Consider the first of two practical lessons from II Samuel 6:1-19.
God’s Presence Can Be Dangerous. The death of Uzzah convinced David of his personal unworthiness to host the Ark. However, Obed-Edom the Levite welcomed it, delighting in the symbol of God’s Presence. The different responses reflected the situation before Mt. Sinai in Exodus 20:18-26. The spectacle on the mountain proved more than the erstwhile slaves could tolerate:
All originating on Sinai:
Since they couldn’t feel comfortable seeing and experiencing the awesome spectacle, they:
That meant their:
Matthew 16:21-28 reveals the New Testament counterpart of those two views. Of all the responses we can offer Christ’s message, the good soil of Matthew 13:8, 23 symbolizes the self-denial Jesus demanded in Matthew 16:21-28. While a terror to those who can’t imagine sacrificing the right to self-rule EVEN to Jesus, those who accept the challenge find peace with God and control of self under Christ’s benevolent rule. In the experience of self-denial, however poorly accomplished, or permanently achieved, we discover with Paul, that “hiding” ourselves in Christ now, Colossians 3:1-4, results one day in being counted worthy of personally appearing with Jesus in the New Jerusalem. End Part II
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