Today's Reading: 1 Chronicles 23 & Psalm 110

 

Jerusalem Forever

King David is “getting his house in order.” As he nears the end of his life, David, like many people do, begins arranging his affairs. He appoints his son, Solomon, to take over the kingdom. He takes a census of the people and arranges them in divisions. He organizes those who will serve in the ministry to the Lord. He appoints those who will be in charge of the worship services. He arranges for the Levites to assist the priests in the care and maintenance of the house of the Lord. He appoints those who were to stand at the Tent of Meeting every morning and evening to offer thanksgiving and praise to the Lord.

As David goes about arranging his affairs, he declares that “the Lord God of Israel dwells in Jerusalem forever” (V25). David knew that of all the places on the Earth, the Lord had chosen the city of Jerusalem as His dwelling place. The Bible makes nearly 800 references to Jerusalem (also called ‘Zion’) as God’s chosen city. The prophet Daniel declared that Jerusalem was the city that is called by God’s name (Daniel 9:19). Jesus referred to Jerusalem as “the city of the Great King” (Matthew 5:35). God, of course, is omnipresent. He is not confined to one city or any geographic location. But, God chose Jerusalem as the place from which His name and majesty and glory would be declared to all the Earth.  

But, why did God choose Jerusalem over all the cities of the world to put His name and call His home? From a human standpoint, King David had some practical reasons for choosing Jerusalem as the capital city of Israel. For instance, its natural defense system, its fresh water supply, and its central location. But these aren’t the reasons God chose the city. God chose Jerusalem for divine reasons.

In reality, the Lord has not revealed His reasons for choosing Jerusalem as His dwelling place. (Nor has He revealed His reasons for choosing Israel as the Promised Land or the Jews as His chosen people.) The Lord is sovereign and makes His choices for divine reasons which are often unknown to us. One day, perhaps, we will understand His choices. But for now, we accept God’s truth and His sovereign choice: Jerusalem is His city – He dwells there forever!

Over the centuries, many have attempted to expel the Jews and God from Jerusalem. Many have sought to “kick God out” of His city. In fact, the city is currently occupied by both Jews and Gentiles and the Holy Temple in the heart of the city is merely a remnant. But we know with great certainty that the Lord is there and we look longingly for that day when “the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him... On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east!” (Zechariah 14:4-5). Jerusalem is the Lord’s city. Forever. Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus!

Today's Reading: Psalm 108 & 109

 

Hurtful Opponents

What is your response when others attack or criticize you? Sometimes they come at you with lying tongues or words of hate. They may even accuse you of wrongdoing or repay evil for good. It is not unusual for the follower of Christ to be maligned or slandered. The question is, how do you react when it happens to you?

That is the idea behind Psalm 109. In this Psalm, David is grieving over the way others have treated him. He feels betrayed and hurt by their lies and deceit. He describes his hurt by saying, “I loved them and now they slander me... they return my good with evil.” You can sense his sadness and distress in the words of this Psalm. Keep in mind that, as king, David had the power and authority to take decisive action against these people. He could have taken matters into his own hands and rooted out his detractors and had them punished severely. But that’s not what he does!  Instead, he takes to his knees and seeks God’s intervention. There is a tenderness in his voice when, in verse 4, he says, “I give myself to prayer.”

Instead of responding to their attacks with confrontation or by striking back, David wisely places the matter in God’s hands. He seeks the Lord and asks Him to respond to these cruel detractors. His heartfelt prayer is that God would not sit by silently while these people continue to attack him. His plea is, “be not silent, O God of my praise.”

Unfortunately, the prayer that follows is a rather rotten prayer. In fact, Psalm 109 has been called “the most terrible psalm in the whole psalter.” David prays that the people who hurt him would be hurt in return. Rather than pleading with God for their forgiveness and blessing, David takes the “low road” and prays that the Lord would ruin their lives for their hurtful attacks.  He asks God to dispatch evil upon their lives, shorten their lives, take away their jobs and their families, give them financial misfortune, and let curses rain down on them. Wow!

David’s response to pray rather than strike back is a wonderful example for us to follow. The content of his prayer, however, should not be the content of our prayers.  Jesus taught us to love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us (Matthew 5:44). Our prayer should not be one of revenge or hurt, but of blessing and salvation. As the Apostle Peter said, “Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.” (1 Peter 3:9) What should be your response when others attack or criticize you? Get to your knees and pray God’s blessing and salvation upon their lives, “that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:45)

Today's Reading: 1 Chronicles 22 & Psalm 30

Joy Comes With The Morning

My wife is a “morning person.” It is not unusual for her to awaken with a joyful heart and song on her lips. For her, joy comes with the morning.  For me, on the other hand, “joy” is not a word I would use to describe myself after first waking up. I’m not grumpy per-se, I’m just a little “happy challenged” when morning comes. I might be awake, but speak to me at your own risk.

