Beholding the beauty
"O LORD, I love the habitation of your house and the place where your glory dwells." (Psalm 26:8 ESV)
"One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD And to meditate in His temple." (Psalm 27:4 NASV)
October 23, 2024
Dear friends,
Here in southwest Virginia, we are enjoying the peak season of fall colors. Everywhere you turn you see sunlight streaming through yellow, orange, and red leaves. It's like every tree has turned into a living, stained glass window. I think autumn is the most beautiful season in Virginia, and the beauty is hard to miss.
Other kinds of beauty may not be so easy to see. When we read Psalms 26 and 27, we notice how much King David loved the house of the Lord and the beauty he saw there (26:8; 27:4). In his day the house of the Lord was the Tabernacle, the portable temple of the wilderness wanderings, which was erected near Jerusalem. I wondered, what exactly was it that David saw when he looked upon this temple? How did it move him to say what he says in Psalm 26 and 27?
WHAT DID DAVID SEE? He calls God's habitation the "place where your glory dwells" and the place where he could "gaze upon the beauty of the Lord." David sought (or "meditated; contemplated; inquired of") the Lord at that location. There were times when the glory of the Lord had been visibly manifested as a bright cloud in or over the temple, but that was occasional in Israel's history. David must have been contemplating the tabernacle in its daily operation. He must not have seen the direct vision of God -- such as we will have in eternity -- but rather, he saw the visible effects of God's glory and beauty in that place of worship.
THE PATTERN. First, the layout and objects of the temple, that divinely ordained pattern, revealed the beauty of God. The various objects invite contemplation: the altar of burnt offering spoke of the sacrifice which reconciles us to God, and foreshadowed the substitutionary sacrifice of God's Son. The laver (basin of water) displayed the cleansing that God provides; the table of bread, God's provision for his people; the lampstand, the knowledge and wisdom God gives; the altar of incense, the intercessory prayer of the high priest; and the Ark of the covenant represented God's presence in the midst of his people. [More detail provided at link below.]
THE PEOPLE. King David would also have observed the various activities taking place at the temple. Sacrifices were being offered. Prayers were being made, along with thanksgiving to the Lord. The word of God was being sung or recited by the Levitical singers. Worshipers were giving verbal testimonies in thankfulness for healing or answered prayer. Hands were raised in worship to God. Families were reunited. People were enjoying, and sharing, feasts in celebration of the Lord's goodness. Side by side were those seeking the Lord in their need and those glorifying God for his gracious provision. It was a place of prayer, of forgiveness, of the joy of the Lord. Each worshiper would hear the blessing spoken, “The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.” (Num 6:24-26)
OUR GAZE. For us, the Church -- the body of Christ, the dwelling of the Holy Spirit -- is God's temple today. The local church with its congregational worship, fellowship, and service is a place where the Lord's beauty and glory can be seen. We see the beauty of God's creation in nature, but in the church we see the beauty of redemption. It's easy to attend church gatherings with a critical spirit. "The music's too loud", or "why did that person have to wear THAT", or "I'm missing the kickoff". Like David we need to look around and see where God's glory is being displayed, where his beauty can be seen. It may be heard in the music and the message, or some portion of that which we needed to hear. It will be seen in those who have come to seek the Lord, who feel their need of him. God's people united in prayer is a beautiful thing. Perhaps a testimony given, or a baptism, or the passing of communion bread and cup from one to another is revealing the glory of God to us. This temple too, like the tabernacle, is a place of prayer, forgiveness, and the joy of the Lord.
LOOKING FOR THE BEAUTY. We may need to look more carefully for that beauty. It's okay if some people sing off-key, or maybe the sermon is a bit long. But if we see the joy of the Lord among any of his people, or we see children with their Sunday school papers in hand running happily down the hallway, or we notice the elderly person who attends worship faithfully even with much difficulty and pain, we should take note. When Christ is proclaimed as Savior who is ready to save, and when unsaved people come to hear the gospel, this is beautiful. When people of all different ages, backgrounds, ethnicities, and nationalities come together because of a shared relationship with Christ, that truly is a glimpse of glory.
Like the Old Testament believers, we too hear the words, “The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.” The church gathered in worship is, and should be, a place of blessing. William Gurnall once wrote, “The Church is nothing but Christ displayed.” May we be able to see the effects of his presence among his people, and to say with David, "O LORD, I love the habitation of your house and the place where your glory dwells."
MISCELLANEOUS.
-- The tabernacle and what it means -- connecting the OT book of Exodus with Jesus as portrayed in the Gospel of John.
-- "Dear Pastors..." is good advice, including a word from Screwtape.
-- Recently shared by Dan Fischer: "Home Libraries Will Save Civilization".
-- Speaking of home libraries, my latest acquisitions are On Stories, by C. S. Lewis; With the Old Breed, by E. B. Sledge; and The Complete Poetry, by George Herbert.
-- We’ve been enjoying the recent sermon series on John 17 by Alistair Begg.
FINAL QUOTE.
"O day most calm, most bright,
The fruit of this, the next world's bud,
Th' indorsement of supreme delight,
Writ by a friend, and with his blood;
The couch of time; care's balm and bay:
The week were dark, but for thy light:
Thy torch doth show the way."
-- Welsh poet George Herbert, from "Sunday" (1633).
That's it for this week!
Sandy
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.