Amazingly, the priests and diviners understand the situation
and know how to remedy it, send the God of Israel a guilt offering for sin
along with the ark when you send it back and you will be healed. Why offerings in the likeness of the plagues
that have struck the land? There is
something like the episode of the bronze serpent involved in this idea, that if
you make something of value in the likeness of the plague then this will bring
healing. They went above and beyond
bronze though and went directly to gold.
These spiritual leaders also go to the right place for guidance, what
happened in Egypt. Lo and behold, it
works! The Israelites were overjoyed and
worshipped when they received back the ark as well. Everyone this day got it right. They get an A for discernment.
The leaders and Judas all get an F in discernment this day. Judas may have believed Jesus was Messiah and
did what he did in order to get Jesus to step into His destiny but believing
right and having good discernment aren't the same thing. Discernment entails also knowing what to do
with the knowledge you have and here Judas fails in the same way the founder of
the nation, Jacob/Israel, failed. He
took matters into his own hands and made a mess of things rather than waiting
for God to act on what he believed. The
leaders don't believe rightly about Jesus.
The owner of the house is willing to give over his house for the
Passover feast for the master whom he must surely have known was Jesus and in
so doing received a blessing like those who greeted the ark in Beth-shemesh in
our first lesson.
The council has made a wrong judgment about Jesus and is now
guilty of doing the same with respect to the apostles. Gamaliel, a wise teacher, knows better than
to act precipitately in the matter and counsels that they wait and allow God to
act to either confirm the movement or allow it to wither and die as others
have. The situation doesn't demand
action so why take it and risk being wrong?
The council is willing to listen to this counsel and calls the apostles
in and has them beaten and commands them not to speak in the Name of
Jesus. The apostles, however, have
perfect discernment in the matter, they fear God rather than men and continue
to preach as before. The sad thing is
the statement of the council that the apostles intend to bring Jesus' blood
upon them. Indeed they do but for
salvation and not guilt. There is no
life without it.
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