When David the Psalmist says, “joy comes with the morning,” he is not referring to our daily wake up patterns. His point is that trials and troubles don’t last forever in our lives. At some point, the darkness will lift and our joy will return. Specifically, David is commenting on the duration of God’s discipline in our lives.

There are times in all of our lives where we undergo God’s correction and discipline. Part of the process of finding wisdom and listening to our Father’s instruction includes receiving discipline from our Father. If we are to grow in grace and the knowledge of our Lord, Jesus Christ, there are times when God must discipline us for our “bad behavior.”

Sometimes we grieve the Lord by our insistence on sinning. Sometimes, even when we mean well, we can do foolish things and “miss the mark” of God’s righteous standards. In those times, our loving Father may choose to “jab” us with trials and difficulties to get us back in line with His perfect plan for our lives.  Part of our training is for God to administer discipline. 

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” (Hebrews 12:5-6) How does God discipline us? God can and does use various methods of discipline. He may use trouble at work, hardship at home, or challenges in the ministry. He may allow us to experience loss.  He may even allow physical ailments into our bodies. These can be the consequences of our sin. The reason we are corrected by Him is “so that we will not be finally condemned with the world” (1 Corinthians 11:32).

Remember, God’s discipline – when received by us – will always result in restoration of our joy in Him. Weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning. The result of God’s discipline is growth in holiness and maturity. And, ultimately, our dark times will always give way to the light of His presence – either now in this life – or in eternity in His kingdom.

 

Today's Reading: 1 Chronicles 21

 

That Which Cost Me Nothing

The angel of the Lord had instructed David to go up and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.  In the Bible, there was no machinery, so the process of separating the grain from the straw and husks was done on a smooth, flat, hard surface known as the threshing floor.

So David went up to do what the Lord had commanded him. When Araunah, who was busy threshing wheat at the time, saw David approaching, he left his threshing floor and bowed before David with his face to the ground. David then offered to buy the threshing floor from Araunah for the amount of its full market value. At first, Araunah declined David’s offer and offered to let him have it for free. But David refused saying, “No, I insist on buying it for the full price. I will not take what is yours and give it to the Lord. I will not present burnt offerings that have cost me nothing!” 

As king, David could have confiscated anything he needed without cost. Here was an offer for a threshing floor – and it was free. But He was not willing to build an altar to the Lord when it cost him nothing. This tells us so much about David’s true heart. As followers of Christ, we need to keep coming back to this truth – it is not true giving if it cost me nothing. When we give to the Lord or to the needs of others, it is only when it truly costs me something that it is true sacrificial giving.

So often we give to God from our surplus. Perhaps we throw a five-dollar bill into the collection plate on Sunday. Or, we give twenty dollars to a homeless person on the street. In reality, these types of gifts don’t cost us much, if anything. But when was the last time you gave to the Lord and it really cost you something? When was the last time you had to “go without” in order to give to someone in need? When was the last time you dipped into your “nest egg” to make an investment in the work of the Lord?

Perhaps it is time to assess your own heart on this matter of giving. Perhaps you need to make a sacrifice to the Lord that costs you in terms of your time, talent, or treasure. It is not a true sacrifice if it costs you nothing. The investment we make in worship to our God conveys the value we place on our relationship with Him. 

Today's Reading: 2 Samuel 24 & Psalms 98, 99

 

Tremble and Quake

Psalms 98 and 100 are both joyful and glad songs expressing thanksgiving to Yahweh for His love and faithfulness. In stark contrast to these two songs (and sandwiched right between them) is Psalm 99 which emphasizes Yahweh’s holiness and demands that we tremble in His holy presence.

Psalm 99 begins with, “The Lord reigns; let the peoples tremble!” The Hebrew word for tremble used here is a verb which means to be agitated, quiver, quake, disturbed. In our present day lingo, we might say "shaking in his boots" to reflect the literal quivering and trembling presented here. Because our God is holy and omnipotent, it would be a grave mistake for people to take Him lightly or casually. The very presence of God should cause a great disturbance in peoples’ spirits as they come to understand how unholy and unworthy they are to even stand before Him. He sits on the throne of eternity and He alone has the fate of every person in His hand.

The Psalm falls into three parts, each one concluding with a declaration of God’s holiness. Verses 1-3 emphasize Yahweh’s future position when He returns to earth – He reigns over all the earth. He sits on his throne between the cherubim. The Lord sits in majesty in Jerusalem, exalted above all the nations. Because of His position, the people must praise His great and awesome name. His name is holy! He is the King of kings and Lord of lords!

