Gatekeepers

Day three hundred eight

I was blessed to have a surprise late night talk with one of my sons last night. I would not miss these opportunities for anything, including having a cold and wanting to go to sleep!  There is something special about having a quiet house with just the two of us sitting discussing everything from religion, school, dating, marriage, depression, and whatever else crossed our minds.  In a world where parents struggle to communicate with their children, I love that my son feels like he can talk to his mother openly about anything. It is in these moments that I see the growth in our relationship of parent and child. I am truly blessed!

My prayer this morning was filled with gratitude for the blessings of motherhood.  I am not a perfect mother, yet the Lord has blessed me with sons that love me.  They forgive me when I have wronged them, they love me even when I embarrass them, and they put up with all my teaching moments even when they would really rather be doing something else. 

I just wanted to let my Father in Heaven know that I love Him so much for giving me these blessings.  I know as a parent that He understands.

1 Chronicles 24-26
So far David has successfully returned the Ark to Jerusalem and is now assigning the different posts needed so the people can continue to worship: 

Chapter 24 dividing of the Priests
Chapter 25 assignment of the singers and musicians
Chapter 26 assignment of the porters 

Now these sections might be kind of dull and mundane, but not everything about our relationship with God is all fireworks and bazookas, including some of the ways we are called to serve. At first you might rate the job of porters as low on the excitement chart, that was my first impression.  But as I dug a little deeper I learned that there is a lot more to this than we might see.

What is a porter?
A porter is a gatekeeper or doorkeeper. The gatekeepers were responsible for keeping out those that did not belong in the temple area and to allow those who did belong in.  They stood at or guarded the threshold.  They were there not only to protect the sanctity of the Temple, but to protect God's flock (the people).

Though some might see their work as humble, remember the envy of the Psalmist:
"For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness." (Psalms 84:10)

These men, though it might have been a boring job to some, got the tremendous privilege of standing in God’s temple, to be in God’s presence. 

Who were the porters?
"Mighty men of valor were needed for this, just as sweet singers were for the service of song. Entrance to the House of God was restricted to a privileged few. Gentiles were excluded from certain courts, and women from another. It was incumbent also to look out for those who, like the publican in the Lord’s parable, might shrink from intruding, and encourage them to enter. Doorkeepers had to combine many qualities, which would be of the greatest service if they could be repeated in each church and chapel of our great cities, for welcoming old and young." ~Fred G Meyer

In verse 8 of chapter 26 it states, "they and their sons and their brethren, able men for strength of their service."  These men were some of God's finest, strong both physically and spiritually!

Some of the callings in the church may not be all flash and sparkle, but what a joy to just be in God’s presence serving!  Sometimes we get to itching for newer thrills, deeper experiences, and new “revelations” from God, but we need to be careful that we don't miss the blessings from the experiences that we already have.

We have all been called to be porters or gatekeepers.  It is our job as Christians to keep out those things that do not belong in our own hearts, families, communities, countries, and our Churches.  It is part of our duties to protect the sanctity God and to be our brother's keeper. It is not a glamorous job, in fact, there will be times when this job will cause some challenges in your life.  Some of these challenges will require that you be a mighty person of valor, willing to do what is right in the face of conflict.

I have a renewed appreciation for the work of the porters of the Old Testament.  Their job would not have been easy, especially in times of wickedness.  I think the importance of their job is under appreciated by many people today.  The fact is, it is not an easy job now and it is still just as important. May we all serve as valiantly as gatekeepers in our own lives as these men did in theirs.