Seek the presence
Throughout the days of Saul, we paid no regard to it. – 1 Chronicles 13:3
1 Chronicles 13:1-4
1 David consulted with all his officials, including the generals and captains of his army.
2 Then he addressed the entire assembly of Israel as follows: “If you approve and if it is the will of the LORD our God, let us send messages to all the Israelites throughout the land, including the priests and Levites in their towns and pasturelands. Let us invite them to come and join us.
3 It is time to bring back the Ark of our God, for we neglected it during the reign of Saul.”
4 The whole assembly agreed to this, for the people could see it was the right thing to do.
“The presence of the Lord” typically refers to the belief or experience of God’s spiritual presence. It can be a deeply personal and subjective experience, often accompanied by feelings of awe, reverence, peace, and spiritual connection.
In the Old Testament, the presence of the Lord is often associated with the Tabernacle and later the Temple, where God’s presence dwelt in a unique way. Numerous passages in the Old Testament recount instances where God’s presence resided among the people of Israel in specific locations: Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:16-18), the Tabernacle (Exodus 40:34-35), or the temple (2 Chronicles 6:1-2). The Ark of the Covenant was seen as a symbol of God’s presence among the Israelites.
God is omnipresent, that is, present everywhere. But believers may feel a heightened sense of the Father’s presence in special times or circumstances. For children of the King, the presence of the Lord is understood as the manifestation of God’s presence in their lives. It is experienced through prayer, worship, and moments of spiritual connection.
When people do not love God through their personal relationship with Him, they do not seek to be in His presence. What a sorry state of existence to live in. So it was with King Saul. Saul was appointed to be king of Israel. But Saul had no love for God. Saul had no desire to be with the Father. He did not seek to be in His presence. God didn’t matter and was insignificant to Saul. The bottom line is that he could not care less. He did not want to be close to God or, more importantly, to have God close to him.
The Father, on the other hand, loves to be close to children of the King. They are His family. They are His children, and He loves them forever. This is a tragic story of unrequited love.
Dutch Sheets captures the pathos of this incongruous situation. “What a sad epitaph for a leader: ‘The presence of God was not sought after during his reign.’ And what sad days those must have been for the Lord.”
Pause for a moment and imagine, visualize how God the Father felt. The most loving and wonderful personality in existence was rejected. He was unloved and unwanted. The agony, the grief He must have felt.
REFLECT & PRAY
It only takes one generation that knows not the God of the Bible to create a society that cares not for God at all. He is cast aside and placed on the garbage heap of history. Without the love of God, we can quickly become loveless, lawless, and cold.
Father thank You for loving me with mother-love that is unconditional and eternal. Embolden me to seek Your presence and experience Your love.
INSIGHT
The Scriptures use many metaphors to portray the relationship between God and those that believe in Him: shepherd and sheep, vine and branches, head and body, bride and bridegroom, husband and wife. But the most frequent and significant is Father and child. The Scriptures indeed emphasize the Fatherhood of God.
What is less well-known is that He is also pictured as a compassionate Mother. In the same way, a mother loves, comforts, and cares for her children, the eternal God watches over and is mindful of each child of the King in His Forever Family (Isaiah 66:13).
It is far too easy for people to say, “The Lord has forsaken me,” when they are despondent, isolated, or lonely.
But nothing could be further from the truth. “The Lord has an innate attachment to Zion, just like a mother does for her infant child. But even if mothers were to suddenly abandon their children, the Lord would never forsake Zion. In other words, the Lord’s attachment to Zion is like a mother’s attachment to her infant child, but even stronger” (The NET Bible notes).
A mother’s love is both unrestricted and lasting. The child does not have to earn or attain their mother’s love. Mother-love is unreserved love. It transcends the child’s personality, characteristics, or circumstances. A mother’s love is not earned or deserved; it is freely given because of who the child is, not what it does.
The Father God has wired mothers so that the love-bond between mother and child arises instantly. It often begins at the moment the mother knows she is pregnant. But it climaxes at the moment the child is born. Mothers have a strong built-in instinct to nurture and protect
Is it possible for a mother to neglect or mistreat her child? Regrettably, yes, sometimes the unthinkable can and does happen. But it is an aberration, not the norm. But our King would never do this! The Father reassures His people of His unwavering love by likening Himself to a compassionate mother. This analogy portrays Israel as a nursing child, utterly reliant on its mother. Just as a devoted, loving mother would never abandon or forsake her child, the Lord remains steadfast. He lavishes each child of the King with mother-love.
Isaiah 49:15-16
15 Can a mother forget her nursing child? Can she feel no love for the child she has borne? But even if that were possible, I would not forget you!
16 See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands.
When the pathos, the tragedy of it all, is understood, who would not seek the presence of Father God and the unconditional, warm mother-love He offers?
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© Dr. H 2023
Dr H Reflections 