We are not alone

Life can be challenging at times, especially when we try to server the LORD. Everyone has enemies, but I think the worst enemy of all is the one that attacks Christians who are in the ministry. Whether you think of him as Satan, the devil, or the ruler of darkness, the enemy of our souls does everything he can to stop Christians from doing God’s will.

The apostle Peter, speaking of the Christian life said, “Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). I believe Peter used the image of a roaring lion in order to convey the idea of intimidation. Lions are powerful and dangerous, but they can be tamed. When Daniel was thrown into the lions den, he was able to escape unharmed (Daniel 6:22).

David said, “blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war and my fingers to fight” (Psalm 144:1). David may have been referring to spiritual warfare because the word he used for war is related to man’s entrance into the presence of the living God (7126). If so, using his hands could mean prayer and his fingers to fight, playing the harp to worship God.

Prayer and worship enable us to enter into the presence of God, but they also cause God to draw near to us. It says in James 4:8, “draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.” David referred to the LORD as, “my goodness, and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and he in whom I trust” (Psalm 144:2).

God’s greatness is far superior to man’s and all of his creation is subject to him. David said, “Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable” (Psalm 145:3). The two Hebrew words that put together translate into the word unsearchable have the connotation of being undiscoverable or in another sense invisible. I believe one of the characteristics of God is that he can make himself invisible. We typically think of God as being invisible, but I don’t think he is invisible. I think God is hidden from our view and he is able to hide other things as well. David said to the LORD in Psalm 17:8, “hide me under the shadow of your wings.”

Satan’s effort to seek someone whom he may devour is thwarted when God hides his children under the shadow of his wings. In other words, we can become invisible to our enemy. David prayed, “Deliver me, O LORD, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me. Teach me to do thy will, for thou art my God” (Psalm 143:9-10). David was eager to do God’s will because he knew the LORD had him covered.

Exercise for the soul

Physical exercise is a relatively new concept in America. If you remember Jack LaLanne, then you know that in the 1960’s there were not many people that believed they needed regular physical exercise and fitness centers were exclusive clubs for the rich and famous. The information age has turned the majority of people into couch potatoes that rarely break a sweat without an intentional effort. It takes work to keep your body strong, especially if you want to be active in your later years.

Speaking to the LORD in Psalm 138, David said, “In the day when I cried thou answeredest me, and strengthened me with strength in my soul” (Psalm 138:3). The word soul or nephesh in Hebrew is also translated as life and person (5315). The word nephesh is derived from the word naphash which means to breathe (5314), so you could say in one sense that naphash refers to having breath in you or being alive.

When David said that the LORD strengthened him with strength in his soul, he meant that the LORD gave him a sense of vitality and exuberance toward life. The Hebrew word translated strength is also translated as power, might, and boldness (5797). In order for David to be strong in his soul, he had to exercise, he had to do what the LORD instructed him to do in his word.

David not only listened to the LORD, he did what the LORD told him to do, even when it seemed impossible. David said, “Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it” (Psalm 139:5-6). The word translated wonderful, paliy is derived from the word pala which means to be beyond one’s ability to do (6381). David did not let the thought of impossibility stop him from doing what the LORD asked him to do. David realized that “although something may appear impossible to man, it still is within God’s power” (6381).

The thing that motivated David to exercise his soul was an awareness that God knew and understood him completely. David said, “O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and my uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways” (Psalm 139:1-3).

Thinking of the LORD as the trainer of his soul, David was willing to yield his life to the expert. David knew that the LORD wanted him to be a mighty warrior on the inside as well as on the outside. “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.’ The goal of Scriptures is to make the inner and outer consistent (5315).

Be quiet

When my kids were little, behavior was a concern for me if I took them out in public. Because they were close in ages, I had my hands full even though there were only three of them. It was difficult for me to accomplish anything and grocery shopping was a major ordeal. Eventually, they learned through experience that good behavior usually resulted in some kind of reward and bad behavior led to punishment.

In Psalm 31, David said, “Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother” (Psalm 131.2). The word translated behaved, shâvâh (shaw – vaw´) figuratively means to resemble, and by implication to adjust, for example to be suitable for the situation or to compose oneself. (7737).

