(Listening by audio is a totally acceptable way to read your Bible and much easier when lots of names are involved!)
BACKGROUND
The temple had 4,000 gatekeepers (23:4, 5) who were Levites. They guarded the four main entrances to the temple and opened the gates each morning for those who wanted to worship. In addition, some of the other duties included 1) checking out and keeping track of equipment and utensils that were used each day, 2) storing, ordering, and maintaining food for the priests and sacrifices, 3) caring for temple furniture, 4) mixing incense, and 5) counting gifts.
There is more about gatekeepers in the 1 Chronicles 9 post.
REFLECTION
Who would have thought that God would have spoken to me amid lists of priests, singers, and gatekeepers this week, but He did! I am so impressed with God's order in all things, and how he used David to administer order in the temple. It helped me with some questions I had about order versus the Spirit's leading.
I had a hard day yesterday because I perceived I was being "put down" for wanting to get some order and dates on the calendar regarding a project that I was doing with another person. The response back was something to the effect that "we just need to let the Spirit lead." I thought, "Well, just because I want to get a date on the calendar and a delineation of duties does not mean that I do not want the Spirit to lead, does it? God likes it when things are done in order, right? It was a very simple question to this person about logistics, and it became what I perceived to be a "pat on the head" to follow the Spirit! It left me wigged out for a few hours. Maybe my organized personality is not of God? Can't I be organized AND follow the Spirit?
Then I spent time in 1 Chronicles and saw the beautiful order and division of the duties in the temple. Following my reading, I noticed this footnote in my Life Application Bible:
APPLICATION
How is the order of your life? Are your priorities in order? Is your physical world in order? Do your home and life run with joy, freedom, and calm because you are wisely preparing in advance?
REFLECTION
Who would have thought that God would have spoken to me amid lists of priests, singers, and gatekeepers this week, but He did! I am so impressed with God's order in all things, and how he used David to administer order in the temple. It helped me with some questions I had about order versus the Spirit's leading.
I had a hard day yesterday because I perceived I was being "put down" for wanting to get some order and dates on the calendar regarding a project that I was doing with another person. The response back was something to the effect that "we just need to let the Spirit lead." I thought, "Well, just because I want to get a date on the calendar and a delineation of duties does not mean that I do not want the Spirit to lead, does it? God likes it when things are done in order, right? It was a very simple question to this person about logistics, and it became what I perceived to be a "pat on the head" to follow the Spirit! It left me wigged out for a few hours. Maybe my organized personality is not of God? Can't I be organized AND follow the Spirit?
Then I spent time in 1 Chronicles and saw the beautiful order and division of the duties in the temple. Following my reading, I noticed this footnote in my Life Application Bible:
The temple service was highly structured, but this did not hinder the Spirit of God. Rather, it provided an orderly context for worship. (Compare 1 Corinthians 14:40 [But let everything be done in a fitting and orderly way]) Sometimes we feel that planning and structure are unspiritual activities that may hinder spontaneity in worship. But order and structure can free us to respond to God. Order brings glory to God as we experience the joy, freedom, and calm that comes when we have wisely prepared in advance. (p. 701)God spoke through the wisdom of those words! Of course, I'm not talking about being like Rabbit in Winnie-the-Pooh who was rigid and always maintained his "schedule." I'm talking about HIS schedule for our lives that is full of joy, freedom, and calm as we listen to Him for the direction of our days!
APPLICATION
But let everything be done
in a fitting and orderly way.
(1 Corinthians 14:40)
in a fitting and orderly way.
(1 Corinthians 14:40)
How is the order of your life? Are your priorities in order? Is your physical world in order? Do your home and life run with joy, freedom, and calm because you are wisely preparing in advance?
If you have a hard time ordering your life, might I suggest The FlyLady? She can help you make order out of chaos, and she is a lovely follower of Jesus (and funny too)!
PRAYER
Lord, You are not a God of chaos but of order. Help our lives to be run and orchestrated by You. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.
PRAYER
Lord, You are not a God of chaos but of order. Help our lives to be run and orchestrated by You. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.
5 comments:
I recently had a word form the LORD saying " you are a Gatekeeper". I had noidea what that meant. My Pastor thoughtit meant a Watchman, but I wa very clearly to "Gatekeeper". This article has been the most helpful thing I've found yet to closely apply to me. Thank you. Julie
That is awesome, Julie!
I was wondering what Gatekeepers did so did a Google search and found your Blog. I found out the answer to that plus your thoughts on "Order". When you take a look at the world around us and see how perfectly God orders everything, even look at our own bodies, it makes one think twice as to why this is ever an issue. We serve a God of Order!
Amen Rhonda!
I added FlyLady as a possible help for establishing order. I am pretty ordered by nature (except for the many papers I have that need to be tossed), but many people need her schedules!
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