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 70 is essentially a repetition of a portion of Psalm 40. There are some differences that may prove to be instructive, and provide opportunity for comment. The following tables will provide my reader an opportunity to quickly compare each verse between the two psalms and consider the differences for themselves.
Variations between the two Psalms will be noted by italicized font. Earlier comments for this first portion may be found at Psalms for Psome – Ps 40.06.
Prior to getting into the Psalm, it may be good to consider that this Psalm begins with “To the choirmaster. Of David, for the memorial offering.”
This Psalm is stated as related to an offering associated to a past occurrence, a memory, and may refer to Psalm 40, basing this psalms cry to God on the previous Psalm.
This may give the modern believer justification for the repetition of prayers and petitions that are not original from the saint. This thinking is somewhat foreign in my circles, but I have met good and honest believers, those who “merely repeat”, prayers. My judging of this practice is wholly unfair, for what man can judge another man’s motives in his prayers?
Let’s consider the first three verses.
Psalm 70
Psalm 40
1 – Make haste, O God, to deliver me! O LORD, make haste to help me!
13 – Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me! O LORD, make haste to help me!
It seems this prayer is motivated by an immediate need, more so than the original request. Hurry up O God.
Psalm 70
Psalm 40
2 – Let them be put to shame and confusion who seek my life! Let them be turned back and brought to dishonor who delight in my hurt!
14 – Let those be put to shame and disappointed altogether who seek to snatch away my life; let those be turned back and brought to dishonor who delight in my hurt!
The apparent difference between “confusion “and “disappointed” is translational, for the Hebrew word is the same, but the concept of the disappointment not being complete or “altogether” in psalm 70 may imply the Psalmist is looking for an individual, instead of a group of enemies.
Psalm 70
Psalm 40
3 – Let them turn back because of their shame who say, “Aha, Aha!”
15 – Let thosebe appalled because of their shame who say to me, “Aha, Aha!”
The difference in this verse may be seen in Psalm 70, and that the psalmist is praying for them to be “turned back” or to retreat from any advancement on his life. To be appalled is a much more forceful word in that it describes a desolation, or a ravaging.
Psalm 70, for the minor differences, seems to present to God a prayer of an immediate need, or at least a greater concern with a response from God without delay. The psalmist has modified the prayer to God in Psalm 40, presenting his need as more urgent, and somewhat less concerned with the treatment of his enemies. He is more focused on his salvation than the retribution of his enemies.
A question for my readers. How should a believer, one who has trusted in the Messiah and understood His message, consider the retribution of those who seek his harm?
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.
8 So Saul disguised himself and put on other garments and went, he and two men with him. And they came to the woman by night. And he said, “Divine for me by a spirit and bring up for me whomever I shall name to you.” 9 The woman said to him, “Surely you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off the mediums and the necromancers from the land. Why then are you laying a trap for my life to bring about my death?” 10 But Saul swore to her by the LORD, “As the LORD lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this thing.” 11 Then the woman said, “Whom shall I bring up for you?” He said, “Bring up Samuel for me.” 12 When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice. And the woman said to Saul, “Why have you deceived me? You are Saul.” 13 The king said to her, “Do not be afraid. What do you see?” And the woman said to Saul, “I see a god coming up out of the earth.” 14 He said to her, “What is his appearance?” And she said, “An old man is coming up, and he is wrapped in a robe.” And Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground and paid homage.
Let’s remember the situation.
Saul is scared, really frightened by the massive force of Philistines coming to make war with Israel. He has no resources to rely upon beyond his army. Given his reaction to the battlefield, his army must have been significantly less than the army he is facing. He may also have heard rumors of a certain Israelite in the camp of the Philistines by the name of David. That, I imagine, was very troubling.
On top of this, the location had a history. Shunem, where the Philistines had encamped, belonged to the tribe of Issachar and was south of the valley of Jezreel. This indicates that the Philistines had entered Israeli territory and were itching to take more land.
A previous battle with the Philistines in this same locale, under the leadership of Eli the judge, did not go well, with Eli’s sons dying, the Israeli army being defeated and the Ark of the Covenant being taken from the people of God.
Things were not stacking up good for Saul.
As mentioned in the passage, he started looking for a witch, a medium, one who could channel dead spirits. As luck would have it, Sauls servants found a medium at En-dor, a location that was just beyond the Philistine encampment at Shunem. His encampment was south, the witch was north, and the Philistines were just to the west.
So off with the royal garb and crown, and on with other garments, Saul and two of his men headed north, past the Philistines and under cover of darkness, knocked on the mediums door.
After reassuring the medium of the safety of the situation, she brought up Samuel, or at least a spirit that mimicked Samuel. (When you are dealing with a medium, what can you trust?) Also note that she was willing to trust this “stranger” regarding the safety of the action. She just seems real sketchy at this point, but then again, when you deal with the dead, verification of truth claims probably are low on the priority scale. She just trusted this stranger, not knowing this stranger was Saul until after “Samuel” came out of the earth.
The witch spoke of an old man wrapped in a mantle. Saul made the claim it was Samuel.
A question to my reader. Was it Samuel or a deceiving spirit? Let me know your thoughts.
No matter what, this passage literally yells at me that when the Lord is not in the middle of the situation, you just don’t know who you can trust.
Trust is such a fragile commodity for if you provide it to everyone, you will be burned and not able to exercise it due to the disappointments of previous trusting.
A wife that can be trusted is a beautiful thing. I have been blessed with a wonderful lady who I trust wholeheartedly.
My children – I don’t deserve them, for they are trustworthy, loving young men and women who have proven themselves over and over again.
A Christian brother or sister that can be trusted is a precious find, and though believers are a family, conflicts and priorities may produce times when trust is broken. Communication to restore relationship, and then to eventually able to exercise trust is critical.
The passage above brings two people together that have never met, that in the past were on opposite sides of an issue, and due to special circumstance are forced together by a man’s desperate and trembling heart. It is a bad situation ripe for defeat, disappointment and deception.
And they both trusted each other! How desperate of a situation, and how unnecessary for them to be in such a situation. But that is not true! It was necessary for Saul to trust the medium, and for the medium to trust Saul, for they had both rejected the only One who can be trusted fully.
Only due to rejecting the living God is such a situation forced on a person. Trust God, or you will be forced to trust someone or something else at a time that is forced upon you.
May God give us wisdom and strength for a daily decisions.
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, 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 Now Samuel had died, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in Ramah, his own city. And Saul had put the mediums and the necromancers out of the land. 4 The Philistines assembled and came and encamped at Shunem. And Saul gathered all Israel, and they encamped at Gilboa. 5 When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. 6 And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD did not answer him, either by dreams, or by Urim, or by prophets. 7 Then Saul said to his servants, “Seek out for me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her.” And his servants said to him, “Behold, there is a medium at En-dor.”
Did we not witness the death of Samuel three chapters back? His passing was recorded in 1 Samuel 25:1
Now Samuel died. And all Israel assembled and mourned for him, and they buried him in his house at Ramah. Then David rose and went down to the wilderness of Paran.
The repetition of this fact may be reminding us of the loss of spiritual leadership God’s people were suffering under. The nation had a king who was in rebellion against God, a king who had chased off the hope of the nation, a king that would hold on to the throne at all costs! Things were not looking good!
As an aside, and to set up the story of Saul’s final grasp on his kingdom, we are reminded that king Saul had outlawed mediums and necromancers in the land. It is safe to assume that Saul set the lay down in response to the prophet Samuel, who knew the Word in rejected the practice of contacting the dead.
Samuel sure was a pesky influence on king Saul!
As Saul ventured farther and farther away from the God of Israel, he found the distance he suffered was insurmountable, that the God of Israel had become “deaf” to his cries of help. And Saul needed help!
The Philistines were on his doorstep, and they were looking pretty fearful. Saul, the natural leader of the nation, the man who has led the armies of Israel into battle, was not exhibiting bravery once he saw the Philistines
He was afraid
This fear mentioned of Saul spoke of astonishment, awe, even reverence. The Philistines were bringing their best and it was intimidating Saul to his core.
His heart trembled greatly
Our author describes Saul’s heart as trembling greatly, of being struck with terror, shuddering at the sight of this army in front of him. Saul had brought the entire army of Israel to the battlefield and yet the enemy caused him terror. Saul had no reserves in his army, or in his personal life to deal with such a challenge! Saul was in no shape to face this enemy.
And God was nowhere to be found.
It is to Saul’s credit (minimally) that he sought out the Lord in this time of terror, but no matter his many pleas or much begging, through various methods, he was not heard by the God of Israel.
He had been abandoned by God.
1 Samuel 28:6 And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD did not answer him, either by dreams, or by Urim, or by prophets.
At Saul’s greatest time of need, God was gone. Abandoned by the God who chose him as king. No response to his pleas, in the face of his greatest fears, the heavens were still, the Lord quiet and still.
This surely is a black mark on the faithfulness of God, as many may claim. Yet let us consider the past, for Saul surely had fought against the Lord in his seeking to retain the throne.
He disobeyed in the matter of the Amalekites. He sacrificed that which was against the command of Samuel. He had been informed by the prophet that the kingdom would be taken from him. He actively persecuted the anointed son of Jesse, whom he knew was his successor.
Saul knew it was over years back, when Samuel had clearly informed him of the loss of his kingdom after the fiasco with the Amalekites.
1 Samuel 15:28 And Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you.
Now we are witnessing the grasping of a man who knows he has been in rebellion, a man looking for help from the very One who has declared his end.
How desperate! How utterly depressing for the former king of Israel, to face such a challenge and have no resource to lean on. He had no spiritual assistance at all.
Maybe.
Well, if one god doesn’t answer, maybe another god will come to his rescue. After all, he is a desperate man, not a discriminating king at this point. He had made his choice years back, and at this point in his life, the early choices he made are simply being acted out in real time before our eyes.
A witch. Get me a witch he says! I’m desperate, and I am driven by fear. I need help and I don’t care where I get it.
My friends, this is the lesson of Saul.
Isaiah 55:6 Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near
Do not wait. Make your choice today for God and not your self, Do not wait for tomorrow, for the days passed for Saul, and the door was shut. Listen to and obey the One who may be sought, while He is near. Do not reject His leadership today, thinking tomorrow you will still have opportunity.
Now is the day of salvation.
2 Corinthians 6:2 For he says, “In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
My friends, Saul is an example to us all, that early choices for self make later choices for God impossible. The earlier you make good choices for God and His Son, the greater you will know of His peace and presence, and the confidence gained from walking with the Savior will be invaluable.
Choose you this day whom you will serve. If you do not actively and openly choose God, eventually you may be resorting to the door of a witch! As we will see in our next few posts, this goes from bad to worse for the king of Israel.
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 28:1-2 1 In those days the Philistines gathered their forces for war, to fight against Israel. And Achish said to David, “Understand that you and your men are to go out with me in the army.” 2 David said to Achish, “Very well, you shall know what your servant can do.” And Achish said to David, “Very well, I will make you my bodyguard for life.”
