Nabal's name, of course, means "fool," which is explained in Scripture. He thoroughly lived up to his name. Why would someone name their kid that, I wonder? If you call someone "fool" over and over, they'll probably believe it! In contrast, Abigail (whose name means "father" and "rejoicing"), was surely a delight to her father, to her heavenly Father, and to David.
A person who knows they are loved by the Father can be an effective intercessor and a blessing to all. Her wisdom is a great contrast to her husband's brute foolishness. The verse in Proverbs today was very fitting:
"A wise son makes a father glad, But a foolish man despises his mother." Proverbs 15:20 NKJV It's not unfitting to say that a wise daughter makes her father glad; a foolish man makes his father miserable, and also that he despises his wife as well as his mother. Abigail was merciful and interceded, and this was rewarded greatly. The fool has no fear of God, and that received its reward as well.
Saul's name means "asked for" or "desired", and the people got what they asked for and desired, but not what they needed. David's name, in contrast, means "beloved." He was beloved by God and the people, and most assuredly my Abigail, (even though she had to share him). When we allow God to give us what we need, rather than demanding what we think we desire, we will truly love what we have been given! Because God knows how to give good gifts to His children.
Only a fool would turn down the opportunity to have that kind of Daddy! Nevertheless, we should be like David, who spared Saul when it was in his power to do him ill, and Abigail, who took upon herself the burden of her foolish husband's sin, even though she probably would have loved to get rid of him, and may have been tempted to let David take his life. The end of the story leaves no doubt that she took the proper course!
God calls us "beloved"! He calls us "Father's delight!" If we keep listening, we'll eventually live up to everything He sees in us-- the likeness of Christ.
Showing posts with label King Saul. Show all posts
Showing posts with label King Saul. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Monday, May 17, 2010
May 17, 2010 Seeing the King
I've long known that David was a fore-shadowing of the Kingship of Christ. Today, the Lord pointed out a parallel in the Scriptures that I have never noticed before. The Old and New Testaments both concur that there are two reactions to the revelation of the true King. It seems when you are confronted with the King, you either love him or hate him.
From all that I have read about them, I have come to the conclusion that David and Jesus were both totally lovable. Not in a "popularity contest" sort of way, but winsome because they were righteous, powerful, wise and serving. Really, it was only the proud and envious leaders that hated them and stirred people up against them. David was celebrated in Israel from the start, but Saul was fearful of him taking the throne from himself and his son Jonathan. He "saw" the true king, but refused to see what he saw. He tried to kill him instead. It's easy to see the parallels in Jesus' life.
The Pharisees "saw" Jesus and His Kingship but willfully refused to see what they saw. After Jesus gave the blind beggar his sight, He said:
“Do you believe in the Son of God?” He answered and said, “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?” And Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you.” Then he said, “Lord, I believe!” And he worshiped Him. And Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.” Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, “Are we blind also?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains." John 9: 35-41 NKJV
The beggar couldn't see at first, physically or spiritually, but when confronted with the King, he saw, believed what he saw, and worshipped Him. I believe the Pharisees, like Saul, could see Who Jesus was, but refused to believe what they saw, out of fear, pride and envy. They refused to acknowledge God. The Pharisees' and Saul's iniquity caused them to see their savior as an evil usurper rather than the rightful King. Once confronted with the Light, rebellious, selfish darkness will try to extinguish it.
Jonathan "saw" the kingship in David, and covenanted with him in loyal friendship. He did not try to fight for his own "rights". It says Jonathan loved him as his own soul. This is the kind of love Christians should have for one another, because we see the King. We don't worship each other, but we worship the King in one another, and we give one another the loyalty, love and honor that are due the children and vessels of the King.
How we respond to one another really reveals our heart toward God. If we allow ourselves to be blinded by heart-sin (iniquity), we will throw spears at our brothers and sisters (probably not actually, but verbally). We are actually throwing them at the Lord. If, and when, we find ourselves on the receiving end of this kind of blindness, the Holy Spirit will come along side us and defend us, as Jonathan defended David. If we love the King, we will honor His brothers and sisters, even to the point of risking our own lives.
David escaped from the presence of the earthly king, but returned in power. The beggar was sent out, first by Jesus to wash his eyes (he probably had to get out of the presence of the rabid unbelief in order to be able to receive his sight), and then he was expelled from the congregation by the leaders. Perhaps he was a great witness for the Lord "outside the camp." David's followers were "outlaws" for many years. We too, have to follow the Lord and bear His reproach "outside the camp." (Hebrews 13:13)
If we get rejected by people-- whether our natural family, self-righteous leaders, or a particular group-- be assured that righteousness will eventually be vindicated. Jesus was sent out of this world (by His own choice of course: He laid down His life), rejected by His own. But He will be returning in power to claim His throne in the glory of the Father. I wouldn't want to be one of His enemies!! (read Revelation 19). But His reward will be with Him for His loyal, faithful servants!
From all that I have read about them, I have come to the conclusion that David and Jesus were both totally lovable. Not in a "popularity contest" sort of way, but winsome because they were righteous, powerful, wise and serving. Really, it was only the proud and envious leaders that hated them and stirred people up against them. David was celebrated in Israel from the start, but Saul was fearful of him taking the throne from himself and his son Jonathan. He "saw" the true king, but refused to see what he saw. He tried to kill him instead. It's easy to see the parallels in Jesus' life.
