Tag Archives: David

8 BY THE WAY…ONE THING

Christian Life, ,

There are three people and three occasions when the expression, “One thing” is used in Scripture. Three people…these are the most illustrious, the most well known of all the people in Scripture…

David…the model king and forerunner of Jesus, Israel’s final and eternal king. David was the human ancestor of the Messiah, who was born of David’s human dynasty…Jesus, the son of David. 

“One thing”… When did David speak these words? He wrote them as an expression of desire and purpose in one of his most beautiful psalms…a prayer to which God responded…and will always respond. 

“The one thing I ask of the Lord— the thing I seek most— is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in his Temple.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭27‬:‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This prayer has an answer and a sequel which I will explain in a moment. 

The Hebrew words David used to express his longing give us the breadth of his idea. He wanted to sit down, to settle in God’s house…the place where God lived…to gaze at and contemplate God’s splendour with delight…and to (“plough”, literally) inspect the capacity of His palace or temple. 

David’s desire might have been to remain forever in the place where he met God…but the temple had not yet been built…and the tabernacle was in Shiloh, not in Jerusalem… so David had set up tent of worship in his home city, Jerusalem. I think that what he really wanted was to be in God’s presence, to be aware of Him, always, wherever he was. 

At this point in the history of God’s people, His presence, in their understanding, was confined to a place…the tabernacle in the wilderness…then in Shiloh… and, eventually, the temple in Jerusalem. 

God’s answer came in a simple invitation…

“My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭27‬:‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

David was to learn that God’s presence was not in a place but wherever he was, a breath and a call away, not someone he could see but someone whose voice he could hear. 

“Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭139‬:‭7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The second time this expression was used was in the mouth of Jesus Himself…an accolade to Mary of Bethany. Martha, the older sister, was resentful towards Mary, demanding Mary’s presence in the kitchen while Mary had chosen to sit at Jesus’ feet.  

Jesus’ rebuke was kind, gentle, but telling. “Many things, Martha…you have chosen to give your attention to many things…distractions…ordinary things. Mary has chosen one thing!”  

What was the difference? Martha’s attention was split among many things.  Mary’s was focused on the one thing that mattered. Did this mean that Mary would do only one thing her whole life? No! This meant that Mary would build her whole life around one thing. 

However, Mary had one lesson to learn before she could offer her devotion to Jesus completely, without strings attached. 

Fast forward to another scene in Bethany. Lazarus was dead. Mary was devastated, disillusioned, her faith in Jesus utterly destroyed. The one on whom she had pinned all her hopes had failed her. He didn’t come in time to save her brother. 

Her rebuke was loaded with accusation.  

“When Mary arrived and saw Jesus, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

‭‭John‬ ‭11‬:‭32‬ ‭NLT‬‬

…the same words as Martha had used but uttered from a broken heart. 

Jesus wept, His heart bleeding for the woman who had lost her “one thing” before He could finish what He had started. She had not yet learned to trust Jesus for who He was, not for what she wanted. 

Now look at “the Mary” after Lazarus was given back to her, alive and well…her “one thing” confirmed and sealed. 

“Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance.”

‭‭John‬ ‭12‬:‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

…not the odour of death and loss but the fragrance of pure devotion. 

Mary was His forever, pouring out her best on Him…unconditionally bound to Him by a faith that could never again be shaken. 

The third “one thing”…the one that completes our understanding of where the “one thing” must land…comes from the pen of Paul…

“No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.”

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭3‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“The end of the race”…”the heavenly prize “…the language of the Olympic Games…not a laurel wreath but a crown…crowned.with righteousness…the new nature…a new image…a perfected identity…a replica of Jesus Himself

In John’s language…

“Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is.”

‭‭1 John‬ ‭3‬:‭2‬ ‭NLT

 There three “one things” are going somewhere. David wanted to gaze. Mary wanted to sit. Paul chose to strive…to reach the goal.  They all wanted to land at the same place…the image of Jesus…and the process was the same…being in the presence of Jesus. 

“And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭3‬:‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Gazing…contemplating…the key to being transformed…becoming…full circle…everything that God intended for His sons and daughters to be from the beginning…just like Jesus. 

