{"id":297,"date":"2012-05-18T10:44:14","date_gmt":"2012-05-18T15:44:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/touchstonemag.com\/daily_reflections\/?p=297"},"modified":"2024-05-05T23:14:33","modified_gmt":"2024-05-06T04:14:33","slug":"may-18-may-25-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.touchstonemag.com\/daily_reflections\/2012\/05\/18\/may-18-may-25-2\/","title":{"rendered":"May 18 – May 25"},"content":{"rendered":"

Friday, May 18<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ezekiel 39: This continuation of the previous chapter uses the mystic number seven (the inference reached by the addition of the divine number three and the human number four [and if you multiply them, you arrive at the other mystic number, twelve]) to designate the number of years that the burning of the discarded weapons will supply the need for fuel. Seven, too, will be the number of months required to bury all the dead from Gog\u2019s great army.<\/p>\n

In this section, verses 11-16, we see Ezekiel\u2019s priestly preoccupation with ritual purity (cf. Numbers 5:2; 19:16; 35:33f). So great will be the battle\u2019s carnage that the beasts and carrion birds will be glutted with the corpses (verses 17-20; cf. Revelation 19:17-21). The chapter ends with a summary of God\u2019s restoration of Israel, which brings this third part of Ezekiel to a close.<\/p>\n

1 Samuel 6:1-19 This chapter chronicles the return of the Ark to Israel and the aftermath of that return.<\/p>\n

In view of the havoc and consternation caused among the Philistines, as described in the previous chapter, its captors determine to send the Ark back to Israel. Seven months of torture have proved quite enough (verse 1).<\/p>\n

Sensing they are out of their depth, these political leaders of Philistia\u2014the heads of the five cities\u2014resolve to find a religious solution to their problem. They are wary. Accordingly, they seek the guidance of the local religious experts: priests and shamans (verse 2). We recall that Pharaoh sought the counsel of such men, back in the days when Moses was a problem.<\/p>\n

The counsel given by the priests and shamans is complex. There are two stages in the instruction:<\/p>\n

First, a sort of reparation offering must accompany the return of the Ark. The need for this ritual gesture was perceived from the fact that the Philistines continued to be tormented by rodents and the physical malady described in the previous chapter. The Philistines fear that these problems may continue even after the Ark is returned, unless they effect some kind of reconciliation with Israel\u2019s God (verse 3). They are advised, therefore, to fashion small sculptures\u2014ornaments, as it were\u2014to represent the hemorrhoids and the rodents (verses 4-5).<\/p>\n

First Samuel 6:20—7:17: Chapter 17 begins on a chronological note: the twenty years during which the Ark of the Covenant remained at Kirjath Jearim. If this length of time is taken to indicate the whole period before the Ark\u2019s removal to Jerusalem under David, it appears to be too short for adjustment into Old Testament chronology. It seems more likely, therefore, that the twenty years indicates the period prior to the battle described later in this chapter.<\/p>\n

During these two decades, we are informed, Israel \u201cmourned to the Lord\u201d (according to the Hebrew) and \u201cturned to the Lord\u201d (according to the Greek). That is to say, it was a time of spiritual renewal, when the Israelites, under the maturing leadership of Samuel, did four things: yearned for the Lord, put away idols, committed themselves, and served the Lord alone (verses 3-4). Their resolve was expressed in a rededication, symbolized in fasting, a water libation (cf. Lamentations 2:19), the confession of sins, and a sacrifice accompanied by prayer (verses 5-6,9).<\/p>\n

This rededication took place at Mizpah, one of the cities included in Samuel\u2019s annual circuit as judge (verse 16). The site is probably to be identified with Tell en-Nasbeh, eight miles north of Jerusalem. Mizpah is the place where Israel will choose monarchy over the charismatic leadership exercised by Samuel and the Judges.<\/p>\n

Those converted to the Lord should anticipate an experience of trial, and this sequence is illustrated in the story that follows: the Philistines, victorious in their last military encounter with Israel, are bent on battle (verse 7). Their prompt and dramatic rout is credited to Samuel\u2019s intercessory prayer (verses 9-10). This is one incident (cf. 12:19) that strengthened the memory of Samuel as a champion of intercession (cf. Jeremiah 15:1; Psalms 99 [98]:6).<\/p>\n

