David’s Prayer of Gratitude

As many who have followed me for a bit, I have fallen into the Psalms, and I can’t get up! (As if I would want to.) The Psalms are a majestic collection of poetry, of heart felt human experiences that constantly challenge me in my own frail attempt to follow the true King. As many of the Psalms are written by David, my study on the Psalms has spurred me on to looking at the life of David, is the main contributor to this book, and to follow the victories and tragedies of the shepherd King of Israel.

Many times in the narrative, we will see the Lord Jesus, imperfectly, yet a reflection of His spirit in a man with weaknesses.

Prayer of GRATITUDE – David’s God

2 Samuel 7:25-29

25 And now, O LORD God, confirm forever the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, and do as you have spoken.
26 And your name will be magnified forever, saying, ‘The LORD of hosts is God over Israel,’ and the house of your servant David will be established before you.
27 For you, O LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have made this revelation to your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house.’ Therefore your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you.
28 And now, O Lord GOD, you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant.
29 Now therefore may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you. For you, O Lord GOD, have spoken, and with your blessing shall the house of your servant be blessed forever.”

David has been informed he is to be the recipient of one of the greatest promises made to a mere mortal, a sinful man under the law, a man who has a heart for God but who has slipped into sin a number of times, and sadly will slip into egregious sin again.

At this point in his life, may I suggest, he understands his nature to sin, his propensity to wander and his ability to go against the God he loves. At times, David seems to be a man out of touch with his own time!

His prayer concludes with a focus on the Lord Himself, with the Lord’s abilities to perform the Word He has declared to His servant. David, after being told he will be the father of a dynasty, a man whose name will be remembered forever, since his Son will be on the throne for all eternity, speaks not of himself, but of the Lord’s name being magnified.

David repeats truths back to the Lord, speaking of God’s relation to His people Israel, and of His revealing the dynasty of God through David. But again, as a servant, David is taking the back seat, a passive receptor of the Lord’s goodness and mercy, of the Lord’s unbridled grace to a man who sees himself as a servant.

David had consistently taken the position of a servant in this prayer, not unlike that which the Lord described in Luke 17.

Luke 17:7 “Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’?
Luke 17:8 Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’?
Luke 17:9 Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded?
Luke 17:10 So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’”

In taking this position of servant, David is now experiencing the greatest of gifts, and proves his commitment to a servant life by his humble reaction to this revelation.

In the last two verses, as David seeks to please the Lord in his prayer, he refers to himself as a servant three times.

David was a servant of the Lord, and the Lord’s name will be magnified in David, and even more so in the greater Son of David! For the house of David was to be established by the Word of God in this promise, and is blessed forever through the Son of David! Jesus the Messiah has fulfilled all the promises of the Word, and this promise to David is clearly fleshed out in the Son of Man, the promised Messiah.

May we also take the position of servant to the Most High, and seek to please Him in our daily efforts, walking in the Spirit, resting in His provisions and trusting His promises.

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

David’s Prayer of Gratitude

As many who have followed me for a bit, I have fallen into the Psalms, and I can’t get up! (As if I would want to.) The Psalms are a majestic collection of poetry, of heart felt human experiences that constantly challenge me in my own frail attempt to follow the true King. As many of the Psalms are written by David, my study on the Psalms has spurred me on to looking at the life of David, is the main contributor to this book, and to follow the victories and tragedies of the shepherd King of Israel.

Many times in the narrative, we will see the Lord Jesus, imperfectly, yet a reflection of His spirit in a man with weaknesses.

Prayer of GRATITUDE – David’s Nation

2 Samuel 7:23-24

23 And who is like your people Israel, the one nation on earth whom God went to redeem to be his people, making himself a name and doing for them great and awesome things by driving out before your people, whom you redeemed for yourself from Egypt, a nation and its gods?
24 And you established for yourself your people Israel to be your people forever. And you, O LORD, became their God.

David has just been informed by the prophet Nathan, of his kingly lineage being established as an eternal dynasty. Not only that his kingdom would be eternal in length, but the Messiah would be the King. The Deliverer would come through David’s bloodline. David’s dynasty would not just have an endless quantity of years, but the highest quality of rule.

But as any one who may recieve blessing from God knows, those recieving a gift automatically think of others in their lives that are also the recipients of God’s mercy. In this regard, David pulls into his prayer his nation over whom this dynasty will rule.

He speaks of Israel being redeemed by the hand of God two times in as many verses, and describes this redemption as great and awesome. He brought them out of Egypt, a slave state, and cleared the path for this people as they entered the land He promised.

As New Testament believers, we can look back at all of this tremendous work of God and realize this was looking forward to the Son redeeming His people. His people who have made the Lord their God. Even as David spoke of his gratitude to God for His many blessings, he was careful to describe Israel as God’s people, those who made the Lord their God.

24 And you, O LORD, became their God.

Was David thinking of the political nation of Israel? The theocratic kingdom? Or might he have been considering the remant within the nation that had an active and living faith. That remant that did not bow to baal, or ashtoreth, or any such abboration for the people of Israel.

David’s prayer was breathed from a man who was reduced to simple gratitude. It is interesting that throughout this prayer, He uses “I” only once, and that was earlier in describing himself as nothing. “Who am I?”

He constantly refers to himself as a servant though a king, a king who has just been informed his bloodline will rule for eternity. His bloodline will rule not only in quantity of years, and in quality of rule, but also over a people who look to God, a people who seek to honor the king and that bless others.

An ideal kingdom!

To those who have trusted the King, may we be the people David describes, a people who have made the Lord our God, reflected in our decisions each day as we live in the Messiah’s Kingdom.

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

David’s Prayer of Gratitude

As many who have followed me for a bit, I have fallen into the Psalms, and I can’t get up! (As if I would want to.) The Psalms are a majestic collection of poetry, of heart felt human experiences that constantly challenge me in my own frail attempt to follow the true King. As many of the Psalms are written by David, my study on the Psalms has spurred me on to looking at the life of David, is the main contributor to this book, and to follow the victories and tragedies of the shepherd King of Israel.

Many times in the narrative, we will see the Lord Jesus, imperfectly, yet a reflection of His spirit in a man with weaknesses.

Prayer of GRATITUDE – David’s Lineage

2 Samuel 7:18-22
18 Then King David went in and sat before the LORD and said, “Who am I, O Lord GOD, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?
19 And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord GOD. You have spoken also of your servant’s house for a great while to come, and this is instruction for mankind, O Lord GOD!
20 And what more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Lord GOD!
21 Because of your promise, and according to your own heart, you have brought about all this greatness, to make your servant know it.
22 Therefore you are great, O LORD God. For there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

David has just been told he will have an everlasting kingdom, with a son on the throne forever. How would you respond to such news? Can we consider his reaction to God’s message in this prayer to God.

First off, may I suggest David’s reaction is one of a God fearing man, a man who considers himself a servant to God, though a king with an eternal lineage promised to him. I bring up the servant topic, because in the prayer David prays, he refers to himself as a servant of God ten times.

Ten times.

For those of us in the modern world, when a preacher gets in front of an audience, and speaks of receiving a message directly from God, it is as if he was “chatting with a friend” A couple buds considering each others opinions. This is not David’s witness! I have mentioned this contrast previously in other posts, where men of God have received a promise or direction from God and the reaction is one of self deprecation, lostness and an utter confession of worthlessness. Consider multiple Old Testament saints as I sought to describe in Psalms for Psome – Ps 36.00.

The man who speaks of meeting God in a casual off handed manner does not reflect the reactions we find of the saints in the Word.

David begins his prayer being astounded by how far the Lord had brought him thus far. After becoming king, he sought to provide an offering of thanksgiving to God in the form of a temple, a glorious offering to the God who had made him the king. This “obvious”‘” assumption on the part of David, though a noble gesture, was not in the mind of God, for God was looking for an eternal kingdom, an eternal temple, an eternal city and an eternal people, all centered in the Eternal King.

David was a lynchpin in this plan to build God’s will in this world, and David’s bloodline would produce non other than the Messiah, King Jesus.

I suppose the best thing David speaks of is that all of this is dependent on God’s promise, on God’s heart, and the revealing of God’s eternal plan to David. Nothing in this prayer speaks to me of David’s accomplishments, but only of God and His will to perform His work.

Although this prayer continues for a few more verses, and the topic changes to the people of God, it is good to see such a prayer as being relatively short. In my reading of the prayer, my watch clocked in at 59 seconds. Under a minute. David had just been given one of the greatest promises revealed to any man, and he spoke for one minute before his God.

