“God is Bigger” Psalm 18

This Psalm is so RICH in precious, convicting, and comforting truths about God.  I’m tempted to write a blog entry a mile long.  But I won’t.  Instead, I would like to ask you to share what line in this psalm was particularly meaningful to you. 

The line that made me stop and think was this:  “…you stoop down to make me great ” (35).  What a great picture to give us perspective!  First of all, anything truly good that we might accomplish is completely dependent on God.  It is a gift from Him.  David knows that it is God who has chosen to take him from nothing and give him the throne of Israel.  Secondly, God’s greatness so far exceeds ours that He has to stoop and reach down in order to deal in our human domain of greatness.  The greatest human beings who ever lived were only playing around God’s ankles.  This picture should keep us humble and also infuse us with courage.  Whatever challenges we face, God towers far above them, not in indifference but in greatness.  God is bigger, yet he cares about what is happening down here with us.  Hallelujah! 

What’s your line?

Kip

“Those who live by the sword…” 2 Samuel 2

We’ve all heard the saying, “Those who live by the sword die by the sword.”  This saying comes from the Bible, from Jesus’ own mouth.  In the garden of Gethsemane when Peter pulls a sword to defend Jesus, Jesus tells him to put it away and that “all who draw the sword will die by the sword” (Matthew 26:52).  Of course, this proverb has its roots deep in history. 

David is taking a diplomatic tact as he returns from exile to public life in Israel.  However, David’s hot-blooded kin, namely Abishai, Joab, and Asahel, would rather use the sword to get things accomplished.  There is a good bit of blood spilled in this chapter.  Abner is able to put it to a stop by saying “Must the sword devour forever? Don’t you realize that this will end in bitterness? How long before you order your men to stop pursuing their brothers?” (One wishes Abner had thought like this before he had suggested mortal combat in verse 14). 

Sadly, by the time Abner says this, it is already too late.  The day has already ended in the bitter death of Asahel as well as several hundred Benjamites (the tribe Saul belonged to).  The battle ended that day, but bitterness had already set in.  The main characters walked away, but they didn’t forget.  David had demonstrated how to leave vengeance to the Lord, but this is a lesson most don’t want to learn.   Even today. 

Jesus said that if you hate your brother, it is just as bad as murdering him.  Jesus then went on to emphasize reconciliation.  God is a God who takes the initiative in reconciliation.  As his children, so should we. 

Kip

“How the Mighty Fall” 2 Samuel 1

Everything seems a little upside down at the beginning of 2 Samuel.

You would have thought that the news of Saul’s demise would have elicited shouts of joy and relief from David and his men, whose lives had been made miserable by Saul.  Just the opposite happened:  “David and his men tore their clothes in sorrow when they heard the news.  They mourned and wept and fasted all day for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the Lord’s army and the nation of Israel, because they had died by the sword that day.”

Certainly the Amalekite mercenary expected a different reception.  He expected David to repay him handsomely for “killing” Saul.  However, that was an ill-chosen lie to tell David, who had, on at least two occasions, foregone the opportunity to slay Saul himself.  Evidently, the Amalekite didn’t know that David had a strong conviction about harming the Lord’s anointed.  The only thing the Amalekite got from David was a public execution.

David’s mournful words for Saul demonstrate a generosity of heart that  defies explanation:  “How beloved and gracious were Saul and Jonathan!  They were together in life and in death.  They were swifter than eagles, stronger than lions.” One wonders if David is talking about the same Saul we know, but there’s no hint of sarcasm.

Everything seems topsy-turvy, and yet there is something very right about David’s responses.  It’s not what we expect, but it is good.

Israel is a mess, but order is about to be restored.

Kip

“Saul’s End” 1 Samuel 31

David understood that vengeance is the Lord’s.  When given the opportunity to kill Saul, David said, “As surely as the LORD lives, the LORD himself will strike Saul…he will go into battle and perish” (1 Sam. 26:10-11). 

Not too long afterwards, David’s prediction came true: “So Saul and his three sons and his armor-bearer and all his men died together that same day” (1 Sam. 31:6).  Those who had pursued David injustly met the justice of God.  The Philistines gave their gods credit for the victory, but it was really the Lord God of Israel who struck Saul down.  God was carrying out his plan, dealing with sin, and paving the way for his chosen man to be king. 

As odious as Saul had made himself, it is still hard to be happy about his tragic end.  One can’t help but feel some pity for Saul, whose jealousy, fear, self-centeredness, and lack of self control destroyed him from the inside out.  His life was so transparent; it was obvious how his sinful attitudes led to self-destructive behavior.  Maybe we see some of ourselves in Saul.  We try to be more subtle and sophisticated with our sin, but our lives are probably more transparent than we’d like to think.  Saul’s life and death remind us that there are temporal and final consequences for nourishing sin in our lives. 

