Isn’t it amazing how gazing at a star-filled night sky or standing before a mighty ocean or a majestic mountain can fill our hearts with wonder – and almost instinctively – draw from the depths of our inner being a willingness to give worship and witness? And if that’s what the creation can do – can you imagine what could happen when gazing upon the Creator?
Following the amassing of one of the richest stores of precious materials ever found in Scripture for the building of the first temple in Jerusalem – David gathers some of the richest expressions that human language can afford to praise and honour the God who would come to inhabit the temple with His presence (1 Chron 29:10-19).
9 Then the people rejoiced, for they had offered willingly, because with a loyal heart they had offered willingly to the Lord; and King David also rejoiced greatly. 10 Therefore David blessed the Lord before all the assembly; and David said:
“Blessed are You, Lord God of Israel, our Father, forever and ever.
11 Yours, O Lord, is the greatness,
The power and the glory,
The victory and the majesty;
For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours;
Yours is the kingdom, O Lord,
And You are exalted as head over all.
12 Both riches and honor come from You,
And You reign over all.
In Your hand is power and might;
In Your hand it is to make great
And to give strength to all.
13 “Now therefore, our God,
We thank You and praise Your glorious name.
14 But who am I, and who are my people,
That we should be able to offer so willingly as this?
Isn’t it amazing how the writer seems to draw a straight line between the greatness of God and the willingness of His people to worship (give)? Read through 1 Chronicles chapter 29 and just count the number of times the word “willing” or “willingly” is used alongside one of the greatest poems of God’s greatness anywhere in the Bible. The Hebrew word “nadab” literally means to “to incite, to impel” – leading to the notion that the sheer majesty and splendour and magnificence of God almost instinctively causes the response of a willing heart to honour, adore and worship (give to) the Lord! Isn’t it ironic that the OT character who bears the name “willingly” (Nadab), the son of Aaron the high priest, winds up being consumed by fire because he is unwilling to offer the proper sacrifice to God? Could it be that somehow along the way, Nadab lost his grasp on the majestic splendour of Yahweh?
May it be for us, in the days, weeks, months and years ahead on our journey through this life – that we will seek the person, the presence and the pleasure of God and in the rapturous realisation of His majestic glory – and that we will live, and give, our all... willingly... for His great name’s sake!
Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. (Rom 12:1)
