Have Reverence for the Lord, for He is Holy

Greetings in the Lord!

Today's word comes from 2 Samuel 6 and Daniel 5.  Both stories are a reminder for us to have reverence for the Lord Almighty.  For though God is patient and merciful, He is also Sovereign over all and is to be revered and honored.  The Lord plays no favorites either--His judgments can break out against believers and non-believers alike, as the passages will show. 

The stories go like this. First, in Samuel 6 we read about King David wanting to bring the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem.  He loaded it onto a cart like the Philistines had it, and began to make their way to Jerusalem.  Well, he was wrong already.  The Lord had prescribed how the Ark was to be moved, on the shoulders of Levites--not on some cart pulled by oxen.  Well, when the oxen stumbled, the Ark slid and a man familiar with the Ark (it had been kept in his family's tent) reached out to steady it.  His touch was forbidden by the Lord, and he died for his "irreverent act."  King David realized his guilt.  He would not take the Ark to Jerusalem again until the Lord's blessings returned. 

Then, in Daniel 5 we read about the Babylonian king, Belshazzar, son of Nebuchadnezzar.  He was having a great party with all his friends and asked that the golden goblets taken from the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem be brought to him and his guests, so they could drink wine from them.  Well, as they were enjoying their debauchery, the hand of the Lord appeared and wrote on the wall near the king.  In a script that only Daniel could interpret was God's written judgment against this arrogant king for disrespecting the holy articles of the Lord.  The son had not learned from his father, who had been humbled by the Lord for seven years for his arrogance.  The sentence for the son was death, and it was fulfilled that night.  God alone will see to it that He is truly revered among the nations. 

In both stories we read about leaders, one pagan and the other an Israelite, and how both are chastised severely for their irreverence.  To be a leader of a country is no small thing, but remember, all earthly leadership is under God's dominion.  To publicly disrespect the articles of the Lord, His Presence and His decrees is to invite judgment upon yourself or your rule.  Though a leader may think himself a god, he is not.  He will pass away, taking none of his earthly riches with him and his authority will simply be given to another.  Remember the Lord while He may be found and praise Him.

May the peoples praise You, O God; may all the peoples praise You.  May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for You rule the peoples justly and guide the nations of the earth.  Psalm 67:3-4.

~Be blessed and be a blessing.




 

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