Category: Bible studies

1 Samuel 23 "The Portrait Hall": The Cat and The Mouse

What is real safety? Some people think hiding from trouble is what keeps you safe. Yet, for the believer safety and security are not a matter of what you withdraw from – but Who you withdraw to!

Key Principle: Safety for the Christian is not gained by isolation but by casting ourselves upon God for His guidance and care, as we seek to carry out His work and His will.

In this lesson, David learns he does not have to calculate his safety in terms of distance from danger; He calculates his safety in terms of the nearness to God.

Read 1 Samuel 23: Look at the lessons God taught David concerning SAFETY and TRUST:

  1. David learned to make wise choices: He found it was not safe in Gath with the Philistines. Hiding from one enemy in the clutches of another was a bad plan (21:10-13).
  1. David learned his safety was in God’s hand (22:3). Remember, David was God’s choice for king. Llike all of us, he was indestructible until God’s work for him was done. Though he needed to be wise, but he could not always play it safe – if it hindered carrying out his mission. David knew a believer cannot calculate his safety in terms of distance from danger; but rather in terms of the nearness to God. Remoteness is NOT safety!
  1. David learned not to rely on feelings: where he felt safe was less important than where God told him to be – when the prophet Gad instructed him to return to Judah’s villages (22:5). Note: God directed David to a place where he could be used to hold back the Philistines, and where God could teach David to “king” his future subjects.
  1. David learned he could not presume the outcome! Trusting God and doing right was no guarantee for physical safety (22:18-19). Ahimelech the priest was a noble, godly man, who stood up against Saul and was murdered (along with his family and his fellow-priests). Why? Because in the ultimate sense, Ahimelech and his fellow-martyrs could never have been safer than in the arms of God. They were as “safe” as David, but their mission was done, and David’s was not. Living a godly life is no guarantee of safety from suffering, troubles, and even death. Yet God will not allow these things to keep us from that for which He has called us. Until our work for Him is done, no one can be safer than the Christian who trusts and obeys, even in the most dangerous of circumstances.
  1. David learned that few knew how to trust God for security! He had to lead with God, not follow the consensus! David’s men felt safer in the forest of Hereth (22:5) but God directed them to go to Keilah through their leader (23:1-3). David had to learn to pass the truths God gave him to those around him, that they may share his confidence! David’s men initially thought the further they were from Saul – the safer they were. They felt that fear justified ignoring God’s Word (23:3).
  1. David learned to hear the cry of his people, and sought God for further assurance (23:4). When he was sure in God’s direction, he emerged with confidence. His people learned that he was not impulsive, but directed. David saw God deliver him yet again, and this time his men saw it too! (23:5).
  1. David learned the value of using others gifts and walk with God to make decisions that affected the group. This gave added confidence to the direction the leader would give, as well as gave more full understanding of the direction (23:6-12). When the decision was made to make a move, more joined and greater confidence resulted! (23:13-14).
  1. David learned that God can add more than we can see from places we don’t factor into the security “mix”. Note: God sent an encourager that helped David make it through this tough time! Jonathan came to STRENGTHEN HIS HANDS IN GOD (23:15-18).

Four Observations:

If you will allow me, I would like to take the remaining time to look more carefully at these few verses and draw a significant lesson for the people of God today! This text is a simple and profound illustration of what needs to happen in the ongoing fight of faith. I pick out four powerful thought from this encounter between Jonathan and David that I think are worthy of your attention:

1. The deepest saints and the strongest leaders need Christian comrades to strengthen their hands in God. David was deep, David was strong, and yet David needed Jonathan. David was a man after God’s own heart. He was a great warrior. He was no doubt superior to Jonathan in strength and intelligence and depth of theological understanding. But verse 16 says that Jonathan went and strengthened his hand in God. Don’t ever think that a man is so strong that he does not need to be strengthened in God. And don’t ever think that someone is so far above you that you can’t be God’s instrument to give strength. Christian camaraderie is not just for the new recruits. It is for every believer.

2. The second lesson is that strengthening a person’s hand in God involves conscious effort. It is intentional. You don’t just do it on the fly; you rise and go down to Horesh. What a difference it would make in our church if when all of us woke in the morning we would PLAN to strengthen someone’s hand in God! Jonathan PLANNED to go and strengthen him. The mark of Christian maturity is that you build into your life the intention and the occasions to strengthen someone’s hand in God.

3. The strength we are to give each other is strength in God, not in ourselves. Verse 16 does not say that Jonathan came all that way to Horesh to strengthen David’s self-confidence. He didn’t. This is the difference between Christian camaraderie and all other support groups and therapy groups and self-help groups. The whole point of Christian camaraderie is to point each other to Christ, not man for help and strength.

4. The strengthening process is accomplished by reminding a believer of God’s promises for his life! The way Jonathan strengthened David’s hand in God was to remind him of a promise that God had made (1 Samuel 16:12). Saul could not succeed against David because God was for him. So Jonathan strengthened David’s hand in God by reminding him of his destiny in the purposes of God. We strengthen each other’s hands in God by reminding each other about the promises of God that are especially suited for each other’s needs.

What would you need to hear from your friends if you were William Carey 15,000 miles from home fighting the fight of faith with one comrade surrounded by millions of unbelievers? How about the words of Samuel Pearce, a precious friend who knew how to strengthen Carey’s hand in God. Listen to how the promises of God saturate this letter from October 4, 1794.

“Brother, I long to stand by your side, and participate in all the vicissitudes of the attack — an attack which nothing but cowardice can make unsuccessful. Yes, the Captain of our salvation marches at our head. Sometimes he may withdraw his presence (but not his power) to try our prowess with our spiritual arms and celestial armor. O, what cannot a lively faith do for the Christian soldier! It will bring the Deliverer from the skies; it will array him as with a vesture dipped in blood; it will place him in the front of the battle, and put a new song into our mouths –“These made war with the Lamb; but the Lamb shall overcome them.” Yes, he shall — the victory is sure before we enter the field; the crown is already prepared to adorn our brows, even that crown of glory which fadeth not away, and already we have resolved what to do with it — we will lay it at the conqueror’s feet, and say, “Not to us, O Lord, not unto us, but to thy name give glory,” while all heaven unites in the chorus, “Worthy the Lamb.” (Memoir, p. 66)

Remember, safety for the Christian is not gained by isolation but by casting ourselves upon God for His guidance and care, as we seek to carry out His work and His will.

1 Samuel 22 "The Portrait Hall": The Broken and the ‘Breaker’

(1 Samuel 22) The Portrait Hall: The Broken and the ‘Breaker’

In this split portrait a contrast of two men could not be clearer. On the one hand, David was being restored to the Lord and returning to his senses after a long time of fear and torment that led to poor choices and lies. This portrait marks a time of repentance and change for him. On the other hand, King Saul became more threatened and irrational, refusing to repent and soften before the Lord that placed him in power. The contrast is great and the choice could not be clearer, harden and fight God or soften and follow Him!

Key Principle: Our life is about choices. When the choices are wrong, confession and change is the key to restoration!

King Saul fed his pain with more bad choices. He did not stop and repent and come close to the Lord. Instead he found himself:

  • Believing false assumptions: Saul heard about David and the men gathered to him (22:6) as he sat at Gibeah clutching his spear. He began to openly question the loyalty of the subjects by his side, openly assuming those who were following David were bribed by promises (22:7).

  • Making false accusations: Saul moved from speculation about how David got a following to open accusations of disloyalty for not disclosing Jonathon’s alliance with David (that every indication in the text was they did not know – 22:8a). Saul even indicated that Jonathan was the one that set Saul up (8b)!

  • Dwelling in self pity: Saul wanted the pity of his compatriots, though his life was surely much better than any of the listeners (22:8b)!

  • Listening to wrong counselors: Doeg offered true words but they were clearly in the context of an out of control and paranoid king. Doeg makes special mention of the sword that David was given, and the “salt” was poured into the wound when he mentioned “Goliath” – a source of jealousy in the past! (22:9-10)

  • Acting Rashly with Injustice: Saul brought in the priests of Nob to answer for their aid to David. They had no way to know that David was not telling them the truth! Yet, the men paid with their lives (22:11-16).