David was likening himself to a little child in order to express an attitude of submission, of a child that had been trained by a loving parent. David’s relationship with the LORD had matured to the point where he wanted to be like his heavenly Father, to show love and compassion to others as it had been shown to him.

David went on to say, “My soul is even as a weaned child. Let Israel hope in the LORD from henceforth and for ever” (Psalm 131:2-3). A transition was taking placed in the kingdom that caused David to focus on worship rather than warfare. The courage and determination David had shown on the battlefield was no longer necessary. It was time for David to behave like a man of God rather than king of Israel.

The Hebrew word translated hope, yâchal (yaw – chal´) has the connotation of being still, to sit quietly and wait for something to happen (3176). Near the end of David’s life, he realized that the Messiah was Israel’s only hope for survival. As much as David wanted to believe that he could permanently establish God’s kingdom on earth, he knew that peace was extremely difficult to maintain. Like rambunctious children, the Israelites were inclined to fight with their neighbors and could not focus on God for an extended period of time.

David admitted that he did not completely understand the bigger picture when he said, “Neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me” (Psalm 131:1). His humble attitude was a result of God’s discipline and his willingness to let go of the outcome a sign that David had reached the point where he understood that God was in control of Israel’s destiny. David’s main focus was on obedience and an anticipation of seeing his Savior face to face.

The importance of singing

The ministry of music is one that I think often gets overlooked in church services. Its importance may be missed because it does not usually take up much of the time that is spent in the service overall. What most people probably don’t realize is that without singing, our hearts are not affected by the message we hear. Singing is like opening the door to the spirit and saying, come in and minister to me.

The musicians that ministered in the temple of God “were instructed in the songs of the LORD” (1 Chronicles 25:7) so that they could understand the deeper or sometimes hidden meaning contained within the words. The purpose of their study was to discover the message that each song contained in order to plan worship services that ministered to the congregation’s spiritual needs.

It says in 1 Chronicles 25:1 that David and his military leaders selected the musicians that served in the temple. Three men and their families were designated to lead the music ministry. It is possible that they were selected for their ability to inspire courage and perseverance among the people. Since the attitude of the congregation was important for victory in battle, David wanted musicians that would have a positive influence on the people.

God is our judge

I have only had to stand before a judge a few times in my life and only for traffic violations, but having been in a courtroom, I can imagine what it must feel like to have someone determine your guilt or innocence and for him to be able to punish you for something he thinks you have done wrong. One of the responsibilities of the priests of Israel was to render a proper verdict regarding the sins of the people. They were actually ordained into their ministry to be representatives of God and to bring about or fulfill a divine intent.

The responsibility of the priest was so important that David himself oversaw the process whereby the priests were assigned a position in the temple according to a casting of the lot, a tool used to discover the will of God (1486). After the process was completed, it says in 1 Chronicles 24:19, “These were the orderings of them in their service to come into the house of the LORD, according to their manner under Aaron their father, as the LORD God of Israel had commanded him.”

I believe the governmental system that was established for the Israelites was intended to convey two messages. First, that there is judgment for breaking God’s laws and second, that judgment should come from God, not man. It says in Ecclesiastes 12:14, “For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”

The word translated orderings in 1 Chronicles 24:19 is a form of the word pâqad (paw- kad´) which means to visit. This word is used in Genesis 21:1 where it says, “The LORD visited Sarah,” meaning that the LORD intervened on her behalf (6485). God’s intervention in Sarah’s life was intended to demonstrate that divine intervention can be used in the normal course of events to bring about or fulfill a divine intent. In some cases, the conviction of sin and judgment are appropriate, but in others, the person is not guilty and needs to be set free. The Israelite priests were trained to let God be the judge.

Passing the baton

“So when David was old and full of days, he made Solomon his son king over Israel” (1 Chronicles 23:1). King David had the power to appoint his successor. Solomon did not inherit the throne, nor did he have a right to it because he was in a particular position in David’s family. In the same way the God made David king, David made Solomon the king over Israel.

