My wife and I are reading through the Psalms in our evening reading and occasionally a nugget of the Psalms jumps out of the page. Don’t you love it when, after years of reading the “Old Book” passages become alive, reinforcing old teachings or simply warming your heart.
This is the book of Psalms, and it is rich.
I pray I can communicate a portion of the blessing we receive from this wonderful book.
Psalm 77:4 You hold my eyelids open; I am so troubled that I cannot speak. Psalm 77:5 I consider the days of old, the years long ago.
Asaph, in our last post, spoke of his seeking out answers, of being irreconcilable until he hears from God. He is not going to accept any comfort until he gets to the truth.
What a passion for answers, a man who seeks to know at all costs, as opposed to a man who seeks to find comfort. Or is this passage describing a desperate man, one who is struggling to simply believe, feeling he is slipping and is becoming desperate.
However we may see this passage, he is suffering and seeking, and this is a man to be honored, for he is seeking God, (and not simply an escape) in the midst of trial.
Our verses this morning are somewhat shocking in my mind, for Asaph is charging God with keeping him awake, of inducing insomnia.
Surely the insomnia is not merely a restlessness, a time of simple wakefulness, but a time of facing trouble and trial, a time when he remembers the past, and those times seem distant, almost forgotten.
And the Lord is “holding his eyelids open”, keeping him awake. What fuels my surprise is that the term “hold” in the Hebrew (אָחַז ʼâchaz) may be translated as seize, or took hold of.
Exodus 15:14 The peoples have heard; they tremble; pangs have seized the inhabitants of Philistia. (italics mine)
The example of this term in Judges implies a forced taking hold of, of acting against another’s will.
Judges 20:6 So I took hold of my concubine and cut her in pieces and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel, for they have committed abomination and outrage in Israel.
Is this Asaph’s intended message? Is Asaph speaking of God as the One who will not let go, not allow Asaph to ignore some issue or problem? This seizing of Asaph’s eyelids is associated with such trouble in Asaph’s life that he cannot speak!
Asaph is under the grip of the Almighty. Both parties in this battle are actively taking their stand. Asaph is crying out to God for answers, and God is “waking” him to issues of trouble and trial.
Our God is a comforting, loving God, but as my friends who may be reading may have already experienced, there comes times when issues in our lives can not be turned away from. Constant reminders, or “nagging” memories haunt us of better times with the Lord. The Lord seeks those times, and yet we may need to face some trouble.
And in the midst of facing trouble, a danger exists, a danger of thinking of the the Lord incorrectly. As we continue in our psalm, we will find that Asaph considers some of these dangers, considering difficult questions and frightening outcomes.
For now, let us consider that some nights of insomnia, with troubled thoughts, may be times of the Lord waking us to difficult decisions. Let us remember in those times the faithfulness of the Lord, and His goodness to those who deserve none of it!
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 9:1-13 1 And David said, “Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” 2 Now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba, and they called him to David. And the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” And he said, “I am your servant.” 3 And the king said, “Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, that I may show the kindness of God to him?” Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in his feet.” 4 The king said to him, “Where is he?” And Ziba said to the king, “He is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar.” 5 Then King David sent and brought him from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar. 6 And Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and paid homage. And David said, “Mephibosheth!” And he answered, “Behold, I am your servant.” 7 And David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul your father, and you shall eat at my table always.” 8 And he paid homage and said, “What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog such as I?”
It is a common occurrence. One king rises, and the competing kings family is decimated. The rise of David meant the downfall of King Saul, along with all of his descendants. At least that was the expected outcome of a king rising to power in the shadow of a competing monarch.
Such appeared to be the fate of Saul’s bloodline. In the battle of Gilboa, King Saul, along with three of his sons – Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua all perished under the hand of David. Saul’s heir to the throne, Ish-bosheth was assassinated by his own captains in order to gain privilege with David. Finally, in an effort to appease the Gibeonites, David gave up seven of Saul’s descendants, finally clearing out the bloodline, except for a 5 year old boy who escaped the death sentence. Mephibosheth, a little boy who had suffered under the hand of David, being dropped in his nurses attempts to escape
And now he was being summoned by this very same king, surely to be finished off.
Did Ziba tell him that David intended to show the love of God to him. David surely spoke of his intentions to Ziba. Might Ziba have conveyed this information to Mephibosheth? Does it matter, for the news of David searching for Mephibosheth must surely mean his own death sentence. This speaking of the kindness of God must surely be a cover up to draw this crippled young man into a trap.
And yet he came. Mephibosheth, against all odds, faced his fears, or at least understood the long arm of David in retrieving him from where ever he might hide, and approached the man who was the single source of destruction in his family.
He came understanding he would die, yet there may have been a hope, a glimmer of possible mercy based on David’s friendship with his father.
My momma used to say it is all about who you know, not what you know Carl! How right she was!
Mephibosheth was granted pardon due to David’s relationship with Miphiboseth’s father. It was nothing that Mephibosheth did, or any sacrifice he performed, or any great attitude that he expressed. Nothing that was of Mephibosheth, other than who he was related to, which – need I repeat it – was nothing Miphiboseth could boast of.
Mephibosheth is us., a people who are broken and deserving of judgement due to our being on the wrong side. Our allegiance with the world, the flesh and the devil convinced us we would be destroyed, and yet there appeared a competing King, One who dethroned our king, searched for us, found us, called us to His throne, and though we knew judgement was inevitable, He shewed us mercy.
A full pardon, and yet so much more. Mephibosheth gained all his father’s land back, was invited to the kings table, and lived under the favor of Israel’s greatest monarch,
Yes Mephibosheth is us. We are Mephibosheth. And the King is ever merciful to a broken people.
Long live the King. For Jesus, this saying is eternally true, and we can be eternally grateful.
2 Samuel 9:9-13
9 Then the king called Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, “All that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master’s grandson. 10 And you and your sons and your servants shall till the land for him and shall bring in the produce, that your master’s grandson may have bread to eat. But Mephibosheth your master’s grandson shall always eat at my table.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. 11 Then Ziba said to the king, “According to all that my lord the king commands his servant, so will your servant do.” So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table, like one of the king’s sons. 12 And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Mica. And all who lived in Ziba’s house became Mephibosheth’s servants. 13 So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he ate always at the king’s table. Now he was lame in both his feet.
How big of an estate are we talking about here? Is this “estate” a nice little three bed two bath on a quarter acre corner lot on John Street, in one of the better neighborhoods?
Let’s consider Saul’s family condition before he was called to reign. He was the son of a man who the Word defines as wealthy.
1 Samuel 9:1 There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, a Benjaminite, a man of wealth.
Saul’s father was a wealthy man of lineage, one who was important in the nation, and whose son was destined to be king. Based on his background, Saul was a man set for life before he rose to power.