Does this observation provide an excuse for short prayers?

Yes and no.

Yes – for if all we do is ask, ask, ask, provide flowery statements and repeat requests over and over, some may consider that to be as the gentiles pray.

Matthew 6:7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.

No, for if in our prayers we are humble in our confessions of weakness, focused in our communication of praise and adoration, specific in our requests and remain God centered (as opposed to us centered), the length of prayer may not be a factor.

As a matter of fact, true prayer before the Lord may erase the time factor totally. For if I am thinking of the time, I am not thinking of Him.

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

The Lord’s Covenant with David

As many who have followed me for a bit, I have fallen into the Psalms, and I can’t get up! (As if I would want to.) The Psalms are a majestic collection of poetry, of heart felt human experiences that constantly challenge me in my own frail attempt to follow the true King. As many of the Psalms are written by David, my study on the Psalms has spurred me on to looking at the life of David, is the main contributor to this book, and to follow the victories and tragedies of the shepherd King of Israel.

Many times in the narrative, we will see the Lord Jesus, imperfectly, yet a reflection of His spirit in a man with weaknesses.

2 Samuel 7:11b-17

11b Moreover, the LORD declares to you that the LORD will make you a house.
12 When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.
13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
14 I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men,
15 but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you.
16 And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’”
17 In accordance with all these words, and in accordance with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David.

We continue in the passage describing God’s efforts, His plans to build a house, an empire for David, through his lineage. What started out as a well intentioned dream to build a temple for God, becomes God’s plans to build the church through the Son of David.

A continual refrain throughout this passage is the “foreverness” of the kingdom God will establish through the line of David.

But David would have to pass away, enter into death, prior to the realization of this kingdom. And so he entered the grave for a thousand years, waiting to see his Son arrive on the scene. Waiting after multiple sons came and went on the throne, eventually becoming corrupt and worthy of the discipline spoken of above.

This covenant with David (the Davidic Covenant) spoke of the Lord’s training of David’s lineage, and though privileged highly, would not escape the need for discipline when the king sins.

It is not a given that all David’s sons sin, for the passage speaks of discipline “when” those in the house of David sin. As a lineage that had the inherent capacity to veer from obedience to the Father, this inevitably became a reality in each of David’s sons.

Until One came on the scene who obeyed. He obeyed the law, fulfilled the righteous requirements of the Law, and was not required to suffer for His own disobedience. Yet He suffered, a terrible beating, a whipping that should have in itself killed the Man, and then the humiliation and suffering of being nailed to a cross, experiencing the taunting, the ridicule, the helplessness of His experience, the abandonment!

He was disciplined “with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men”, but not for His own iniquity, for He was spotless. His suffering was vicarious, in our place, for our rebellion and sinfulness.

Yet there is a portion of this passage that makes me stop and think.

When Nathan is told that God “will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son” gives me no pause. Surely there was never a father /son relationship that was clearer, cleaner and consistently based from love than that of the Father and the Son.

What shocks me is that the next verse speaks that the father’s “steadfast love will not depart from him.”

A verse to consider that may impact this promise.

Matthew 27:46 …Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Even in the Father’s abandonment of the Messiah on the cross, as the Messiah cries out to His Father of abandonment, are we to consider this equal to the Father removing steadfast love from Him.

Can this abandonment, this turning of the Father away from the Son while He carries our sins, can this be combined in the heart of God. Can the Father turning from the Son, and the Father’s everlasting love for the Son be one and the same? Is the love of the Father large enough, complex enough, committed enough to allow pain to enter the Son for the sake of the outcome?

Hebrews 12:2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

The depths of God’s love for His Son is beyond us, and will always be beyond our understanding. Thankfully we do not need to understand everything that happened that horrible day. We simply need to accept the truth of the One who hung for our sins, and that rose from the dead, providing us salvation and security!

He is the Great Son of David, the One who has established the forever Kingdom God promised David.

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

The Lord’s Covenant with David

As many who have followed me for a bit, I have fallen into the Psalms, and I can’t get up! (As if I would want to.) The Psalms are a majestic collection of poetry, of heart felt human experiences that constantly challenge me in my own frail attempt to follow the true King. As many of the Psalms are written by David, my study on the Psalms has spurred me on to looking at the life of David, is the main contributor to this book, and to follow the victories and tragedies of the shepherd King of Israel.

Many times in the narrative, we will see the Lord Jesus, imperfectly, yet a reflection of His spirit in a man with weaknesses.

2 Samuel 7

8 Now, therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel.
9 And I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth.
10 And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly,
11a from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies.

The Lord is continuing to speak to Nathan, telling His side of the story after the king and the prophet both assume He wants a massive, impressive temple. It makes sense doesn’t it, for the Lord to want a house that will impress all the nations and the people of Israel.

No, not from the Lord’s point of view. The Lord is about to illuminate Nathan in relation to David and the people of Israel. And it is all about the Greater David. But I am getting ahead of myself.

This initial portion of the great prophecy of David’s Greater Son, begins with the work the Lord has performed in David’s life, taking him from humble beginnings and making him a prince over His people. Because of the Lord’s work, enemies fell before David, and Israel’s second king will become a man of renown, famous not only in the major religions of the world, but on the national scale, a historic figure.

Through David, the nation will be secure.

Note that the security promised is not necissarily immediate. When I read this passage, I assume the promise will be within David’s lifetime, or at least within his immediate son’s life. But it is important to understand that a son, in the Wordm may refer to a grandson, or a greatgrandson, or any of his lineage. Solomon was a son. So was Joseph. And so was Jesus.

Why do I belabor this point? The prophecy speaks of the future, and it may be months, it may be years, it may be decades or it may be centuries before the promise is realized.

So when Nathan hears verse 10, where the Lord’s promise includes the appointment of a place for my people Israel and that He will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more, it sounds awsome. The Lord continues with the promise of violent men not afflicting them, as formerly.

This is incredible news for Nathan to communicate to David. The assumption is for the promise to be immediate. Let me remind you that although there was a short period under Solomon that the nation enjoyed a security and peace, it was short lived, and the earthly kingdom split apart. Violence continued through Davids reign, Solomon’s reign, through the Babylonian captivity and past the time of Jesus.

That is for those who were of national Israel. For those of the remnant, the faithful, those who followed after the Lord, the promise was real even if physically the promise seemed to be unrealized. Centuries passed and a Teacher arrived, One who would appoint a place for God’s people, and plant them that they be disturbed no more.

For the One who would effectively complete this promise for the people of God was the very One who became the place of residence and rest for the people of God. He is that place where the believer is planted, and where the believer is no longer afflicted by evil men, without the protection of the Master’s permission.

We will go on in our next passage finding out that the Lord not only reminds Nathan of His work in David’s life and his reign over Israel, but more importantly, declares the line of David to be an eternal dynasty, a house of David that will be reigned over by His Son.

It is truly amazing that the promise given to a king in Israel over 3,000 years ago has developed into the full blown expansion of the Body of Christ, the New Testament church where believers find securty and peace in the Son, and have a place of rest under His reign.

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

The Lord’s Covenant with David

As many who have followed me for a bit, I have fallen into the Psalms, and I can’t get up! (As if I would want to.) The Psalms are a majestic collection of poetry, of heart felt human experiences that constantly challenge me in my own frail attempt to follow the true King. As many of the Psalms are written by David, my study on the Psalms has spurred me on to looking at the life of David, is the main contributor to this book, and to follow the victories and tragedies of the shepherd King of Israel.

Many times in the narrative, we will see the Lord Jesus, imperfectly, yet a reflection of His spirit in a man with weaknesses.

4 But that same night the word of the LORD came to Nathan,
5 “Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD: Would you build me a house to dwell in?
6 I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent for my dwelling.
7 In all places where I have moved with all the people of Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?”‘

In our last post on this passage, we spoke of how illogical God’s will may appear to us. Some things are so obviously right to do in our thinking that prayer and seeking God’s will seems to be unnecessary. I can’t tell you how often I have fallen into this erroneous thinking.

Our passage this morning speak of how David and Nathan, both men of God, never considered God’s silence in His desire for a “great house” to reside in. Although a difficult topic to enter into, (for one can sometimes prove anything out of a vacumm), it may be good to consider the silence of God regarding His “residence amongst men”

Now, for a little background chronology, the Lord refers to the time between bringing the people up out of Egypt up to David’s day, and per many timelines, we are looking at at least 4 centuries. The Lord had four hundred years to provide notification, and instructions on building a permanent structure in Jerusalem for His house. Not to labor the point too much but that is approximately 15,000 days to provide instructions.

