Author: Calleen Hough

A taste of eternity

“O sing unto the LORD a new song…shew forth his salvation from day to day” (Psalm 96:1). Salvation is only mentioned a few times in the Bible before David became king of Israel. Many personal names contain a form of the word that is translated salvation or yeshuw’ah (yesh – oo´ – aw), such as Joshua, Isaiah, and Jesus which is a Greek form of yeshu’ah (3444). When David speaks of salvation, I believe he is referring to the Messiah. Before David, there was not a focus on God’s eternal plan of salvation, the main focus of the Israelites was getting settled in the Promised Land.

In Psalm 89, it says “I have sworn unto David my servant, thy seed will I stablish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations, Selah” (Psalm 89:3-4). The words for ever signifies eternity. The literal translation of the Hebrew, ad olam, is “into the indefinite future” (5769). The concept of eternity was new in David’s time. People did not talk about life beyond death, their attention was on things that were temporal.

The psalmist goes on to say in Psalm 89:

Then thou spakest in vision to thy Holy one, and saidst, I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I have exalted one chosen out of the people…With whom my hand shall be established; mine arm also shall strengthen him…Also I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth. My mercy will I keep for him evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him. His seed also will I make to endure for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven. (Psalm 89:19, 21, 27-29)

It’s not easy to focus on eternity when you are wrapped up in the day to day activities of life. David had the ability to focus on both at the same time, he saw his accomplishments from an eternal perspective and was able to worship the LORD as if he was already in heaven.

The Hebrew word olam is properly translated as concealed. It represents the vanishing point when we are no longer aware of time. Even though we are currently bound by time, God has given man the ability to live “above time” (i.e. to remember yesterday, plan for tomorrow, and consider abstract principles)” (5769). It takes a conscious effort, but when we show forth God’s salvation from day to day, live in the moment and focus our attention on what is happening now, the awareness of time disappears and we get a taste of eternity.

We all fall down

One way to know if someone is a Christian is if he gets back up after he falls down. It is God’s strength that makes it possible for Christians to rebound from adversity. David said in Psalm 68:35, “The God of Israel is he that giveth strength and power unto his people.”

Some Christians may think that falling down is a bad thing and that God should keep us from falling down, but it is from getting up after we fall down that we gain strength. Life without adversity makes us weak and unable to make progress in our journey through life. The ability to get up after we have been knocked down comes from doing it over and over again.

It is hard to imagine that God plans adversity, actually strategically places it in our pathway so that we will fall down. It seems like cruel and unusual punishment to intentionally trip us up, but it is not the falling down that God takes pleasure in, it is seeing us get up again that makes him happy.

David said, “Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive” (Psalm 68:18). Just as God led the Israelites out of Egypt, he led them into captivity. Even while David enjoyed his moments of glory, he knew there were tough times ahead for Israel. David was aware that God’s plan for his people did not stop with them conquering their enemies in the Promised Land. Their Messiah would come after they had returned from captivity.

The word David used for captivity, sh‘biy (sheb – ee´) indicates being exiled or captured (7628). The word ascended, ‘âlâh (aw – law´) means to go up. “The return from Exile, which was a journey from north to south (Palestine) is described as a ‘going up'” (5927).

Getting up after we fall down is difficult because we know we will fall down again and there is a temptation to think, I might as well stay down and avoid the bumps and bruises. What we have to remember is that our inheritance cannot be enjoyed while we are sitting on the ground. In Psalm 47, it says that we are to “Shout unto God with a voice of triumph” (Psalm 47:1). In order to do that, we have to get up.

The process of death

Psalms 22, 23, & 24 portray the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Most likely these psalms came to David through divine inspiration while he was praying in the spirit. The interesting thing about these psalms is that when you look at them as a collection, a series of passages that fit together as a single message, you can see what the process of death looks like for a believer.

Death is an agonizing experience because our bodies dominate our attention. We are aware of almost everything that happens to our bodies and can feel physical pain to the point where it causes us to pass out. David said in Psalm 22:14, “I am poured out like water, all my bones are out of joint: My heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.”

