Living in the Spirit
November 18, 2015
Scripture Reading: Psalm 132:1-12
Rise up, O Lord, and go to your resting-place,
you and the ark of your might.
Let your priests be clothed with righteousness,
and let your faithful shout for joy.
For your servant David’s sake
do not turn away the face of your anointed one. –Psalm 132:8-10
A nomadic people wandering for many years in the wilderness worshipped God in a portable building called the Tabernacle. They arrived in what they knew to be the promised land, settled it, built homes, became a people with a fixed residence. As they grew and their governance evolved they saw the need for more centralized leadership that could deal with their neighbors and so a kingship was established. It did not go well at first but the second king, David, lead the transition of the people of Israel to become the Kingdom of Israel. David wanted to build a permanent house where the people could worship God but it was not to be during his reign. His son Solomon built the first temple.
Our scripture today celebrates that edifice, a final resting place for the Ark of the Covenant. Of course, we today know that was not the end of the story. The ark was lost in battle and has never been recovered. The permanence of God’s promise lies in other words that we must carry in our hearts; we are to clothe ourselves in righteousness and rejoice in the joy of the Lord.
Our scripture today anticipates the coming of the Messiah, the Christ in Greek, the anointed one, the descendant of David. As we draw closer to the season of Advent, we once again turn our faces toward the coming of our Savior. Let us prepare our hearts and minds for the refreshing of our souls.
Prayer: Lord, the world is too much with us as we hear of death and destruction, anger and strife, fear and hopelessness every day. Be our wellspring of joy as we strive to be your Body in this very world today. Amen.
All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.