This victory comes from neither Israel\u2019s military muscle nor Samuel\u2019s martial leadership, but solely from the Lord, who puts the Philistines to confusion by a superlative display of thunder and lightning. References to this display are found in the hymns that begin (2:10) and end (2 Samuel 22:14) the original Book of Samuel.<\/p>\n

The erection of a ceremonial stone to commemorate this victory (verse 12) has many parallels throughout military history.<\/p>\n

In the general narrative development of this book, the present chapter represents the countervailing voices of those not convinced that Israel truly needed a king. In subsequent chapters\u2014but especially at Mizpah in chapter 10\u2014the opposite view would eventually prevail: Israel would have its king. Still, the book\u2019s author determined that both sides of the argument should be heard. For him\u2014and for the book\u2019s final editors in the late sixth century\u2014the material in this chapter bears witness that Israel needed no king but the Lord. What Israel did need was mourning, conversion, rededication, fasting, and prayer. The \u201crock of help\u201d\u2014Ebenezer\u2014stood in silent but eloquent testimony to this thesis. The full significance of Israel\u2019s experiment with monarchy was complex, but that complexity included the fact that monarchy, over the centuries, led to Israel\u2019s historical ruin. No one knew this better than the survivors of 587 B. C.<\/p>\n

The narrator of this scene obviously enjoys its irony: Having endured dysentery and hemorrhoids for seven months, these Philistines now suffer from an anal fixation so severe they imagine that Israel\u2019s God might be placated by a gift of golden hemorrhoids!<\/p>\n

The obvious parallel here is with the account in Exodus, according to which the Israelites, when Pharaoh finally compelled them to leave Egypt, took gold and jewelry with them (Exodus 3:21; 11:2; 12:35-36; Psalms 105 [104]:37). This parallel serves mainly to heighten the improbability of jewelry shaped like hemorrhoids and mice.<\/p>\n

The Philistines are certainly \u201cwinging it\u201d here. They are totally confused, and they have no idea how the true God is to be honored. Their improvised liturgical experiment reminds the reader of the Ninevites, a few centuries later, who proclaim a citywide season of fasting in order to placate the wrath of Israel\u2019s God. In this latter instance, we recall, even the livestock are forced to fast (Jonah 3:7; 4:11). Both biblical writers revel in ridiculing the clueless Gentiles\u2014Philistines and Ninevites\u2014who have benefited from no proper liturgical instruction. They must guess<\/em> what to do: \u201cPerhaps\u201d (verse 5), \u201cWho knows?\u201d (Jonah 3:9)<\/p>\n

The Philistines, for their part, compare their plight to that of Pharaoh and the Egyptians. In both cases, hardness of heart is the great danger, and the Philistines are resolved to take instruction from Pharaoh\u2019s mistake (verse 6; Exodus 8:15,32; 9:34).<\/p>\n

Second, great care must be taken in the transport of the Ark back to Israel. Indeed, this transport becomes a sort of trial to determine whether or not the Philistines are really dealing with Israel\u2019s God or simply circumstances of chance. Accordingly, the religious authorities advise, a brand new cart must be constructed, one never used for ordinary work. This cart must be drawn by nursing cows that have never been yoked. These must be separated from their suckling calves and, of their own accord, take the correct road to the nearest Israelite town. This complicated process, the Philistines reason, will guarantee that mere chance is not involved in the outcome. It is a sort of trial by ordeal.<\/p>\n

When the Ark arrives at Bethshemesh, however, it proves to be no less dangerous to the Israelites than it was to the Philistines. The rejoicing citizens of the place, apparently curious to learn if the contents of the Ark had been disturbed, unwisely open it and look inside. Being Levites (Joshua 21:16; 1 Chronicles 6:44), they should know better (Numbers 4:20), and they pay a heavy price for their presumption.<\/p>\n

The tragedy at Bethshemesh is the climax in this story of the Ark\u2019s power, which is felt by Israelite and Philistine alike. Both groups received the Ark with joy, but they are equally eager to be rid of it, once they experience their inability to control it.<\/p>\n

