An Idle Moment with Disastrous Consequences

August 26, 2021 at 4:43 pm | Posted in II Samuel | 3 Comments
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In II Samuel Chapter 10 David sent ambassadors to King Hanun, but the king thought they were spies, and his treatment of them sounds almost as humorous to us as it must have been humiliating to them:

Wherefore Hanun took David’s servants, and shaved off the one half of their beards, and cut off their garments in the middle, even to their buttocks, and sent them away.

II Samuel 10:4

This led to war and the Lord gave David the victory, but the war against the Ammonites was still ongoing. The Ammonites were Lot’s descendants. Joab was besieging Rabbah, but David stayed in Jerusalem – idle. In Chapter 11 there is an emphasis on “sending” – the word “sent” is found at least 10 times. David, possibly aged 50 at this time, had fallen into the trap of over-delegating. In reality, when it came to spiritual warfare, David would have been safer on the battlefield than in his own palace.

And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem. And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king’s house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon. And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite? And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house. And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, I am with child.

II Samuel 11:1-5

Bathsheba conceived a child, but that’s not all that was conceived here.

But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.  Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

James 1:14-15

It appears likely that Satan set a trap for David by observing him. He broke the second table of the 10 Commandments almost in reverse order. First he coveted his neighbor’s wife, then he committed adultery, then he bore false witness, and, finally, he committed murder. The prophet Nathan came to David to confront him.

And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead: for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spake unto him, and he would not hearken unto our voice: how will he then vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead?  But when David saw that his servants whispered, David perceived that the child was dead: therefore David said unto his servants, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead.

II Samuel 12:18-19

Do you think David wished he could have that day when he first looked at Bathsheba back to do over again – that hour, that moment?

This is the price I pay —
Just for one riotous day —
Years of regret and of grief,
And of sorrow without relief.
Suffer it I will, my friend,
Suffer I will until the end

Small was the thing I bought,
Small was the thing at best,
Small was the debt, I thought,
But, O my Lord! — the interest.

Paul Lawrence Dunbar

But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.

II Samuel 12:23

David expected to see, and to be able to fully recognize, his infant son in Heaven one day.

And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.

II Samuel 12:6 (emphasis added)

In Chapters 12 and 13 we start to see a fourfold loss experienced by David. First, his baby died. Second, the rape of Tamar resulted in Amnon being killed. Third, Absalom was killed. Fourth, Adonijah was killed. Absalom and Tamar were full brother and sister of royal blood; their mother was Maacah, a princess of Geshur. Amnon lusted for Tamar, but may not have acted upon it except:

But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah David’s brother: and Jonadab was a very subtil man.

II Samuel 13:3

Howbeit he would not hearken unto her voice: but, being stronger than she, forced her, and lay with her.  Then Amnon hated her exceedingly; so that the hatred wherewith he hated her was greater than the love wherewith he had loved her. And Amnon said unto her, Arise, be gone.

II Samuel 13:14-15

Amnon’s “love” for Tamar is revealed as a hateful desire to use. God made things to be used; He made people to be loved.

Absalom was furious about what Amnon has done to Tamar, but he also saw it as an opportunity to get closer to the throne.

And Absalom her brother said unto her, Hath Amnon thy brother been with thee? but hold now thy peace, my sister: he is thy brother; regard not this thing. So Tamar remained desolate in her brother Absalom’s house.

II Samuel 13:20

Did Jesus Visit Hell?

August 18, 2021 at 2:24 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments
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Question: Do you think Jesus went to hell during the time period between His death on the Cross and His Resurrection?

Answer: No, I don’t. However, I think I know why some people might say that He did. The Apostles’ Creed is a well-known statement of the Christian faith, recited each week in many churches. Some versions of it have a line that says “[Jesus] was crucified, died, and was buried; He descended into hell;”. People who hear that line might mistakenly think that the “hell” being referred to is what we think of as the place of eternal punishment (Mark 9:43-46), when, in reality, the way the word “hell” was intended to be understood in the Apostles’ Creed was as a description for death, or the grave, or the “land of the dead,” often translated in the Bible from the words sheol in the Old Testament (II Samuel 22:6; Job 26:6; Psalm 16:10, 139:8; Jonah 2:2) and hades in the New Testament (Acts 2:27, 31; Revelation 20:13-14). Jesus’s body went into the grave. He truly died as touching His humanity. But He was not tormented or made to suffer in a place of punishment during the time between His death and Resurrection.