A NEEDY PEOPLE

Christian Life, ,

Despite our arrogant self-sufficiency, we are a needy people, like an animal needs air and a fish needs water.

Psalms 40:17 NLT
[17] As for me, since I am poor and needy, let the Lord keep me in his thoughts. You are my helper and my savior. O my God, do not delay.

David, King David, favoured by God, the model king of Israel, the king against whom all other kings of Judah were measured…this David…saw himself as poor and needy. How did he reach this diagnosis? He measured himself, not by other people or even by his own achievements or his standard of righteousness, but by God Himself.

Despite his status as king in Israel, David knew that he was as ordinary as any other person. His office as king did not make him better, more righteous, or holier that his fellow Israelites. He was just as capable of sinning as the next person.

As he mused over the wonders of the night sky, David viewed himself and all humans as infinitely small and yet of great significance in God’s creation.

Psalms 8:3-4 NLT
[3] “When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers— the moon and the stars you set in place— [4] what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?”

What produced this attitude of humility in this man?

First, David knew himself. He didn’t entertain grandiose notions of who he was. He was the youngest son of his father, Jesse, an ordinary citizen in Israel. He was only a shepherd, an outdoor boy who spent his days caring for his father’s sheep. They were not even his own sheep.

He was not self-appointed; God chose him to be king and Samuel, God’s prophet anointed him for his role.

Psalms 78:70-71 NLT
[70] “He chose his servant David, calling him from the sheep pens. [71] He took David from tending the ewes and lambs and made him the shepherd of Jacob’s descendants— God’s own people, Israel.”

1 Samuel 16:13 NLT
[12] [13]”So as David stood there among his brothers, Samuel took the flask of olive oil he had brought and anointed David with the oil. And the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David from that day on. Then Samuel returned to Ramah.”

David had every reason to be proud and elevated above his fellow-Isaelites. As little as he was to begin with, he became great by his godly and faithful life… and yet, he recognised his own state before God.

For years he had fled from King Saul’s murderous intentions. There were moments when he was only a hair’s breadth from death. He lived as a fugitive with a group loyal men who depended on him for leadership and provision. These were years of training during which he learned to depend on God. He had no fixed home or source of supply apart from the Lord.

David also had experience of his own inner rottenness. His fall into gross sin awakened him to his potential for evil. How else could he conclude…

Psalms 51:5 NLT
[5] “For I was born a sinner— yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.”

He knew that, by his own efforts, he could never change who he was. He could only cast himself on God’s mercy to forgive and restore.

Psalms 51:1-2 NLT
[1] “Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. [2] Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin.”

Psalms 32:1-2 NLT
[1] “Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! [2] Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty!”

David exulted in his experience of God’s grace. He could never forget, king though he was, that he had fallen from his pedestal, and tasted the bitterness of guilt, betrayal, and alienation from his God. He also knew the joy of forgiveness, cleansing, and restoration.

Second, David knew God. His utter dependence on the Lord taught him to trust in a powerful and faithful God. All his experiences as a young boy, a young man, and an elevated king, led him to believe in and trust a God who always met his needs. How else could he have penned the words of Psalm 103?

Psalms 103:2 NLT
[2] “Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me.”

This psalm is an expression of David’s true place before God. Forgiveness, provision, grace, mercy, patience, covenant love… all this and more formed his experience of the God he so fervently worshiped.

Without God, David was nothing. Everything he was, everything he had, and everything he experienced had God slap bang in the centre. It’s no wonder he could confess, with absolute honesty and conviction,

Psalms 40:16-17 NIV
[16] “… May all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who long for your saving help always say, “The Lord is great!” [17] But as for me, I am poor and needy; may the Lord think of me. You are my help and my deliverer; you are my God, do not delay.”

Why are we also poor and needy?

Like David, we were born sinners, and can do nothing to save ourselves from self destruction. Like David, we need God’s forgiveness and grace to overcome our sinful ways. And, like David, we are dependent on the Lord for everything in life, no matter how important or self-sufficient we think we are are, even for the air we breathe.