The Bethshemites plead with their brethren at Kiriath-Jearim, some nine miles northeast, to come and relieve them of the Ark. To care for it, Eliezar ben Abinadab (cf. 2 Samuel 6:3) is consecrated.<\/p>\n

The Ark\u2019s history will be picked up again in 2 Samuel 6, where David arranges its transfer to Jerusalem. Its presence there will confer on the latter city, David\u2019s capital, a historical connection, not only with Shiloh, but also with Bethel (Judges 20:27) and Shechem (Joshua 8:33). In the overview of the Deuteronomic editor, the Ark is the link of continuity joining Israel\u2019s judges and kings.<\/p>\n

Saturday, May 19<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ezekiel 40: These final nine chapters of Ezekiel contain his visions of the future temple, to which God\u2019s glory will return. These visions also contain regulations by which the worship in the temple will be determined, rules with respect to the various sacrifices and ministries, ordinances about holiness, and all manner of prescription governing the priestly services of the temple.<\/p>\n

These final chapters serve as something of a foil or counterpart to the terrible visions of Chapters 8-11, where the prophet, touring the temple under the guidance of a heavenly minister, witnessed the abominations that led to the departure of God\u2019s glory from the holy place. Now, in these final chapters, Ezekiel is once again led by the same heavenly minister to tour the temple and to behold the return of God\u2019s glory.<\/p>\n

The temple herein described vastly transcends the new earthly temple that will be constructed by Zerubbabel. Indeed, this description points in prophecy to a greater reality transcending all the expectations of Israel according to the flesh. This temple is \u201cideal\u201d in the sense of conforming to the heavenly model of the sanctuary seen by Moses in the Book of Exodus, and of which we read in the Epistle to the Hebrews.<\/p>\n

Chapter 40 begins on April 28, 573 B.C. Then begins the measuring of the new temple, following the dimensions determined by God Himself. (Following the Greek text, the reader will be spared undue confusion by omitting verse 30, which seems to represent either a later addition or a corruption of the Hebrew text.)<\/p>\n

Sunday, May 20<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ezekiel 41: Everything in the temple expresses the principles of mathematics. In the Bible (as in Pythagoras and Plato), numbers are sacred; they are spiritual emanations of God\u2019s creative act, giving form, structure, and significance to the universe. Numbers are the basis of \u201cform,\u201d that internal principle of proportion that causes things to be what they are. And because the knowledge of anything consists in the comprehension of its form, all knowledge involves a mathematical perception, a \u201cmeasure,\u201d the perception of \u201climits,\u201d which \u201cdefine\u201d things.<\/p>\n

Even this future temple—a reflection of the heavenly sanctuary seen by Moses on Mount Sinai—now being \u201cvisited\u201d in prophetic vision by Ezekiel, is shaped (that is, receives its form) by the principles of measurement. Because the house of God is a house of order, not chaos, it is a house structured according to the eternal principles of proportion.<\/p>\n

Step by step, and in reverent silence, the angelic tour guide patiently lays his royal cubit stick to determine the proportions of the sacred space. The unit of measure that he employs is the royal cubit, which in modern measurement is 52.5 centimeters or 20.6692 inches.<\/p>\n

When the heavenly minister enters the Holy of Holies to take its measure in verses 3-4, Ezekiel reverently remains outside; when that inner sanctuary has been measured, the angel gives the prophet a brief explanation.<\/p>\n

Ezekiel also receives an explanation of the altar in verse 22. The elaborate carvings described in verses 19-26 are early proof that the Jews of that period (and for centuries to come, well into the Christian era), did not interpret the Decalogue as prohibiting works of representative art in places of worship.<\/p>\n

Acts 1:15-26: Before their casting of lots, the Apostles narrowed their selection to a choice between two men with identical qualifications. Matthias and Joseph Barsabbas both met the technical requirements for being numbered with the original Apostles (1:21\u201323). One remembered, however, that Judas Iscariot too had met those requirements.<\/p>\n

Clearly something more was needed, as their prayer acknowledged: \u201cYou, O Lord, know the hearts of all.\u201d God could read the hearts of both men, and, for reasons best known to Himself, He preferred Matthias.<\/p>\n

