from Rachel: At His Footstool

In one sentence, what does Psalm 132:1-10 recall? “It recalls David[’s] vow to God to begin the construction of the Temple immediately”

In a word, how would you describe King David’s tone in these verses? “urgent”

Associated with the Shekinah glory of God, the ark was the central location of worship in the Old Testament. What is it called in Psalm 132:7? “God’s footstool”

Read 1 Samuel 7:1. Where was the ark taken? “Abinadab’s house”

If you can relate on any level, please share where God has stirred passion in you for His presence, His glory or His activity. Try to be specific.

“I remember a college retreat, singing the great hymns often stirs it, and after a nor’easter on Middle Bass Island (sometimes my heart feels so full of joy it’s about to burst)”

Please read the account in 2 Samuel 6:1-11. What happened? “The oxen stumbled, Uzzah tried to steady the ark, God killed him, David got angry and afraid, he left the ark with some subjects, and God blessed them.”

Describe David’s reaction in a few words. “angry and afraid of God’s power.”

Fill in the blank according to Psalm 132:1 in the HCSB translation: ‘Lord, remember David and all the “hardships” he endured.’

Even if you’ve read the segment before, read and relish 2 Samuel 6:6-15. Why do you think David mustered the courage to send for the ark of the covenant again?

“He still loved God and he grew to trust Him again.”

Can you handle one last reading? We need to know why David’s second try was successful. Please read 1 Chronicles 15:11-15. What did he do differently?

“This time people carried it, David made a hefty sacrifice, and David danced wholeheartedly.”

Dearest Rachel –

One of the things with the fifth day of the study week is that you were usually in a hurry to complete it – often the night before (or even the day of) the study meeting. So you would hurry to fill the questions out so that you would still be allowed to participate in the group discussion, but often there would be a few questions left unanswered.

Then again, maybe you just couldn’t think offhand of a time when God didn’t “behave” the way you expected Him to, especially with such limited time to consider and report such an incident. It’s not like we have to deal with situations where, when someone touches one of His supposedly sacred items, they’re immediately struck dead like Uzzah was (and to think, he was only trying to help – after all, would God have wanted His footstool to crash to the ground, and possibly break or get damaged in the process?).

To be sure, the closest I can think to such unpredictability is that which several families have had to deal with lately – and which I have been coping with ever since you left. But there are plenty of places in His word that touch on the question of why bad things happen to “good” people. While things don’t always make sense on a human level, there is a certain understanding that nothing surprises Him – and we can assume that everything is incorporated into His overall plan, which He is under no obligation to explain to us, nice as it would be if He would; unfortunately, Proverbs 25:2 insists that God is glorified by keeping things to Himself, rather than simply revealing them to us. With that being said, even these things that don’t necessarily make sense don’t feel out of character for Him. So it may have been too difficult a question to answer, and the limitation on time you probably had at this point to respond to it couldn’t have made it any easier.

But all in all, there aren’t that many personal insights of yours to be gleaned from this specific lesson, in any event. The only thing that sticks out is that of your visceral reaction to hymns (which is probably part of why you collected so many different hymnals) and the strong weather on Middle Bass Island – and I’ve found notes of yours before that have gone into detail of your combining both of these experiences, so this comes as no surprise either.

Still, it’s not as if everything I find of your writings has to have a new insight. I’m sure that, of all the stuff I’ve written you since your departure, I’ve repeated myself on a number of topics, with only slight variation in wording to differentiate them. I hope it hasn’t bored you, now that I think about it.

In any event, I do wish I understood the reaction you would get from these events; I’ve never felt much in the way of any ‘fire in the belly’ from something I’d seen or heard like that. Even more so now, considering that you’re presumably in His direct presence in a way that none of us on this side can fathom. I can’t imagine what that must be like; I wish I knew how it felt.

I suppose I will at some point in the future, but until then, honey, keep an eye on me and wish me luck. I’m going to need it.