Moses was never instructed. The Judges were never instructed. Prophets were never instructed. Priest’s were never instructed. Up till the peace of David’s kingdom, no one considered this possibility. David was never instructed. Nathan was never instructed. No one was told to build God a temple, a fixed building in a certain location.

But Moses was instructed that to make an altar of hewn stone was to have a polluted altar.

Exodus 20:25 If you make me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stones, for if you wield your tool on it you profane it.

As an aside, how many hewn stones would be required for Solomon’s temple in the future?

Aside from that, David’s good intentions were corrected, and as we will see in the next segment of this passage, God provided a covenant with David that spoke of the kingdom of God, and David’s place in this Kingdom. His Son would be King forever, and though David may have understood that to be Solomon, we know better.

But for our passage this morning, let us remember that the silence of God may be instructive for our lives also. We sometimes want to add religiosity to our lives that has never been commanded upon us from on high.

To consider the silence of God for our own lives demands a maturity and a commitment to the will of God prior to addressing this topic. Coming to a clear understanding of the impact the silence of God has on our lives may surely be difficult, time consuming and spiritually dangerous, for you see, it may easily be abused for selfish and fleshly reasons. And yet the Lord reminds these two men of His silence and what that was to mean to them.

In relation to this very passage, where might the silence of God be found helpful in relation to our own methods of worship, congregating and living the community of Christ in our culture?

Questions concerning the silence of God relating to His current desire for His Temple that may come to mind may include.

• Instructions regarding the need of dedicated buildings for church
• Instructions for the order of church services
• Instructions for the extent of church employment
• Instructions for provisions within the church body
• Instructions to support it’s leadership

There may be more silence regarding the church that I have not touched on, and there may be various ways to address this silence. Yet, as we seek to honor the Lord, we should consider the silence of God as a viable method of understanding God’s priorities for His people.

The Lord reminded David and Nathan of His silence, and even in this silence, God redirected His king to the future reign of the greatest King, the One who is ruling even now!

May we listen to all He say’s (and doesn’t say!)

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

The Lord’s Covenant with David

As many who have followed me for a bit, I have fallen into the Psalms, and I can’t get up! (As if I would want to.) The Psalms are a majestic collection of poetry, of heart felt human experiences that constantly challenge me in my own frail attempt to follow the true King. As many of the Psalms are written by David, my study on the Psalms has spurred me on to looking at the life of David, is the main contributor to this book, and to follow the victories and tragedies of the shepherd King of Israel.

Many times in the narrative, we will see the Lord Jesus, imperfectly, yet a reflection of His spirit in a man with weaknesses.

2 Samuel 7:1-17
1 Now when the king lived in his house and the LORD had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies,
2 the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells in a tent.”
3 And Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your heart, for the LORD is with you.”

Assumptions. Even awesome kings and great prophets make assumptions.

David’s Assumptions

David assumed that since he was in a great palace/house and that there was nothing to do – he had been given rest from all his adversaries – that it was time to honor God, to express his thankful heart and to bring attention of the nation to their God by building Him a temple, instead of simply letting the God of all Creation dwell in a tent.

At first blush, this all appears to be most honorable on the part of David. Sure he had to build his own house first, and he couldn’t build a temple while at war with his neighbors. But now that things are settled down, and his authority and position is established with the nation, it is logical given the many times God has provided guidance, and miraculous victories, that His house within the nation becomes greater, bigger, shinier, flashier and oh so awesome. An impressive house for such an impressive God, in such an impressive kingdom!

Yes, for David this all made sense, and he talked about it to Nathan, the prophet of God, the man that would provide guidance from God in relation to decisions of national interest, and personal life choices for the king.

Nathan’s Assumptions

Nathan seemed quick to agree. After all, David had just experienced a run of successes that proved that the Lord was with him. With a track record like David’s, and the idea of honoring God being presented to him, it must have seemed like a slam dunk type of question.

Get at it David. Your a winner and your idea is such a God honoring idea! How could this backfire, or displease God?

Well, as you may know, there was one other person that wanted to be involved in this decision. In our next post, we will see that making assumptions about God’s will can bring about some surprising responses from God.

For today’s passage, it is good to remember that God’s will is many times completely opposite to logical reasoning.

For instance, an easy example of God’s will being opposed to logical thinking is that of turning the other cheek.

If Bobby slaps me around, either physically, or emotionally, or even spiritually, it only makes sense that I provide a response in like kind. Logically, if I do not respond in like kind, this shows weakness, and may invite more violent actions against me. Of course, the Lord’s command was to provide another cheek, or to carry a load another mile.

That is even crazier!

Until you win your enemy through acts of sacrificial love. But you see, that is not the thinking of the world! That is not logical, for there is no satisfaction for myself in getting retribution, nor is there any guarantee that my act of self sacrifice will win my enemy over. It may very well open the door for greater abuse.

My assumptions of using logical reasoning to find God’s will is faulty at best. Many believers may think it wise to take the world’s logic, and patch God’s name to it to justify their actions, but this does no honor to the God we say we worship.

The Word and the Spirit provide guidance, and we do well if we refer to the sometimes illogical call of God to lay our lives down in a self sacrificial manner to honor Him.

Jesus did. And boy, did He ever honor God!

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

David and Michal

As many who have followed me for a bit, I have fallen into the Psalms, and I can’t get up! (As if I would want to.) The Psalms are a majestic collection of poetry, of heart felt human experiences that constantly challenge me in my own frail attempt to follow the true King. As many of the Psalms are written by David, my study on the Psalms has spurred me on to looking at the life of David, is the main contributor to this book, and to follow the victories and tragedies of the shepherd King of Israel.

Many times in the narrative, we will see the Lord Jesus, imperfectly, yet a reflection of His spirit in a man with weaknesses.

2 Samuel 6:20-23

20 And David returned to bless his household. But Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said, “How the king of Israel honored himself today, uncovering himself today before the eyes of his servants’ female servants, as one of the vulgar fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!”
21 And David said to Michal, “It was before the LORD, who chose me above your father and above all his house, to appoint me as prince over Israel, the people of the LORD – and I will celebrate before the LORD.
22 I will make myself yet more contemptible than this, and I will be abased in your eyes. But by the female servants of whom you have spoken, by them I shall be held in honor.”
23 And Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.

There are two types of wives. The type I got and the bad type. David had a bad one.

Mical couldn’t wait to attack the king. David was in a great mood, wanting to bless his household, and Micah comes charging out to meet him. Wow, I can just imagine her leaving her ivory tower, all prissy and proud, coming down to tell old David off!

And what was her big complaint? She got pretty specific, whining about how David uncovered himself before his servants female servants. Micah – me thinks you reveal too much!

Is that really the problem? Could she be honestly concerned with his reputation? I would suggest that if a wife comes out in public defaming her husband that it is not his honor she is concerned about. She just dishonored him in public! The king of Israel! Other kings would send her away, banish her to a lonely room ’til her death.

I suppose something else is going on here. She isn’t worried about his honor, but his attention. Follow me on this thinking.

Mical, being David’s first wife, was accustomed to competition for David’s attention. You see, after her marriage to David, he went out and acquired at least 6 more wives by the time of this conflict with David. I think her concern over David’s honor was simply a cover for a problem she was struggling with, and her mentioning David’s servants female servants may be tipping her hand. How could David’s servants female servants become an issue for Michal, other than that they were female! Her jealousy, which seems obvious was covered over by a concern for David’s honor. Nice try Michal, but the jig is up!

Peter may have been thinking of Mical when he spoke of using a cover up for evil.

1 Peter 2:16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.

Of course Michal had no desire to be a servant of God, but all the more instructive for us who seek to serve God to realize that cover ups are obvious to all but ourselves. Covering for sin simply cover it over for our eyes, no one elses!

It seems the King above decided to leave her childless. David though, seemed to defend himself, and speak of the honor these female servant would freely offer the the king. Unlike his wife, who owed him honor and respect.

In this act of defiance, she showed her heart of jealousy, and became a mother to no one. So sad, for she had advantage that few women in Israel experienced, and she threw it all away because she was insecure in her relationship with her husband.

