Contemplative Bible Reading

1 Kings 9:8-9 (New Living Translation)

8 “And though this Temple is impressive now, all who pass by will be appalled and will gasp in horror. They will ask, ‘Why did the Lord do such terrible things to this land and to this Temple?’

9 “And the answer will be, ‘Because his people abandoned the Lord their God, who brought their ancestors out of Egypt, and they worshiped other gods instead and bowed down to them. That is why the Lord has brought all these disasters on them.’”

This is a description of life in the ancient world. The people of the time understood spiritual matters—things that were supernatural, things that could not be explained by science and common sense.

These other people knew of Jehovah or YHWH, the god of the Israel. If the people of Israel turned away from their God, the result would be obvious to everyone else.

I believe that, regardless of what many say, people today still know there are spiritual matters—things that are supernatural, things that cannot be explained by science and common sense. I believe that people today still know there is a right and wrong as prescribed by supernatural beings. And they know that the supernatural being worshiped by Christians—God the Creator—established right and wrong and consequences for disobedience.

People today see the results of disobedience and still wonder, “Why?”

People still today are appalled and gasp in horror.