Reading today in 1 Chronicles 22:2-23:32, we see David’s “extensive preparations for building the temple before his death” (verse 5). David recognized that, because he “had shed much blood and fought in many wars," he was not to be "God’s man who would build the house for God’s name” (verse 8). “The man of peace” – David’s son, Solomon – would be that man “who would build the house for God’s name” (verse 10). Thus, David charged Solomon with this responsibility, and he “took great pains to provide for the temple” (verse 14). In chapter 23, we see David’s commitment to this project, in that he “made his son Solomon king over Israel” and then organized supervisors, officials, judges, gatekeepers, and musicians for the work. Interestingly, the work of constructing the temple included “praising the LORD with musical instruments,” which David provided (verses 2-5). Then we observe that David divided the Levites into three groups – the Gershonites, the Kohathites, and the Merarites – for various new temple services because “God granted rest and they no longer needed to carry the tabernacle or any of its articles” (verse 7-26). Here, we also note that, after the Uzzah incident, David pays particular attention to details that specified the “proper number and in the way prescribed” (verse 31). David is doing thing right (cf., August 4, Day 217 – Do It Right the First Time!).
Today we also come to the rest of Psalm 91, verses 9-16, which promises us God’s protection because He “loves us” (verse 14), and because He is our Refuge - our Place of safety and security (verse 4). While God can – and does – protect us from harms here in this world, He also provides security for us is more than physical and material ways. He secures us spiritually. His security takes us ultimately into His eternal presence. We see that “He will command His angels concerning us, to guard and lift us up so that our feet will not stumble” (verses 11-12). As our Refuge and Dwelling, the Lord prevents us from losing our footing (i.e., our foundation of truth). Amazingly, our God is protecting us from all of today’s false world systems that are competing for our spiritual affections. He is protecting us from our mortal enemy – from Satan himself – who is symbolized here by two frightening beasts - the lion and the cobra (verse 13). Ultimately, He enables us to “tread and trample” on them, which suggests a complete victory over evil. Why? Why would He do this for us? “Because He loves us, says the LORD” (verse 14), and because He alone has enabled us by faith, by trust, and by special gift to claim Him as “our Refuge and our Dwelling Place” and to “acknowledge” His name (verses 9 and 14). Truly, this is an incredible Psalm!
In 1 Corinthians 2:6-16, Paul begins this section by insisting that “we do speak a message of wisdom – but not the wisdom of this age or its rulers – who will come to nothing” (verse 6). God has a “secret wisdom that has been hidden … and destined for our glory before time began” (verse 7). God – through Paul – wants us to know that “no [human] eye has seen, no [human] ear has heard, no [human] mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him” (verse 9). God has revealed these special secrets to us by His Spirit, Whom we have received – “that we may understand what God has freely given us” (verse 12). We cannot imagine the glory that awaits us by God’s own hand. But by contrast, “the man without the Spirit does not accept these things – they are foolishness to him and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned” (verse 14). Paul is making a clear distinction here – apart from the work of the Holy Spirit in an individual’s life – that person’s entire life, work, and destiny simply come to nothing.
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