Upon Saul’s rise to power, it appears, he remained near Gibeah, in the tribal land of Benjamin. An archeological dig has identified his estate, and it has been called Tell el-Ful (translated as “Hill of Beans.) It is located on a prominent hill in the area, and provided a vast view of the surrounding areas.
It appears Saul had delusions of real estate grandeur during his reign, for at a time when David was ascending in influence, he began to speak of offering to the people of Benjamin fields for all.
1 Samuel 22:7 And Saul said to his servants who stood about him, “Hear now, people of Benjamin; will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, will he make you all commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds,
Whatever his real estate holdings, it was a sizable estate, and most likely, it was completely assumed by David at the fall of King Saul’s house.
For David to willingly give this estate up to Saul’s grandson was a grand statement of generosity. Beyond that, for David to provide this land to Saul’s grandson, and with it the memory of King Saul, was the act of a king seemingly not considering a potential threat. Yes, Mephibosheth was crippled, and yes he was humble before David, but tables often turn, and this story is not the last we hear of Mephibosheth and his new servant Ziba in the life of David.
For this passage, we find Ziba being directed by King David to manage all the land of Saul for Mephibosheth, even while Mephibosheth sat at the kings table. Ziba became the servant of Mephibosheth, along with his sons and their servants, and Mephibosheth became a wealthy man by the word of King David.
Now catch that! Mephibosheth did not gain riches by his talent, or by his wisdom, or by his personality or appearance. Nothing of Mephibosheth – other than the fact that he was born into the family of Jonathon – was of any value to the King of Israel.
It was all about relationship. And Mephibosheth was a child of Jonathon, a man that David made promises to.
God made promises in Jesus. As a matter of fact, ALL God’s promises are in Jesus.
2 Corinthians 1:20 For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.
For us to benefit, we have to assume the same place as Mephibosheth. We need to be related to the Greater Jonathon, in whom all God’s promises are found.
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.
My wife and I are reading through the Psalms in our evening reading and occasionally a nugget of the Psalms jumps out of the page. Don’t you love it when, after years of reading the “Old Book” passages become alive, reinforcing old teachings or simply warming your heart.
This is the book of Psalms, and it is rich.
I pray I can communicate a portion of the blessing we receive from this wonderful book.
Psalm 77:1 To the choirmaster: according to Jeduthun. A Psalm of Asaph. I cry aloud to God, aloud to God, and he will hear me. Psalm 77:2 In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord; in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying; my soul refuses to be comforted. Psalm 77:3 When I remember God, I moan; when I meditate, my spirit faints. Selah
Psalm 77 speaks to us in the dark nights of our seeming ineffective prayers, when the Lord is apparently no where to be found. Days of “feeling” the Lord close by are mere memories. We know deep down something is missing, something is wrong.
This is the psalmist’s experience, and more so. He knows there is something wrong, and he refuses to accept any imitation, any replacement, any form of consolation or comfort.
This psalmist is Asaph, and he is one who has lived through some very disappointing periods in the life of the nation of Israel. Whether or not this psalm reflects some national crisis, or is more of a personal inner conflict remains to be known, but Asaph is struggling.
He speaks of God, that He will hear. Is this an act of the will on God’s part, that is, does Asaph have confidence that God will at least listen to his cries of complaint in the future? Is Asaph expressing a faith that his cries will be heard, (and answered) in the future?
Or is Asaph declaring that God is actively hearing his prayers and answering his prayers immediately, as we find the same phrase in Isaiah.
Isaiah 65:24 Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear.
I am of the opinion (somewhat worthless) that Asaph is speaking of God hearing him, that is answering him in the future, for Asaph speaks of a continual crying out to God. He speaks of days of trouble and weariness in the night, of stretching out his hand and refusing to be comforted.
No periods of praise or thanksgiving, but only the sad moaning and fainting spirit of a troubled saint.
Where is all the joy, all the praising and positive feelings associated with the modern Christianity? Where is the “best life now” that is promised to the masses? Messages of continual ease and prosperity may be popular, but for Asaph, he wants truth, he wants reality, he needs God to show up. And this trial, whatever he is going through, is causing a deep desire to well up.
He won’t be comforted until he get’s a response from the Lord, and he will know it when God answers.
Asaph speaks volumes to the modern Christian, to me especially, for there have been times when the silence of God has been deafening. When I have struggled with apparent insurmountable trials, with delays mounting up, and problems festering. An inner hollowness that nagged.
For my friend that may be struggling, take hope in the fact that Lazarus was resurrected. All of Mary and Martha’s hopes had come crashing down at the death of their brother, and the Lord intentionally waited.
For Mary and Martha, the wait created a situation that only God could resolve. And resolve He did with a miracle so beyond the expected! This is the God we worship, One who not only has all authority, but even in our struggles, is setting our situation for His mercy to be evident.
Our struggle is the wait.
As for Asaph, he was in the midst of a trial that was crushing him. Yet he said God will hear. In the midst of a trial, to have the faith of stating God will hear, though there is no answer yet, is the faith we are to reach for. Emotions, fears, emptiness and doubts can assail us, but hang on.
Jesus will deliver. He is that One whose nature it is to deliver, and in a most miraculous way. But the wait can be a struggle of faith. Look to Him, and in the struggle, He will provide to get you through. For the remainder of the psalm, we may find hints as to how the Lord pulls us through trials and troubles!
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 9:1-13 1 And David said, “Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” 2 Now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba, and they called him to David. And the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” And he said, “I am your servant.” 3 And the king said, “Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, that I may show the kindness of God to him?” Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in his feet.” 4 The king said to him, “Where is he?” And Ziba said to the king, “He is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar.” 5 Then King David sent and brought him from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar. 6 And Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and paid homage. And David said, “Mephibosheth!” And he answered, “Behold, I am your servant.” 7 And David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul your father, and you shall eat at my table always.” 8 And he paid homage and said, “What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog such as I?”
It is a common occurrence. One king rises, and the competing kings family is decimated. The rise of David meant the downfall of King Saul, along with all of his descendants. At least that was the expected outcome of a king rising to power in the shadow of a competing monarch.
Such appeared to be the fate of Saul’s bloodline. In the battle of Gilboa, King Saul, along with three of his sons – Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua all perished under the hand of David. Saul’s heir to the throne, Ish-bosheth was assassinated by his own captains in order to gain privilege with David. Finally, in an effort to appease the Gibeonites, David gave up seven of Saul’s descendants, finally clearing out the bloodline, except for a 5 year old boy who escaped the death sentence. Mephibosheth, a little boy who had suffered under the hand of David, being dropped in his nurses attempts to escape
And now he was being summoned by this very same king, surely to be finished off.
Did Ziba tell him that David intended to show the love of God to him. David surely spoke of his intentions to Ziba. Might Ziba have conveyed this information to Mephibosheth? Does it matter, for the news of David searching for Mephibosheth must surely mean his own death sentence. This speaking of the kindness of God must surely be a cover up to draw this crippled young man into a trap.