Let’s remember what David has just accomplished with Achish. He has used Achish to provide the city of Ziklag as a base for excursions into the south, allowing David to attack and kill every soul in the town attacked, and then, when informing Achish of his whereabouts and accomplishments, speaks of the raids as upon the very people of Israel, Achish’s arch enemies and David national home.
No wonder Achish was convinced that David would be his servant for ever, for he understood (falsely) that David had turned on his own people and that he had committed multiple atrocities against his own nation.
Well, it appears the chickens are coming home to roost. As my wife often states – Be sure your sin will find you out! Achish is finding in David a tremendous resource, a resource that can “obviously” be trusted, for all he knows.
At this time in David’s life, David was a story teller, a salesman, a conman that worked his enemy. And he was now in between a rock and a hard place. And David made the statement, almost the only thing he could say at this time. Somewhat non-committal, somewhat generic!
Very well, you shall know what your servant can do.
What else could he say? He was up to his neck in deception, and was facing the man he deceived, the man who would kill him if he found out the truth. He couldn’t appeal to Saul for “extradition”, trying some diplomacy thing. That is ludicrous. He couldn’t call on his own army, for 600 men were no match against the Philistine army, and he surely felt he couldn’t count on God for assistance in battle. What else could David do at this point but to be non-committal, generic and without any promise of success
Very well, you shall know what your servant can do.
Yes, Achish would know what his servant can do. What ever that means!
Have you met any who might provide a generic promise, some vague statement that sounds good, but when analyzed and considered after the fact, you realize the message was empty.
Kinda like saying “It is what it is”, or “Time, being what it is”, or “Wherever you are, that’s where you’ll be”. Statements like this may sound profound, but when you sit back and think of them, they convey nothing worthwhile.
I think David resorted to this type of message because he realized he was in trouble! He couldn’t commit, and he couldn’t confess! He had to confuse, or at least confound!
It must have seemed like this situation he was in was fast becoming a trap, and he himself was to blame for much of it. He needed time, and he really needed to have some time in front of God.
That is the solution, is it not? Do you find yourself in a sticky wicket? Whether self inflicted or not, we have a God who is approachable in times of difficulty. If we are becoming non-committal, generic or confusing with others in an effort to avoid a problem or situation, rest assured that we will need to face God eventually and be committed, specific and clear as to our situation.
Its just a matter of time! But He is there for us, for He is not a God of confusion, but of peace.
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 69 is a psalm of sorrow, of apparent defeat and deep emotional stress, of a distress in the heart and of being overwhelmed, of a weariness of soul, and of a waiting for an answer from God. It is a psalm that speaks of loneliness, of disappointment and of extended trials.
As we venture through the psalmist’s deep confession, his pain and his sorrow, we will encounter passages that will be referred to in the New Testament, providing a recounting of the sorrow of Jesus.
Let’s read the last three verses of this revealing psalm.
Psalm 69:34 Let heaven and earth praise him, the seas and everything that moves in them. Psalm 69:35 For God will save Zion and build up the cities of Judah, and people shall dwell there and possess it; Psalm 69:36 the offspring of his servants shall inherit it, and those who love his name shall dwell in it.
It’s been over three months since we started this psalm of distress, weariness, fear and anger. It contained some of the harshest judgments wished upon the enemies of David in the Psalms. Not the harshest in my opinion, but we will wait until Psalm 137 to consider that passage.
Throughout the passage the psalmist begged for deliverance, referring to the steadfast love of God, of His faithfulness, and of his enemies pursuing him, poisoning him, and providing him sour wine to drink (vs 21). Does this not hint at not only an exterior enemy, but an enemy within the camp?
He had suffered every angle of treachery, was on the edge of destruction, spoke of the flood sweeping over him, of the pit closing up on him. He was a death’s door, and with no one in sight to assist, no one that he could trust.
All alone.
Of course he wasn’t all alone, for he had the God of Israel, and he sought His help.
There was One was was completely, utterly all alone, and whom was saved after death took Him.
For David, he was rescued from death, and due to his rescue, Israel would become a world power. As we think of Jesus, we know that through His death, all heaven and earth shall praise Him, literally all of creation. This praise will be the direct result of the Lord having erupted out of the grave, for all of creation has been groaning in agony.
Romans 8:22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.
He goes on the declare that God will save Zion, and build up the cities of Judah. Of course this has been accomplished in the reign of David, as he took control of Judah, at least the first 7 years of his reign.
For the completion of the saving of Zion, we need to look to the Son of David, as…
He is the One who comes to Zion for salvation
Matthew 21:5 “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’”
He is the One who is salvation.
1 Peter 2:6 For it stands in Scripture: Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
He is the One who builds the True Zion, the church
Heb 12:22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering,
And He is the One who delivers Zion
Romans 11:26 And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”;
Yes Jesus is the complete fulfillment of the salvation of Zion, the building of the cities of Judah (praise), and of the character of those resident in Zion. Note that those that inherit this salvation are the offspring of His servants, those who are of service.
Did not Jesus echo this truth in the beatitudes?
Matthew 5:5 Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Even as He echoed this truth, He expanded it to include the earth, and not just the single hill of Zion near Jerusalem. No – the entire earth will be the inheritance of the meek, lowly Man named Jesus, and with Him His servants.
His salvation was hinted at in the Old Testament, but the realization of what is now, and what is about to be, is far more than we can think or imagine!
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 69 is a psalm of sorrow, of apparent defeat and deep emotional stress, of a distress in the heart and of being overwhelmed, of a weariness of soul, and of a waiting for an answer from God. It is a psalm that speaks of loneliness, of disappointment and of extended trials.
As we venture through the psalmist’s deep confession, his pain and his sorrow, we will encounter passages that will be referred to in the New Testament, providing a recounting of the sorrow of Jesus.
Psalm 69:30 I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving. Psalm 69:31 This will please the LORD more than an ox or a bull with horns and hoofs. Psalm 69:32 When the humble see it they will be glad; you who seek God, let your hearts revive. Psalm 69:33 For the LORD hears the needy and does not despise his own people who are prisoners.
Let’s return to the passage I started to discuss last week, but as you may remember, got a bit distracted from the text by realizing I am more like Michal than David. To say the least, my discovery of a certain aspect of praise certainly took me aside last week, but for this time together, let’s consider more than just one of the words David used for this portion of Psalm 69.
As I read this four verse portion of Psalm 69, I am struck with how New Testamental David sounds in expressing his faith. He speaks of how praise and thanksgiving is greater than the prescribed sacrifices of bulls and oxes. This attitude, in an age dominated and ordained with a sacrificial system that was required by the faithful in order to approach God formally – this is a massive spiritual understanding of the priority of God’s desires.
Note that David refers to the humble seeing “it”. What is it that the humble see?
Is he reaching back to verse 29, speaking of God’s salvation in setting the distraught saint on high? Or might he be thinking of the universal opportunity to approach God based on humility, brokenness, poverty and desire?
Of course, the end result is that the salvation of God set’s the undeserved on high, but I think the humble rejoice in “how” this occurs, from the standpoint of the saint.
First, note that verse 30 speaks of praise, songs, magnification and thanksgiving. These attitudes or characteristics are not restricted from the believer due to their financial class, at least no due to their lack of finances. There is something to be said about how abundance can dull the saints proper stance before God, but we speak of the humble here.
Vere 33 gives more justification to think the humble rejoice in the “how” of approaching God and not specifically the end result of being lifted up. The verse speaks of the needy, and of prisoners, those who have no resources other than their hearts and souls before God.
Yes, the humble rejoice in that they are provided no restrictions in approaching God, that they are not “buying” time with God, but simply expressing a deep need for the Lord, and this is what pleases God, even more than sacrifice!
This is such a freeing concept, a freeing understanding of the type of God we have, that he sets no restrictions to our approaching him in humility and brokenness, and yet I fear we sometimes approach Him in our pride and a wholeness that must nauseate the Master.
As you may know, I got me some grandkids and I love those little rugrats, but when they come to me thinking they are equal, or that they want to manipulate me, or that they can boss ol’ gramps around, that turns my nose up. Don’t get me wrong, I still love them, and I wanna hug em all the time, but a period of repositioning the child in the family has to occur for rightness to occur in the relationship.
But I do have a short story if you don’t mind me sharing, for we had a bunch of my favorite people together for a long weekend. My youngin’s and I were a drivin and singing together, playing old Macdonald, going 75 mph on the highway, when all of a sudden, the group got real quiet. That is a rare situation with four grandkids and grampa, but it happened – no joke! During that interlude, I looked back at one of those youngins, and he simply looked me in the eye, and completely out of the blue, said clear as a bell…
“I love you grandpa”
I can’t communicate the inflection in his voice or the softness of his eyes, the gentle smile on his face or the innocence of the moment, but trust me – at that moment in my life, all was well in my world!
Now, imagine God in a similar circumstance. Since He created us in His image, and though we be a broken and weak reflection of Him, if a simple expression like that melts an ol fella like me, might our simple, humble confession, especially out of the blue, capture God’s attention?
That is the type of God we serve. An active God that is alive and relatable. He is a loving God.
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 69 is a psalm of sorrow, of apparent defeat and deep emotional stress, of a distress in the heart and of being overwhelmed, of a weariness of soul, and of a waiting for an answer from God. It is a psalm that speaks of loneliness, of disappointment and of extended trials.
As we venture through the psalmist’s deep confession, his pain and his sorrow, we will encounter passages that will be referred to in the New Testament, providing a recounting of the sorrow of Jesus.
Psalm 69:30 I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving. Psalm 69:31 This will please the LORD more than an ox or a bull with horns and hoofs. Psalm 69:32 When the humble see it they will be glad; you who seek God, let your hearts revive. Psalm 69:33 For the LORD hears the needy and does not despise his own people who are prisoners.
As you know, I love to try to understand the words we read in our English Bible with the original meanings that men and women have researched. They have provided for us a treasure of knowledge in the work of lexicons and dictionaries of the New and Old Testament.
This morning, as I was just beginning to dig into this passage, I reviewed the word “praise” in the first verse, reading through the Strong’s definition.
Let me share with you what I found.
Did you notice what I noticed? See the reference to “foolish”? Strong’s dictionary defines this word to include the meaning of to be clamorously foolish, even to rave! “Clamorously” refers to that which attracts attention. Something is wrong here. To praise is not to make a fool of myself, is it?
I had to check another source. Let’s consider Gesenius Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon. The fourth paragraph speaks the same.
The idea of praise in the Old Testament has an element of boasting (which I get) but, which surprised me, a boasting to the extent of appearing foolish.
Why is this such a concern Carl?
A short confession may help my reader understand.
I am an introvert. Give me 8 – 12 hours of study, and I will walk away content and happy. Occasional bursts of emotion, though they may erupt in my heart and soul are “handled” until I can explain myself logically, or at least methodically. Does not the Scripture teach me that the Spirit Himself guides us into a life of self control? Am I not justified in “controlling” my praise to God, in bringing honor to Him while retaining my own?
How is a believer to reconcile this apparent tension. A self controlled believer or a boasting, clamorous fool. Is this a necessary conflict in my thinking? Am I making a mountain out of a molehill?
