The Pastor's Kids You Hear About

And it came about when Samuel was old that he appointed his sons judges over Israel.  Now the name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judging in Beersheba.  His sons, however, did not walk in his ways, but turned aside after dishonest gain and took bribes and perverted justice.  Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah; and they said to him, "Behold, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations." (1 Samuel 8:1-5 NASB)

Growing up in church, part of the "church-culture" was that the kids of the pastor(s) were the worst of the bunch.  There are a variety of reasons for this, most of them are stereotyping rather than fair, and few of them are accurate.  The ironic thing is that the stereotype is biblical.  For whatever reason, kids of famous Bible characters just can't seem to keep the faith going.  It's really weird.  Solomon is probably a notable exception, but that only depends on how you look at his life.

Abraham had Isaac, who has the fewest references to him and God in all of Scripture (okay, that might be an exaggeration).   Then you have all but one of Jacob's kids (that's 11 gone wrong for 1 good egg).  Before these there was Noah's bad egg, Ham (yes, that was a pun).  Then Moses has a son, but you never hear of him, Joshua takes over.  Then the judges are not of Joshua's family (...but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord...for now).  Gideon had sons he installed as judges, but one illegitimate one killed all but one of the others.

And so it goes in Scripture, David and Absolom, Solomon and Rehaboam, and Hezekiah and his son Manasseh (best king, worst king).  So Samuel and his two corrupt sons isn't really a surprise.  And it isn't really or necessarily Samuel's fault.  Anyone who has kids worries about what they will be like when they grow up.  This is partly because we have so little control, and so much influence.  And partly because parents are by and large ignorant of how to raise kids.  For whatever reason we can't remember what our parents did right, just mostly what they did wrong.  They did something right, they had to, we survived.

But parents do have a huge influence, and parents are responsible for what their kids are like when they grow up.  Scripture may not shrink from painting the kids of righteous parents as losers, but it also holds parents responsible for keeping their kids in line.  In fact, the laws require parents to put out of control kids to death (I wonder if anyone kept that one).

So, that Samuel's sons "did not walk in his ways" is Samuel's responsibility.  He, like Eli before him, was responsible to correct aberrant behavior in his sons.  One problem was that he sent them a days walk or more away, so he couldn't see what they were doing down there (partly why he was responsible).  But it is also possible that these sons didn't go off track until they were that far away, corrupted by bad elements in that area, hit the "slippery slope" of one taste of dishonest gain, and it became their method.  Chances are really good that they knew the right thing to do, but out of dad's reach, opted for the easy and lucrative thing instead.

I'm a parent, I have a kid who will grow up and enter the world, and I can't control what she will be like.  But I have influence.  I also have the God-given responsibility to influence her to follow God.  I know I'm not perfect at that influence, and I know I have growth to do in the next four years before she's no longer in my house.  But, I'm neither a pastor, nor a famous Bible character, so my odds of releasing a good kid on society just radically improved!  Still, I have a responsibility from my Master to drive her to Him.  So, here I go again.

Short Circuit

He used to go annually on circuit to Bethel and Gilgal and Mizpah, and he judged Israel in all these places.  Then his return was to Ramah, for his house was there, and there he judged Israel; and he built there an altar to the LORD. (1 Samuel 7:16-17 NASB)

 Eventually, 10 of the 12 tribes of Israel split off to form their own country with their own king.  But it's possible to see this as simply the extension of constantly living apart from the other two anyway.  Samuel's circuit makes a circle within the territory of the Tribe of Ephraim.  Beth El is the farthest north he goes.  Gilgal, Mizpah, and Ramah (which is the town where Samuel's Ephraimite father is from) are all Ephraimite towns.  This central highlands region was nominally in the center of all the tribes.

This wasn't the case for every judge, but it wasn't unusual either.  Deborah judged Israel within the same region, and there were judges from Judah (Ehud) and from Issachar (Tola), so all regions were represented to a degree.  It just seems a short circuit to judge all of Israel.  Later on in chapter 8, Samuel puts his two sons in positions of judge but far south.  It's as if he realizes that he should cover more territory. 

The problem with assessing this as an error or problem is that it worked.  It looks small when looked at on a map, but the comment is that God delivered Israel from their enemies all the days of Samuel.  It may have been a small regional judging circuit, but it seemed to work.  That still needs to be balanced against a mere "pragmatic" evaluation, because just because something works doesn't make it the right thing.  But here Samuel chooses a process and God blesses it.  That does make it the right thing.  It make look small, but God makes it effective.