  • Failing to heed moral barriers: The men around King Saul knew that killing the priests was wrong, yet their reticence was not heeded by Saul. Instead, he sought someone that was willing to deaden any pricking of the conscience, and Doeg killed 85 priests, and then turned to Nob to kill their families indiscriminately. (22:17-19).

On the other hand, David had made his share of mistakes, and had turned back to the Lord. Surrounded by men that could have pulled him further from God (22:2), he decided to cease striving and turn his face back to the Lord. He found himself:

  • Protecting those around him: This was not easy! Included in this group were no doubt bitter brothers whose life and career was severely interrupted by their younger brother’s fallout with the king (22:1 and 3a)!

  • Seeking God’s direction: (22:3b): We observed in our last study that David wrote a song to the Lord at this point (Psalm 34) and restarted a heart of praise. He was not sure of his future, but he was sure that God was going to reveal it to him.

  • Obeying God’s Word: He listened to the words of God’s prophet (22:4-5) and moved ahead in obedience!

  • Taking Personal Responsibility: David didn’t skirt his personal responsibility for the lies that cost the priests and their families their lives. He owned up and then took steps to protect others that needed protection! (22:21-23).

Remember, our life is about choices. When the choices are wrong, confession and change is the key to restoration!

1 Samuel 20:1-22:2; Psalm 34 "The Portrait Hall": The Slobbering Soldier

 The Portrait Hall: The Slobbering Soldier

Have you ever had a really embarrassing moment? God showed the story of his greatest men, with all their faults, embarrassments, “warts and all”! David learned to move from pride and panic to power and praise by experiences that readied him to be used of God later. Did you ever feel like you were alone and needed to protect yourself? How can you get back to the place where you trust the Lord for your life? Let’s follow David into one of his most embarrassing moments, so that we can learn the “secret” of the lesson. (Read 1 Samuel 20:1-8; 20:42-21:1-6, 10-22:2)

Key Principle: When our focus is on us and our abilities or problems, we fail. When our focus on pleasing our Master, we succeed!

David was on a downward course for some time before he ended up on the porch of his enemy acting like a lunatic! How did a man of character and conviction end up in such a state? The process was retained in the record for our learning:

  • Problem Focus: It began, as it often does, with focusing on the circumstances and trying to make sense of what he was incapable of explaining. This led to confusion and assumptions of coming evil that were the engine behind panic (1 Sam. 20:1-2).
  • Panic: The mind runs to the things that might happen, but not to the Lord that alone can aid us. Note: David mentions the Lord, but doesn’t ADDRESS the Lord in the troubles 1 Sam. 20:3a).
  • Depression: Though a real problem existed, the feeling about the problem took over, making it hard to concentrate on real solutions (1 Sam. 20:3b). Dear friends stand ready to help and will do almost anything to help (1 Sam. 20:4).
  • Enlistment to sin among friends: Misery thrives on company! Instead of stopping to consult God for real solutions, he moved to enlisting others into sin. Gossip often begins here in the hurt and confusion zone. In this case, a lie was produced. Note: Mentioning God is not the same as acting in accord with God’s principles! (1 Sam. 20:5-8). Note how David passed on extreme desperation and blocked any other options but his death from view (20:8b).
  • Overt sin among God’s people: When you start down the path of “looking out for number one” and believe that God is not going to care for you if you don’t, the ends of protection justifies in your mind the means (telling more lies to cover yourself!) David stands before a priest of the Most High God, lies about his mission while claiming he is caring for other men that are walking in purity! (1 Sam. 20:42- 21:5). Then sin was further increased by abusing the gifts of God, using them in ways God has specifically said NOT to! (21:6)
  • Projecting Motives: When we are walking away from God, we may find it easy to project corrupt motives on those around us. We see in them what is in us and often misread them! (1 Sam. 21:7-8).
  • Hypocrisy: David walked into the Philistine camp ironically carrying the sword of the dead Philistine champion that God gave him is a great victory, yet he appears as a beggar, acting out a lie! When we slide into sin, the outcome is another opportunity to defame our King a Savior! (1 Sam. 21:9-22:1)
  • Accumulating others: When we aren’t walking with God, we will gather the others who have issues to surround us! (1 Sam. 22:2-3). The key to change is the end of verse 3!

Remember, when our focus is on us and our abilities or problems, we fail. When our focus on pleasing our Master, we succeed!

Psalm 34: A Psalm of David when he acted like an idiot in front of Achish and was sent away

34:1) God Focus: It is your choice to focus on the problems and not on the goodness of God in so many areas of your life! David said he began to do three things: I will bless the Lord all the time; My lips will continually praise Him; 2) My life will be a loud testimony that the crushed and poor will observe and be encouraged by!

3) Effort: Do not praise as a chore, but take some time and be creative in your desire to express God’s greatness! David said: Show His greatness (gadlu: make large) by lifting him (room: cause to grow as a child adorned as adult) up with me!

4) Tenacity: Fight the fight with fear and don’t let it overtake you, rather let God’s goodness rescue you. It may not happen at first, but it will happen! David said: I sought repeatedly (darashti) the Lord, and He listened to me and answered me (awnaw: answer or testify as witness). He delivered me (nawtsar: plucked me, snatched; hatsilu is a form!) from the “storehouse of fear” (megaroti: used3x, 2 as fear and one as a barn in Hag. 2:19) that was driving my actions.

5) Understanding: God didn’t make it easy for a purpose. He wants to use your victories as a testimony to reveal His goodness to others who have been defeated! David said: The poor and crushed gazed hard (nawbat: carefully considered) at this restored fool and their experiences flowed into simplicity (nawhar: used 6x in OT, usually as “flow” as in Isaiah 60:5, here translated ‘lightened’) and their faces became peaceful (khawfare: unconfounded). 6) They saw that I was a wretch and the Lord delivered me, saving (yesha) from all my disgrace (tsawraw).

7) Priority: When you concern for how the King feels about every aspect of your life is the consuming factor of direction, every other consideration with fade. With that stedfast priority, God will send unseen help! David said: The angel of the Lord sets up an encampment around those who reverence (yawray: find the deepest regard for above any fear, love or other compulsion) the Lord, and they are armed and equipped to be victorious (khawlats: “remove danger by cavalry providing the needed weaponry”). 8) Happiness comes from seeking shelter (khawtsar) in the camp of concern for God’s happiness with your choices! 9) He will keep you from lacking any essential thing (makh: sore lack).

When our focus is on us and our abilities or problems, we fail. When our focus on pleasing our Master, we succeed!

The End of the World: “A Pilgrim’s Promise”- Revelation 4

Did you know…“Nearly nine out of 10 people in the United States say they believe in heaven, according to a recent ABC News poll.” The pollster went on to ask this: “But what exactly do people think of when they think of an afterlife and what do they believe is required to get there?” …Isn’t it interesting that people believe in the PLACE but struggle with the DOOR. It has always been that way.

Never out of print since its first publishing in 1678, one of the very important pieces of English literature from the jailed John Bunyan, was The Pilgrim’s Progress from This World to That Which Is to Come. John was persecuted for meeting with other believers – that put him at odds with the ruling Church of England. From his cell, he wrote… The story was written as a Christian allegory divided into two parts – the first part released in February 1678, and a second Part in 1684. The story opens with the main character named “Christian” and records his journey from his hometown to the “Celestial city”. Christian travels weighed down by a great burden (the knowledge of his sin), exposed from his reading of “the book in his hand” (the Bible). Feeling lost, he is directed by once called “Evangelist” toward the light, and that requires the forsaking of family and friends – for they will not follow the directions given to him. Friends like Obstinate and Pliable go along to try to draw him back, but Christian refuses. He is stuck for a time in a bog, but Help rescues him. He is diverted for a time by “Mr. Worldly Wiseman” and his friends, but he continues toward his goal when Evangelist rescues him on the way to a self-righteous visit to Legality’s home.  Many other struggles ensue. One especially notable diversion was a time when Christian and a traveling companion called Hopeful met a lad named Ignorance, who believed that he would be allowed into the Celestial City through his own good deeds and not solely as a gift of God’s grace – a belief that caused Ignorance’s destruction. Crossing the dangerous Enchanted Ground and preparing for the River of Death, Christian makes his way, helped by Hopeful. The Second Part of is much more than a mere sequel to the earlier volume. This part was focused on the pilgrimage of Christian’s wife and their sons (along with a maiden named Mercy). The frailty of believers along the journey is explored as they struggle through the Christian life. On the whole, it is an excellent look into the walk of a believer from a time when the Christian world view was pervasive. Follow the story all the way through, and you will conclude that john Bunyan’s Christian believed the journey, with all its hardships, to be utterly worth it. He sacrificed, and was imperiled, but he always knew the journey was LEADING SOMEPLACE INCREDIBLE…. And so do believers that study God’s Word today.