My friends – I think I have described a man above who seeks to protect his reputation to the detriment of the glory of God. I am the embodiment of a crusty old believer (I think of it as “mature”) that appears to have little or no joy. If God shows forth His greatness to a ol’ fool such as I, should I control that? Should I damp down that joy?
I can’t help thinking of a passage that has always somewhat bothered me.
2 Samuel 6:16 ESV – As the ark of the LORD came into the city of David, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, and she despised him in her heart. 2 Samuel 6:20 …Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said, “How the king of Israel honored himself today, uncovering himself today before the eyes of his servants’ female servants, as one of the vulgar fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!” 2 Samuel 6:21 …David said to Michal, “It was before the LORD, who chose me above your father and above all his house, to appoint me as prince over Israel, the people of the LORD–and I will celebrate before the LORD.
Am I to act as Michal, or as David? Now that is disheartening! I know which of these characters I reflect. I am the controlled, contained, concerned Michal.
2 Samuel 6:22 will make myself yet more contemptible than this, and I will be abased in your eyes. But by the female servants of whom you have spoken, by them I shall be held in honor.”
David expressed his concern over Michal’s complaint by throwing his own honor (in her sight) under the bus for the sake of the Lord’s honor. Remember David was King of Israel, and he had risked it all for this position. Yet his concern over any honor he may loose was nonexistent.
David was led of the Spirit to worship God and openly show his love for God.
Regarding the self control I resort to when this topic of praise comes up, I am seeing that I have controlled the One who is to control me. Yes, He will, as I depend on Him, provide the strength to resist sinful behavior, providing a self control that honors Him. But any of this self control I exercise, that is any controlling of my heart expression when it comes to God’s glory and His goodness is simply a dampening, an extinguishing of Spirit led praise to God.
Paul saw me coming when he repeatedly wrote of this possibility in the believer
Ephesians 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
1 Thessalonians 5:19 Do not quench the Spirit.
For a brief moment this morning, join me is a prayer that as believers, we (I) would allow the goodness, the greatness, and the glory of the Lord to be expressed in our lives, even in a foolish way, a clamorous way, but only in a way that honors Him. That we (I) would show our love and amazement of the One on the throne, who hung on a cruel cross for us, clearly boasting as the Spirit leads, of His goodness and love for us, willing to sacrifice our own ego, self esteem, pride and reputation to the gutter for the sake of His honor being seen, even for a moment.
How this works out in our lives is up to the One who is over us. May we trust Him enough to follow even in this!
May His name be honored, and mine forgotten.
I fear I have departed from the text this morning, but this has been an unexpected illumination on my part. I will come back to Psalm 69:30-33 in our next posting.
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 27:
10 When Achish asked, “Where have you made a raid today?” David would say, “Against the Negeb of Judah,” or, “Against the Negeb of the Jerahmeelites,” or, “Against the Negeb of the Kenites.” 11 And David would leave neither man nor woman alive to bring news to Gath, thinking, “lest they should tell about us and say, ‘So David has done.’” Such was his custom all the while he lived in the country of the Philistines. 12 And Achish trusted David, thinking, “He has made himself an utter stench to his people Israel; therefore he shall always be my servant.”
In our last post, we found that David may have slipped into a bit of senseless murdering and thieving, a bit of abuse and treachery on a people to the south of the land of Philistia.
There may have been a justified reason David unleashed such seemingly harsh, murderous treatment on those of the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites. There may have been motivation that could be found in the Word of God. David may have been basing his actions on God’s written commands. (Come on Carl – that is too much!) For those not following this series, consider Life of David – 21.03.
I naturally want to see David as an image of the Christ, a man who did all things right and was never struggling with his fallen nature. The previous passage may be describing such a case, that he was a man struggling, or it may be he was acting according to known revelation of God’s will. That is for the reader to consider.
Our passage this time may not provide us that luxury of affording the future King of Israel, the man after God’s heart, the warrior for Yahweh, a pass in regards to following the will of God.
In this passage, David simply deceives the one who was protecting him. Although he actually went into the regions south of Ziklag, killing all and taking booty, he tells Achish, the king of Gath that he had actually killed those of his own nation.
Note that twice this passage speaks of David killing every man and woman.
1 Samuel 27:9 And David would strike the land and would leave neither man nor woman alive…
1 Samuel 27:11 And David would leave neither man nor woman alive to bring news to Gath….
Now in verse 11, we find that David had an ulterior motive for killing every soul in every encampment, town and village he visited. He was ruthless to save his own skin. He would not allow anyone to possibly speak to Achish about his actions.
1 Samuel 27:11 And David would leave neither man nor woman alive to bring news to Gath, thinking, “lest they should tell about us and say, ‘So David has done.’”
He may have been performing the will of God in annihilating the “inhabitants of the land from of old” (vs 8), but it seems he may have also had alternate motives. Mixed motives that seemed to allow him to openly deceive the king he asked refuge from. Deception of the king who provided him and his army an entire city to settle in.
Somehow, I can’t seem to find a good light for David to stand in with this passage. He is looking bad – really bad in this tale. A murderous warrior, completely decimating towns and villages, deceiving his protector, and waiting for his competition to keel over and die.
Some say that the believers life is to be stellar, without blame, and without fault. Surely this is the call of God for each believer, the goal of each believer’s life without exception. Yet we see in David a life that has some very dark spots. At times like this, we see failure, shame and sin in a hero of the Old Testament.
We must remember that David was a sinner, and in this passage he gives ample proof of that state of being. But we also must remember that David was a saint, for he eventually got right, lived properly before God under the known will of God, and died a man who sought the Lord.
For us today we must not let a life of sin keep us from the Father of Jesus. We all need to face our sinful heart we live with, confess this before the Lord, and ask for strength to resist our evil desires.
But before I close, I would like to stress that our motivation is critical though. We can not simply resist. We can not resist those evil desires without the Lord’s strength and Word. We are completely without strength in resisting our own dark heart. The emphasis of our lives is that we are to actively seek the Lord, begging for His mercy and strength, wholly relying on His ability to protect us in the midst of our trial.
After all, it is all about Him, and not us.
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 69 is a psalm of sorrow, of apparent defeat and deep emotional stress, of a distress in the heart and of being overwhelmed, of a weariness of soul, and of a waiting for an answer from God. It is a psalm that speaks of loneliness, of disappointment and of extended trials.
As we venture through the psalmist’s deep confession, his pain and his sorrow, we will encounter passages that will be referred to in the New Testament, providing a recounting of the sorrow of Jesus.
Let’s read a single solitary verse of this revealing psalm.
Psalm 69:29 But I am afflicted and in pain; let your salvation, O God, set me on high!
In our previous passage, we attempted to understand some very difficult portions of this psalm. Condemnation of the enemy, blotting out those men from the book of life, adding punishment upon punishment upon his enemies.
Tough stuff to read, and even tougher to understand. In the midst of those prayers, I still am not convinced of the motivation of the saint writing such difficult verses. Was it that the psalmist wished such harsh judgement to fall on the enemy, or that he expected such harsh judgement to fall on the enemy.
There is a difference! But I will leave that to my reader friend.
Let us consider the psalmist as he turns a corner in his mind, as he speaks clearly of his condition, and of his response to God in the midst of his own condition.
Afflicted
For us modern believers, to be afflicted usually has the meaning of a persecution, of a trial to be endured, or of a persistent suffering. For the Hebrew saint, to be afflicted focuses on poverty, a depression of mind or circumstances, humility and weakness. A state of being that exemplified a lowly state, a state of being needy.
David was at his lowest in this psalm, and yet the surrounding of his enemies may not be the reason he is lamenting this affliction he speaks of. At this point in the psalm, he may have caught sight of his own spiritual poverty. More on this in our next definition.
Personally, I will admit that whenever I venture off into judgy-judge land, where my opinion is the law, and I freely condemn anyone who thinks or does otherwise, I eventually wake up from my stupor to realize how impotent and weak I am, how I have only reflected my own weakness onto others and then judged them to feel better about myself.
It was years ago, I was reading a small book on judgement, and a phrase out of that book has worked itself into my mind. The saint can do two things. Judge others (by that I mean condemn others) or Love others. What the Psalmist went through in the previous verses may have exposed his poverty, weakness and need to himself, and because of this, brought about this realization of his own heart.
As I said above, the previous passage is tough, and my understanding of the psalmist surely needs guidance.
In Pain
Previously, I mentioned that after all the judging the psalmist may have entered into – that is, if the Psalm reflects his wishes as opposed to his expectations – he may have “woke up” and realized he is, at his core, one and the same as those he judged. In this very verse, he may be in the middle of catching sight of his own spiritual poverty (affliction) and pain.
For the Hebrew reader, this word “pain” brought to mind physical and/or mental pain, and is associated with sorrow and grieving. Again, this may be a stretch for some, but I think he may be speaking of his own condition before God, a confession of his own heart.
How deep is the darkness, that when we lash out, we find that after, if we are honest, we must recognize that which we condemned, is that which we take part in, that which we might even love. It is these times when the honest saint will break, when tears are welcomed, when the pain is experienced, and we freely admit to a Holy and Righteous God that we are not worthy to be His subjects, nor could be. It is those times when the darkness of our own desires and experience is revealed, it is at those times that the light of the gospel is utterly, painfully blinding!
He is the Lord who provides light in darkness.
2 Corinthians 4:6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
For that, we should be ever so thankful. When light shines out of darkness, it is inevitable that hidden things will be revealed. When hidden things are revealed, this will cause, for the honest saint, a self realization of utter poverty, combined with a deep sorrow towards the Lord.
If you are experiencing some self reflection that is difficult to handle, look to the source of light, not your own heart. He is the light. He is our salvation. He will lift us up, though we are lowly, poor and destitute. And when light shines in darkness, affliction and pain can be experienced. It is this repentance we need to agree to in order to maintain and grow in our life in Christ.
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 27:
8 Now David and his men went up and made raids against the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites, for these were the inhabitants of the land from of old, as far as Shur, to the land of Egypt. 9 And David would strike the land and would leave neither man nor woman alive, but would take away the sheep, the oxen, the donkeys, the camels, and the garments, and come back to Achish.
First thing to consider is who in tarnation are the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites. Let’s consider their regions first.
As you can see, these three areas seem to be easy pickings for David, since he can make a day trip into one of these areas, do some slaughtering, indiscriminate killing of men, women and children, and then head back to the comfort of his home in Ziklag. No that is incorrect. It wasn’t indiscriminate killing. It was the entire population of any town that fell under David’s eye.
Forget about the location – that seems so unimportant when we read of the slaughter David took part in. What is going on with this man after God’s own heart?
Is there something I am missing in this scenario?
As David was being pursued by Saul, he wrote of his thirst for God in Psalm 63.
Psalm 63:1 A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
Next thing we read, he has escaped Saul’s clutches, moves to Philistine, and appears to become a senseless cut throat murderer, thieving things and killing everyone?
As my wife says – Make that make sense!
Could there be some justification in David’s actions? Let’s head back into the Pentateuch, the book of Deuteronomy, and consider the first couple of verses of chapter 7.
