The Daily Word: Wednesday, August 4th, 2021
2 Chronicles 35:1-36:23
1 Corinthians 1:1-17
Psalm 27:1-6
Proverbs 20:20-21
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Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
Then he said to the Levites who taught all Israel, who were holy to the Lord: “Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David, king of Israel, built. It shall no longer be a burden on your shoulders. Now serve the Lord your God and His people Israel.” – 2 Chron. 35:11
The Levites were the ones who carried the ark of the covenant on their shoulders. Moses had told them to do it:
And the children of the Levites bore the ark of God on their shoulders, by its poles, as Moses had commanded according to the word of the Lord. – 1 Chron. 15:15
So they did. There were times when they tried to avoid the responsibility; but any attempt to offload their responsibility to carry the ark of God on their shoulders resulted in disaster:
And when they came to Nachon’s threshing floor, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. Then the anger of the Lord was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him there for his error; and he died there by the ark of God. – 2 Sam. 6:6-7
But finally, under King Josiah, their day arrived. “Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon…built. It shall no longer be a burden on your shoulders. Now serve the Lord your God and His people Israel,” King Josiah said. The Levites who had borne the burden of carrying God’s presence perfectly for generations could finally offload their task. They were free to serve the Lord God and His people.
Jesus is your King. And here is what He says about trying to bear the burden of being perfect before God:
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” – Matt. 11:28-30
You don’t have to bear your burden anymore. Perfection – which has always been impossible anyways! – is no longer required. The blood of Jesus – His perfection, not yours – makes you whole. Come to your King, listen to His voice, and lay your burden at His feet. Then go out and serve Him and His people well.
Prayer:
Father, thank You for bearing every burden I could ever hope to bear! You are a good God! I will lay my life at Your feet. I will no longer try to be perfect since I never stood a chance anyway! I will simply come to You, and do what You say, in Jesus’ name.
© Michael D. White, 2021. All rights reserved.