There is also a school of thought, based largely on I Peter 3:18-19, which states that Jesus went to hell, not to be punished, but to preach to spirits imprisoned there, but I also reject that interpretation for reasons that would cause this answer to be overly long (although I can go into that another time if anybody wants).

Outlaws

August 16, 2021 at 12:11 pm | Posted in Inlaws, Outlaws, and Scofflaws | 6 Comments
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In the series “Inlaws, Outlaws, and Scofflaws” I’m using the term “outlaws” for the second type of legalism because it adds extra layers outside of the law of God, ostensibly to protect it or to put up extra barriers to keep His people from even coming close to breaking it. In his zeal to protect the law, the second type of legalist goes beyond or outside God’s laws to try to make them his own.

Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, Saying The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.

Mathew 23:1-4

This type of legalism adds additional burdens on people and prevents them from experiencing true freedom in Christ and the the discernment that the Holy Spirit wants to teach us. A definition of the second type of legalism: The keeping of man-made rules which are perceived as safeguards to obedience, with the intention of being perceived as more spiritual than those who don’t keep the rules. The first type of legalism contradicts the doctrine of justification; the second type of legalism contradicts the doctrine of sanctification.

The Pharisees were specialists at this. Having seated themselves in the seat of Moses, they acted as if they had the authority of the original Law-deliverer. Jesus told people to listen to them when they taught about the real Law of God, but to only do what they SAID, not what they did, for they did not really practice what they preached. They liked to pile rules on the people, but they would not help them bear the burden of these rules, so, instead of aiding people in becoming what God wanted them to be, they actually hindered people from knowing Him more.

The Gospel of John emphasizes their fixation with the Sabbath, which, at its heart, was God’s prohibition against treating His special day just like every other day – forsaking worship and rest for making money. The Pharisees added some 39 or so additional rules about what it meant to “work” on the Sabbath.

The 3rd Commandment prohibited taking God’s name in vain, so they ended up with a rule that you couldn’t say God’s name at all, but, hypocritically, in order to keep the practice of taking oaths and swearing lightly, they would swear by the altar or the Temple.

Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?

Matthew 15:1-3

Under the Law there was no requirement for ceremonial handwashing except for priests before sacrificing. Now, washing your hands before you eat IS a good idea. It is a very wise thing to do, but we can’t make it into a Biblical rule and enforce it on others as though we control who is obeying God and who isn’t, and thereby declare those who do it more spiritually mature than those who don’t.

A good parent would not condone his child’s shoplifting as long as the child washed his hands first. Reasonable parents wouldn’t tolerate their children lying as long as they didn’t invoke God’s name in an oath that they were telling the truth. However, this is what observing the Pharisees would have taught the people.

In addition to hypocrisy, the “outlaw” type of legalism focuses on externals. It narrowly focuses on the letter of the law and ignores the spirit of the law.

Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

II Corinthians 3:6

The Law was never intended to be the means of salvation, but it was intended to point to the Savior. Likewise, it is not our means of sanctification, although the Holy Spirit helps us to discern its spirit after we are saved. The New Testament summation of the Old Testament law is the law of love. It is not given for the purpose of putting burdens on our fellow Christians; it is given to help us love each other.

Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

Galatians 6:2

In the context of helping other believers, it is of utmost importance that we remember this concept when dealing with the tricky business of establishing standards, and with drawing principles rather than precepts from the Word of God. When selecting a standard of behavior or practice in areas where the Bible is silent or open to reasonable application, remember the following considerations: the maturity of the other believers; the background of the other believers; our own humility; the potential for causing someone to stumble into a sinful area; and the God-given conscience, guided by the Holy Spirit.

Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.

