God’s will

Entering a time of rest

“And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel” (1 Chronicles 21:1). The word translated provoked in this verse is the same word translated moved in 2 Samuel 24:1 where it says, “And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah.”

It would appear that both the LORD and Satan caused David to number or take a census of Israel’s army. The Hebrew word cuwth (sooth) means to prick or stimulate and by implication to seduce (5496).

After David instructed Joab to number the people, Joab asked him, “why doth my lord the king delight in this thing?” (2 Samuel 24:3). The word translated delight, chaphets (chaw – fates´) indicates the prompting of the heart to take a certain course of action (2654), so you could say the LORD put it on David’s heart to number the people.

“Satan is an adversary or plotter, one who devises means for opposition” (7854). As in the situation with Job, Satan directly attacked David, but he did it through a completely different means. Satan used David to bring judgement on Israel. It is possible that God was behind Satan’s attack because it says in 2 Samuel 24:1 that he was angry with Israel. “God took direct action to test David to help him learn a vital lesson. God tests believers to help them make the right choices and not depend on their own human strength” (7854).

God was preparing Israel for a time a of rest. He wanted them to settle down and cease from military activity. (2 Samuel 22:9). As David’s death approached, a transition was taking place so that his son Solomon could establish a temple, “to build a house for the LORD God of Israel” (1 Chronicles 22:6).

David also commanded all the princes of Israel to help Solomon his son, saying, Is not the LORD your God with you? and hath he not given you rest on every side” for he hath given the inhabitants of the land into mine hand; and the land is subdued before the LORD, and before his people. (1 Chronicles 22:17-18)

The word translated rest, yether implies superiority or preeminence (3499). The Israelites had tread down or subdued their enemies to the point where they no longer needed to worry about the size of their army. It was a time for them to focus on worshipping the LORD and tending to their homes and families.

David concluded his final command to the princes of Israel with these words, “Now set your heart and soul to seek the LORD your God” (1 Chronicles 22:19). In essence, what David was instructing the people to do was give their hearts to God. The idea being that they would immerse themselves in his word and learn how to do things his way. They were to discover the will of God and do it.

You don’t have to be afraid

When Joab saw that the front of the battle was against him before and behind, he chose all of the choice men of Israel, and put them in array against the Syrians: and the rest of the people he delivered into the hand of Abishai his brother, that he might put them in array against the children of Ammon. And he said, If the Syrians be too strong for me, then thou shalt help us: but if the children of Ammon be too strong for thee, then I will come and help thee. Be of good courage, and let us play the men for our people, and for the cities of our God: and the LORD do that which seemeth good. (2 Samuel 10:9-12)

Joab’s comment, Let us play the men for our people, seems to indicate he and his brother Abishai were afraid of the Syrians and children of Ammon. To play the man means to act like a man or to make yourself act brave (407). If you are courageous, it doesn’t mean you have no fear, it means you do not let the fear stop you from doing what you know you have to do.

The Syrians and children of Ammon were bullies. They had a reputation for being brutal and cruel to their enemies, but they were not courageous. When Joab and the people that were with him got near enough to the Syrians that they could see the Israelites were not going to back down, “They fled before him. And when the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fled, then they fled also before Abishai” (2 Samuel 10:13-14).

The key to being courageous, or acting like a man if necessary, is to be present in the situation, to not let your emotions control your behavior. Emotions come and go depending on our circumstances. When we do that which requires courage, fear begins to dissipate and we gain confidence as we move forward. From a spiritual perspective, we gain power, God’s power, when we act according to his will, therefore, accomplishment is assured (1961).

Acting with courage in situations that cause fear is a declaration of divine control of all things. Joab concluded his statement to his brother Abishai by saying, “And the LORD do that which seemeth him good” (2 Samuel 10:12). Joab was leaving the outcome to God. More than just putting his trust in God for safety, Joab was accepting that the length of his life was determined by God and if it was his time to go, then he wanted to go out fighting for what he believed, that the Promised Land belonged to the Israelites.

