Tag Archives: King David

Pastor You Must Be A Theologian (Part 1)

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Of interest to many pastors, ministry leaders, and church support organizations is the rise in the number of people who consider themselves to be “nones” and/or “dones.”  The “nones” group is comprised of people who respond to questions related to religious affiliation with “none.”  The second group is comprised of people who are “done” with the Church as an institution.  It is not my intention here to detail and discuss the myriad reasons for these responses.  I mention them because I think they share a common root cause.

A large percentage of the nones have never darkened the door of a church.  Their knowledge of Christianity is based solely on what they happen to observe on television or hear their friends or family discuss.  The dones are on the other end of the spectrum.  They have for the most part been raised in the Church, have been active in various roles, and still profess faith in God even though they no longer attend any Church services.  Many opt instead for home fellowships or other gatherings of believers in an informal setting.

What do these groups have in common?  Simply they both want a message that matters and neither group is hearing one.  The nones among us are not necessarily anti-Christian.  Indeed spirituality is at an all-time high in America so there is a large percentage of seekers among the nones.  Unfortunately the modern Church is more concerned with feeding God’s people the latest self-help pop psychology wrapped in Christian garb than it is teaching God’s Word faithfully book by book and chapter by chapter in a systematic and comprehensive fashion.  The competition is fierce in the self-help category with the likes of Oprah, Chopra, and Osteen carrying the day. No wonder nones aren’t listening to the religious equivalent of this group of new age icons.

The dones likewise long for a clear declaration of God’s truth through a matter-of-fact exposition of the text.  A large number of pastors have rejected a deep dive into the Scriptures and an equally challenging presentation of the biblical texts.  Their weekly offering of the Word falls well short of being spiritual food and nourishment for God’s people. This is so because God must be the focus of our exposition and Christ the answer to the issues we face. When the focus becomes people, their problems, and the steps they must take to regain their happy life, a concoction of spiritual poison has been brewed and dispensing that week after week will guarantee a Laodicean church.

King David declared in Psalm 19:7 that “the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.”  This entire chapter is devoted to general (v. 1-6) and special (v. 7-13) revelation.  The point in verse eight is that God’s Word is sure because it is trustworthy.  It is trustworthy because it corresponds to reality.  In other words, God’s Word speaks with razor sharpness concerning our common human condition and provides the same clarity when it comes to what remedy He has provided for us.

Pastors, it is time to scale again the mountaintop of biblical exposition and declaration.  God has called you to that task, He has supplied you with all you need to perform it, and the people He has entrusted to your care must have it. We are called to be theologians and shepherds not a self-esteem masseuse or motivational coaches.

This is the first installment in a five-part series entitled “Pastor You Must Be A Theologian.” Stay tuned for more.

Three Keys To Effective Prayer

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I call upon you; answer me, O God. Turn your ear to me; hear my speech. Psalm 17:6

When was the last time you contemplated the importance of prayer? Almost everyone has an opinion on times, places, and frequency concerning personal prayer.  But have you taken the time to understand just how important prayer is to your spiritual life?

Psalm 17 is a prayer of King David, written down for our benefit.  His opening petition is instructive: “Hear, Lord, my plea for justice; pay heed to my cry.”  I think we can all connect to this idea – that God will hear and answer our cries.  We expect God to hear us and to answer us.

Since that is the case, what should our attitude concerning prayer be? I see at least three principles in this Psalm that if employed consistently will yield much fruit in our lives. I encourage you to study Psalm 17 on your own, to not only see these three principles but to see what else God might show you.

Here are the three principles: (1) Stay alert – don’t let your mind drift. How many of you will admit that you start off your prayer time with good intentions but before you know it you’re thinking about items on your “must do” list. David’s prayer is focused.  Keep in mind the Apostle Paul’s admonition to the Colossian believers to “persevere in prayer, being watchful in it” (Col. 4:2).