God\u2019s preference of Matthias, nonetheless, implied no censure of the other man. Joseph Barsabbas was not chosen for that particular apostolate, but there was no implied criticism of him. All through Holy Scripture, indeed, God continually chooses some individuals over others with a view to the divine purposes in history. While each of those choices necessarily implies a rejection of sorts, such rejections are not necessarily condemnations nor repudiations.<\/p>\n

Monday, May 21<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ezekiel 42: This chapter of Ezekiel elaborately describes the temple area enclosed by a wall that made \u201ca separation between the holy and the common\u201d (42:20). In Holy Scripture there is a strong sense of sacred space, a consecrated area devoted solely to sacred worship. Indeed, the Greek verb meaning to \u201cdivide\u201d (temno<\/em>) provides the root of our word \u201ctemple,\u201d designating a special space set apart or \u201cdivided\u201d for sacred worship. (The same verbal root gives us such English words as \u201ctime\u201d and \u201ctemporal.\u201d Just as space is \u201cdivided,\u201d so is time.)<\/p>\n

The original type of such space was the area adjacent to the Burning Bush, which Moses could not enter without removing his shoes. (Observe that in Ezekiel 42:14, the priests were required to change their clothing when they entered or left the temple. Secular clothing was inappropriate within the sacred space, and liturgical clothing was inappropriate outside of it.)<\/p>\n

When Moses later received the Law, all of Mount Sinai became sacred space, off-limits except to those designated to approach the Divine Presence. In varying gradations, all the space of the temple was consecrated and, therefore, off-limits except to those designated for entrance. Most sacred of all was the Holy of Holies, which only the high priest could enter, nor could even he enter it except on the holiest day of the year (the divided and thereby consecrated \u201ctime\u201d), which was the Day of the Atonement.<\/p>\n

Here on earth, all consecrations of space are reflections of heaven itself, that tabernacle not made with hands, where our own Forerunner and High Priest has entered once and for all, having obtained eternal redemption for us.<\/p>\n

First Samuel 8:1-22: Here begins the chronicle of Israel\u2019s transition to monarchy, framed between Samuel\u2019s two antimonarchical warnings in chapters 8 and 12.<\/p>\n

Israel\u2019s movement to monarchy occurred around 1020 (some thirty years after the fall of Shiloh), and here again Samuel served as the bearer of bad news. Though his own instincts opposed the idea of kingship, regarding it at first as a rebellion against God\u2019s covenant, it is possible that Samuel bore some of the blame for this development. His failure to discipline his sons, after all, was the immediate reason given for the need of a king (1 Samuel 8:1\u20135).<\/p>\n

There is an irony here. Samuel himself had witnessed how Eli\u2019s failure to discipline his sons had earlier led to the destruction of Shiloh (1 Samuel 2:12\u201317, 22\u201325). It is no small paradox that Samuel, ever the visionary of the future, should be suddenly confronted with d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Israel\u2019s demand for a king is based on a desire to be \u201clike other nations.\u201d That is to say, it is a rejection of the unique character imposed by Israel\u2019s covenanted relationship to the Lord. Essential to that covenant was the understanding that Israel was not<\/em> like the other nations: its government was based on a theological premise, not a political contract.<\/p>\n

Wanting to be \u201clike other nations\u201d was part of Israel\u2019s constant disposition to worship \u201cother gods.\u201d As a radically unfaithful sentiment, it was just the most recent act in a rebellion going back to the time of the desert wandering (verses 7-8; cf. 10:18-19; 12:12; Judges 8:22-23).<\/p>\n

Samuel prayed (verse 6). This prayer of frustration stands in striking contrast to his victorious prayer in the previous chapter (7:7-9).<\/p>\n

And once again God spoke to Samuel, instructing him to accede to the people\u2019s clamor for a king (verses 7\u20138). The author gives no explanation why the Lord acceded to the people\u2019s request, nor, in the light of Israel\u2019s subsequent history, was such an explanation necessary. God\u2019s purpose was complex; indeed, human sinfulness made it complex.<\/p>\n