I think when the Syrians saw Joab, they could see the determination in his face. He was not going to give up; he would fight to the end. At the conclusion of 2 Samuel chapter 10, it says, “And when all the kings that were servants to Hadarezer saw that they were smitten before Israel, they made peace with Israel, and served them. So the Syrians feared to help the children of Ammon any more” (2 Samuel 10:19).

Only God is good

“And God saw every thing that he had made, and behold, it was very good” (Genesis 1:31). One of the things that God made that was very good was man. It says in Genesis 1:26 that God made man in his own image, after his likeness. The word translated likeness, demuwth “means ‘pattern’ in the sense of the specifications from which an actual item is made” (1823). According to this definition, the first man, Adam looked like God. He was the same height, had the same build, and color of hair.

The word translated image, tselem “means image in the sense of essential nature: human nature in its internal and external characteristics rather than an exact duplicate…God made man in his own image, reflecting some of his own perfection: perfect in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness” (6754).

In Psalm 53, David said, “God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God. Everyone of them is gone back, they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no not one” (Psalm 53:2-3). David’s harsh assessment of the condition of man indicates that even though we were made in God’s image, humans in their natural state are incapable of doing anything good.

Jesus, who was God and a man, went so far as to say, “I can of mine own self do nothing” (John 5:30). To do or make something implies that an effort is put forth to produce a product or outcome. Jesus explained that he could do nothing “because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me” (John 5:30). From this it can be assumed that Jesus’ own will and the will of his Father were not the same. Even though he was God, as a man, Jesus could not do good. Therefore, he had to depend on God, the Father, to tell him what to do.

The way that humans become capable of doing good is to have a relationship with God. What it means to have a relationship with God is that you listen to him. He tells you what to do and you do it. Some people do what God tells them to without knowing it. Because they don’t have a relationship with God, they can’t hear his voice, at least not consciously.

David said, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God” (Psalm 53:1). Anyone that does something good, does it because God tells him to. Whether he is aware of it or not, he is doing the will of God when he makes something good or he produces a good outcome. In one sense, salvation is nothing more than taking the blinders off and unstopping our ears. We suddenly become aware that God has been with us all along, we just didn’t know it.

I made it!

The invention of GPS has made getting lost and uncommon experience. GPS was a great invention because no one likes getting lost. It can feel like you’ve been punched in the gut or a sinking feeling in your throat like when you swallowed something that hasn’t been chewed properly. Twenty years ago, I had a job as a Field Representative, before there were Google maps and GPS. I carried a Thomas Brothers guide in my car and spent hours looking up addresses and charting courses. I got lost a lot and there were many instances when I finally arrived at my destination and thought to myself, I made it!

David said in Psalm 25, “Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths” (Psalm 25:4). The path David was referring to was “a marked-out, well-traveled course” (734). In a way, you could say that David was asking the LORD to be his GPS system, telling him when to make a right or U-turn. David had recently become king of Israel and realized that his lack of experience in making decisions could be a problem. He wanted to make sure he didn’t get off course in the role God had given him.

David said, “The meek will he guide in judgement: And the meek will he teach his way” (Psalm 25:9). David was probably thinking about Moses when he wrote this. Moses was described as being very meek, “above all the men which were upon the face of the earth” (Numbers 12:3). The word translated meek, ͑ânâyv (aw – nawvˊ) literally means to be depressed in mind or circumstances. “Anayv appears almost exclusively in poetical passages and describes the intended outcome of affliction from God, namely ‘humility’” (6035).

I think it is interesting that people that don’t know the Lord are described as being lost. I think it is because inside every person is the sense that life is a journey. We are all travelers on the pathway of life, but not everyone knows where they are going. When a person accepts Jesus as his or her Savior, it is like the street lights get turned on and you can begin to see in the dark. You know there is a road and that you will eventually reach your intended destination, but you have no clue how or when you will get there.

David was aware of his destiny or the destination that God had planned for him. After he became king, David realized that every step he took mattered. When he said, “Teach me thy paths” (Psalm 25:4), he was basically saying, guide me every step of the way. The word translated teach, lâmad (law – madˊ) means to goad or hit with a rod. Rather than teach, David could have said cause me to learn (3925).