And yet he came. Mephibosheth, against all odds, faced his fears, or at least understood the long arm of David in retrieving him from where ever he might hide, and approached the man who was the single source of destruction in his family.
He came understanding he would die, yet there may have been a hope, a glimmer of possible mercy based on David’s friendship with his father.
My momma used to say it is all about who you know, not what you know Carl! How right she was!
Mephibosheth was granted pardon due to David’s relationship with Miphiboseth’s father. It was nothing that Mephibosheth did, or any sacrifice he performed, or any great attitude that he expressed. Nothing that was of Mephibosheth, other than who he was related to, which – need I repeat it – was nothing Miphiboseth could boast of.
Mephibosheth is us., a people who are broken and deserving of judgement due to our being on the wrong side. Our allegiance with the world, the flesh and the devil convinced us we would be destroyed, and yet there appeared a competing King, One who dethroned our king, searched for us, found us, called us to His throne, and though we knew judgement was inevitable, He shewed us mercy.
A full pardon, and yet so much more. Mephibosheth gained all his father’s land back, was invited to the kings table, and lived under the favor of Israel’s greatest monarch,
Yes Mephibosheth is us. We are Mephibosheth. And the King is ever merciful to a broken people.
Long live the King. For King Jesus, this saying is eternally true, and we can be eternally grateful.
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.
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 8:15-18 15 So David reigned over all Israel. And David administered justice and equity to all his people. 16 Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the army, and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder, 17 and Zadok the son of Ahitub and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar were priests, and Seraiah was secretary, 18 and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and David’s sons were priests.
David was a righteous king for his people. It is interesting to me that the author of this portion of Scripture does not provide examples of his rightous acts, but supplies us the structure of his administration.
We are told of the branches of his administation, and those men who he gathered with him that would provide leadership within each department. All would report to David, and David would provide final authority, and specific leadership as required.
What I find challenging is how to translate this information to the church age. As you know I am one who leans to the relational aspect of church, and not so much the administrative requirements that the modern church organization requires to run from week to week.
I suppose if the church organization that we see all around us is that which pleases God, is that which was intended by God, and is the goal of the plan of God, this passage would provide support for the importance of having a hierarchical church structure. I am not convinced the current structure of church life is as such, but that does not make it true. I leave to my reader to understand God’s will for the church in thier world.
For myself, I am of the opinion that God’s church works best when it is simple, relational, small and intimate, where all the saints know all the saints, where relations run deep, and organization of ministry is minimal.
So in my own thinking, how to translate this passage from a monarchical governmental structure to a religious organism of believers is fraught with more questions than answers.
One truth that can be easily culled from this passage is that good men surround themselves with good men. A successfull leader will not depend only on himself, but on the varied talents of those who also seek to be successful. A righteous leader will gather together a righteous team.
One Righteous Man gathered together twelve men together, twelve men so different from each other that it seemed destined to failure. A tax man with a zealot! Think of that. Yet the One who led took bickering, jealous, complaining men and made a group of righteous, caring men out of them. What an incredible feat of unifying men of extreme personalities and attitudes into a focused group whose goal was to obey and love the Messiah.
It is the pattern for each of us, that as we seek to be successful before the Lord, we will seek to be with those of like mind, spurring each other on to good works and a life of faith.
Hebrews 10:24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,
It is good to have around us those who stir us up! As we close on this post, think of those in your inner circle that stirs you up to good works, and be thankful for that one.
And if you get a chance, stir someone up to a good work!
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.
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.
1 Samuel 8
13 And David made a name for himself when he returned from striking down 18,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. 14 Then he put garrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom he put garrisons, and all the Edomites became David’s servants. And the LORD gave victory to David wherever he went.
David made a name for himself.
Yet a passage just prior to this small set of verses, David dedicated all the spoils to the Lord, all the silver and gold from all the nations he subdued.
11 These also King David dedicated to the LORD, together with the silver and gold that he dedicated from all the nations he subdued,
This difference brings to light a verse that shocked me when I first sat down and considered the ramifications of what Paul was saying.
2 Corinthians 6:1 Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain.
Paul had the audacity to claim that he and his team were working together with God.
Together!
At the time I “tripped” over this verse, I was in a church that emphasized the immutable will of God, the undeniable full predestination of every action of all souls on earth. How then could Paul say he was working together with God? If my understanding was correct at the time, I would have to correct Paul, and tell him he was to say he worked FOR God.
To say “together” smacks of teamwork, cooperation, fellowship, discussion and a pliability within the team. That cannot be applied to the eternal God, the One who planned all things out prior to the foundation of the world, even every persons choices and decisions. It was ultimately uber confusing for me.
In our passage this morning, the Scriptures teach that the Lord provided all the victories, and that David ascribed the victories to God, providing the spoils to Him as witness of this truth. Yet David made a name for himself.
All of these victories brought influence to the throne of David, and as David confessed of God’s power in the victories, David’s influence also grew.
It is as if God and David were “working together” to bring about the theocracy the nation of Israel entered into at Sinai. A willing king and our powerful God working together to overcome obstacles, consolidate the kingdom, extend God’s influence and make His name known among the nations
Notice that though David made a “name for himself”, the last phrase of our passage indicates God’s favor continuing on David.
…And the LORD gave victory to David wherever he went.
It is an amazing fact that the Ruler of the universe, the Creator of all, the Redeemer of lost sinners, and the Lord (Master) of not only the Body of Christ, but of all creation, would willingly enter into a cooperative team environment with broken, crippled up and blind sinners.
When I think of it, as the One over all, as the Lord over all enters into this cooperative environment with His servants, this willingness reinforces the image of One who is leading by loving, serving by sacrificing and exhibiting a humble meek character.
It is beyond all imagination that our God is of a meek and gentle heart, and to think that after all the victories He provided to David, He allowed, (or better said) was pleased that His servant made a name for himself.
What type of God do we know? He is much more than we can think or even imagine
Yes, Jesus is better! Better than we can imagine!
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.
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.
9 When Toi king of Hamath heard that David had defeated the whole army of Hadadezer, 10 Toi sent his son Joram to King David, to ask about his health and to bless him because he had fought against Hadadezer and defeated him, for Hadadezer had often been at war with Toi. And Joram brought with him articles of silver, of gold, and of bronze. 11 These also King David dedicated to the LORD, together with the silver and gold that he dedicated from all the nations he subdued, 12 from Edom, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, Amalek, and from the spoil of Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah.
In an earlier posting, I made mention of the text we considered as not indicating the extent of damage on the army of Hadadezer. I was incorrect, for if I had simply read a bit further, the text tells us that Hadadazer’s army was completely defeated.
Considering Hadadezer’s multiple efforts to attack and subdue David, it seems obvious that his army had been decimated.
Enter the scene a king who had been carefully watching the destruction and subjection of the Syrian kingdom by a young upstart out of Israel. As can be noted on the map provided to the left, Davids kingdom was expanding to the north, and it was just a matter of time before Hamath experienced the forces under David’s command.