Key Principle: Heaven is our encouragement through the storms of life. Its promises are rich and its coming is certain – because God told us about the place!

Heaven is not described many places in the Bible. Paul spoke of it in the context of the Jewish reflection of the three heavens: “I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago– whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows– such a man was caught up to the third heaven.” (2 Cor. 12:2).  The three included the firmament (atmospheric heaven), where such as the “fowls of the heaven” (Gen 2:19; 7:3, 7:23) dwell. It is this atmospheric heaven that is referred to as “with doors” – a natural expression of an agricultural society dependent upon the rain. In fact, one of the Hebrew words commonly used fro heaven is “shemayim”, which can be literally translated “there is water there”. Other terms like “shahak” are rendered in our English text as “sky” or “clouds”. Beyond that is the “starry heaven” (the astronomical heavens) where God spread out the planets (Deu 17:3; Jer 8:2; Mat 24:29). In that case, the Hebrew writer preferred the word “rakia” which was a term that referred to stretching out a tent as it was assembled and camp was set up. It is a great term, because it reflects how God looks at the world that He stretched out across the galaxies – a vast but temporary covering for the family of men. The “third heaven” is referred to as the Divine abode (Deu 10:14; Kg1 8:27; Psa 115:16; Psa 148:4; Co2 12:2).

It is the third Heaven we think of when we speak of the place today – the place of spiritual excitement and thrill of God’s magnificent presence. It is referred to as the place of “everlasting blessing”, but it also has many allusions in the Word:

  • Jesus referred to Heaven as a PLACE, not simply a “state of mind” as some suggest. He called it simply His “Father’s house” (John 14:2), “Paradise” (Luke 23:43) and the “kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 25:1). He mentioned amid His teachings that His followers will “sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,” and alludes to the place as “in Abraham’s bosom” (Luke 16:22; Matthew 8:11).
  • The Apostles referred to the “eternal inheritance” (1 Peter 1:4; Hebrews 9:15), the “eternal kingdom” (2 Peter 1:11), the “better country” (Hebrews 11:14-16) and sometimes “the heavenly Jerusalem” (Galatians 4:26; Hebrews 12:22; Revelation 3:12). The Apostles spoke of “reigning with Christ” (2 Timothy 2:12) and enjoying “rest” (Hebrews 4:10-11). The unending nature was often referred to in expressions like “life everlasting” and “an eternal weight of glory” (2 Corinthians 4:17). The positive nature of the place was  underscored in references that it will be devoid of suffering  and evil (2 Corinthians 5:1-2) away from the wicked (2 Timothy 4:18) – a place of unending JOY (2 Corinthians 4:16-18; 1 Peter 1:4, 5:10; 1 John 3:2).

“Six Encouragements from Heaven’s Gates”

Turn your eyes for a few moments to one of the great passages of Scripture that describes what is going on in the house of Jesus’ Father. It is the vast throne room of Heaven. To set the scene, we have dropped in after the believers in Jesus have been brought up to be with their Savior. The church’s work, as we saw in our last study, was completed. This is a glimpse forward in time, and the Father is receiving the praise of the Redeemed of the Church Age. The redeemed have been judged for their works as believers – and they are now in God’s presence – telling God that He has done all things well. Here is the description:

Encouragement number on is that Heaven is RESTRICTED – a place with a door.

It is a place one must ENTER, and that is by invitation. In John’s case, it is offered to him in order to give us a glimpse: Revelation 4:1 After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.”

Why would a door on Heaven be an encouragement? Because Heaven is the place where God has limited the access to those He lets in. Wait, Pastor… shouldn’t we be MORE excited if it was the place for EVERYONE? I MEAN, IF God lets EVERYONE in… doesn’t that seem like a happier end to the story. That is what we are led to believe… the tolerance message has deeply scored even Jesus’ redeemed.

Clark H. Pinnock (1937—2010) was a Canadian theology professor and author who died last summer. In his book A Wideness in God’s Mercy, Pinnock contended for a position known as inclusivism. He wrote:

“…we are asked to believe that God endlessly tortures sinners by the million, sinners who perish because the Father has decided not to elect them to salvation [while they were alive on earth], though he could have done so, and whose torments are supposed to gladden the hearts of believers in heaven. The problems with this doctrine are both extensive and profound.” …”How can Christians possibly project a deity of such cruelty and vindictiveness whose ways include inflicting everlasting torture upon his creatures, however sinful they may have been? Surely a God who would do such a thing is more nearly like Satan than like God, at least by any ordinary moral standards, and by the gospel itself.”

It sounds so cruel that God would do the things Pinnock charges. It seems so reasonable to the modern mind to simply scowl at verses in the Bible that suggest such things, relegating them to angry musings of ancient Jews. On closer inspection though, a moral system that precludes judgment is not a moral system at all. A moral system that offers no reward and no punishment is the socialist view of Heaven – everyone gets the same thing… no one is truly responsible for anything.

Consider this: What if you created an entire race of beings. What if you placed them in a beautiful place and offered them peace, blessing and a daily walk with you that would offer them wholeness and intimate security. What if they then decided to follow after one that hates you, and one that has created nothing but rebellion and evil. What if that one offered them victory, but delivered misery and servitude. What if he enslaved your creation…and it broke your heart.

What if you offered your most precious relationship – your only son – to go and pay for their rebellion with his own blood? What if you stood horrified as the object of your affection on earth was bruised, crushed and mistreated by those he came to offer a renewal of your love? What if he paid all the penalty of the rebellion for your lost creation through his perfect self-sacrifice?

Now fast forward. What if the creation decided it didn’t LIKE the gift you gave. What if they decided they had a better plan? What if their plan included religious invocations they made up, traditions they required obedience to that were not part of any requirement you gave them? What if they decided that your gift was not as good as what they could invent, and some who carried faithfully your message were tortured and killed by them. What if they wreaked havoc and evil and put your name on it. What if they openly lied about your Word and your promises – and blamed you for not letting them all have a free pass for their sin?(RS)

Consider these wise words: “Neither the Christian Ministry, nor the Christian church, are responsible for the doctrine of eternal perdition. It is given in charge to the ministry, and to the Church, by the Lord Christ Himself, in His last commission, as a truth to be preached to every creature.” William Shedd.

Heaven is a place God prepared for those who are DECLARED RIGHTEOUS found in His BOOK OF LIFE. Though many people have come to a belief that suggests they will be declared righteous because the DID MORE RIGHT THINGS THAN WRONG. John Bunyan personified that belief in his character IGNORANCE – believing he could EARN points to go to Heaven by doing right – but that isn’t God’s way to get there. They are simply ignorant of God’s Word. He has been clear.

I am encouraged that Heaven is a place with a DOOR, because Heaven’s owner has made clear how to enter. He wrote: 1 John 5:11-12: And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. The one who has the Son has this eternal life; the one who does not have the Son of God does not have this eternal life. He said it is possible for us to lay our head down on our pillow and KNOW that we will be in Heaven – and it doesn’t depend on our GOOD DEEDS outweighing our bad ones. I am encouraged, and I can sleep better!

Second, Heaven is LASTING a place where the spiritual and eternal dimensions are the essence – not the physical and temporal.