The vivid description David gave made it clear that Jesus’ experienced excruciating pain when he died on the cross and yet he never passed out or lost consciousness before he died; he was fully aware of the pain in his body. Part of Jesus’ victory over death was the conquest of fear. Death is the ultimate fear for a lot of people. Because Jesus was able to contain his fear during the process of dying, Christians can also and many martyrs have proven that it is possible.

Once the body and soul are separated, the experience we have of life changes. David said in Psalm 23:4, “yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” It is believed that when a Christian dies, he immediately goes into the presence of the Lord. In Jesus’ case, I believe his father came to his side as soon as he breathed his last breath. The journey from Earth to Heaven is a mystery, but it is clear that Christians do not travel alone.

Entering into Heaven is likely to involve the passage through a gate or gates that are designed to contain God’s glory. If God’s blessings, righteousness, and power were not contained, they would overflow the entire universe. David said in Psalm 24:9, “Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.” Jesus unlocked the gates of Heaven. Before him, no man could enter in. When Christians die, they will follow in his footsteps and enter into God’s glory.

Do you really believe?

The Mosaic law was a template for success. David modeled how the law could be used to transform a person’s life into the ideal God intended. What David understood was that he needed salvation. A sacrifice had to be made in order for his sins to be permanently blotted out, erased from God’s record book.

Initially, the law was given to the Israelites as a means of understanding the ways of God. It was delivered to Moses by the hand of God and could be the only document that was a personal communication from the creator of the universe to man.

David said, “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly nor standith in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night” (Psalm 1:1-2). The law or torah in Hebrew, “signifies primarily direction, teaching, instruction” (8451). It wasn’t meant to be a set of rules and regulations. “The law of God is that which points out or indicates His will to man” (8451).

Many people seek the will of God as if it is a mystery, something too difficult for the average person to understand or comprehend. God’s will is plain and simple and can be discovered very easily if you really want to know the truth.

Knowing something and doing it are two different things. Once a person knows the truth, he must act on it. The key to action is trust. David said, “Blessed are all they that put their trust in him” (Psalm 2:12). David was speaking of the Son or heir to his throne, the Messiah that would one day rule over all of God’s kingdom. Christ fulfilled the law by completing God’s plan of salvation. When we put our trust in him, we are saved.

David said, “He that doeth these things shall never be moved” (Psalm 15:5). David was talking about the man that speaks truth in his heart. What David meant was being consistent in what you do and what you say you believe. Our beliefs and actions are always consistent, but sometimes we say we believe something and our actions prove otherwise. When our actions are aligned with God’s law, his will for our lives, we will be blessed, but more important than that, we will not waver in doing what God asks us to do. Jesus believed he was the savior of the world and his death on the cross proved it.

Shared responsibility

“These also are the chief of the mighty men whom David had, who strengthened themselves with him in his kingdom” (1 Chronicles 11:10). Initially when the Israelites entered the Promised Land, their victories over their enemies were miraculous. Beginning with the conquest of Jericho, God did mighty acts on their behalf to ensure they would survive in the land of Canaan.

After David became king, he established a military structure that would enable him to not only defend and protect the areas of the Promised Land that the Israelites controlled, but to root out the remaining foreigners and secure the borders of the Promised Land so that it could operate as a unified nation. David’s mighty men were seasoned warriors that had excelled on the battlefield. They had reputations that struck fear into the hearts of their enemies and made it clear that Israel intended to permanently dwell in the land they had inherited from God.

Synergy was probably not a concept David was familiar with and yet he used it to manage his army. David had thirty captains and of those he chose the three mightiest as chiefs or heads of his military. A single chief would have made the chain of command clear as to who was in charge, but David elected to distribute his authority among three men that would have shared responsibility and accountability for the military’s success.

David’s decision to have three leaders rather than one is similar to what Jesus did with his disciples. James, John, and Peter were often singled out collectively rather than individually. After Jesus died, there was no single leader of the church. Although Peter had a prominent role in transitioning the disciples, he was not considered their leader and did not try to take Jesus’ place as the director of their activities.

