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Living in reality

Sometimes it seems as if the world is upside down. In reality, if we are on top of the world, then half of the world is upside down. Because we live on a globe that is constantly spinning, half of the world is up and half of the world is down, half is in light, while the other half is in darkness, alternating every 12 hours.

It says in Psalm 75:

 Lift not up your horn on high: speak not with a stiff neck. For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is judge: He pulleth down one, and setteth up another. (Psalm 75:5-7)

The words promotion and setteth up are both translated from the same Hebrew word, rûwm (room). “Basically, ruwm represents either the ‘state of being on a higher plane’ or ‘movement in an upward direction'” (7311). In essence, what Asaph was saying in Psalm 75:5-7 was that, as the world rotates and moves us into different positions, God also moves people into higher or lower positions. Whether we happen to be on top or on the bottom of the food chain is under God’s control.

Of course, everyone prefers to be in a place of honor or position of influence and power, but even David experienced rejection from God. He said in Psalm 60, “O God, thou hast cast us off, thou hast scattered us, thou hast been displeased; O turn thyself to us again” (Psalm 60:1). And from the cross, Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46).

David provided an explanation for God’s rejection in Psalm 60. He said:

Thou hast shewed thy people hard things; thou hast made us to drink the wine of astonishment. Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee, that it may be displayed because of the truth…That thy beloved may be delivered. (Psalm 60:3-5)

The word translated truth, qôsht (kosht) means “to balance; equity…, i.e. reality” (7189). If the world did not rotate, half of the world would live in constant light and half of the world would live in continual darkness. Even though darkness would exist, half of the world would never experience it. Because the world does rotate, everyone gets to experience both, which equates to, living in reality.

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.

2 + 2 = Saul of Tarsus

One of the things that makes it difficult to make sense of the Bible from a big picture perspective is that sometimes you have to fill in the blanks. By filling in the blanks, I don’t mean that you have to make stuff up, I mean that you have to connect the dots and let the story itself tell you what makes sense and what doesn’t.

“And David said, Is that yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathon’s sake?” (2 Samuel 9:1). David and Jonathon made a covenant to protect each others blood lines so that both of their descendants would see the Messiah and enter into his eternal kingdom (1 Samuel 20:15). When David discovered that one of Jonathon’s sons, Mephibosheth was still alive, “David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely shew you kindness for Jonathon thy father’s sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually” (2 Samuel 9:7).

I believe what David meant by eating bread at his table was the celebration of Passover. I think David was trying to convey the message that he would keep the relationship between their households going until the arrival of the Messiah. When you look ahead to the arrival of the Messiah, there appears to be a blank regarding David’s promise to preserve Jonathon’s blood line unless you make a connection with Saul of Tarsus.

I don’t think it is coincidence that Saul of Tarsus shared his name with the first king of Israel. Saul of Tarsus was a member of the tribe of Benjamin, as was king Saul, and he had an impressive reputation with the religious leaders of his day. Paul, as he later became known, was a humble man that avoided boasting about his past, but he once admitted he was “circumcised the eight day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee (Philippians 3:5).

Paul’s reference to being of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, and a Hebrew of Hebrews could have been an attempt to link himself to the covenant between David and Jonathon. Paul was a very religious man prior to becoming a follower of Christ. Although it is not known why he was so passionate about persecuting the church (Philippians 3:6), Paul was the primary reason the gospel spread so quickly in the first century. His testimony was a integral part of the establishment of the church after his conversion, so there seems to be a key role that Paul will fulfill in the Messiah’s kingdom even if he wasn’t Jonathon’s ancestor.

Before and after

The primary mission of king David was to subdue the people that lived in and around the Promised Land so that the Israelites could live in peace. In the list of David’s military  victories, the Philistines are listed first, probably because it was the most significant of all his accomplishments. It says in 2 Samuel 8, “that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them: and David took Metheg-annah out of the hand of the Philistines” (2 Samuel 8:1).

Metheg-annah was a metropolis that was a chief city, perhaps the capital of Philistia. Not doubt it was important to the Philistine culture and livelihood and could have been a critical link in trade and travel between other cities in the area. In order for David to take control of the Promised Land, he had to cripple the Philistines and diminish their influence in the region surrounding the Promised Land.

