Most scholars consider the Chronicles to be the priestly version of Israel’s history. It is compiled from a priest's view point. Hence, we have all the genealogies and especially details related to the temple. I find it interesting that as the priestly account, the record does not address David’s adultery and murder. In today’s passage we find that David stayed home from battle, 20:1. 2 Samuel tells us that this is the time that David succumbed to adultery and murder. Chronicles does not even mention it. Why? A priest offers up sacrifice to cover the sin of the people for whom he is representative to God. From a priestly perspective, the sin of adultery and murder, which David committed, is covered by the blood of the sacrifice. Since those sins do not relate to the temple, the priestly account of David does not even mention it because it is covered by the blood of the sacrifice.
Jesus is our sacrifice. His blood not only covers our sin, but it washes it completely away. Once we have repented of our sin, Jesus never again mentions it. If I am suffering from guilt over past sin, I need only true repentance and confession. When that happens, it is under the blood. I am forgiven. It is gone. Jesus never throws it in my face again as a condemnation. If that is happening, it is not from Him. He is my High Priest. He cleansed me with His own blood. I am free. I walk in that marvelous light. It is nothing that I have done, but it is all of Him. Now that is glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
This picture is taken from the balcony of our hotel in Amman Jordan. In the top center of the picture is the northwest corner of the Roman wall of ancient Rabbah. Left center is a tunnel for cars to go under the mountain. You can see that the slope going to the top is quite steep making the fortress at the top much easier to defend. We walked to the top to visit the ancient city which is now a park for the residents to enjoy. Much of the area has been preserved along with a museum to give a history of the various periods of growth. Zooming in with the camera from the same point, here is a close up of the walls. While these are Roman walls and younger, the part of the city dating from Joab’s is over the other side from here along the southeastern edge of the ruins. With the steep slope, it must have been a very difficult siege to take this city.
PSALM 144
Why does evil exist? That is a good question for which the Scripture has only one clear answer, “It is allowed to reveal His glory.” But how does allowing evil to exist show His glory? I mean, wouldn’t it be better if He just never allowed it to exist? That way, when anyone thought about evil and asked, “Why doesn’t evil exist?” the answer would clearly be, “Oh evil does not exist because we have such a glorious God. He would never allow such a thing.” Hmmm. . . But if everything but God is finite (Is evil finite? Can evil exist outside of time and space?), then how would we even begin to think in terms of something which we had not experienced? My mind becomes severely twisted when I start trying to think these things through. Physicists talk about the fabric of space. I don’t quite get that. I think of space as nothing. How can nothing have fabric? I guess space is something, but if nothing is something then it is not nothing so it can’t be something. If evil did not exist, how could finite beings think of it? I think I am going into an existential spiral and getting intellectual motion sickness. Before Adam and Eve partook of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, I do not think that they really understood what evil was. They only knew that God said, “Don’t go there.” Eve took the fruit because she did not understand what it was. When Adam saw her with the fruit, he immediately ‘knew’ what evil was because he saw her doing it. He knowingly chose to take the fruit from her because he desired her more than God. In an instant evil became experienced and entrenched. It was no longer a question of, “What is it?” but, “What do we do about it?”
Enter death. Apparently death is the infinite God’s only solution for evil. How would He apply the solution? I don’t think I can adequately explain why evil exists, but even my opponents in explaining the answer would agree with me in this, “Evil exists.” No one can deny that evil exists! To deny that is to deny existence! To deny that is to deny all reason!
So if this infinite God hates evil, then does He not hate evil infinitely? If He hates it infinitely, then He will always be about eradicating it. If He is about eradicating it, and He is infinite, then surely He is able to eradicate it instantly. Then why does/did He not do it instantly? When God first warned Adam and Eve, He said, “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” I am told by the Hebrew experts that the language could be literally translated, “Dying you shall die.” It became a process, not instantaneous. Certainly that matches with reality. Why did He choose a process for the finite world? I am beginning to sound like a child, “Why? Why? Why?” I am not sure that I can give adequate answers for the discerning mind, but this I know, “The eradication of evil is a process. It does not happen instantly.” This matches Scripture and reality.