The lesson I draw from this is that my own wisdom fails before my Master's designs.  Just because a plan looks small, or a program appears to be inadequate, or even when my service seems inconsequential, it is not right for me to judge them as such.  If Jesus can feed 5,000 with a few loaves and fish, then why would it seem impossible or even improbable that He would do great things with what I have to offer Him?  The goal is to be obedient with what He has provided me, the talents, the silver, and the opportunities.  It's up to my Master to bring about the success.

If what I have is sufficient for success, then I get the attention.  But if what I have to offer is clearly not sufficient, and success comes anyway, then my Master gets the attention.  I may be given a small territory to travel and work, but that limitation is not something limiting my Master.  It never takes Him by surprise, it doesn't thwart His designs, and such things are actually opportunities for Him to take center stage.

So while it may seem un-American to be happy about limitations and small-ness, perhaps these are what makes my Master's work more obvious.  Perhaps it is my weakness that enables His glory to show more clearly.  After all, it will never be any sort of ability of mine that saves anyone, so drawing any attention to me only endangers those people around me needing my Master.  The role I play is servant, His role is King; everyone look to the King!

Victorious Nerd?

So the Philistines were subdued and they did not come anymore within the border of Israel. And the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.  The cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron even to Gath; and Israel delivered their territory from the hand of the Philistines. So there was peace between Israel and the Amorites. (1 Samuel 7:13-14 NASB)

I was watching "The Bible" TV series, and they reached the part when Israel asks for a king.  They set the scene by saying that the Philistines again oppressed the Israelites, and a solution was needed.  But the impression given through that segment was that Samuel was never able to lead the people to victory.  It was like the series supported this view that unless someone was a "hero" on a horse, there would be no victory.

Samuel was a prophet/judge.  Before him had been all sorts, from warriors to mothers to priests to farmers.  God called, or anointed, all sorts of people as judge and/or deliverer.  So the "judges" were a varied sort, but the common theme was that those that God designated as deliverers always brought victory to Israel.  They also demanded repentance to God, restoration of worship of God alone, and led in the worship.  Whatever else they had been doing, that was always a part of what they did to deliver Israel.

The problem for Israel had been getting a succession of judges who were faithful.  It seemed that fathers were never able to successfully pass on the mantle of "judge" to their offspring.  It caused problems because then Israel fell back into disarray after the delivering judge died.  It was a repeated theme all through the book of judges.  The reason God gives for leading them this way is that He wants them to be led by Him first, and others second.  It doesn't seem the people of Israel were grown up enough for that.  In Samuel, they're still not.

Samuel represents the end of the era of judges.  And he is a quintessential judge.  He is of the tribe of Ephraim, but functions as a priest.  He is raised by a priest, and functions as a prophet.  He fits in his world; the people watching the Ark were asked to care for it by Levites, but they are in Judah.  Everything seems backward, off from what God designated, but He's the One designating it this way.  It's another reversal, but reversal of role, of power, of success, and of victory.  The "nerd" wins this round.

Samuel isn't a conquering hero on a horse, he's not a swordsman, he's not a military strategist or tactician, he's a priestly prophet.  Yet not only does the ragtag army of farmers and shepherds defeat the iron-clad warriors at Mizpah, but they continue to take two of their major cities, two where the Ark was kept when the Philistines took it.  These poorly armed untrained soldiers inspired by a prophet defeat and keep at bay the stronger better led and better armed opponent.  It's a divine reversal.

But they will clamor for a king.  They will clamor for a hero on a horse, a swordsman, a strategist and tactician.  They don't want divine reversals, they want to be like everyone else; the problem that caused them to need divine reversals in the first place.  They have worshiped like everyone else all along and it never worked.  Now they want to have a king like everyone else, even though the divine reversal thing has been what worked.

Have I put my plans and perceptions ahead of my Master's methods?  Have I acted like I knew best instead of taking as my Master gives?  Absolutely!  Many times I'm not any brighter than these Israelites.  I look around me at those I work with and want to be like them, work like them, succeed like them.  But my Master works otherwise.  He brings success to me from quarters where I can't take credit.  He makes things I didn't even see into successes, but also seems to frustrate my attempts to work like others.

I know that much of what I do is dependent upon my consistent work to reach out to customers.  Yet the return on that investment is in the hands of my Master.  He asks me to be faithful, and so I call.  But I also seek to help, to serve, and to make a difference in the lives of my customers.  That is also part of His call to be faithful.  These customers become clients. 