(2) Be specific with your petitions. When you go to a restaurant you don’t ask the waiter to “bring me food.” You specially request what you would like – “sirloin steak, medium rare.” Prayers that are nothing more than generalizations or meaningless catch-phrases ask for nothing and will receive the same in return.

Finally, (3) Expect to receive. If you pray simply from habit expecting to receive nothing from God, then you are really wasting your time. James the brother of Jesus said that when we pray we should pray “in faith, not doubting.” The whole point of prayer is that we are making our petitions known to God who will answer us according to His goodness and kindness.

Friends, prayer can change our lives when we approach it with a right understanding of its place and power.

This is a transforming truth.

GOD IS NEAR

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The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34:18

The theological word for God’s nearness is immanence. This is closely related to another theological word that describes a characteristic of God – omnipresence. Have you considered God in this light? What are the implications of these characteristics?

Our verse from Psalm 34 tells us that God is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are burdened to the point of desperation, what the Psalmist describes as those “who are crushed in spirit.” This is a very frank picture of the human condition that many people experience at some point. For the writer of this Psalm – King David – it was a time of exceeding frustration and ebbing hope that gave rise to the penning of these words.  As David expressed his thoughts and emotions there arose within him an awareness of the nearness of God and the promises God had made to him concerning his own future.

It is very easy to become burdened down with the cares of life.  Everyone has bills to pay, appointments to keep, and responsibilities to fulfill. Day by day we focus on completing our tasks but over time we can become exhausted if we lose sight of why God saved us in the first place. We were made for so much more than debt, full schedules, and tasks that need completed. God saved us so that we might enjoy a close, intimate, and personal relationship with Him.

What compassion is this that God our creator would still remind us even when we allow our lives to become an endless parade of frustrating struggles that He is present for us and with us? Our God is not “an I told you so” God, but is instead full of mercy and patience, ever reaching out to His children.

Have you allowed your relationship with God to suffer at the hands of your schedule or responsibilities? Do you find yourself troubled by your lack of closeness to God? Are you suffering under the weight of life?  Cry out to God who is near.  He has never left you and stands ready to lift the burdens that crush your spiritual life.

 

Becoming a Man of God: Lessons From the Life of David Part 3

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A Heart Prepared For Worship

I conclude this three-part teaching on becoming a man of God by focusing on the glory of God.  By that I mean the presence of God in our lives.  What will it take to have the glory of God manifested in our lives?  How do we live in such a way that God’s presence is near?

Our text for this segment involves King David seeking to bring the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem.  Having consolidated his political power in the Holy City, David then moved to  make Jerusalem the religious center as well.

He wants to place the Ark in the Tabernacle he has built and subsequently in a Temple for God he hopes to build.  We know that God did not allow David to build the Temple.  That honor went to David’s son Solomon.

In a sense mankind is pictured in this episode.  Man has been created to know the reality of God and to long for His presence.  There is emptiness within man that can only be filled by the presence of God.

The Hebrew for glory is “kabod.”  The word carries the idea of substance, depth, and weightiness within a context of significance and worth.  I think this is the reason people ask questions such as, “Why am I here?”  “What is my life about?” or “Where is my life heading and why?”  These are all questions related to significance.

It’s very interesting that once a person is born-again those questions become focused on God’s presence.  “How can I draw nearer to God?”  “How can I experience more of God in my life?”   “God, what is your plan for my life?”  These questions relate to God’s significance to us.

Let’s examine a passage of scripture this morning that presents a beautiful picture of the way to experience the glory and presence of God.  I’ve entitled this message “A Heart Prepared For Worship.”

2 Samuel 6:1-23

V1-2 The Ark of the Covenant was the central fixture in the worship of  Israel.  It was placed in the Holy of Holies and was where God’s presence dwelled with the nation.  The OT refers to it as the “Shekinah Glory.”  You may recall that the Ark held the 10 Commandments, Aaron’s rod, and manna that fed the Hebrew people in their desert wanderings.

The Ark was the place where the priest would take a goat one day a year – The Day of Atonement – and sacrifice it there for the sins of the Hebrew people.

