Day 51: Israel's Worship of God

Psalm 83 The call for divine protection in this psalm is very specific. Several regional enemies had conspired against the people of God and were bent on destroying Israel forever. These enemies included the Edomites, descendants of Esau, son of Isaac; the Ishmaelites, descendants of Ishmael, son of Abraham by his maid Hagar; Amelekits, who violently opposed Israel’s entry into the Promised Land; the Philistines; the Assyrians; the Moabites, and others. The psalmist asked God to punish these evildoers as he had destroyed other enemies in the past. The Church enjoys divine protection and the promise that ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, NO MATTER HOW POWERFUL OR EVIL, will ever prevail against her.


That they may seek your name, O Lord: Ideally, the psalmist wanted these pagan nations to embrace the God of Israel or at least to acknowledge the truth of the one God. 


Let them know...all the earth: If God were to show these nations his power and glory, then surely they would acclaim him as the eternal God. (CCC 552)

(*The Didache Bible RSV-CE Ignatius Edition, 2006)


(*Walking With God: A Journey Through the Bible by Tim Gray and Jeff Cavins)







Prayer by Fr Mike: “Father in Heaven, thank you so much. Thank you for your Word. Thank you for leading us on this journey. Thank you for sharing your heart with us, because you enlighten us with your Word. You shape our minds, our hearts, you fill them with your goodness when we open ourselves to you. So we ask you to please help us to trust in you. Help us to continue to be open to you. Help us to have inquisitive minds, but not skeptical minds. Help us to have hearts that are wise, but not hearts that are cynical. Lord God, we trust in you and WE LOVE YOU and we thank you. Please receive our thanks this day. Receive our thanks through the mighty name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.”

ANDREW'S PARALLELS

Moses filling the Bronze laver with water so he could wash the hands and feet of Aaron and his sons, as part of ordaining them as priests, recalled the Last Supper when Christ filled a basin and washed the feet of his Apostles- ordaining them as priests in His priesthood of the New Covenant.

The layout of the main furnishings can be found and identified throughout the Book of Revelation in the Temple and Throne Room of God, one appeared to be missing: the Table for the Bread of the Presence. I've been looking up for any research that might identify the table in Revelation but haven't found much. There's only one match I can think of, which is simply my personal exegesis- The marriage supper of the Lamb refers to the Bread of the Presence:

The Catechism of the Catholic Church identifies the marriage supper of the Lamb as the Eucharist, the Bread of the Life (Jn 6:35, C.C.C 1329, 1244), which the Bread of the Presence prefigures. Aaron, the high priest was instructed to set it before the LORD every sabbath and eat it with the priests in a holy place. (Lev 24:8-9). Christ as the eternal high priest (Heb 4:14, 5:5) offers himself as the sacrficial Lamb (Heb 7:27) before the Father for the forgiveness of our sins, (Heb 5:1) and gives it in the form of bread and wine (Hebrews 6:20) for all his kingdom of priests to partake of (1 Pet 2:9)

When we look at the placement of each piece of furniture in the Tabernacle, they appear to loosely form the figure of the cross.

The specs and details of the Ark of the Covenant foreshadow the Ark of the New Covenant- The Blessed Virgin.