Moreover, Samuel was the man God wanted to anoint that king (10:1). As Israel\u2019s \u201cseer\u201d (9:9), however, he was also directed to foretell to the people the dire consequences of their choice. The sad list of evils that the seer predicted as attendant on the institution of kingship (8:11\u201318) was a prophecy amply fulfilled in the following centuries. It was truly bad news: Israel\u2019s kings will equal and surpass the ancient oppression of Pharaoh. As they did in Egypt, the Israelites will once again cry out for deliverance from oppression, but the Lord\u2014this time\u2014will pay them no heed. The evil history of Israel\u2019s kingship will run its full course.<\/p>\n

Tuesday, May 22<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ezekiel 43: God\u2019s glory, which Ezekiel had seen depart eastward from the temple in 11:23, now returns from the same direction. This glory of God, witness by the prophet, was revealed in a great luminosity, in reference to which we are surely correct in thinking of the bright cloud of fire that led Israel through the Red Sea and the Sinai desert. This same divine luminosity adorned the face of Christ our Lord at His Transfiguration and is an image of divine revelation itself (cf. 2 Corinthians 4:6).<\/p>\n

When the divine glory returns to the temple, it is accompanied, Ezekiel tells us, by all the mystic images that he originally saw at the time of his calling, at the beginning of this book. In verse 10 he is commissioned to write a description of all that he sees, and there immediately follows an account of the altar (verses 13-17) and its construction and consecration (verses 18-27).<\/p>\n

One is particularly struck by the detail that this new altar must be ascended by stairs, a feature expressly prohibited in Exodus 20:25-26.<\/p>\n

First Samuel 9:1-13: Samuel\u2019s dismissal of the people at the end of chapter 8 cleared the stage, as it were, for a new development. Now, Saul enters the stage, described as a young man of wealth and impressive physical appearance (cf. 10:23). Saul is not conscious of such things at the moment, and becoming a king is the thing furthest from his mind. He is looking for his father\u2019s wandering donkeys (verses 1-4).<\/p>\n

When the lengthy search for the donkeys leads to nothing but frustration (verse 5), Saul\u2019s servant (who appears in this scene as a sagacious man, perhaps older) favors recourse to oracular assistance (verses 6-10). By this time they have arrived at Zuph, near Ramah (cf. 1:19).<\/p>\n

Our author, who described Samuel\u2019s habitual circuit travels (7:16-17), set up thereby the circumstances of the prophet\u2019s meeting with Saul. Samuel is not named at this point, but his ministry as a seer is described as particularly efficacious (verse 6; cf. Deuteronomy 13:1-3; 18:21-22). The unnamed servant provides the remuneration of the unnamed seer (verse 8; cf. 1 Kings 14:3; 2 Kings 4:42; Amos 7:12; Micah 3:5).<\/p>\n

As Saul is seeking the donkeys, Samuel is searching for a king. This is the author\u2019s technique of saying that the providential Lord is preparing them to meet.<\/p>\n

In fact, the Lord spoke to Samuel the day before Saul\u2019s arrival (verse 15). That is to say, the God of providence was working from two sides in order to bring about the encounter between these two men. Nor is the present story the Bible\u2019s sole example of the Lord pressing a meeting from two directions. Another instance is the account of the founding of the Church at Caesarea, for which the Lord revealed His will to Cornelius at Caesarea (Acts 10:1-8) and, the following day, to Peter at Joppa (10:9-16). As in the case of Samuel and Saul, it was the divine intent to cause these two men to meet. As though to emphasize this point, each man later narrated the details of the revelation (10:28-33; cf. 11:4-18).<\/p>\n

Wednesday, May 23<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ezekiel 44: The first three verses of this chapter testify to the special holiness of the temple\u2019s east gate, consecrated by the entrance of God\u2019s glory through it. This gate must remain sealed forever. Because God Himself has used this gate, the prophet is told, no one else may do so. Even the prince, who may approach the gate from the vestibule to the west of it, may not pass through the gate itself, though he is permitted to eat certain consecrated foods while within the gateway.<\/p>\n