This king who had been watching exercised wisdom in his approach to the King of Israel, by not resisting the inevitable, but by befriending the power to his south.
He sent his son to begin a period of alliance, and diplomacy with Israel, with gifts that certainly would have been lost if in war with David. Nevertheless, the fact that Toi, and his son Joram, initialted the contact with David is commendable, not only for thier own continued existence but for the welfare of the people under their protection.
This alliance existed for the entire length of David’s reign.
An Aside
As an aside, I find it curious that upon Solomon’s reign, he extended his reach to the north to include Hamath, seemingly fullfilling the promise of God to Abram regarding the northern extent of the promised land up the the Euphrates!
Genesis 15:18 On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates,
As a matter of fact, there are other indications in the Word that the nation attained the extent of the promised land, as a possession for the people of Israel, multiple times.
Joshua 21:43 Thus the LORD gave to Israel all the land that he swore to give to their fathers. And they took possession of it, and they settled there. Joshua 21:44 And the LORD gave them rest on every side just as he had sworn to their fathers. Not one of all their enemies had withstood them, for the LORD had given all their enemies into their hands. Joshua 21:45 Not one word of all the good promises that the LORD had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass.
Many years later, it turns out that Solomon understood the promise fulfilled during his reign also, as he mentioned the rest given to the people of Israel during his reign.
1 Kings 8:56 “Blessed be the LORD who has given rest to his people Israel, according to all that he promised. Not one word has failed of all his good promise, which he spoke by Moses his servant.
Under the covenant with the God of Israel, it appears the promise of land for the people of Israel was fulfilled again under Solomon. Of course, the promise was conditional upon the nation keeping the covenant they entered into with the Lord!
Make note of the conditions set for the possession of the land in the following texts.
Leviticus 18:28 lest the land vomit you out when you make it unclean, as it vomited out the nation that was before you.
Leviticus 20:22 “You shall therefore keep all my statutes and all my rules and do them, that the land where I am bringing you to live may not vomit you out.
Joshua 23:16 if you transgress the covenant of the LORD your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them. Then the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you, and you shall perish quickly from off the good land that he has given to you.”
Of course the land was a conditional promise, being conditioned on the covenant they entered into as a nation with God.
For those who know some of the history of the land, the nation was vomited out of the land at the Babylonian captivity, only coming back under the permission of a gentile King. It could easily be said that the nation from that time forward was under the earthly authority of a gentile nation or kingdom, specifically Rome at the time of Jesus.
Did the promise apply during the time of Jesus, or was the initial removal from the land at the Babylonian captivity the fulfilment of this “perishing quickly from off the good land that He has given you? However you may understand the previous removal from the land, temporary as it may be argued, it surely was not the worst transgression of the nation against the Lord.
The crucifixion of the Lord Himself must be considered the ultimate transgression of the covenant. For if a death of a covenantal partner dispels the contractural agreements entered into, the murder of One of the covenantal partners by the other covenantal partner must surely seal the end of the covenant, including all of it’s conditional promises.
Yet the good news is so much better, for He has provided a kingdom to all that cannot be shaken.
Hebrews 12:28 Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe,
Back to the passage
That was surely one of my longest “asides”, so forgive me if I seemed to be off the topic too long. Back to the topic at hand, and the wisdom of Toi in connecting with King David.
He surely saw the writing on the wall, and in his foresight found it wise to align with this powerhouse of a regional nation. David’s victories were piling up, and his reputation was causing the surrounding kingdoms to bow the knee to him.
David rightly directed the goods from all the nations he subdued to the LORD. He knew where his power was coming from and had not yet succumbed to considering himself the power of the nation. It was the LORD who was providing the victories.
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.
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.
3 David also defeated Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to restore his power at the river Euphrates. 4 And David took from him 1,700 horsemen, and 20,000 foot soldiers. And David hamstrung all the chariot horses but left enough for 100 chariots. 5 And when the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David struck down 22,000 men of the Syrians. 6 Then David put garrisons in Aram of Damascus, and the Syrians became servants to David and brought tribute. And the LORD gave victory to David wherever he went. 7 And David took the shields of gold that were carried by the servants of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. 8 And from Betah and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, King David took very much bronze.
Hadadezer was shooting to expand his reign, to increase his territory. One problem was that this territory was next to king David, and David had the same goals.
Our passage speaks of a defeat that was consequential for the people of Hadadezer, and the king suffered a serious blow to his army. TI have found no information on the total size of his army, but to have 1,700 horsemen, and 20,000 foot soldiers taken from him is likely a serious blow to Hadadezer.
But Hadadezer was not a quitter. After the defeat and humiliation David provided him, he attained the services of one of David’s other enemies, the Syrians. This alliance did not bode well for Hadadezer nor the Syrians, for David again routed the enemy, striking down 22,000
Strategically, David established outposts in the region to maintain control of the area. Also, those who came to Hadadezer became vassal states of Israel, with Hadaezer also providing “gifts” for the conquering king.
Did I mention that Hadadezer was not a quitter? We will find his name pop up in chapter 10, where he joins with the Ammonites in a coalition to defeat David.
2 Samuel 10:8 And the Ammonites came out and drew up in battle array at the entrance of the gate, and the Syrians of Zobah and of Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah were by themselves in the open country.
Unfortunately for Hadadezer, David also was not a quitter, and as David expanded his kingdom, Hadadezer, and all who joined him in his efforts to hold back David, became victims to the unrelenting success of this king of Israel. Unrelenting, for there was no stopping David in his pursuit of expansion.
6 …. And the LORD gave victory to David wherever he went.
There are those who will succeed no matter what is thrown at them. Certain men or women that seemingly cannot be stopped in their pursuits. Some are unstoppable simply due to their selfish desires, fueled by an unconquerable will power, and the allowance of God. Some are led by God into victories for a temporal purpose, to provide safety and success for their people and to display a picture of a future event in the providence of God.
But there is One who has been chosen to be the Ultimate King, One who was completely successful in establishing His Kingdom, is unstoppable in expanding His ecclesia, and offers all His citizens the perfection of safety and success .
His battles were not fought as any other king, and His victories were not anticipated by the powerful. His methods of conquering those who fought against Him were completely unconventional. He had no supporting armies in His strategies, other than the guidance of His Father, and the strength given Him by the Spirit.
His name is Jesus and He is the unstoppable, unrelenting King of all of creation, head of the church!
Colossians 1:15-18 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities–all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.
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.
My wife and I are reading through the Psalms in our evening reading and occasionally a nugget of the Psalms jumps out of the page. Don’t you love it when, after years of reading the “Old Book” passages become alive, reinforcing old teachings or simply warming your heart.
This is the book of Psalms, and it is rich.
I pray I can communicate a portion of the blessing we receive from this wonderful book.