Deuteronomy 7:1 “When the LORD your God brings you into the land that you are entering to take possession of it, and clears away many nations before you, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations more numerous and mightier than you, Deuteronomy 7:2 and when the LORD your God gives them over to you, and you defeat them, then you must devote them to complete destruction. You shall make no covenant with them and show no mercy to them.
To “devote them to complete destruction” is synonymous to eradicate, eliminate, devote, destroy utterly, completely destroy, dedicate for destruction, exterminate. There is no easy, or palatable way of saying this. God was telling the Israelites to completely remove from the land those who were living there by death!
The Lord did not shy away from this command, but once more directed the Israelites to a mission of complete annihilation of those in the land.
Deuteronomy 20:16 ESV – But in the cities of these peoples that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance, you shall save alive nothing that breathes, Deuteronomy 20:17 ESV – but you shall devote them to complete destruction, the Hittites and the Amorites, the Canaanites and the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, as the LORD your God has commanded,
The author of 1 Samuel speaks of these people as inhabitants of the land from of old.
8 Now David and his men went up and made raids against the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites, for these were the inhabitants of the land from of old, as far as Shur, to the land of Egypt.
Might this phrase be added by the author as a nod to the old mission, where Israel was to take out these inhabitants?
Now we all know that the mission had not been completed, that though Joshua completed taking all the promised land, (Check out Joshua 11:23), this did not mean that the command of God in Deuteronomy 7 and 20 had been accomplished. Joshua conquered the people of the land. They were not to remain alive. Some survived.
So along comes David, and he is in a hard place. He is a warrior, not a farmer or a business man, and warriors go to war, fight in battles, lead men to victory. Sitting in Ziklag may not have been a favorable situation for David. But what if he though he could work a favorable outcome for his future kingdom right under the nose of his enemy. Was he not destined to take Israel that next step in obedience to God, completing God’s command? Maybe his motivation was zealousness for the Lord, that he sought to honor God by devoting some of the people in the regions south of him. After all, what is a warrior to do?
What thinkest the reader? Is this a potential motivation for David? Could we see this as simply the working out of an opportunity David saw to work out the command of God in Deuternomony?
Or had David simply become a cut throat rebel, killing and stealing to satisfy his need of action? Had he simply turned into a mercenary, a vicious one at that, killing every living soul in whatever town he entered?
What ever my reader may suppose, when we get to our next passage, where King Achish starts asking about the spoils he is bringing back, David slips from being a man of truth to a man who slips into deception. This slipping for David eventually leads to a situation that requires the salvation of the Lord, for no other than God can help this poor man.
I don’t know about you, but this passage is difficult to comprehend, no matter how you look at it.
However we see this portion of the Word, it is best to remember that every saint – even David – has periods where they are placed in hard spots, difficult circumstances that require very difficult decisions to be made. For David, I can not tell in this passage if his motivations were for the glory of God, or for his own self gratification and escape.
I am very glad that we have One Judge, One Master, who knows our weakness, who knows our struggles, who ministers to us in the midst of seeming failure.
He is God, and He takes care of saints, though they may act like a sinner occasionally.
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 69 is a psalm of sorrow, of apparent defeat and deep emotional stress, of a distress in the heart and of being overwhelmed, of a weariness of soul, and of a waiting for an answer from God. It is a psalm that speaks of loneliness, of disappointment and of extended trials.
As we venture through the psalmist’s deep confession, his pain and his sorrow, we will encounter passages that will be referred to in the New Testament, providing a recounting of the sorrow of Jesus.
Psalm 69:22 Let their own table before them become a snare; and when they are at peace, let it become a trap. Psalm 69:23 Let their eyes be darkened, so that they cannot see, and make their loins tremble continually. Psalm 69:24 Pour out your indignation upon them, and let your burning anger overtake them. Psalm 69:25 May their camp be a desolation; let no one dwell in their tents. Psalm 69:26 For they persecute him whom you have struck down, and they recount the pain of those you have wounded. Psalm 69:27 Add to them punishment upon punishment; may they have no acquittal from you. Psalm 69:28 Let them be blotted out of the book of the living; let them not be enrolled among the righteous.
Difficult. This passage is simply very difficult to understand. How can we understand this passage that appears to be praying for vengeance, pain, judgement and suffering on those who are the psalmist’s foes. This passage just seems to be so human, so judgmental, so full of seeking God to punish others.
Let’s consider verse 26 first, try to understand the reason for this prayer, and then return to this general understanding of the passage as a whole
Psalm 69:26 For they persecute him whom you have struck down, and they recount the pain of those you have wounded.
A long time ago, a Bible teacher I listened to would always remind me to ask the question, “What is the “therefore” there for in a passage? A similar question can be applied for verse 26. What is the “for” there for?
When a sentence starts with “for”, it indicates purpose or reason for the statement to follow. We could replace “for” with “because’, or “since” or “seeing”. The psalmist is giving us the reason for his complaint, for the seeming vicious judgement he wishes would pour down on his adversaries.
Ok, grammar lesson over, and let’s consider why the psalmist is praying for judgement to be unleashed on others.
Two reasons
1. They persecute him whom you have struck down
The first reason for this judgement to be sought after was that the enemies persecuted the author who was already at a low point, one who was under difficult times.
Per Strong’s concordance, this term of persecution may principally communicate a chasing after the victim, hunting the victim down, pursuing him and causing him no rest. The enemy is chasing the psalmist, even while he is at his weakest point, with God having struck him down.
Let’s be clear here. Two actions are being described here.
God has “struck” this saint down. The term speaks of being smitten, beaten, scourged, destroyed punished, even killed. This is no slight inconvenience on the psalmist!
On top of this, the enemy, seeing advantage in the psalmist’s weakened condition, continues chasing him, persecuting, harassing him.
No relief! Constant pressure!
2. They recount the pain of those you have wounded
Beyond this physical suffering of the saint, the second reason for our psalmist to seek judgement on his foes is that they speak of his pain, of the action of God on his life, on those who are under the hand of God.
After understanding our first reason, the persecution of man and smiting of God, this recounting of suffering seems to be somewhat insignificant. It is simply the telling of a condition the saint is under.
But consider. Being under the hand of God, and having everyone know about it due to someone speaking of it, only doubles the pain. There have been times where I have been the topic of gossip, the recounting of a “truth” that was not very positive about my life. The sting, the embarrassment, the hanging of my head, only helps me to identify with this reason for vengeance. In my heart and head, I have to admit I sought damage on those spreading “truth” about me, about God’s displeasure of me.
Consider this condition in a shame based culture like the Old Testament saint lived in. Multiply the sense of dread and embarrassment many fold, and then the effect may approach the truth of this saint’s condition.
Ok, so we have considered why the psalmist is praying this prayer regarding his enemies, and throughout this short study, I have implied that the psalmist wishes (or prays for) judgement to fall on those who persecute him and speak of his troubles. This may very well be true.
Yet a possible approach to this difficult portion of Scripture may be that the psalmist is recounting what he expects to happen as the just recompence of the outworking of the law on his enemies.
Let me explain.
Yes it appears the psalmist has evil intent, that his heart is full of hatred on his enemies, and this may be the correct interpretation. There are many times in the Word where we see the sinful side of man being exposed, recorded for our learning (and warning).
But I do pause on this way of approaching this passage, only due to the way the apostles considered verse 25.
Psalm 69:25 May their camp be a desolation; let no one dwell in their tents.
Luke writes of Peter reaching back into this psalm in referring to Judas end condition.
Acts 1:20 “For it is written in the Book of Psalms, “‘May his camp become desolate, and let there be no one to dwell in it’; and “‘Let another take his office.’
Therefore, let’s recount the end of Judas.
Judas, by all accounts, took his own life, shortened his life, and caused his “camp” to be desolate. He left this world with no descendants, and the prayer of the psalmist found fulfillment in a disciple of Jesus.
This action of Judas was self inflicted, for the last thing Jesus did towards Judas was call him “friend”.
Matthew 26:50 Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you came to do.” Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him.
Might the psalmist be speaking of the decisions and lifestyle of the enemy causing the judgement of God to be passively worked out in their lives?
Maybe. Maybe not. Simply a thought experiment for my reader to consider.
Yet this passage does speak of the judgement rightly deserved on those who persecute the Righteous One, the One who was smitten and struck down, wounded for our sakes. Verse 26 speaks of One who suffered, of One who was weakened and gossiped about, Who was taken advantage of, persecuted, smitten and scourged. He suffered, accepting this suffering, taking the pain, the shame and the judgement. He was placed in a tomb, by Himself, under the social stain of the “truth” of his legal conviction by the state.
Judgement should rightly fall on those whose heart and mind would have joined those who condemned Him. Judgement should rightly fall on me.
But He is a Savior like no other, and His substitution on my behalf is a fact I cannot get over, nor wish to. May His name and not mine, be honored today.
His name is Jesus, and He is beyond all explanation and understanding.
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.
5 Then David said to Achish, “If I have found favor in your eyes, let a place be given me in one of the country towns, that I may dwell there. For why should your servant dwell in the royal city with you?” 6 So that day Achish gave him Ziklag. Therefore Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah to this day. 7 And the number of the days that David lived in the country of the Philistines was a year and four months.
Although Ziklag is mentioned earlier in the Word, it is first mentioned here in relation to David’s life. The city was first granted to the tribe of Judah in the days of Joshua, but then assigned to the tribe of Simeon at a later date.
Archeologists and historians have not identified the location of Ziklag specifically, with two or three places being discussed amongst those looking. Generally, the city is thought to be in the south of the land granted to Israel, but at the time of our passage, was under the authority of a Philistine king.
In our last post, David and his mighty men approached Achish for assistance in avoiding Saul. The time they resided with King Achish in the royal city of Gath is not revealed, but once word got out that Saul had called off the hunt for David, David sought to find an alternate place of operations.
In approaching Achish, David represented himself as a capable military leader, with his men in order and his own reputation spreading amongst the people of the area. No longer is Achish seeing a lone, mad man with spittle running down his beard, but a capable and confident man leading a rebellion against Saul, the king of Israel.
1 Samuel 21:13 So he (David) changed his behavior before them and pretended to be insane in their hands and made marks on the doors of the gate and let his spittle run down his beard.
Word must have spread that David was in line for the throne, and that his past endeavors showed evidence of success after success. Achish may have understood the hand of God on David more so than Saul, and in seeing this favor, found it politically advantageous to house David’s people for a time, eventually providing an entire town for David and his men. Of course Achish probably did not understand that David would eventually become a major player in the geo-political world in a few short years. And that David would actually become a “secret” thorn in Achish’s side during his time in Ziklag.
As for Ziklag, this was a most fortunate decision by Achish, for David became a savior for this town also. Ziklag would enter into the story of David in the future, and become a non disputed part of Israel from this time forward.
During the last period of David’s hiding from Saul, God provided a foreign king to offer to David a city that rightly belonged to the nation of Israel. David would use this city as a base of operations for the next sixteen months, providing him a base for operations in the south of Israel, against his national enemies, while living in the land of an enemy, a Philistine king.
