“And the LORD preserved David wherever he went.“ Why did the LORD do that? I know that David is our hero. We love the stories of David the shepherd boy, of David and Goliath, of David being unjustly pursued by Saul, but when you get right down to it, David had some major problems. You certainly did not want to cross David. Consider Nabal as a case in point. Nabal did not ask David to protect his men. David’s method with Nabal seem somewhat similar to the method of organized crime in large cities. If God had not intervened, David would have killed Nabal. It seems to indicate that God approved of David’s methods. Really? Take today’s passage for instance. David has become the aggressor toward the neighboring countries. Sure Gath (Philistia), Moab and Edom were historic enemies who had repeatedly invaded Israel. It seems necessary to subdue them for the peace of the region, but to go all the way to the Euphrates (verse 3)? And yet the Lord preserved him wherever he went. Sometimes he seems cruel in what he did. His army routinely hamstrung horses. Wouldn’t it be more humane to kill them? To hamstring is to cut the back tendon of the foot of a horse to make it useless for battle, but would not the horse then be useless for anything? Not necessarily. The animal could still be used for food by the non-Jew. So in a way, hamstringing the horses, significantly weakened the enemy’s army but still left them some resource rather than destitute.
David indeed “administered judgment and justice to all his people,” but what about other people? Does God support David’s subduing the nations around Him? God had long ago promised in that the descendants of Israel from the River of Egypt to the Euphrates. Perhaps David was just claiming the promises of God. At a minimum, He preserved David. Also, God is doing something in His plan for the world through the nation. Why preserve David? At some level David was genuinely a man after God’s own heart. He was a murdering, adulterer who genuinely sought God. Because he sought God, God preserved him. I do not think that means that God approved of everything David did, but it does mean that God preserved him. Hmmm. . . Does that mean that if I really pursue God, He will preserve me? It means that I need to consider how I fit into His plan. Preserving me might not be part of that plan. But I do believe it means forgiveness. That is His glory; He can and will forgive a murdering adulterer if there is true repentance. Wow! There is hope for me, for all of us! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Psalm 143
I am sure that by now (2012) most everyone who reads this has heard the news of Tom White’s (leader of Voice of the Martyrs) death. Tom had been accused of inappropriately touching a young girl. Whether or not he was guilty, Tom apparently could not live with what was about to happen, so he took his own life. Hmmm. . . what does this tell me about the glory of the Lord and our own lives?
Apart from the Lord, I am faithless (v1), unrighteous (v1), powerless (v5) and unmerciful (v11). David makes it very clear that this is true of himself, and sadly I see myself there too (and you). Yet the Lord is the opposite of each of these negative attributes. David makes it abundantly clear in this Psalm that he is distressed over his lack of power to deliver himself from these sins. Any student of David’s life is aware of the coarse cruelty and sexual promiscuity of which David was capable. We are acutely aware of David’s unfaithfulness, unrighteousness, at times powerlessness to do the right thing and at times unmercifulness. Yet the Lord at one time called him, “A man after His own heart.” (1 Samuel 13:14)
Why would the Lord call this flawed man this? Because this flawed man recognized his flaws. Whenever the flaws flared up, he pressed back into the Lord to remember His glory, to receive of Him the life change he needed. What does David see as he presses in? He sees faithfulness in the Lord in contrast to his own unfaithfulness. If any of us had been God, when David exhibited his unfaithfulness, we would have left David hanging by his own rope. Yet God remained faithful. Because of His faithfulness, David returned to the Lord. David sees righteousness in God. If any of us had been God, when David exhibited his unrighteousness, we would have instantly judged him and given him what he deserved, death. Because David sees righteousness in God, he returns to him. David muses on the works of God’s hands. One cannot do that and not be overwhelmed by the vast power of the living God! David would see his own powerlessness in his own sin. So he would return to the living God to beg His power to walk as he ought. David rejoices in the lovingkindness and mercy that he finds at the throne of God. Consequently, he returns to receive, to drink long from that well! His own failure teaches him how dried up and thirsty he is. Only at that well can we be restored! It is the well of His Holy Spirit. That is why he is called a man after God’s own heart.
There is hope for me and you if we press into drinking of the glory of the Lord. Only by drinking of the faithfulness, righteousness, power, lovingkindness and mercy of the Lord can we be restored. That is His glory! That is His desire! I don’t know why Tom White took his own life, but I suspect that it was somewhat related to not being able to drink of the well of the glory of Christ. Somehow Tom’s own glory gained preeminence over the Glory of Christ. All the more reason for me to press in to the heart of the Lord to see His Glory, for I am sure that Tom White was a better man than I! After all, it is all about the glory of Christ, not mine or Tom’s. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
ZECHARIAH 5
God’s imagination in His communicating to us often times amazes me. I mean, “flying scrolls,” and “women in baskets.” If this were not so serious, I would almost think that He is writing a comedy here, but God is serious here. The flying scroll speaks of the swiftness of the judgment that is coming. The contents of the scroll speak of the sin. In this case the sin is lying and theft. The woman in the basket is representative of wickedness. The basket is an ephah, the largest grain measurement of Israel. The harvest of wickedness is come and it is to be carried off to Babylon for the judgment where it will reside permanently.
I am reminded of 2 Timothy 2:19 Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” We become His when we repent and believe. The result is that we should depart from iniquity, pretty simple concept. He supplies the grace to do it. So He is glorified when it happens. Lord, keep me from lying, theft and iniquity. Let’s do it! Indeed, we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
James 5
The might of the army of the U.S.A. lies in several places. One is our technology for warfare, which is far more advanced than any other nation. Two is our experience in warfare is far more prolific than any other nation. Three is our economic industry for warfare is far more massive than any other nation. Four is our population is larger than most providing a host of warriors greater than most nations. Five is that in general our motivation for war is self-defense of liberty rather than aggression of economics. We believe right is on our side.
James calls Jesus the Lord of hosts. The implication of that name is that He is mighty, the Lord of a vast number of warriors who support Him. The Lord does not need technology to be mighty. He designed the principles of physics and science upon which all of our technology is based. To think that any could oppose His infinite knowledge is indeed laughable. The Lord is from beyond time. His experience is unfathomable. His wisdom in running the universe is beyond our ability to conceive. The Lord owns all that is. His riches make our grasping at our paltry millions of dollars seem more laughable than a child's clinging to a penny when his father owns more than Bill Gates. The hosts of the Lord are greater than the stars of the sky which are greater than we can even count. Our Lord is a just judge He never makes a mistake. President Bush may have erred in depending upon the intelligence that he received concerning Iraq and Sadam Hussein. But our Lord's justice is impeccable. He never errs.
This Lord of ours is returning. He is coming to judge. Those who will not believe Him will find their judgment swift and severe. Those, who have not trusted Him for salvation but have clung to their riches rather come to the aid of others, will suffer the loss of reward at His judgment. Those who endure, will understand His compassion and mercy and proclaim His greatness now and at His coming.
Why did Sadam proudly resist the might of the U.S. Army? Who knows! Why do we resist the might of the Lord of Hosts? Who knows! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
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