justification

Heaven on earth

David’s conquests became known throughout the world and he was admired by other leaders for the peace he brought to the area surrounding the Promised Land. It says in 1 Chronicles 18, “Now when Tou king of Hamath heard how David had smitten all the host of Hadarezer king of Zobah; he sent Hadoram his son to king David to inquire of his welfare; and to congratulate him, because he fought against Hadarezer and smitten him; (for Hadarezer had war with Tou;)” (1 Chronicles 18:9-10).

Tou was grateful to David because he had taken care of Hadarezer for him. Tou’s first hand experience fighting against Hadarezer made him realize that David was superior on the battlefield and no doubt Tou wanted to align himself with David to ensure his own people’s safety. When it says that Tou sent his son to inquire of David’s welfare, it could be that Tou wanted to know how David was able to accomplish such a great feat.

One the meanings of the word inquire or shâ’êl (shaw – ale´) in Hebrew is to consult or ask for advice (7592). It is usually associated with prayer and seeking God’s counsel, but it can also refer to obtaining counsel from men. The word translated welfare is shalom (shaw – lome´) which “signifies a state in which one can feel at ease, comfortable with someone. The relationship is one of harmony and wholeness, which is the opposite of the state of strife and war” (7965).

David’s kingdom was not like those around him. He was able to establish peace in a place where none had previously existed. The Promised Land was extremely fruitful and those who lived there were very prosperous. Therefore, it was desirable real estate that many wanted to possess. The occupants that David was driving out were skilled warriors that were used to defending their territory. David’s ability to defeat their armies was probably viewed as miraculous.

David dedicated all the gifts he received from Tou, “vessels of gold and silver and brass” (1 Chronicles 18:10) to the LORD. It was his way of giving credit to the LORD for his victories. Even though David was a skilled warrior with many successes on the battlefield, he did not boast about his accomplishments. It says that “David reigned over all Israel, and executed judgment and justice among all his people” (1 Chronicles 18:14).

David made it possible for the LORD to bless his people. David’s military victories were not about  gaining power, but about giving power to his people. The word translated justice, ts’dâqâh (tsed – aw – kaw´) means rightness (6666) and is derived from the word tsâdaq (tsaw -dak´) which means to be right or to be justified (6663). Justification is a key aspect of salvation, something that every Christian needs in order to have a relationship with God. When we are justified, it is as if we have never committed a sin. David’s kingdom was probably as close to heaven on earth as any could ever be.

Giving credit where credit is due

When God redeems a man, he is exercising his complete, sovereign freedom to liberate a human being. Redemption involves some intervening or substitutionary action which effects a release from an undesirable condition (6299). Jesus’ death on the cross effected the release of every person from the bondage of sin and death. No other person ever has or ever will die for the sins of another. God chose to liberate man from his sin nature and offers redemption from sin to anyone who desires it.

Rechab and Baanah thought they were doing David a favor when they killed Saul’s son Ish-bosheth and brought his head to David as evidence (2 Samuel 4:8). What they didn’t understand was that Ish-bosheth was not a threat to David. David was not distressed about Ish-bosheth’s appointment as king of Israel. David declared to Rechab and Baanah that the LORD had redeemed his soul from all adversity. What David meant was that Ish-bosheth’s sin  no longer had any effect on David’s life because David had been redeemed from all sin, not just his own.

The sins that usually hurts us the most are sins that are committed against us. When God redeems a man from sin, he does not just release him from the effect of his sins, but the sins of everyone else also. When I was 14, I was raped and it had an extremely negative effect on my life. I suffered a great deal of adversity as a result of someone else’s sin. It wasn’t until I realized that Jesus died for that person’s sin against me that I was freed from the effect of that sin on my life.

David described Ish-bosheth as a righteous man (2 Samuel 4:11). The word David used for righteous, tsaddîyq (tsad – deek´) means just. It is said that a Christian is justified by the death of Jesus on the cross; it is just as if the person had never committed a sin. If a sin has never been committed, then there can be no effect from it. What David was doing was crediting Ish-bosheth’s sin to Jesus and claiming redemption from that sin. It was not going to have any effect on him and therefore, Ish-bosheth’s murder was unnecessary.

Every sin can be credited to Jesus’ account. Jesus died for every sin that had been or ever will be committed when he shed his blood on the cross. The only thing we have to do is give him the credit.

Church of the firstborn

Psalm 121 is what is referred to as a song of degrees. It was typically sung on a journey, sometimes to Jerusalem when a traveler was ascending toward the city. David opens the psalm with the words, “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help” (Psalm 121:1).

David talks throughout this psalm about the LORD keeping his people and preserving them into eternity. Although there is no specific reference to the Messiah, it is possible David was referring to the hill of Calvary on which his savior would die.

One of the meanings of the word translated hill is mount. Jesus spent time teaching his disciples on the mount of Olives and gave his most famous discourse there, what is referred to as the Olivet Discourse. The idea that David’s help would come from the hills is rooted in the fact that Moses spoke to God face to face on mount Sinai and God chose to make a great revelation known to him there.

The book of Hebrews ties together the Old Covenant which applied to David and the New Covenant which applies to believers in Christ by showing that the instructions Moses received for the Tabernacle were to serve as an example and shadow of heavenly things. Speaking of the heavenly kingdom of God, it says in Hebrews 12:18-23:

For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched…But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly, and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the just men made perfect.

According to the notes on Hebrews 12:23, it is believed that the spirits of the just men made perfect were pre-Christian believers such as Abel and Noah. “They are referred to as ‘spirits’ because they are waiting for the resurrection of the just because God credited them with righteousness, as he did Abraham (see Romans 4:3). Actual justification was not accomplished, however, until Christ made it complete by his death on the cross (see 11:40, Romans 3:24-26; 4:23-25).”

It is unknown how much God revealed to these pre-Christian believers, but it seems likely that they knew there would be a human sacrifice and that the Messiah would be referred to as the perfect lamb of God that would shed his blood to take away the sins of the world. Whether or not David had a vision of Calvary or mount Sion in mind when he wrote Psalm 121 is unclear, but his reference to eternity leaves no doubt that the help which would come from the LORD would be the LORD himself.