This account of the consecration of the temple\u2019s eastern gate, by reason of God\u2019s having entered it, is read at Vespers on most feast days of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Eastern Orthodox Church, which interprets the text as an image prophetic of Mary\u2019s perpetual virginity. According to this interpretation, her very body, because God\u2019s Word used it as His entrance into this world by means of the Incarnation, was consecrated in an exclusive way; if this was the case with respect to the divine cloud of God\u2019s glory in the Old Testament, how much more was it with respect to God\u2019s definitive entry into human life by Incarnation. After His passage through it, the door of His entrance, because it was definitively consecrated, must remain forever shut.<\/p>\n

(Mary\u2019s perpetual virginity, unquestioned for centuries and considered defined dogma by most Christians throughout the world, was consistently defended by the Protestant Reformers. The sustained denial of it is not a product of Protestantism, but of a modern secularism that has no sense of physical consecration.)<\/p>\n

The rest of this chapter deals with the consecration of the priests and Levites. Himself a member of the priestly family, Ezekiel habitually shows special concern for the distinction between holy and profane, as we see here in verses 17-27.<\/p>\n

First Samuel 9:14-26: In Samuel\u2019s initial meeting with Saul two themes are especially worthy of note:<\/p>\n

First, Samuel learns that Saul is the Lord\u2019s chosen \u201cprince and savior\u201d (verse16; cf. Stephen\u2019s description of Moses in Acts 7:35). Saul is God\u2019s reply to the people who cried to Him in their affliction (cf. 7:8-9; 12:8,10; Exodus 3:7,9; 4:31; Deuteronomy 26:7; Judges 3:9,15; 4:3; 6:6; 10:2,13,14; 2 Kings 14:26). Clearly, the whole question of kingship is treated very differently from the previous chapter: Whereas the Lord reluctantly agreed to a monarchy in chapter 8, here in chapter 9 monarchy represents the Lord\u2019s intervention for deliverance.<\/p>\n

Second, in professing his own low estate (verse 21), Saul picks up the theme—introduced by Hanna in 2:8—of the Lord\u2019s exaltation of the humble.<\/p>\n

We learn that Samuel, in prophetic anticipation of his encounter with Saul, had already enjoined the cook to prepare something special for the young man. Even before his anointing, Saul is given preeminence at table.<\/p>\n

The next morning, Samuel separates Saul from his servant, mentioning a special message he is to receive in private.<\/p>\n

Thursday, May 24<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ezekiel 45: The first eight verses of this chapter treat of particular dispositions of real estate in Jerusalem: for the holy place, for the priests and Levites, and for the people and the prince. The disposition of the land is arranged in relation to the temple, with the property of the priests around it, and the real estate of the prince and the citizens out beyond that of the priests. The arrangement of the land in and around Jerusalem thus reflects the structure of society, with God at the center, then His ministers, and then the civic order.<\/p>\n

The thought of Ezekiel envisions, then, the restoration of theocracy. His vision is entirely ideal, because even from the perspectives of demography and topography, Ezekiel\u2019s purely symmetric arrangement would be impossible to implement on actual real estate on earth. Nonetheless, this same passion for precision must be applied to proper measurements and currency (verses 10-12), and to appropriate offerings to be brought for the various public sacrifices (verses 13-25). In offering these gifts, the people shall act through their prince (verses 16-17).<\/p>\n

First Samuel 9:27—10:16: Even as he anoints Saul as \u201cprince\u201d (nagid<\/em>—verse 1), Samuel foretells three signs that will reassure the young man, who may be rather confused by the unexpected chain of events of the past day or so. The first prophesied sign is an encounter with two men, who will tell him the lost donkeys were found (verse 2). The second sign is Saul\u2019s meeting with three men who will feed him (verses 3-4). The sign is an encounter with a group of prophets, in whose company Saul will receive the gift of prophecy (verses 5-6).<\/p>\n

In order to avoid any confusion about these events, Samuel foretells them in considerable detail, including the exact place where each of them will occur: Ramah (Rachel\u2019s grave), Tabor, and Gibeath-Elohim. After these three signs, Samuel instructs him, Saul is to wait for him at Gilgal.<\/p>\n

Only the third of the three signs is narrated in the text: Saul\u2019s reception of the prophetic spirit (verses 1-13). This outpouring of the \u201cSpirit of God\u201d—Ruach Elohim<\/em>\u2014is the grace Saul shares with Israel\u2019s earlier charismatic leaders: Gideon (Judges 6:34), Jephthah (11:29), and Samson (14:6,19; 15:14).<\/p>\n