When David became king, I’m pretty sure he thought to himself, I made it! But then, he realized, now I have to do my job and I have no clue how to be a king. God wants us to realize that we are helpless without him. Humility is knowing that you are entirely dependent on God. He can see and understands everything. There is nothing that He hasn’t already experienced and He wants to help us. All we have to do is say show me and He will.

God’s desire

An aspect of God’s character that doesn’t seem to be discussed much is his desire. God has desires, much the same way we do and his desires affect his behavior. It says in Psalm 132, “For the LORD hath chosen Zion: He hath desired it for his habitation. This is my rest for ever, here I will dwell; for I have desired it” (Psalm 132:15).

Desire is closely tied to emotion, but it is really the driving force behind our will. Desire and will are sometimes interchangeable as descriptions of what we want to do. The definitions of these words reveal things like pleasure and lust (183, 7522), so it is hard for us to connect these words with God. The difference between God’s desire and our desire is that God’s desire is always for good things because his heart is perfect.

Desires are personal and therefore, sometimes difficult to reveal. God does not have a problem revealing his desires to us because everything he wants is for our benefit. In order for us to trust him, God often tells us his desires. It is something he does to build our relationship and can be a way of gaining our affection.

Psalm 105 reveals two areas where God’s desire was communicated to the Israelites. Speaking of his covenant, it says in Psalm 105:11, “Saying, unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot for your inheritance.” And in Psalm 105:15, “He suffered no man to do them wrong, Yea, he reproved kings for their sakes; saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.”

God cares about his people and wants the to be happy. It is his desire that we love him and rely on him as a child does his father. In order for us to put our trust in God, we must understand that our desires and God’s desires are not the same, but they will never contradict each other. God approves of the desires we have that are good and will give us everything we desire that brings about a good outcome. If all we ever wanted was good, then our desires and God’s desires for us would be the same.

He walks with you

Speaking of the LORD in Psalm 103, David said, “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12). The word translated transgression, pasha‘ (peh´ – shah) means a revolt, a willful rebellion from a prescribed or agreed upon path (6588). The word removed, nâchaq (naw – khak´) means to widen and is used in reference to distance (7368).

When David said east, he was referring to the point on the eastern horizon where the sunrises and the west, the point where the sun sets. So basically, he was saying that the distance that God removes our transgressions or widens the path for us when we rebel against him is the distance between the two farthest points in our line of sight. In other words, God gives us complete latitude, there is no way we can get off the pathway he has prescribed for us.

Although David emphasized God’s authority when he said in Psalm 103, “The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all” (Psalm 103:19), he attributed God’s mercy with the power to overcome our willful rebellion (Psalm 103:11).

God does not force us down a narrow pathway. He gives us innumerable options to get where he wants us to go. Our free choice determines the how, God’s sovereignty determines the where and/or what we will do in our lives. If it is true that all paths lead to heaven, then why choose Jesus Christ? Because when you choose Jesus, he walks with you on the pathway and carries you when the road gets too tough.

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30)

A turn of events

Everything God does is intentional and produces the expected result. He does not react or get surprised by what happens. As our lives unfold before us, it may seem as if God is constantly course correcting because of our mistakes, but that is not the case. What we perceive as a turn of events is really God exercising his control, showing us that he is able to accomplish a desired outcome with or without our help.

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

The path of self destruction

When Saul took his sword and fell upon it (1 Samuel 31:4), it was the culmination of a long process of self destruction. It is hard to understand how a man anointed by God to be king of Israel could come to such an end, but it makes sense given that Saul was determined to keep David from inheriting the throne.

Saul made himself an enemy of God. In much the same way that Satan rebelled against God’s authority, Saul would not submit himself to God’s will and was a bad influence on everyone around him.

When Saul and his three sons were killed in battle, it says in 1 Samuel 31:7, “the men that were on the other side of the valley, and they that were on the other side Jordan, saw that the men of Israel fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook the cities and fled; and the Philistines came and dwelt in them.” The word dwelt means that they took up residence there, the land became the Philistines possession.

