Today's Scripture Reading (May 20, 2026): Isaiah 26
One of
my favorite Psalms isn't the famous twenty-third, but the next Psalm in the
Psalter, the twenty-fourth. Like the Shepherd's Psalm, it was written by David.
But tradition tells us that Psalm twenty-four was written in anticipation of
the arrival of the Ark of the Covenant in Jerusalem. The Ark had been in exile
since it was lost to the Philistines during the reign of the High Priest Eli.
Eli is probably best known as the Priest who raised Samuel, the last of Israel's
Judges. One of Eli's main responsibilities, as High Priest, was to care for the
Ark of the Covenant in Shiloh, where the Tabernacle had been set up. But for
some reason, Eli must have been convinced, likely by his sons, to whom Eli had
always struggled saying no, to allow the Ark to be carried into battle. By law,
the Ark was never supposed to leave the Tabernacle, except when the Tabernacle itself
was being moved.
The sons
of Eli carried the Ark of the Covenant into battle, and there, they lost it.
The Philistines tried to keep it, but it had caused them significant trouble,
so they sent it back to Israel, and for a while the Ark spent time in
Kiriath-Jearim, a town located 10 kilometers west of Jerusalem. However, David
wanted the Ark brought to Jerusalem, rather than to the Tabernacle, where it
should have been returned. The Ark was placed on a cart; by law, it should have
been carried by the priests, and it started for Jerusalem.
About
three kilometers down the road, disaster struck. The cart hit a rock, and as
the Ark began to fall, a Levite named Uzzah reached out to steady it. Uzzah was
not allowed to touch the Ark according to Mosaic Law, and Uzzah died on the
spot. David decides that the Ark is too dangerous to bring into his city, so he
leaves it at the threshing floor of Nacon.
Later,
David decides to try to move the Ark to Jerusalem one more time, but this time
he follows the instructions given in the Mosaic Law. Two poles were placed into
the rings attached to the Ark, and the priests carried the Ark to Jerusalem. As
the Ark approached the city, the priests called out to its inhabitants, and the
people responded. This call-and-response is revealed to us in Psalm 24.
The earth is the Lord's, and
everything in it,
the
world, and all who live in it;
for he founded it on the seas
and
established it on the waters.
Who may ascend the
mountain of the Lord?
Who
may stand in his holy place?
The one who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who
does not trust in an idol
or
swear by a false god.
They will receive
blessing from the Lord
and
vindication from God their Savior.
Such is the generation of those who seek him,
who
seek your face, God of Jacob.
Lift up your heads,
you gates;
be
lifted up, you ancient doors,
that
the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord strong and mighty,
the Lord mighty in battle.
Lift up your heads, you gates;
lift
them up, you ancient doors,
that
the King of glory may come in.
Who is he, this King of glory?
The Lord Almighty—
he
is the King of glory (Psalm 24).
I wonder if Psalm 24 is on Isaiah's
mind as he writes these words of praise. Maybe we could rephrase David's words.
Lift up your heads,
you gates;
be
lifted up, you ancient doors,
that
the righteous nation may come in.
Who is this righteous nation?
The
nation that keeps its faith,
The
nation who follows Israel's God.
Lift up your heads,
you gates;
be
lifted up, you ancient doors,
that
the righteous nation may come in.
Who is this righteous nation?
The
nation that loves the Lord,
Let
that nation be us – the faithful followers of our God.
Tomorrow's
Scripture Reading: Isaiah 27
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