Worth It
Opening Prayer
Lord, help us, as Your living temple, consecrate ourselves that You may reveal Your glory.
Read 2 CHRONICLES 5:1-14
[1] When all the work Solomon had done for the temple of the LORD was finished, he brought in the things his father David had dedicated-the silver and gold and all the furnishings-and he placed them in the treasuries of God’s temple. [2] Then Solomon summoned to Jerusalem the elders of Israel, all the heads of the tribes and the chiefs of the Israelite families, to bring up the ark of the LORD’s covenant from Zion, the City of David. [3] And all the Israelites came together to the king at the time of the festival in the seventh month. [4] When all the elders of Israel had arrived, the Levites took up the ark, [5] and they brought up the ark and the tent of meeting and all the sacred furnishings in it. The Levitical priests carried them up; [6] and King Solomon and the entire assembly of Israel that had gathered about him were before the ark, sacrificing so many sheep and cattle that they could not be recorded or counted. [7] The priests then brought the ark of the LORD’s covenant to its place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, the Most Holy Place, and put it beneath the wings of the cherubim. [8] The cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark and covered the ark and its carrying poles. [9] These poles were so long that their ends, extending from the ark, could be seen from in front of the inner sanctuary, but not from outside the Holy Place; and they are still there today. [10] There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets that Moses had placed in it at Horeb, where the LORD made a covenant with the Israelites after they came out of Egypt. [11] The priests then withdrew from the Holy Place. All the priests who were there had consecrated themselves, regardless of their divisions. [12] All the Levites who were musicians-Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun and their sons and relatives-stood on the east side of the altar, dressed in fine linen and playing cymbals, harps and lyres. They were accompanied by 120 priests sounding trumpets. [13] The trumpeters and musicians joined in unison to give praise and thanks to the LORD. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, the singers raised their voices in praise to the LORD and sang: “He is good; his love endures forever.” Then the temple of the LORD was filled with the cloud, [14] and the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the temple of God. Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
What is your reaction to what is being pictured?The Ark is finally brought to its new home in the Temple, and it arrives with the most incredibly elaborate pageant–there are priests and leaders and crowds of regular people, with countless animal sacrifices, music and singing. The wings of the cherubim cover the Ark, and even the consecrated priests withdraw from its presence (11).In the middle of the description of this event, we are brought back to earth–just for a moment. All this fanfare is for a wooden box, and “there was nothing in the ark except the two tablets that Moses had placed in it at Horeb” (5:10). We live in a time when we emphasize grace over law, when we are comfortable with the idea that we are welcome before the very throne of God. All this is right. But consider: the Israelites treasured the Words of God. They understood his goodness and love (5:13), but they also rightly feared his holiness. And God validates the honor they show the Ark with its precious contents, and sends his glory to fill the Temple where they have housed it (5:14).
Apply
Consider if you are giving the center place of honor to God and if you are making room for his presence.
Closing prayer
Lord, I long to see Your glory revealed. I desire to be one in whom You can reveal Yourself to the world.
Click here to sign up to receive the EXTRAs via email each quarter.
© 2024 Scripture Union U.S.A. All rights reserved. Reproduction of the whole or any part of the contents without written permission is prohibited.
Discovery is published in the USA under license from Scripture Union England and Wales, Trinity House, Opal Court, Opal Drive, Fox Milne, Milton Keynes, MK15 0DF.