Psalm 76:10 Surely the wrath of man shall praise you; the remnant of wrath you will put on like a belt. Psalm 76:11 Make your vows to the LORD your God and perform them; let all around him bring gifts to him who is to be feared, Psalm 76:12 who cuts off the spirit of princes, who is to be feared by the kings of the earth.
Our passage this morning is closing on some great truths, but to bring us to this point, lets remember some of the context.
The psalm was written due to a great victory by the Lord over the enemies of Israel, most likely the Assyrian army as it proceeded with a massive invasion of the nation, and the eventual, imminent destruction of Jerusalem. The Assyrian army was on the threshold of entering Jerusalem, the City of the Great King, having starved the city and suffered the mockery of thier God of Israel as spewed forth by Sennacherib’s representative.
Out of the mouth of Hezekiah came forth a prayer to a God that Sennacherib didn’t understand.
2 Kings 19:14 -19
Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the LORD and spread it before the LORD. And Hezekiah prayed before the LORD and said: “O LORD, the God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made the heavens and the earth. Incline your ear, O LORD, and hear; open your eyes, O LORD, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to mock the living God. Truly, O LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands and have cast their gods into the fire, for they were not gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone. Therefore they were destroyed. So now, O LORD our God, save us, please, from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, O LORD, are God alone.”
Asaph, the author of this psalm describes the Lord as a lion, using a word in an earlier verse that is typically used for a den, or a lair lions resort to. It is a striking picture of a lion crouching in his den, waiting to pounce on a it’s victim. Little did the Assyrian commander understand who was in the city!
Sennacherib’s anger, even his wrath against the God of Israel, his disdain and mockery, brought about great praise of God within the City of Jerusalem.
Get this in your mind. Sennacherib and his army were the greatest power in the known world. They had decimated every town and city they touched, and Jerusalem was one more city for thier consumption. Yet, even fueled by this unholy anger towards the God of Israel, and powered by the largest army on the threshold of Israel, Senacherib was not above the call to fear God.
Senacherib was humbled, with his pride crushed, and God was lifted up.
Asaph mentions the fear of God twice in the last two verses, specifically instructing the kings of the earth. The victory of God, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, as He pounced on the Assyrian army that fateful night, not only humbled this proud man but provided instruction for the proud king, and all who would mock our God. Fear, for the Lion of the Tribe of Judah is alive and well, having conquered not only human enemies, but the greatest enemy of all humans. He rose from a cruel death, to ever be the King.
All are wise to fear the Mighty Lion of the Tribe of Judah!
My wife and I are reading through the Psalms in our evening reading and occasionally a nugget of the Psalms jumps out of the page. Don’t you love it when, after years of reading the “Old Book” passages become alive, reinforcing old teachings or simply warming your heart.
This is the book of Psalms, and it is rich.
I pray I can communicate a portion of the blessing we receive from this wonderful book.
Psalm 76:7 But you, you are to be feared! Who can stand before you when once your anger is roused? Psalm 76:8 From the heavens you uttered judgment; the earth feared and was still, Psalm 76:9 when God arose to establish judgment, to save all the humble of the earth. Selah
Jerusalem was a den for the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. As the Assyrian commander taunted the king, and threatened the City of the Lord’s people, we saw Asaph describing the city as a den for the Lord, not unlike a den for a lion, ready to pounce on a hapless victim. I think the picture Asaph paints in the passages before is awesome, showing a personal link with the Lord of creation.
But Asaph goes from what might appear to be a tribal, local deity protecting a city state to the truth of who this Lion is that has roared.
Asaph no longer is describing a God that is relegated to a small city, a local protector of a geographical region or a God who is concerned with a tribal power structure. No – not at all, for these verses speak of our God uttering judgement from the heavens, and the result was that the earth feared and stood still.
He clarifies one additional point. He isn’t there to protect the proud and arrogant. Those who by their religion feel they have a right to this protection, that they have all the right rules and practices, and because of this will be protected. No – Asaph clears that up for us also. The Lord is the One who will save all the humble of the earth. That is His goal. Now if some in a city are protected though they be proud, that may be considered collateral “blessing”, but make no mistake about the goal of the Lord.
Psalm 76:9 when God arose to establish judgment, to save all the humble of the earth. Selah
One more point at the danger of overelaboration – Note that it is the humble of the earth, not simply those who claim a physical lineage with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. His goal is not territorial, but global.
My friend, as Asaph opened our passage this morning, consider who you fear.
Psalm 76:7 But you, you are to be feared! Who can stand before you when once your anger is roused?
Asaph makes it clear that the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the heavenly God who is on the throne and is the One to be feared. If you have angered Him, (and which of us have not!) run – do not walk – to the only refuge available. The very same Lion of the Tribe of Judah has shed His own blood to provide those who hate Him with a salvation none could have imagined.
He wants to save the humble. Will you humble yourself, bend the knee to Him, confess your sin, both your acts of sin and your nature of rebellion, and turn to the Living God who walked out of a tomb?
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 8:2 And he defeated Moab and he measured them with a line, making them lie down on the ground. Two lines he measured to be put to death, and one full line to be spared. And the Moabites became servants to David and brought tribute.
In our previous verse, David made an offensive strike against the Philistines, changing the course of the nation. The Philistines were a thorn in the side of Israel since day one, and David put them in thier place.
This mornings verse addresses the nation of Moab, a nation that descends from Abraham, through the union on Lot and one of his daughters.
Moab also fought with Israel during the reign of Saul. But for David to continue fighting the Moabites is difficult to understand, for David had connections with these people.
His grandmother, Ruth was a Moabitess, and though she converted to the faith, her roots were of the nation of Moab. David had a family connection with the nation of Moab.
Matthew 1:5,6…Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David the king…
Not only did David have a Moabite in his lineage, the nation harbored Davids parents during the persecution of Saul.
1 Samuel 22:3,4 ESV – And David went from there to Mizpeh of Moab. And he said to the king of Moab, “Please let my father and my mother stay with you, till I know what God will do for me.” And he left them with the king of Moab…
So for David to attack Moab as decisively as he does seems overdone in my mind. Of course my mind is infected with human reasoning and a logic that wants to overrule the will of God, so I need to consider reasons that David turned on the relation that existing between him and the Moabites.
First, it is well known that David was a man after God’s own heart and that he was zealous for the God of Israel. Moab did not adhere to this same dedication. As a matter of fact, the daughters of Moab were instrumental in bring Baal worship into the Lord’s people.
Numbers 25:1-3 While Israel lived in Shittim, the people began to whore with the daughters of Moab. These invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. So Israel yoked himself to Baal of Peor. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel.
David was placed on the throne of Israel by God and David’s zeal to cleanse the nation of idol worship was a natural outgrowth of his committment to God. Moab’s influence must be diminished.
Centuries after David, God issued commands to destroy Moab through the prophets Jeremiah, Isaiah and Amos. but during the time of David, no specific command had been issued. David may have seen the idolatry of Moab, which included the worship of Chemosh, as reason enough to subdue the people of Moab. His zeal to cleanse the nation and spread the news of the One True God was second to none.