The word translated subdued, kâna‘ (kaw – nah´) is properly translated as “to bend the knee; hence to humiliate, vanquish” (3665). David did not convert the Philistines, but he brought them to the point where they realized that God was more powerful than they were and God was on the Israelites side whenever David fought against them, so the Philistines could not overcome the Israelites.

To bend the knee means to submit and it is often used to describe the humbling of enemies. Rather than killing all the Philistines, David probably chose to bring them into submission in order to establish his authority over the surrounding territories and to preserve the region’s economy.

David established military posts in Syria of Damascus and throughout all of Edom and the Syrians and people of Edom became David’s servants (2 Samuel 8:6,14). It says that, “the LORD preserved David withersoever he went” (2 Samuel 8:6,14) meaning David was safe and free to move around as he pleased, his enemies were no threat to him (3467).

David’s life before he became king and after the became king were a complete contrast. Before David became king, he spent many years running and hiding from his enemies, specifically king Saul. After David became king, he subdued powerful nations and cities that were a threat to him.

The difference was not due to David’s favor or lack of favor with God. David was close to the LORD throughout this time. The difference between David’s life before and after he became king was due to his position. As king of Israel, David was given God’s authority  to rule over the Israelites and to subdue their enemies. The reason why David was successful militarily was because he exercised the authority that was given to him.

And justice for all

America’s pledge of allegiance ends with the words, and justice for all. I think there is an assumption that America’s justice system will fulfill this expectation, but the part of the pledge that assures justice is, one nation under God. Some people do not believe God is just. They accuse him of allowing sins to go unpunished when the criminal justice system fails them.

The thing that makes God just is not that he punishes the wicked, but that he paid the penalty for every sin. The Hebrew word nacah which is translated as lifted up in Psalm 93, “is used of the undertaking of the responsibilities for sins of others by  substitution or representation” (5375). Jesus died on the cross for every sinner and his blood paid for every sin that has or ever will be committed.

The Psalmist said in Psalm 92:4, “For thou, LORD, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the work of thy hands.” Many people equate punishment with justice, but the word for just in Hebrew, yashar means upright or righteous. It is also expressed as right or right in his eyes, in the same way that we think of doing the right thing.

In God’s justice system, doing the right thing meant paying the penalty for our sins himself. He offers each person a full pardon and forgives every sin that we have ever committed. Every person that accepts his forgiveness is a testimony, a believable witness that God is just and holiness or perfection is a fair standard of measurement.

Celebrate!

Renewal is a concept that is difficult to grasp until you get to a place where you feel stuck or are at the end of your rope and are struggling to let go of control of your life. There is something about starting over that does not seem natural in a life that seems to be all about making progress.

One of the things God prescribed for the Israelites before they entered the Promised Land was celebration. There were certain festivals established that required singing and dancing as an expression of gratitude and worship of God. Celebration was a way of emphasizing the positive aspect of renewal and making it something to look forward to.

When God delivered the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, he was giving them the chance for a new way of life, but they preferred their old lifestyle. God wanted to provide for their needs, but the people wouldn’t listen to him. It says in Psalm 81,” But my people would not hearken to my voice, and Israel would none of me. So I gave them up unto their hearts lust: and they walked in their own counsels” (Psalm 81:11-12).

When we pursue our heart’s desire apart from God, life becomes and endless journey. There is no renewal because lust always takes you deeper, farther, searching for more and it never relents. That’s why in pursuit of freedom, addicts are directed to a higher power or help.

Only God has the power to make old things new. His universe was designed for constant renewal and without it, we will self destruct. His command to celebrate with festivals that involved singing and dancing show us that he should be worshipped with expressions that go beyond words. He is the God of new beginnings and he can renew us if we will listen to his voice.

Who’s your daddy

Your family and its history have a lot to do with who you become. Even though God creates each one of us as an individual with unique characteristics, the influence of our family ultimately determines what the final outcome will be when it comes to who we are and what we do in our lives.

“And Ram begat Amminadab; and Aminnadab begat Nahshon, prince of the children of Judah” (1 Chronicles 2:10). The name Nahshon or Nachshôwn (Nakh – shone´) in Hebrew means enchanter (5177). Nachshon is derived from nâchash (naw – khash´) which means “to hiss, i.e. whisper a (magic) spell” (5172). “And Nahshon begat Salma, and Salma begat Boaz and Boaz begat Obed, and Obed begat Jesse” (1 Chronicles 2:11-12) the father of David.