That's not part of my job necessarily, we have a department to help customers.  But I do it because that's more who I am than the smiler-and-dialer; more who my Master has made me.  When I am faithful to my Master instead of doing what everyone else does, then I enjoy the divine reversal sort of success.  More importantly, I enjoy life with my Master.  When it comes to life, what else is there?

But We're Supposed to Like Thunder

1Sa 7:10
10 Now Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, and the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel. But the Lord thundered with a great thunder on that day against the Philistines and confused them, so that they were routed before Israel.
(NASBStr)

So when Israel repents before God, they put away the Baal idols. This is an interesting detail when combined with what God did against the Philistines. Baal is the Canaanite god of storms, rain, and is characterized by thunder. The Philistines worshipped him, and the Canaanites, Amorites, and all the other 'ites' of the land worshipped him.

The Philistines have come to breakup an Israelite gathering, and as they approach to do battle they are greeted by thunder; great thunder'. Actually, thunder is used as a verb, and it has a great (loud) voice. So the One God of Israel thunders with a loud voice and defeats the Philistines; in a sense they are defeated by their own object of worship.

The idea is that my Master seeks the worship His human creatures would give to the things He created. The people of Israel fail when worshipping the 'god of thunder' but finally succeed when they worship the One having created thunder. And He makes this clear. These farmers and shepherds pursue the iron-clad Philistines with picks and staves defeating them, and taking two major cities from them. But they only are able to fight once they give up on the low god of thunder, and worship the One God making thunder.

When things in my life become too important, work, family, hobbies, recreation, 'my time', or whatever, my true Master will show me how they cannot compete with the Master of all things. There are lots of 'good' things that I become focused on, which become 'evil' as they eclipse my view of my Master. Sometimes I miss the fact that my view no longer includes my Master. That's part of His design, requiring that I seek Him, not just forcing Himself into my view. Instead He influences me by making me suffer for losing sight of Him.

This is the first thing I check when things go 'wrong'; is my Master in my view or have I been distracted again. If He isn't, I refocus, repent, and submit. If He is, then I know what I see as wrong is merely 'unexpected' and only to me, not my Master. It's a lot less stressful way to live, with my Master in view. I can walk on water without sinking if He calls me to. Now that's cool!

Well, Duh!

1Sa 7:3-4
3 Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “ If you return to the Lord with all your heart, remove the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your hearts to the Lord and serve Him alone; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.” 4 So the sons of Israel removed the Baals and the Ashtaroth and served the Lord alone.
(NASBStr)

This takes place after Israel has tried to defeat the Philistines using the Ark of God. The defeat is huge, the Ark is captured, Shiloh completely destroyed, and the people were confused. Why had their God abandoned them? Why had He allowed the gold box of His presence be taken? They were left wondering.

In this case it wasn't rocket surgery. Samuel knew. He didn't go with the Ark to battle. He was one of the Shiloh refugees, fleeing in the aftermath of disaster. But he knew why. God had already established him as a prophet, Israel already knew to seek God through Samuel, and he had been around the corruption of Eli and his sons.

The people were confused why God had left them, and the reason they sought was their confusion about their God's holiness. They totally missed it. In the previous chapter the Levites of Beth-Shemesh sent the Ark away because God was too holy; too holy for Levites. If the ones responsible for maintaining and teaching holiness didn't get it, it shouldn't surprise us that Israel didn't.

So they had seen no inconsistency in their practice of worshipping more than just the God of Israel. They had to renounce their other gods and practices before they were given success in battle. Am I any different? The rules haven't changed over the years, my Master still requires holy (singular) devotion. Yet what simple stupid stuff competes for my attention? What does it take to keep me from church? What does it take for me to miss my morning time with my Master. Why am I so easily distracted, so quick to give up time and attention to the One forming stars? And for what? What is so central to my mind that I lose focus on such a One? It's usually petty, temporal, and petty...oh wait I already said that. I was just distracted, again!

But putting all distractions and practices behind me will enable me to be used by my Master for His purposes. My success will be before Him, in His service, beyond the meager goals and aspirations of this earth. If I want transcendence, to be continually conscious of His presence, then I must be singular in my devotion. The question is, do I really want that.

