Seize the Moment – Day 934
The Assurance of God’s Presence!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Friday, October 7.
With the temple completed, Solomon brought together the nation of Israel to witness the moving of the ark of God into its permanent home. It was quite the spectacle with a large assembly of people and a countless number of sacrifices offered in honor of God (2 Chronicles 5:1-6). Above it all, upon the placement of the ark of God under the wings of the cherubim in the holy of holies, God made His presence known in 2 Chronicles 5:11-14:
When the priests came forth from the holy place (for all the priests who were present had sanctified themselves, without regard to divisions), and all the Levitical singers, Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and their sons and kinsmen, clothed in fine linen, with cymbals, harps and lyres, standing east of the altar, and with them one hundred and twenty priests blowing trumpets in unison when the trumpeters and the singers were to make themselves heard with one voice to praise and to glorify the Lord, and when they lifted up their voice accompanied by trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and when they praised the Lord saying, “He indeed is good for His lovingkindness is everlasting,” then the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God. [emphasis added]
This is called a theophany – an appearance of God that people can discern with their senses. In response to their unity of praise (see emphasis through italics), God manifested His glory for all to know that He was with them. This would have been a comfort to Solomon and an assurance to the people because the building of the temple was a major transition in Israel’s worship. Interestingly, God had made His presence known to Israel in the same way that He had with Moses and the people in their desert wanderings (Exodus 40:34-38).
God bless you!
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YOUTUBE:
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