Lessons from Israel: Arad

Arad is an ancient site in the desert of southern Israel.  It served as a military and trade outpost and was built on a high hill.  After the original city was destroyed by the Israelites, it was rebuilt and settled by the tribe of Judah.  One of the unique features of the city was a replica of the temple. Apparently the people of Arad used this as a place to worship God.  But archaeology reveals that the Lord isn’t the only one they worshipped. In the most holy place of their replica temple, archaeologists found a sacred stone - a large, flat rock that was a symbol of other gods like Baal and Asherah.  It’s a terrible irony that God’s people would worship other gods in a structure and space that was reserved only for him. 

Take a look into the most holy place of your heart.  What do you see there? That space is reserved for God alone.  But often we find other sacred stones there. Careers, hobbies, sports, even family.  There is certainly a place in your life for these things. Just not in the most holy place.  That space is reserved for God alone. If anything in your life is out of synch, a good first step is looking at what, besides God, is in that space.