Don't Make It Rare
And the word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision. (I Sam 3:1)
I enjoy my steaks rare, medium rare at most. Keep the flavor, keep the juices. Please don't overcook it. But the rarity described in I Samuel with regards to the word of the Lord is not a rarity that I want any part of. We remember that Samuel's time was the time of the judges when people did what was right in their own eyes. They had little interest in the word of the Lord, for that would put a crimp in their style. And, as is often the case, God seemed to give the people what they wanted. Though he remained their God and was in a real way their King, his prophetic word was rare in those days; at least until the boy, Samuel.
We live in a society where the word is plentiful. We literally have copies of the Bible that we don't know what to do with, in addition to all the digital access that we desire. Accessibility is not an issue. But is the word rare?
I am reminded of the Psalms, whose very opening lays out the path for the blessed life. Blessed is the one whose "delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night." (Psalm 1:2). In Psalm 19 the Psalmist declares the beauties of the word in terms of riches and delicacies, "More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb." (Psalm 19:10) When we come to Psalm 119 we encounter 176 verses dedicated to the beauty of the word of God. In this Psalm we see how God's word rejoices the heart, makes wise the simple, revives the soul, brings comfort in affliction, lays a path for purity, and holds forth justice for the oppressed. It is sweeter than honey indeed!
This Sunday we will be looking together at I Samuel 3. It is a chapter about the word; about hearing it, longing for it, allowing it to change our lives and direct our paths. It is a passage that leads us to The Word; the One who was made flesh and dwelt among us. I look forward to studying it with you!
Photo by Elen Ogannisyan on Unsplash