Contemplative Bible Reading

Judges 2:1-4 (New Living Translation)

The angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bokim and said to the Israelites, “I brought you out of Egypt into this land that I swore to give your ancestors, and I said I would never break my covenant with you. ² For your part, you were not to make any covenants with the people living in this land; instead, you were to destroy their altars. But you disobeyed my command. Why did you do this? ³ So now I declare that I will no longer drive out the people living in your land. They will be thorns in your sides, and their gods will be a constant temptation to you.”

⁴ When the angel of the Lord finished speaking to all the Israelites, the people wept loudly.

God’s people were told to remove the people living in the land He promised them. They were also told to remove all the gods and idols of the people living in the land.

God’s people disobeyed. The angel here tells them the result of their choice:

those gods would be a constant temptation.

When they realized the consequences of their choice, the people wept.

Today? Do we keep things around us that tempt us? Evil is everywhere. What do you want me to do, live in an isolated cabin in the woods?

No, not that. The Gospel won’t spread it we do that. So, what do we do? How do we live without temptation near to us? I just ask the questions; I don’t have all the answers.

Numbers 18:30-32 (New Living Translation)

³⁰ “Also, give these instructions to the Levites: When you present the best part as your offering, it will be considered as though it came from your own threshing floor or winepress. ³¹ You Levites and your families may eat this food anywhere you wish, for it is your compensation for serving in the Tabernacle. ³² You will not be considered guilty for accepting the Lord’s tithes if you give the best portion to the priests. But be careful not to treat the holy gifts of the people of Israel as though they were common. If you do, you will die.”

The people brought their offerings to the Levites at the Temple. The Levites were to follow instructions given by the LORD. Note the phrase in verse 32:

But be careful not to treat the holy gifts of the people of Israel as though they were common.

There was a difference between what was holy and what was common. There are several uses of the word “holy” in the Bible. One use is that items that were holy were set apart for a special purpose, set apart for the LORD. We (may) have similar holy items today, e.g., a building set apart to be used only in the service of God.

The warning to the Levites, and to all of the LORD’s people, was not to mix the items set apart for the LORD with everything else.

Today? Do I set aside a part of my life for God? Maybe my entire life is to be for God? Do I set aside some of my  money for God? Does all my money come from God and is His for me to use for Him?  I don’t have an answer.

1 Kings 8: (New Living Translation)

¹⁷ Then Solomon said, “My father, David, wanted to build this Temple to honor the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. ¹⁸ But the Lord told him, ‘You wanted to build the Temple to honor my name. Your intention is good, ¹⁹ but you are not the one to do it. One of your own sons will build the Temple to honor me.’

²⁰ “And now the Lord has fulfilled the promise he made, for I have become king in my father’s place, and I now sit on the throne of Israel, just as the Lord promised. I have built this Temple to honor the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. ²¹ And I have prepared a place there for the Ark, which contains the covenant that the Lord made with our ancestors when he brought them out of Egypt.”

In these verses, Solomon is speaking as he dedicates the Temple. Why is the Temple here? What is the Temple’s purpose?

I find two reasons for the Temple:

1. to honor the name of the LORD
2. to hold the Ark of the Covenant

The first reason is stated in verses 17, 18, 19, and again in 20. The second reason is stated in verse 21.

Note: The Temple was not built to hold the LORD God Jehovah (YHWH). The other peoples of the earth built temples to hold their gods. The God of the Hebrews, of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, was the Creator. The Creator can not be contained in a structure built by man. The Hebrews knew that and proclaimed it often. We proclaim it today.

1 Kings 6:11-13 (New Living Translation)

¹¹ Then the Lord gave this message to Solomon: ¹² “Concerning this Temple you are building, if you keep all my decrees and regulations and obey all my commands, I will fulfill through you the promise I made to your father, David. ¹³ I will live among the Israelites and will never abandon my people Israel.”

God is addressing King Solomon about his current building project: erecting the Temple. What does God tell Solomon about a successful building project?

• Straight corners?
• Good foundation?
• Good drainage?
• Best artwork?

Nope.

God’s criteria for Solomon seem to be off topic:

keep all my decrees and regulations and obey all my commands

Hmmm, maybe God does think about things differently from us. Maybe I should think about things differently, more like God.

Leviticus 17:3-4 (New Living Translation)

³ “If any native Israelite sacrifices a bull or a lamb or a goat anywhere inside or outside the camp ⁴ instead of bringing it to the entrance of the Tabernacle to present it as an offering to the Lord, that person will be as guilty as a murderer. Such a person has shed blood and will be cut off from the community.