Kiriath-jearim (Joshua 15:9) was the ancient name of Baale-judah.  This village was about 9 miles from Jerusalem.

David called together 30,000 Israelites to help him celebrate bringing the Ark to Jerusalem.  At the heart of the issue for David was a longing for the presence of God in his life and in the national life of Israel.  He understood the need to be close to God and it was his heart’s desire to experience that closeness.

We see that in many of the Psalms David wrote.  Psalm 63 for example says:

O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. Thus I have seen You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory.  Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips will praise You.  So I will bless You as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name.  My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth offers praises with joyful lips.  When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches, for You have been my help, and in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy.  My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me (v. 1-8).

In Psalm 84 David proclaims:

How lovely are Your dwelling places,  O LORD of hosts! My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the LORD;  My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.  O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer;  Give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah.

Behold our shield, O God, and look upon the face of Your anointed.  For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside. I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.  For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD gives grace and glory;  No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.  O LORD of hosts, how blessed is the man who trusts in You! (v.1-2, 8-12)

V3-5 The Ark was loaded onto a new cart.  This fact is presented because the Philistines sent the Ark back to the Hebrews on a cart.  So the Israelites built a new cart for the Ark and did not use the same cart.

This was a time of celebration and must have been a grand parade.  With 30,000 people playing instruments, shouting, and dancing it must have been quite a spectacle to behold.

V6-11 Along the way the oxen evidently hit a rut and the Ark slid across the cart bed and looked as if it was going to tip over.  Instinctively, Uzzah, one of Abinadab’s sons put his hand out to stop the Ark from falling off the cart.

Can you image the pall that fell upon the people?  Get the picture – the people in front of the cart would not have known about God striking Uzzah dead but the people following the cart would have seen it.  As Uzzah fell to the ground dead all dancing, shouting, and instruments would have fallen into stunned silence.

The cart would have been stopped and slowly one by one the celebrants in front would realize something had gone terribly wrong.  As word spread throughout the crowd all the way to King David, a hushed murmur would have risen as David walked back to the lifeless body of Uzzah.

Notice David’s response.  First anger, then fear, then a decision to abandon the Ark to the household of Obed-edom the Gittite where we are told it stayed for at least 3 months while David returned to Jerusalem with all the people.  That must have been a painfully quiet return to the capital city.

In verse 9 notice the question that David asks perhaps out loud “How can the Ark of the Lord come to me?”  That’s a key question in this passage that we’ll answer in a moment.

V12-15 When we read this account we ask what is different from the previous account of David bringing the Ark to Jerusalem?  We notice that they stopped every 6 paces and sacrificed.  Something else had happened though.

While the Ark was in the house of Obed-edom David returned to Jerusalem and sought an answer to the question he asked in verse 9 – how could he bring the Ark to Jerusalem.  We find the answer to that question in 1 Chronicles 15:1-2, 11-15.

1Now David built houses for himself in the city of David; and he prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it.

2Then David said, “No one is to carry the ark of God but the Levites; for the LORD chose them to carry the ark of God and to minister to Him forever.”

11Then David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites, for Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel and Amminadab,

12and said to them, “You are the heads of the fathers’ households of the Levites; consecrate yourselves both you and your relatives, that you may bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel to the place that I have prepared for it.

13″Because you did not carry it at the first, the LORD our God made an outburst on us, for we did not seek Him according to the ordinance.”

14So the priests and the Levites consecrated themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel.

15The sons of the Levites carried the ark of God on their shoulders with the poles thereon, as Moses had commanded according to the word of the LORD.

This passage recounts for us that David researched the Ark and how it was to be transported.  This led him to read Exodus 25 where the specific instructions for transporting the Ark are found.

V16-23 Michal was David’s first wife given to him by King Saul as a gesture of goodwill for David’s heroic military conquests.  When God removed His blessing and anointing from Saul one of the first things he did was give Michal to another man as a wife.  She obviously believed her husband acted inappropriately before the “common people.”

