Skip to main content

Quarantine



It was supposed to be a vacation.  It was, sort of, until toward the end when I got the news that I would need to self quarantine once I got home!

It turned out that my trip fell under the recommended CDC guidelines for a 14 day self quarantine.  So, here I am, self quarantined and, to be honest, feeling quite stuck at home.  But as the virus has continued to spread, I have come to accept the need for an abundance of caution and my quarantine is certainly a necessary part of social distancing.

While I was on my trip, I read about a different kind of quarantine:  “And you shall not go outside the entrance of the tent of meeting for seven days, until the days of your ordination are completed, for it will take seven days to ordain you.”  (Lev 8:33)

In Biblical times, those who had leprosy had to practice social distancing, including quarantines, due to the disease and how it spread.  But a type of quarantine for an ordination?  I had never really noticed that before.  Did the priests feel stuck?  Maybe!  But what really drew my attention was where they were quarantined, in the tent of meeting.

What in the world is a tent of meeting, you might ask?  Well, here is one descriptor:

“It shall be a regular burnt offering throughout your generations at the entrance of the tent of meeting before the Lord, where I will meet with you, to speak with you there.”  (Ex 29:42)

The Old Testament priests met with God in the tent of meeting and it was there that the Lord spoke with them.  But for us, as New Testament priests, we can meet God anytime, anywhere and hear His voice.

There’s another lesson for me here and it has to do with perspective…

I may feel stuck at home for quarantine.  And while my home is made of bricks, mortar and wood and is certainly not a tent, I could still see it as a tent, a tent of meeting that is, where I can meet with God, hear Him speak and enjoy His presence. 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Not Just Idle Words

I own a 25 year old car.  The body might be falling apart but the engine runs great and it idles smoothly.  Such idling is good. Idling can also have to do with spending too much time doing nothing or being without purpose or being engaged in that which is pointless.  Such idling is not good. What if I were to tell you that I know of something that is the about as far as being without purpose as you can get?  Would you want it? Here is that something:  “They are not just idle words for you—they are your life. By them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.”  ( Deut 32:47) Other versions of the Bible use some different words for that first phrase in the verse and such can be helpful in assessing how important the words really are: “Not meaningless words…”   “These are not just useless words…”   “No empty word for you…”   “Not unimportant words…”   “Not useless words…”   ...

Strengthen Your Core

Supposedly, it’s all about your core! That is, in today’s world of physical fitness, it’s all about strengthening your core.  Your core refers to the group of muscles that support your spine and pelvis, providing stability and enabling movement. It's not just your abs; it includes your back muscles, pelvic floor, and even your diaphragm. When your core is strong, it helps you maintain balance and stability. It can help prevent back injuries and help you maintain better posture. It can also help with athletic performance by allowing for more efficient movement and power transfer. And there are, of course, appropriate exercises to strengthen your core. But there is another kind of core, one that is known as the inner self. The inner self, as described in the Bible, refers to the spiritual and moral part of a person, distinct from the physical body or outer man. And while our physical bodies are important and we certainly feel every ache and pain resulting from injury or even aging, o...

Don't Go Knocking or Crossing

I’m sure you’ve heard the expression “knock on wood.”  You’ve probably also heard “keep your fingers crossed.”  “Knock on wood” is a common superstition or good luck charm for people to say in the hope of bringing good fortune or to ward off back luck.  Some will actually knock their knuckles on a piece of wood. “Keep your fingers crossed” is also a common superstition or good luck charm people say in the hope that something good will happen.  Some will physically cross their fingers and maybe even encourage you to do the same with them.   There’s sort of an equivalent in the Bible that predates both expressions: Jeremiah 7:4 says:  Do not trust in deceptive words and say, “This is the temple of the Lord , the temple of the Lord , the temple of the Lord !”  (Jer 7:4) At that time, people had evidently developed a false sense of security in the invincibility of Jerusalem because God dwelt in the temple in Jerusalem .  They used the expre...