Revelation 4:2 says: “ Immediately I was in the Spirit…” I am encouraged that though Heaven cannot be easily perceived by us in this world, it exists along with this world as a permanent and REAL place, with real occupants. I am encouraged that the physical world, with its pollution and decay is not the end of things. I am encouraged that this body that I live inside is not my final home. I am encouraged that Heaven offers me a NEW and LASTING PLACE, and its natural inhabitants are incredibly impressive when we get a glimpse. When the angels of the “Heavenly Host” were revealed to the shepherds at the announcement of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem, Heavenly beings were unmasked before men:

Third, Heaven is CLARIFYING – a place where God the Father shows a display of Who He is:

How exciting to know that the God of the Universe, to whom we have prayed and sought throughout this life, will be made plain right before us! Revelation 4:2b “…and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne. 3 And He who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance. (skip to verse 5)… 5 Out from the throne come flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder. 6 and before the throne there was something like a sea of glass, like crystal…”

Can you imagine this great appearance? God is personified upon Heaven’s throne. What He truly is cannot be grasped by man – but this is the image He chose to project of Himself. Look at this picture and smile. In our fallen world where evil rages and good men and women are mocked – in a world where the moral choices are weakening like ours, God alone will not cave in to popular opinion. He will not allow His integrity to slip and slide about.

  • God is good. He is distinct from any shadow of evil.
  • He is absolutely pure, and entirely distinct.
  • His power is unbounded (Pantokrator, translated “Almighty” is all-powerful).
  • He is always the God of NOW – He was and is, and is to come.
  • He does not change  and does not weaken.
  • He was at the beginning, and He will triumph over all  – the last One standing.
  • The Psalmist reminds that (Psa 45:6) “Thy throne, O God, [is] for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom [is] a right sceptre.
  • He is unmoved by winds of political fortune.
  • He is unshaken by the deeds of men.
  • He has set up and removed the rulers of kingdoms.
  • Men can swear He did not make them, and rather blame the universe on a biological accident.
  • Man can shake both his fists at the Almighty.
  • Man can hate and blame His church.
  • No matter – All will be righted before His throne. His throne is set on high!

Before we leave our gaze on Him, look at the “Crystal Sea” placed before the throne. It appeared to John to be a broad, flat and smooth place. The term translated SEA could also be a container – as the laver was called in Solomon’s Temple. It was like the large water container that stood before the inner building of the First Temple, just outside the porch of the Most Holy Place – a vast water pool now called a laver that was used to cleanse the priests. That same idea was later used in the imagery of the New Testament – a parallel use:

Eph 5:25-27 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; (26) That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, (27) That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. Surprisingly, the laver imagery was used in Ephesians as an image of the WORD OF GOD.  Here, John may be using the sea as a descriptive image (what it LOOKED LIKE)– but it may be that it is a symbolic one (AN IMAGE OF GOD”S WORD going out before His throne). Could it be that the THRONE of God was depicted as standing on the promises of God! Psalm 119:89 For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.

  • Remember this, when we stand before His throne – all doubt will vanish.
  • No more will God’s Word be debated and questioned.
  • Not one voice will dare mock, misquote or muzzle the Word of God – His throne is built upon it!

I love that about Heaven – it clarifies everything!

Fourth, Heaven is ENLIGHTENING – a place where the dark things of the Spirit of God are clearly seen in all the Spirit’s marvelous facets:

Standing before the throne of the Father is the enlightening work of the Holy Spirit. He has seven titles in Isaiah 11, all of which help turn on the light of God’s person and work. Rev. 4:5b “…And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God;

Gaze at the lamps, the seven Spirits of God (cp. Isa. 11):

  • The Spirit of the LORD – the lamp that shows us God is our MASTER.
  • The Spirit of wisdom – the lamp that shows us how to LIVE for God.
  • The Spirit of understanding – the lamp that shows us how to DISCERN truth.
  • The Spirit of counsel – the lamp that offers DIRECTION amidst uncertain days.
  • The Spirit of strength – the lamp that pulls from God’s STRENGTH into our bodies.
  • The Spirit of knowledge –the lamp that makes CLEAR the unclear.
  • The Spirit of the fear of the LORD –the lamp that REMINDS us of God’s Holy fierceness.

Heaven lights up with truth flooded from the Spirit doing a work in us! Heaven is not darkness- it is light!

Fifth, Heaven is FOCUSED – a place where the Holy Seraphim cry out God’s Holiness continuously:

Listen to the sound of Heaven. It is not many voices shouting orders and running the universe. It is calm. It is singular. It is deliberate. The message is unmistakable…

4:6b “…and in the center and around the throne, four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind. 7 The first creature was like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third creature had a face like that of a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle. 8 And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME.” 9 And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever,

Encircling the throne are four living beings (zôa- “living ones” –we derive our word “zoology” from this word). John finds these guardian voices intriguing. They are full of eyes indicating their ceaseless vigilance and intense intelligence. They have supernatural discernment… and they see in every direction…taking in God and everything else. Theologians suggest the four faces represent “the noblest, strongest, wisest and swiftest beings in nature”.

Angels were created before the earth, and sang at it’s creation (Job 38:4-7). They don’t die (Lk. 20:36), and there are a large number of them. (Dan. 7:10). They are considered a “higher form” than man. Note Heb. 2:6-7). They are primary servants of the throne room in heaven. (Isa. 6; Dan 7). They appear to be beings of hierarchy.

Now stop and listen: HOLY, HOLY, HOLY. A message intended to make God’s distinctiveness clear to all who stand before Him! All focus is on HIM!

Sixth, Heaven is a HAPPY – place where those who have been redeemed offer praise to the God that sent their Savior (4:9-11) and cast victory crowns to their Father who led them to overcome! (4:10):

4:4 Around the throne were twenty-four thrones; and upon the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white garments, and golden crowns on their heads…10 the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 11 “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”

Though the elders sit on thrones, God alone is the Sovereign of Heaven. Elders bow, fall before Him who sits on the throne. They are seen casting crowns – their life accomplishments before Him – and they are REJOICING AT THE PROSPECT! How different than this world where men strive to gain the treasures of accomplishment for themselves to be happy.

All Heaven showers praise on God because He is the center of everything. No matter how godless this world may seem – our God has a plan and He is working His plan out for His purpose. I said it in our last study, but it bears repeating on this final message in Revelation 4. Beloved, there is a day coming soon, when the next great move in the Heavens will change things dramatically here on earth. It is not EARTH that forces HEAVEN – it is the other way around. We are NOT primarily physical beings… we are spiritual beings. The physical world is the illusory one… it will vanish one day like a mirage on a hot roadway. I am not making it up… the Bible made it plain long ago. It is the HOPE of every believer. It is our SUSTAINING TRUTH… we are not at home here on this earth, and we need not feel like we have missed a thing when we turn from things offered here that would not delight our Savior.

  • We have a home.
  • We have a future.
  • No amount of suffering can take that from you.
  • No word of cancer can remove that solemn promise.
  • No painful rejection by one that you have faithfully loved can mar that reality.
  • Because we have a SAVIOR, we have a HOME.

Heaven is our encouragement through the storms of life. Its promises are rich and its coming is certain – because God told us about the place! Keep your eyes fixed above.

1 Samuel 19:8-24; Psalm 26 "The Portrait Hall": The Musician in Track Shoes

God’s training of David is one of the most complete studies from the ancient world on leadership modeling. How did God get David ready for the life of leading His people? He took his through a series of difficult experiences that taught him to read people and situations that were critical for his later success. In this study we will see a King-elect musician learning to keep his track shoes handy and eyes open. God uses tough times to train us for great futures!

Seven character traits David learned to possess:

  1. Faithfulness away from the pressure – outside of the palace (19:8).
  2. Faithfulness under the pressure – inside the palace (19:9).
  3. A circumspect view (19:10 “pawtar: saw and bolted out”).
  4. Readiness to retreat when wise (19:10b “noos” to slip out and vanish”)
  5. Reliance on those who cared for him (19:11-17).
  6. Reliance on spiritual mentors (19:18-19).
  7. Reliance on the power of God to solve problems beyond his ability (19:20-24)

HOW? How did David learn to walk this way?

Key Principle: When we focus on God’s purpose and sovereign right to be pleased by us in all things, most problems slip away quickly!