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

David and Michal

As many who have followed me for a bit, I have fallen into the Psalms, and I can’t get up! (As if I would want to.) The Psalms are a majestic collection of poetry, of heart felt human experiences that constantly challenge me in my own frail attempt to follow the true King. As many of the Psalms are written by David, my study on the Psalms has spurred me on to looking at the life of David, is the main contributor to this book, and to follow the victories and tragedies of the shepherd King of Israel.

Many times in the narrative, we will see the Lord Jesus, imperfectly, yet a reflection of His spirit in a man with weaknesses.

2 Samuel 6:16-19
16 As the ark of the LORD came into the city of David, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, and she despised him in her heart.
17 And they brought in the ark of the LORD and set it in its place, inside the tent that David had pitched for it. And David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.
18 And when David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD of hosts
19 and distributed among all the people, the whole multitude of Israel, both men and women, a cake of bread, a portion of meat, and a cake of raisins to each one. Then all the people departed, each to his house.

Michal, David’s first wife, the youngest daughter of Saul didn’t join David in this effort to bring the Ark of the Lord back to the center of Israel’s public life.

This effort to retrieve the Ark of the Lord appears to be of no real importance to her, for she remaining in the Kings house during this celebration. Of course, David may have instructed her to stay back, for fear of another judgement falling on some that are near the ark, but that seems highly unlikely. Her staying back, while all of Israel was joining in on the festivities and celebration seems to tell us a bit about this lady.

First, she had no desire to be involved with the God of Israel. We would do well to remember that Michal was raised in a family that was led by a man who suffered from fits of insanity. He was driven by jealousy, and at least once, resorted to the guidance of a witch. He abandoned God years before, and his life reflected that of a man out of control.

Secondly, she was better than the rest of Israel. I speak this sarcastically, in that she did not join David amongst the people of Israel. It is instructive to note that the text speaks of “the people”, “the whole multitude of Israel” and “all the people”. Also the text speaks of her looking out on the procession, and especially on David. This term often speaks of looking down, or looking out and down, or to look down on. Now it may reflect the notion that she was simply physically on a second floor, or a raised structure, but due to her inner reaction, I am seeing a self loving, privileged woman in Michal.

She had no desire to be with the God of Israel, and no desire to be amongst the “riff raff”, those ordinary people. She seemed to like being away from others.

It turns out she got what she wanted, for she died as a lonely childless woman.

David, on the other hand was in the midst of the procession, having removed his royal clothing, dancing and leaping before the Lord. After the procession had completed the safe transport of the Ark t the Temple, David offered offerings to the Lord.

I assume this is not David directly making the offerings, as this action was the sole responsibility of the priests. His part in the offerings was to supply the offerings. Nevertheless, the celebration centered on two types of offerings.

Burnt Offerings

The burnt offering is the sacrifice of a complete, unblemished male animal, totally burned on the altar. Prior to the consumption of the fire, the animal was to be skinned, with the hide given to the priests. The sacrifice represented the complete offering to God for atonement for sin, to satisfy God’s wrath, and a total surrender to the will of God.

This is a monumental action on the part of David and all of Israel, for this burnt sacrifice had not been offered for decades by the nation. To bring the Ark back into the tent meant all other actions associated with the worship of God was available to the people, and this lapse in worship by the nation needed to be confessed before the Lord.

Peace Offerings

The peace offering was an sacrifice that represented fellowship between the Lord, His priest’s and the people. The offering represented a reconciliation between the people and the Lord as they shared in the consumption of the offering. Although there were variations on the peace offering, for David to take part in this offering speaks of his understanding that the nation was in good standing with the Lord, that the sacrifice of the burnt offering had been accepted.

Out of this period of reconciliation to the Lord came a celebration of blessing on the people. Food was distributed to the people of Israel, and there was much rejoicing.

It was a fantastic day of rejoicing and reconciliation. David must have been on top of the world. But as it is with so many spiritual high times in our lives, the enemy will immediately seek to tear us down with those he can influence. And as he went home, David would have to meet up with Michal, a self loving privileged woman.

It is stories such as this one that highlight the great blessing of a family being one in worship, one in allegiance and one in dedication to the Father of the Lord Jesus.

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

Uzzah and the Ark

As many who have followed me for a bit, I have fallen into the Psalms, and I can’t get up! (As if I would want to.) The Psalms are a majestic collection of poetry, of heart felt human experiences that constantly challenge me in my own frail attempt to follow the true King. As many of the Psalms are written by David, my study on the Psalms has spurred me on to looking at the life of David, is the main contributor to this book, and to follow the victories and tragedies of the shepherd King of Israel.

Many times in the narrative, we will see the Lord Jesus, imperfectly, yet a reflection of His spirit in a man with weaknesses.

2 Samuel 6:12-15

12 And it was told King David, “The LORD has blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.” So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with rejoicing.
13 And when those who bore the ark of the LORD had gone six steps, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened animal.
14 And David danced before the LORD with all his might. And David was wearing a linen ephod.
15 So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting and with the sound of the horn.

In our previous post, we saw Uzzah struck down for what seemed to be a healthy concern for the Ark. After all, it seemed he was only trying to protect the Ark from falling correct? We discussed the viewpoint of men and of God in that story, and realized that we too often default to a natural, man centered way of thinking, without considering the One who actually had given directions on how to relate to the Ark.

Yes Uzzah died, but it was an act of mercy from the Lord, and a reestablishment of the Holiness of God for a people who had ignored Him far too long. Consider my ramblings in Life of David – 37.01

For this mornings post, we are dealing with David continuing to retrieve the Ark for his capital city. After the death of Uzzah, it became increasingly apparent this Ark was not to be dealt with in a haphazard, frivolous way, and as time was needed to recover from this tragedy, and to consider options to retrieve the Ark without further deaths, David stored the Ark in the house of Obed-edom, the Gittite.

What? Who in tarnation is Obed-Edom? And what is a Gittite? Obed-edom was a Philistine, a man from the very same city as Goliath, David’s first arch enemy.

Ok, so the Israelites saw the Ark strike out at Uzzah, and then had Obed-Edom, a Philistine, store the Ark. That must have taken some serious negotiating, but Obed-edom took the Ark, and experienced three months of blessing! But Obed-edom was a dirty gentile, an enemy of the nation of Israel, and had no claim to the covenant! But he was blessed, and all the country side heard of it.

David also heard of it and was ready to try again, but this time with knowledge! David had men, presumably priests of the line of Kohath as commanded in the Law, carry the Ark, transporting the Ark to Jerusalem. A sacrifice was offered up after the first 6 steps of the priests. No death. Nothing tragic. Things appeared to be acceptable to God regarding the Ark, and it appeared David would have success!

We see in this instance a bit of the character of David, the desire and single heartedness of David in relation to his worship of God. He wore a linen ephod, not the kings robes, signifying a simplicity before the Lord on David’s part. He was not in full regal cloth, but a simple covering, signifying his standing before the Lord.

He also danced with fervor before the Ark, acknowledging the mercy of God in the work of bringing the Ark to Jerusalem. As a matter of fact, the entire nation joined in the celebration.

The nation was on the right path again, and God was being honored. Good times were coming to the nation, and the king would continue to be established in his kingdom. Yes – nothing could go wrong now! Every step of the Kohathite priest’s coming closer to Jerusalem meant more and more power for the king. Even as the Ark was approaching, the excitement was growing, but I need to ask a final question.

Why did the Ark need to be in Jerusalem?

Had there been instruction from Moses, or any prophet of God, as to the resting place for the Ark. I have always assumed it was to be in Jerusalem, but have had no success in finding that direction in the Word. Was God, in the representation of the Ark, happy to be with His people in the countryside? If Obed-edom taught us anything, it seems God was pleased to reside with a dirty gentile Philistine. Amazing! Do we sense that God “just couldn’t wait” to settle into Jerusalem? Who was driving this transporting of the Ark? God or David?

It seems that as a people of God, we want to control God, and want to isolate Him to a location, even to a building. Of course, for the Israelites, this was a temptation too easy to accept, since the Ark rightfully was the focus point for the nation of Israel to relate to. Yes, the Ark was central in the worship of God for the nation, yet for hundreds of years it had been in the wilderness, and prior to that, had been used as a lucky talisman to win a battle against the Philistines. That didn’t turn out to well!

David was seeking to honor God in his life as the king, and in doing so, the nation would be lifted to heights it had never experienced. But the nation may never quite get past the thought that the Ark was God.

We too may fall into the same trap of thinking that God is somehow restricted to a region, even a building. We tend to behave better when in certain buildings, thinking that God “resides” there. Let us remember that God is the God who is always present, with us in the darkest of days, with us as we go to work and with us as we lay our head down at night. With us as we remember Him, and with us as we forget Him.