There may have been one additional motivator for David. Centuries prior to David’s rise to power, a prophet of God rose and prophecied of Moab’s destruction. This prophet’s name is Balaam, and the King of Moab, seeing the threat of Israel entering the land, hired Balaam to curse the people of God. Though Balaam turned out to be a “hired gun” for the king of Moab, Balaam did provide very explicit prophecies of the nation of Israel.
One of Balaam’s prophecies included the fate of Moab, which must have shocked his employer. Nevertheless, this prophecy speaks of a king rising out of Jacob, crushing the forehead of Moab.
Numbers 24:17 I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near: a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel; it shall crush the forehead of Moab and break down all the sons of Sheth.
David fit the bill. He came on the scene over four centuries after Balaam, rose out of Jacob and was granted the scepter over Israel by the Lord. David may have accepted this prophecy as pertaining to hiself, and sought to perform the Lord’s will. It may explain David’s harsh treatment of the Moabite soldiers, killing two thirds of the army, but not quite.
The prohecy speaks of crushing the forehead. Does the implication of this phrase include the subjugation of a nation, or the obliteration of the nation.
One other passage in the Old Testament also speaks of the bruising of the serpents head.
Genesis 3:15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”
Genesis speaks of the Messiah bruising the head of the serpent. If Balaam’s prophecy links a similar treatment of the Moabites as we find Jesus in crushing the serpents head on the cross, we might conjecture that David reduced the influence of Moab on Israel while allowing them to exist as a slave of the nation.
How my reader understands the current existence (and usefulness) of the enemy in relation to the New Testament saint may provide an opportunity to consider how David, in decimating the army but allowing Moab to exist may mimic our current situation.
In all of this, let’s remember the Son of David is the One who perfectly fulfilled both Balaam’s and Moses’ prophecy of crushing the enemies head.
Jesus is the King and His crushing of the head of the serpent has provided salvation for all. All god’s who sought influence over the creation have been publicly reduced to mere puppets under the hand of the Messiah, for His resurrection has proven His superiority over all.
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.
My wife and I are reading through the Psalms in our evening reading and occasionally a nugget of the Psalms jumps out of the page. Don’t you love it when, after years of reading the “Old Book” passages become alive, reinforcing old teachings or simply warming your heart.
This is the book of Psalms, and it is rich.
I pray I can communicate a portion of the blessing we receive from this wonderful book.
Psalm 76:4 Glorious are you, more majestic than the mountains full of prey. Psalm 76:5 The stouthearted were stripped of their spoil; they sank into sleep; all the men of war were unable to use their hands. Psalm 76:6 At your rebuke, O God of Jacob, both rider and horse lay stunned.
In our last post, we considered the the passage in light of a picture of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, residing in the nations capital, ready to strike. It was a picture of Jerusalem acting as the den for a lion to hide in until the attack.
We also suggested that the attack was the mighty and complete defeat of the Assyrian army under Hezekiah’s reign, and was triggered by the heartfelt repentant prayer of the king. Many factors surely played into the complete decimation of an army of 185,000 men, including the taunting of the Lord’s people, in that fateful night. But one direct, humble and helpless prayer, lit a fire under the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, and the Assyrian’s had no chance.
If this picture is accurate as I have developed it in my mind, Asaph has a response to this salvation the Lion has provided.
Praise. Praise to the One who delivered His people by striking them as a lion from a hidden den.
And yet the Psalmist speaks of the mountains full of prey. Is the psalmist continuing with his description of the defeat of Sennacheribs army, or is Asaph simply changing his topic and beginning a new discussion on mountains?
A key consideration is that Jerusalem in surrounted by mountains, (or by hills if we are thinking of mountains as Everest.) Current names of some of the mountains in the region of Jerusalmem include Mount Zion, the Mount of Olives, the Temple Mount, Mount Scopus, Mount Herzl, Mount of Rest, Mount Hotzvim, and Har Nof.
If this is Asaph’s context, then the Assyrian army could be the object of Asaph’s description of prey. Again, the psalmist describes the defeat in a metaphor of hunting, with the Lion being so much greater than the hunted.
Verse 5 refers to the stouthearted, or the proud “sinking” into a sleep. A metaphor for falling dead! The men of war were helpless against the One from Jerusalem. Asaph goes on to state both the horse and the rider, the formidable power of the Assyrian army, “lay stunned”, as in a deep sleep. There was no waking of these mighty soldiers!
In those ancient days, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah rebuked the mighty army of Assyria. An army that had defeated over twenty cities of the nation of Israel. Israel was in tatters, but the capital stood, and Jerusalem remained.
After all, it was the Lion’s den! And for now there were a people who looked to the Lion for thier help.
My wife and I are reading through the Psalms in our evening reading and occasionally a nugget of the Psalms jumps out of the page. Don’t you love it when, after years of reading the “Old Book” passages become alive, reinforcing old teachings or simply warming your heart.
This is the book of Psalms, and it is rich.
I pray I can communicate a portion of the blessing we receive from this wonderful book.
Psalm 76:1 To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Psalm of Asaph. A Song. In Judah God is known; his name is great in Israel. Psalm 76:2 His abode has been established in Salem, his dwelling place in Zion. Psalm 76:3 There he broke the flashing arrows, the shield, the sword, and the weapons of war. Selah
Many of the psalms of Asaph are difficult to place historically, and there are reasons to believe that a possible direct descendent of Asaph may have written this particular psalm. In our next post on this psalm, we will find a possible reference to the victory of Israel over Sennacherib, the Assyrian general whose army of 185,000 soldiers was wiped out in one night.
This psalm is a psalm that speaks of the might of the Lord and the proper fear to be granted to our God.
The psalmist speaks of the knowledge of God. This knowledge is not merely the evidentiary knowledge of nature, where the soul who is honest, can see evidence of the God of creation in everything around us.
Romans 1:20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.
No, for in Judah, God is known personally, as He has revealed Himself to the people of God, revealing His nature, His laws, His specific will, His covenant mercy and His protective power. It is the protective power that this psalm displays.
The psalmist continues to identify the One who is God, as to where He is known. He is known in Judah, but the focus becomes tighter, as it is in Salem (Jerusalem) that the Lord has His abode. His temple has been in Jerusalem since the days of David.
But most interesting to this saint is the next description of the Lord. When the psalmist describes the Lord as having a “dwelling place” he is using a word that is often associated with a den of lions.
Job 37:8 Then the beasts go into their lairs, and remain in their dens. Job 38:40 when they crouch in their dens or lie in wait in their thicket? Song of Songs 4:8 Come with me from Lebanon, my bride; come with me from Lebanon. Depart from the peak of Amana, from the peak of Senir and Hermon, from the dens of lions, from the mountains of leopards. Amos 3:4 Does a lion roar in the forest, when he has no prey? Does a young lion cry out from his den, if he has taken nothing? Nahum 2:12 The lion tore enough for his cubs and strangled prey for his lionesses; he filled his caves with prey and his dens with torn flesh.
