17 May | Youth
«One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple.» Psalm 27:4
Let us assume you are only entitled to one request. What would it be? Beauty? Fame? Wealth? David chose none of this. In fact, he asked for something quite unusual: to live in the house of the Lord. I say unusual because most people today cannot even spend a few hours in church.
For many, the presence of God is uncomfortable. However, for David, this was the greatest of privileges. But why? Today's verse presents two reasons. David wanted to live in the house of the Lord, first of all, to contemplate His beauty. In the time of this great king, the house of God was the tabernacle, a type of mobile tent, built in the days of Moses (Exod 25:8). It was a miniature of the heavenly sanctuary, the “true tabernacle” (Heb 8:2). It was a place of sophistication and refinement, different from the arid reality of the desert. All the aesthetic details were duly worked on and today would certainly cause admiration among the greatest architects and interior designers.
For the tabernacle, about one ton of gold and four tons of silver were used. In addition, acacia wood, animal skins and fine linen fabrics served as raw materials for the creation of furniture. Spectacular! However, it was not what caught the eye, but what each part of the sanctuary represented: God's kindness in dealing with sinners. Everything in the sanctuary pointed to the beauty of God's character, and it was in this environment that David would like to remain forever (Ps 23:6).
The second reason David wanted to live in the divine tabernacle was to meditate on the Lord. The term “meditate” here means to enjoy quality time reflecting on God and His truth. David loved being in the presence of the Eternal One. The focus of his life was the Lord. That is why the Bible describes him as a man after God's own heart (1 Sam 13:14), because his heart was beating with the Father's heart.
And you? For what have you been asking the Lord? Do you prefer the blessings of God or the God of blessings? May your request be the same as David: to live forever in the house of the Lord.