At the time when David transferred the kingdom to Solomon, it says that “David was old and full of years” (1 Chronicles 23:1). What this means is that it was time for David to step down. The word translated full is sâbêa‘ (saw – bay´ – eh). Sabea’ often expresses God’s satisfying, supplying man with his material needs.

One of the tasks that Solomon was charged with was building the temple of God. It says in 1 Chronicles 22:5-6, “the house that is to be builded for the LORD must be exceeding magnificant, of fame and of glory throughout all countries…So David prepared abundantly before his death…Then, he called for Solomon his son, and charged him to build a house for the LORD God of Israel.”

It is possible that David transferred the responsibility of the kingdom to Solomon many years before his death. We know from 2 Samuel 5:4 that “David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years.” The fact that David made Solomon king could mean that he merely transferred the responsibility before it normally was expected to happen.

It says in 1 Chronicles 17:11-12, “And it shall come to pass, when thy days be expired that thou must go to be with thy fathers, that I will raise up thy seed after thee, which shall be of thy sons; and I will stablish his kingdom. He shall build me a house, and I will stablish his throne for ever.” Though in this context these words refer to Solomon, the New Testament applies them to Jesus in Luke 1:32-33 (Note on 1 Chronicles 17:12-14). It says specifically of Jesus in Luke 1:32, “the Lord God shall give him the throne of his father David.”

It may be that David knew Solomon’s  reign over Israel was intended to begin as soon as peace was established as an opportunity for the temple of God to be built. Once David had established peace in the land, he wanted to start work on the temple immediately. If David waited to transfer the kingdom to Solomon until after he was dead, work on the temple would be delayed because David had been told that he was not allowed to do it (1 Chronicles 17:4).

After David died, Israel’s commitment to the LORD began to slowly diminish. The years David spent establishing a peaceful environment for God’s people to worship their God were not wasted, but had little long term value. What became evident to David in his later years was that his only purpose was to make a way for the Messiah to be born. Everything else David did to establish God’s kingdom was vanity.

It’s not the end

“The LORD said to my Lord, sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool” (Psalm 110:1). Jesus specifically used this verse to refer to his divine origin (Matthew 24:41-45). In his message about the resurrection of the dead, Paul used this verse to conclude that Christ had defeated all enemies, including death (1 Corinthians 15:25-26).

The issue that I believe David was trying to resolve in Psalm 110 was the eternal nature of God’s kingdom. David had spent most of his life establishing God’s kingdom on earth. In the end, I think he realized that ruling over people was a divine act that only Christ, God in human flesh, was capable of doing.

Part of what makes eternity unfathomable to us is the concept of death. Paul labeled death the last enemy because he wanted us to understand that Satan uses death to change our perspective of life. He wants us to think of life as temporary, something that comes to an end.

David’s view of death is revealed in 2 Samuel 12:20-23. After his child died, David knew he would see him again:

Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the LORD, and worshipped: then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat. Then said his servants unto him, What thing is this that thou hast done? thou didst fast and weep for the child, while it was alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst rise and eat bread. And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether God will be gracious to me, that the child may live? But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.

The word translated go in 2 Samuel 12:23 is hâlak (haw – lak´). Halak means to walk. “Essentially, this root refers to movement without any suggestion of direction” (1980). David expected to go somewhere after he died and that he would be able to reconnect with people he had known during his life on earth. David did not perceive death to be an ending, but a continuation of some sort to the life he already had.

An eternal perspective

It says in Romans 5:5, “the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” The term shed abroad denotes movement across time and space (1537). What this implies is that believers in the Old Testament of the Bible, such as king David, received the Holy Spirit just as believers in the New Testament did.

The imparting or filling of the Holy Spirit occurred on an individual basis as a result of God’s divine election. Prophets who were also known as seers were often given visions of future events that were to be communicated to God’s people. In a sense, God’s ability to transcend time is transferred to the believer through the Holy Spirit and He makes it possible for us to see what God sees.