On his arrival home, Saul remains silent about the extraordinary events of recent days (verses 14-16; Compare Judges 14:4-6). This silence clears the stage for the stories that follow (10:17\u201411:15).<\/p>\n

Friday, May 25<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ezekiel 46: In this chapter the interest goes from sacred space to sacred time. The west gate of the temple\u2019s inner court, the gate facing east, is to remain closed on ordinary work days, but the Sabbath and the monthly feast day (\u201cthe new moon\u201d) are to be marked by the gate\u2019s opening (verse 1).<\/p>\n

The civil authority (\u201cthe prince\u201d) will regularly consecrate the life of the nation by appearing reverently at that gate on those appointed days to present a special sacrifice (verses 2,8). The gate will also be opened for the prince whenever devotion prompts him to make an additional offering (verse 12). The prince shall also see to it that regular offerings are made, twice daily, at morning and at evening.<\/p>\n

The prayers designated for those two times of daily sacrifice became a standard component of Jewish piety and eventually passed into Christian discipline as the \u201ccanonical hours\u201d of Matins and Vespers; this explains the language about sacrifice found in the traditional texts of those two daily services of prayer.<\/p>\n

Verse 18 indicates a return to the ancient Mosaic mandate keeping inherited real estate within family ownership (cf. Leviticus 25:10-17).<\/p>\n

First Samuel 10:17-27: The last time Samuel assembled the Israelites at Mizpah, the Lord\u2019s deliverance proved that they needed no earthly king (7:5-12). It is profoundly ironical, therefore, that the people are now summoned to Mizpah for the purpose of choosing an earthly king (verse 17). Samuel takes back nothing, however, from his earlier declaration: Israel\u2019s craving for a monarch is tantamount to a rejection of the Lord (verse 19; cf. 8:7).<\/p>\n

God\u2019s choice of a king is determined by a process of casting lots (verses 20-21; cf. 14:41; Joshua 7:13; Acts 1:15-26). The chosen Saul is reluctant, notwithstanding the \u201csigns\u201d he had been given (verses 1-13). He is burdened by the same sense of modesty (verse 22; cf. verse 16; 9:21). It is hard, however, for a tall man to hide (verse 23), and Samuel is clearly impressed by Saul\u2019s height (verse 24). (The Lord will later caution the prophet on this point\u201416:7!)<\/p>\n

\u201cLong live the king!\u201d (verse 24) became a customary acclamation in the Bible (2 Samuel 16:16; 1 Kings 1:25,34,39-40; 2 Kings 11:12).<\/p>\n

This is to be a \u201cconstitutional monarchy,\u201d and Samuel is charged to compose the charter (cf. Deuteronomy 17:14-20).<\/p>\n

Now that the Lord has made His will known with respect to Saul, our author takes a dim view of those who oppose him (verse 27). Later opponents of the throne will merit the same negative regard (2 Samuel 16:17; 20:1; 23:6).<\/p>\n

For the present, there is nothing further for Saul to do (verse 26). He must wait until some occasion presents itself: \u201cDo whatever comes to hand, for God is with you\u201d (verse 7). The new king will not have long to wait, for trouble is brewing in the land of Ammon.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Friday, May 18 Ezekiel 39: This continuation of the previous chapter uses the mystic number seven (the inference reached by the addition of the divine number three and the human number four [and if you multiply them, you arrive at the other mystic number, twelve]) to designate the number of years that the burning of … Continue reading May 18 – May 25<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.touchstonemag.com\/daily_reflections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/297"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.touchstonemag.com\/daily_reflections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.touchstonemag.com\/daily_reflections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.touchstonemag.com\/daily_reflections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.touchstonemag.com\/daily_reflections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=297"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.touchstonemag.com\/daily_reflections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/297\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2225,"href":"https:\/\/www.touchstonemag.com\/daily_reflections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/297\/revisions\/2225"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.touchstonemag.com\/daily_reflections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=297"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.touchstonemag.com\/daily_reflections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=297"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.touchstonemag.com\/daily_reflections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=297"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}