The God whom the Israelites worshipped was a God who communicated to them through the Ark at specific times, and was represented by the Ark for times of worship, but their God was much more than the golden box that was called the Ark. And understanding the human hearts penchant for idol worship, the Ark was never intended to be an object to be worshipped!

The Ark represented a God that was far greater than they (or we) can understand. Even today, as believers who confess the omnipresence of our God, we tend to restrict Him to a building down the road, a building with chairs and a pulpit.

Let’s not get confused. The building is nothing. It is God who we are to worship, even as we go to work, or lay our head down for the night.

He is God, and we adore Him.

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

Uzzah and the Ark

As many who have followed me for a bit, I have fallen into the Psalms, and I can’t get up! (As if I would want to.) The Psalms are a majestic collection of poetry, of heart felt human experiences that constantly challenge me in my own frail attempt to follow the true King. As many of the Psalms are written by David, my study on the Psalms has spurred me on to looking at the life of David, is the main contributor to this book, and to follow the victories and tragedies of the shepherd King of Israel.

Many times in the narrative, we will see the Lord Jesus, imperfectly, yet a reflection of His spirit in a man with weaknesses.

2 Samuel 6:5-15
5 And David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the LORD, with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals.
6 And when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled.
7 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah, and God struck him down there because of his error, and he died there beside the ark of God.
8 And David was angry because the LORD had broken out against Uzzah. And that place is called Perez-uzzah to this day.
9 And David was afraid of the LORD that day, and he said, “How can the ark of the LORD come to me?”
10 So David was not willing to take the ark of the LORD into the city of David. But David took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.
11 And the ark of the LORD remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months, and the LORD blessed Obed-edom and all his household.

A famous story of God supposedly killing a servant whose heart was right. After all, was not Uzzah simply trying to protect the Ark from falling? He was doing right, was he not? This story is one that unbelievers like to refer to, claiming God is a meany. I think they may not understand the story very well.

In our last post on the Life of David, we saw that the Ark had been with the house of Abinadab for years, even decades. Abinadab’s sons, Ahio and Uzzah had lived around the ark for possibly their entire lives. In their minds, this Ark may have become common, ordinary, of no special purpose, even a relic of days long gone, stored away and forgotten.

But now the new king has come to get the Ark. Everything was going as planned. All the people of Israel were celebrating and having a great time. The king was celebrating. Everyone was in high spirits!

Well, most everyone. One small issue would snowball into this tragic event of Uzzah falling before the God of the Ark of the Covenant. The issue that snowballed into tragedy was the fact that no one considered God’s will for the transporting of the Ark of His Presence.

So what is the harm of transporting the Ark on a wagon? The Ark was to be carried by men, using special poles slid through rings attached to the side of the Ark. The Ark was to be carried by men, but not just anyone, but men of the family of Kohath, a priestly family designated to perform this task. And the Ark was to never be touched!

How was the Ark transported in this story? On a wagon, bulled by oxen. The Ark on a wagon? Pulled by oxen? Where did that idea come from? It seems those who knew not the Lord – the Philistines – had provided the example. Seems the Israelites were paying attention to the wrong teachers!

It may seem strange to think of these regulations as important, but the Ark was God’s Ark. It was His Ark and His will for the treatment of the Ark were to be obeyed. The Israelites were not to copy the Philistines manner of transporting the Ark.

These folk should have known better!

It was just a matter of time before the Ark moved, for the trail to Jerusalem was over rugged terrain. Uzzah saw the Ark move, grabbed/touched it to “protect” it, and died. Good intentions? Possibly? But lets consider this situation from God’s point of view. I think we should consider the mercy and patience of God in this story.

First off, some questions. How did the Ark get on the wagon? Was it always on the wagon? Was the Ark on the same wagon it had been delivered on? As the people of God, had anyone considered the will of God in the transporting of the Ark?

I mentioned the patience of God in this story, only due to the amount of traveling the Ark endured prior to this judgement. At the very beginning of this story, way back when the Philistines returned the Ark, we find an indifference in the people of God. Consider the people of God had not only stored the Ark somewhere – obviously not the tabernacle – that the Ark had been ignored for decades, and that the Ark was now being jostled about on a “man approved” method of moving. Consider the patience of Almighty God in allowing this unrestrained indifference!

When Uzzah touched it, a specific individual would die for a specific well defined act of disobedience. If the nation had known the will of God this would not have had to happen. And note the kindness of the Lord in that the nation in their general disregard for the Ark survived. Only one individual died, and his death reminded the nation the Ark had an Owner. Dang it, the nation had an Owner and the Owner needed some waking up of His people!

And once Uzzah died, the nation woke up!

This tragedy of Uzzah’s death reestablished the Holiness of God in the minds of the nation, and especially in the mind of King David.

The eternal God is holy. It is for our benefit that we understand His has standards. Granted, it is difficult to understand some portions of the will of God.

Some portions of the will of God are very clear! For specific disobedience against the will of God, (whether we understand that specific will of God or not), judgement will fall, and may be fatal, instant and appear harsh. Harsh, if we do not consider God and His purposes in the situation.

As a nation, our indifference to the will of God is evident all around. No that is a wrong statement. We had indifference to the will of God decades ago. It is no longer indifference. We are now in a nation of defiance against the will of God.

May God have mercy in His waking us up.

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

The Ark Brought to Jerusalem

As many who have followed me for a bit, I have fallen into the Psalms, and I can’t get up! (As if I would want to.) The Psalms are a majestic collection of poetry, of heart felt human experiences that constantly challenge me in my own frail attempt to follow the true King. As many of the Psalms are written by David, my study on the Psalms has spurred me on to looking at the life of David, is the main contributor to this book, and to follow the victories and tragedies of the shepherd King of Israel.

Many times in the narrative, we will see the Lord Jesus, imperfectly, yet a reflection of His spirit in a man with weaknesses.

2 Samuel 6:1-4
1 David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand.
2 And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale-judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the LORD of hosts who sits enthroned on the cherubim.
3 And they carried the ark of God on a new cart and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. And Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were driving the new cart,
4 with the ark of God, and Ahio went before the ark.

David was in the midst of gaining authority over the nation, having been inaugurated in Hebron/Judah, and eventually being lifted up to the throne of a united Israel. His military prowess was displayed in routing the Jebushites out of the City of David (Jerusalem) and he sho’ nuff put the hurt to the Philistines – twice!

On the way to the throne though, he had suffered for years, having lost his family, loved ones, nation and homeland. Early in his life, even as a teenager, at his initial inauguration under the hand on Samuel, his future looked bright, full of hope and expectation. Little did he know he just acquired a target on his back, and would be on the run for over a decade. Many a man who had went through the injustices he went through may turn bitter, or angry at the trials he went through.

David did not.

David may have slipped into some difficult times, especially when he became a mercenary for the Philistines, even deceiving the king who was protecting him. But David did not remain in his rebellion. He realized that throughout all the trials his God had protected him, even though it appeared at times that he was moments from death. His descriptions of his impending doom are recorded in numerous places in the psalms. Psalm 18 is just one example.

Psalm 18:4-5 The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of destruction assailed me; the cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me.

No – David did not remain hardened to the experience of his early years, but sought to honor the God who rescued him from all his dangers.

There was only one thing for him to do. Bring the ark to Jerusalem.

I understand David was seeking to honor the Lord, yet throughout the history of the nation, the ark had been in a temporary, highly mobile “tent”. I can not find any instructions from the Lord as to a desired final resting spot for the ark of the covenant. It appears that God’s presence amongst His people was the intent. (It always has been.)

David sought the ark for His capital city, and to think of this from a political viewpoint, it makes sense for him to do this. So David takes three thousand men to a the home of Abinadab, a man who had two sons, and was in possession of the ark. It turns our Abinadab had the ark since the Philistines had sent it back to Israel on a cart. You remember that time, when the Philistines were struck with tumors in each of the cities the ark was taken to within their nation.

Eventually, they had had enough and sent it back on a cart, pulled by two young ox. For a little background on this story, refer to Simple Thoughts – 1 Samuel 6.

Given this history, David and his men (or possibly Abinadab and his family) though it best to transport the ark in the same manner the Philistines had. After all, it worked for the Philistines!

Yet the Word gives instruction on the manner of transporting the Ark, along with the penalty for touching the ark.

Exodus 25:13-14 You shall make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. And you shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark by them.

