Month: December 2023

1 Chronicles 14:10, 14 And David enquired of God, saying,, Shall I go up against the Philistines? And wilt thou deliver them into mine hand? And the Lord said unto him, Go up for I will deliver them into thine hand….Therefore David enquired again of God; and God said unto him, Go not up after them; turn away from them, and come upon them over against the mulberry trees.

Twice the Philistine army came up against David to attack. Both times David inquired of God whether he should go up against them or not. The first time God said, “Go up;” The second time He said, “Go not up.” But wait by the mulberry trees, and when you hear a sound of going in the tops of the mulberry trees, then you shall go up. Both times the Lord delivered them and gave them a victory. The “sound of going” was the sign that the angels of God were advancing ahead, and then Israel could follow and smite the Philistines. God was going before them.

Both times David inquired of God. This kind of asking and then trusting was a hallmark of David’s career as warrior and king. We can see this same attitude in the Psalms of David: pray and believe. God promises to lead, guide, direct, and shepherd His children through all the issues of life as problems arise. We ask for guidance on the larger decisions in our life; on the smaller issues we may not specifically ask for guidance, but we are always aware of God’s presence and guidance in all matters. Indeed, we pray without ceasing, we pray daily for the Lord to be with us, and we continually trust Him to care for us and grant victories when struggles arise. Constant prayer and continual trust defines the life of the Christian. And, like David after God’s heart, we go from victory unto victory. The good news: sin, Satan, and death always lose; the Lord goes ahead of us and Jesus, forgiveness, and life always wins.

1 Chronicles 13:8 And David and all Israel played before God with all their might, and with singing, and with harps, and with psalteries, and with timbrels, and with cymbals, and with trumpets.

When there was relative peace in the land and great joy in Israel and David anointed king, David led the charge to bring back the Ark of God to Jerusalem. The coming of God caused such great joy among the people that they erupted in spontaneous celebration, making music, singing, and dancing before the Lord with all their might. The people followed David’s lead in excitement, merry-making, and rejoicing in the Lord. All of this was in joyful response to the coming of the Presence of God into their midst. It was as if the Lord is coming into the hearts and minds of His redeemed people.

We experience a similar unrestrained joy at Christmastime with the making of music and the singing of carols. Why? Because the Lord God Almighty is coming to us with love, mercy, forgiveness, and salvation in the person of the man, Jesus. Christmas music and singing is our grateful response to the coming of God into our earthly lives and into our hearts with His Life and Love. Jesus is our Christmas Joy, and when we hear the Good News of Great Joy exuberance is the appropriate faith response.

1 Chronicles 12:1, 38 Now these are they that came to David to Ziklag, while he yet kept himself close because of Saul the son of Kish: and they were among the mighty men, helpers of the war….All these men of war, that could keep rank, came with a perfect heart to Hebron, to make David king over all Israel: and all the rest also of Israel were of one heart to make David king.

Over 300,000 troops from all over Israel came to David with a single purpose: to show overwhelming support for David and make him king. God had drawn these men together and had focused their energy on a single purpose, and they were all of one heart and one mind. The Lord had made a covenant promise to David that from his seed there would come a Son of David, who would rule the Kingdom of God forever. He would be Son of God and Son of Man, the promised Messiah, the Savior of the world.

To make this happen and keep His promise God moved the hearts of the men of Israel to come to David with a single-minded purpose. David was a great man, a successful Warrior and King, but his primary quality was that he was a man after God’s heart. This is what made him a great king and drew the people to him; his charisma was God-given, not self-made.

When churches and Christian organizations rally around a common purpose and are of one mind, the Lord can lead them to fulfill His purpose and plan. It helps us in our own lives when we focus our energy and resources on a single purpose, and not be scattered in many directions. Jesus told Martha she was “anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary.” “Seek first the kingdom!”

1 Chronicles 11:18, 19 And the three brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: but David would not drink of it, but poured it out to the Lord, And said, My God forbid it me, that I should do this thing: shall I drink the blood of these men that have put their lives in jeopardy? For with the jeopardy of their lives they brought it. Therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mightiest.

