June 9
1 Kings 5:1-6:38; Acts 7:1-29; Psalm 127:1-5; Proverbs 16:28-30
Our reading out of 1 Kings is like an episode from HGTV. We see the planning, construction, and finished project of the temple. It is not hard to picture the Israelite version of Chip & Joanna walking through the before and after pictures.
The construction of the temple is a pivotal moment within the salvation history of Israel because it is a shift in how God is worshiped. God is always the same, but as has become obvious through our reading of the Bible, he interacts with people differently at different times. Following the history of worship is one of the easiest ways to see this. Early in history, anyone could worship God anywhere at any time through animal sacrifices (remember Cain, Noah, etc.) but then God commanded that people worship him at the tabernacle and only priests could make appropriate sacrifices.
Now with the construction of the temple, the center of worship moves from the mobile tabernacle to a stationary building in Jerusalem. Today God’s desire is for all people to worship him not through animal sacrifices but through hearts given to him and made clean through the work of Jesus (think back to Jesus' conversation with the woman at the well).
Thinking through God's changing commands of worship may help us to make sense of other changes that are apparent from the Old Testament to the New. It is always important for us to understand that God never changes. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
God, my Father, thank you that I can worship you. Thank you that you have made a way to you through the death and resurrection of your Son. Thank you for your grace and that I can draw near to you. Help me to always be amazed by the fact that I can call out to you, and you always hear. Amen.
Question of the day: How do you make sense of the differences between the Old and New Testaments?
Our reading out of 1 Kings is like an episode from HGTV. We see the planning, construction, and finished project of the temple. It is not hard to picture the Israelite version of Chip & Joanna walking through the before and after pictures.
The construction of the temple is a pivotal moment within the salvation history of Israel because it is a shift in how God is worshiped. God is always the same, but as has become obvious through our reading of the Bible, he interacts with people differently at different times. Following the history of worship is one of the easiest ways to see this. Early in history, anyone could worship God anywhere at any time through animal sacrifices (remember Cain, Noah, etc.) but then God commanded that people worship him at the tabernacle and only priests could make appropriate sacrifices.
Now with the construction of the temple, the center of worship moves from the mobile tabernacle to a stationary building in Jerusalem. Today God’s desire is for all people to worship him not through animal sacrifices but through hearts given to him and made clean through the work of Jesus (think back to Jesus' conversation with the woman at the well).
Thinking through God's changing commands of worship may help us to make sense of other changes that are apparent from the Old Testament to the New. It is always important for us to understand that God never changes. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
God, my Father, thank you that I can worship you. Thank you that you have made a way to you through the death and resurrection of your Son. Thank you for your grace and that I can draw near to you. Help me to always be amazed by the fact that I can call out to you, and you always hear. Amen.
Question of the day: How do you make sense of the differences between the Old and New Testaments?
Recent
Archive
2025
2024
June
July
Categories
no categories
No Comments