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).

God keeps his promises

One of the characteristics of God’s perfection is his reputation. God is not the same as man in that he was not created. He is self-existent, he is entirely self-sufficient and not dependent or contingent upon anything else. Basically, what that means is that he does not change. He is the same yesterday, today, and for the rest of eternity. Therefore, his character or attributes are constant and can be relied upon to be the same in every situation.

I believe the reason God took the time to develop a relationship with Abraham was so that he could establish his reputation in dealing with sinful man. Psalm 106 is a confession of Israel’s long history of rebellion and a prayer for God to once again save his people. It says in Psalm 106:8, “Nevertheless, he saved them for his name’s sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known.”

God’s ability to do miraculous things is what sets him apart from every other being. That in and of itself is enough to qualify  him to be God, but it is not that he can do a miracle, God can do anything. His power is unlimited. Most people, even those that know God and have a personal relationship with him, are not aware of what God is capable of. God wanted Abraham and the rest of the world to know that he could do the impossible and when he made a promise, it was certain to be kept.

God promised Abraham that his descendants would dwell in the land known as Canaan. He even told Abraham ahead of time that his children would end up in slavery and God would deliver them. He even told Abraham the length of time they would be held in bondage (Genesis 15:13). In spite of the Israelites rebellion and lack of faith, God kept his promise and he will keep his promise to you too.

The miracle of life

“For the LORD commanded the blessing even life for evermore” (Psalm 133:3). The sustainment of life on planet earth is something I think we all take for granted. If God’s blessing were not on his creation, the human race would have become extinct a long time ago.

The miracle of life is that God’s provision is continuous, his resources are never diminished. Beyond the life we have here, God has commanded that eternal life be given to those who accept his son as savior and it is a free gift to all who want to receive it.

The manna that appeared in the desert to feed the Israelites while they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years is a picture of the free gift of eternal life. The manna came from the dew that settled on the ground. It blanketed the earth with abundant nourishment and was available for anyone that wanted to gather it.

The only restriction on gathering manna was that you could only take enough for one day at a time except the day before the Sabbath. When the day was over, the food rotted and had to be thrown away.

The restriction on the gift of eternal life is that it is only available while you are alive on earth. Everyday, the gift is there, waiting to be received. Each day of life provides another opportunity to take it. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).

Jesus was referred to as the bread of life because like the manna that appeared in the desert, he was able to sustain life indefinitely (John 6:21-40). Jesus explained to his disciples that unity with him meant eternal provision, all who believed would be permanently connected to his Father in heaven whose resources were unlimited and always available.

The miracle of life that Jesus offered was based on a unity that went beyond an external physical or spiritual connection. Jesus said, “He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him” (John 6:56). Through what we now refer to as communion, it became possible for Christ to dwell or stay in believers.

Jesus differentiated the life he could provide from that provided by the manna by stating that everyone that ate the manna was dead or separated from God (John 6:58). It did not provide a permanent connection.

The unity that David experienced in his kingdom was just a foretaste of the unity believers experience in Christ. Although David knew the LORD, he was not connected to him the same way we are. David did not go to heaven when he died. He had to wait until Jesus was crucified to receive the miracle of eternal life.

Unity of faith

In verse one of Psalm 133, David talked about brethren dwelling together in unity in order to establish a physical basis for community. In verse two of Psalm 133, David explains how unity works from a spiritual perspective. David said, “It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments.

When Aaron became the chief priest, his head was anointed with oil as a sign of his consecration to God (Leviticus 8:12). Aaron was the spiritual leader of Israel and was a direct representative of God that lived among the Israelites to remind them of God’s presence in their community. David’s expression of Aaron’s anointing being like brethren dwelling together in unity is intended to convey the point that God’s presence in the community was the source of its unity or what kept the people united.

The oil that was used to anoint Aaron was a combination of olive oil and sweet smelling spices that when combined formed a strong perfume that could probably be smelled from a great distance. The idea behind the anointing was the goodness of God being like a sweet smelling fragrance that affected everyone that came in contact with it.

Paul talks about the unity of the Spirit in Ephesians chapter four. Paul encouraged believers in the city of Ephesus “to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace…Till we all come in the unity of faith, and the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:3,13). Paul’s reference to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ appears to be tied to the anointing of the priests and could clarify why David used the anointing of Aaron as an example of unity.

If you think of the priests’ garments as a representation of God’s holiness imparted to man, the anointing oil running down onto the garments was a picture of Jesus’ death as the atonement for sin. The anointing of the priest was an act of faith that linked him to the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. David used this illustration to make the point that the brethren dwelling together in unity during his reign was based on an act of faith. They all believed they were establishing the kingdom of Christ and that one day he would walk in their midst and his presence would affect everyone that came in contact with him.