David was with his mighty men at the cave of Adullam while the Philistine army guarded Bethlehem. David yearned for a drink from the well of Bethlehem. The three mighty men took his wish as their command, and they broke through the enemy lines, putting their lives in jeopardy, to draw water from the heavily guarded well. David was so moved by their bravery and loyalty that he poured out the water as a drink offering to the Lord. He was not worthy of such selfless service, but God only is worthy. He recognized that their loyalty to him was inspired by their devotion to God.

Luther says, “God does need our service, but others do. So how do we serve God? By serving others.” This little story brilliantly exhibits the Christian life: out of faith and thankfulness for God’s grace and salvation we respond with self-sacrificing service to others, as if God is in the other person. “Inasmuch as ye have done it to one of the least of these my brethren ye have done it unto me.” As an encouragement to live a life of service (practical love) Jesus says, “He who gives a cup of cold water to one of these little ones shall not lose his reward.”

Christians respond by putting aside their own interest to serve others, even doing an act of kindness that involves giving up some comfort and convenience for self. We may not be putting our lives in danger, but we do give up time and effort for the good of others. Romans 12:10, “Outdo one another in showing honor.”

1 Chronicles 10:13-14 So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against, even against the word of the Lord, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to enquire of it; And enquired not of the Lord: therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse.

The Chronicler begins his historical narrative with the death of Saul. Saul committed suicide, falling on his sword when losing the battle against the Philistines. The Biblical writer says Saul fell on his sword, but then he says here, “The Lord slew him.” Although Saul killed himself, the Word says God did it. How so? God allowed sin, pride, and unbelief to finish its course, which is death.

The essential reason for Saul’s defeat and death was unbelief. He did not believe God, and he did not inquire of the Lord or seek His word. The evidence of his unbelief was that he inquired of one that had a familiar spirit; he sought out the witch of Endor and asked the counsel of demons. This was the transgression, the final straw, that followed a life of sin against God and violent unbelief. In the end God found a man after His own heart.

We learn the Biblical truth that every sin, every unbelieving thought, brings death, separation from God, while faith, every believing thought, brings life, eternal union with God. We all have a Saul and a David within us, so we nurture and grow the faith and life in us granted by the Spirit through the Gospel.

1 Chronicles 5:25 And they transgressed against the God of their fathers, and went a whoring after the gods of the people of the land, whom God destroyed before them.

The Lord had just given Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh victory over the inhabitants of the land God gave them to occupy. But the next we hear is that they transgressed against God and went a whoring after the gods of the land. They had just cried to God in battle and He gave them victory. And now that they were settled in and comfortable, they sinned against God by committing spiritual adultery.

The warning for us is to be extra thoughtful and careful for our spiritual faith when things are going well and we are settled and comfortable. In the midst of struggles we turn to the Lord and seek His help, but when things are at peace we tend to forget God and turn away. We need to hear the truths of God’s Word and remember we are always sinners who need God all the time, in good times and in bad. Hearing words of Law and Gospel keeps us mindful of our constant need for the Lord. We are always sinners who need the Gospel. False gods do not stop their temptations to lead us to forget God. Since things will always be present to lead us to ignore God, whether war or peace, we need continual reminders of Grace and Life.

2 Kings 24:1, 20 In his days Nebuchnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant three years: then he turned and rebelled against him….For through the anger of the Lord it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, until he had cast them out of his presence, that Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

After the good king Josiah reigned, the kingdom of Judah deteriorated rapidly just as the Lord prophesied. The curses of the covenant came into effect, the people were exiled, Judah destroyed, Jerusalem leveled, and the temple demolished. Three times in successive waves the King of Babylon came up and exiled some and then all of the people.