Verses 4-6 emphasize Yahweh’s justice and fairness. He has acted with justice and righteousness throughout Israel. He makes no mistakes in His judgments, but acts with uncontaminated integrity. Because of this untainted righteousness and justice, the people must exalt the Lord our God! Bow low before his feet, for he is holy!

Verses 7-9 emphasize Yahweh’s punishment for sin and His forgiveness available to all who come to Him. To those who go wrong and reject His lovingkindness, God’s punishment awaits. Alternatively, He is an infinitely forgiving God to those who choose to follow Him. Because of this, people must not take Him lightly or casually, but must come before Him in deep awe of His greatness and holiness. Tremble in His presence. Shake in your boots at the very thought of how unholy you are compared to His flawless holiness and purity.

Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at his holy mountain; for the Lord our God is holy!

Today's Reading: Psalms 95 & 97

Let Us Stoop Down

Psalm 95 is an invitation to come before God and worship Him.  Sadly, the meaning of the word “worship” has been degraded over many generations. In our day, it has come to mean “that portion of our church service where we sing songs together.” In many churches, you will hear the pastor say something like, “let’s worship,” as the musicians start into the melody and lyrics of a song for the congregation to sing. But worship is more than a “sing-along.” Way more!

The original Hebrew word for “worship” used in verse 5 is, “Šāhâ.” This word literally means “to stoop down.”  In verses 5 & 6, we are exhorted to bow down and prostrate ourselves as an act of reverence and worship to our Creator. By this act of stooping down, we are expressing the superiority of the One to whom we bow. Yes, this stooping down can be done with song. But it can also be done in complete silence. In reality, worship is not an expression of our voices, it is an expression our soul declaring the worthiness of our God. By our bowed hearts, we are acknowledging the glory and greatness of our Creator.

Why should we worship Him? This Psalm gives us several reasons as the basis of our bowed hearts. First, because He is great – “For the Lord is a great God” (V3). The word “great” means to be massively large in magnitude, extent, intensity, and importance. We stoop down to God because He is enormously great.  Second, because no one compares to Him – He is “a great King above all gods” (V3). People worship many so-called “gods,” but not one of them is the true and living God. There is only one true God – and nothing compares to Him. He alone is worthy of our worship. Third, we worship Him because of His creative and sustaining power – “In his hand are the depths of the earth… his hands formed the dry land” (V5). It is right to bow down to the One who made the universe and who sustains it with the might of His power. Finally, we worship Him because He is our Great Shepherd – “we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand” (V7). This mighty and great Creator with vast and endless power is the very One who cares for us with His deep love – as a shepherd cares for his sheep. For these reasons, and more, we stoop down before Him with our heartfelt expressions of worship.

So, today if you hear His voice – don’t harden your heart! Instead, turn your heart toward Him and stoop down in His presence. He is a great God and worthy of your worship!

Today's Reading: 2 Samuel 23

Light to Rule Justly

We are nearing the end of king David’s reign and life. In fact, verse 1 of chapter 23 tells us that “these are the last words of David.” A person’s last words can be anywhere from poignant to mysterious. In David’s case, these words are reflective words and wise observations – the culmination of his life and his service to Yahweh. As someone through whom God spoke on many occasions, David’s words carry deep meaning for God’s children. The last words of great and good people are worthy of our attentive observation.

In verse 3, David talks about a ruler's responsibility to rule justly. Anyone who leads or rules over other people must do so in justice and the fear of God. To do otherwise always results in unjust and corrupt leadership. David’s observation here tells us that when a ruler submits to God and His ways, that God will shed the light of divine wisdom on his/her decisions.

If you are in a position of leadership to any extent (whether over one person or tens of thousands), it is critical that you rule in the fear of God. This means that you reverently take God’s truth into account and consider the effect of your decisions from the perspective of His truth.

To an unbeliever, “the fear of God” means to fear His judgment and His power to sentence them to eternal death. The only ones who are to "fear" God in the sense of "being afraid" are those who have not placed their faith in Jesus Christ. To the believer, on the other hand, “the fear of God” is something much different. To us, it is our reverence, respect, and awe of Him. A proper view of God includes a deep reverence and respect for our Creator and Savior. In Christ, we need not be afraid of God, but we are to fear Him and deeply respect His revealed truth.

To fear God as a ruler means to submit your leadership and your decision making to the truth of His word. It means not being prideful or self-exalting and not relying on your own human judgment. To fear God means to respect Him and His ways so deeply that you submit to His leading rather than your own whims or human intellect or popular opinion. The ruler that is submitted to God’s will in this way will discover a wonderful experience – God’s wisdom will dawn on him like the morning light, like the sun shining forth on a cloudless morning.