A key advantage of shared responsibility is the assurance that if a leader is killed, there will be continuity after he is gone. When responsibility rests on the shoulders of one man, power and control can be taken away or lost if anything happens to him. David wanted to make sure his kingdom would survive for many generations. The fact that the nation of Israel still exists today is confirmation that David laid a good foundation for military leadership and paved the way for Israel to exist in the midst of hostile enemies.

Thank you

It is common courtesy to say thank you when someone gives you a gift or does something kind for you, but saying thank you doesn’t necessarily mean you are grateful. Gratitude is actually the feeling that causes us to respond when we experience something good or pleasant. Saying thank you could be a habit. It doesn’t always express a feeling.

Many of David’s psalms were responses to God’s goodness and blessing in his life. After the ark of the covenant of the LORD was brought to Jerusalem, David wrote a psalm of gratitude that is recorded in 1 Chronicles 16:8-36. In the introduction to the psalm it says that David delivered the psalm to Asaph, the worship leader, to thank the LORD (1 Chronicles 16:7).

David’s psalm instructs us to make known his deeds and talk about his wondrous works as a way of saying thank you to God. There is no greater way to say thank you than to tell the story of what had been done for you so that others will know about it.

God’s works are described as wondrous and marvelous (1 Chronicles 16:9,12). The Hebrew word pâlâ’ (paw – law´) means to be beyond one’s power to do (6381). Everyone has limitations, some more than others. Even David, who had a great army and all the wealth of the Promised Land at his disposal, could not make certain things happen.

The ark of the covenant contained a mercy seat upon which the presence of the LORD dwelt. In his sovereignty, the LORD chose Israel to be his people and he dwelt among them in a way that no other people had ever experienced. He gave the land of Canaan to the Israelites as an eternal inheritance and expelled all the people that had been living there so that the Israelites could live in peace and enjoy their prosperity.

In David’s personal life, the LORD had worked to transform him from a shepherd boy to a king. David knew that what God had done was impossible. There was no way in his own strength, David could have accomplished it. Writing a song may not seem like much of a tribute, but it was David’s way of saying thank you, in response to what he felt in his heart.

You can never be too sure

Asking for someone’s advice doesn’t mean you don’t know what to do. One of the reasons it’s a good idea to ask someone for his opinion is so that you will know whether or not you are in agreement about what you are about to do. “David consulted with the captains of thousands and hundreds, and with every leader. And David said unto all the congregation of Israel, If it seem good unto you…let us bring again the ark of our God to us” (1 Chronicles 13:1,3).

When the Philistines came looking for David after he had been anointed king over all Israel, David could have gathered his troops and immediately went into battle, but instead, “David inquired of God” (1 Chronicles 14:10). David could have assumed that because the Philistines were Israel’s enemy and they were preparing for an attack that he needed to defend himself, but he asked the LORD, “Shall I go up against the Philistines?” (1 Chronicles 14:10).

Sometimes it seems so obvious what we need to do that we don’t want to take the time to ask for confirmation. David knew the Philistines would come after him one way or another. His instinct to fight was what the Philistines were hoping for. They wanted to catch him off guard and intimidate him into fighting on their terms. “And the LORD said unto him, Go up; for I will deliver them into thine hand” (1 Chronicles 14:10).

David achieved a great victory, but the Philistine army was able to mount a second attack. “Therefore David inquired 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” (1 Chronicles 14:14). David demonstrated that he was depending on the LORD for guidance. No matter what he planned to do, David checked it out with the LORD first.

David’s second inquiry showed that his relationship with the LORD was more than superficial. David trusted in the LORD beyond what would normally have been expected. David knew that every action had a consequence and he did not want to risk making a mistake.

David therefore did as God commanded him; and they smote the host of the Philistines from Gibeon even to Gezer. And the fame of David  went out into all lands; and the LORD brought the fear of him upon all nations. (1 Chronicles 14:16-17)

Extreme Worship

And David danced before the LORD with all his might…And as the ark of the LORD came into the city of David, Michal Saul’s daughter looked through a window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart. (2 Samuel 6:14, 16).