As a result of their conquest, the Philistines became arrogant and gave tribute to their gods for the victory. This worst case scenario outcome probably caused more spiritual damage than anything else and was a turning point for the nation of Israel. King Saul’s reign proved to the people that no man was qualified to be their savior. It was God and God alone that could deliver them from the hands of their enemies and he was not going to until they acknowledged his kingship and rule over the nation.

God is on my side

The feeling that someone is trying to ruin your life can be unsettling because it is a personal attack. David not only knew that Saul wanted to kill him, he knew why Saul wanted to kill him. Saul was upset because people were crediting David with slaying ten thousands of Philistines while only crediting Saul with slaying thousands. (1 Samuel 18:7). In a moment of jealous rage, Saul proclaimed, “what can he have more but the kingdom” (1Samuel 18:8).

The psalms David wrote during the time period between when he was anointed to be king and when he fled from Saul indicate David believed God would protect him from Saul. The question that comes to mind then is why did David run? Saul had set his mind on getting rid of David and was determined to hold on to his kingdom. By leaving, David made it clear that he did not intend to take the kingdom away from Saul. David was willing to let God handle it and was confident that God was able to bring about the conclusion he desired.

David’s description of the LORD reveals the intimacy he experienced in his personal relationship with Jehovah, the self-existent, eternal, creator of the universe.

The LORD is in his holy temple, The LORD’s throne is in heaven, His eyes behold, His eyelids try, the children of men. (Psalm 11:4)

David believed the LORD could see everything that was going on and would justify his righteous servant.

Because of his faith in God, David was willing to wait to see what the outcome of his situation would be. David said, “Because of his strength will I wait upon him” (Psalm 59:9). The word translated wait, shâmar (shaw – mar´) means to hedge about or guard (8104). Shamar is also translated watchman, someone that is responsible for calling out when an attack is imminent. David was familiar with the role of the watchman and may have been referring to his anticipation of the LORD coming to his rescue. Waiting sometimes involves being on the look out for something that will change the situation. In David’s case, there was likely to be an attack from Saul and so David relied on God’s heavenly host to be a hedge of protection around him. David was waiting or watching for Saul so that he could call out for help and be rescued by God’s army.

The end

This blog is dedicated to my niece Stephanie who died of a drug overdose this past weekend. She was the victim of child sexual abuse and never recovered from her trauma.

It is hard to explain why Christians don’t always end up with a wonderful life, but there are at least two factors that can cause someone that has submitted his life to God to follow a pathway of self destruction. Everyone has a sin nature that is not changed when a person is transformed by the Holy Spirit and God will not force a person to obey him even if that person has been anointed for a particular job in God’s kingdom.

Saul’s life was derailed when he chose of his own free will to disobey God’s command. His position as king of Israel made him accountable for the destiny of the nation and therefore, God could not just let Saul go his own way. After he let Agag the king of the Amalekites live, God decided to replace Saul with a man whose heart was right toward him, a man who would seek to do God’s will instead of his own. David was a young shepherd when God called him to be king. His defeat of Goliath showed that he was willing to do anything to honor God before the enemies of Israel.

As a result of David’s success, Saul determined that he was a threat that needed to be eliminated. David was certain that Saul wanted to kill him, so he went to Jonathon, Saul’s son for help. David’s plea to Jonathon reveals the love between these two men and the anguish David felt that they could not be friends.

And David sware moreover, and said, Thy father certainly knoweth that I have found grace in thine eyes; and he saith, Let not Jonathon know this, lest he be grieved: but truly as the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death. (1 Samuel 20:3)

Jonathon’s love for David caused him to have to choose between his loyalty to his father and loyalty to David, the man he loved as his own soul (1 Samuel 18:1). After speaking to his father, “Jonathon knew that it was determined of his father to slay David” (1Samuel 20:33).

The word translated determined, kâlâh (kaw – law´) means to end (3615). In Saul’s case, kalah meant that he had made a firm decision. There was no way to change his mind. One of the ways the word kalah is used is to represent “coming to an end” or “the process of ending” (3615). When Saul decide to kill David, you could say it was the end or the process of ending his walk with the LORD. Saul had the potential to rule over Israel for ever, but his stubborn determination to go his own way ruined not only his future, but the future of his son Jonathon as well.