I Corinthians 8:1

The area of sanctification must be kept clear of the error of legalism. Knowing God is itself a gift FROM God, so we must not be proud (puffed up) because of this knowledge. Instead, we must build up (edify) other believers in love, which helps them become followers of God instead of rules, or instead of those who make up or proclaim the rules.

Next time we will see the danger of turning an opposition to legalism into lawlessness.

The Lord’s Kindling

August 13, 2021 at 9:49 am | Posted in Joshua | 6 Comments
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But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the Lord was kindled against the children of Israel.

Joshua 7:1

The Lord was angry, and, as readers of Verse 1, we know why He was angry, but, remember, as the events of this chapter unfolded for Joshua and the Israelites, they did NOT know the reason why, nor even the FACT that the Lord was angry.

The verse doesn’t actually say “He was angry.” The verb used to activate the noun “anger” is “kindled.” I like to build fires; it’s one of my favorite activities. My favorite way to build a fire is with the aid of a powerful accelerant, such as lighter fluid, or gasoline, or a flamethrower, but the typical fire in Biblical times wasn’t started with an explosion; it was started by and with “kindling:” little sticks or bits of leaves or grass that gradually build into a bigger and bigger blaze. I believe that’s the idea here – not that God suddenly found Himself blazing like a bonfire caused by an explosion, but that the Holy Spirit wants us to think of it as turning up and venting the wrath that is a true attribute of His immutable, impassible, Divinely simplistic essence. You can see this idea return in the neatly symmetrical end of the chapter:

And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So the Lord turned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor, unto this day.

Joshua 7:26

The Lord’s wrath is not described as extinguished, although it does appear to be appeased. It’s more like the pilot light was throttled back down. His wrath is always there – it’s just that on some occasions it is forcefully turned loose upon men or the world, and at other times its “fierceness” is shielded or turned away. I know that’s not popular. It’s easier to talk about the kindness and the beneficence and tender love of the Lord, but it’s important that we worship the real God of the Bible and not a Hallmark card facsimilie that suits our personal preferences.

Here’s the chiastic structure of Joshua 7:

(A) God’s anger announced (Verse 1)
(B) Consequences of anger for the people (Verses 2-5)
(C) Joshua’s confusion (Verses 6-9)
(D) God’s reasons (Verses 10-11)
(E) God’s revelation (Verse 12)
(D) God’s remedy ( Verses 13-15)
(C) God’s clarification and Achan’s confession (Verses 16-23)
(B) Consequences of sin for the perpetrator (Verses 24-25) }
(A) God’s anger appeased (Verse 26)

And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Bethaven, on the east of Bethel, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai. And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; and make not all the people to labour thither; for they are but few.

Joshua 7:2-3

If we did not have the information from Verse 1 about the Lord’s anger being kindled, we would tend to think that the this was a case of hubris or maybe even prayerlessness on the part of Joshua and the leaders.

So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai. And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men: for they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going down: wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water.

Joshua 7:4-5

Joshua’s emotional reaction clearly shows he had no prior knowledge of God’s anger toward the people, nor of the sin that caused it.

And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the Lord until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads. And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord God, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? would to God we had been content, and dwelt on the other side Jordan! O Lord, what shall I say, when Israel turneth their backs before their enemies!

Joshua 7:6-8

This type of prayer sounds almost sacrilegious to us. It sounds like offensive faithlessness and second-guessing God. But we see it often in the Bible, and one reason it may be foreign to us, is that we are so unfocused when it comes to God’s glory: His reputation in the earth.

For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it, and shall environ us round, and cut off our name from the earth: and what wilt thou do unto thy great name?

Joshua 7:9

Whether God honors or merely countenances this type of prayer, we often see it answered with a favorable result in Scripture.

And the Lord said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff.

Joshua 7:10-11

Remember, the conquest of Jericho was to be accomplished with maximum carnage: the death of all the living beings – including women, children, and animals. But the taking of spoil was only for the purpose of placing it in the Tabernacle treasury. During the Canaanite conquest, the people and things conquered were “accursed,” “under the ban,” (Hebrew: herem). They were supposed to be devoted entirely to the Lord and off-limits as rewards unless otherwise specified. This was not a war of plunder; it was truly a holy war, a war against sin in the most literal respect.

