Today’s Reading: 1 Kings 7:23-51

23 Then he made the molten sea; it was round, ten cubits from brim to brim, and five cubits high. A line of thirty cubits would encircle it completely.
1 Kings 7:23

Chaos. 

When you hear the word, what comes to mind? 

For the ancient Israelites, the sea was high on their list. Along with the wilderness (the desert), the sea contained much chaos. It could go from calm to stormy seemingly without warning. Below its surface, below what humans could see, were monsters and creatures defying the imagination. People would go out on ships, never to return. The sea, represented by water, represented chaos. 

In today’s reading, we get a detailed description of elements of Solomon’s Temple, the first temple of fame. Verse 23, quoted above, describes a large basin of water that existed outside of the temple. Check out the bottom left-hand corner of the image in this post. At the foot of the Temple stood this basin, this “molten sea.” For the ancients, it conveyed that God could control even the most chaotic thing they could imagine: the sea. 

Consider how the creation account in Genesis 1 opens: God’s Spirit hovered over the waters. Out of the water, out of chaos, God created order. The symbolism here goes beyond God’s ability to control chaos: God creates order out of chaos. Think ahead to the gospels. One of the first miracles of Jesus is calming the stormy sea. God not only controls chaos, God creates order out of chaos. 

Whenever I experience chaos in my life, I think often about these examples, showing how God orders the chaos. It’s in God’s very nature to do so, for all of creation, all nature, obeys God. For me, it’s comfort, and I hope for you, too, knowing that God can order literally anything, no matter how chaotic. 

Think
What in your life feels chaotic? How is a loved one experiencing chaos? Where do you need God to provide order.

Pray
Ask God to order your chaos, and/or the chaos of a loved one.

Do
Find an item in your home to be your own “molten sea,” a tangible reminder that God orders the chaos. 

Think, Pray, Do. As we respond in faith to scripture, God moves in power through our minds, hearts, and bodies. We are the people of God. Thanks for reading today. Go in peace. Amen.

Think, Pray, Do devotionals by Ted Goshorn follow the suggested bible reading plan from his website and book, Prayer Changes Us. Find this Bible reading plan at tedgoshorn.org/biblereading. If you have found today’s devotion helpful, don’t forget to subscribe for daily emails at tedgoshorn.org and share with others that we may think, pray, and do faithfully.