Monday, Ordinary 29, Proper 24, Oct 20
ChapLynne
Posts: 31 Member
Meditation
Monday, Ordinary 29, Proper 24 glimpsed the miracle of the glory of God as it touches the natural world. David, while in the desert, wrote of seeking God when he felt parched—both literally and metaphorically. He trusted in God and praised his name, remaining faithful, even while David struggled.
The magnificence of the glory of God was especially visual in the settling of the glory of God on the Tent of Meeting—the Tabernacle, which Moses had so carefully had constructed. The cloud filled the tent with God’s glory and while the cloud was there, Israel stayed put. When the cloud lifted, then Moses led the Children of Israel to the next location. The physical presence of the glory of God would have been seen by everyone in the camp. It would have been a constant reminder of God. Unlike the pillar cloud, it would change its appearance every few days as it either settled on the Tabernacle or lifted off the Tent. The advantage of change meant that ‘routine’ didn’t lull people into lack of belief. It was a constant wake-me-up.
The glory of God in the New Testament lesson was mentioned briefly in the Revelation of St. John at Patmos. An angel of the Lord came down with great glory—so much that it made the earth ‘bright’ like the sun.
That splendor and glory was accompanied by the words of the angel declaring the sinfulness of Babylon—the city that was engulfed in demonic presence—even birds carried the unclean spirits as if the virulent nature of sin could be easily transmitted with the ease of flight—and ‘hated animals’ took up residence. In some respects, the situation could be literal—there could be an infestation of ‘rats’ and ‘snakes’ or creepy crawlies, but it could also be metaphorical, where the ‘hated animals’ represented the greedy, unprincipled corporate/political/spiritual leaders who would lead people astray to pander to their self-interests. The same could be true of the sexual sin—it could be metaphorical, since a city doesn’t have sexual relations, but it does enter into the intimate relationships with other cities, cultures or nations and could betray those relationships in infinite number of ways, just like a sexual betrayal would. The next verse further corroborates the metaphorical nature, since the ‘result’ of their sexual sin was: “and the merchants of the world grew rich from the great wealth of her luxury.” Corporations grew wealthy by their betrayal of the intimate/contractual relationships they entered into.
As has been the standard, God provided a way out for the people. The angel of the Lord called to the people, who believed, to escape from the city of betrayal—come out of Babylon. Again, the metaphorical nature of the ‘sexual sin’ was obvious in the following verses. Her ‘sin’ was outlined in reciprocal actions and ‘giving her sexual relations’ as punishment would never be considered. Instead, the command of the angel was:
“Give her as much suffering and grief
as the glory and luxury she gave herself.
For she keeps telling herself:
‘Here I sit, a queen!
I am no widow,
I will never know grief’
8 Because of this, in one day she will be struck with plagues—
disease, grief, and famine.
And she will be burned with fire,
because the Lord God, who judges her, is mighty.””
And the punishment would occur in a short period of time—it called upon punishment of one hour raining terror on the powerful city.
The glory of the Lord shone in the midst of David’s struggle in the desert. The glory of the Lord settled in the Tabernacle where the Children of Israel could witness its presence and influence on their lives every day. The glory of the Lord shone through the angel that came to earth and transformed the brightness of the earth with his splendor, and although he declared the sins of the earth particularly in the city of Babylon, he called to believers to escape by leaving the presence of the evil before its destruction. The glory of the Lord highlighted the differences of the good and evil. Redemption was always offered to believers.
We have every opportunity to find redemption…when we seek as David did. Then great things happen for the glory of God.
Thanks be to God.
Prayer: Almighty God, Open my eyes that I might see. Open my mind that I might understand. Open my heart that I might make your words a part of me. May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight. Amen
Ordinary 29, Proper 24
Bible Readings
http://legacy.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm 63:1-8;Exodus 40:34-38;Revelation 18:1-10, 19-20&version=KJV;ERV;GNT;NCV;NIV (multiple versions)
Monday, Ordinary 29, Proper 24
Psalm 63:1-8
Exodus 40:34-38
Revelation 18:1-10 Revelation 18:19-20
Daily Bible Verses to Memorize for Meditating
Philippians 4:4
King James Version (KJV)
4 Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.