The psalmist is painting an image of the Lord’s “dwelling place” similar to a lions den. With this image, the Old Testament saint could imagine the Lord Himself in Jerusalem, crouching in His “den”, waiting to pounce on the victim.
If this psalm was written during the Assyrian invasion, this picture is very powerful. Before the fateful night, all the power seemed to reside in the Assyrian generals hands. Yet lurking in the city, the city that was on the brink of disaster, a city that was close to starvation, a lion was ready to pounce.
A reading of 2 Kings seems to fit our picture of the lion ready to pounce, and it is instructive to notice the flow of narrative in 2 Kings.
Hezekiah enters the temple in sackcloth 2 Kings 19:1
Isaiah encourages Hezekiah with a message of his prayer heard. 2 Kings 19:20
The Lion of the Tribe of Judah pounces 2 Kings 19:35
Over and over again, the Lord has provided protection for His people as they rely on Him, seeking His face. In this psalm, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah responded to the prayer of the king, pounced on the enemy and delivered His people from certain death.
Our God is the Lion of the tribe of Judah. He has delivered us from death by hanging on the cruel cross. And He will deliver us from all of our enemies!
My wife and I are reading through the Psalms in our evening reading and occasionally a nugget of the Psalms jumps out of the page. Don’t you love it when, after years of reading the “Old Book” passages become alive, reinforcing old teachings or simply warming your heart.
This is the book of Psalms, and it is rich.
I pray I can communicate a portion of the blessing we receive from this wonderful book.
Psalm 75:9 But I will declare it forever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob. Psalm 75:10 All the horns of the wicked I will cut off, but the horns of the righteous shall be lifted up.
Our psalmist closes his thoughts with these last two verses on a psalm that speaks of the judgements of the God of Israel. Our psalmist speaks of his thankfulness that the Judge of all the earth is a righteous Judge, a Judge who is equitable.
We often hear of the goal of equity in our word today, of the need to have “social equity”, of developing a fairness and justice that is to be provided to each person in our society. Many times the message is that all are to have the same position in life, the same experience in life, the same opportunities in life. Sounds good a face value, but the outworking of such a lofty goal seems fraught with danger. But this post is not intended to discuss the serious problems with an approach to equity for all, but possibly the reason for such an emphasis.
When a nation, country, society or culture walks away from God, (which is abundantly clear we are in the midst of doing), there remains in the culture a desire for some sort of justice. With God, the administrator of all equitable justice being rejected, the culture needs to fill in that gap. We all seek some form of justice in our lives, and without the knowledge of God, we are destined to find a replacement, a “cheap knock-off” that will give the illusion of justice.
This is an impossible pursuit. Any form of justice that removes the One who is Just, the One who is equitable, the One who is Righteous in all His acts and pronouncements is doomed to failure.
Judgement will be handed out by the Judge, for He will not be mocked. But in every case, as the Psalmist expresses his thankfulness, we too can be thankful that our God is not One who considers favorites, or accepts false evidence in His pronouncements. He is truly equitable, a word in the Hebrew that speaks of straightness of way, sincerity, justice.
The term “equity” we find in this Psalm is also used elsewhere in the Word. One interesting find is in Daniel 11:6
Daniel 11:6 After some years they shall make an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement. But she shall not retain the strength of her arm, and he and his arm shall not endure, but she shall be given up, and her attendants, he who fathered her, and he who supported her in those times.
The translators of the NASB have provided an expanded translation of the term below
Daniel 11:6 NASB95 – ….. the king of the South will come to the king of the North to carry out a peaceful arrangement….
Notice the intent of the word. There is a goal of peace in the use of the word here.
I would like to remind my reader that equitable judgement is not averse to the offer of peace and reconciliation. Is it not true that the Judge of all the earth is a Judge who is seeking peace, who has laid down His very life for the pursuit of peace with those who reject Him?
Yes, as the Psalmist closes this psalm, he teaches us that God will cut off all the horns of the wicked. Yet there is still time for those who have chased after a “cheap knock-off of equity”. Realize the futility of seeking justice apart from the true Judge, understand that He is seeking peace with us, turn to the Savior for forgiveness (not justice!) and the Judge suddenly becomes your Father, your Guardian, your Protector and Guide.
Yes – He is a Judge who provides equitable judgement on the nations, and for that we can and should be thankful. But far greater blessings are available as He seeks to provide peace, reconciliation, and restoration to all who look to the Savior for forgiveness.
To those who seek equity, may I suggest your chase will end in frustration and bitterness if you reject the True Judge. To those who will admit justice can only be administered by the Judge of all the earth, I have good news. He seeks a “peaceful agreement” with us. He has sought us, bought us and provided forgiveness instead of justice.
Don’t be frustrated chasing after equity. Be forgiven in Jesus, the Lamb of God who has taken away the sin of the world.
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 8:1 1 After this David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and David took Metheg-ammah out of the hand of the Philistines.
As soon as David reunited the kingdom, the Philistines gathered together for a visit.
2 Samuel 5:17 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.
The most troublesome people group of the region were not going to let David get away with uniting the people of God, and becoming more of a threat to their dominance. This could not be, so they gathered their forces and marched to Israel, just like every other time in the past.
At that time, David sought the Lord for guidance, and soundly defeated the enemy.
Our passage this morning is short but indicates a turning of the tide for the nation of Israel. No longer was Israel the Philistines water boy, existing in the area under threat of another attack.
Yes David has shown defensive moves that effectively gave notice to the Philistines in chapter 5. Since then, he has taken Jerusalem as his city, and received the promise of his Son ruling forever, his family becoming a dynasty under God.
It is time to give notice that the kingdom of Israel is about to explode in the region, and the first (of many) recorded victories were against the Philistines.
There is a subtle but important item to notice in this verse that shows a mindset change in the Israelite army, and their commander.
David did not simply defend, he aggressively took a Philistine city.
David took Metheg-ammah out of the hand of the Philistines
Methag-ammah. I had never heard of this location during my readings, and assumed it was a small hamlet on the edge of the Philistine territory. A good first step in David’s dominance over Israel’s enemies.
But alas, I was wrong again. Methag-ammah, meaning “the chief city” was no small victory for David. As a matter of fact, according to a parallel passage in 1 Chronicles, the city was also known as Gath. A principle, arguably the most important city of the Philistines.
1 Chronicles 18:1 After this David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and he took Gath and its villages out of the hand of the Philistines.
This was no small victory. In one campaign against the Philistines, the Israelites dominated the entire people group of the Philistines, turning the tables and becoming the nation tribute would flow to. Influence, authority and respect had landed in the nation.
Israel was on the march.
For us today, this small verse has a challenge for us. Are we in a defensive position regarding some sinful attitude, or weakness in our Christian life?