Psalm 26- Seven things David asked God to do:

  1. Vindicate (26:1- shawphat: act as judge). David set the standard as what God thought!
  2. Examine (26:2- baw-khan: examine to determine if really gold). David allowed God to search his real intentions and their value!
  3. Try (26:2b- nawsaw (place in initial assaying value before smelting). David allowed God to establish his priorities in life!
  4. Test (26:2b- tsawraph (to melt with heat to discern purity of). David allowed God to see each facet of the decision making to be sure the ends weren’t justifying the means.
  5. Do not take away soul ..or life! David saw his life as not completed in service of his king and pleaded for more time to live this life and not have his breath “snatched away”!
  6. Redeem me (pawdaw: an admission of guilt and term requesting redemption by paying ransom) David knew not all of his life was without sin, and he asked God to pay what he could not!
  7. Be gracious to me (26:11b- knawnan: to sit as beggar and ask for the undeserved morsel that is so needed). David had no pride before God!

Look at the prerequisite character to ask God for His Divine favor:

  1. walk with integrity (26:1- tome: firm and upright). David walked straight in his life before God and others.
  2. trust without wavering (26:1b- mawad: tottering or shaking). David truly walked as through what God said was true, and he placed all his weight on it!
  3. ever conscious of God’s lovingkindness (26:3- eye on chesed). David’s focus was not on his troubles, but on God’s provision of all, including his troubles!
  4. walk in truth (26:3- walk b’emet). Walked “for sure” according to God’s revealed truth.
  5. not sit with deceitful men (26:4- yawshav show: not dwelling among those whose vision is of no eternal value, empty or desolate).
  6. not walk with pretenders (26:4- awlam: secret keepers: those who are deliberately concealing the truth of who they are).
  7. wash hands in innocence (26:6- from nawkaw: wine that is clear). I receive the blessings of God (food) with no tainted feeling.
  8. stand before the altar with thanks and rejoicing (26:7- mizbeach) stand before God’s place of forgiveness with a sense of thankfulness).
  9. hunger to be with God (26:8- mawown: habitation is the place of your comfort.)
  10. commit to continue in the path walked (26:11- same word for integrity but future tense).

When we focus on God’s purpose and sovereign right to be pleased by us in all things, most problems slip away quickly!

1 Samuel 18 "The Portrait Hall": The Downcast King

Saul was bitten with a snake whose venom was jealousy and deceit. His life, his power, even his decency drained from him. His family found him restless and uncaring. His kingdom started to ebb in their allegiance. Yet Saul resisted God and tried to find a way to fill himself apart from repentance. Do you know someone like Saul?

Jacob Marley (Scrooge’s partner in A Christmas Carol) wore a chain that he carried in the afterlife because of his cold heart. Saul forged a chain, link by link, that led to his own destruction. The first link was an insecurity that led him to jealousy.

Key Principle: The chain that begins with the forging of jealousy ends with self-destruction. Finding my identity in my Lord keeps me from forging other chains of bondage!

Pattern of Chain:

  1. Link One: (18:8a) “Very angry” (khawraw me’od) is literally “really burned” which denote the FEELING BASE of the first forged link.
  1. Link Two: (18:8) “displeased” (ra’ah ayin) is literally “gave him an evil eye toward” which meant the feelings led to a HEART DECEPTION. Verse 9 “suspicion” is another form of “EYED” where Saul began to put intentions in David’s heart.
  1.  Link Three: (18:10) “raved” (vayit’naveh; from nawvaw) is literally to prophesy as in the promise that Samuel made to Saul that he would be “changed” and SPEAK DIFFERENTLY (cp. 1 Sam 10:6).
  1. Link Four: (18:11) “hurled” (vayitool; from tool) is thrown with force, yanked out, etc. In each case it is an EXTREME REACTION that is counter to the normal behavior or character (as when the people tossed Jonah into the deep!).
  1. Link Five: (18:12) “afraid” (yawraw) is an IRRATIONAL FEAR THAT CONFUSES OFFENSIVE BEHAVIOR WITH DEFENSIVENESS (considering Saul was the spear “toss-er” and David the “toss-ee”.
  1. Link Six: (18:12b) “God departed” (sawr from soor) is the DISRUPTION OF THE FLOW OF GOD’S POWER AND BLESSING.
  1. Link Seven: (18:15) “dreaded” is a strange form of (goor) a word that sometimes means to sojourn, be hospitable, to CUB. It is AN ATTEMPT TO GAIN CONTROL by adding some strings into the other’s life (as in the daughter’s offered to wed in 18:16-24).
  1. Link Eight: (18:25) “planned to make…fall” is (khoshev l’hafil) literally to PLAN WAYS TO COLLAPSE OR ABANDON.
  1. Link Nine: (18:29) “more afraid…enemy continually” (awyav col hayomim) is TO BECOME CONTINUALLY HOSTILE TO.

“Rules” of Jealousy:

  1. Jealousy begins with a sense of insecurity about ourselves, and isn’t really about the other guy at all! (1 Samuel 15:26-31; 17:54-58; 18:1).
  1. Jealous and bitter people try desperately to control those around them (18:2).
  1. Jealous and bitter people test the loyalties of others, half hoping they will fail to validate they are no better than themselves (18:5). They miss the relationships that they could have (18:3-4)!
  1. Jealous and bitter people burn with anger when others get credit for things, even if it is deserved. They secretly feel smaller because others appear bigger – the comparison game (18:5-8a).
  1. Jealous and bitter people read their intentions into others hearts (18:8b).
  1. Jealous and bitter people see others through jaded eyes that do not behold the truth (18:9).
  1. Continuing to walk in jealousy and bitterness will bring a dark cloud over the countenance (18:10).
  1. The longer the bitter jealousy lasts in our hearts, the more likely we will lash out rashly at another with pent up anger (18:11).
  1. In the end, our struggle is with God’s purposes, which we believe to be unfair. Our fight is with HIM, not the other guy! (18:12-14).
  1. All the bitter jealousy does is deeply enslave those who allow its control to root within (18:15-16)
  1. It will lead you to become dishonest in your dealings with people (18:17-19).
  1. It will drive you to use others in your quest to end your pain (18:20-30).

Hebrews 12:15 “See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled”. 

Remember, the chain that begins with the forging of jealousy ends with self-destruction. Finding my identity in my Lord keeps me from forging other chains of bondage!

Grasping God’s Purpose: “Taking the Wrong Turn” – Ex. 20:18-21 and 32

“It happened before I even knew what was happening!” She said. I set my GPS to take my friend to the Port of Canaveral, and we left Sebring with no problem. We had a great trip, and I followed the GPS directions religiously. To come home, I set the GPS for HOME, and off I went. I forgot a simple detail – I have two homes – one up north and the other in Sebring. Without thinking, I was halfway to Jacksonville heading for the Virginia home when I realized I was going the wrong way! I had taken a wrong turn!” Did you ever do that in your car? Did you ever take a wrong turn and drive confidently, because you THOUGHT you were going in the right direction, but you were going AWAY from your intended destination?  Did you ever do that in LIFE?… That is, take a wrong turn, but do it with the confidence of someone who KNEW WHICH WAY to go!? Many of us would have to admit that we have on more than one occasion. How does it happen? How can I recognize it when I have done it? What can I do about the wrong turn? These are the questions that are at the heart of the story we want to explore today. It is a snapshot from the desert – a time when God’s people took a terrible wrong turn, and people were wounded, and some died.

Key Principle: We take a wrong turn whenever we forget God’s PERSON and God’s PURPOSE in our lives.

When we walk away from God, it is not usually to rebel, it is because we have been lulled into forgetfulness. We have forgotten Who He is, and we have forgotten WHOSE we are. I have long held close to me this quote from Dietrich Bonhoffer In his little book “Temptation”:

“In our members there is a slumbering inclination towards desire which is both sudden and fierce. With irresistible power desires seize mastery over the flesh. All at once a secret smoldering fire is kindled. The flesh burns and is in flames. It makes no difference if it is sexual desire, ambition, vanity, love of fame, power, or money. Joy of God is extinguished in us, and we seek all our joy in the creature. At this moment God is quite unreal to us. He looses all reality and only desire for the creature is real. Satan does not here fill us with hatred of God, but with forgetfulness of God. I don’t hate God when I lust, I simply forget Him. I forget He is holy, I forget He is jealous for His name. I forget that my reputation is not at stake, it is HIS that is at stake.