First, Jehoiakim rebelled against Nebuchnezzar and the Lord sent armed bands against Judah to destroy it. Second, Jehoiachin ruled Judah and he along with the elite and wealthy of Jerusalem were taken to Babylon in exile. Third and finally, Zedekiah, the ruler whom Nebuchadnezzar set up, rebelled against the king of Babylon and he ended up destroying everything.

All of this written as though God did it all, using Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian armies to bring His judgment against Judah as prophesied. The immediate, the human, cause of the destruction and exile is given as the rebellion of two of the three kings. But real cause, the spiritual reason, is given as the sin, idolatry, unbelief, and rebellion of God’s people against the one true God. This judgment had been warned about by Moses and the Prophets many times.

Political rebellion was the human cause of the destruction of the Kingdom and the Temple, but spiritual rebellion was the divine cause of the judgment and the exile. It is fairly easy for human writers and historians to analyze cause and effect in earthly history, but we need God’s revelation to see the real cause and effect relationship of events. This revelation of Law and Gospel in Scripture is what we really need to bring about repentance instead of rebellion. We are saved by grace through faith.

2 Kings 22:11, 19 And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent his clothes….Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the Lord, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before me, I also have heard thee, saith the Lord.

During the repairs to the temple, a scroll had been found. They brought it to king Josiah and read it to him. It was most likely the Book of Deuteronomy, or at least a part of it. He heard these words of Moses (the Word of God), and he was convicted of the gross sin of the people and the neglect of God’s Word. As a result, he humbled himself before the Lord, tore his clothes as an outward sign of inward repentance, and wept before the Lord because of the egregious sin of the people. Therefore, he would die in peace before the Lord brings evil upon this place.

Josiah realized that the kingdom had neglected God’s Word, the Law of Moses as written in Deuteronomy, and when he heard the Word it brought him to sorrowful repentance and a humble seeking of Mercy. God blessed Josiah and stayed the judgment.

The Word of God is powerful to bring about the same response in us: repentance and faith. The Holy Spirit uses the word of Law and Gospel to convict us of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment. We respond to the Word and the Spirit by tearing our clothes (repenting), humbling our self (glorifying God), and begging mercy for the sake of Jesus Christ. He forgives and saves.

2 Kings 22:2 And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in all the way of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left.

Josiah, along with Hezekiah, was the best of the kings of Israel and Judah. He was faithful and true to God and His Word. He gathered offerings from the people to repair and restore the temple and its worship of the Lord alone. He not only heard the Word of God again, but he also did what God said. “Blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it.” Hearing and doing the Word was all that mattered; it was everything. He turned not aside from the Way. The kingdom of Judah would be destroyed, but as a result of Josiah’s faithfulness it would not happen in his lifetime.

Once we have heard the Gospel and been brought to repentance and saving faith we are put on the Way, which is Jesus Christ. Our grateful response is to steadfastly remain on the only Way to God and not turn aside. We have been given life and we will not let it go at any cost. Single-minded devotion to Jesus and His Word is the expected response of the baptized believer. And by the power of the Holy Spirit we keep the Word and do what He says.

2 Kings 21:2, 9, 16 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, after the abominations of the heathen, whom the Lord cast out before the children of Israel….But they hearkened not: and Manasseh seduced them to do more evil than did the nations whom the Lord destroyed before the children of Israel….Moreover Manasseh shed innocent blood, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another; beside his sin wherewith he made Judah to sin, in doing that was evil in the sight of the Lord.

Manasseh was arguably the most evil of all the kings of Israel and Judah. And it gives one pause when remembering that he was the son of Hezekiah, the best king. He did more evil even than the pagan peoples the Lord rooted out. Not only did he do evil with his idolatry, but he also led the people of Judah to sin.

His atrocities were exemplified by two things he did: 1) he sacrificed his son to pagan gods, and, 2) he shed innocent blood, and tradition says that he had Isaiah the prophet sawn asunder (Hebrews 11:37).

It is hard to imagine a more evil person. However, it demands the belief that I, yes even I, am capable of the same wickedness, but for the grace of God. So I turn to the Lord always.