What does this chapter, this singular event in the life of David have to tell us?  What can we take away from this that will help us in our personal lives and in our responsibilities to our families and our church?  More importantly what is this story telling us about the heart of a person who worships God?

The first thing we can say is that the person who worships God must have a passion for His presence.  David’s heart was aflame with a desire to have God’s presence near.  This is what motivated him to go get the Ark in the first place.

But here lies our first warning as well.  It is not enough to have the right motivation.  David certainly had the right motivation.  Our motivation must be coupled with a right method.  This is where David went wrong.

David neglected the Word of God that gave specific instructions on how the Ark was to be transported.  Notice that the Israelites built a brand new cart to haul the Ark.  Why did they do that?

Partly because none of the priests knew God’s Word enough to say “hey wait a minute David.  God says only the Levites are to transport the Ark and they must bear the burden on poles.  It cannot be touched.”

The other reason is that they were quick to mimic what the Philistines had done.  This enemy of the Israelites had sent the Ark away from them on a cart and thus the Hebrew people didn’t think a thing about utilizing the same method.

Brethren, the cart in this chapter represents the world’s ways.  David was guilty of copying the world in approaching God.  We must understand that God is not impressed with our good motives fulfilled in the wrong ways.

The old adage is right – the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

Notice the results in V6-11 of doing things the world’s way.  When we do things the world’s way there will be death.  People will be hurt.  If we want God’s presence we must do things God’s way.  If we want God’s blessings then we must join together our right motives with God’s prescribed method of approaching Him.

Some people read this account of Uzzah’s death and say that God is unfair or that He is unduly harsh.  They rationalize that Uzzah was trying to do a good thing.  He was trying to help God by preventing  the Ark from falling to the ground.

The problem with that thinking is that people overlook a fundamental truth – God doesn’t need our help.  How often do we think that we need to reach out our hands to steady a “work of God?”  How often are we tempted to lend a hand to God because His glory and honor are slipping or falling in the world’s eyes?

Notice a 2nd result of seeking God’s presence using the world’s methods – it results in anger and bitterness toward the Lord. David was one of those people who thought God was totally unfair to do what He did.  This wrong attitude in turn led to fear.

David became afraid of the presence of God.  What started out as a good thing – desiring the presence of God and setting in motion plans to accomplish that, turned into a disaster which in turn led David away from the God he longed to be near.

I see a very vivid picture of the church in this section of David’s story.  The church says that they desire the presence of God more than anything (Well, some churches say that).

The motives may be right – desiring the presence of God – but the method is terribly wrong.  So many churches today employee Madison Avenue marketing techniques that is completely foreign to God’s Word.

Many churches today look at people as consumers.  So the goal for many churches today is to satisfy their customers.  Churches conduct polls and surveys asking lost people what it would take to get them to come to church.  Once the data is analyzed the church morphs into whatever the survey says.

People today are looking for entertainment in a church so the pastor becomes a comedian and the service becomes a fast-moving collage of drama, songs, skits, and sermonettes all designed to satisfy the pew consumer.

When numbers become the goal God is not glorified.  David assembled 30,000 worshippers and they were all shouting and singing and playing instruments but notice that God was not being glorified because He was not being worshipped the right way and so disaster struck.  It was a great religious show but it was void of God.

Here it was physical death.  Today it is spiritual death.  People are coming and going through the doors of our churches dead spiritually because they are not hearing the life changing Word of God.  People cannot be saved by meeting their felt needs.  Salvation comes through recognition that we are sinners saved by grace.

I remember John Courson talking about this church growth/marketing phenomenon.  He spoke about a group of churches uniting in a campaign to reach their city.  So they got a steering team together.  Sort of an ad hock board.

This board consisted of some movers and shakers in the community.  They decided that what they needed was a big wheel, a name, or several names to come into town and show folks how cool it was to be a Christian.  The implication was of course that anyone could be as successful as they if they would become a Christian.