Numbers 4:15 And when Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the furnishings of the sanctuary, as the camp sets out, after that the sons of Kohath shall come to carry these, but they must not touch the holy things, lest they die. These are the things of the tent of meeting that the sons of Kohath are to carry.

The Ark is to be transported only by a special class of priests, the sons of Kohath, and only by using poles covered in gold. The ark was not to be touched!

It seems that when the judgement fell on Uzzah, as we will see in our next post, the men of Israel decided to carry the ark in the prescribed manner. I assume this severe judgement on Uzzah, drove the men of Israel to “check the instructions” on how to transport the ark!

But for now, in this passage, we see two brothers, Ahio and Uzzah, who had been around the ark for most, if not all their lives. Someone decided to use a method of transport that made sense to them, due to their understanding of a traditional story or by their own experience, to transport the Ark to Jerusalem. The method? Use a cart pulled by oxen, traversing over fairly rugged terrain, up to Jerusalem. Yes it was a method they had heard of, and it seemed to make sense. Both the moving of the ark to Jerusalem, and the way it was moved seemed to make sense to those in this story.

We will see in the following post that actions that seem to make sense and actions that follow God’s instructions are not the same.

This story teaches us of how important it is for us to know His will in our lives, and to act in the way that pleases Him. Uzzah is about to find out that certain actions, whether he knew or not, will instantly deliver judgement!

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

David Defeats the Philistines

As many who have followed me for a bit, I have fallen into the Psalms, and I can’t get up! (As if I would want to.) The Psalms are a majestic collection of poetry, of heart felt human experiences that constantly challenge me in my own frail attempt to follow the true King. As many of the Psalms are written by David, my study on the Psalms has spurred me on to looking at the life of David, is the main contributor to this book, and to follow the victories and tragedies of the shepherd King of Israel.

Many times in the narrative, we will see the Lord Jesus, imperfectly, yet a reflection of His spirit in a man with weaknesses.

22 And the Philistines came up yet again and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim.
23 And when David inquired of the LORD, he said, “You shall not go up; go around to their rear, and come against them opposite the balsam trees.
24 And when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then rouse yourself, for then the LORD has gone out before you to strike down the army of the Philistines.”
25 And David did as the LORD commanded him, and struck down the Philistines from Geba to Gezer.

You gotta hand it to the Philistines. They were suckers for punishment!

Didn’t they just come up on the valley of Rephaim to take on this new king of Israel? Did they not just become defeated, quite decisively buy this new king of Israel?

How did David describe the previous victory of the Philistines?

2 Samuel 5:20…The LORD has broken through my enemies before me like a breaking flood.

A breaking flood is not the description of a non decisive battle, but of a complete domination over another army.

And yet here they are again!

But the amazing thing about this passage, and that which I want to dwell on, is that though David found great success in his previous battle with the Philistines, he wasn’t about to simply repeat the method he was successful at earlier.

He saw the same scenario developing, the same enemy approaching the same battleground geography, and the same potential outcome if he simply attacked as before. Sure the Philistines may be better prepared for them but David could claim the earlier direction from the Lord as still being relevant, still applicable!

But he didn’t! He went to the Lord for fresh orders.

At this time in his kingdom, he didn’t rely on old orders or human assumptions. And because he sought the wisdom of the Lord in fighting the Lord’s battles, he found success.

Success that included an extended victory, all the way from Geba to Gezer.

As we considered the first battle, it was a quick and decisive strike against the Philistines. A show of superiority force against the power of a neighboring nation.

With this battle, strategy came into play, with a rear attack timed perfectly with the help of the Lord, removing any possible conventional escape plans the enemy may have had. Not only no escape, but David did not simply break through and disperse the Philistines this time. No – he chased them from Geba to Gibeon, a distance of over 12 miles!

An excellent resource for maps of David’s exploits may be found at https://www.freebibleimages.org/illustrations/bm-maps-david/

David and his men accomplished a decisive and prolonged victory over the Philistines in this battle. This battle set the tone for David’s domination over the Philistines, eventually bringing the 5 major cities (Gaza, Gath, Ashkelon, Ashdod, and Ekron) of the Philistines under his control.

David was on the path to becoming a world power, and would bring Israel to her greatest political and military influence over the region. His desire to know and do the commands of the Lord for each situation and challenge he faced brought about this ascendency over the region.

We too are to be listening for the voice of the Lord for His direction, even asking for His leading. And as David was told to go around behind, requiring much additional effort on his part, and to be patient in the waiting for the “the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees”, we too may expect some of the guidance of the Lord to be unexpected and require additional effort.

I suppose that is part of the calling of the believer!

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

David Defeats the Philistines

As many who have followed me for a bit, I have fallen into the Psalms, and I can’t get up! (As if I would want to.) The Psalms are a majestic collection of poetry, of heart felt human experiences that constantly challenge me in my own frail attempt to follow the true King. As many of the Psalms are written by David, my study on the Psalms has spurred me on to looking at the life of David, is the main contributor to this book, and to follow the victories and tragedies of the shepherd King of Israel.

Many times in the narrative, we will see the Lord Jesus, imperfectly, yet a reflection of His spirit in a man with weaknesses.

2 Samuel 5:17-25
17 When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to search for David. But David heard of it and went down to the stronghold.
18 Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim.
19 And David inquired of the LORD, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you give them into my hand?” And the LORD said to David, “Go up, for I will certainly give the Philistines into your hand.”
20 And David came to Baal-perazim, and David defeated them there. And he said, “The LORD has broken through my enemies before me like a breaking flood.” Therefore the name of that place is called Baal-perazim.
21 And the Philistines left their idols there, and David and his men carried them away.

For our next few posts, we are going to follow David’s routing of the Philistines. I think it may be beneficial to consider the history this nation has with our new King.

Initially for David, his first encounter with the Philistines were in the defeat of their giant Goliath. A seminal moment in the history of both nations. Something that resides in the collective conscious of both people groups!

Next on our David timeline, the Philistines actually became a haven for this young rebel of Saul, for when his own father in law and current king of Israel sought to kill this young upstart, David fled to the nation of the Philistines. Philistia became a temporary haven for David, having found refuge with King Achish, Saul’s nemesis. Not only did David find refuge under the protection of Achish, David presented himself as a useful soldier for Achish. Of course it was all deception, for David was not cleaning up the southern boundaries of the land of Philistia, ridding the area of the Jewish population, but actually gutting and destroying small Philistia posts.

All of this deception led Achish to position David in his own Philistine army, potentially bringing David and his men against the nation he would rule over! Circumstances, that is God, overruled in this, and David was relieved of having to fight with Achish against his own people.

It was obvious the Philistines knew of the prowess of this new king, for they sought to us him in their own battles. Now that David was on the throne, and the massive victory of Jerusalem was behind him, the Philistines had to make a decision. Attack, or wait to attack.

Obviously waiting was only allowing David to increase in strength. They had to attack now. So the Philistines set us camp in the valley of Rephaim, a valley likely located a few miles northwest of the new capital.

Note also that this location for the Philistines to set up camp was in (or at least near) a valley. That surprises me, for though I am not a military type of guy, I would think any army would naturally look for the high ground. But I am not a military guy.

But let us consider there may have been some advantage for the Philistines in choosing this location. Maybe they could elevate a statue of their idols on a perched area of the slopes, so that they may see the battle, or they may see them during the battle. Or maybe, since there was a stream in the valley, there would be special water to wash their idols of any dust accumulated during the travelling to the battle site. Maybe in their deliberations, their idols somehow informed the Philistine leadership the valley of Rephaim was a strategic location, a location where their idols had some influence.

Somehow, in some way, the valley of Rephaim was chosen and the Philistines brought their idols.

David though inquired of the Lord. His inquiry included two topics. Both of these questions reveal important aspects of David’s trust in the God of the nation.

1 Shall I go up against the Philistines?

Our first question is a simple request for direction. Yes or no. This question has nothing to do with outcome or impact to his kingdom, whether or not this will be a stunning success or a dismal failure. David is just wanting to know the Lord’s will.

2 Will you give them into my hand?

This question addresses the result of the battle if the Lord directs him to fight. Note though, that David makes an assumption of victory based on the Lord’s involvement in the battle. He does not flat out say “Am I going to win?”. He is looking for assurance that the Lord will be with him in the midst of the battle, that the Lord will “get the credit” for the win.

Though the victory is assumed, it seems the import of the question was that God would be with him. Is David repeating the concern Moses had as he led God’s people into the promised land?

