hope

July 10, 2014

What a Mess!

 

Thoughts About What We’re Reading…

 

2 Samuel 13-18 is a sad tale of a dysfunctional family and the consequences of sin.

In these chapters we learn that seemingly small sins of omission can spawn large sins of commission.

David had a son named Absalom, described in scripture as handsome in every way, with beautiful long hair – foreshadow of things to come.

Absalom also had a beautiful sister named Tamar who was violated by another brother from another mother – Amnon.

Deuteronomy 22 and Leviticus 20 are very clear on the penalty for Amnon’s action, yet David did nothing when he learned what happened – perhaps because Amnon was his first born.

Absalom is angry at the violation of his sister and exacts revenge on Amnon a couple of years later by arranging for his murder.

Absalom’s actions force him into exile with his maternal grandfather for three years.

David is heartbroken and longs for his exiled son, which is evident to all, but no one knows how to achieve Absalom’s return and reconciliation.

Through an elaborate hoax, Joab – David’s commander-in-arms, arranges for the return of Absalom, and David agrees to his return but will not see him personally or let him visit the palace.

After two more years of estrangement from his father, Absalom is desperate for attention and after trying to get Joab’s attention to no avail, he sets fire to Joab’s barley field. This gets Joab’s attention!

Joab intervenes with the king and they are reunited. But as subsequent events demonstrate, David’s long-delayed acceptance of his son came too late.

Absalom was embittered and resolved to do whatever was necessary to make David pay for his obstinacy.

Absalom’s first move to achieve his purposes of revenge was to make himself conveniently available by the city gate to hear the complaints of the citizens.

Over time, Absalom gains the support of the people.

When the time is ripe for revolution, Absalom leads a coup, forcing David to flee the city, leaving behind ten concubines.

David’s forced flight from Jerusalem not only put his own kingship in jeopardy, but it also opened the door to further contention for the throne between the dynasties of Saul and David. Another foreshadow of things to come in the Book of Kings.

Absalom marches into the city and lies with David’s ten concubines on the roof of the palace for all to see – further consequences from David’s sin with Bathsheba, 2 Samuel 12:11.

Absalom seeks to kill David but is finally defeated and killed by Joab after getting his hair – head, stuck in an oak tree. So ends the story of Absalom.

All in all, it’s a messy, costly business—events set in motion by sin always are.

Carelessness in the palace has landed David in the wilderness again!

Saul’s death brought his wilderness years to a close the first time.

This time, it is the death of his own son – Absalom.

Through it all, God preserves David, and restores him to his throne.

We are reminded that sin is never trivial, and grace is never cheap.

But God never leaves or forsakes those who are truly his.

Until next time… keep reading!

Jim

Excerpts for this blog were taken directly from: Gospel Transformation Bible Notes and The Bible Knowledge Commentary.

July 3, 2014

The Consequences of Sin

 

Thoughts About What We’re Reading…

 

As we turn to 2 Samuel 11-12, we come upon one of the most tragic stories in all of Scripture.

Our story begins in the spring, the rains are over and David decides to resume his military campaigns, launching an invasion of Rabbah, the capital of Ammon.

Although David usually led his army personally, he stays behind in Jerusalem and sends his commander, Joab in his stead.

While walking along the rooftop of the palace, David observes Bathsheba, the wife of his neighbor Uriah, bathing out in the open.

David inquires about the beautiful woman and has her brought to the palace and takes her to his bed, although he knows she is married.

Sure enough, Bathsheba sends David a note with the worst news he could hear – she is with child!

The crisis brought by the pregnancy required some kind of suitable resolution, so David determined to “legitimize” the impending birth by bringing Uriah back from the Ammonite campaign, thus making it possible for him to enjoy the intimacies of marriage.

But the plan does not work. So David resorts to two schemes (2 Samuel 11:8-13) trying to induce Uriah to go home and be with his wife, but the noble Hittite refuses.