Courson concluded his story with this comment – “boards and big wheels.  That’s a perfect description of a cart.”  Brothers, God will not bless our carts.  He will not bless our slick programs, our techniques and methods that we’ve co-opted from the world.

You know the Levites carried the Ark of the Covenant around the Sinai desert for nearly 38 years and never stumbled.  They carried the Ark through dry river beds over rocky terrain and never stumbled.  The Levites carried the Ark around the city of Jericho for seven days and never once stumbled.

God didn’t need a cart then and He doesn’t need one now.  God says to His people – you carry Me.  You shoulder Me in your hearts and you carry Me everywhere you go.

In verse 13 we see a picture of David’s right understanding of the holiness of God.  I’ve already mentioned that Kiriath-jearim was 9 miles from Jerusalem.  Can you imagine how long it would take you to walk 9 miles if you stopped every 6 steps and offered a sacrifice?

Why did he do this?  A few answers have been offered but I believe that the literal and symbolic meet here to provide us an answer.  The number 6 is the number of man in Scripture.  I think David was proclaiming before God symbolically and literally that man alone can not come before a holy God.  It is only through the blood.

In order for mankind to be reconciled to God we must approach Him in the prescribed manner – through the blood of Jesus Christ.

In verse 14 we read that David danced before the Lord with all his might wearing a linen ephod.  What is that telling us?  It means that David gave all to God and that he did so as a man not as a King.

The same must be true of us.  We do not approach God on our own merits.  We might be a business owner, a wealthy merchant, an important political figure.  God says that we will take off those robes of importance and approach Him as every other person.

We can understand “dancing with all our might” within a context of diligence.

Hebrews 11:6 says, “He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

Jeremiah 29:13: “And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.”

Proverbs 8:17: “I love those who love Me and those who seek Me diligently will find Me.”

Proverbs 13:4: “The soul of a lazy man desires and has nothing; but the soul of the diligent shall be made rich.”

One last item I want you to see in this passage.  Verse 20 tells us of Michal’s disgust with her husband.  This pictures for us the truth that even though we may diligently seek God’s presence and His glory in our lives there will be those who stand in opposition.

See how this develops.  David is “jazzed.”  He has glorified God and experienced His presence by bringing the Ark to Jerusalem.  He has blessed the people and sent them home to celebrate.  Now he comes to his own home wanting to bless his family and gets a bucket of cold water on the head.

There will always be someone who says “don’t get too crazy or wrapped up in the God thing.”  They might tell you “it’s ok to go to church on Sunday but do you have to read your Bible all the time and pray everyday?”

You keep on trucking brethren.  Notice the outcome of all those who attempt to sidetrack those who desire to diligently seek the Lord’s glory – verse 23 – they will be barren.  Misery loves company as they say and those who are spiritually empty cannot stand being in the presence of those who are spiritually full.

Let me share this real story with you.  In his book, The Unquenchable Worshiper Matt Redman, who has written so many wonderful praise and worship songs, tells the story of how he came to write the song, “The Heart of Worship.”

The church Matt attended had been incredibly blessed w/some fantastic musicians & composers.  The worship was incredible.  But after a time, something went missing.  As the bands became more proficient & the sound improved the sense of God’s presence diminished.

In Matt’s words, “The fire that used to characterize our worship had somehow grown cold.”  Where once people would enter in no matter what, we’d now wait to see what the band was like first, how good the sound was, or whether we were ‘into’ the songs chosen.”

The pastor, Mike Pilavachi, decided to take some radical steps to turn things around.  So one Sunday when the congregation arrived, they discovered the sound system had been removed & there was no one to lead worship.

Mike said, “When you come through the doors of the church on Sunday, what are you bringing as your offering to God? What are you going to sacrifice today?”

The first few meetings after that were awkward as people struggled to learn that true worship means offering one’s heart to God.  Giving expression to that was difficult at first, but over several weeks, people realized worship is about more than singing songs.

It didn’t take long before the power & presence of God was renewed as they gathered to worship.