The lust thus aroused envelopes the mind and the will in deepest darkness. Clear discrimination and decision are taken from us. At that moment we are altogether indecisive and indiscriminate. A woman can lust for a man not even knowing his name. A man can lust for a woman not even knowing what her face looks like or anything about her character. He can be aroused without even speaking to her.”

Anyone who has known me for a while has heard this quote before. I use it in my own life often. It jogs my memory and crystallizes moments in my walk with God. It forces me to think about what I really want in the big picture of life. It forces me to think back in my life to times when my walk was vibrant and other times when I allowed my heart to slip away from its grasp on reality and slide into forgetfulness – times when I allowed temptation to pull on my heart and allow me to rationalize rebellion and sin.

I first picked up on this exercise years ago, while studying the passage we will look at today. I noticed how different the crowd of Israelites were at the mountain, from the same group a mere month later – a “before” and “after” if you will. I then learned to use that comparison in my own life. Let’s take a look and see if it is helpful to you too:

Before: When the people saw God at work, they stood in fear before Him (20:18-21).

Israel stood before the mountain of God. He set them free with ten plagues on Egypt. He led them through the parted sea. He fed them quail and turned on a hose inside a rock to fill their canteens in the desert. He directed them with His own presence – seen in a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. He drew Moses up the mountain… while the people stood below. They knew the presence of God. They saw the power of God. They felt the very breath of God surging from the Holy Mountain. Look at the scene:

Exodus 20:18 All the people perceived the thunder and the lightning flashes and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood at a distance. 19 Then they said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen; but let not God speak to us, or we will die.” 20 Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid; for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him may remain with you, so that you may not sin.” 21 So the people stood at a distance, while Moses approached the thick cloud where God was.

The people PERCEIVED sight and sound, and at that time they TREMBLED (Hebrew: “nua”: quivered) and STOOD BACK (Heb: rachoq: at a distance). Moses’ reaction to the people’s obvious consternation was “DO NOT FEAR!” Then Moses gave the KEY to defeating temptation. Moses said “God did this to CAUSE THE FEAR OF HIM TO REMAIN IN YOU.” God knew if they recalled His power and His presence –they would not stray. What a treasure is found here!

  • When I remember WHO God is – I stand in awe of Him.
  • When I recall what He has done to rescue me – I walk in obedience to Him.
  • When I recognize He is personally watching me – I act to delight His heart!

After: Time passed (40 days) and the process of forgetfulness played out (32:1-35).

Let a month pass by… then five weeks…then move toward six. Turn down the sound and light show of Horeb. In fact, even if it continued, the familiarity of the whole thing would make what was profound the first day start to seem… normal. The people stopped listening and stopped shaking. Now they were just BORED and disturbed that God was taking so long to get them to the Promised Land.

Moses may have been experiencing God, but they were FORGETTING GOD. They stood right there in the Church of the Holy Mountain – but they had seen the service too many times before to feel like it really meant much. In fact, if you really think about their past ninety days they saw many of the most powerful miracles that would ever be shown to a generation – but they quickly got over amazement and fell into temptation’s grip. Watch them in Exodus 32.

Exodus 32:1 Now when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people assembled about Aaron and said to him, “Come, make us a god who will go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” 2 Aaron said to them, “Tear off the gold rings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” 3 Then all the people tore off the gold rings which were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. 4 He took this from their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool and made it into a molten calf; and they said, “This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.” 5 Now when Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the LORD.” 6 So the next day they rose early and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.

What happened to the people between TREMBLING and SINNING? The ground between those two places is important to survey – because we will face it this week! The first few verses give us the seven mistakes the people made on their way to rebellion. Look at the opening verse again:

Exodus 32:1 Now when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people assembled about Aaron and said to him, “Come, make us a god who will go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.”

1)     The People made a choice based on Wrong Conclusions: The people followed what they saw (32:1a). They trusted their EYES and we must know this truth — You can’t always believe your eyes! This reminds me of  Eve, who was tempted to commit the first sin we find God’s description of the event. “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate.” (Gen. 3:6 NKJV).

One of the popular advertisements on television is the bowflex conditioning machine. They always appeal to you through your eyes. I am thinking of two of their commercials. In one they show a muscular man who has bulging muscles. In another they show this great looking “fifty year old grand-mother” who looks like a swim-suit model. Who, in their right mind, would not want to look like those two people?

We need to be reminded that our eyes will lead us astray. Our eyes will rob us of truth, because they cannot see the REAL WORLD which is eternal, only the TEMPORAL WORLD which is EPHEMORAL. A.W. Tozer in I Talk Back to the Devil said “you can take two small ten-cent pieces, just two dimes, and shut out the view of a panoramic landscape. Go to the mountains and just hold two coins closely in front of your eyes–the mountains are still there, but you cannot see them at all because there is a dime shutting off the vision in each eye.” (Contributed to Sermon Central by: Troy Borst).

Remember that much exists in this world that your eye cannot see.Don’t be fooled into thinking that you can see what is really important with your physical eyes. Beautiful bodies may embody dark and dangerous hearts. Even in this world – it is only with a tool the eye can see a single cell. It is only with a machine the eye can see the inner working parts of the body. It is only with the aid of the Lord, the eye can see the spiritual forces at work. Our eyes are fine, but they can’t see most things that are going on! Don’t trust them!!! The people didn’t see Moses, so they were ready to write Him off! Remember: DELAY DOESN’T MEAN DENIAL! (Abraham learned the hard way!)

2)     The People made a choice with the Wrong Focus: The people were focused on a man and had forgotten God (32:1b). WHEN WE STOP SERVING GOD, IT WILL NOT BE TOO LONG BEFORE WE CHOOSE TO SERVE SOMEONE OR SOMETHING OTHER THAN GOD.

Duped into believing (if temporarily) that the power lay in the person of Moses, they forgot the thunder at the mountain. They forgot the wind that blew the sea, but remembered the staff and the guy holding it! Ironically, the opening chapters of Exodus reveal a timid man that does not believe in himself!

3)     The People made a choice with the Wrong Moral Standard: The people judged “right” by the insecure crowd, not the revealed covenant of God (32:1b). Next, we read the phrase “we don’t know”. That phrase reflects an insecurity in the voices of the people. IT IS IMPORTANT TO DETERMINE WHERE THE CROWD IS GOING BEFORE WE DETERMINE WHETHER WE WANT TO FOLLOW THE CROWD!

I read about a three year old girl who was frightened by a burst of thunder. She called out to her mother “mommy, I’m scared”. Her sleepy mother responded by saying, “Go back to your bed. God will be there with you.” The little girl stopped at the doorway, turned and said, “Mommy, why don’t I sleep here with Daddy, and you go in there with God.”

Insecurity often drives people to make foolish decisions. The athlete that is unsure about his strength or ability may turn to steroids. An insecure teenager may turn to permissive sex or drugs to pacify their friends. An unbelieving adult may withhold his giving because he does not think he can afford to give. A lady who is insecure may dress in improper clothing to get men’s attention.

4)     The people chose to follow the Wrong Leader: The people chose a leader that would tell them what they wanted to hear (32:1b).

A lot of people will tell you what you want to hear. There was a young man in his early 30’s who was single and was beginning to get worried about it so he went to a local church and met an attractive young lady. He went up to her and struck up a conversation with her. They chatted about everything under the sun for a while until he got up the nerve to ask her what kind of men she liked. She replied, “I have always been attracted to native Americans for their survival instincts and Jewish men for their moxie and practicality. But I have really enjoy cowboys for their rugged individualism.” Then she said, “By the way what is your name?” Thinking quick he replied, “Well my given name is Geronimo Bernstein but my friends call me Tex.” Everyone wants to make a good impression on other people.

A church in Pensacola advertised a 30 minute worship service. They promised to get you in and out fast. They promised convenience. We need to be reminded that faithfully following Jesus Christ is not always easy, convenient or comfortable. Yesterday I was reading in Revelation about the thousands of people who have been and will be martyred for their faith. If you think faith is supposed to be convenient, comfortable and something you can control then God owes martyrs an apology for all the suffering they experienced.

