature tomorrow morning. Samuel probably didn’t say much about that. What about this, that, and the other thing? Samuel probably didn’t say much about those things either.

My guess is that Samuel chose his words carefully. My guess is that Samuel looked to God for guidance before he opened his mouth. My guess is that I could follow Samuel’s example much more. Please God, help my in my unbelief.

1 Kings 18:45-46 (New Living Translation)

45 And soon the sky was black with clouds. A heavy wind brought a terrific rainstorm, and Ahab left quickly for Jezreel. 46 Then the Lord gave special strength to Elijah. He tucked his cloak into his belt and ran ahead of Ahab’s chariot all the way to the entrance of Jezreel.

This is part of the (hi)story of the prophet Elijah. God had sent a drought on the land. The drought was about to end with a sudden and miraculous rain storm.

Evil Ahab hopped in his chariot and sped towards the town of Jezreel. Elijah tucked his cloak into his belt, tightened the laces of his Nike track shoes (I made up that last phrase), and started running. Elijah ran faster than the galloping horses pulling Ahab’s chariot.

It must have been a jolt of adrenaline that enabled Elijah, right? I mean, that’s the only thing that could explain it. A man, especially an old man dressed like Elijah, just cannot possibly run faster than galloping horses.

Nope. It was special strength from God.

Well, that’s just an old story, right? Wrong. It is right in front of us in black and white. God’s special strength. I cannot explain special strength from God. I’ve never received special strength from God that enabled me to run faster than galloping horses.

Have I ever received special strength from God? Probably. I believe that at some time or another, most of us have. That special strength pushed me to love someone I didn’t like or help someone I didn’t want to help or merely let someone else move in front of me in traffic when I didn’t want to. Special strength is just that—special. There is no explaining it.

Deuteronomy 34:10-12 (New Living Translation)

10 There has never been another prophet in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face. 11 The Lord sent him to perform all the miraculous signs and wonders in the land of Egypt against Pharaoh, and all his servants, and his entire land. 12 With mighty power, Moses performed terrifying acts in the sight of all Israel.

These verses describe Moses. Moses was a man “the LORD knew face to face.” God used Moses to negotiate with Pharaoh and bring the people out of Egypt.

Note that Moses “performed terrifying acts in the sight of all Israel.”

When Moses followed God’s commands and brought plagues and such, the people didn’t stand back, say, “Wow! Oh my gosh!” and applaud. They ran and hid in terror. The gnats, the frogs, the lice, the darkness, etc.—the were TERRIFYING! My years of Sunday School as a kid has diluted these signs and miracle and plagues for me. A million people were TERRIFIED at the sight.

God works in mysterious ways. I don’t “get it” much of the time. My mind just isn’t big enough or searching enough or something. All these super hero special effects movies have dulled my senses. When was the last time I was terrified? I am not sure I want to see God act in my life and terrify me. Please God, help my in my unbelief.

1 Chronicles 16:19-22 (New Living Translation)

19 He (God) said this when you were few in number, a tiny group of strangers in Canaan.
20 They wandered from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another.
21 Yet he did not let anyone oppress them. He warned kings on their behalf:
22 “Do not touch my chosen people, and do not hurt my prophets.”

This is part of a Song of Praise from King David. The song reminds the people how God protected them in their journey and wandering.

Note the last two phrases: God did not let anyone oppress the people. God told kings, “Do not touch.”

God protects some people. God speaks to unbelievers. Maybe God speaks to them in dreams, thoughts, or through advisors, but God speaks to unbelievers. “Don’t touch those people over there,” God told kings. Those kings obeyed God. Hmm, unbelieving kings obeying God. Odd how I, a devoted follower of God, have trouble obeying God sometimes. Yikes. I have to do better.

God protects some people. I have traveled far and wide—safely. I have never been harmed in traveling through kingdoms. I can attribute this safety to all sorts of logical reasons. I can also attribute safe travels to God as protection by God. God spoke to folks along the way, “Do not touch Dwayne.”

Maybe I am stretching this too far. Perhaps not. God speaks to people everywhere all the time. Thank you God.

Deuteronomy 32:20-21a (New Living Translation)

20 He said, ‘I will abandon them;
then see what becomes of them.
For they are a twisted generation,
children without integrity.
21 They have roused my jealousy by worshiping things that are not God;

God is speaking to the people through Moses. One condemnation about the people is that they are children without integrity.