Stubborn Student, Stubborn Teacher

Now the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod.  Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it to the house of Dagon and set it by Dagon.  When the Ashdodites arose early the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD. So they took Dagon and set him in his place again.  But when they arose early the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD. And the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off on the threshold; only the trunk of Dagon was left to him.  Therefore neither the priests of Dagon nor all who enter Dagon's house tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day. (1 Samuel 5:1-5 NASB)

Being stubborn is sometimes an admirable trait.  Sometimes being stubborn is indomitable,  sometimes abominable; it all depends on what isn't being given up.  Chapter's 5 and 6 in 1 Samuel depict a stubborn people, victorious in battle, but losers on the religious front - and stubborn losers at that.

From the inside looking out, the Philistines just seem silly.  They hold onto their belief in Dagon even though he winds up face down before the captured box of Israel.  They believe this box represents the God worshiped in Israel, and they see what happens to their idol when in the presence of the box, but still persist in worshiping an inferior god.  Why is that?  It seems silly, at least from the inside of the people of God looking out and those on the outside.

From the outside, when the culture and cultures around the Philistines are honestly considered, it makes a bit more sense.  The gods of nations holding to "pantheons" of gods aren't burdened with certain assumptions about their gods.  First off, they don't assume gods are "all-powerful" or omnipotent.  This is partly because there are many gods and a hierarchy among their ranks.  Then there is also the belief that certain gods are responsible for various things in the world, and they use those things against each other occasionally.  They fight amongst each other.  They lie, cheat, steal, and are like people in many ways, just really powerful ones.

So, in that context, being "wrong" only means for that moment.  Dagon beat this Israelite god in battle, otherwise they wouldn't have the box, right?  So Dagon being face down twice isn't an indicator that there is One God, or that this God is more powerful than the others necessarily, at least not for them.  It may mean that this foreign god was able to get the best of their local deity a few times; "the best out of three falls and all that."  It could mean several things that didn't necessitate belief that Dagon wasn't real or that he wasn't powerful enough to be worshiped, or that the Philistines should abandon their ways and gods and join Israel (the people couldn't even win a battle with their god among them - why join them?).

Sometimes, I'm a slow learner.  I keep banging my head against a wall, confused by my headache.  Why isn't what I'm doing working?  Perhaps I should just keep at it.  On the flip side, persistence in obedience to my Master seems so...difficult.  When I don't see the results I want, I use the pragmatic American philosophy and try something else that "works".  Why is it so easy to be stubborn with the wrong things, and hard to be stubborn with the right things?

But this account of the Philistines and the gold box of Israel continues.  Plagues are inflicted on the city holding the Ark of the Covenant.  Then they move it because, "...His hand is severe on us and on Dagon our god."  The next town suffers the same, and the third, and so on.  For seven months they continue to move and the plagues move with the box.  Finally they decide to give it back to Israel.  This God of Israel is persistent, even with students who persistently don't get it.

I believe that my Master was working with the Philistines to get their attention and lead them to Himself.  I believe He did that with the Egyptians as the Israelites tried to leave with Moses.  I believe that He does that repeatedly throughout Scripture with foreign peoples.  And He doesn't give up either.  There are lots of examples of God using Israel to reach Philistines, Edomites, Amonites, Syrians, Phoenicians, even Babylonians and Persians.  His work with foreign powers is fairly consistent.  So why this persistence?

Again, I believe that these are examples in the Hebrew Scriptures of my Master's grace toward other peoples besides Israel.  They weren't chosen, but they were shown grace.  There is a desire on the part of my Master to relate to these peoples.  In some cases the Chosen People were a hindrance, in others they were the messengers; much like church today.  The grace of my Master hasn't diminished, and while culminated in Jesus and His death, burial, and resurrection, it didn't start there; and it doesn't end there either.  One day, examples these peoples whom my Master has tried to reach for thousands of years will stand before Him together with His chosen people.

So the question is two-fold.  Am I willing to learn from my Master?  And am I willing to be a messenger rather than a hindrance?  It's amazing how closely linked those two are.  It helps to have the first one answered before working on the second part.  So, back to school for me, as I apprentice to the Maker of Stars and Tracer of quarks.  Hmmm, where's my slide rule?

There Went The Judge

Then the one who brought the news replied, "Israel has fled before the Philistines and there has also been a great slaughter among the people, and your two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been taken."  When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell off the seat backward beside the gate, and his neck was broken and he died, for he was old and heavy. Thus he judged Israel forty years. (1 Samuel 4:17-18 NASB)

Eli was the high priest from Aaron's line.  He was condemned by God for honoring his sons above God, and received two prophecies regarding the demise of his family and their place before God as priests.  It was happening.  His sons were dead, struck down in battle while carrying the Ark of the Covenant.  I thought it was interesting that, as the prophecy comes to pass, Eli dies over the Ark rather than his sons.