Over the next weeks they added the instruments back in.  Matt shares, “Out of this season, I reflected on where we had come to as a church & wrote this song,”

When the music fades, All is stripped away, & I simply come;
Longing just to bring something that’s of worth That will bless Your heart.
I’ll bring You more than a song, For a song in itself Is not what You have required.
You search much deeper within Through the way things appear; You’re looking into my heart.
I’m coming back to the heart of worship, & it’s all about You, All about You, Jesus.
I’m sorry, Lord, for the thing I’ve made it, When it’s all about You, All about You, Jesus.

Brethren there is one thing God desires for us to carry into this world.  It is not our fancy clothes, fancy houses, or expensive cars.

It is a changed life by the power of the Holy Spirit.  It is a testimony about the goodness of God verified by a heart that seeks Him above all else.  That is the Gospel message of salvation in His Son that is written on our hearts.

When we seek God’s presence in our lives and are diligent to live for his glory then His joy and enabling power to live for him comes washing through our souls like a refreshing river.  That is my prayer for you my readers.

As we walk this journey together may we be an encouragement to one another in godly living.

Becoming a Man of God: Lessons from the Life of David Part 2

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A Man After God’s Own Heart

 

King David is often referred to as the “Shepherd King.”  He spent his adolescent and young teenage years tending his father’s sheep as we will see in this study.  I believe it was from that foundation of servant hood, being seen and treated as the least among his brethren that David developed into a man of integrity, honor, and humbleness.

As a king, David was no hireling.  He loved the people of Israeland was a faithful shepherd to them.  I recommend the book by Philip Keller, “A Shepherd Looks at the 23rd Psalm.”  Keller paints a beautiful picture in words of the life of a shepherd and the sheep he cares for.

The Bible says that hirelings get out in front of the slowest sheep when the wolves come.  Hirelings take off and leave the sheep unprotected.  David never did that.  Instead he protected them against all sort of wild animals.

That reminds me of the story I heard recently about the two friends that went on an overnight camping trip to the mountains. 

In the middle of the night they were both awakened by a ferocious roar of what they both knew was a grizzly bear.  They both sat up in their cots frantically trying to get out of their sleeping bags and out of the tent before the bear was upon them.

In the midst of this mad scramble one guy looks at his friend and the friend is putting on his tennis shoes.  The first guy half yelled “you don’t have time for that and putting on your tennis shoes won’t help you out run the bear.”

His friend responded “I don’t have to out run the bear.  I only have to outrun you.”

The Bible speaks more about David than any other person except Jesus Christ.  Consider for example that:

  • 14 chapters about Abraham, the father of the faithful.
  • 14 chapters about Joseph whom God used to preserve His people.
  • 13 chapters about Jacob the patriarch who wrestled with God.
  • 10 chapters about Elijah the prophet who slew 400 false prophets.

But there are ~ 65 chapters of the Bible dedicated to the life of David.  The NT mentions David 59 times.  This affords a comprehensive view of the life of this man.  I believe God holds David up as an example of “a man after His own heart” because David’s heart was always seeking after Him.

I love the picture that God gives us of David – his triumphs, his victories, his greatest moments all right along side of his failures, his defects, and his sins.

I want to look at 1 Samuel 16.  Let me set the context of what we’ll be studying.

The date is around 1126 BC. Israel left Egypt about 340 years before this time and thus had been in the Promised Land about 300 years.  Within those 300 years was a 240 year period of time known as the “time of the judges.”  People such as Samson, Gideon, Deborah, Abimelech, and Jepthah had given counsel to and provided protection for God’s people.

You may recall that the book of Judges closes with this statement: “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”  It was at this time that God raised up Samuel the prophet who in effect became the last judge.

It was to Samuel that the Israelites came begging for a king because they wanted to be like other nations.  There’s a lesson there for us – it is always a sign of danger ahead when God’s people decide to imitate the world.

So, Samuel eventually anoints Saul as Israel’s first king.  We read about that in chapters 9-10 of 1 Samuel.  Saul’s reign was marked by victory and defeat. 

