Two weeks ago, I started a Bible reading plan right now that takes you through the entire Bible, Genesis to Revelation, in 90 days. It’s ambitious to say the least. Anyway, I was in Numbers and came across a cool thing I wanted to share.

In the story of Balaam, which most people familiar with the story know it because of his talking donkey, there was a really cool verse that I came upon during his blessings over Israel. Numbers 23:21 says:

“No misfortune is seen in Jacob,
no misery observed in Israel.
The LORD their God is with them;
the shout of the King is among them.

The shout of the King is among them. That’s an awesome line to put into a song (dibs!). But it’s also more than that. What is the “shout of the King”? My guess, and feel to correct me if I’m way off base here, is that the shout of the King is the worship of the people. Through songs, feasts, celebrations, and offerings, the people worshiped God, and they worshiped him LOUD. It was the shout of the King, not the whisper, not the hum, but the shout of the King that was among Israel.

When we join together and unite our voices in praise, the shout of the King is among us. When a people are united, their enemies scatter. When the Body of Christ is united in praise, our enemies scatter.

Let hope rise,
And darkness tremble
In Your holy light,
And every eye will see
Jesus, our God,
Great and mighty to be praised. – With Everything, Hillsong

Amen.

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I saw a video about a church that’s planning a book burning event on Halloween. The list of books to be burned include all bible translations that aren’t King James Version because that church believes that the King James Version (KJV) should be the only Bible that English speaking Christians should use and all other Bibles are heretical. Now, I don’t agree with that. I prefer some translations over others, but I’m not about to claim that certain translations are heretical and that readers of that translation are heretics.

I mostly use the New International Version (NIV). So does my church.

My question is this: Which translation do you personally use/prefer? Your church?

and

Why?

Share.

d

I was reading in my new Bible that I really dig and I came across a passage that I think many of us know and can recite, but it really hit me in a new way.

A lot of people are able to quote 2 Chronicles 7:14,

if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

But, as I was reading this accompanied by the text around it, it really struck me.

When Solomon had finished the temple of the LORD and the royal palace, and had succeeded in carrying out all he had in mind to do in the temple of the LORD and in his own palace, the LORD appeared to him at night and said:
“I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a temple for sacrifices.

“When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. I have chosen and consecrated this temple so that my Name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there. – 2 Chronicles 7:11-16

The thing that really struck me about this passage was reading it in regards to our bodies being a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16, and 1 Corinthians 6:19-20). When God says that his eyes and ears will be attentive to the prayers offered in His temple, He is saying that He will hear and listen to the prayers offered from our bodies, our hearts. He has chosen and consecrated us, His temple, so that His Name may be in us forever. His eyes and his heart will always be a there.

Just a cool little revelation that I thought I’d share.

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