I Samuel: The Pros and Cons of Having an Earthly King

August 11, 2021 at 2:41 pm | Posted in I Samuel | 5 Comments
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God knew that His people would one day want an earthly king . The Book of I Samuel records the fulfillment of that prophecy and its consequences. Earthly kings wield great power, and great power is known to lead to great corruption. The historical record found in I Samuel is a vivid illustration of that maxim, especially in the person of Israel’s first earthly king, Saul. However, it also introduces us to the prophet Samuel, one of the true Biblical heroes, and to King David, a pivotal and important figure in Scripture, who was used by the Lord in many great ways to teach us about the Lord Jesus Christ. Below are the links to a few brief sketches about some of the events and lessons in I Samuel:

1. Oh, Do Remember Me… (1:11)*
2. Catching the Lord’s Words (1:20; 2-4)
3. The Hand of God (4-7)
4. ‘Til the Cows Come Home (5-7)
5. Beware the Freaky Foyer (5:3-5)
6. Is Saul Also Among the Prophets? (5-6; 10:10-12)
7. Donkey King (8; 9:2-3)
8. Hiding Among the Stuff (10:2-22)
9. Tooting Your Own Horn (11-13; 3:4)
10. Obedience Matters (12:14, 24-25)
11. The Bold Pair in the Enemy’s Lair (Part 1) (13:19-14:6)
12. The Bold Pair in the Enemy’s Lair (Part 2) 14:6-12)
13. Setting Up Your Own Place (15)
14. My Sight vs. Thy Sight (15:2-23)
15. Boys Will Be Boys, but Boys Should Want to Be Men (16:18)
16. Character and Integrity Part 2 (16:10-18; 17:34-35)
17. David’s Reputation (16-17)
18. Arrayed, Dismayed, and Afraid (17; 2:10)
19. Wicked Does as Wicked Is (18-24)
20. Hope and Urgency (I Samuel 19:11-18; Psalm 59:1-8)
21. How to Handle Unexpected Hostility (25)
22. Forestalling a Foolish Fight and Facing a Final Farewell (25-30)

*most-viewed post in series

Judgment in James

August 9, 2021 at 3:15 pm | Posted in James | Leave a comment
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One of the types of literature found in the Bible is called “wisdom literature.” Books like Proverbs and Ecclesiates are differentiated from historical or prophetic books of the Bible, in that they contain general principles and precepts set forth for the purpose of revealing and teaching wisdom in connection with a broad range of subjects and areas. These books are found in the Old Testament, and the general consensus is that there are no “wisdom” books in the New Testament. However, if an argument could be made for any New Testament book to fit into the wisdom genre, it would be the Book of James.

James is a deep treasure trove of holy revelation, dealing with topics ranging from our response to temptation, the causes and results of sin, controlling our communication, prayer, and, of course, wisdom itself. Below are links to a series of lessons that will hopefully help believers exercise good judgment as they seek to humbly and obediently walk with Christ:

1. Withstanding Temptation (1:2-17)
2. The Lack of a Good Upbraiding (1:5)*
3. The Father of Lights (1:17)
4. Decluttered Christianity (1:17-27)
5. A Deceitful Marriage (1:22-24)
6. Does James Contradict Romans? (2:14-26)
7. You Show Me Yours, I’ll Show You Mine (2:18-19)
8. Key Words for Bible Teachers: Truth and Type (3:1)
9. Christian Teachers Warned and Watched (3:1)
10. Hold Your Tongue (3:2-6)
11. Why We’re so Difficult (3:13-4:10)
12. Victorious Surrender (4)
13. Proud Humility (4:10)*
14. Lord Willing (4:13-15)
15. The Dash Between Two Dates (4:14)
16. Prayers for Howling, Healing, and Hiding (5)
17. Beware the Fattening Fantasy (5:5)
18. Up for the Count (5:11)
19. The Relationship between Sin and Disease (5:13-16)
20. Prayer as a Means of Grace (James 5:16-18)

*most-viewed lessons in category

Angry at Religious People?

August 5, 2021 at 4:10 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments
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Question: Somebody told me that Jesus never got mad at sinners; He only got mad at religious people. Is that true?