David had seven brothers and at least two sisters. His sisters, Zeruiah and Abigail had four sons, Abishai, Joab, Asahel, and Amasa who were among David’s mighty men, Joab being commander of David’s army after he became king. These men were not born into a good family. They did not have the advantage of money and education. They were shepherds.

It says in 1 Samuel 22:1-2:

David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father’s house heard it, they went down thither to him. And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him.

David changed the course of his family’s history when he became king of Israel. During the years that he was hunted by Saul, David and his family were transformed. They did not become a family of royalty, living in the lap of luxury, they were warriors, adept at traveling the countryside unnoticed until they decided to engage in warfare. They frustrated their enemies and were feared by all who came in contact with them.

David’s mighty men were the best of the best because of their courage and willingness to risk their lives for David’s cause. It’s no wonder they were extremely successful because they had nothing to lose and everything to gain if David became king. I believe the reason David did not give up when he was discouraged was he did not want to disappoint the men who had stood by him and protected him against Saul’s army.

Your heart’s desire

When God sets out to do something, he always succeeds. His work is described with words like amazing, awesome, spectacular, and fantastic. David said, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork” (Psalm 19:1). I believe David chose the heavens as an example of God’s amazing work because nothing can be compared to it. It is far superior to anything else we can think of or imagine doing ourselves.

Next to God’s creation, David compared his law and says, “The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul” (Psalm 19:7). “The process called conversion or turning to God is in reality a re-turning or a turning back again to him from whom sin has separated us, but whose we are by virtue of creation, preservation and redemption” (7725). The word translated converting, shûwb (shoob) is also translated as repent and return. “The basic meaning of the verb is movement back to the point of departure” (7725).

In regards to the sin that has separated us from God, it is not always our sin, but sometimes the sin of others that causes us to turn away from God. The important thing is that there is a turning point, a time when you have consciously chosen to walk in the pathway of sin rather than righteousness. Even though we all sin and from a very young age know the difference between right and wrong, we do not necessarily follow a pathway of sin just because we have sinned. The turning point when we consciously decide to ignore the rules and follow our own desires is what separates us from God and makes it impossible for him to guide our footsteps from day to day.

When a person is converted, repentance causes him to want to get back on the pathway of righteousness. David said about converting the soul that “The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes” (Psalm 19:8).

Once conversion has taken place, it is possible for God to guide our steps again, but he does not always guide us to the same destination he originally planned to. Along with conversion, there is often a new calling or vocation for one’s life such as when Saul of Tarsus became Paul the apostle. In the process of conversion, the turning point becomes the focal point around which everything centers from that time forward. What was once a point of departure becomes a launching pad for a new life in fellowship with God.

Inside every person is a longing, a secret desire that only God knows about. It is so personal and intimate that to discuss it with anyone would take so much courage that you would rather die than let it be known. As a shepherd, tending his father’s flock, David may have secretly desired to be king of Israel, but it wasn’t until Samuel showed up and anointed him that it became David’s destiny. When a person is converted, that which was a secret is brought into the light and made to happen. David said after the LORD made him king, “Thou hast given him his heart’s desire” (Psalm 21:2).

Vengence is mine says the LORD

There are many forms and types of conflict. Most people think of conflict as fighting of which the most extreme form would be war, but I think the most common type of conflict is intrapersonal conflict or the conflict that goes on inside a person, the battle within yourself. I think intrapersonal conflict is common because people are not satisfied with their lives or perhaps with themselves. One of the signs of intrapersonal conflict is a feeling of despair.

David says in Psalm 120:5, “Woe is me, that I sojourn in Mesech, that I dwell in the tents of Kedar!” David’s decision to flee from Saul may have been practical from the stand point of avoiding conflict with Saul, but it set in motion a pattern of running that was not consistent with David’s usual behavior and personality. David was a courageous man and his defeat of Goliath was an indicator of his ability on the battle field. The reason David ran from Saul may not have been because he was afraid that Saul would kill him, but because David did not want or feel that he was worthy to be king.

David was the youngest of eight brothers. His primary responsibility was to tend his father’s flock. David was a talented musician and he was very passionate in expressing his feelings and emotions. When he said goodbye to his good friend Jonathon, the two men wept and kissed each other as if they were in love. David’s tender heart does not seem consistent with that of a king.