Why should he, Uriah argued, be allowed the comforts of home and a conjugal visit while his friends in combat were deprived of them?

Even after David plied him with wine, Uriah’s sense of loyalty to his comrades prevails over his desire for his wife.

In utter frustration, David resorts to a third scheme and writes a memo to Joab, commanding that Uriah, when he returns to the front line, be abandoned to the enemy by an unexpected Israelite withdrawal.

The plan succeeds – Uriah is surrounded and slain. This is the same Uriah listed in 2 Samuel 23:39, among the exploits of David’s warriors – Uriah was one of the Mighty Men.  What a sad end to one of such courage and character.

After a time of mourning, Bathsheba moves into the palace with David, becomes his wife and bears him a son.

The Lord is displeased and set events in motion that will trouble David throughout his life. We will read about these events later in 2 Samuel.

It is only after being called out for his sin by the prophet Nathan, that David repents.

Shortly after the interview with Nathan, the child becomes terminally ill. Despite David’s intense fasting and prayer, the baby dies within a week.

One may wonder, why David was not punished with death as he had so sternly advocated for the guilty man in the parable told by Nathan.

The answer lies in the genuine and remorseful repentance that David expressed, not only in the presence of Nathan, but more fully in Psalm 51, David’s magnificent prayer of repentance.

David’s sin was heinous, but the grace of God was more than sufficient to forgive and restore him.

David and Bathsheba would go on to have another child – Solomon. The name Solomon means “Peace”.

Although David is restored in fellowship with the Lord, the consequence of his sin remained and would continue to work its sorrow in the nation as well as in his life.

This story serves as a reminder to all believers that although we are forgiven of our sin, through the redeeming work of Christ, the consequences of our sin and the choices we make, can last a lifetime.

Until next time… keep reading.

Jim

Excerpts for this blog were taken directly from The Bible Knowledge Commentary, Volume 1.

June 26, 2014

Exalting His Name

 

Thoughts About What We’re Reading…

As we continue our reading, we come to 2 Samuel Chapter 7.  Here we find David, well settled in Jerusalem and enjoying a period of peace.

As he contemplates his journey to date, his thoughts turn to the idea of building a more permanent structure in which the Lord could reside among His people.

David wants to build a “house”, a temple for the Lord.

It seems like such a good idea that the prophet Nathan readily agrees.

But the Lord, whose thoughts and ways are different and higher than ours, has a very different building plan in mind.

Even though it seemed the right thing to do, David was not to build a house for God.

Why? Because in Deuteronomy 12, God declared that there would come a time when He Himself would choose a spot in the Land of Promise wherein people could seek Him continually. We learn later that David’s son – Solomon, will build the Temple.

Here in 2 Samuel 7, the Lord declares He will build a “house” – a dynasty and kingdom – for David, instead of David building a house for the Lord.

Stunned, David lays aside his own blueprint and simply sits in the presence of the Lord, marveling at the amazing plan the Lord has just unrolled before him.

This serves as a gentle reminder of how easily our imaginations can be captured and our energies exhausted by what we want to build for God, when what He really wants is for us to sit attentively, witnessing what He is building so that we may marvel and give Him thanks!

Like David, we can have visions, ideas, and dreams that are biblical, spiritual, and noble—but that are not right.

And, like Nathan, we can say to others, “That’s a great idea! Go for it!” without seeking the Lord.

How important it is that we be those who say, “Lord, I’ve got lots of ideas, plans, and dreams. I’ve got all kinds of ways to accomplish big things for Your glory—but only if they’re part of Your plan.”

God established His covenant with Israel not only to redeem a people for Himself, but to make a name for Himself so other peoples could turn to Him.

What David wanted most of all was that God’s name would be exalted forever through all He did for David’s house – his dynasty and kingdom.

Seeing the Lord receive His proper glory had long been on David’s heart – as we learned when reading through the latter verses in 1 Samuel 17.

