Through the Bible in one year - Day 13

Psalm 12:2
Everyone utters lies to his neighbor;

with flattering lips and a double heart they speak.

I sure hope that everyone doesn’t utter lies to his neighbor. What a horrible thought, and an awful way to live. (Good thing I don’t watch the TV news – I’d be more likely to agree with the Psalmist here.)

In Genesis today we read about Abram and Lot separating in order that the land can support them and all their family and possessions – their herds and herdsmen. It wasn’t that long ago that the Lord brought them out of their old homes with essentially the things on their backs and here we find they have grown in number and wealth – and in keeping with the words of warning from Psalm 12 we find Lot living among people who were wicked and “great sinners.” This tale gives us a hint of what is to come by telling us parenthetically that the Lord hadn’t yet destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah; I am wondering what will come next, aren’t you?

This passage in 1 Chronicles is a mystery to me. I think I could use some time studying what people have said about this movement of the Ark and David’s thoughts- and responses to God’s actions. I am hoping that perhaps we can read more about David and the Ark in other places and that I might gain a better understanding of what is really going on here. Is it that David and the people decided for themselves what to do? Or is it something else entirely?

If we look at Exodus where God described the Ark and how to build it, He also described how to handle it and carry it and who should do so – apparently this was important to God, and yet David disregarded all of those explicit directions and put the holy Ark of God on a cart pulled by oxen...yup that sounds like maybe David got into trouble thinking rather than listening. There is a line in an old movie (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid) where the two characters are discussing things and one says to the other “You just keep thinking, Butch. That’s what you’re good at.” And, I think in this case that is what David is doing – thinking under his own power and according to one website I looked at, David tried to take a short cut rather than paying attention to what was proscribed by God. This is a sure way to get ourselves in trouble – and David found that out, as did poor Uzzah.

Today’s readings: Psalm 12, Genesis 13:2-8, 1 Chronicles 13, Luke 8:4-21