Answer: I don’t want to be evasive, but I would like to say that there is an “element” of truth in that. Jesus was known as the friend of sinners (Luke 7:34), and He found a much friendlier reception among those who were humbled by their own sinfulness, as opposed to those who were proud of their perceived self-righteousness. However, you have to keep in mind that Jesus’s chief adversaries (aside from Satan) during His earthly ministry were religious leaders, such as the Pharisees, the Temple leaders or officers, and the Sanhedrin (Matthew 23). These were the ones who were most offended by His message, and who for the most part wanted to silence Him, arrest Him, and ultimately put Him to death. So, it would be natural for the Gospel accounts to depict Jesus in conflict with these people more so than the outcasts of religious society, such as publicans, harlots, and more “open” sinners who were considered ceremonially or religiously unclean.

One problem with the statement about Jesus “only” getting mad at religious people is that it does not take into account the times when Jesus became frustrated with His own Disciples (Matthew 16:23, 17:20; Mark 6:6, 8:12, 9:24, 16:14), or the times when He clearly denounced the sins even of the outcasts described above (John 5:14, 8:11, 16:8-9). The Gospel narratives were not written with enough adjectives describing the tone of Jesus’s voice for us to always be able to tell whether He was indignant, frustrated, righteously angry, grieved, exasperated, or simply making declarative statements when He was quoted as speaking directly to religious sinners or irreligious sinners. (Remember, everybody that Jesus spoke to was a sinner, just like you and me).

Another problem with the statement about Jesus “only” getting mad at religious people is that it is sometimes proffered with an ulterior motive. Some people use it as a lure for people who feel “judged” or “condemned” at their own church in order to entice them to a new ministry by claiming that the new ministry better embodies the ideal of Jesus. In other words, if you don’t like hearing about your own sin, then you might be attracted to someone who condemns the preacher who talks about your sin, and calls him “religious” and opposed to Jesus. This is a dangerous suggestion because it implies that Jesus doesn’t really care about any sins except religious judgmentalism, which is patently false. Jesus was God incarnate, and sins of every stripe and variety caused God to pour out His wrath against the sinners who committed them, either on His Son (Who took it willingly in their place) or in a future fiery judgment against those who reject His Son, whether they are “religious” or not.

A Much Better King

August 3, 2021 at 10:17 am | Posted in II Samuel | 5 Comments
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And it came to pass, when the king sat in his house, and the LORD had given him rest round about from all his enemies; That the king said unto Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains.  And Nathan said to the king, Go, do all that is in thine heart; for the LORD is with thee.

II Samuel 7:1-3

David’s kingship did not go immediately to his head. He was the shepherd king and he wanted to feed God’s people and help them grow strong. The Lord told David through Nathan the prophet that He did not want David to erect a temple at this time (Saul had erected a monument to himself), but He wanted David to care for His people. Our “dis”appointment might be “His” appointment. He causes all things to work together for good – but sometimes what we think is good is a million miles from what He knows is truly good.

David’s military victories consolidated the kingdom and brought peace to the people. He won new territories and acquired treasure to be used to honor the Lord. The Davidic covenant announced in Chapter 7 lets us see how these things mirror our blessings under the New Covenant. We win victories, bring peace to people who are at war with God, consolidate the Kingdom, and acquire treasures to be used to honor the Lord.  

And when the Syrians of Damascus came to succour Hadadezer king of Zobah, David slew of the Syrians two and twenty thousand men.  Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus: and the Syrians became servants to David, and brought gifts. And the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went.  And David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem.

II Samuel 8:5-7

David helped Jonathan’s son, Mephibosheth, because of his love for Jonathan. This reminds us of how God dealt with us as sinners.

And the king said, Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may shew the kindness of God unto him? And Ziba said unto the king, Jonathan hath yet a son, which is lame on his feet.

II Samuel 9:3

We were crippled with sin.

Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, from Lodebar.

II Samuel 9:5

Jesus us sought us and bought us with His redeeming blood. He loved us before we knew Him.

And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father’s sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually.

II Samuel 9:7

We will feast at the King’s table permanently – forever.


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