Single Bible Study chapter to study
Exodus 40:34-38
King James Version (KJV)
34 Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
35 And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
36 And when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward in all their journeys:
37 But if the cloud were not taken up, then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up.
38 For the cloud of the LORD was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.
OBSERVE:
Take a moment and write three observations of the verses. What strikes you? An observation is an observable fact from the Word.
1.
2.
3.
INTERPRETATION:
What do you interpret these verses to mean for you today?
APPLY:
Today, I learned _____________________________________and apply it to my life.
Prayer of Encouragement
Almighty God, your glory cannot be overstated. Your glory settled on the Tabernacle and the glory that came with the angel in Revelation, offered rescue for believers and punishment for the evil in Babylon. Help us to believe and trust in you, for your glory. In Jesus name, Amen
Conclusion
Monday, Ordinary 29, Proper 24’s lesson proclaimed the praise of God in the Psalm by David, who sought God in the desert. The glory of God was evident in the Old Testament Exodus account of the cloud that settled over and in the Tabernacle while the Hebrews looked on from their camp. It reminded them daily of God’s presence, never becoming routine because it rose, when the time came for the Children of Israel to move to the next location.
The glory of God was served through the angel of the Lord in the New Testament lesson of Revelation where the angel’s power and splendor brightened the earth and shone the light on the evil of Babylon, while offering a way out for believers.
The common theme was the glory of the Lord helped us discern the good the bad and the ugly, while throwing a life-line to us, so that we could escape the evil and find sanctuary.
We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.
Go out and be ready for God to do mighty things in your life—for the glory of God.*
*If you do not know the Lord as your personal Savior and you are seeking, please contact me. A genuine and simple prayer, asking God into your heart for the forgiveness of your sins will also do.
Monday, Ordinary 29, Proper 24 glimpsed the miracle of the glory of God as it touches the natural world. David, while in the desert, wrote of seeking God when he felt parched—both literally and metaphorically. He trusted in God and praised his name, remaining faithful, even while David struggled.
The magnificence of the glory of God was especially visual in the settling of the glory of God on the Tent of Meeting—the Tabernacle, which Moses had so carefully had constructed. The cloud filled the tent with God’s glory and while the cloud was there, Israel stayed put. When the cloud lifted, then Moses led the Children of Israel to the next location. The physical presence of the glory of God would have been seen by everyone in the camp. It would have been a constant reminder of God. Unlike the pillar cloud, it would change its appearance every few days as it either settled on the Tabernacle or lifted off the Tent. The advantage of change meant that ‘routine’ didn’t lull people into lack of belief. It was a constant wake-me-up.
The glory of God in the New Testament lesson was mentioned briefly in the Revelation of St. John at Patmos. An angel of the Lord came down with great glory—so much that it made the earth ‘bright’ like the sun.
That splendor and glory was accompanied by the words of the angel declaring the sinfulness of Babylon—the city that was engulfed in demonic presence—even birds carried the unclean spirits as if the virulent nature of sin could be easily transmitted with the ease of flight—and ‘hated animals’ took up residence. In some respects, the situation could be literal—there could be an infestation of ‘rats’ and ‘snakes’ or creepy crawlies, but it could also be metaphorical, where the ‘hated animals’ represented the greedy, unprincipled corporate/political/spiritual leaders who would lead people astray to pander to their self-interests. The same could be true of the sexual sin—it could be metaphorical, since a city doesn’t have sexual relations, but it does enter into the intimate relationships with other cities, cultures or nations and could betray those relationships in infinite number of ways, just like a sexual betrayal would. The next verse further corroborates the metaphorical nature, since the ‘result’ of their sexual sin was: “and the merchants of the world grew rich from the great wealth of her luxury.” Corporations grew wealthy by their betrayal of the intimate/contractual relationships they entered into.
