2 Chronicles 8:12-18: a reflection

12Then Solomon offered burnt offerings to the LORD on the LORD’s altar which he had built before the porch, 13even as the duty of every day required, offering according to the commandment of Moses on the Sabbaths, on the new moons, and on the set feasts, three times per year, during the feast of unleavened bread, during the feast of weeks, and during the feast of booths. 14He appointed, according to the ordinance of David his father, the divisions of the priests to their service, and the Levites to their offices, to praise and to minister before the priests, as the duty of every day required, the doorkeepers also by their divisions at every gate, for David the man of God had so commanded. 15They didn’t depart from the commandment of the king to the priests and Levites concerning any matter or concerning the treasures. 16Now all the work of Solomon was accomplished from the day of the foundation of the LORD’s house until it was finished. So the LORD’s house was completed. 17Then Solomon went to Ezion Geber and to Eloth, on the seashore in the land of Edom. 18Huram sent him ships and servants who had knowledge of the sea by the hands of his servants; and they came with the servants of Solomon to Ophir, and brought from there four hundred fifty talents of gold, and brought them to King Solomon.

As the temple worship is established, the account describes the ordered faithfulness of it: Solomon offered burnt offerings as the duty of every day required, according to the appointed times, the Sabbaths, the new moons, and the set feasts. He appointed the divisions of priests and Levites to their service, the doorkeepers to their gates, and they did not depart from the commandment concerning any matter. The worship was not sporadic or improvised; it was regular, ordered, faithful, maintained in its appointed rhythms day by day. The beauty of it was in its steady, ordered faithfulness, the daily duty done as required.

Notice the character of the worship: regular, ordered, faithful. It was maintained as the duty of every day required, according to the appointed times and rhythms; the priests and Levites and doorkeepers kept to their assigned services, not departing from the commandment. There was nothing sporadic or improvised about it; it was steady, ordered, faithful, done day by day in its appointed rhythms. The worship of God was sustained not by bursts of enthusiasm but by ordered, regular faithfulness, each doing his appointed part, the daily duty kept. The steadiness and order were themselves a form of faithfulness, worship maintained in its rhythms over time.

That is worth taking to heart, for our own devotion is sustained not by sporadic bursts but by ordered, regular faithfulness. We can imagine that devotion to God is chiefly a matter of intense but sporadic bursts of feeling; but the temple worship was sustained by ordered, regular faithfulness, the daily duty done as required, the appointed rhythms kept. There is value in the steady, ordered faithfulness of regular devotion, not only in occasional intensity. Do not rely only on sporadic bursts of devotion; sustain your worship of God in ordered, regular faithfulness, keeping its rhythms day by day, as the temple worship was maintained as the duty of every day required. Sustain your devotion to God in ordered, regular faithfulness, keeping its rhythms steadily rather than relying on sporadic bursts, as the temple worship was maintained day by day according to the appointed times; for the worship of God is sustained by steady, ordered faithfulness, and there is beauty in the regular keeping of its rhythms, not only in occasional intensity.

Lord, as the temple worship is established, the account describes the ordered faithfulness of it: Solomon offered burnt offerings as the duty of every day required, according to the appointed times, the Sabbaths, the new moons, and the set feasts. He appointed the divisions of priests and Levites to their service, the doorkeepers to their gates, and they did not depart from the commandment concerning any matter. The worship was not sporadic or improvised; it was regular, ordered, faithful, maintained in its appointed rhythms day by day. Show me the character of the worship: regular, ordered, faithful. It was maintained as the duty of every day required, according to the appointed times and rhythms; the priests and Levites and doorkeepers kept to their assigned services, not departing from the commandment. There was nothing sporadic or improvised about it; it was steady, ordered, faithful, done day by day. The worship of you was sustained not by bursts of enthusiasm but by ordered, regular faithfulness. The steadiness and order were themselves a form of faithfulness. Take that to my heart, for my own devotion is sustained not by sporadic bursts but by ordered, regular faithfulness. I can imagine that devotion to you is chiefly a matter of intense but sporadic bursts of feeling; but the temple worship was sustained by ordered, regular faithfulness, the daily duty done as required. There is value in the steady, ordered faithfulness of regular devotion. Keep me from relying only on sporadic bursts of devotion; help me sustain my worship of you in ordered, regular faithfulness, Lord, keeping its rhythms day by day, as the temple worship was maintained as the duty of every day required.