Yesterday we saw how pride poisons our ability to see the glory of God. Yet God was doing more here than just pointing out David’s pride. He was doing something for all time. He was establishing the location of the temple. This is a significant place. Compare this passage with Gen 22:2 and 2 Chron 3:1. We find that this is the spot where Abraham was commanded to bring Isaac to sacrifice him. This is the spot which David bought from Ornan to sacrifice in order to stay the hand of the Death Angel. This is the spot where Solomon would build the temple. This is the spot where the second temple would be rebuilt. According to Hebrews, the temple typology speaks clearly of the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. It was near this spot that He was taken outside the city walls and crucified in our place as a sacrifice for sin. He is the Son of the Father who is sacrificed in our place. He is the Ram hidden in the thicket that died for us. He is the altar of sacrifice where the oxen were slain for the pride of David. He died in our place to pay the penalty for our pride.
Here David makes preparation for Solomon to build the temple. Here he desires a sanctuary to the Lord our God to be built. His intent was for the house to be built for the LORD to be, “Exceedingly magnificent, famous and glorious throughout all countries.” When the preparations were completed, he exhorted Solomon to,
Set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your God. Therefore arise and build the sanctuary of the LORD God, to bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD and the holy articles of God into the house that is to be built for the name of the LORD.The Glory of the LORD is such that we should build him a sanctuary that is exceedingly magnificent, famous and glorious throughout all countries. His sanctuary today is His people. It is not buildings made of wood, stone, concrete, metal, and glass. It is my life and the lives of others through whom His glory can shine. Lord, use me and those who read this feeble writing to build your sanctuary! Build lives through which your glory may shine! Make it exceedingly magnificent, famous and glorious for Your name throughout all the countries of the world! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
PSALM 146
Most of the believers in the Lord Jesus Christ (at least the ones I know) were quite dismayed the morning after the election (2008 & 2012). Obama is antithetical to biblical mores in many areas. He is solidly pro-abortion, even to the extent of legally protecting the laws permitting doctors to kill a child who survives a late term abortion. He supports the enactment of more laws and proclamation promoting the redefinition of marriage and protecting the rights of gender confused people. During his first administration, the national debt has doubled. It appears it will double again soon. Clearly the Scripture states, “The borrower becomes the lender’s slave.” Our grandchildren are being enslaved. He has snubbed his nose at the head of state Benjamin Natanyahu. The word of the Lord clearly states concerning the descendants of Abraham, “I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you.” So, many people, whom I know, were very dismayed by the election returns.
But you know what? We shouldn’t be. Our hope is not in a political leader, as verse 3 says, “Do not put your trust in princes, Nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help.” Ultimately our King is not of this world. Our help is from the Creator of the Universe. He made everything. He is truth. He executes justice and gives food to the hungry. He sets the prisoner free, opens blind eyes, watches over strangers, and relieves the fatherless and widow. Obama will only last 4 more years, but Jesus will one day return, and when He does, His throne will last forever. Now that is glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
ZECHARIAH 8
I didn’t realize how blessed I was to grow up when and where I did. Born in 1955, my parents moved to Glencoe, Oklahoma in the summer of 1962. Glencoe had about 280 people in the town limits. The whole school system, first grade through 12th grade had barely 200 students. It was mostly a farming community or people who had jobs in the “big city” (lol) of Stillwater about 15 miles away. I had two guys my age that lived in the town limits. We could play in the streets in safety and often did. If we were bored with the streets, we were less than blocks away from the countryside and woods. Life was relaxed. It was an idyllic world! In the summer of 1967, we moved to Stillwater. Although I could no longer play in the street (my parents lived on a major thoroughfare), it was, none-the-less, a pleasant place for me to grow up. With all the accouterments of a major university, OSU, it still had the feel of a small town. The main advantages were security and prosperity.