In this amazing promise to David in 2 Samuel 7, the earlier promise to Abraham (Gen. 12:1–3) is gathered up and refocused.

And in a far grander sense all these promises are gathered up and finally fulfilled in Jesus – Son of David, Son of God, the head crushing Seed of the Woman.

Until next time… keep reading!

Jim

Excerpts taken directly from: Gospel Transformation Bible, Bible Knowledge Commentary, HCSB Study Bible, Courson Application OT Commentary

June 19, 2014

Waiting on the Lord

 

Thoughts About What We’re Reading…

Here is where we are in our reading: after living a “Robin Hood” existence for years, David is finally made king over all of Israel.

Anointed to be the future king in 1 Samuel 16, David has waited on the Lord through years of difficulty and danger in the wilderness, hiding out for years from King Saul, who sought to kill him.

When given opportunities to rid the kingdom of the rejected king Saul—who refuses to step down—David resists temptation and waits on the Lord.

When asked by his men why he does not just kill King Saul, David responds in 1 Samuel 24:6, “The LORD forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the LORD’s anointed, to put out my hand against him, seeing he is the LORD’s anointed.”

Blood is spilt on David’s way to the throne but not by David. Even when Saul dies in battle, David takes no pleasure in his death and deals harshly with the opportunistic Amalekite who seeks to benefit from it, when falsely claiming to have killed Saul.

Through his moving eulogy, in 2 Samuel 1:17-27, David laments the deaths of Saul and his close friend – Jonathan and honors their memory. He laments and honors the man who spent years trying to kill him.

When Joab, David’s kin and head of his army, murders the power-hungry Abner, the former captain of Saul’s army, David reprimands Joab and forces Joab and all the people to put on sackcloth and mourn the death of Abner.

David has his flaws as we all do, we will read more of his exploits in the coming weeks, but David’s world and mind were infused with the reality of God and his faith in God’s existence, purpose and faithfulness.

David waited on the Lord. As we read through the many Psalms written by David during this time in his life, we get a glimpse into the heart and mind of David.  He longed for the promises to be fulfilled, for God to take action, yet he waited for God to do it His way, in His timing.

David suffered much at the hand of Saul—hardship, dishonor, and slander—but he refused to return evil for evil. David chose rather to bless and not curse and even to eulogize Saul in his death.

In the end, ever true to His purposes and promises, the Lord established David as king over Israel, and exalted His kingdom for the sake of His people Israel.

I am reminded that as Christians, we will experience times of suffering and tribulation but our hope at the far side of suffering is even grander than David’s.

Indeed, our blessed hope is the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for his own possession – His church.

And so we wait expectantly and in great joy for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ.

As David waited, we too wait on the Lord, trusting in His promises.  For David the Psalmist, and for us the community of believers, God is our refuge, our strength, and our Redeemer.

Until next time… keep reading!

Jim

Excerpts taken directly from the Gospel Transformation Bible.

February 24, 2014

The Great Deluge

Genesis 7-8

“­­­How serious do I take sin?” As I reflected on this passage, I couldn’t escape the seriousness and the severity with which God deals with sin in this story. He created a good world…perfect harmony, perfect peace, naked and unashamed, heaven on earth, paradise. And then that world is devastated…it is crushed by man’s rebellion. And sin infects all of creation.

We might ask “Why must all creation suffer for our sin?” Because we were supposed to be the caretakers. We were responsible. And our sin tainted everything. And when we were cursed, so was our dominion. So why the flood? Violence filled the earth instead of the image. Loss of the sons of God. And sin has consequences…serious consequences. End of the world kind of consequences. So much so that God chooses to destroy the good world He had created and start over.

But God remembered Noah. What a powerful statement! In the midst of horrific judgment, mercy still prevails and the search for the Seed will continue. God is not done with His creation. Even when it seemed that all hope might have been lost.

