1 Kings 8
The ark of the covenant, the symbolic dwelling place of God among his people, has been resting in a tent in the old city of David. But now, the temple is ready for it to reside there as a permanent home. And we notice that God blesses this arrangement because a thick cloud, representing God’s glory throughout Scripture, is said to fill the Holy Place. Not only was this important because it declared God’s presence with his people but also because it was a fulfillment of the longstanding promise God has made with his people.
About the ark of the covenant, God said to Moses,
“There I will meet with you…on the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you.” (Exodus 25:22).
God is not like the other pagan gods who were localized deities. But the infinite, eternal God who transcends all time and space condescended to meet with his people at the ark. The God who is not bound to anything and cannot be constrained by anything manifest at a certain place for the experiential sake of his people. He is everywhere, but he promised that he was there. That is astounding news and we know by the overwhelming amount of sacrifices that this extreme privilege was acknowledged by the people. And it ought to make us think that if that was the case with those in the Old Testament, we should be all the more eager to meet together under God’s Word every Sunday. Just like then, God is not restricted to the walls of the church. In fact, he is manifest in every heart of a group of believers! And, also just like then, the eternal God has promised to meet us when we worship together.
Another thing to notice in this chapter is the prayer. The prayer of Solomon at this momentous occasion is a very helpful guide to our own petitions. For instance, Solomon appeals to the faithfully fulfilled promise God to then ask for God to fulfill another one of his promises. God’s can be trusted to accomplish his promises because he has shown himself faithful so many times before. Therefore, we can ask him to accomplish more of his promises and we can be assured that he will answer our prayers.
Starting in verse 27 we also see that Solomon mentions the divine attributes of God. Solomon knows who God is and holds him accountable for how God has revealed himself. He knows that God is not bound to a box and he cannot fit in the expanse of the universe. So, he asks the Lord to hear the pleas of his people wherever they may be. Knowing who God is and how he has revealed himself through His Word will help us be better prayer warriors. There are many more points that could be drawn from this prayer. Read it and evaluate how much your prayers resemble a prayer like this. How can we learn to pray a little more like this?
Yours in Christ,
Associate Pastor Evan Webster
Ephesians 5
Every once in a while when we are reading the Scriptures we are treated to a chapter that is remarkably straightforward and easy to understand. Chapter 5 of Ephesians is one of these chapters.
Paul began his letter by sharing some beautiful gospel truths. He tells the Ephesian saints about the blessing they have in Christ, and elaborates on the mystery of the gospel. This fills the first 3 chapters of the letter, but beginning in chapter 4 Paul transitions to a series of instructions on how this good news should change the way the Ephesians live. Chapter 5 is the continuation of these instructions.
There is a wide range of commands provided in this chapter that are worthy of our focused attention and consideration. The scope of an RMM, however, does not allow us to stop and elaborate on each of these points. Thankfully, Ephesians 5:1 provides us with an instruction that encompasses everything that follows. It is there that we read:
“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.” (Ephesians 5:1)
The Christian is to live in a manner that shows the world who God is. This means that the Christian is not only called to abstain from sinful behaviours (5:3-14), but they are to replace those behaviours with actions consistent with who God is (5:15-21). The best way to know how God would have you act is to look at His Son, Jesus Christ (5:2). Jesus Christ is our perfect model of holiness and love, and in every situation we are wise to ask ourselves the popular adage, “What would Jesus do?”.
Beginning in verse 22 Paul makes a transition away from speaking about obedience to Christ generally, to narrowing in on what Christ conformity looks like within marriage. Though these verses have been met with a great deal of resistance from some people, an honest reading of the text provides a beautiful calling that both husband and wife should be happy to adhere to. It is here that we are told that wives are to submit to their husbands, and that husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved the church. When these commands are followed the marriage covenant becomes a beautiful illustration of Christ’s relationship with his church.
It is no secret that what many people feel uncomfortable with in this formula is the wife’s call to submit to her husband. This is often the result of a misunderstanding of the text that makes the wife out to be little more than a subservient slave to her husband. This, of course, is not the intended implications of the text. Consider, after all, the calling placed on the husband. The husband is called to love His wife as Christ loved the church. This means that the husband is to love his wife in a manner that is entirely self-sacrificing. Her needs are to be met over and above his own. Her holiness and spiritual growth are to be his number one concern. Submitting to this kind of love and leadership should not be a burden, but a delight.
Director of Youth Ministries Ryan Shevalier