This infinite God, who has permitted evil, who is bent on eradicating it, who has chosen to use a process rather than doing it instantly, this God has also chosen to have us participate with Him in its eradication. Therefore, He trains my hands for war and my fingers for battle. He has chosen to have us partner with Him in the eradication of evil. Now it is obvious from Scripture that this is going to mean different application for different people at different times, but the metaphor of the training for battle remains constant through time. It is in the training for battle and war that we learn His hatred of evil. But it is also in the training and war that we learn His lovingkindness and protection. Apart from the contrast of war and loving kindness we would never experience the depths of either.
Wiki Answers says the average life expectancy of the “D-day” soldier was 1-2 seconds. I cannot begin to get my mind around such carnage. That is evil. But those who survived should have a greater appreciation for experiencing lovingkindness and protection. The life of the average soldier on that day was literally like the passing of a shadow. But what is the length of my life in comparison to Eternity? It is like the passing of a shadow. I am 57 years old (2012). In some respects I still feel like I am only beginning life. The average life expectancy of a male in the world is 64.52 years, in the USA it is 75.6 years. I have 7 to 18 years left according to the averages, just a shadow. In my 57 years I have enjoyed much of His lovingkindness and protection. I have experienced a little of the ravages of His war on evil, but mostly His lovingkindness and protection. I am experiencing the blessings of His lovingkindness and protection. I am privileged to see my sons and daughter to grow up and produce fruit and become ‘pillars’ in society! But there is yet much evil to be eradicated, and I have only a shadow left!
O God of glory will you come down out of heaven in Your awesome glory and eradicate evil! Continue to use my hands and fingers in the battle for the eradication of evil! Do it in a way that brings You the most possible glory! Keep me from falsehood! Give me new songs to sing to you! Glorify Yourself in delivering Your servant from evil! Lord, I have family, friends and neighbors whose lives are entrenched in evil. Use my hands and fingers to set them free from the bonds of evil! In so doing, glorify Yourself! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
ZECHARIAH 6
“Behold the Man!” I cut short the full quotation from Zechariah; however, they are the same words that Pilate used when he presented Jesus as the King of the Jews. The crowd demanded His execution. Interesting is it not that when Zechariah is using the words that he is referring to the chief priest and is placing a crown upon his head. The crown is the symbol of a king, and yet Joshua is a priest. It is interesting that the name Joshua is the Hebrew form of the Greek name, Jesus. Jesus is our priest and king. He is called the branch. As Joshua rebuilt the temple in Zechariah’s day, Jesus is rebuilding His temple now. We are being built upon Him as the chief cornerstone. He desires to sit upon His throne and rule as a priest over us. One day His rule will be supreme. He will rule from a literal throne and judge the nations. Right now He rules over His church. Let us be responsive to our priest and king! Indeed, we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
1 PETER 1
The glory of what we have seen of the Lord is great. The glory that is to be revealed at His coming is greater still! What is the glory that has been revealed? His abundant mercy has not checked but satisfied the mercy of God. A body He prepared for us! His body He prepared for us. He sacrificed His body for us. He died to remove our sin. He rose to defeat that sin and death! He gives us hope, a living hope! Our hope can't be killed. He defeated death. We can be killed. But we shall live again because of Him! What power there is living in us because He is living in us! Simply because we believe!
In the movie Polar Express the boy receives a bell from the sleigh of Santa Claus when he learns to believe. His parents could not hear the bell because they did not believe. One by one his friends ceased to hear the bell because they ceased to believe. We enjoy the movie because it distracts us from reality and goads us to believe that there is good in this world that is full of bad events. It is a dead hope because deep inside we know it is make believe. We force ourselves to believe in spite of the facts. It is indeed a dead hope.
Not so with Jesus ! He is the only true hope. We do not base our hope on make believe, which we force into reality by the power of our faith. That would indeed be a dismal hope. Our hope is in His resurrection. The resurrection is securely attested to by history. It was produced by the power of God for our salvation. Our faith does not produce it; it merely secures what is already there for our own.
Faith is important. Without it we cannot receive His provision. But the provision is there whether or not we believe. Our faith merely enables us to realize it. That is why focusing on His glory is so important. His glory increases our faith. Remember His glory is a living hope! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
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