Of course, we are deeply saddened by Jonathan’s death.  His humility, loyalty, and faith were of rare quality.  His life ended too soon.  He turns out to be the biggest victim of his father’s sinful choices.  It is sadly ironic that Saul’s attempts to preserve the dynasty for Jonathan only ended in Jonathan’s untimely death.  One of the hardest things in life to swallow is that sin doesn’t just affect the sinner.  Good people die because others sin.  It doesn’t seem right that Jonathan goes down with Saul.  We don’t know how God sorts that all out, but we must trust that He does.  

The path to the throne is now clear for David, but getting there won’t be as easy as it looks .  Life never is.  That is why David put his hope in God, not circumstances.  

And so should we.

Kip

“What’s Right over What Works” 1 Samuel 26

To kill or not to kill?  That was the question David and Abishai feverishly debated as they stood over the sleeping Saul. 

Abishai said, “I’ll kill him!  It won’t take but one thrust of my spear!”  Abishai had a lot of good reasons for killing Saul:

• Saul was trying to kill them
• Saul was guilty of an atrocious massacre
• God had already said that David was going to be king.  Killing Saul would expedite God’s will.
• Eliminating Saul might end their days in the desert on the run.

All those good reasons didn’t add up to what was right though.  Later, when he is talking to Saul, David says, “The Lord rewards every man for his righteousness” (verse 23).  David trusted God to work out His plan for David in His time and in His way.  David’s priority was to do what was right.  ”You can’t kill the king and be guiltless,” David told Abishai, “So I’m not going to do it.” 

David chose what was right over what worked.  Sometimes it can be really difficult to know when to act for God or wait on God.  We get tempted to do what works, what is convenient, what is expedient, what gets us to our goal faster.  Maybe we need to be a bit more like David and ask: Is it right?  As we choose to do what is right, we can be confident that God is working out his good purpose for us in His time and in His way.

Kip

“Worship in the Wilderness” Psalm 57

“Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.”  You will find this line from Psalm 57 in praise songs today.  We sing the choruses in well lit, air conditioned auditoriums complete with padded pews.  David sang it in a dark, damp cave with a rock for a chair (while being chased by a formidable psychopath).  Sometimes we sing these lines in a rather perfunctory manner.  David sang them from his heart, because he was living it. 

So, what’s my point?

David turned to God in worship in the middle of life as it came at him.  That is one of the reasons why his psalms are so vibrant.  He didn’t wait for the comfortable pew.  He sang from the rock. 

Worship that has a genuine ring to it comes from the heart in the middle of the ups and downs of life.  It involves going to God (and also reflecting God) in the challenges and joys, heartaches and triumphs, pains and pleasures of life.  It is just as much a part of our wilderness moments as it is a part of our celebrations.  

In other words, worship is a way of life.  Is it a part of your life today, no matter what you are facing?

Kip

“Of Ends and Means” 1 Samuel 24

David knows that he is the Lord’s anointed as the next king.

David’s men know that David is the Lord’s anointed as the next king.

Even King Saul knows that David is the Lord’s anointed as the next king.  He publicly says, “I know that you will surely be king and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hands.”

In other words, everyone knows the last chapter of this story–the “end.”  The only mystery is how we get there–the “means.”  This is where life can get dicey, as in the cave.

Saul is delivered into David’s hand.  David’s men unanimously see this as God’s “means” for giving David the kingdom.  It’s so obvious!  One sword thrust, and, voila, we’re there!  End accomplished!  What could be easier?

The question is: “Why doesn’t David think it is obvious?”

First, although David knows he will be king, he never sees himself as an adversary of Saul’s.  David will receive what God has given him, but he isn’t going to take it by force.  David has no intention of subverting Saul’s reign.  He isn’t living in competition with Saul.  He is waiting on God.

Secondly, David thinks that the means are important.  When offered the opportunity to kill Saul, he says,  “The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the LORD’s anointed, or lift my hand against him; for he is the anointed of the LORD.” God’s will included the means.  David was not going to sacrifice righteousness to expediency.  He wasn’t going to sacrifice what was right for what works.  Morality was more important to him than pragmatism.  He was going to do what was right and let God work out the results.

This is the godly wisdom and grace that made David such a popular king with the people.

We American Christians must confess that we all too often capitulate to the call of pragmatism.  Success is alluring, and we want it right now.  May we learn from David to do what is right and entrust the results to God.  In other words, we must think hard about the means and entrust the end to God.

