LIVING WITH A LIVING GOD –

After David successfully brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem and installed it under the sacred tent he built for it; and after many ceremonies and sacrifices were performed in honor of this great occasion; and after hours of praise and worship were given to magnify the LORD God who once again sat in the midst of His people; David provided a benediction for this great festival, to motive the people to see it as a new beginning. David remembered the words of Moses in Numbers 10:35-36, which he then incorporated in the final hymn of this once-in-a-lifetime celebration:

“Let the One True God go forward; let all those who oppose Him scatter in every direction; yes, let those who stand against Him flee before Him. Like smoke being blown by the wind and wax being melted by fire, that’s how the evil-minded of this world will respond to the presence of our One True God. While those who live right shout with joy and celebrate in His presence, singing songs of praise telling how great He is and who He is; lifting up praise to Him who will come in the clouds; the LORD of lords, that’s who He is. So let those gathered in the holy sanctuary of the One True God be joyful in the presence of Him who is a Father to the fatherless; a companion to those who’ve been abandoned. For our One True God rescues those who are hopeless and sets free those who are bound, and lets those who are rebellious live in their failures.” Psalm 68:1-6

Reflection: Anyone who remembers seeing the movie Jurassic Park will recall a fascinating moment when top paleontologist Allen Grant, who devoted his life to the study of dinosaurs, suddenly came face-to-face with the real thing. He falls awestruck to the ground. The reason, even an expert may piece together the imperfect image of extinct dinosaurs by assembling old fossils and bones, but to encounter an actual living dinosaur—well that’s beyond belief. From the time the Philistines stole the Ark of the Covenant until David came to power, the children of Israel relied solely upon the stories of their elders as to its sacredness and being a source of God’s power. For a time the Tabernacle sat empty on a lonely hill called Gibeon. Later they found the Ark of the Covenant abandoned in a grove of trees miles away from Jerusalem. David wanted the people of Israel to meet God up close and personal. He wanted them to feel God’s presence and see His Shekinah glory once more. That’s why he went to all the trouble and expense of bringing the Ark to Jerusalem for all to see. Today, some people’s image of God comes by way of creeds of faith tucked away in books and manuscripts from centuries ago. It represents a bygone era for them, a time never to be repeated in their lifetime. Yet for true believers, as in David’s day, we can meet our Living God on holy ground; allow Him to walk with us as we go through enemy territory; and fill our hearts with hymns of praise and adoration to Him in both His earthly and heavenly sanctuaries, as we march toward the New Jerusalem. So if you have never encountered the abiding presence of God’s Spirit in your earthly tabernacle, do as David did, restore the covenant you made with the One True God to its rightful place on the pedestal of honor in your heart.