The Glory of Kings

I use a read-through-the-bible-in-a-year plan. Each day I get to read a portion of the Old Testament and a portion of the New Testament. I’ll be honest, I sometimes skip days when I’m in Numbers or Job—I’m mean, seriously, parts of the Old Testament are just painful, and this is coming from an Old Testament teacher. Right now, we’re in Exodus consecrating priests, which I guess is a little better than poetry about the universe. What astounds me, however, is how the bible never stops revealing new things to me—when I take time to crawl through the detailed passages.

Today, I read about the sacred anointing oil (Exodus 30:22-33). This oil was to be used only in the tabernacle to anoint the tent and all of its sacred objects. It was not to be used anywhere else, lest the wrath of God smite you. Really specific instructions for making it are given, so if you wanted to create the oil and incur the wrath, I guess you could. 

Then I started thinking about conjurers. Like how witches traditionally conjured spirits through formulas (eye of newt, toe of frog, etc. etc.), and I remembered something a teacher once said. Satan can only copy what God does first. God is the only one with creative power, after all. So, as I re-read this passage, I get a little goose-bumpy. God is the original conjurer, able to give specific formulas that invite holy, spiritual beings to dwell in a specific place. With physical ingredients and smells! 

I don’t know about you, but that’s going in my next book. 

When I’m writing, I want to point people to God. Sometimes I’m obvious, but other times I like to use things like secret incense to create a mysterious picture of God and his universe. Proberbs 25:2 says: It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings. Our readers can don the glory of a king as they discover truths of the universe that God has concealed. And you, the author, can be the one who helps them. 

You just have to find them first… so I guess you’re welcome to slap a crown on your head and labor through the Old Testament with me.