Does that not sound familiar? Are we not residing in a land hostile to the good news, hostile to the King we follow? As we live in the midst of a culture and society that has rejected Jesus, God continues to protect and guide His people. In the midst of our pilgrimage, we have the protection of God, even when the circumstances are unexpected, and our associations surprising.
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 69 is a psalm of sorrow, of apparent defeat and deep emotional stress, of a distress in the heart and of being overwhelmed, of a weariness of soul, and of a waiting for an answer from God. It is a psalm that speaks of loneliness, of disappointment and of extended trials.
As we venture through the psalmist’s deep confession, his pain and his sorrow, we will encounter passages that will be referred to in the New Testament, providing a recounting of the sorrow of Jesus.
Psalm 69:19 You know my reproach, and my shame and my dishonor; my foes are all known to you. Psalm 69:20 Reproaches have broken my heart, so that I am in despair. I looked for pity, but there was none, and for comforters, but I found none. Psalm 69:21 They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink.
It has been said that this passage is amongst the deepest pleas for mercy in the Old Testament. David is hitting rock bottom, and expressing a complete helplessness and hopelessness, a condition that repeats the first few verses but has the sense of a deeper exposing of the grief and despair of the subject.
Reproach
Reproach is a common refrain in this psalm.
Psalm 69:7 For it is for your sake that I have borne reproach, that dishonor has covered my face. Psalm 69:9 For zeal for your house has consumed me, and the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me. Psalm 69:10 When I wept and humbled my soul with fasting, it became my reproach. Psalm 69:19 You know my reproach, and my shame and my dishonor; my foes are all known to you. Psalm 69:20 Reproaches have broken my heart, so that I am in despair. I looked for pity, but there was none, and for comforters, but I found none.
The Hebrew term is חֶרְפָּה cherpâh and includes the concepts of disgrace, rebuke and shame.
Shame
This is the only occurrence of shame in this psalm, and the Hebrew term is בֹּשֶׁת bôsheth. This term includes the concepts of confusion and shame, and is associated sometimes with idols, the object of shame for an Israelite. Shame, for the modern world is such that it is ignored, an emotion that is considered to be rejected as opposed to accepted and trained from. How often has our modern society taken a topic that is shameful, even just decades ago, and turned the topic into a discussion of those brave to enter into a shameful life decision. This rejection of the painful emotion of shame is not to anyone’s benefit. We, as a modern society have lost much honor by rejecting shame in our society.
The Hebrew culture was a shame based culture, and to be inflicted with shame was to enter into a condition that may effectively remove you from the social order, from business associations, from family and loved ones, who sought to uphold the social fabric of their community.
Shame, when accepted due to sinful activities performed by the subject, should produce repentance and possibly allow for reentrance in to the social order. At the very least, right living after repentance would be the fruit of accepting and responding to shame in a godly way.
On the other hand, shame laid on a person due to libel, gossip, slander defamation and lies is not something that can be responded to by the victim. Repentance is not necessary, or even available as a tool to repair the damage. The lies and vilification of the enemy stick to the victims character, and even in the best situations, some of the slander will never be removed from the social conscience.
Dishonor
Our third term is the Hebrew word כְּלִמָּה kᵉlimmâh, and it is mentioned twice within our Psalm.
Psalm 69:7 For it is for your sake that I have borne reproach, that dishonor has covered my face. Psalm 69:19 You know my reproach, and my shame and my dishonor; my foes are all known to you.
This term includes the concepts of insult, reproach, shame, confusion and ignominy.
As you have read through this short study, I am sure you have recognized the three terms we have looked at all describe the basic concept of shame.
David was experiencing a depth of shame in his condition that bared repeating in three different shades of meaning. For a king of Israel, the man after God’s own heart, to experience shame within the culture should speak volumes to the modern believer. It is not always the way of the Christ to walk in apparent honor within the social order, though we are not to bring the shame upon ourselves or family, or the church by willful sin and rebellion. Yet our enemy may fling accusations and slander to create the illusion of dishonor on our lives. Let us remember the counsel of Peter in regards to suffering, even of undeserved shame.
1 Peter 3:14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled,
1 Peter 3:17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.
Of course, we are to look to the Master in all areas of our life, and as David poured out his heart, helpless in his circumstance, we too may also cry out to the One who hears, and can restore in His time. For of all those who have walked this earth, He alone has suffered the greatest undeserved shame.
1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,
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 27:1-12 1 Then David said in his heart, “Now I shall perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will despair of seeking me any longer within the borders of Israel, and I shall escape out of his hand.” 2 So David arose and went over, he and the six hundred men who were with him, to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath. 3 And David lived with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, and David with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel, and Abigail of Carmel, Nabal’s widow. 4 And when it was told Saul that David had fled to Gath, he no longer sought him.
In our last post, we watched as the existing king of Israel and the future king of Israel faced off after some very embarrassing circumstances for Saul and Abner, along with some very good logic provided by David, the future king.
During the discourse, Saul confessed his sin towards David, and invited him home. (How sweet!)
David, on the other hand provided an argument to Saul of the current situation that was unanswerable, much like the Son of David often provided to those who sought His life!
During this speech of David, and in the middle of one of his claims, he mentioned that if men had stirred up Saul to persecute David, the end result, which was horrendous to David, would be that
1 Samuel 26:19 ….they have driven me out this day that I should have no share in the heritage of the LORD, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods.’
The men who had stirred up Saul was intending to drive David from the God he loved, from the temple where he sought the Lord, and into a land that was foreign and without the God of Israel.
In our passage today, we find that David refused the kind offer of Saul to return to Israel, and it’s general populace, (along with being within Saul’s grasp at any moment), but that he left the nation completely, knowing Saul was not to be trusted at all, that his words were to be rejected.
So we find David resorting to Achish, king of Gath, in the land of the Philistines.
Now if you have a good memory, this isn’t the first time David has went to Achish. Early on in David’s fleeing from Saul, David showed up at Achish’s doorstep, seeking some refuge of a type. For a brief reminder consider reading 1 Samuel 21:10-15, or Life of David – 12.01 and 12.02
This time, David flees Israel to enter the land of Dagon, the fish god, bringing his 600 men, with their families into pagan territory.
This strategy of David is not uncommon for those who follow the Lord, disappearing for a time to allow their enemies to be taken care of.
Did not the parents of Jesus go into pagan territory to keep the future King of Israel, and Savior of the world safe from a wicked king in Israel? David removed himself from Saul’s grasp, and in doing so, would never interact with him again.
What turmoil David must have endured, for we know that he literally cut himself off from his family, for he had lost his wife Michal to Saul’s instability, he lost access to his best friend Jonathon, all of the relationships he has forged while fighting for Israel under Saul’s kingship were done, other than those he was now traipsing into foreign land. Certainly a time of David’s life that offered him the temptation to despair.
On top of all his turmoil, he would no longer enter the temple, no longer be where the Lord resided, and to be before Him. He would be amongst weak, foreign, lifeless god’s who mocked the True God and His followers.
David’s strategy worked, for we see in the 4th verse, Saul no longer sought David, since he had fled to Gath.
Could we conclude that when David claimed the men that forced him to the land of other gods, that in reality, those men, or that man was to be cursed for doing so?
Let’s reread 1 Samuel 26:19
1 Samuel 26:19 Now therefore let my lord the king hear the words of his servant…. if it is men, may they be cursed before the LORD, for they have driven me out this day that I should have no share in the heritage of the LORD, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods.’
David was delivering Saul his own curse, in that Saul was the reason David fled his nation, and had entered Philistia, a land that was rife with other gods.
Saul intent may have been to corrupt David, but we know that he came out of Philistia stronger and more passionate for the will of God than when he entered. We shall see David enter struggle after struggle, disappointment topped with despair, but he came out of the land of the Philistines ready to reign and to bring glory days to the nation.
What man planned for evil, God used for good. Does that sound familiar? Very much so, for God orchestrates our lives through the good and the bad, to bring about His will.
The best example of this is of course the Lord Jesus, for He entered the worst possible condition, that is the taking of His life, the violent removal from the land of the living, to only arise to greater glory, greater authority and greater power.
He did not stay in the land of the dead, but arose to provide entrance into the land of the living for all His followers.
May we give thanks to our Son of David, no matter our own situation. If it be difficult, look to Him, for He is orchestrating the good even as we follow 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.
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 69 is a psalm of sorrow, of apparent defeat and deep emotional stress, of a distress in the heart and of being overwhelmed, of a weariness of soul, and of a waiting for an answer from God. It is a psalm that speaks of loneliness, of disappointment and of extended trials.
As we venture through the psalmist’s deep confession, his pain and his sorrow, we will encounter passages that will be referred to in the New Testament, providing a recounting of the sorrow of Jesus.
Psalm 69:16 Answer me, O LORD, for your steadfast love is good; according to your abundant mercy, turn to me. Psalm 69:17 Hide not your face from your servant, for I am in distress; make haste to answer me. Psalm 69:18 Draw near to my soul, redeem me; ransom me because of my enemies!
David has bared his soul, revealed his troubles, the threat on his life and kingdom and admitted to his inability to find strength in himself. He has spoken of his humbling in front of his enemies, and the apparent success they bore over him. How it looked for all watching that he had trusted in error. His faith had been directed towards a God who was not able to answer.
How terrible for a saint to go through the appearance of One you have boasted of, and yet experience the appearance of His failing to save. The sting of disappointment cuts to the core, along with the raising of questions in the mind, the self doubt in the heart and the “lostness” the saint may experience.
David has but one thing to say to His Master.
Answer me. The boldness of this saint to demand an answer is beyond my experience. Yes, I have been through difficult times, but I fall into the “Why”, category of prayers. In reflection, this response to difficulty be asking “Why, why why” is the sign of a self indulgent prayer, concerned with my life as opposed to the honor of God!
David needs answers, and he is speaking to God from the most inner core of his being, demanding a response, knowing even in this apparent failure, that God is steadfast in His love, and that He is good. This is foundational for David, an unshakeable truth that he depends on and reminds God of, as he struggles through this prayer.
He hinted in his appeal to God’s nature in a previous verse.
Psalm 69:13 But as for me, my prayer is to you, O LORD. At an acceptable time, O God, in the abundance of your steadfast love answer me in your saving faithfulness.
By the time we are three verses later, David has dropped the acceptable time option and is simply appealing to the Lord’s steadfast love and mercy.
He repeats similar demands throughout this small portion of the Psalm
Answer me
We have spent a moment on this demand, yet a moment more. To speak “answer me” is to demand an accounting from One of their inactivity, to direct One to pay attention to the state of the situation, and is to imply that the One spoken to has lost focus, is distracted, and possibly has lost interest.
David is so bold before God, yet his appeal is to the Lord of all creation, and not some vengeful, arrogant, sensitive, insecure cultural deity. He knows to whom he is speaking!
Hide not your face
For God to hide His face is a study that needs to be addressed at a later time, in a separate post or series of posts, for my readings have provided amazing implications.