Jesus said, “Without me you can do nothing.”

What if we also, whatever our station in lfe, whatever our achievements, successes or failures, were to stand beside David in his conviction, and confess with him,

” But as for me, I am poor and needy; may the Lord think of me… “

THREE A’S TO ACHIEVE ONE THING

Christian Life, ,

People in the world run after different goals in life but all their goals move towards one thing…money. We can probably sum up their goals by two aspirations, to be wealthy, successful, or both.

How does the world measure up to the Bible’s ideal?

We must always look for God’s way outside of money and success which are part of this world and it’s philosophy and ideals
… temporal, temporary, and transient.

‭1 John 2:15-17 NLT‬
[15] “Do not love this world or the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. [16] For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. [17]And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.”

There is another side to life, here and now, that few find because these aspirations belong to those who view their lives from a different perspective. Those who live only for this life give no thought to the next. Those who live for God use this life to prepare for the next.

‭Psalms 27:8 NIV‬
[8] “My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, Lord, I will seek.”

  1. David’s Aspiration – to be in His presence in the temple.

David longed to be permanently in God’s presence, to see His beauty and experience the wonder of being with Him.

‭Psalms 27:4 NLT‬
[4] “The one thing I ask of the Lord— the thing I seek most— is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in his Temple.”

David was tired of being a fugitive, always dodging King Saul’s murderous intention. In God’s presence he would be safe, out of reach though not out of sight. There he would be free to contemplate the wonders of the God he worshiped without having constantly to look over his shoulder for danger.

  1. Mary’s Action – to be in His presence at His feet.

Mary, out of all who fellowshipped with Jesus, chose an action that set her apart from all others. She was, as a woman, barred her from sitting among the men. Her place was with Martha in the kitchen.

But…

‭Luke 10:38-39 NLT‬
[38] “As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. [39] Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught.”

Martha was incensed. Why didn’t Jesus rebuke Mary and send her to the place where she belonged? Didn’t she know that her culture forbade her to be with the men?

Yet, Jesus commended her action…

‭Luke 10:41-42 NLT‬
[41] “But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! [42] There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Mary chose one thing, above all else, in her disregard for protocol. Her action confirmed her intent, to be at His feet, in His presence, listening and learning from the Master Rabbi…

And Jesus approved.

  1. Paul’s Ambition – to be with Him and in Him forever.

Paul’s ambition takes us to the heart of the ‘one thing’. Setting aside all other goals as earthly and irrelevant, Paul set his sights on one thing.

‭Philippians 3:13-14 NLT‬
[13] “No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, [14] I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.”

Paul had much on his mind as he worked hard to fulfill his calling. Taking the good news of Jesus to a pagan world was no easy task. He had to contend with vicious opposition as well as with churches full of people raised in paganism with its ungodly ways. His role was to teach them the way of truth.

In and above all these concerns was the ‘one thing’ that motivated and guided all Paul’s actions and reactions. This ‘one thing’ was a prize so valuable that it kept him on track through every experience, good and bad. He never let the goal out of his sight, no matter what happened to him in a world opposed to God and His Word.

When he wobbled, God’s grace steadied him.

‭2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV‬
[9] “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”

Paul knew he would always be striving towards the goal in this life.

‭Philippians 3:13-14 NLT‬
[13] “No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, [14] I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.”

Every struggle was an opportunity to gain ground on his way to the prize.

He set aside earthly, religious, and personal achievements as nothing compared with what awaited him at the end of his journey.

‭Philippians 3:7-9 NLT‬
[7″I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. [8] Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ [9] and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith.”

‭2 Timothy 4:6-8 NLT‬
[6]”As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. [7] I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. [8] And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.”

‭What was the ‘crown of righteousness’ towards which Paul struggled with determined purpose? He used different ways to describe his goal, but they all lead to one thing. We could say he meant ‘crowned with the righteousness’ he had received from Christ by faith when he had abandoned his own righteousness by trying to keep the law. Christ’s righteousness gave him right standing with God and access to the grace that gave him the power to do the right thing.

John puts the same goal simply…

‭‭1 John 3:2 NLT‬
[2]” Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is.”