David’s intrapersonal conflict caused him great distress. In his despair, he often cried out to the LORD and that may have been the real reason why he was chosen to be king. Whereas Saul’s arrogance and self-sufficiency caused him to draw away from God, David’s lack of qualification for the job caused him to draw near to God and to rely on him for every victory. David states in Psalm 120:1, “In my distress I cried unto the LORD, and he heard me.”

The most unpleasant thing about conflict, especially intrapersonal conflict, is that it will torment you until you get it resolved. The battle that rages inside you is the worst kind of battle because it is within you and it is always going on.

When you are in distress, talking to God is a good idea. Otherwise, you might go crazy or do something you will regret. In Psalms 140 – 142, David reveals his inner struggle and tells us how he handled it. In each Psalm, there is personal communication going on. “I said unto the LORD…LORD I cry unto thee…I cried unto the LORD with my voice” (Psalm 140:6, 141:1, 143:1).

David’s process is summarized in Psalm141:2-3, “I poured out my complaint before him; I showed before him my trouble. When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou kneweth my path.” The word translated path, n‘thîybâh (neth – ee – baw´) means “to tramp; a (beaten) track” (5410). I can imagine David saying to the LORD, okay, we’ve gone over this a hundred times…there is nothing I can do about this…I am going to be killed and that’s all there is to it.

David’s final remark, “bring my soul out of prison” indicates his utter despair over the situation and shows us that he is feeling trapped. In spite of his feelings, David does not give up hope. He concludes by saying, “The righteous shall compass me about; for thou shalt deal bountifully with me” (Psalm 142:7).

Next to intrapersonal conflict, family conflict is probably the most painful and difficult to resolve. The complexity of family conflict is due to the length of time that it can go unresolved, sometimes generations, and the emotions that can be triggered by unconscious behavior as well as feelings such as love and hate that are often too intense to control.

David’s relationship to Boaz, a man of great wealth and compassion, no doubt had a strong bearing on his attitude toward family obligation with regard to the Mosaic law. When David heard that Nabal was shearing his sheep, he thought that Nabal would be willing to share his prosperity with David and his men because they had been protecting his flock while they were camping near it. Instead of rewarding them with some food and water, Nabal insulted David and sent his men away with nothing.

Now David had said, Surely in vain have I kept all that this fellow hath in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained to him; and he hath requited me evil for good. So and more also do God unto the enemies of David, if I leave of all that pertain to him by the morning light any that pisseth agains the wall. (1 Samuel 25:21-22)

David’s intention to seek vengeance was against the law. The LORD says in Deuteronomy 32:35, “To me belongeth vengeance, and recompense; their foot shall slide in due time; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste.” David’s anger toward Nabal may have been justified, but he was not at liberty to take matters into his own hands and punish Nabal for his foolishness.

Nabal’s wife Abigail intervenes on his behalf and stops David from killing innocent men. Abigail restores David’s honor by humbling herself before him and is able to diffuse the conflict without anyone getting hurt. In the end, the LORD took care of the problem as he promised to in Deuteronomy 32:35.

But it came to pass in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became as stone. And it came to pass about ten days after, that the LORD smote Nabal, and he died. (1 Samuel 25:37-38)

Made in God’s image

David was the sort of man that when he walked into a room, all eyes turned to him. For the most part, everyone loved David. He was admired and respected. Even Jonathon, king Saul’s son had an especially close attachment to David. When he found out his father planned to kill David, Jonathon interceded on David’s behalf and warned David about his father’s intentions.

It says in 1 Samuel 18:12 that “Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him.” The word translated afraid, yârê’ (yaw – ray´) means to stand in awe. Yare’ is not simple fear, but reverence, whereby an individual recognizes the power and position of the individual revered and renders him proper respect” (3372). Yare’ is most often used to describe the fear a person has of God and represents having an appropriate attitude toward his authority.

One of the things about creation that is sometimes forgotten is that man was created in the image of God. After sin entered the world, the image of man became tarnished and his separation from God led to a diminishing of the spiritual aspect of his personality. I think David is an example of what happens to a man when his relationship with the LORD is restored and his spiritual growth takes precedence in his life.

Like Jesus, not everyone appreciated David’s spiritual superiority. Saul was jealous of David and could not help wanting to get him out of the way so that the people would continue to worship him instead of God. The difference between Saul and David was that Saul wanted fame and thrived on the special attention he got from being king. His desire to kill David was similar to that of the Pharisees who wanted to kill Jesus because he gave glory to God and acknowledged that what people saw in him was the goodness of God.