1 Samuel 5-6: Psalm 93; Romans 2:13-29

 May 20: Today’s reading makes me think what a comfort God is to those who have repented and placed their trust in Him, but what a horror to those who will not. He is immovable, unbending, eternal. Exposure to His revelation, His Law, is exposure to judgment and shame for those who will not bend to it. It’s only hope to those who receive it and are taught and converted by it.

1 Samuel 5-6: What must the Philistines have thought, when Dagon was broken off before the Ark of God? Their intention was clear: in their mind, they had captured the God of Israel, and put Him in the Temple of Dagon, with the thought that their god had given them power to conquer the Israelites and the God of the Israelites. Instead, they recognized what He meant by the sign: “his hand is sore upon us, and upon Dagon our god.” (1 Samuel 5:7, 6:5) Even the priests of Dagon commanded the offering, commanded worship of God, (1 Samuel 6:5), and set the sign that was fulfilled. (1 Samuel 6:9, 12) After this demonstration of God’s power over their “god,” why do they continue to worship it? In 1 Chronicles 10:10, when Saul and his sons were captured, they fastened Saul’s head in this same temple. Even after having the revelation of the One True God, I think the people preferred an idol. An idol is tame, captive, harmless. It makes no real demands, because it is made in man’s image. The Philistine priests warned the people because they knew of the judgment of God on Egypt and feared it. (1 Samuel 6:6) They wanted no part of a God who might do something like that to them. Even the Israelites, the men of Bethshemesh, brought judgment upon themselves through their ignorance(?) of the Law in opening and looking inside the Ark: 50,070 of them died because of this, to the point that they wanted it away from them.

Psalm 93: Why does the Psalmist bring in the “testimonies” of God in the final verse of this Psalm?  His praise has a point: think of the LORD’s strength and majesty. Think of His eternal nature. Compare His voice to the sea, the mightiest earthly thing he could imagine: it also has a “voice” that is sometimes compared to God’s and sometimes used as a metaphor for uncountable multitudes of people. When He speaks, it’s more sure than anything said by humanity, just as His throne is immovable, picture the earth in the midst of the crashing waves. The house of God, the true people of God, must listen. We must hear from Him, despite the noise of many waters. We can only be holy if guided by Him.

Romans 2:13-29: As this chapter concludes, an important point is made. What is a Jew, really? If the church at Rome began like the other churches, there are at least many Jews in it, since most of the churches were formed from synagogues in the nations the Apostles visited. Paul’s words in this chapter address them in the second person as a transgressor of the Law, and a reason the name of God is blasphemed among the gentiles. Having the Law gave them more excellent instruction but also meant more precise judgment upon them when they broke it. Meanwhile, gentiles who at times did those things the Law commanded simply because of the moral sense given to them as image-bearers of God, justifiably passed judgment on the Jews, even though they were “the uncircumcised.” It didn’t save them, but at the same time their judgment of sin was not without merit. Is this, however, saying that uncircumcised men who by nature fulfilled the “higher law” of love toward neighbor (at times) are “inward Jews?” (Romans 2:29) Not at all. Paul is still speaking of the unconverted Jew and gentile, that it was only the faithful, heart-observant, repentant Jew who was ever really a Jew at all. Members of the Church are not yet being discussed.