God removed the kingdom from him because he did not obey Him in all that he was instructed – first by offering strange fire before the Lord (1 Sam 13) and then by disobeying God’s instructions to completely wipe out the Amalekites (1 Sam 15).

Samuel’s announcement to Saul is a key to understanding the text we will consider.  Samuel the prophet speaks thusly to King Saul in 1 Samuel 13:14:

“But now your kingdom shall not endure.  The Lord has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has appointed him as ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.”

1 Samuel 16:1-13

V1 Samuel was still grieving.  I think this is an important point being made here.  Why would God include this piece of information?  Saul had messed up and God rejected him.  What I see here is that the man of God grieves for God’s people who have fallen into sin.  There is a time to grieve for our brothers and sisters.

There should be no joy in the heart of a believer when a brother or sister falls.  We may know that it was self-induced.  We may have even seen it coming and tried to warn them but when it comes there should be a sense of heartache.

Notice God asks Samuel “how long” he is going to grieve.  God is saying “let’s get up and get back to work.”  That tells me that grieving should not be debilitating.  It should not cause us to forget about the tasks God has called us to.

God instructs Samuel to fill his horn with oil.  What a picture that is.  The horn represents strength in the Bible and oil represents the Holy Spirit.  God is saying to Samuel “I am sending you forth in the strength of the Holy Spirit.”

It’s important for us to remember that regardless of the circumstances we might find ourselves facing, God is with us and His strength is our strength.  We never face our obstacles alone.  When we obey God we always move forward filled with the Holy Spirit.

V2 As is often the case, we miss God’s encouragement and provision.  Samuel’s eyes were not focusing on the Lord any longer but on the fate of Saul and the potential for Saul’s anger to turn toward him.

Here’s another lesson for us.  When God calls us to a work He will strengthen us for it and provide the enabling to do it.  “Where God guides God provides.” If we keep looking to Him for this provision we will succeed.  When we take our eyes off of Him and examine our circumstances we give doubt and anxiety an open door.

I love God’s response to Samuel’s fear – “Here’s the plan.  Take a heifer with you and go make a sacrifice.”  God is saying “listen to Me Samuel.  I’ve got this under control.  Do as I ask.”

V3 God gives Samuel just enough information to get him to the right place in front of the right people.  Do you see the important piece of information that God withholds?  God did not tell Samuel to anoint the tallest or the strongest or the most handsome.  God didn’t give Samuel a name.  He didn’t ask for Samuel’s opinion at all.  He merely told Samuel to anoint the one that He would designate.

That took the burden off Samuel didn’t it?  All Samuel had to do was go to Jesse’s house and wait for God to tell him which man to anoint as the next King of Israel. 

We can walk with great confidence when we understand that following God’s plan to the letter releases us from the burden of making sure something is successful.

When we listen to God and don’t attempt to “tweak” His plans we can rest in the knowledge that whatever God chooses is the best possible choice.  That’s true freedom.

  • So from this verse we learn that God calls people to walk by faith. He calls us to trust Him with the results.
  • We can also say that God desires constant communication with us.  He gives us enough information to take the next step in obedience to Him.  That insures that we will not get too far ahead.
  • That segues into a 3rd point here – God wants us to be continually dependent upon Him.

V4 “So Samuel did as the Lord said.”  That’s a great statement.  After receiving instruction from God, Samuel carried those instructions out.

The elders of the city of Bethlehem were concerned because “the” prophet of God, the judge of Israel, the King’s closest advisor had come to their Podunk village unannounced.  That caused a near panic.  We’re not told why exactly.  They rightly thought he was there for a specific reason.

V5 Samuel calms their fears and invites them to the sacrifice.  What he doesn’t tell them is this is a sacrifice of consecration.  Someone is about to be “set apart” for service to the Lord.  This awareness was mysteriously lost upon them.

