Aug 15th

1 Samuel 5-6     Jeremiah 43     Mark 5     (Click on the Reference to go to the passage)

Today we are given an insight into the outworking of God’s holiness.
The ark of the covenant is now part of the spoils of war taken by the Philistines after their rout of Israel. We noted that the ark represented God’s presence, and the Philistines are about to discover just what it means to disregard and disdain him. There is something almost comical about the repeated collapse of the idol Dagon – falling on your face was a sign that you acknowledged you were in the presence of one greater than yourself! Here we have a foretaste of the Day when everyone and everything will bow the knee to the Lord and acknowledge him King of kings.
The outcome for the Philistine people, however, is far from amusing. And when they seek advice from their own priests and diviners, it is clear that the God of Israel has an awe-some reputation. What calamities are befalling the nations of earth – including our own – today, because of our unwillingness to give him the place of pre-eminence which is his by right, and which he will one day occupy in glory? We rarely tiptoe into such questions, but unless God has changed, can we avoid them?
One of the saddest things about reading the Old Testament story of God’s dealings with his people is how simple it would have been for them to enjoy his continued favour and blessing. But simple obedience always seems so hard for us humans, doesn’t it? Chapter 42 saw the remnant of God’s people begging Jeremiah to seek the Lord for guidance, which he does. The Lord’s word is simple: ‘Stay here and prosper – run for Egypt and die.’ Did you guess what their response would be? Yet again, human ‘arrogance’ is identified as the cause of the people’s downfall.
Mark, meanwhile, continues to portray Jesus in terms which can only mean one thing – the God of the Old Testament, the Holy One, whose power controls the forces of nature, the powers of darkness and the very stuff of life and death, has come to earth, incarnated – made flesh – in a carpenter from Nazareth. When God visits earth, his holiness banishes all that mars and corrupts life, restoring life and wholeness and hope to his people.
From the end of chapter 4 through chapter 5, we witness power encounters between Jesus and the forces of nature (the calming of the storm), evil (the Gedarene demoniac), sickness (the woman with the flow of blood) and death (the raising of Jairus’ daughter).
Note the various responses to Jesus
 ‘Who is this?’
‘the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region’
‘the man went away and began to tell how much Jesus had done for him’
‘all the people were amazed’
‘seeing Jesus there, he fell at his feet and pleaded earnestly with him’
‘If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed’
‘Your daughter is dead … Why bother the teacher any more?’
‘they laughed at him [Jesus]’
‘they were completely astonished’
What’s your response to Jesus?

(member of the clergy)