David was approximately 40 years old when the ark of the LORD was brought into the city of David. In the prime of his life, David was probably in excellent physical condition and his body would have been muscular and tanned from years on the battlefield. The image of David leaping and dancing makes me think of a ballet where the male lead dances with not only physical strength, but graceful movement to the music. Wearing only a linen undergarment, David’s dance before the LORD would have been a spectacular sight.

The problem Michal had with David dancing in public was he wasn’t acting like a king. Michal was used to her father’s prideful display of pomp and circumstance. King Saul loved to make public animal sacrifices in order to make himself appear righteous and he wanted the people to view him as a valiant warrior, not a servant of God. In many ways, David and Saul were opposites. The difference was obvious when Michal let David know she despised him because of his unrestrained, public worship.

David described his worship as play when he said, “therefore will I play before the LORD” (2 Samuel 6:21). The word translated play, sâchaq (saw – khak´) means to laugh (7832). David was having a good time. He did not let his position as king of Israel stop him from being the man he truly was, a lover of God and role model of extreme worship.

Don’t be a fool

“Fools because of their transgression and because of their iniquities, are afflicted” (Psalm 107:17). A fool is someone that lives by his own resources (191). The fool believes that he can figure things out on his own and does not rely on godly wisdom.

The problem with fools is they often get into trouble that they do not have sufficient experience or resources to get out of. Teenagers are great examples of fools because they by nature want to be independent and aren’t aware of the risks they are taking.

Transgression is willful rebellion. The person who commits a transgression is trying to break away from authority and establish their independence (6586/6588). Again, teenagers are perfect examples of people who transgress because by nature teenagers want independence, their goal is to break away from their parents’ authority.

Iniquity is in essence the crossing of a line between normal and abnormal behavior. By definition, iniquity is perversion. In some cases, iniquity is not intentional. It can be a trap that someone falls into such as drug addition or prostitution. It could be that transgression leads to iniquity through the gradual decay of a person’s moral character.

To be afflicted means to be bowed down or humbled. It also means to be meek or depressed (6031/6035). The purpose of affliction is not punishment, but discipline. It has the connotation of learning from one’s mistakes. Moses is described as being very meek (Numbers 12:3), probably because of the mistake he made in killing the Egyptian who was mistreating an Israelite slave.

The greatest thing that can happen to a person that is always getting into trouble is to become aware of their need for independence. Independence in and of itself is not a bad thing. It is only when a person turns his back on God and thinks he can make it through life without God’s help that a person becomes a fool.

Your heart’s desire

“For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness” (Psalm 107:9). “The Hebrew system of thought does not include the opposition of the terms ‘body’ and ‘soul’ which are really Greek and Latin in origin. The Hebrew compares/contrasts ‘the inner self’ and ‘the outer appearance’ or as viewed in a different context, ‘what one is to oneself’ as opposed to ‘what one appears to be to one’s observers'” (5315).

A common question asked of children in the United States is what do you want to be when you grow up. It is assumed that while growing up, children can engage in a process that changes or molds them into what they want to be. I don’t know of any studies that have shown how often children grow up and become what they want, but my  personal experience tells me that it rarely happens. When I was asked that question, I didn’t know what to say, but I know what I became was not what I wanted.

I think children have a tendency to dream or maybe even fantasize about what their life will be like when they are grown up. Then, when they are, they compare their dream to reality to measure their satisfaction with life. In my case, my satisfaction level was zero and that is why I decided to kill myself. The problem in my situation was that I didn’t have anything to compare reality with; I didn’t know what I wanted to be, at least I didn’t think I did.

Because God is our creator, he knows the desires of our hearts. He created us to be something and until we do become what we are meant to be, we will never be satisfied. The Psalmist said in Psalm 107:14, “He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death and break their bands in sunder.” The bands referred to here are restraints or discipline that is meant to keep you going in a certain direction, on a specific course that is not of your own choosing, such as when an animal is harnessed and forced to plow a field.

God’s goal in developing a relationship with us is to satisfy our souls, that which we are to ourselves, the inner self, with goodness. He wants to give us the desires of our hearts. “Therefore he brought down their heart with labour, they fell down, there was none to help. Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distress” (Psalm 107:12-13).