Kip

“David inquired of the Lord” 1 Samuel 23

“Surely God is my help,” wrote David in Psalm 54.  These weren’t just words on vellum.  David lived this. Four times in 1 Samuel 23, David seeks God’s face, looking to Him for help.  And God answers, delivering Him from the murderous clutches of Saul.  In a classic instance of God’s providence, the Philistines attack and distract Saul just as he’s about to nab David.  David’s response is to sing, “I will praise your name, O Lord, for it is good.  For he has delivered me from all my troubles.” 

Notice that Abiathar, the son of Ahimelech the murdered priest, has now become a loyal follower of David and an instrumental person in David’s interactions with God.  Ironically, Saul’s jealousy is accomplishing exactly what it feared.  In trying to hold on to everything for himself, Saul drives everyone away.

Again, Jonathan serves as a foil to Saul.  Jonathan is as selfless as Saul is selfish.  Jonathan’s words of encouragement to David have to be some of the most selfless, generous, humble, gracious words in the Bible:  “You will be king over Israel, and I will be second to you.”  Jonathan joins a handful of men and women in the Bible whose humble and generous souls come close to reflecting Christ’s attitude (see Philippians 2:5-8).   

By this point in the story one is ready for Saul to meet his demise.  Conversely, one feels more than a little ambivalent about Jonathan’s impending end.  We’d prefer to see what Jonathan could become.  A jealous spirit and a generous soul certainly draw out substantially different responses, don’t they?  Something to ponder: which response do my choices prompt?

Kip

“A Disgrace in the eyes of God” Psalm 52

At moments Psalm 52 sounds like one of the ”imprecatory psalms.”  To “imprecate” is to  to call down curses upon a person.  The presence of imprecatory psalms in the Scriptures can be a bit disconcerting.  However, in this instance, it is easy to jump on board with David’s imprecation. 

David writes this psalm in response to Doeg the Edomite’s heinous slaying of the priests of Nob.  This atrocious massacre is recounted in 1 Samuel 22.  

Saul’s jealousy has turned him into a paranoid psychopath.  He thinks everyone is out to get him.  After Doeg accuses him of aiding David, Ahimelech explains that he helped David because he still considered David a loyal follower of Saul.  David had never done anything to cause Ahimelech to think he wasn’t loyal to Saul.  Only in Saul’s crazed mind had David done anything to raise suspicion.  Truth and reality were not on Saul’s side. 

Sadly, Saul’s paranoia won out.  Power trumped truth, and Saul demands the death of the priest and his family.  Wisely, none of Saul’s officials were willing to carry out those insane orders.  Who was going to raise his hand against the priests of Yahweh?

Doeg. 

Doeg the Edomite seemed all too eager to shed some Israelite blood.  He proceeded to go overboard, cutting down a whole town of innocents.  Doeg was the bloodthirsty hand that obeyed the orders of Saul’s dark, disturbed, demon-controlled mind.  

Righteous indignation and a call for justice seem like the only appropriate responses to this atrocity.  David calls God to “bring down to everlasting ruin” and to “uproot from the land of the living” this “mighty man” who loved to boast about his evil.  It’s hard not to agree wholeheartedly with David.  Death seems almost too good for Doeg.  

David ends his psalm by saying that, rather than boast in evil, he will instead put his hope in God who is good.  “I will trust in God’s unfailing love for ever and ever.” 

Let’s side with David.

Kip

“Tears in a Bottle” Psalm 56

I remember listening once to a woman who had experienced more than one tragedy in her life.  I don’t recall the sad circumstances; however, I do rember that this interesting verse in Psalm 56:8 was of great comfort to her.  In the New Living Translation it reads, “You keep track of all my sorrows.  You have collected all my tears in your bottle.  You have recorded each one in your book.” 

Now, I doubt that we need to take this literally, as if there are billions of tear-filled bottles stored somewhere in heaven.  This is poetic language, which means we have to get past the picture to the point.  The point is that God is not unaware, unconcerned, or distanced from our sorrows.  He cares.  Our tears are not wasted on God. 

David goes through some difficult, desert days before he becomes king.  He shed his share of tears.  But he wasn’t one to weep without hope.  His trust was in a God who knew his heart and who would deliver him in His time and way:  “In God I trust; I will not be afraid.” 

Let this be a comfort to us:  Our tears are not ignored by God.  They are not wasted on God.  He cares.  In fact, in Christ, He too has felt the hot sting of broken-hearted tears and filled to overflowing his own bottle of tears–tears that reflect a depth of pain we can’t fathom.  Jesus cried so that one day, with great gladness, He can wipe every tear from our eyes, forever (Rev. 21:4).

Kip