For the purposes of this posting, and as a generality, God would hide His face due to His people forgetting Him. It was a way of expressing the discipline of God on His people, especially in times of prosperity for the people of God.
But let us consider the modern day believer. For the saint in the New Testament, God has provided the promise of never hiding His face.
Ezekiel 39:29 And I will not hide my face anymore from them, when I pour out my Spirit upon the house of Israel, declares the Lord GOD.”
Yet we know that the believer is sometimes disciplined by God.
Hebrews 12:5-6 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”
He has promised to not hide His face, and yet we turn from Him.
We turn from Him. His face is towards us in the Savior Jesus, and yet we turn from Him.
Draw near to my soul (Redeem me)
David, after all his confessions, his admission of weakness, his declaration of the trials he is going through, the injustice that he recognizes, in all of this whirlwind of distractions and tribulations, he calls on God to draw near to him.
What?
Are we not to draw near to God? Are we not the ones who are to initiate the process of closeness to God, of repentance and confession? Yes James makes that abundantly clear.
James 4:8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
David has spent the previous verses drawing near to God through confession of his sin and inability to solve his trials. He has admitted he is not in control, and that he has no other hope than in God.
Now, he is only expecting that which a millennium later James so succinctly put together for us.
But get this – David speaks in the imperative. For those like myself that aren’t grammar nerds, that speaks of a command, even an order. David may be telling God …
I am broken before you. I am helpless. But You are of a constant and steadfast love. It is who You are O Lord! Now your faithful response O God, is to draw near to me, to my very soul.
David knew his Master. He knew his God and His nature in that He is abundant in mercy, steadfast in love, that his God is a saving God, and that His love is good.
Yes – He is good!
May those who know the Lord confess always and only that He is good!
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 26:21-25
21 Then Saul said, “I have sinned. Return, my son David, for I will no more do you harm, because my life was precious in your eyes this day. Behold, I have acted foolishly, and have made a great mistake.” 22 And David answered and said, “Here is the spear, O king! Let one of the young men come over and take it. 23 The LORD rewards every man for his righteousness and his faithfulness, for the LORD gave you into my hand today, and I would not put out my hand against the LORD’s anointed. 24 Behold, as your life was precious this day in my sight, so may my life be precious in the sight of the LORD, and may he deliver me out of all tribulation.” 25 Then Saul said to David, “Blessed be you, my son David! You will do many things and will succeed in them.” So David went his way, and Saul returned to his place.
Here we go again.
Saul confesses his error before David, somewhat in similar fashion as he did in 1 Samuel 24:16-21. There are differences though. Other than an admittance that he had sinned, and the invitation for David, his son to return to the family, Saul only speaks of his living the life of a fool. How utterly sad.
Then Saul tries a different tack. He invites David back into the fold. This is very revealing, for I imagine (and that is all this is – my imagination) that Saul is thinking – if I can’t capture this threat to the throne, maybe I can convince him to come back, that my invitation will be sufficient to entice him into my surroundings.
Saul may be sincere, but I fear not. Is it not true that once a man’s word is broken, which Saul has proven on capable of on numerous occasions, only a foolish man would trust enticing words from him.
Proverbs 25:19 Trusting in a treacherous man in time of trouble is like a bad tooth or a foot that slips.
Yes Saul is untrustworthy, and may be sensing his own failures.
This turns out to be Saul’s last interaction with the future king of Israel. A future king that sought to have his kingdom built on allowing God to place him on the throne, and not through acts of violence or treachery.
David understood the truth of the Lord’s faithfulness, of how the Lord reward’s us out of our decisions in life. Living a life of self centered desire, walking over others to get ahead, and focusing on my own wants will lead to a life God cannot bless. With that said, it must be reiterated that in all things God is abundantly gracious to us in our circumstances, no matter our decisions, yet it is for us to act properly for the blessings to be released in greater ways.
David said he would not put out his hand against Saul, and that Saul’s life was precious in his sight.
Is not David expressing God’s own thoughts towards His enemies, and expressing the very actions of the Son of God as he proved God’s thoughts. He did consider our lives precious, and not only kept death from falling on us, but took the death we deserved. He is of course the Son of David, and in His life, He exhibited decisions David made here with added grace and added mercy, culminating in His own sacrifice.
Consider verse 24 in relation to God honoring David’s life due to David honoring Saul’s life. David looked to God for salvation from tribulation, and protection.
1 Samuel 26:24 Behold, as your life was precious this day in my sight, so may my life be precious in the sight of the LORD, and may he deliver me out of all tribulation.”
Alas, not so with the Son of God, at least in regards to His earthly life. He went through death, even as He saved others, even to save others.
The truth is still the truth, for as we read in verse 23
1 Samuel 26:23 The LORD rewards every man for his righteousness and his faithfulness…
Jesus has been rewarded for a sinless life and a sacrificial death, by way of being raised from the dead, and being lifted to the highest position. He is the King, and as Saul spoke the last words to David, may the same be considered for our Savior.
1 Samuel 26:25 ESV – Then Saul said to David, “Blessed be you, my son David! You will do many things and will succeed in them.”
Jesus succeeded in all His actions, and is the Most Blessed!
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 69 is a psalm of sorrow, of apparent defeat and deep emotional stress, of a distress in the heart and of being overwhelmed, of a weariness of soul, and of a waiting for an answer from God. It is a psalm that speaks of loneliness, of disappointment and of extended trials.
As we venture through the psalmist’s deep confession, his pain and his sorrow, we will encounter passages that will be referred to in the New Testament, providing a recounting of the sorrow of Jesus.
Psalm 69:13 But as for me, my prayer is to you, O LORD. At an acceptable time, O God, in the abundance of your steadfast love answer me in your saving faithfulness. Psalm 69:14 Deliver me from sinking in the mire; let me be delivered from my enemies and from the deep waters. Psalm 69:15 Let not the flood sweep over me, or the deep swallow me up, or the pit close its mouth over me.
The psalmist turns to prayer for deliverance. After describing the pit of trials he is experiencing, he draws his attention to the only One who can provide deliverance.
After describing men in the earlier passage as those who disapprove of him, as those who throw reproach and shame upon him, David now looks to the One who rightly may show disapproval. Yet David knows the God he serves. He emphasizes the impossible when he writes of God and His
..abundance of His steadfast love
Recall that for God to have steadfast love is to describe His faithfulness in the midst of rebellion. Steadfast love was often translated in older versions as mercy or even pity. The term used is חֶסֶד cheçed and is closely equivalent to our term grace in the New Testament. Also embedded in this term is the concept of commitment, of covenant keeping. I am sure when I mention that God is the ultimate keeper of covenant, my reader will heartily agree!
And yet David goes beyond simply speaking of the cheçed of God, but adds the superlative of abundance. He appeals to the abundance of mercy, faithfulness, love and commitment of God in this prayer. He is looking to the One who is NOT like the men he has just described, throwing reproach and shame on his life. No – God is different, and to that difference, David appeals!
David prays for deliverance. He has described those who are against him previously, and now uses pictures of mire, of the deep, of a flood and of the pit (grave) to emphasize his hopelessness.
Each of the pictures he uses are overwhelming situations that provide no hope of self rescue. Only an outsider could provide the deliverance required, and thankfully David knew His God as One who was fully committed to His cause, including his own life and kingdom.
How much more for the greater Son of David, and how this prayer may have contained the same spirit of desperation for Him as He prayed in the garden. God exercised an abundance of steadfast love to the Savior in delivering Him up from the grave, and shedding the salvation to the world.
Are you in a place where there is no self preservation, no way to find strength or rescue within yourself. Be it known that in this condition, you need to reach out to the One who is abundant in steadfast love.
His name is Jesus, and to follow Him is to know the love of 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.
1 Samuel 26:17-20
17 Saul recognized David’s voice and said, “Is this your voice, my son David?” And David said, “It is my voice, my lord, O king.” 18 And he said, “Why does my lord pursue after his servant? For what have I done? What evil is on my hands? 19 Now therefore let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If it is the LORD who has stirred you up against me, may he accept an offering, but if it is men, may they be cursed before the LORD, for they have driven me out this day that I should have no share in the heritage of the LORD, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods.’ 20 Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth away from the presence of the LORD, for the king of Israel has come out to seek a single flea like one who hunts a partridge in the mountains.”
David has demolished Abner with words. He has nothing left at this time, being shamed in front of his men, and in fron t of the king, whom he is directly responsible for. A terrible situation for Abner.
Saul now takes the lead in conversing with David.
David lays the base complaint out. Why are you after me? What have I done to you to make this way? What evil have I performed? Make it make sense King Saul, for I am still unsure what I have done to deserve this.
And without waiting for response from Saul, David continues with an either / or statement that leaves Saul in the dust.
The Lord is stirring you up to chase me.
Men are stirring you up to chase me.
A simple either / or argument. Nothing brought into the discussion that is emotion laced, with feverish arguments, personal attacks, screaming, shouting and cursing, (although being separated by the fields, I am sure the voices were raised to be heard). I get the impression that David is addressing King Saul from a standpoint of logic. Not a discussion based on emotion, as all dependence of David being related to Saul, and of their personal relationship has been clearly jettisoned at this point!
The Lord Stirring Saul
First suggested reason David provided to Saul, as to his reason for hunting him down, is that the Lord is behind this action. Did David seriously consider this to be a possibility, for he had been crowned by God, had been informed of Saul having lost the kingdom, and was being led by God through this persecution.
But consider the wisdom of David in this offering. Saul must come to a point where he is to be shaken from any assumption he is doing the Lord’s work. If David has done anything offensive to God, and Saul is seeking the Lord’s will, a sacrifice may be performed to make things right.
The solution in David’s mind was based on the revealed will of God. For Saul, this option was simply unacceptable to agree to, since a sacrifice would allow David to live, and provide Saul no righteous opportunity to eliminate this young upstart!
Men stirring Saul
Only other option was that men were stirring up Saul to take David out of the picture. When I say men, I am including Saul as a source of the stirring up, and think David is simply offering this argument to honor the king.
If this continual effort to cut David’s life short is “of men”, of which Saul is providing ample evidence of being controlled by, the option is only worse for Saul.
v 19 …may they (whichever man is responsible for this injustice) be cursed before the LORD, for they have driven me out this day that I should have no share in the heritage of the LORD, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods.’
Both David and Saul understand that the war is strictly between two men, two kings, a worldly king and a non-worldly king. Between righteousness and non righteousness.
And David makes it clear.
If this continual persecution is of man, they are to be cursed of the Lord, for this aggression towards David is the commitment of extreme prejudice, jealousy, envy, hatred and self preservation. Nothing righteous or of God can be found in this action, for it drives a man of God away from the very God he is to worship. David is forced to leave the promised land to enter foreign lands, and if he is able to be in Israel, he can not be near the temple.
For David, all things centered around God. His argument before the king of Israel was logical and plain, provide straight forward conclusions to the two options provided, and left Saul without any response.
Consider the strength of David in his communication to the most influential men in Israel, Abner and Saul, and how he stripped them both of any ability to defend themselves in their actions.