Exodus 33:15 And he said to him, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here.

Different circumstances but the same heart of the leader. And David received the answer in the affirmative for his concerns. God will place the Philistines in the hand of David.

It seems the victory was quite decisive, for David expressed the win by describing his army, (the arm of the Lord), as breaking through like a breaking flood.

The Israelite army overwhelmed the Philistines, even as a flood of waters destroys every resistance it comes upon.

I suppose the Philistines idols were distracted that day.

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

David Anointed King of Israel

As many who have followed me for a bit, I have fallen into the Psalms, and I can’t get up! (As if I would want to.) The Psalms are a majestic collection of poetry, of heart felt human experiences that constantly challenge me in my own frail attempt to follow the true King. As many of the Psalms are written by David, my study on the Psalms has spurred me on to looking at the life of David, is the main contributor to this book, and to follow the victories and tragedies of the shepherd King of Israel.

Many times in the narrative, we will see the Lord Jesus, imperfectly, yet a reflection of His spirit in a man with weaknesses.

2 Samuel 5:13-16

13 And David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem, after he came from Hebron, and more sons and daughters were born to David.
14 And these are the names of those who were born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon,
15 Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia,
16 Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.

David was a busy man! He also seems to have a weakness for the feminine wiles. It turns out that he took a minimum of 8 specific wives that the Scriptures speak of.

• Michal – 1 Samuel 18:27
• Abigail – 1 Samuel 25:42
• Ahinoam – 1 Samuel 25:43
• Maaca – 2 Samuel 3:3
• Haggith – 2 Samuel 3:4
• Abital – 2 Samuel 3:4
• Eglah – 2 Samuel 3:5
• Bathsheba – 2 Samuel 12:24

Beyond those who became his wives, concubines were also collected by the king. As a matter of perspective, this passage may be speaking of wives not mentioned by name, and having become king of the united nation in the capital city, took more wives that are unnamed.

How many wives did David have? Let us be satisfied saying that he had at least 8.

As for concubines, let un not consider them simply as a mistress, a distraction for the man. To be a concubine is to be a wife, albeit of a lower status, a second class wife.

Note a helpful passage in Judges 19 when considering how a concubine was considered in Old Testament times. For brevities sake, I have included only the portions of the verses applicable to our topic. Notice the abundant use of terms that reflect a husband wife relationship

Judges 19:2 And his concubine was unfaithful to him….
Judges 19:3 Then her husband arose and went after her, … And she brought him into her father’s house. …
Judges 19:4 And his father-in-law, the girl’s father, made him stay, …
Judges 19:5 … the girl’s father said to his son-in-law,

So we may easily say, understanding this wrinkle of what a concubine is, that David surely had plenty more than 8 wives, though some of a lower status. Maybe that early satisfaction in thinking David only had 8 wives was a bit premature!!!

To David’s credit though, it seems he took all his wives from within the nation, and was not of the habit that Solomon developed in marrying foreign women. Yet his multiple wives surely set a standard that justified Solomon’s abuse of his actions.

To consider the children of David, that is a task far beyond this writer’s ability, but I have found a great resource for this purpose. (https://www.bibletales.online/king-davids-family-tree/) This website also provides a very useful family tree graphic that has embedded links providing much information for those interested. I am attaching a graphic below for your immediate reference.

In all of this consideration, we find David acquiring, in his ascent to power, all the seeds of distraction, sources of jealousy and continual internal bickering that came to fruition in later years.

What truth can be culled from this short passage? In short, monogamy is wise, yet there are some that consider polygamy an allowance, even a benefit for the Christian society. Those who think so, may appeal to the Old Testament. I would suggest these passages accommodate (not prescribe) polygamy as a form of family structure.

Exodus 21:10 If he takes another wife to himself, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, or her marital rights.

The Word specifies that a first wife was to be protected from any change in her rights, even as a man may take another. The verse implies that this was a condition the Israelites would continue and the Lord would accommodate for the time being.

Deuteronomy 21:15 “If a man has two wives,… and if the firstborn son belongs to the unloved,
Deuteronomy 21:17 … he shall acknowledge the firstborn, the son of the unloved, by giving him a double portion of all that he has.

Again, the Word calls out the rights of the wife, even the second wife, who may be unloved.

Deuteronomy 17:17 And he shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away, nor shall he acquire for himself excessive silver and gold.

Deuteronomy 17:17 is a direct command of Scripture to any future king of Israel. Note that the passage refers to many wives. How many is many? Is three many? I would think so, but I can’t find a specific commandment providing a restriction. Those who want more wives could justify it by stretching the word many in many many many!

In all of this discussion, I want to confess a simple statement.

I am thankful for a simple life, for a loving wife of 44 years, and for the children that the Lord has provided through a monogamous relationship with my best friend.

David was a busy man – way too busy for me!

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

David Anointed King of Israel

As many who have followed me for a bit, I have fallen into the Psalms, and I can’t get up! (As if I would want to.) The Psalms are a majestic collection of poetry, of heart felt human experiences that constantly challenge me in my own frail attempt to follow the true King. As many of the Psalms are written by David, my study on the Psalms has spurred me on to looking at the life of David, is the main contributor to this book, and to follow the victories and tragedies of the shepherd King of Israel.

Many times in the narrative, we will see the Lord Jesus, imperfectly, yet a reflection of His spirit in a man with weaknesses.

2 Samuel 5:11-12

11 And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, also carpenters and masons who built David a house.
12 And David knew that the LORD had established him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.

This passage begins the description of a long standing relationship between David and a Phoenician King named Hiram. The Word tells us that the relationship between these two men, describing them as leaders of their nations, each seeking the best for their people and working together for the mutual benefit of all.

1 Kings 5:1 Now Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon when he heard that they had anointed him king in place of his father, for Hiram always loved David.

Even after David’s passing, Hiram continued to work with Solomon, delivering the required materials for his vast construction projects, including the kings house, and finally the Temple of God.

Our verse this morning though speaks of the first instance this relationship between David and Hiram is mentioned, and it appears Hiram initiated the transaction. Let’s remember that David’s kingdom was in it’s infancy, that the nation had only healed recently, that David was newly placed on the throne of a nation that had been in civil war.

David had established himself as a very capable warrior, and had taken the city of the Jebusites by cunning. A wise man would see this young warrior and find it favorable to align his kingdom with David, and this is apparently what Hiram is doing at this time.

As an aside, after the death of David, there seemed to be a need for a treaty between these two nations.

1 Kings 5:12 And the LORD gave Solomon wisdom, as he promised him. And there was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them made a treaty.

Now, at first glance this seems innocent, but it also implies no treaty was needed during the time of David. I don’t want to make too much of this other than bringing it to our attention. David and Hiram, as two national leaders, seemed to be content with a relation of coexistence, without a formal treaty being required.

Hiram sent to David not only the materials needed for his kings house, but also the skilled men to construct the house. This is an enormous act of reaching out to this young “upstart” king, and shows the wisdom of Hiram in aligning himself and his people with a nation on track to become a world power.

Hiram saw it coming. And David was realizing it. All the running and living under persecution, all the uncertainty and brushes with death, all the threats and conspiracies against him all behind him, with the future looking as promised.

God had fulfilled His promise to David. The nation was heading into it’s golden age!

For us who are following Jesus today, we are in the state of following a persecuted King, as David was prior to his ascension. Yet we also are in a state, (if we will admit it), of the Great King reigning over all, not only His people in the church, but over all of creation, all the nations, each people group is under the authority of the Messiah.

Our mission is to bring them under a willing compliance to His Lordship, instead of the ignorance and rebellion we all have had towards our Greater David.

Hiram saw the wisdom of seeking favor of Israel’s new Regent. It is the same today. If you are one who has refused to bend the knee to King Jesus, consider who Jesus is.

For Jesus is King, and He rules the nations. Join Him while you have opportunity. Confess your rejection of Him, your sinful attitude and actions against Him. Trust Him, for He is a King like no other.

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

David Anointed King of Israel

As many who have followed me for a bit, I have fallen into the Psalms, and I can’t get up! (As if I would want to.) The Psalms are a majestic collection of poetry, of heart felt human experiences that constantly challenge me in my own frail attempt to follow the true King. As many of the Psalms are written by David, my study on the Psalms has spurred me on to looking at the life of David, is the main contributor to this book, and to follow the victories and tragedies of the shepherd King of Israel.

Many times in the narrative, we will see the Lord Jesus, imperfectly, yet a reflection of His spirit in a man with weaknesses.