This goal towards which God’s children are moving, consciously or unconsciously, requires that we do one thing.

‭1 John 3:3 NLT‬
[3]”And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure.”

So, God is at work in us. As we work with Him, trusting Him in the ‘all things’ that He is working for our good, something is happening inside.

‭Romans 8:28-29 NLT‬
[28]”And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. [29] For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.”

It’s this goal, becoming like Jesus, the only goal worth pursuing with all our energy, that will achieve man’s chief end, “to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.” (Westminster Catechism)

THE GOSPEL OF MARK – THE SABBATH, RULES OR REST?

Bible Study, ,

THE SABBATH, RULES OR REST?

23 One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grain-fields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain. 24 The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”

25 He answered, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? 26 In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.”ose

27 Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” Mark 2:23-28

Because of the waywardness and hardness of the human heart, God gave them His “ketubah” – His marriage covenant, expressed in the ten commandments, to establish the boundaries of acceptable behaviour so the His people would know how to protect and promote love in their communities… The Sabbath was part of the ketubah, teaching them that they needed a day of rest, including their servants, the aliens who lived among them, and their animals. Their value as humans lay, not in what they could produce, but in who they were, God’s children created in His image.

The Pharisees had become so fanatical about Sabbath observance for its own sake that they had forgotten its purpose, turning law-keeping on its head. Now they were serving the Sabbath; the Sabbath had become a slave-driver. They attacked Jesus every time He expressed God’s compassion on the Sabbath by bringing heaven to earth. Since the gift of the Sabbath was the expression of God’s love for His people, providing them with a regular rest-day so that they could pause every week to re-connect with one another and with God, it was intended to serve them and not the other way around.

But the Pharisees had got it all wrong. The Sabbath was about God loving them, not God regimenting them. God’s case against them in the past was that they ignored the Sabbath to serve themselves, and not because they showed mercy to those who needed it on the Sabbath. They actually insulted God by flinging His gift back in His face.

How did Jesus keep the Sabbath? He attended the synagogue for prayer and instruction in the Word. He had compassion on whoever needed Him, healing individuals who crossed His pathway. He did not deliberately go out to violate the Sabbath but neither did He ignore need nor dodge an opportunity to show mercy. Most of all, He fulfilled the Sabbath through His death and resurrection, inviting anyone who wanted to, to enter His rest by believing in Him. Sabbath is not a slave-driver to beat on us, but a permanent state to experience and enjoy because Jesus had opened the door for us to rest.

THE GOSPEL OF MARK – LORD OF THE SABBATH

Bible Study, ,

LORD OF THE SABBATH

23 One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grain fields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain. 24 The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”

25 He answered, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? 26 In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.”

27 Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” Mark 2:23-28

Why was their “Sabbath” issue such a big one for the Pharisees? Like a dog with a bone, they relentlessly “gnawed at” Jesus on this one because, although it was never a big deal to Him, it was here that He “failed” in their eyes time and again.

Behind their controversy with Him lay two fundamentally opposite life philosophies: they were trying to protect their “righteousness” which was “you shall not…” while Jesus practised His righteousness which was doing whatever was needed to protect and promote love. Jesus was more concerned about meeting the needs of others than fastidiously “keeping” the law which was a sterile and fruitless way to live.

The law-keeping practices of the Pharisees were both fear and pride-motivated because they did not understand the heart of the Father. Their history had taken them into judgment and suffering, not so much because they had failed to keep the letter of the law, although this was the expression of their failure, but because they had walked over the two great commandments, “Love the Lord your God…and your neighbour…” They had failed to protect and promote love. Now their descendants were trapped in a religious system of their own making, kept in place by fear and pride because their “achievement” in keeping the law protected them from God’s judgment, so they thought.

By contrast, Jesus used every opportunity to promote love. He served, healed, taught, loved, gave and ministered wherever He could to whoever He could just because He could, to reveal the Father’s love and compassion wherever He went. He had no reason to try to “protect” His own righteousness because His righteousness was to do what the Father wanted, not what He wanted. The right thing was to meet the needs of others at His expense.