Bickering among themselves, the tribes have difficulty knowing what to do to bring David back as the King. His apparent leadership has been lacking. Those responsible for his most recent victory have been men like Hushai, Zadok, Abiathar, Jonathan, Ahimaaz, Joab, Abishai, and Ittai. David has relied heavily upon them to do their jobs. It has worked. It is time to bring him back.
Are there any parallels to the Second Coming of Jesus? A cursory look at the state of the fulfillment of the Great Commission might reveal an apparent lack of leadership in finishing the job to bring back the King. After all, we have thousands of different organizations each trying to get the job done. Wouldn’t you think the King of Glory could orchestrate a little better organization? It would appear that the spinal chord connecting the head to the limbs has been invaded with some disease. The body is erratic and going in many different directions. Could He not exhibit a little better leadership? Like David, He apparently is heavily relying upon us to get the job done. Why? If we are to be partakers in His glory, then we need to be partakers in His work. His glory is seen best as He works through us. Are we yielding to His leadership to bring back the King? Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Psalm 84
I have visited the Biltmore Estate. America’s largest single-family dwelling built by the Vanderbilts in the early 1900’s is indeed the epitome of opulence. I have also toured the Marland Mansion finished in 1928 and built by E.W. Marland founder of Marland Oil Company (later to become CONOCO). Marland lost his oil company in a hostile takeover by J.P.Morgan. Marland had to move out of his mansion into the adjacent artist studio because he could no longer afford the utilities on the mansion. Eventually Marland had to sell the mansion for $66,000.00, 1.2% of its building cost. The mansion, though dwarfed by the lavishness of the Biltmore Estate, was also amazing in its grandeur. Both palaces are residences which almost all people can only dream of owning. If either of the mansions were offered to you, and you were told that you would be given a yearly income sufficient for living in the place, you would probably joyfully accept the offer. But what if you knew that you also would need to give up enjoying the glory of Lord?
Obed-Edom once housed the tabernacle of the Lord for three months (1 Chron 13:13). David was improperly transporting the ark to Jerusalem; when the oxen stumbled and Uzzah reached out to steady the ark, God slew Uzzah for his insolence. In anger David gave up trying to transport it and left it in the home of Obed-Edom. We read that while the ark was housed in his house that the Lord greatly blessed Him. He experienced the presence of the Lord. In 1 Chron. 15:24 we read that Obed-Edom was appointed a doorkeeper in the house of the Lord. What would prompt him to leave his home west of Jerusalem to take up residence in Jerusalem just so that he could be a doorkeeper for the ark? I think that there can only be one answer. Obed-Edom’s life was so changed by that presence of God’s glory that he would gladly give up his comfortable residence just so that he might continue to experience His glory.
Obed-Edom was a Gittite. A Gittite is someone who had lived in Gath. Notice that our Psalm was written to be sung accompanied by an instrument of Gath. Why an instrument of Gath? Do you suppose that Obed-Edom taught the proper playing of the instrument of Gath? I believe he did. I think the sons of Korah wrote this Psalm and dedicated it to be played on an instrument of Gath in memory of Obed-Edom’s love of the presence of the glory of God. When we truly experience the glory of God, everything else fades in comparison to the wonder of Him. I would never trade the glory of God’s presence for the Biltmore Estate or the Palace on the Prairie. They are pig stys compared to His glory. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
DANIEL 5
I love that scene in A Knights Tale after the antagonist is defeated on the jousting field. The protagonists appear over him and say, “You have been weighed, and measured and found wanting.” I suspect that most people don’t realize that it is borrowed from this chapter of Daniel. After a long hard struggle when it seems that evil would prevail, evil is put down, and good triumphs. So too, in Daniel’s day it seemed that Belshazzar was reveling in Babylon’s victory over Israel and her God. It appeared that evil was prevailing.
In the mid 1800’s critics doubted the historical accuracy of the Book of Daniel. They claimed that there was no record of Belshazzar ever having existed. However, cuneiform tablets with Belshazzar’s name on them were eventually found. Then in 1956 the Nabonidus Chronicles were found. Nabonidus was the son of Nebuchadnezzar, and Belshazzar was the son of Nabonidus and his coregent at the time that this incident takes place. It is clear from those chronicles that Belshazzar was as immoral as is implied by Daniel. To take the very vessels used by the priests in the Temple of Yahweh and use them in an orgy/banquet, proclaiming power over Yahweh, was the height of arrogance. He failed to grasp that Yahweh is the One who held the king’s breath in His hand and owned all the king’s ways.
The Lord let Belshazzar know the depth of his sin. Belshazzar had opportunity to repent. It appears that he did not repent. That very night in the midst of his orgy, his life was taken. Herodotus and Xenophon both attest to the fall of Babylon to Cyrus of Persia. The fall came during the night of the festivity. Cyrus had his engineers divert the waters of the Euphrates. The mote surrounding the strategic parts of Babylon suddenly went dry during the night. The Persian army was able to enter the city almost unopposed under what was the water gate. Daniel’s word came true.
We dare not forget the fact that Yahweh is the One who holds our breath in His hand and owns our ways. In remembering we come again and again to view His glory. Viewing His glory, we respond appropriately to life’s victories, defeats and challenges. Our political leaders would do well to consider this point. Our Lord has raised up Israel for His purposes. He disdains the murder of the unborn for the worship of our own pleasure. He champions faithfulness in marriage and calls us to reflect His glory by his instruction, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” He does not say, “Be joined to wife after wife.” Nor does He say, “Be joined to another man.” It is pretty simple and pretty clear. Yet our leaders seem to scoff at this. When we fail to grasp that He owns our ways, we will be weighed, measured, found wanting, and eventually divided out to other nations. His glory always prevails over the long haul. Indeed, we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Galatians 2
Here is one of the unique things about the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. When He comes, He brings true liberty. Do you know where the word religion comes from? It is from the Old French which came from the Latin re + ligare. Re means back or again. Ligare means to bind. The etymology of the words means to bind back or bind again. Originally it meant the expression of faith in conduct and ritual often resulting in a code of ethics. That is the opposite of liberty. While Christianity possesses a code of ethics, it is not a code of ethics. It is relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. As a result of that relationship we find true liberty.
Liberty is the freedom and ability to do what is right apart from coercion. Liberty is not doing what is right because if you don't you will suffer severe consequences. Law is supposed to be here to protect those who have liberty. It condemns those who do not have the ability to do what is right apart form coercion. For those people who do not have the ability to do what is right apart from coercion, the law can never bring liberty, only condemnation.
Apart from Jesus we do not have the ability to obey the law. Therefore the attempt to follow God's law in order to avoid condemnation from God is folly. We don't have the ability to follow it perfectly and we will eventually be condemned by the law--for that is its purpose. Those who place their faith in Jesus Christ do so because they recognize their inability to do God's just demands. But, they see that being in a relationship with Him is that He uses His ability to live His life in us. His ability is available to each of as we unite with Him and are willing to consider ourselves as having died with Him on the cross and also raised with Him in His resurrection. That is the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Not only does He have the freedom and ability to do what is right all of the time apart from coercion but He also has the ability to live His victorious life in us! We need only to yield to Him moment by moment. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
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