The Son of David was only greater in His delivery of questions, of His provision of options within a situation, and of His conclusions to situations faced by those who hunted Him. He strictly and consistently appealed to truth, and left His opponents without response.
All of this is so awesome, for I too love to strip those who may be my enemy of any response to an argument. I often thought of myself as one who brought the gun to a knife fight, metaphorically speaking, when entering a discussion with one I may disagree with.
This is sin. Note that David showed respect to the King, and sought to dull the argument when possible without taking the sting out of the point being made. (I refer to David speaking of “men” goading on Saul when all knew the motivation was sourced from Saul himself!
For the believer, the weapons of our warfare are not characterized by pride, self worship, competitiveness, or the abuse of truth.
We are to speak the truth in love, even when addressing our enemy, realizing we are fighting for the person we are speaking to, and not against him or her.
Remember my friend, we follow the One who is full of GRACE and TRUTH. A massive challenge to present the truth in grace can only be met when we are constantly listening to His guidance and voice.
Are you listening or formulating arguments?
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 69 is a psalm of sorrow, of apparent defeat and deep emotional stress, of a distress in the heart and of being overwhelmed, of a weariness of soul, and of a waiting for an answer from God. It is a psalm that speaks of loneliness, of disappointment and of extended trials.
As we venture through the psalmist’s deep confession, his pain and his sorrow, we will encounter passages that will be referred to in the New Testament, providing a recounting of the sorrow of Jesus.
Psalm 69:9 For zeal for your house has consumed me, and the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me. Psalm 69:10 When I wept and humbled my soul with fasting, it became my reproach. Psalm 69:11 When I made sackcloth my clothing, I became a byword to them. Psalm 69:12 I am the talk of those who sit in the gate, and the drunkards make songs about me.
In the last post, I apologized for getting a bit long winded with my time in verse 9. Dang it, I tripped and fell into verse 10 last post, but I refuse to apologize. I am enjoying this time in Psalm 69 more than expected.
Let’s try to look at verse 11 & 12 in this post.
Psalm 69:11 When I made sackcloth my clothing, I became a byword to them.
To be considered a byword is a strange concept. What is David speaking of? The Hebrew word is מָשָׁל mâshâ, and is typically translated as parable or proverb. A definition byword likens it to be similar to a pithy maxim, an adage, a saying describing some wisdom.
This makes no sense to me. In the midst of this trial, when he was in sackcloth, denoting repentance and sorrow, his enemies considered him to be but a parable or proverb. A byword.
Might this proverb, spoken by the enemy, be describing the failure of the life of faith, the disappointment that seemed so obvious at the time of David’s suffering? His life of faith led to his loss of the kingdom, his own son seeking his head. Surely in the eyes of the enemy, this occurrence in David’s life proved God couldn’t be trusted, or that God didn’t care, or that there was no God. This could be huge news for those who hated God.
Psalm 69:12 I am the talk of those who sit in the gate, and the drunkards make songs about me.
For this period of apparent failure, David’s enemies surely spread the story of his downfall, of how his God had failed him, and of his deep reproach and shame he went through. All from the city leadership, those who sit in the gate, repeat the story, spreading the news.
This byword (or saying) would surely find ample audience to receive it, repeating the mockery of David’s life, the shame he experienced, the failure of his God. The rumor mill was on high alert, gossipers waiting for then next juicy nugget of misinformation, chugging out the news they wanted to hear!
For David, the spreading of this byword of failure surely damaged his reputation.
Mark 15:31 So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself.
Jesus also experienced the appetite of the gossip monger, the rumor mill, even at His lowest time, hanging on the instrument of death, with the killers at his feet, spreading the slur that He could not save Himself. You do understand why that is a slur, that what the priest’s said for the rumor mill was incorrect? It is not that he could not save Himself but that He would not save Himself.
And the rumor continues throughout the ages, that Jesus is not powerful enough to save.
Both David and Jesus were the subject of a rumor mill, both men claiming to experience the failure of their faith, of their God, of their lives. At each of those times in these men’s lives, all appearance supported the rumor. Men could surmise their understanding of the situation and make statements that would seem to be true.
But we know better don’t we? Trust in God when all the world is spreading untrue rumors about you. God is the God who saves us, even from rumor mills!
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 26:13-16
13 Then David went over to the other side and stood far off on the top of the hill, with a great space between them. 14 And David called to the army, and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, “Will you not answer, Abner?” Then Abner answered, “Who are you who calls to the king?” 15 And David said to Abner, “Are you not a man? Who is like you in Israel? Why then have you not kept watch over your lord the king? For one of the people came in to destroy the king your lord. 16 This thing that you have done is not good. As the LORD lives, you deserve to die, because you have not kept watch over your lord, the LORD’s anointed. And now see where the king’s spear is and the jar of water that was at his head.”
David’s beef is with Saul, but in this portion of Scripture, David takes on Abner.
Let’s take a moment to consider who Abner is.
First off, he is the “general”, or commander in chief of Saul’s troops. He is first cousin to the king, and he it is who brought David to Saul after his giant killing! He eventually became a king maker when Saul’s army was defeated at Gilboa, and setting up Saul’s (weak) son Ish-bosheth, he essentially became a power broker in the Northern Kingdom.
It is assumed he was at the battle of Gilboa, in which his king died, and for a period of 7 years, was the military leader David would have to face when war broke out between Israel (Ish-bosheth) and Judah (David).
One other item that seems pertinent to this short time considering Abner is the type of culture he existing in. Israel, and the surrounding nations were based on an honor/shame based society. Throughout the Word, shame appears twice as often as guilt. Honor appears over 115 times in the Old Testament. All this to provide a background to David’s message to Abner – not King Saul.
David – “Will you not answer, Abner?”
Although this is the literal translation, and provides us the formal request from David to discuss the previous (unknown) entrance and theft of the Kings spear and water bottle, I really like the NLT, where it catches, what I think was David’s intended message
David – “Wake up, Abner!” (NLT)
Of course Abner responds, hopefully understanding that the camp had been infiltrated with the spear and jug gone!
Abner – “Who are you who calls to the king?”
Again, the NLT brings out a possible intent of the response from Abner.
Abner – “Who is it?”
Having opened up a line of communication, David brings his volleys of questions, all based on the shame associated with failing to guard the king.
David – “Are you not a man? Who is like you in Israel? Why then have you not kept watch over your lord the king? For one of the people came in to destroy the king your lord.
Abner, David implies, you have a reputation of being a man’s man, a fighter, a general, a leader. Is this true? You have a reputation that is unlike any other in Israel. You are the top of the pile, the confidant of the king, the protector of the throne! No one in Israel is like you.
If that is true, why did you let down the guard, ignore the safety of the King. As a matter of fact Abner, by allowing the enemy in the camp, it appears the enemy has more respect for the king than you. The enemy, (David and his cohort), only took a weapon, which could have easily been used against the king, and a jug of water. They respected the king’s life, even proving their allegiance to the king over your own.
What shame! What an utterly devastating attack on Abner!
David continues with Abner, pronouncing a death sentence on him, depending on the Lord for the timing and occurrence. Death was deserved.
David was kicking sand in Abner’s eyes and he did it very effectively. All the camp of Israel, all 3,000 soldiers of Ahab, may have heard this message. If not, the rumor mill would provide the details for all to know.
Abner received a gut punch to his life at this time is his military career. I wonder how it all washed out in the end, as Abner and David face off in future conflicts.
Let me ask my reader. Golly – let me as my reader a bunch of questions!)
Do you think we as a society have walked away from a honor/shame based society?
How about as God’s people?
Do you personally relate to the social valuation of honor and shame for your life?
Might the assigning of shame perform any benefit to the bearer of it?
Could this shift be related to the hardening of our conscience as our society slips further and further from the Word of God?
Thoughts that keep me up at night. Have a good day, and be thankful for a God who is honorable, and seeks to keep us from shame! May His name be praised!
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 69 is a psalm of sorrow, of apparent defeat and deep emotional stress, of a distress in the heart and of being overwhelmed, of a weariness of soul, and of a waiting for an answer from God. It is a psalm that speaks of loneliness, of disappointment and of extended trials.
As we venture through the psalmist’s deep confession, his pain and his sorrow, we will encounter passages that will be referred to in the New Testament, providing a recounting of the sorrow of Jesus.
Psalm 69:9 For zeal for your house has consumed me, and the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me. Psalm 69:10 When I wept and humbled my soul with fasting, it became my reproach. Psalm 69:11 When I made sackcloth my clothing, I became a byword to them. Psalm 69:12 I am the talk of those who sit in the gate, and the drunkards make songs about me.
My apologies – I got carried away with the last post, and will pick up where we left off previously. Verse 9 was just too much for me!
As mentioned in the previous post, it seems every verse in this portion of Psalm 69 speaks of the human experience of Jesus. Verse 9 was directly linked to the Lord’s life by way of the apostles, and we can rest assured their interpretation is worth trusting. For the next three verses, I will provide suggested links, understanding that I offer these thoughts to the reader for their consideration.
Psalm 69:10 When I wept and humbled my soul with fasting, it became my reproach.
David, in the midst of this trial that he is recounting for us, surely wept and fasted, looking for relief from his God. Even in his sorrow and weakness, his enemies attacked him, bringing further shame and disgrace on the king. Might he be recounting the time Shimei cursed him and his men as he was leaving the City of Jerusalem?
2 Samuel 16:5 When King David came to Bahurim, there came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera, and as he came he cursed continually. 2 Samuel 16:6 And he threw stones at David and at all the servants of King David, and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left. 2 Samuel 16:7 And Shimei said as he cursed, “Get out, get out, you man of blood, you worthless man!
Shimei cursed continually, throwing stones at David, along with all his cohorts, cursing the king, calling him a worthless man! David had to take this in front of his men, those whom he had known for decades and that respected him. Men that he led into battle, and that brought victory to the nation for over three decades. In a shame based society like ancient Israel, this was the deepest of cuts!
David is recounting a time when he truly went through a very deep and painful experience. Can you imagine David being called a worthless man, in front of his closest allies and friends, even at his lowest point in life? Yet David accepted the reproach.
2 Samuel 16:10 But the king said, “What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the LORD has said to him, ‘Curse David,’ who then shall say, ‘Why have you done so?’”
Was it an undesired shame he accepted? I think. Yet for Jesus, though a reproach was planned for Him, He considered the reproach to be of greater riches than all the treasures available to Him. David may have accepted it as a disciple of God. Jesus turned to it, He chose the reproach and chased after it, turning to the cross and the shame, knowing of the glory to come.
Hebrews 11:26 He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.
During the ministry of Jesus, He is pictured in the gospels as a friendly, approachable, accepting, challenging and kind man. Though at times he gets perty dang ticked off at religious people, His person seems to be very social, welcoming, willing to interact with people, not out in the middle of the desert avoiding interaction. His time of rubbing shoulders with those he knew did not consist of evident reproaches.
Yet the time would come when it would become obvious that He would willingly accept reproach. Note that David also accepted the reproach of Shimei as he states a few verses after Shimei shows up.
Truly, the picture of the Savior in His accepting the reproach and shame, when compared to David, shines out as Savior that again is beyond any human expectation. He is more than we could imagine, so much more than we deserve, and such a great Savior!
