the ruminations of aaron eberline

Why did Solomon build such an amazing Temple? Why are we given such details about the actual Temple building and all of the fixtures within the Temple? Does God look at the physical building when people gather to worship him or does He look upon the motives of the people who are gathering to worship Him? What do you think God cares about? The question of how we worship God is nothing new because we are always trying to obtain a direct, tangible, and concrete definition of what faith in God truly looks like. “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old gained approval.” Hebrews 11:1,2 In Hebrews we are told that the men of old gained approval by faith and a long list of noteworthy people of renown are listed. So why did Solomon build this temple for the Lord? What does worship look like? What is expressed in worship? Read more

What final words would you speak if you knew you were about to die? When you think about someone who is about to die what do you picture in your mind? Do think of an old frail person with illness who is too weak to speak and just slips into death? This was not Moses at the end. In Deuteronomy chapters 33 and 34 the end of Moses’ leadership in Israel arrives. Mouses was going to die and be gathered to his people but “although [he] was one hundred and twenty years old when he died, his eye [were] not dim, nor his vigor abated.” (Deuteronomy 34:7) Moses was still fully alive and able to speak to the people of Israel at the time of His death. Read more

The book of Deuteronomy retells the stories found in Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers. The book is the last of the Pentateuch authored by Moses. In chapter 1 Moses reviews the journey of the Israelites from Horeb. Why repeat all of the stories again? How does this profit the people? I think it was absolutely necessary for the people to remember God’s faithfulness and their consistent failure. If the people of Israel were not reminded of where God had brought them from would they have been more inclined to stray from Him? The story of the peoples lack of faith and rebellion before the 40 years in the wilderness must have been a vivid reminder to obey God. The importance of obeying God in all areas of life has been repeated to me many times today. Read more