  • Point – God will always consecrate or set apart a man for service.  God has His own qualifications that look nothing like what the world thinks is important.
  • I’ve seen a few men over the years that have claimed God told them to become a pastor.  Time has demonstrated that their calling was not from God.

V6-10 We see in these verses that God looks at the heart of a man not the outward appearance.  Outward appearance means the total package of externals including our words and our actions.  When the internals are not right then the externals don’t matter to God.

In America we teach young people to aggressively “sell themselves.”  We tell them that “first impressions” are the most important.  The result has been what we see today – inflated egos and inflated resumes.

God sees through all the “veneer.”  He doesn’t need our talents, abilities, or experiences in order to accomplish His plans through us.  All He needs is a man with a right heart.

Alan Redpath said “Jesse’s seven sons represented the perfection of the flesh.  Outwardly they fit the criteria but God is no interested in refining the flesh.  When God chooses to build a man He looks for different timber.”

So the man of God understands that the basis for God’s choice is contrary to human reasoning.  This in turn will deliver us from the tyranny of judging people without knowing the heart.  I have shared my testimony before and a part of that testimony is that I can’t believe that God chose me to be one of His.

Perhaps that is your testimony too.  God’s grace toward us is not an occasion for boasting or haughtiness.  Instead experiencing God’s love toward us should cause us to be humble.

  • Paul in writing to the Corinthian believers said:  “What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?” (1 Cor 4:7)

We should remember that when it comes to sharing our faith and living for Christ.  We don’t know who God is going to call into His Kingdom nor should we care.  God will call whom He will call.  Our job is be ready “in season and out of season” to share a word of encouragement when the opportunity presents itself. 

I see those points being made next – V11-13

I think God delights in choosing those the world least expects.  Paul said exactly that in 1 Corinthians 1:

  • “Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God” (v25-29).

Why does God do that?  Well I don’t pretend to know the mind of God but I will say that I believe one reason God chooses the least expected option is because that way He gets all the glory.  It’s easy to give God the glory when great things are accomplished through ordinary people.

We can look to our own heritage as Calvary Chapel and know this is true.  Pastor Chuck in obedience agreed to pastor a little church called Calvary Chapel that boasted a congregation of 25 people.

Most people don’t know that Bob Coy was the “go to” guy for making sure rock stars inDetroithad a good time.  Most people don’t know that Greg Laurie was a drug dealer and user or that Mike Macintosh was so strung out on drugs at one point he didn’t think he would survive mentally.

I look at an uneducated shoe salesman like DL Moody and think wow!  Who had ever heard of Billy Graham?  He didn’t come up through the right seminary and church group.  All of these men have one thing in common – they had a right heart before God.

This was God’s testimony about David.  He was a man “after” God’s own heart.  I think this means David longed to be near God and to hear from Him.

  • As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for You, O God.  My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; When shall I come and appear before God? (Ps 42:1-2)
  • One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD and to meditate in His temple. (Ps 27:4)

One of the things that I want you to take away from this passage is that David is not the exception.  I don’t want you to look at his life and say “yea but . . .”  David’s life is presented to us in Scripture as a model of what can be for every man of God.

  • “For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His” (2 Chronicles 16:9)

God is looking for men whose hearts are completely His.  There’s nothing hidden or being held onto;  nothing being swept under the rug, nothing being ignored.

So God is holding up David as an example to us and says “learn from this picture.  Be a man whose supreme desire is to know Me and to be known by Me.”

David’s heart was in-tune with God and because of that he could cry even in the most burdensome times “create in me a clean heart oh God.”  Oh for a walk like that.

What will that take on our part?  At least two things.

1)    We must learn to see as God sees.  This will require us to spend much more time on the preparation of our hearts for God than it does on the preparation of our outward appearance.  This will require us to work on the “issues” of the heart continually, to bring our thoughts and our wills into conformity to His.

2)    We must learn to constantly check our priorities.  What am I spending the most time on?  What do I spend the least time on?  Are there things that I should move up the list or down the list?

May God bless you abundantly according to His riches today.