The charge by God against Eli had to do with his parenting of his sons, and how that parenting was debasing the priesthood and Israel's worship.  His bad choices were affecting Israel's devotion to God.  Not many parents have that much riding on their parenting, but there are several noted in Scripture.  Ironically it seems they are mentioned at major junctures in Israel's history.  Here the temple/tabernacle is destroyed, never to be rebuilt until Solomon.

But that Eli responds this way to the news of the Ark, his concern for it as he waits for news, indicates something unexpected of his heart.  If he honored his sons above God, then the news of their death would have struck him more than the loss of the Ark.  Yet it is the Ark's loss that moves him to fall over backward, and terminally break his neck.

There are a few possibilities about this, like it is his "job" at the temple that concerns him.  I doubt this.  It could be that he thought God was really with or in the gold box.  Likely, but not required since he also knew the box wasn't God and God didn't follow it around like a puppy.  It may be that he thought that the loss of the Ark signaled the removal of God's election from Israel.  While this is possible, I suspect that Samuel's work as a prophet was enough proof that the Ark was not the determining factor.

Instead, I think that what it was about the loss that killed Eli over the loss of his sons was the removal of God's presence from among His people.  I don't think it was the election of Israel, to whatever degree he understood that.  I don't think it was the "capture" of God, which I don't think anyone seriously thought possible.  I think Eli thought he had caused the presence of God to be removed from among his people.

The death of his sons had been predicted, he had been told twice.  Their death was no surprise.  The loss of the Ark of the Covenant was the summation of his fears when it left the shrine at Shiloh.  He knew he had caused the end of his line, but had he also caused the loss of the presence of God from among his people?  He sat by the road and fretted over that (or that's my opinion, how I imagine it).

The Ark of the Covenant was the symbol of the presence of God among His people.  While, over the years, this symbol had resided in Shiloh, God's presence had been assured, although never really mentioned in all of the period of the Judges until here.  It's odd that such an important object with so much importance and meaning was given so little ink during such dark times for Israel.  Regardless of the reason (and there are several historical perspectives on the reason why), the result is that the inspiration of the Master that we do have leaves it out.

Consider then the setting of the high priest presiding over the worship of the chosen people of God, and yet a word from God was rare, precious, scarce.  Prophets are unheard of, so where is God?  It makes the job of high priest and priest and Levite rather bland and colorless.  There is no word from God, only the practice of death, blood, fire, and repetition.  How does the "show bread" taste after years of eating it without a word from the One having appointed it?  It almost seems pointless. 

But they had the box, and that meant God was still there, enthroned above the Chrubim.  He had chosen Israel as His people, but He had also chosen to abide among them.  So, pointless as it may have seemed, Eli could have found purpose and comfort knowing that the Ark was still among the people of God. 

Now this isn't required.  Samuel was still a prophet, and God was clearly with Samuel, Ark or not.  But Eli isn't looking at or for Samuel, he's looking for the gold box.  So what's my point?  After judging Israel 40 years, leading them in worship, ministering before God, Eli focuses on the box.  He put all his hopes in there.  Sure it symbolized the presence of God among His people, but it was symbol, not the presence.  It had become an Idol.  This judge of Israel had become one through whom God would not speak, his heart was focused too low.

Where's my focus?  Where's my hope and design?  What do I see as my purpose?  Where is my Master located within my life?  Am I bound up in myself, my family, my church?  These are all important (not necessarily in that order though).  Am I bound up in my Master?  Is my focus on my relationship with Him rather than with others here (including myself)?  Would the loss of my church, my daughter, my wife, or even my own life be the end of me? 

I don't think the loss of my church would be crushing.  It would hurt, and I would grieve; but I would live.  The loss of my family would be devastating, and I have no idea what recovery, if it came, would look like.  That would be life-changing.  I like to think that I could sacrifice myself for others more easily than I could defend myself, so that wouldn't be the most fearful thing for me.  I don't think that loss of any of these things could do away with me.  But that isn't all there is to me.  What is my gold box?  What is yours?