When a person says they will do one thing, but does another, that is one sign of a lack of integrity. What were the people saying and then not doing? They said they worshiped Jehovah their God and Jehovah alone. Instead, they were worshiping other gods.

This is the great failing of the people of the time; they worshiped what the people around them worshiped. Need rain for crops? Don’t pray to the real God, worship the local god of rain. Need help in a battle in the hills? Don’t pray to the real God, worship the local god of the hills. The list went on and on.

David sinned in many ways. David, however, only worshiped Jehovah the true God. Other kings after David? They worshiped other gods. They were children without integrity.

God, bless me with integrity. Bless me with the strength needed to do what I say I will do. Bless me with the wisdom to say only what I can do.

1 Chronicles 16:24-25 (New Living Translation)

23 Let the whole earth sing to the Lord!
Each day proclaim the good news that he saves.
24 Publish his glorious deeds among the nations.
Tell everyone about the amazing things he does.

King David gives to Asaph and his fellow Levites a song of thanksgiving to the Lord. Part of this song is listed above.

Okay, I have five minutes to talk to someone. What shall I mention? I could point out their many mistakes and how they should feel ashamed of themselves. I could give a lecture on the proper forms of worship. I could give a lecture on proper attire for all situations. I could… the list goes on.

How about this one: I could tell them about God’s glorious deeds. I could proclaim the good news that God saves.

Hmm. That’s pretty simple. Hear ye, hear ye! God created it all. God gave it all to us to enjoy in the right ways God intended. Let us rejoice!

Sometimes I want to expand on the simple to my detriment and the detriment of others.

Numbers 14:44-45 (New Living Translation)

44 But the people defiantly pushed ahead toward the hill country, even though neither Moses nor the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant left the camp. 45 Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in those hills came down and attacked them and chased them back as far as Hormah.

defy: verb, openly resist or refuse to obey.

This is part of the (hi)story of the people traveling from Egypt to the land promised to them by God. They stumbled along the way. These verses are about the time when they smacked themselves in the forehead and said, “Well, of course we can take the land. God promised us.” Of course their realization was at the wrong time and for the wrong reasons.

They defied God. They openly resisted God and refused to obey God.

The results were predictable and predicted. They were routed and chased and humiliated and everything else bad. It was a costly mistake.

And this still is a mistake. I can defy God. Yes, I can. Boy, that makes me feel big and strong. Foolish. Just as a two-year-old (or 22 or 32 or 42 or…) can defy gravity and take that leap of foolishness, defying God has the same result. I may not feel the pain this minute or this day, but it will come—just as sure as jumping off the roof of the house towards that swimming pool that looks so close but isn’t—it will come.

But I defied God. I am powerful. No, I am only foolish. God, help me in my unbelief.

1 Chronicles 28:18 (King James Version)

18 And for the altar of incense refined gold by weight; and gold for the pattern of the chariot of the cherubims, that spread out their wings, and covered the ark of the covenant of the Lord.

This describes the decorations or adornments of the ark of the covenant, i.e., that box that held the covenant or agreement between God and the people. This adornment was cherubim that spread their wings over the ark of the covenant.

This phrase, “the chariot of the cherubims,” is repeated in several places in the Old Testament in various English translations. I use the King James Version above for this phrase.

These cherubims were mythological beings that could fly all through the earth. God rode on them, so the beings were God’s chariot in a manner of speech. The chariot was a vehicle of war and, therefore, showed God’s power as God flew over the earth.

Hmm, this is a lot of symbolic stuff in one little five-word phrase. God rules; accept it. The end.

Well, that gives me much to ponder in my puny mind. God, please help me in my unbelief.

Numbers 11:34 (New Living Translation)

34 So that place was called Kibroth-hattaavah (which means “graves of gluttony”) because there they buried the people who had craved meat from Egypt.

This is part of the (hi)story of the people wandering the wilderness before entering the land promised by God. As usual, they were complaining about one thing or another. This time it was food. No one was dying of starvation or suffering from malnutrition. They were, however, unhappy.

God sent them quail to eat. God sent them a lot of quail to eat. God sent them so much quail to eat that they became sick of all the quail they had to eat. In fact, many people died and were buried there because they had too much quail to eat.

The place was known as the graves of gluttony.

Now we fast forward to today. The graveyards of America and other places are full of people who died from one thing or another related to eating too much of this and that. Sigh. Do we have cemeteries of gluttony? Is this too much of a stretch to connect the two? Does this really matter to anything?

The New Testament mentions gluttony. Perhaps I should pay more attention to diet and cravings for quail and the like.