5)     The decided to follow the Wrong God: The people looked to fashion a god of their own making and will (32:1b). Every choice you make is important. I did a bit of reading on “making good choices” this week and discovered these jewels:

A wife found a list on her husband’s desk one fall. It was entitled: THINGS TO DO BEFORE WINTER SETS IN…

  1. Install Franklin fireplace & Chop firewood.
  2. Check weather-stripping & clean furnace.
  3. Clean and repair snow blower & Replace broken storm window.
  4. Get out of Wisconsin.

If that didn’t get you to smile (especially those reading in Wisconsin).. try this: Getting guys to choose the right benefits in the military is a tricky job, but one guy figured out a way to motivate men to choose well. You see, this sergeant served his tour of duty and was reassigned to a stateside induction center. It was his job to advise the new recruits about government benefits, especially GI insurance. Soon he had a nearly 100% insurance sales record. His officers were amazed. To find out how he did it, an officer stood in the back of the room one day and listened to the sales pitch. The sergeant explained the basics of GI insurance to the new recruits, and then said, If you HAVE GI insurance, and go into battle and are killed, the government has to pay $35,000 to your beneficiaries. If you DON’T have GI insurance and go into battle and are killed, the government has to pay only a maximum of $3,000. Now, he concluded, which bunch do you think they’re going to send into battle first?

Choices are important. Yet using choices to shape truth is never a good thing. God is who God is. Trying to reshape Him or His Word is a mistake many people make.

This thing of building a faith based on comfort, convenience and control is reflected in our convictions and beliefs. J. P. Moreland, in Apologetic Reasoning and the Christian Mind: “One afternoon I was sharing the gospel in a student’s dorm room at the University of Vermont. The student began to espouse ethical relativism: ‘Whatever is true for you is true for you and whatever is true for me is true for me. . . . But no one should force his or her views on other people since everything is relative.’” Moreland says, “I knew that if I allowed him to get away with ethical relativism, there could be for him no such thing as real, objective sin measured against the objective moral command of God, and thus no need of a Savior. I thanked the student for his time and began to leave his room. On the way out, I picked up his small stereo and started out the door with it. ‘Hey, what are you doing?’ he shouted. . . . ‘I am leaving your room with your stereo.’ ‘You can’t do that,’ he gushed.” But Moreland said, “I happen to think it is permissible to steal stereos if it will help a person’s religious devotions, and I myself could use a stereo to listen to Christian music in my morning devotions. Now I would never try to force you to accept my moral beliefs in this regard because, as you said, everything is relative and we shouldn’t force our ideas on others. But surely you aren’t going to force on me your belief that it is wrong to steal your stereo, are you?” Moreland looked at him and continued: “You know what I think? I think that you espouse relativism in areas of your life where it’s convenient , say in sexual morality, or in areas about which you do not care, but when it comes to someone stealing your stereo or criticizing your own moral hobbyhorses, I suspect that you become a moral absolutist pretty quickly, don’t you?” The story has a happy ending, for Moreland says, “Believe it or not, the student honestly saw the inconsistency of his behavior and, a few weeks later, I was able to lead him to Jesus Christ.”

Some people want a faith that only requires one hour a week. Some people want a faith that does not require them to give any of their money. Some people want a faith that does not require them to change their behavior.  Some people want a faith that does not require them to do anything but come and sit on Sunday.

Notice the use of the plural personal pronoun “us“. Notice what the people said “make us gods who will go before us”; “this fellow Moses who brought us”; “These are your gods”. (NIV) These people wanted a comfortable, convenient god they could control because they were self focused. Many people want a faith that caters to them.

6)     They had Wrong Stewardship: The people made their god from things they stole from God’s goodness! (32:2a). They took God’s blessings, and surrendered them to a pile for religion.

7)     They offered the Wrong Example: The people got all their families involved in the defilement (32:2b).

What happened when they FORGOT GOD? What were the consequences?

Their choices led to a series of the wrong outcomes (look at verses 6). “Then they rose early on the next day, offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” (NKJV) Notice the outcome as recorded in our text.

  1. The first wrong outcome was empty worship. Aaron “built an altar in front of the calf” (vs. 5 NKJV). Their worship was cold, dead and lifeless. They put the time in, they built the buildings, paved the lots, had the covered dish dinners, but it was all empty. It didn’t work in real life. Listen, God created you and I to have a meaningful relationship with Him. He wants to be in the center of your life, not on the edge. He wants you to find your fulfillment in Him. Idol worship is an empty ritual.

That may be true of much of our worship. Gordon Dahl said, “Most middle-class Americans tend to worship their work, work at their play, and play at their worship.”

2. The second wrong outcome was an inappropriate lifestyle (vs. 6). True worship of God should be a life changing experience. In our text we are told the people could hardly wait until their worship was over so that they could start the party. This was a common theme in the Bible:

a. Amos faced it. “When will the new moon be over, so that we may sell grain, And the Sabbath, that we may trade our wheat? Making the ephah small and the shekel large, falsifying the balances by deceit, that we may buy the poor for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals even sell the bad wheat?’’ Amos 8:5-6 NKJV

b. Jeremiah faced it. “Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to Baal, and walk after other gods whom you do not know, and then come and stand before Me in this house which is called by My name, and say, `We are delivered to do all these abominations’? Jer. 7:9-10 NKJV

3.     A third outcome was surrendering to a lie (32:8). “This is your god!” They cried. But it wasn’t true. They cried louder and louder and sang to each other, but the song (32:18b) was empty! They knew in their hearts it wasn’t true.

Exodus 32:7 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, “Go down at once, for your people, whom you brought up from the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. 8 “They have quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them. They have made for themselves a molten calf, and have worshiped it and have sacrificed to it and said, ‘This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt!’”

4. A final outcome was they stood in the path of the judgment of God (32:9,10). Had it not been for a mediator, Moses (32:12-14), the people would have been crushed.

32:9 The LORD said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, they are an obstinate people. 10 “Now then let Me alone, that My anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them; and I will make of you a great nation.” 11 Then Moses entreated the LORD his God, and said, “O LORD, why does Your anger burn against Your people whom You have brought out from the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 12 “Why should the Egyptians speak, saying, ‘With evil intent He brought them out to kill them in the mountains and to destroy them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your burning anger and change Your mind about doing harm to Your people. 13 “Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants to whom You swore by Yourself, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heavens, and all this land of which I have spoken I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.’”

People who had experienced the most profound outward display of God defected from walking with Him for one reason – they forgot God. They forgot WHO God is and WHOSE they were. For it they paid the price that anyone will pay if they don’t take God seriously. He is not vengeful, and He is not angry – but He is Holy and Just. Would it be right for us to ignore His Word, replace His person in our hearts with another, and still act as though we were OK?

If we forget Who God is, and what He wants to be in our lives, we lose our way completely!

1 Samuel 18:1-4; 19:1-7; 20:1-20 "The Portrait Hall": The Tie That Binds

Today’s portrait is of two young men, bound with a self made rope of friendship that kept them tied to each other. What worked in their relationship, will work in any that you would forge with another person!

Key Principle: Relationships require deliberate binding and maintenance based on specific Biblical principles!

Right after killing Goliath (18:1ff), David spoke with Saul about his family. Leaving the King, he spent some time with Jonathan.

From that moment, Jonathan built a friendship with David:

1)       Connection: Jonathan’s soul (nephesh) was “knit” together (kawshar: bind or tie) with David (18:1).

2)       Time: Saul wouldn’t let David return, so Jonathan had TIME with David (18:2).

3)       Purpose: Together, they “cut a covenant” or made a binding agreement of goals based on admiration and love (18:3).

4)       Sharing: Jonathan humbled the house of the king and offered David all of the symbols of his princely power (18:4).

5)       Protection: When Saul sought out of jealousy to kill David, Jonathan’s commitment to David became action, and he told David to hide himself (19:1-2).

6)       Defense: Jonathan reasoned with his father to logically defend his friend, and show Saul that he was overtaken in jealousy (19:3-5).

7)       Reconciliation: Jonathan recognized the opportunity to bind together a broken relationship between Saul and David, so he brought them together (19:6,7).