David, knowing the promise of God, took the offensive stance toward his enemies. He overcame the resistance that had plagued the Israelites since they entered the land. David did not let the past dictate the future.
How about us? Are we excusing something in our life because that is how we have always done it? It is just the way it is?
I have been in a defensive mode with a certain behavior, and with David’s example and the help of David’s Greater Son, I want to turn the tides.
May we all find a habit or attitude we can consecrate to the Lord, commit to attacking the problem instead on simply asking forgiveness, and move on to more victories.
David did.
Remember, as believers, we only have one offensive weapon. To find the victory in any battle, we need a passage, portion or verse that will be the weapon to use against any sin.
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.
My wife and I are reading through the Psalms in our evening reading and occasionally a nugget of the Psalms jumps out of the page. Don’t you love it when, after years of reading the “Old Book” passages become alive, reinforcing old teachings or simply warming your heart.
This is the book of Psalms, and it is rich.
I pray I can communicate a portion of the blessing we receive from this wonderful book.
Psalm 75:6 For not from the east or from the west and not from the wilderness comes lifting up, Psalm 75:7 but it is God who executes judgment, putting down one and lifting up another. Psalm 75:8 For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup with foaming wine, well mixed, and he pours out from it, and all the wicked of the earth shall drain it down to the dregs.
I woke this morning, not knowing what topic was on my schedule to blog about. As I readied my black vitamin (my coffee) and prepared for my time with you, I was impressed about the topic of competition, and how the proverbs direct the saint to enter into competition.
Unexpected? Very much so. Yet I appreciated the nudge towards the topic, and scheduled the blog to be published tomorrow.
I then opened up my scheduled topic and found I was to be in Psalm 75. The verses to be considered this morning, after I had detoured into the proverbs on the topic of competition, were…
Psalm 75:6-7 For not from the east or from the west and not from the wilderness comes lifting up, but it is God who executes judgment, putting down one and lifting up another.
How appropriate. I referred to the New Testament in my discussion on competition, when all I had to do was turn one book back in the Old Testament, and find our verses for this day.
Do we see the connection. It is from the hand of the Lord that even the saint is elevated or is put down. Granted, this psalm is global in its descriptions, for the psalmist is discussing the rising of one nation and the downfall of another nation, but is not the truth is applicable to the individual.
Effort, drive and desire are key elements in the success of the saint in pleasing the Lord. That cannot be denied. Yet the passage above defines the source. The Lord elevates and reduces nations and individuals.
In the midst of this discussion, it is important that remember that any humbling of the saint, whether by choice, or by circumstance, (which admittedly must be from the Lord), is to be taken with a thankful heart, for we know that the path of humility is the path to be taken for the saint.
For the nations, this is not so. Every kingdom, country and nation which has rose from obscurity has fallen. Great kingdoms have fallen in as little as one night – I’m thinking of Babylon, and some have taken centuries to fall – I’m thinking of the Roman empire.
Only one nation will endure forever, the kingdom of the Lord Jesus, and all other kingdoms must fall, simply because they are not the Lord’s kingdom. The righteousness of all other kingdoms are as wickedness when compared with King Jesus, and though each nation/kingdom will eventually take of the dregs of the cup of foaming wine, and the saint may be caught up in the trials of the fall, we can rest in the assurance that the eternal kingdom of the Lord is established on a firm foundation.
Let us be thankful for the King, and His righteous reign, and cling to the promises He has given us in the midst of any trials we shall endure.
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.
My wife and I are reading through the Psalms in our evening reading and occasionally a nugget of the Psalms jumps out of the page. Don’t you love it when, after years of reading the “Old Book” passages become alive, reinforcing old teachings or simply warming your heart.
This is the book of Psalms, and it is rich.
I pray I can communicate a portion of the blessing we receive from this wonderful book.
Psalm 75:2 At the set time that I appoint I will judge with equity. Psalm 75:3 When the earth totters, and all its inhabitants, it is I who keep steady its pillars. Selah Psalm 75:4 I say to the boastful, ‘Do not boast,’ and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horn; Psalm 75:5 do not lift up your horn on high, or speak with haughty neck.’”
Even at the start of our discussion on the judgement of God which is the force and topic of this psalm, is God’s determination (judgement) of the appropriate time, of a set time that He appoints.
We have nothing to do with the timing of this judgement. God will pick the time, at His discretion and to His glory.
Before I get very far into this psalm, let me ask a question. Is it possible that the “set time” the Psalmist speaks of refers to the final judgement of all mankind? Although he may be referring to an immediate judgement in this Psalm (Sishak’s invasion of Rehoboam’s kingdom), as with many of the Psalm’s, a bigger picture may rise out of the immediate prophecy.
This is something to consider. If so, this speaks of His patience and willingness to wait (for millennia) for those who need to hear. It is good to remember that He will set a time when all our work is done, and we stand naked before Him.
Back to the Psalm though. As mentioned, He is described as the One who determines the time of judgement, and for verses 3-5, He speaks of His work of stabilizing a tottering creation. We do well to remember this creation is on a collision course with ultimate death, that the curse is a very real truth none can escape from. Yet as all of creation is careening towards the end, tottering and crumbling, the Lord is the One who steadies it’s pillars. He steadies the pillars!
Not only is He extending the existence of creation for His peoples sake, He is also extending the time for those who are wicked and boastful. He provides wise counsel, counsel that will be of benefit to them. He is not bringing any to judgement too early, but pleading with those headed to judgement to “not boast” and “not to lift up their horn”, or “speak with a haughty neck.”
Consider – He extends the time for repentance by supporting a dying world, ravaged by sin, pleading for those in rebellion to turn from their wicked ways.
When I first read this passage, I was somewhat reluctant to jump in, but as I read, I was enlightened by the mercy of God towards those He will ultimately judge.
I came away from this short passage, seeing our God as the One who seeks our best, as the God who set’s aside immediate judgement in order to provide opportunity for His creation.
A little later in the Psalm, the author speaks of a cup of foaming wine, with the wicked draining it to the dregs! What a horrible, terrifying picture of judgement.
John 18:11 But Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword back into its sheath. Shall I not drink from the cup of suffering the Father has given me?”
The wicked will drink the foaming wine, drinking it down to the dregs, drinking down the foulest portion of an already bitter wine. The wicked will drink it and what a horrible day that will be. But One Righteous Servant also drank the bitter wine, the cup of suffering, interrupting the wicked’s march to destruction.
The wicked will drink it. Don’t be fooled. But for now, there is time – Don’t be of the wicked. Turn to the One who drank the cup of suffering for you. Follow after Jesus, for He is the only hope we have in this toppling, crumbling world. He has set up a kingdom with foundations, setting the pillars right!
Hebrews 11:10 For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.
God is the Judge and we, as the Psalmist spoke in the first verses, should be thankful for such a merciful and kind God!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Considering the Bible 