THE THRONG’S SONG
Last night I lay on Ruby’s bed with her in those precious moments when the day’s activities were done, the phone was no longer ringing, no-one was waiting to see me, and Ruby would soon be asleep. When my nearly-ten-year-old was much younger, Kim or I would read her a Bible story from an illustrated Children’s Bible storybook. As she learned to read, we upgraded her to a Children’s Bible (which has fewer pictures and more words than her Bible Storybook). She has faithfully read from this particular Bible nearly every night for the past few years. She started at Genesis 1:1. She witnessed creation. She has plowed her way through the Levitical ceremonies, sacrifices, and ordinances. She has marched with Israel into their Promised Land and joined them as they did their seven-day march around the impenetrable walls of Jericho (Jericho means, City of Palm Trees). She waved her palm branch along with the Hebrews as they symbolically waved theirs to the bewildered inhabitants of the never-before-conquered city. She was in the assembly as Solomon dedicated the Temple which had palm branches embossed on its doors (1Kings 6:32) when supernatural fire came down from heaven and consumed the offering on the altar and filled the Temple with the glory-cloud of God (2Chron. 7:1).