The words of David recorded in Psalm 109:4-8 may have been a result of his seeing the crucifixion of Christ. David said, “For my love they are my adversaries…And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love” (Psalm 109:4-5). These words do not seem to coincide with events in David’s life, but fit perfectly with Christ’s betrayal. In Psalm 109:8, David said, “Let his days be few and let another take his office.” This verse is mentioned in Acts 1:20 indicating that David’s words were prophetic.

David’s ability to see future events may be why his psalms are so timeless. Thousands of years after David lived, his psalms are still being memorized and quoted by many believers. David understood the struggles of life and was able to put them into the proper perspective, an eternal perspective with Jesus Christ at the center of it.

I believe David’s words at the end of Psalm 109 could be a picture of the day of judgement, when believers will be vindicated by Christ. “I will greatly praise the LORD with my mouth; yea I will praise him among the multitude, for he shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save him from those that condemn his soul” (Psalm 109:30-31).

A fixed heart

There are two conditions of the heart that determine our eternal destination. The condition that we do not want our heart to get into is hardened. It says in Psalm 95:7-8, “To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your heart.” The word translated harden, qashah (kaw – shaw´) is properly translated as “to be dense” (7125). It describes the person that doesn’t heed the advice of others or refuses to be corrected.

The apostle Paul quoted this passage in Psalm 95:7-8 three times in his explanation of Christ’s work of atonement on the cross (Hebrews 3:7-8, 15, 4:7). Paul gave this instruction, “But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin” (Hebrews 3:13). To exhort someone means to call him near or to come along side of him in order to assist him (3870).

I think it is safe to assume that a person with a hardened heart is probably a loner, a person without any real friends. What Paul was saying was that we need to stick together. When we try to handle things on our own, we are an easy target for Satan.

David said, “O God, my heart is fixed” (Psalm 108:1). The difference between a hardened heart and a fixed heart is that a fixed heart is one that is focused outward rather than inward. The person with a fixed heart realizes it’s not all about me. Another way of looking at the fixed heart is to see it as one that is certain. There is no doubt or wavering from the truth in it.

A fixed heart is one that is unchanging and unchangeable (3559). It is hard to imagine being certain of anything in a world that is constantly changing, especially today, when the speed at which things change is so noticeable.

Paul talked about the immutability of God’s counsel or advice in connection with His promise to Abraham (Hebrews 6:13-18). The Greek word translated immutable and immutability, ametathetos means unchangeable (276). Paul goes on to say, “By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament. And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death: but this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood” (Hebrews 7:22-24).

I believe David’s heart was fixed because he was trusting in the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Although David lived hundreds of years before Jesus was born, the promise was still good. When Paul said that Jesus continueth ever, he was talking about time in its unbroken duration; past, present, and future (165).

Resurrection of the dead

David’s desire to build a house for God may have been a result of his awareness that worshipping the LORD required an intentional effort to enter into his presence. If you think about going to visit a friend at his house, you realize that a visit to his home makes the connection more personal. You can see what he is like when you see his home and know a little bit more about his lifestyle.

I have heard it said that the house or temple that Solomon built was a replica of God’s home in heaven. Although God lives in heaven, his presence can be felt on earth, indicating some kind of connection between these two realms. Some people believe that heaven is just another dimension that is invisible to the human eye. Jacob discovered a ladder or staircase “set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven'” (Genesis 28:12). When Jacob awoke from his dream, he said, “How dreadful is this place! this is none but the house of God” (Genesis 28:17).

Jesus said, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:1-3).

David said in Psalm 30, “O LORD, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave. Thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit” (Psalm 30:3). The word translated alive, châyâh (khaw – yaw´) causatively means to revive. “The intensive form of chayah means ‘to preserve alive'” (2421). It is possible that David was referring to being resurrected from the dead.

A familiar passage found in Psalm 30 is often quoted at funerals. “For his anger endureth for a moment; in his favour is life; weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning” (Psalm 30:5). The resurrection of Jesus as it is told in Matthew 28:1-8 depicts this perfectly:

In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn towards the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepuchre. And behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the LORD descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightening, and his raiment white as snow: and for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you. And they departed quickly from the sepulcher with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word.