Bible Study

Just for your thoughts.

1 Chronicles book.
Bible Lesson 6
Portion to meditate: 1 Chronicles 13:6
"The Ark of God remained in the house of Obed-Edom for three months, and the Lord blessed the household of Obed-Edom and everything he had."
The Ark of God had been kept in various places for more than 60 years, and before it was finally brought to the city of Jerusalem, it was placed in the house of Obed-Edom. God blessed that household where the Ark remained.
Lessons this verse teaches:
Generally, the Ark of the Covenant contained three things:
The golden pot filled with manna – the bread God gave in the wilderness.
Aaron’s rod that budded.
The tablets of the covenant – the Ten Commandments given to Moses on Mount Sinai.
But in the temple built by Solomon, the Ark of the Covenant contained nothing except the two stone tablets inscribed by the finger of God at Horeb (Ten Commandments) – 1 Kings 8:9. The reason for this is not explained.
The Ark of the Covenant was a symbol of many things, but most importantly, it represented the Presence of God. The Ark of God was regarded as the “Throne of God” (1 Samuel 4:4). Wherever the Ark was, the glory of God was manifested.
In the New Testament, we ourselves are the temple of God. In this temple – our body – the Presence of God must be revealed. For the presence of God to be seen in a person, the Word of God must dwell richly in his heart.
When a believer is filled with the Word of God and lives in obedience to it, he becomes a person filled with the presence of God. When the Word of God abides in the heart of a believer, worship, prayer, and obedience to the Word will naturally flow in his life. Such a person will surely be blessed by God.
The most foundational element of Christian life is the Word of God. On the basis of this Word, we believe that Jesus is the Savior of the world, that salvation comes through Him. By this Word we are sanctified. Through this Word we receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The list can go on – but the root of it all is the Word of God.
Without the Word of God, we cannot rightly call our body the temple of God. Therefore, any believer who treasures the Word of God in his heart and lives by it will surely be blessed by the Lord. One who does not meditate on the Word cannot be called a believer according to the Bible.
If daily meditation on the Word does not become part of our life, then saying “God’s presence is in me, I worship, I serve” is self-deception. When the Word of God – the true Ark – dwells within us, without doubt our life will be a blessed and protected life.