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 26:6-12
6 Then David said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Joab’s brother Abishai the son of Zeruiah, “Who will go down with me into the camp to Saul?” And Abishai said, “I will go down with you.” 7 So David and Abishai went to the army by night. And there lay Saul sleeping within the encampment, with his spear stuck in the ground at his head, and Abner and the army lay around him. 8 Then Abishai said to David, “God has given your enemy into your hand this day. Now please let me pin him to the earth with one stroke of the spear, and I will not strike him twice.” 9 But David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him, for who can put out his hand against the LORD’s anointed and be guiltless?” 10 And David said, “As the LORD lives, the LORD will strike him, or his day will come to die, or he will go down into battle and perish. 11 The LORD forbid that I should put out my hand against the LORD’s anointed. But take now the spear that is at his head and the jar of water, and let us go.” 12 So David took the spear and the jar of water from Saul’s head, and they went away. No man saw it or knew it, nor did any awake, for they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from the LORD had fallen upon them.
A deep sleep. Oh what a wonderful gift from God to have a deep sleep. Especially for Saul, for this provided an opportunity for David’s expression of mercy to be performed.
Imagine David and Abishai sneaking into the camp, and one of Saul’s 3,000 men stirs, wakens and alerts the camp. The entire army is about to wipe David and Abishai off the earth! All of David’s intentions would go up in smoke! But let us start the passage starts. David is looking for a volunteer to enter the camp of the enemy. Abishai, a willing soldier, and David’s nephew jumps on this opportunity.
Now a bit of understanding of who Abishai was. He was a most honored commander of the second rank of David’s officers, a giant killer like his uncle (2 Samuel 21:15-17), the brother of Joab and Asahel, and eventually took part in the killing of Abner, which David condemned, even pronouncing a curse on him. He was a mighty man of valor and was experienced in battle, to the point of wielding his spear to kill 300 men in battle (1 Chronicles 11:20, 2 Samuel 23:18). In one battle, Abishai killed 18,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt (1 Chronicles 18:12). Talk about your killing machine – this guy was an ultimate soldier!
So naturally it is safe to assume that by entering the camp of king Saul, Abishai was intending to spill some blood! As this is the first time Abishai shows up in the narrative, he may not have been in the cave when David showed mercy to the king previously.
I love it where Abishai asks so politely to murder the king. He is so committed to David, that even the actions he wants to do, for the sake of David, is subject to David’s wishes and not his own nature of the “killing machine” we find later in his life!
1 Samuel 26:8 Then Abishai said to David, “God has given your enemy into your hand this day. Now please let me pin him to the earth with one stroke of the spear, and I will not strike him twice.”
David stops Abishai, relating his decision to the anointing on Saul as being a government ruler, a king over Israel. Saul’s life continued on this occasion based on the status, or calling he received from God, and not his personal character or righteous/unrighteous acts.
David saw three viable options of Saul’s death.
The Lord will strike Saul
His day will come to die
He will go down in battle
Remember now, that David has received the anointing to be the next king. Could he not reason that Saul had lost the status of rightful king, no longer being the anointed? That as the called of God, David represented God and may act as the Lord’s representative, striking Saul?
Maybe. I know many may use this reasoning, in order to get an end result they wish for, but David was exercising faith in God in this act of mercy, and establishing the importance of stability within his own kingdom based on God’s will for the nation. God would raise and lower kings on His timetable and manner.
David, in the middle of 3,000 men, and with the king, his greatest enemy at his feet, took the time to explain his faith to his nephew. Again, David establishes his faith in front of his men, a faith that allows for mercy, a faith that is counter cultural, and that seems ridiculous. Why waste this opportunity?
David took the spear and the water jug. The Lord kept the army of Saul asleep. And I can just imagine Abishai scratching his head as he follows his Master through an army intent on killing them.
There will be times in our lives, at least in my life, where I have been completely flummoxed at what God was doing. As I sought to follow Him through an army of enemies (both physical and spiritual), I scratched my head bald for trying to understand.
But He is the Master and though some experiences may be confusing, some experiences may be counter cultural, some experiences against our nature, and some experiences seem to be opportunities lost, there is One whom we need to follow, whether we understand or not.
After all, Jesus is the anointed, ever living King! Let’s trust Him as we are in the midst of multiple enemies, living for 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.
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 69 is a psalm of sorrow, of apparent defeat and deep emotional stress, of a distress in the heart and of being overwhelmed, of a weariness of soul, and of a waiting for an answer from God. It is a psalm that speaks of loneliness, of disappointment and of extended trials.
As we venture through the psalmist’s deep confession, his pain and his sorrow, we will encounter passages that will be referred to in the New Testament, providing a recounting of the sorrow of Jesus.
Psalm 69:9 For zeal for your house has consumed me, and the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me. Psalm 69:10 When I wept and humbled my soul with fasting, it became my reproach. Psalm 69:11 When I made sackcloth my clothing, I became a byword to them. Psalm 69:12 I am the talk of those who sit in the gate, and the drunkards make songs about me.
Ok who wrote this? I say that sarcastically, for I know King David wrote it, but gosh golly, all I can see in this passage is the New Testament witness of Jesus.
Psalm 69:9 For zeal for your house has consumed me
For David, this phrase described his desire to be close to the tabernacle, to be passionate to see God’s tabernacle become the Temple. It was a distraction of the highest magnitude, a desire that left all other goals in life to be secondary.
Remember my friend, this is the king of Israel, a world power at the time, and David was not consumed with status, power, wealth or image. He was focused on the source of all goodness and righteousness.
Mark 11:15 And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. Mark 11:17 And he was teaching them and saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.”
John 2:16 And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.” John 2:17 His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.”
For Jesus, this zeal was intensified in His life, but not for some physical representation of God’s temple. (I mean no disrespect to King David in this instance.) Jesus was looking to the Temple of God being the people of God that God would reside in, for that has been the plan all along. A group of people who seek God, who allow God to reside in them (as a group) and exhibit the nature of God to those outside the group.
Jesus passion led Him to the cross. His zeal was all consuming, and for a time in the temple, Jesus passion exploded on the scene, for those in the temple were users of people, profiting off those who seek God, instead of living a life of self sacrifice for others. The very antipathy of God’s desire was being witnessed by the very Son of Man in the Temple of God. How utterly inviting for passion to erupt!
Psalm 69:9B
Psalm 69:9 …and the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me.
For the king of Israel to suffer personal reproaches strikes me as odd, for many, if not all kings in the ancient days would not suffer insult or shame from any in their kingdom. Those who verbally attacked a kings person were usually punished, jailed, beaten or worse.
Yet for David, as he followed after God, realizing who God is and what God is like, willingly accepted the shame aimed at God as his own.
His passion, they may say, is extreme, just too much, he has his head in the clouds and is of no earthly good. Hatred – undeserved as mentioned in verse 4 – experienced by David from his enemies, provided for David additional instances where he would bear the burden of being a believer in the midst of unbelief.
Romans 15:3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.”
For Jesus, for Paul to say that He did not please Himself may be one of the greatest understatements written. Going without sleep to be alone with the Father, watching his followers disappoint Him and yet continue to invest time and effort into them, healing and preaching to the masses, knowing they will turn on Him, going for weeks without food, not having anyone but Satan know, performing a baptism ritual in identifying with sinful people, reserving judgement in order to save, turning the cheek for the sake of love.
My friend – He took the hatred and shame the world spewed onto a holy God, He took it Himself, and in the midst of all the injustice. the pain, the loneliness and ingratitude, He continued to love God with all His heart mind and soul, and every neighbor who has ever lived.
How can we truly grasp the width, depth and length of His grace and mercy towards us. It is almost as if the expanse of His grace to us is beyond belief, that is simply can’t be true, it is too good to be true.
But He rose from the grave, with hundreds seeing Him, and His church has marched on, grasping ever so slightly (at least for myself) the tremendous grace He has provided us.
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 26:1-5 1 Then the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “Is not David hiding himself on the hill of Hachilah, which is on the east of Jeshimon?” 2 So Saul arose and went down to the wilderness of Ziph with three thousand chosen men of Israel to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph. 3 And Saul encamped on the hill of Hachilah, which is beside the road on the east of Jeshimon. But David remained in the wilderness. When he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness, 4 David sent out spies and learned that Saul had indeed come. 5 Then David rose and came to the place where Saul had encamped. And David saw the place where Saul lay, with Abner the son of Ner, the commander of his army. Saul was lying within the encampment, while the army was encamped around him.
The Ziphites are at it again. They want the kings favor, and have travelled once more to Gibeah to rat out David. See Life of David – 16.02 for the Ziphites earlier effort to provide information to King Saul of David’s whereabouts. As a matter of fact, David and his men are very close to the previous location in 1 Samuel 23:19. were he and his men were hiding amongst the Ziphites in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hachilah, which is south of Jeshimon?
This time, the Ziphites reveal that David is east of Jeshimon. I add a map to let my reader remember that to rat out David required a sizable effort on the part of the Ziphites to travel to Gibeah where the King resided. They had to travel over 26 miles (as the crow flies) to deliver David.
For some reason (desperation, or indifference) Saul did not require verification of the Ziphites information. Last time he sent them home to get more information. This time he simply gathers his 3,000 man army to take on David.
This story is so reminiscent of the earlier effort on David’s life. In that “battle”, David showed mercy to Saul when he had provided an opportunity of vulnerability. Do you remember Saul entering the cave to “concentrate”, in the very cave David and his men were in. Do you remember David stealthily cutting a piece of the kings robe off? Do you remember how Saul reacted to this mercy of David?
Repentance.
Saul repented of his actions based on the mercy of David. So why is he going to do the very same thing he repented of, supposedly repenting in front of his army not long before. As mentioned earlier, Saul was driven by jealousy, and was uncontrolled in his actions. Obviously Saul was not the leader he should be, and this encounter would also provide a chance for Saul to be humbled in the sight of his army.
David had spies actively checking the area for trouble, and sure enough, they found Saul and his army in the general location, providing information to David of the danger. Remember last count, David’s men number 600. Saul has 3,000. Saul has 5 times the men David has. Obviously the wisest action on David’s part is to flee, to find a location other than next to Saul. Saul didn’t stick to his word from the previous encounter. Surely his words were empty, and this constant harassment would never end until one of these men had passed on.
The constant threat of Saul and his army must have been so tiring for David. The temptation to cause pain or suffering to the king surely would be escalating. David had a choice to make.
End it here, take a stand and fight, or run.
But that is a false dichotomy. There is another option for David in this instance. We will get into that option in the next post, but for now, let us remember that when faced with a seeming decision between two choices, it is often true that other options are available. It is not always an “either/or” condition that we are restricted to for decision making. Implied limits on choices actually harm us in our decision making efforts
David was not restricted to two options, but was open to a third, bolder move. Can you guess what it was?
In our daily lives, when we may be presented with an either/or choice, take a moment and consider alternative actions, alternative actions that would honor God, exercise wisdom and reflect a love for your neighbor.
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 