8)       Honesty: Jonathan and David could talk about any problem, and work toward a solution. When David was on the run, he pleaded with Jonathan from his hurt, “What have I done?” (20:1).

9)       Helpfulness: Jonathan believed that Saul would not act against David without first speaking to Jonathan about it (20:2). David was not so confident, and openly asked for Jonathan’s aid in sounding out Saul (20:3-16).

10)   Selflessness: Jonathan honored David and his needs above his own, even though he was a prince. He became selfless and honored what his friend needed.

Relationships require deliberate binding and maintenance based on specific Biblical principles!

1 Samuel 17 "The Portrait Hall": The Shepherd Warrior

David was “a man after God’s own heart” according to the Scripture. His life and troubles have become an inspirational primer for believers for generations. Did David have some quality none of the rest of us have? Was he made with a better connection with God? How can I have a walk like his?

Key Principle: You cannot see faith through fear, nor fear through faith. We must learn HOW to look at the circumstances in front of us!

The Background:

There is an immense statue at the end of the long hall of the Gelleria del Academia in Florence that holds one of the most remarkable and stunning sculptures ever produced. Michelangelo’s “David” stands nearly 18 feet tall, with eyes that are both compassionate and fierce. He holds a sling in his huge hands. It was right to sculpt him in immense proportion, for he was certainly one of the “giants” of the Bible. You stand with him in the presence of greatness. There are some things you should know of David though:

  1. The sculpture took four years to carve from the mass of marble, because the marble piece was flawed when it arrived from the quarry: It is an illustration, that although David was a giant among men, he was literally born with a flaw.
  1. He was the youngest of ten – eight boys and two girls – and likely born very late in Jesse’s life (cp. 1 Sam 17:12). I believe there is ample evidence from the Scripture that he was unplanned, perhaps unwanted, and certainly not highly regarded by his father. He grew up lonely!
  1. Despite his lonely background, God had great plans for this youth. Abraham’s story takes 14 chapters of the Bible, Joseph another 14 chapters, Elijah has but ten. David’s story captures 62 chapters of the text! There is not NT author that referred to a man of the Hebrew Scriptures in more detail, as David is mentioned 60 times!
  1. David possessed a special quality throughout his life. It was not a massive strength, rather it was a deep spiritual sensitivity toward God that ran throughout his life. Note Psalm 18:70-72. Look at the words! They remind us of some of the basic patterns that are developed in life that set a child on a path to please God. 1) a servant’s spirit; 2) faithful in small things; 3) gentle and caring; 4) able to be entrusted with greatness; 5) clean and developed heart for God; 6) skilled and experienced hands!

The Problem (17:1-3)

Eli died, his sons were killed in disobedience. Samuel was aged and his sons lacked the heart to lead the people for God. A king was chosen, but by now God had grown weary of Saul’s instability. Saul had been told of the end of his kingdom (1 Sam. 15:27-28) and the words burned his ears.

When the leader (Saul) was spiritually unstable, the enemy attacked the flock, entering the place of their fruitfulness and taking it away (17:1). The people went out to defend their land, and the sides were drawn (17:2-3).

The Challenge (17:4-39)

 1. The enemy possessed a terrifying weapon (17:4-11).

  • He was in stature over 9 feet tall (stature seemed to impress the people of the time, see the choosing of Saul (1 Sam. 9:2) and with Eliab ben Jesse (1 Sam. 16:6). Since they were clearly geared to be impressed by this, the enemy used it! (17:4).
  • The weapon was well defended and impenetrable – his coat weighed about 125 lbs.- probably David’s total weight! (17:5).
  • He was equipped with protection of the vulnerable areas of his legs, and he possessed two marvelous offensive weapons: a javelin perched on his back and a huge weighted spear (17:6-7).
  • He had a shield bearer that walked before him into battle to carry his shield (17:8).
  • His pride and self assured nature showed in his challenge: “Beat me and we will all serve Saul!” (17:9-11).

 2. Israel stood in dismay for forty days (17:12-31).

 3. God provided encouragement and rescue from an unlikely source. David was not sent to the battle to fight, but to supply his brothers and bring back news (17:12-15).

It is worth stopping here to ask a question: “Had God forgotten David?” Is God aware of where you are and when He will use you? YES, Do the work of a servant and God will call on you at the time of His choosing! Note Isaiah 49:15, “Can a mother forget her nursing infant and not care? They may forget, but I will not! You are inscribed on my palm and your ways, your defense, your care, it is ever in front of Me.” After David was anointed he want back to the FLOCK (1 Sam 16:19). We would have been getting fitted for a crown or getting new business cards, KING ELECT.

  1. The time grew long and there was a need for provisions (17:16-20).

David took the five gallon sack of grain and ten loaves and ten cuts of cheese to the men as instructed. Before he left, he made sure the sheep were tended to, as he met his responsibilities.

  • David came and observed the situation and questioned what he saw (17:21-31).
  1. David is the only one on the scene who reminds the people that God is their God (26).
  2. David suffered the insults of the older brother Eliab, and David did not allow himself to be tied up in the war of words (28,29).

 3. David offered help (17:32-39).

  • David offered but was dismissed as an incapable youth (17:32-33).
  • David responds with stories of what God did through him in the past (17:34-37).

It is worth noting at this point that David’s courage to stand in this incredible moment of testing was forged in his time with the sheep! He was out of sight in solitude, obscurity, monotony, reality and was carefully learning the lessons of becoming a great warrior and king! God uses the mundane to teach the profound lesson. Don’t kick against the “normal” day. DAVID LEARNED TO BE HEROIC WHEN NO ONE ELSE WAS WATCHING!

  • Saul tried to put his armor on David (something God would do later when he made David king of Israel) but David could not wear it (17:38-39). Note here that we need our own lessons in our walk with God. We cannot wear another’s fitted protection.

The Deliverance (17:40-54)

Remember, we cannot see faith through fear, nor fear through faith. We must learn HOW to look at the circumstances in front of us!

A couple observations:

  1. God wants us to get ready to be used in incredible and surprising ways – Be ready!
  2. God’s solutions are often overlooked, but are usually simply and require submission to Him and sensitivity to His leading!
  3. God teaches the profound through the ordinary and often is doing His greatest work in us when we are utterly unaware of the work. David learned to KING IT with the sheep, and awaited 12 years between his anointing and coronation.
  4. Things done to bring a greater testimony to the Lord will receive His special aid and boost! Things done to help us will perish! (17:45-47).

1 Samuel 16:14-23 "The Portrait Hall": High Contrast Kings

Can you tell if someone is walking with God? The truth is, yes! There is a marked difference in many areas of the life of an obedient believer from someone who is not. The hard ones to tell the difference in are the unbelievers and those who know God, but aren’t following Him. Today we will look at a “high contrast” portrait of two men.

Key Principle: The heart shows on the face and in the life. Some think they can hide in hypocrisy but, their disobedience will show!

How Disobedience Shows Itself:

  1. Loss of empowering to do God-given tasks – a deep sense of going through the motions (16:14a).
  2. Opening the door to demonic attacks that will tear you up (16:14b; James 1:13-15, 3:7-8; 1 Peter 5:8). Does God cause the attack? No, but ultimately the one in charge gets the blame (as in Pres. Bush and Abu Ghraib prison).
  3. Change in countenance – others CAN see it. (16:15a).
  4. Open to unbiblical solutions – pragmatic, temporary and sometimes anesthetizing (16:15b-17).

How Obedience Shows Itself:

  1. Discipline to Learn and Grow (16:18a).
  2. Reputation (Testimony) of Character and Stability (16:18b).
  3. Accomplished at Communication – Remember, God is relational; damaged emotionally are often very guarded (16:18b).
  4. Shows in Countenance (16:18b).
  5. Empowered to accomplish what God has called you to do (16:18b; John 15:7-11).
  6. Under authority – takes direction (16:19-20).
  7. Likeability – affable (16:21a).
  8. Often advanced to position of Likeability (16:22).
  9. Effective and helpful (16:23).

Remember, the heart shows on the face and in the life. Obedience in your heart to God makes an impression on your face and life that others will notice!