Praising and Thanking God II Chron. 5:2-14 Solomon dedicates the temple The Ark of the Covenant was brought into the temple. The Ark of the Covenant: The ark of the covenant was the most important piece of furniture in the wilderness tabernacle. The tabernacle was the tent or meeting place between God and man. The Lord told Moses to build it (Exodus 25:10-22). The word for ark can also mean “chest” (2 Kings 12:9-10) or “coffin” (Genesis 50:26). It is not the same word used for Noah’s ark. The ark that Moses had Bezalel make was a chest made of acacia wood (Exodus 31:1-5; Exodus 37:1-9 ). The chest measured approximately 45 by 27 by 27 inches (114 by 69 by 69 centimeters). It was covered inside and out with gold. Poles were slid through its two pairs of rings to make it portable. The ark also served as a container for the two tablets of the covenant given to Moses (Exodus 25:16). The tablets were also called the “testimony.” That is why the ark was sometimes called the “ark of the testimony.” A pot of manna was placed in the ark. Manna was the miraculous food provided by God (Exodus 16:33). The ark also contained Aaron’s rod that had sprouted (Numbers 17:10; Hebrews 9:4). The lid of the ark was called the “mercy seat” or “place of mercy” II Chron. 5:2-14-The Ark is Brought into the Temple 2 Then Solomon assembled Israel’s elders, all the tribal leaders, and the clan chieftains of Israel at Jerusalem to bring up the chest containing the LORD’s covenant from Zion, David’s City. 3 Everyone in Israel assembled before the king in the seventh month, during the festival. 4 When all Israel’s elders had arrived, the Levites picked up the chest. 5 They brought the chest, the meeting tent, and all the holy objects that were in the tent. The priests and the Levites brought them up,6 while King Solomon and the entire Israelite assembly that had joined him before the chest sacrificed countless sheep and oxen. 7 The priests brought the chest containing the LORD’s covenant to its designated spot beneath the wings of the winged creatures in the inner sanctuary of the temple, the most holy place. 8 The winged creatures spread their wings over the place where the chest rested, covering the chest and its carrying poles. 9 The carrying poles were so long that their tips could be seen from the holy place in front of the inner sanctuary, though they weren’t visible from outside. They are still there today. 10 Nothing was in the chest except the two stone tablets Moses placed there while at Horeb, where the LORD made a covenant with the Israelites after they left Egypt. 11 Then the priests left the holy place. All the priests who were present had sanctified themselves, regardless of their divisions. 12 All the levitical musicians—Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and their families and relatives—were dressed in fine linen and stood east of the altar with cymbals, harps, and zithers, along with one hundred twenty priests blowing trumpets. 13 The trumpeters and singers joined together to praise and thank the LORD as one. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and other musical instruments, they began to sing, praising the LORD: Yes, God is good! Yes, God’s faithful love lasts forever! Then a cloud filled the LORD’s temple. 14 The priests were unable to carry out their duties on account of the cloud because the LORD’s glory filled God’s temple. The Ark of the Covenant was built as a visible sign of God’s grace and mercy in spike of our sin. The Ark was lost before Jesus came into the world. During the invasion of Israel by foreigners the actual Ark disappeared. However, when Jesus came He declared that He is the true ‘seat of mercy’ as represented by the covering on the Ark. In Luke 4 this declaration by Jesus is recorded: 16 Jesus went to Nazareth, where he had been raised. On the Sabbath he went to the synagogue as he normally did and stood up to read. 17 The synagogue assistant gave him the scroll from the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: 18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me. He has sent me to preach good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, to liberate the oppressed, 19 and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. 20 He rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the synagogue assistant, and sat down. Every eye in the synagogue was fixed on him. 21 He began to explain to them, “Today, this scripture has been fulfilled just as you heard it.” During this season we take time to remember and worship the true ‘seat of mercy’ that has come to mankind through Christ Jesus. Jesus is called Jesus Christ, the Messiah. All of these terms are used to reveal Jesus. from Ilumina: Name meaning: * Jesus-“savior” or “Jehovah [Yahweh] is salvation” given to the Messiah. *Christ, the official title given to Jesus in the New Testament, describes Jesus’ job-to be the anointed Savior. The word comes from the Greek Christos, a translation of the Hebrew Messiah (John 1:41). Both terms come from verbs meaning “to anoint with sacred oil”; hence, as titles they mean “the Anointed One.” These names for Jesus express the idea that God anointed him to save his people… *“Lord” in English is the rendering of the Hebrew ‘adonai or of the Greek kurios. The Hebrew YHWH (Yahweh) is usually rendered “LORD.” God’s rule and authority as Lord rests ultimately upon his creation and ownership of all things and people (Psalm 24:1-2). God’s total supremacy over nature is emphasized by his being called the Lord over earthquakes, wind, fire (1 Kings 19:10-14), stars (Isaiah 40:26), beasts and sea monsters (Job 40-41), and primeval chaos (Psalms 74:12-14; 89:8-10). During this season we celebrate the ‘birth of mercy’ for all of mankind. When we remember God’s mercy we have hope that we can put the past behind us. In Hebrews 4 we are admonished to hold on to hope. Jesus is our ‘seat of mercy.’ Heb. 4 14 Also, let’s hold on to the confession since we have a great high priest who passed through the heavens, who is Jesus, God’s Son; 15 because we don’t have a high priest who can’t sympathize with our weaknesses but instead one who was tempted in every way that we are, except without sin. 16 Finally, let’s draw near to the throne of favor with confidence so that we can receive mercy and find grace when we need help. My prayer for you today is that you hold on the hope. Jesus is our ‘seat of mercy.’ Love in Christ, Pat https://youtube/watch?v=F756Mjxxrvc I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day Casting Crowns
Posted on: Tue, 16 Dec 2014 11:50:38 +0000
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