As has been the standard, God provided a way out for the people. The angel of the Lord called to the people, who believed, to escape from the city of betrayal—come out of Babylon. Again, the metaphorical nature of the ‘sexual sin’ was obvious in the following verses. Her ‘sin’ was outlined in reciprocal actions and ‘giving her sexual relations’ as punishment would never be considered. Instead, the command of the angel was:
“Give her as much suffering and grief
as the glory and luxury she gave herself.
For she keeps telling herself:
‘Here I sit, a queen!
I am no widow,
I will never know grief’
8 Because of this, in one day she will be struck with plagues—
disease, grief, and famine.
And she will be burned with fire,
because the Lord God, who judges her, is mighty.””
And the punishment would occur in a short period of time—it called upon punishment of one hour raining terror on the powerful city.
The glory of the Lord shone in the midst of David’s struggle in the desert. The glory of the Lord settled in the Tabernacle where the Children of Israel could witness its presence and influence on their lives every day. The glory of the Lord shone through the angel that came to earth and transformed the brightness of the earth with his splendor, and although he declared the sins of the earth particularly in the city of Babylon, he called to believers to escape by leaving the presence of the evil before its destruction. The glory of the Lord highlighted the differences of the good and evil. Redemption was always offered to believers.
We have every opportunity to find redemption…when we seek as David did. Then great things happen for the glory of God.
Thanks be to God.
Prayer: Almighty God, Open my eyes that I might see. Open my mind that I might understand. Open my heart that I might make your words a part of me. May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight. Amen
Ordinary 29, Proper 24
Bible Readings
http://legacy.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm 63:1-8;Exodus 40:34-38;Revelation 18:1-10, 19-20&version=KJV;ERV;GNT;NCV;NIV (multiple versions)
Monday, Ordinary 29, Proper 24
Psalm 63:1-8
Exodus 40:34-38
Revelation 18:1-10 Revelation 18:19-20
Daily Bible Verses to Memorize for Meditating
Philippians 4:4
King James Version (KJV)
4 Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.
Single Bible Study chapter to study
Exodus 40:34-38
King James Version (KJV)
34 Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
35 And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
36 And when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward in all their journeys:
37 But if the cloud were not taken up, then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up.
38 For the cloud of the LORD was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.
OBSERVE:
Take a moment and write three observations of the verses. What strikes you? An observation is an observable fact from the Word.
1.
2.
3.
INTERPRETATION:
What do you interpret these verses to mean for you today?
APPLY:
Today, I learned _____________________________________and apply it to my life.
Prayer of Encouragement
Almighty God, your glory cannot be overstated. Your glory settled on the Tabernacle and the glory that came with the angel in Revelation, offered rescue for believers and punishment for the evil in Babylon. Help us to believe and trust in you, for your glory. In Jesus name, Amen
Conclusion
Monday, Ordinary 29, Proper 24’s lesson proclaimed the praise of God in the Psalm by David, who sought God in the desert. The glory of God was evident in the Old Testament Exodus account of the cloud that settled over and in the Tabernacle while the Hebrews looked on from their camp. It reminded them daily of God’s presence, never becoming routine because it rose, when the time came for the Children of Israel to move to the next location.
The glory of God was served through the angel of the Lord in the New Testament lesson of Revelation where the angel’s power and splendor brightened the earth and shone the light on the evil of Babylon, while offering a way out for believers.
The common theme was the glory of the Lord helped us discern the good the bad and the ugly, while throwing a life-line to us, so that we could escape the evil and find sanctuary.
We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.
Go out and be ready for God to do mighty things in your life—for the glory of God.*
*If you do not know the Lord as your personal Savior and you are seeking, please contact me. A genuine and simple prayer, asking God into your heart for the forgiveness of your sins will also do.
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