2 Samuel 5:6-10

10 And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who said to David, “You will not come in here, but the blind and the lame will ward you off” – thinking, “David cannot come in here.”
7 Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion, that is, the city of David.
8 And David said on that day, “Whoever would strike the Jebusites, let him get up the water shaft to attack ‘the lame and the blind,’ who are hated by David’s soul.” Therefore it is said, “The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.”
9 And David lived in the stronghold and called it the city of David. And David built the city all around from the Millo inward.
10 And David became greater and greater, for the LORD, the God of hosts, was with him.

What a history for the city of Jerusalem. First spoken of in Genesis 14 when referring to Melchizedek, whom I believe was the Lord Himself, all the way to becoming the city of God, the geographical focal residence of God on earth.

Of course, there were times the city contained somewhat less glorious inhabitants.

As the tribes of Israel entered the land, they were instructed to take the land. All the land, with the strongholds throughout the area. Future Jerusalem was a city that had not been taken.

Judah attempted to take Jebus in the early times of the judges.

Judges 1:8 And the men of Judah fought against Jerusalem and captured it and struck it with the edge of the sword and set the city on fire.

You have to hand it to the tribe of Judah for the attempt, for the city is considered to be a very easily defendable city, but it turns out the nation could not keep the city under their control.

Judges 1:21 But the people of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem, so the Jebusites have lived with the people of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day.

This is amazing since once taken, the city’s own defense would be in the victor’s favor. Yet the nation could not maintain dominance of the city.

Over 400 years had to pass before a king would take control of Jerusalem, a king who saw the importance of the city, not only as a stronghold, but also as a unifying location for a capital city. Hebron, David’s current capital was far to south now that the northern tribes were joined the kingdom, and Jerusalem became the city David had eyes for.

And David took the city.

But I don’t suppose David’s motivation for taking the city of Jerusalem was only strategic, political and covenantal related. There may have been a bit of motivation supplied by the very Jebusites themselves. Referring to David’s army as men who couldn’t fight disabled soldiers is a fairly significant slap in the face to David. That alone is enough for David to teach the Jebusites a lesson, and while the world watched David gain power, taking Jebus became a necessity!

David took the city unconventionally, for if I understand the passage, the defeat of the Jebusite’s came by stealth, ingenuity and out of the box thinking. A water stack was to be used to gain access for a small band of men to enter and attack the inhabitants. A bit reminiscent of the attack on Babylon by the Persians hundreds of years later, as they took the city of Babylon by entering through a river. But I digress.

David took the city, and David kept the city. Jerusalem, the city on a hill, became the city David would rule from, the city the Temple would be built in, and the city that would be the focus of all things spiritual in the nation of Israel.

But it would also become the city Israel would loose to Babylon 400 years after David’s victory.

In the last days of Jerusalem, Jeremiah echoed the sentiment of the Jebusites, turning the insult onto the city itself. Jerusalem was unable to defend itself, though strategically positioned, against the disabled Chaldean (Babylonian) soldier coming against it.

Jeremiah 37:10 For even if you should defeat the whole army of Chaldeans who are fighting against you, and there remained of them only wounded men, every man in his tent, they would rise up and burn this city with fire.’”

Jerusalem, though a easily defendable city, could be taken by the cripple and disabled. What a insult to the mighty city of David, and yet, as we venture through the Old Testament prophets, we see the continual sliding of Jerusalem from David’s pinnacle to Jeremiah’s day.

Never would the city rise to the heights of glory as in the days of David and his son Solomon. Even after the Babylonian captivity, the city never found strength and power in the region.

Jerusalem became a regional capital for a portion of Israel, primarily Judah and Benjamin, with the 10 northern tribes lost to the Assyrian assault many years previously.

And the temple, though rebuilt, did not contain the Ark of the Covenant, and the nation, what was left of it, could never claim the presence of God residing among them.

Jerusalem was a hollowed out city when compared with the former day’s of glory. It never ascended to it’s former glory, until one opportunity – one Person entered it’s gates.

David’s Son, Jesus the Messiah entered the gates of Jerusalem, and proclaimed the kingdom of God to be present. Not just the kingdom of Israel, but the kingdom of God! Jesus, the Greater Son of David entered the “City of Peace”, declared His Kingship and offered Jerusalem a glory greater than David’s.

We know what happened. Although given the greatest opportunity it had ever been granted, Jerusalem chose poorly, and rejected the King. A generation later, it fell to the Romans, and great was the fall of it. A horrendous and tragic end for what was once the “City on a Hill”.

The kingdom of God though continued, growing exponentially, beyond the geograpic limitations of a small city under the control of Gentile nations.

We also have opportunities provided in our lives. Some opportunities, like David in seeing the stronghold of Jerusalem, need unconventional methods to overcome.

Some opportunities, like hearing the voice of God, simply need open ears and a willing heart to accept.

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

David Anointed King of Israel

As many who have followed me for a bit, I have fallen into the Psalms, and I can’t get up! (As if I would want to.) The Psalms are a majestic collection of poetry, of heart felt human experiences that constantly challenge me in my own frail attempt to follow the true King. As many of the Psalms are written by David, my study on the Psalms has spurred me on to looking at the life of David, is the main contributor to this book, and to follow the victories and tragedies of the shepherd King of Israel.

Many times in the narrative, we will see the Lord Jesus, imperfectly, yet a reflection of His spirit in a man with weaknesses.

2 Samuel 5:1-5
1 Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “Behold, we are your bone and flesh.
2 In times past, when Saul was king over us, it was you who led out and brought in Israel. And the LORD said to you, ‘You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over Israel.’”
3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the LORD, and they anointed David king over Israel.
4 David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years.
5 At Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and at Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah thirty-three years.

He is King. He has been accepted by the nation after what seemed like a never ending time of persecution by the very people who now come before him. He who persecuted him has been defeated, and the previous kingdom has been vanquished, even though a puppet king was installed. Those who troubled him have seen the error of their ways, repented and made covenant with the King appointed by God.

I am speaking of David in this instance, but in this short passage, it seems foolish to ignore this picture of Jesus being crowned by God and yet persecuted by the people. Jesus, King of all and owning all authority, yet being chased and persecuted in His church, by the very people He came to serve and save. Though David’s reign is an extended reign, speaking of a test being passed, (for 40 is often associated with testing in the Bible), how much more can we imagine the eternal victory and reign of the Savior, for He passed every test, every temptation, every trial to become the perfect and all righteous King of all.

Back to the text.

The elders came to David and the first thing out of their mouth was this identification of sameness, of being of his bone and flesh.

This seems to be such an obvious point to make that almost seems redundant. Of course David and the Israelites were of the same “bone and flesh”. But let us think about this for a moment.

David was ruling in Hebron, and the tribe of Judah had received him as their king. Eleven other tribes had remained with Saul and his throne, even after his death. Let us remember that David was of the tribe of Judah, and this direct connection could be proven and utilized to justify his reign over Judah. The connection was very direct, personal and in the mind of those in the other tribes, able to be leveraged to prioritize Judah over all of the other tribes.

The northern tribes had to find a connection to being parity before the King and his “favorite” tribe. And hence the claim of same “bone and flesh”. The leaders of the eleven tribes hailed back to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, claiming – rightly so – that the King of Israel is over all the tribes, that each and every tribe had an equal right to their king.

Though he be but a human, the King was to rule over all the tribes.

I can’t help but to turn back to the image displayed in this passage regarding our King, the eternal King Jesus. Though He initially came for the people of a nation to submit to Him, in their rejection, He has accepted all others also into His Kingdom.

No longer can some claim a “bone and flesh” ownership to the True King. No longer may this be used to include or exclude others from His Kingdom, for He has partook of the “same things” of all creation, not of one or any other group or tribe, nation or people group.

Hebrews 2:14 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,

He became human to rescue lost humans, and though a Jew by nationality, this identification was never His end focus. He rightly sought and gained the throne over all, not just one nation out of many.

True subjects of the Kingdom, those who understand Who the King is and His incredible mission to draw those subjects to Him, will worship Him in spirit and truth, not lean on physical associations, such as “bone and flesh”. How limiting and divisive!

John 4:23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.

David was about to rule over the nation, bring it to the brink of greatness, dominating his enemies and producing a fighting force that was unstoppable.

A great king was on the move! A Greater King is currently on the move! Watch for His hand in your life, and listen to His counsel, for He wants to guide us.

Let us be willing to come before Him.

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible