"I AM is bigger than you" - God (2 Samuel 7:1-17)

I actually started today's blog coming at this scripture from my natural legal mind. I was going to study the Davidic Covenant (verses 1-17) in the context of contract law as I have learned it. But I quickly hit "delete" and started over. Human contract law falls short when looking at this promise/covenant that God makes to David. For our contract laws require agreed terms bargained between two relatively equal parties. But clearly God and David are not equally positioned!! So there went that half hour of writing. But that's ok. That's how we learn.

So, I took a new look at this scripture. First, we find David fat and happy. His kingdom is at peace. His enemies have been restrained. He now lives in a palace built of cedar wood. And one day he's chillin' with Nathan and he apparently is oversome with guilt because he lives in this beautiful crib while the ark of the covenant (God's literal presence) still sits in a tent. So David proclaims to Nathan of his desire to build God a house. David must be feeling pretty good about himself. It almost seems as though he is taking pity on God - dare I say. If you think about it, it's almost comical. Here's David, a mere mortal, believing that he lives better than Jehovah Himself! Pretty funny, huh? Then, Nathan's knee jerk response is "Go ahead...God is with you." Nathan saw David's misguided, but probably good intentions and endorsed them without consulting God. How do we know this? Because the next night, the Word of the Lord came to Nathan and basically said "Have I asked for a house? I haven't needed a house up to this point!"

Then God does an amazing thing. He shifts to what HE will do for David, NOT what David could do for God. God then proclaims the Davidic Covenant promising to establish David's kingdom and his house forever. His kingdom and house could only be eternal if Christ would come from David's line. This was a key point in God's plan of redemption for mankind! This was another incredible step in the Gospel story!! It's important to note that God places no conditions on this covenant as He sometimes did throughout scripture. God said it...and that was it!

Sometimes we can get so wrapped up in what we can,or what we will do for God. It can discourage us or make us prideful even - depending on where our walk is with God. But the amazing truth of this passage is that it's not about US! God shifts the whole paradigm to show David that it's David that needs God, not the other way around. God sent His Son Jesus Christ to this earth to die on a cross and provide eternal salvation of HIS OWN WILL AND DOING. He did it because He loves us dearly and knows WE need HIM.

So next time you feel discouraged, inadequate, or maybe even puffed up, never forget that it is GOD who intiates! He is unchanging! He will never let us down! He keeps us until the day of His coming! We need Him. He doesn't need us.

Get Off Your High Horse! (2 Samuel 6)

When I read about Michal's disdain for David's actions in this chapter, I can't help but think about the first few times I attended a little African-American Pentacostal church in San Antonio with my best friend's family. The worship in this church was completely foreign to me. People of all different ages, shapes, and sizes would dance without abandon as they sang and played instruments. With little air conditioning, it wouldn't take long for sweat to start dripping from the dancers' foreheads, dampening their colorful Sunday best. After my initial fear subsided, my next emotion was one of skepticism. I questioned the authenticity of this wild outward showing of emotion. This white boy had come from a strict GARBC Baptist background. I could not understand this method of worship.

It wasn't after being a long-time member of one of these churches in the Houston area that I became convicted of my attitude towards people who worship differently from myself. I was always taught God was to be worshipped with dignity. But to do so required some restraint. Afterall, when you truly experience God, one of the first inclinations you should have is one of humility and an absence of self. And to abandon self and be totally immersed in the presence of God means we should not care what others think of us. I now saw these fellow worshippers in a different light. I was envious of their joy that they expressed, their total abandoment in praise to their Father! I wanted that freedom to strip off the burden of self-awereness and dance in God's presence. Just as a child will shout across a quiet auditorium when they see their parent with no care of those around them, we should have that same reaction when we come into the presence of God.

Michal saw David dancing with all abandon as he led the ark of the covenant into Jerusalem and she immediately reacted with disdain. David lacked dignity in her opinion. He had disrobed his royal garments and was dressed as any common man. David was acting as though he didn't care what people thought about him. How dare he?!! He was the king of Israel for goodness sake!!

But I love David's response to Michal after she rebukes him. He stresses it is "before the Lord" that he dances and plays music! And he goes on to say that he will become MORE undignified than this!! David is unashamed of debasing himself to worship his God!

Now this doesn't mean that this Sunday I plan on running the aisles at church or cutting the rug during praise and worship. But it does mean that if someone is moved to do so in worship, how dare I criticize it? That's not to say that some will use dancing and shouting to gain attention. But frankly, if I was truly focused and absorbed in God's presence during church, would I have the time to be looking at others? Would such praise bother me? I can tell you that through the years I have come to love and appreciate the style of worship that scared me to death in that little pentacostal church. And I respectfully suggest you do too. Because I have a feeling you'll see a lot of it in heaven when we dance and sing before the throne of God throughout eternity. Grab those dancin' shoes! It's gonna be a party!

Will Be Back on Monday

Going for a long weekend to Las Vegas to celebrate my wife's birthday with family! See you Monday!

Always Read the Instructions - 2 Samuel 6 (1-11)

Does this sound familar? Your wife comes home from the store with a huge box filled with seemingly hundreds of pieces of processed wood and hardware. The picture on the front of the box shows this beautiful entertainment center standing majestically in a pristine living room. And you know your wife expects hers to look equally majestic. After you fight off the urge to procrastinate and continue watching the football game, you rip open the box and dump its contents on the floor. Your manhood has now been challenged. You want to please your wife, to show her that her husband is capable, smart, and good with his hands. The last thing to fall out of the box is a thick instruction book written in eighteen different languages. Your supreme pride and arrogance quickly leads you to discard the needless manual written only for dummies who can't put a cap back on a bic pen. In a matter of 30 minutes, your project starts to take shape. You're feeling pretty good about yourself at this point. You're going to make your wife happy and stroke your ego all in one sitting. Yeah baby! But wait, something's not right, the dowel holes for the shelves don't seem to line up. What the? You soon realize that you had failed to face all of the unfinished sides of the different wooden pieces in the same direction!! AHHHH! A few curse words leave your lips and in walks your wife. "What's wrong?," she asks. The question alone stings your pride. And you can already anticipate the next dreaded question...."Did you read the....?" See, I can't even finish typing it!! I've been there, done that!

Now, the consequences of our failure to read the directions were more of an annoyance. It was a simple matter of disassembly and reassembly. It was my pride that was injured. No big deal. But 2 Samuel 6, is a whole different story.

David was establishing his new capital in Jerusalem. And one of the first things he decided to do was bring the ark of the covenant to the capital city. The ark had been staying at Abinadab's house for approximately 40 years where his sons were appointed to take care of it. It is interesting to point out that the ark was sent to Abinadab's house before Saul became king. (1 Samuel 7:1-2) Yet, Saul did not attempt to bring it to his capital. This shows the contrast between Saul and David's heart toward God. Unlike Saul, one of the first things David did when he became king over the united kingdom of Israel was to bring the very presence of God to Jerusalem. Certainly, David had good intentions with this decision.

However, David and his men failed to read or remember the instructions found in Numbers 4:1-10 regarding the proper handling of the ark. The ark was no entertainment center. The ark of the covenant was where the Lord literally dwelt! This was no common symbol or flag. This was the very habitation of God - the creator of all things!! The meticulous instructions on how to move the ark where set up by God to help the Israelites to appreciate the terror and power of God! They needed to understand that He was not to be taken lightly. That is why Numbers 4 instructs a certain clan of the Levites (sons of Kohath) to literally carry the ark. This was a great honor amongst the Levites. The transport of the ark would not be left to unpredictable animals. There would be no shortcuts to carrying the ark by hand.

Yet, what do we see happening in 2 Samuel 6? The ark is placed on a new cart pulled by oxen and driven by Abinidab's two sons, Uzzah and Ahio. What's wrong with this picture? Numbers 4 is being completely ignored. David's good intentions seem to be mixed with haste, arrogance, and irreverance. While David leads a marching band ahead of the cart, he ironically acts as though he does not understand the magnitude of the ark and God's literal presence. The ark was to be carefully and deliberately carried by Levites to its new home. This would have taken longer and required much more effort. But David, Uzzah, and Ahio took the shortcut. They didn't read or heed the specific instructions provided by God. His very presence was not fully comprehended. It became more about the event than God. It became more about ceremony and pomp and circumstance than Jehovah - The One true God of Israel. And the consequence of this irreverance and sloppiness with the ark cost the life of Uzzah. At first reading, this punishment may seem harsh. But this was a complete mishandling of the very presence of God! God was in their midst and they treated Him no better than a cargo of crops headed to market!

Two points I should take away from today's study: 1) Never allow good intentioned ministry to move ahead of God Himself and 2) God is to be revered and feared.

So often we can get involved in a minstry in our church and get caught up in the activity and make that activity a complete substitute for communing with God. The ministry may provide accolades, increased popularity, status, and personal gratification. And then God slowly fades into the background in our minds and hearts. Be careful not to be like David, Uzzah and Ahio and get caught up in the ceremony and good intentions and forget that God has specific instructions for your life that are found in His word. And when those "good" activities conflict with God's instruction manual, we need to stop, disassemble, and reassemble. Otherwise, the very "good" we think we are doing is all in vain.

The ultimate purpose for which we were created was to fellowship and worship God and God alone. He is to be feared (respected, to be in awe of) and reverenced. In our culture today, even in many churches, irreverence is in style. It's cool to give Jesus nicknames, use slang when speaking of God, and make worshipping God more like a rock concert or a means of showing off. But do not forget the example of Uzzah. While God is a God of love, patience, and forgiveness, He is a holy God, an omnipotent God, a God we cannot even look upon without Christ's blood covering our countless sins! A true understanding of God's presence will drop us to our knees with our face in the dirt and proclaim we are on Holy ground!

Prayer: May I never be so lazy, flippant, and arrogant to toss aside Your instruction manual for my life. May I learn to reverence You name and presence in my life as I continue to learn more and more about You and Your awesomeness! Forgive me for those times I have treated You like any other hero, celebrity, or idol. You require and deserve so much more!

A Tale of Two Cities (2 Samuel 5)

Jerusalem. The City of David. The center of God's eternal plan. This beautiful city is now the capital of David's kingdom. This is a momentous day in the history of Israel and mankind for that matter. From this day forward, Jerusalem would become a thriving economic center, a religious battleground, and a stumbling block to the rest of the world. Even today, in 2009, Jerusalem is a thorn in the side of world leaders as they try and manufacture peace. Today, Jerusalem awaits the return of the Prince of Peace on the mount of olives just outside its gates. It is a dream of mine to one day walk the streets of this ancient city. So much history is found within and without its walls. But I digress.

Chapter 5 is a pivotal moment in David's reign. The elders of Israel arrive in Hebron after the death of both Abner and Ish-bosheth. They proclaim David's rightful claim to the throne of Israel. I wonder when these men got a clue? Where was this speech for the last seven years?

Nevertheless, David's kingdom is now united. Israel is one nation again. But what strikes me about this chapter is more about David's dichotomy. On the one hand, we see David recognizing God's hand in all of this. (v.12) On the other, David takes in more wives in direct violation of God's law. (v. 13-16) (The taking of wives was borrowed from surrounding cultures where kings would use marriage to consolidate power within and without his government.) Then, we see David enquiring of the Lord before going to battle against the Philistines in verses 19 and 23. And also David obediently burns the images of the Philistines after God gives him the victory. One of those images may have been similar to the idol that had once been in his own house with Michal when we examined 1 Samuel 19-20. Another lesson learned maybe?

While David has made progress, he still harbors sin in his home. The multiple wives and concubines would be a sinful practice he would pass down to Solomon. And this very practice would serve as an instrument of Solomon's undoing.

While we may pat ourselves on the back from time to time because of the good works we may do, we must be careful not to be blinded by our own self-righteousness to sin that remains. Should we rejoice when God gives us victory? Yes. Should we strive to please God and obey His word? Absolutely. But in doing so, never lose sight of our tendency to fall back into sinful ways. We must constantly be on guard for breaches in the dam. For at the height of David's reign, in the midst of victory, at the moment of deliverance, David still disobeyed God. A better title may have been, "A Tale of Two David's". But like David, we are not really two different people. We are simply flawed people in need of a savior. And thank God we have a savior, Jesus Christ, who constantly argues on our behalf when we falter. Jesus' blood washes away our sin! Where sin abounds, grace does abound more! (Romans 5:20)

Have a great weekend! And never take the grace of God for granted!! Thank Him daily for it!!

Prayer: God, thank You for Your grace. Grace that is personified in Your Son Jesus Christ. Grace that abounds without limit. Grace so undeserving. Let me never take it for granted. May I abhor sin as do You!!

Oh Brothers, What Art Thou? (2 Samuel 4)

Violence rears its ugly, bloody head (pun intended) in this short chapter. When word gets out that Abner, the real power behind Ish-bosheth's throne is dead, Ish-bosheth knows his days are numbered. Two of his military captains who are brothers, Baanah and Rechab, devised a plot to kill Ish-bosheth in his bed.

It is a bloody scene where the two brothers walk straight into the kings room, stab him in the stomach, and cut off his head. They escape and run straight to David in hopes of finding favor with the king of Judah. These two evil men have the audacity to then claim before David that "The Lord has avenged my lord the king..." v. 8. How dare they represent themselves as agents of God? When their true motive was self-preservation now that they could see the writing on the wall. David would soon be king over all of Israel. And Saul's house, whom they served against David, would finally crumble.

David clearly saw this counterfeit claim for what it was....evil. The ends do not always justify the means. Certainly, it was clear that God had anointed David to be king over all of Israel. And one could argue that the killing of Ish-bosheth brought David one step closer to him unifying the kingdom. But David's handing down of a quick death sentence on these two brothers demonstrated once again that David would never condone such cavalier action. David was still confident God would deliver in His good time.

Is there a righteous cause you support? For example, all christians agree that abortion is sin. (Or they should) But should we go around bombing abortion clinics? Absolutely not! We deceive ourselves when we think that such violence is of God. We should recognize, as David did, that vengance is God's. He will repay.

And while most of us aren't going around bombing abortion clinics, there are other righteous causes we may pursue. Personally, my righteoous cause is doctrinal accuracy in our churches. But sometimes, in trying to promote that goal, my pride and arrogance gets in the way. I justify my biting attacks on other christians because I'm just "trying to get them to see God's truth". Who am I to make that happen? Is God, through His Holy Spirit, not able to bring church leaders into the knowledge of truth? Of course He is! How ridiculous of me to use a sinful attitude to try and accomplish something that only God can do!! David had learned that lesson. And chapter 4 shows how we should respond as well - put to death all of our own devices. Stay out of God's way!

Always remember that sin is never justified, even for a righteous cause.

Prayer: Father, I keep coming back to the same problem. I do not trust You enough. I rely on my own sinful flesh so often. Forgive me. I put my trust in You and you alone.

"My Name is Abner, General Abner" (2 Samuel 3)

Reading chapter 3, I find myself rather perplexed in trying to figure out what to take from this portion of scripture. There is so much sin going on here I want to just gloss over this and get to the happy ending. But I won't take the easy road here.

I'll start by referencing James Bond. Really? Yep. The Bond character we all know and love has at his core a suave confidence and arrogance about him. It's what has the ladies flocking to him. He's a badass, a modern day cowboy. He needs no one and mostly works alone. But while arrogance may be attractive on the big screen, it's repugnant to God.

(BTW, Timothy Dalton was the worst Bond ever!)

In chapter 3, Israel is still divided between David's kingdom (Judah-Hebron) and Ish-bosheth's kingdom (Israel - all other tribes). Our main character is Abner. He's the general of Saul's army. (And for me, he's kinda like our James Bond of the bible.) Many commentators suggest that Ish-bosheth was a puppet king propped up by Abner, the true power in Israel. The chapter opens with Ish-bosheth accusing Abner of sleeping with Saul's concubine. I'm sure Abner 007 had his share of the women folk. Even after the king dies, apparently his wives and concubines were off limits. This may have been an attempt by Ish-bosheth to break free of Abner's influence and establish his own power as king. Abner is greatly offended by this accusation and decides to abandon Ish-bosheth and join forces with David.

Abner sends word to David that he will unify Israel under David's rule. By Abner's own words, he seems to recognize that David is the true anointed king. But what strikes me here is the apparent arrogance of Abner in thinking he will be the one to unify Israel. He gives no credit to God.

In the last few days, God has humbled me and showed me where arrogance has been festering in my heart. So maybe I'm a little over-sensitive to Abner's arrogance. But I do question Abner's real motives here since he seems to think quite highly of himself and his abilities. Had Abner told David, "I recognize you as king of all of Israel anointed by God. I know He will deliver Israel into your hands. If I may be of service to my Lord and my king, I submit to your rule," I would feel alot better about Abner. But I think God wanted to show David that He didn't need to use a prideful, arrogant man like Abner to restore David's kingdom. And granted, Abner certainly seemed to be the perfect man to help David accomplish unification. But Abner shows his heart is not right. Pride and arrogance plague him.

And what happens? Joab, David's current general, comes back from a battle and hears that Abner has just left Hebron after consulting with David. I'm sure Joab felt threatened by this. He probably feared that Abner was a double agent coming to deceive David. Or, if Abner was sincere, Abner would pose a threat to Joab's power in David's government. And for some icing on the cake, it was Abner who killed Joab's brother (Asahel) in the initial battle that started this civil war! (See chapter 2) One commentator pointed an interesting fact about Joab's plot to assasinate Abner. Joab lured Abner outside the gates of Hebron before killing him. Why? Probably because Hebron was a city of refuge where Abner had protection under the mosaic law for the killing of Joab's brother during battle. One could argue that Abner's previous act of killing Asahel was of self-defense since he was running from Asahel when he thrust the spear into him. So long as Abner remained within the walls of a city of refuge, the avenger could not touch him. But outside the walls, Abner was fair game. And so, Joab kills Abner. And unlike in the movies, the prideful, arrogant 007 meets his fate. As God would prove in due time that He does not need prideful, arrogant people to accomplish His purpose.

Through all of this, David is a passive observer. He laments the fact that Abner's blood was shed by his general. David is seen still patiently waiting for the Lord to put him in his proper place in the kingdom. In the meantime, what a mess is being made by sinful men.

The lesson I have learned is pride and arrogance have no place in God's kingdom. It is sin. And when I find such sin stirring up in my soul, may I repent and ask God to purge it.

Prayer: Forgive me Lord when pride and arrogance rear their ugly heads in my life. May I give no place in my heart for such attitudes. They are not from You. And they are sinful. Create in me a clean heart and renew a right Spirit within me.