God-in-the-Box

When the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, "What does the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews mean?" Then they understood that the ark of the LORD had come into the camp.  The Philistines were afraid, for they said, "God has come into the camp." And they said, "Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened before.  Woe to us! Who shall deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods who smote the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the wilderness.  Take courage and be men, O Philistines, or you will become slaves to the Hebrews, as they have been slaves to you; therefore, be men and fight."  So the Philistines fought and Israel was defeated, and every man fled to his tent; and the slaughter was very great, for there fell of Israel thirty thousand foot soldiers.  And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died. (1 Samuel 4:6-11 NASB)

 The movie, "Raiders of the Lost Ark" depicts the Ark of the Covenant as a powerful object.  Statements were made about it like, "The Bible speaks of it laying waste to entire regions", and shows a supposed wood cut of it destroying enemy soldiers.  Ironically, this chapter in 1 Samuel seems to be the only place it's carried into battle, and not very effectively.  Another quote from the movie is, "an army that carries the Ark before it is invincible."  Obviously not.

Shouldn't it be that powerful though?  This chapter uses four different terms for the Ark.  The first is the "Ark of the Covenant of the LORD" (using the name of God), the second is the "Ark of the Covenant of the LORD of Armies sitting above the Cherubim".  So the idea was that they could bring God into their camp/battle by bringing His "chair".  And since He is the Master of a host of armies, He'll defeat their enemies, again, because they brought His chair with them.  Technically, I suppose what they brought was His footstool, maybe that's why it failed?

The problem was they tried to manipulate God.  The first sentence of this chapter is, "Thus the word of Samuel came to all Israel."  So they finally had a prophet, yet even so, with priests, they could inquire of God anyway.  Instead of asking, seeking, or even including the plans of the Master of universe, they simply brought Him along into their plans.  For them at this time, the Ark was their "God-in-the-Box."  Bring the box, and you bring your god.  He even made it easy by providing poles to carry it; very convenient of Him.

This is sad, yet funny to see the foolishness, yet a tragedy.  And it also depicts believers today.  How often have I "included" my Master into my plans?  How often to I inquire of Him only to seek approval for what I've already decided to do?  I have made fairly large decisions in my life, with the expectation that my Master make it work.  It looks like what the prophets do, except mine comes from a life lived from myself rather than from one lived immersed in my Master. 

The other way I do this is by objectifying my Master, or locating Him with an object.  My favorite seems to be a Bible.  When I was still in school, I had a Bible I used to lead Bible studies (which is a really good idea by the way), and I put all my study notes, observations, questions, and so on in this Bible.  I could do a study on the spot on nearly anything, at a moments notice.  It was fantastic, and a lot of time and sweat was put into this tool.  It was so cool, no inspiration from the Spirit was really needed, I could do it myself; very impressive.  So, my Master had it stolen.  Yes, my truck was broken into (they picked the lock rather than broke a window), my glove box was ransacked, but the only thing stolen was my Bible.  I learned that my Master does not like objects taking His place. 

The Bible is good, but when the tool or method replaces the Master, it becomes evil in His sight.  Church attendance and worship styles are all excellent things, but when they replace the Master as our "time with Him", then they become evil in His sight.  He doesn't want my methods or my music, He wants my veneration, my worship, my life.  He wants me on Monday too, not just Sunday.  He wants me to submit to Him, not to "include" Him.  He's not my "buddy" who goes with me everywhere, He's not my "imaginary friend", I'm His; for my Master is more real than I am.  He is more real on more levels to more degrees than I can even imagine.  I am stuck on a lump of molten nickel and iron hurling around a burning hydrogen/helium bonfire.  I know where I am, I cannot be so precise with Him, and not because He's hard to find, but because He's so pervasive.  The question is, "where isn't He?" 

So, the Maker and Sustainer of the glories of the universe and sub-sub-atomic particles doesn't really "fit" into any sort of box, whether made of gold, or created within my imagination.  More to the point though, He doesn't like it when I try to put Him in such a box.  His normal response is to do away with the box.  When the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD of Armies enthroned above the Cherubim was captured, Eli and his daughter-in-law both died from hearing the news.  They thought they had lost God; that He had left them and their nation.  Instead, He was waiting for them to realize He had never gone to the battle, but was with His prophet, Samuel.  He was right there with them in Shiloh, and they missed it by focusing on a gold box with angels on the lid.

Attending church, worship, Bible study and prayer are all vital to my life with the Master.  Yet they are never to distract from the One I worship, pray to, read about, and spend time with each day.  I don't come to church to "visit" my Master, I come to visit my fellow followers before His throne; that is what I can't do alone.  I cannot let these things become my "box" to make my Master more convenient for me.  That would be a disaster (imagine the swirling sands and dramatic thunder - very "Spielberg").