Jerusalem lost both security and prosperity when the Babylonians came. Indeed, she lost everything. Even under the leadership of Zerubbabel and Joshua she was neither secure nor prosperous. But the Lord points to a time when she will have a King who will restore both. It will be under the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. He Himself shall reign in Jerusalem. His beauty will be so evident that people from all over the world will come there to pray and seek Him. Once again children will play in the streets. If we kneel before Him, He brings true peace and prosperity for eternity. Oh may that day come soon. This Thanksgiving, I am thankful for the little bit of security and prosperity I enjoyed as a child. However, I am more thankful for the coming security and prosperity that will be when He returns! Indeed, we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
1 PETER 3
I love Tolkein's stories of hobbits and the ring of power. I guess I identify with the hobbits because although they are not considered by anyone to be a mighty folk, they end up being the true heroes of the story. Frodo endures unimaginable suffering to achieve great glory. If the story were something we could enter into and I did not know the ending and I were Frodo on the plains of Mordor, I would probably give up the quest. But knowing the ending, the glory to be obtained, I think I could continue on. Some, like me, would want the glory, and some would give up anyway.
In the summer of 1978, after one year of marriage, Laura and I went to the Institute of Biblical Studies hosted by Campus Crusade for Christ at CSU in Ft. Collins, CO. We took four courses. One was Christian Marriage and Family. It was co-taught by two couples. One couple was Dennis and Barbara Rainey. Some of you may recognize that name from the radio show Family Life Today. We got a glimpse of what a true Christian Marriage should look like. One thing we learned is that it was going to take work. But we also saw a glimpse that a true Christian marriage could be a glorious thing. Something we both wanted. Is it not safe to say that unless one sees glory, they never want it? We see in 1 Peter the glory of Jesus through suffering.
I find it interesting that right in the midst of Peter's letter on how to live through suffering, how to live in the intersection of heaven and earth, that he takes time out to give instruction about domestic life. In 2:18 he begins by encouraging servants to be submissive to their masters. Now I can see the similar line of reasoning to the glory of Christ in that Jesus became submissive even to the point of death on a cross and a slave being submissive to a master. But here in chapter 3 he begins by saying likewise wives be submissive to your husbands. Then He commands husbands to live with their wives with understanding. Now get the flow of submission here: Jesus to death; slaves to masters; wives to husbands; husbands to understanding; Christians to loving one another. The second half of each of those implies that submission to them is a hard thing.
Now, I am a husband. I feel like I have been slammed at both ends. I mean, on one end it is implied that for Laura to be submissive to me is suffering for her. What am I a despot? On the other end it is implied that it is suffering for me to live with my wife with understanding. What am I stupid? Wait, don't tell me the answers to those questions. I don't want to hear it. Well, I think most men would agree that it is impossible to understand a woman. We usually throw up our hands with Rex Harrison in My Fair Lady and proclaim, "Why can't a woman be more like a man?" The truth is that if they were more like men, we wouldn't want to be with them.
Here is where the glory comes in. I may think I am not a despot. I may think I am not misunderstanding. But apart from Jesus, I am wrong on both counts. Only He is able to enable me to fulfill my responsibility on both counts. It takes the mighty act of God to break a woman's will so that she is able to truly submit to her husband as Jesus did to the Father. Only He is able to break the will of a man so that he is willing to day in and day out actively seek to understand the way his wife is thinking--not how she thought a year ago but how she is thinking now. Men like to conquer something and then move on to the next task. To live with a woman in an understanding way is an unending task. (By the way guys, Peter makes it clear that if we don't do that, our prayers are hindered.) Men are incapable of it. Ahhh, but Jesus is able. Nothing reveals the glory of Jesus like a couple where the wife is happy to submit and the husband consistently understands. When people see that glory, some want it.
Nothing reveals the glory of Jesus like an employee who gives his best for the benefit of his employer. Nothing reveals the glory of Jesus like a church where the people are of one mind, have compassion for one another, love each other, are tender hearted toward each other, are courteous toward each other, return blessing for evil. Only Jesus can enable us to do that. He can enable us because He has already done it Himself. That is His glory. When we focus on His glory, He changes us to reflect more and more of His glory. When people see His glory some want it. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
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