God was pretty serious about the sacrifices He required from His people under the old law. Take note here:

If you sacrifice an animal in the wrong location, you are as guilty as a murderer

That seems a bit extreme. I mean, really, can’t you just – no, you can’t. It is really quite simple. God said to do it this way and no other way.

Recall the punishment for murder: execution by stoning. And in stoning, your neighbors circled you and threw rocks at you until you died. I doubt that any of the neighbors enjoyed the event. Hence, the neighbors did what they could to keep you from sacrificing the animal in the wrong location. They didn’t relish the duty of executing you.

2 Timothy 1:7 (New Living Translation)

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

Christians are not to live timidly and in fear. God did not create us that way. God gave us a spirit of

1. power
2. love
3. self-discipline

Wait a minute, how did that third one make this list? I get the idea of power and love, but self-discipline? That means a lot of things that I really don’t want to discuss. I mean, this passage CERTAINLY DOESN’T MEAN that God has given me the self-discipline to avoid:

• smoking
• drinking too much
• eating too much
• cursing
• viewing porno
• leaving work a little early (a lot early on Friday)
• speeding when no cops are around

and other such things that require self-discipline to avoid. I mean, really, God didn’t intend that stuff, did He?

1 Kings 4:33 (New English Translation)

He (Solomon) produced manuals on botany, describing every kind of plant, from the cedars of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows on walls. He also produced manuals on biology, describing animals, birds, insects, and fish.

This rendering is from the New English Translation (NET). I like the way they describe Solomon’s study of plants and animals:

He wrote manuals on botany and biology

Solomon, in addition to being a political and religious leader, was a scientist. I like that.

Followers of God do not need to fear science. We never have and we never will.

Exodus 18:17-20 (New Living Translation)

¹⁷ “This is not good!” Moses’ father-in-law exclaimed. ¹⁸ “You’re going to wear yourself out—and the people, too. This job is too heavy a burden for you to handle all by yourself. ¹⁹ Now listen to me, and let me give you a word of advice, and may God be with you. You should continue to be the people’s representative before God, bringing their disputes to him. ²⁰ Teach them God’s decrees, and give them his instructions. Show them how to conduct their lives.

The father-in-law of Moses is speaking to him about how Moses has become a micro-managing work-aholic (yes, they had those dysfunctional types way back when). He goes on to advise Moses on creating a hierarchy of good and right judges to help Moses adjudicate disputes among the people (yes, they had those disputes among relatives way back when).

While describing this hierarchy, Moses’ father-in-law takes a side trip to advise Moses on what Moses and all leaders should do:

• Teach God’s word
• Show how to live

I guess this is pretty simple: teach in word and deed or teach in theory and practice. People knew this way back when. We know it today, but sometimes we forget.

I hadn’t realized that Moses’ father-in-law was the creator of educational theory. That man was sent by God with a message from God.

Listen.

1 Kings 2:1-3 (New Living Translation)

As the time of King David’s death approached, he gave this charge to his son Solomon:

² “I am going where everyone on earth must someday go. Take courage and be a man. ³ Observe the requirements of the Lord your God, and follow all his ways. Keep the decrees, commands, regulations, and laws written in the Law of Moses so that you will be successful in all you do and wherever you go.

(Former) King David is about to die. He talks with his son, the new King Solomon. What does he tell him?

• Take courage
• Be a man
• Observe (follow, obey) the requirements of the LORD your God
• Keep (follow, obey) the written Law of Moses

These bits of advice are pretty good. I believe they apply to new leaders today, not matter what position of leadership one might occupy.

But I also like the justification for these instructions. Why do these things?

so that you will be successful in all you do and wherever you go

These instructions aren’t just for fun and profit or some sense of right. They lead to success.

Exodus 16:23 (New Living Translation)

He told them, “This is what the Lord commanded: Tomorrow will be a day of complete rest, a holy Sabbath day set apart for the Lord. So bake or boil as much as you want today, and set aside what is left for tomorrow.”

The Ten Commandments, i.e., The Law, came in Exodus chapter 20. Yet here, before The Law, we have God telling His people that the seventh day of the week is set aside for rest. God would put enough manna on the ground on the sixth day to last them until the first day came around again.

Imagine this. God tells them that he would give them enough food on the sixth day that they wouldn’t have to bother with food on the seventh day.

What a great gift! What a bonus! And yet, people went out on the seventh day to work at gather food.

What is wrong with us people? We won’t accept gifts. Think about that. We won’t accept gifts.

What is wrong with us people? Sin (oh, that again).