Noah saw first hand not only the devastating effects of sin on his society, he also saw the severity of God’s judgment on that sin. And that glimpse of the consequences of sin against the backdrop of God’s mercy prompted worship.

But what about you? How seriously do you take your sin? Are you aware of its consequences? I believe that it’s only when we see the severity of our sin that we begin to understand God’s amazing grace, and only then can we fully worship. A low view of sin = a low view of grace and vice versa. But my sin and your sin is serious. Its deadly and it necessitated the death of God’s Son…Jesus…the Head-crushing Seed of the Woman. Sin required a death…and not just any death. In order for the guilty to be rescued, to be redeemed, the innocent would have to die in their stead. And so the Perfect One, willingly did just that, He laid down His life so that we could be rescued. He fully took care of the sin problem so that we could have a different kind of life, and so that we could fully represent God’s image as He intended.

My prayer for us this week is that we would take our sin seriously…and that we would take God’s grace seriously…and that that would cause us to worship.

Until next time…stay salty.

This post is based on our Genesis series. Listen online at:http://www.centralchristian.org, or follow us on twitter: @ccclancaster

January 27, 2014

The Wages of Sin…Is Death

Genesis 3.

“Why do bad things happen to good people…in other words, How did we get into this mess?” God created a perfect world. All that God had made was good, including the man and his wife. It’s paradise…heaven on earth. What happened? It’s difficult to describe the catastrophic results of our first parents’ single act of rebellion. Welcome to life as we know it. Every instance of violence, every natural disaster, every awful thing that has happened since is a direct result.

What was the sin of the garden? It was rebellion. It was pride in its purest form. The Image-bearers were not satisfied with merely bearing the Image…they wanted to be the image. Instead of trusting their loving Creator who had so “fearfully and wonderfully” made them, who had entrusted them with imaging Him to His creation, who had made them king and queen on planet earth, they rejected Him and spurned His love. They sought to oust Him and take His place. They wanted a shot at the title.

As readers of the story, we want to shout, “No! Don’t do it! You don’t know what you are doing!” But lest we too quickly fault our first parents, we see that same act of rebellion repeated legion in our own lives. If man and woman in a perfect environment fail to follow God on their own, what hope would the Israelites have being surrounded by peoples who only sought their ruin. What hope do we have? Our only hope is God. Only He can give us the desire and the follow-through to follow Him. I love that the LORD God (Yahweh Elohim) shows up.

That’s why I love Genesis 3.15…what we couldn’t do for ourselves, God will do, when He sends His Son as the Head-Crushing Seed of the Woman. Whose dying words, will be, “Forgive them Father for they know not what they do!” It’s the key to the entire Bible, the proto-evangelium, the first gospel, the beginning for the search for Messiah. The OT chronicles the search for the Seed and Israel’s failure in following God. The NT tells of us coming and the implications thereof for those who would follow God.

But what about you? Do you find yourself asking like Job, why is this happening to me? Why do bad things happen to good people, and why do good things happen to bad people? Our expectation from the garden is suffering. Those of us who have trusted in Jesus…the seed of the woman…are at war with the seed of the serpent. Guess what side the culture is on? Adam gave up not only his innocence in the fall, but also his right to rule. He gave that to the serpent…“the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.”  So those who follow God suffer both the effects of a fallen world, and the attacks of the enemy who is hell-bent on destroying us. But hope is possible because the Head-Crushing Seed of the Woman has come and has defeated the Adversary. And now we wait with all of creation for the time when He will come back to set all things right…for the new heavens and the new earth.

My prayer for us this week is that we would recognize the amazing love of God who didn’t give up on us even in our rebellion, but who has pursued us and did what we could not do, provide the way back to Himself through Jesus, the Head-Crushing Seed of the Woman.

Until next time…stay salty.

This post is based on our Genesis series. Listen online at:http://www.centralchristian.org, or follow us on twitter: @ccclancaster