The Pharisees "saw" Jesus and His Kingship but willfully refused to see what they saw. After Jesus gave the blind beggar his sight, He said:
“Do you believe in the Son of God?” He answered and said, “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?” And Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you.” Then he said, “Lord, I believe!” And he worshiped Him. And Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.” Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, “Are we blind also?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains." John 9: 35-41 NKJV
The beggar couldn't see at first, physically or spiritually, but when confronted with the King, he saw, believed what he saw, and worshipped Him. I believe the Pharisees, like Saul, could see Who Jesus was, but refused to believe what they saw, out of fear, pride and envy. They refused to acknowledge God. The Pharisees' and Saul's iniquity caused them to see their savior as an evil usurper rather than the rightful King. Once confronted with the Light, rebellious, selfish darkness will try to extinguish it.
Jonathan "saw" the kingship in David, and covenanted with him in loyal friendship. He did not try to fight for his own "rights". It says Jonathan loved him as his own soul. This is the kind of love Christians should have for one another, because we see the King. We don't worship each other, but we worship the King in one another, and we give one another the loyalty, love and honor that are due the children and vessels of the King.
How we respond to one another really reveals our heart toward God. If we allow ourselves to be blinded by heart-sin (iniquity), we will throw spears at our brothers and sisters (probably not actually, but verbally). We are actually throwing them at the Lord. If, and when, we find ourselves on the receiving end of this kind of blindness, the Holy Spirit will come along side us and defend us, as Jonathan defended David. If we love the King, we will honor His brothers and sisters, even to the point of risking our own lives.
David escaped from the presence of the earthly king, but returned in power. The beggar was sent out, first by Jesus to wash his eyes (he probably had to get out of the presence of the rabid unbelief in order to be able to receive his sight), and then he was expelled from the congregation by the leaders. Perhaps he was a great witness for the Lord "outside the camp." David's followers were "outlaws" for many years. We too, have to follow the Lord and bear His reproach "outside the camp." (Hebrews 13:13)
If we get rejected by people-- whether our natural family, self-righteous leaders, or a particular group-- be assured that righteousness will eventually be vindicated. Jesus was sent out of this world (by His own choice of course: He laid down His life), rejected by His own. But He will be returning in power to claim His throne in the glory of the Father. I wouldn't want to be one of His enemies!! (read Revelation 19). But His reward will be with Him for His loyal, faithful servants!
Friday, May 14, 2010
May 14, 2010 God Looks on the Heart
“Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7 I am so very glad that God looks at the heart, and that when He looks at me, He sees Jesus, and me in Him. After reading this part of Saul's sad, sad story, I was very grateful to read of Jesus' mercy with the woman caught in adultery. He saw a heart of repentance. If there had been true repentance in Saul, he would have been accepted.
No amount of bargaining with God can bring about a truce with Him; only accepting His way, and that Way is Christ. But His love covers a multitude of sins-- things that couldn't be wiped out with any amount of tears or efforts at restitution. We need Him. We need to fear Him and obey Him, which can be hard until we know Him better. Once we know His love, we would go through flames of utter destruction to get close to His heart.
Samuel was still learning lessons about discernment and seeing the heart, not just hearing words or seeing masks. Jesus quoted what the Lord said to him, too, about not judging by appearances. We need to know that God sees our heart: there's nothing we can hide from Him, but there's also nothing that God is hiding from us. If we want to know Him, He is more than willing to reveal Himself to us.
I have never been the person the world would choose (funny, but I was really the proverbial person no one wanted on their sports team, at least until later on in highschool), and you probably aren't either. But that's OK, because God chooses us. He loved us before we knew Him, called us and accepted us. I don't want to be unchosen for the things He's called me to do. That keeps me on the straight and narrow. He's not going to entrust anything to me if I'm untrustworthy. I'm glad though, that He's not going to "unchoose me" from being His child, or "unfriend me" because I mess up. He knows my weaknesses, and He helps me (and disciplines me sometimes). Jesus said He'd never leave us or forsake us. We would have to totally reject Him and leave Him completely to end up like Saul, which is, I guess, what Saul did. I'd much rather be the one on the healing end of the harp than the one with a tormenting spirit because I rejected the Spirit of God.
No amount of bargaining with God can bring about a truce with Him; only accepting His way, and that Way is Christ. But His love covers a multitude of sins-- things that couldn't be wiped out with any amount of tears or efforts at restitution. We need Him. We need to fear Him and obey Him, which can be hard until we know Him better. Once we know His love, we would go through flames of utter destruction to get close to His heart.
Samuel was still learning lessons about discernment and seeing the heart, not just hearing words or seeing masks. Jesus quoted what the Lord said to him, too, about not judging by appearances. We need to know that God sees our heart: there's nothing we can hide from Him, but there's also nothing that God is hiding from us. If we want to know Him, He is more than willing to reveal Himself to us.
I have never been the person the world would choose (funny, but I was really the proverbial person no one wanted on their sports team, at least until later on in highschool), and you probably aren't either. But that's OK, because God chooses us. He loved us before we knew Him, called us and accepted us. I don't want to be unchosen for the things He's called me to do. That keeps me on the straight and narrow. He's not going to entrust anything to me if I'm untrustworthy. I'm glad though, that He's not going to "unchoose me" from being His child, or "unfriend me" because I mess up. He knows my weaknesses, and He helps me (and disciplines me sometimes). Jesus said He'd never leave us or forsake us. We would have to totally reject Him and leave Him completely to end up like Saul, which is, I guess, what Saul did. I'd much rather be the one on the healing end of the harp than the one with a tormenting spirit because I rejected the Spirit of God.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
May 12, 2010 Bullies in a Battle of Words
We're always going to get tested to see what our true motivations are. King Saul was tested, and he flunked. If we look at the story only in the natural we might want to take Saul's part; but if you see what Samuel saw, you'll realize what went wrong, and why the kingdom was to be taken away from him.
The king and his son were the only ones who had swords! The oppressive enemy had seen to it that the people had none (and they put up with it!) In the spiritual sense, Saul was the one who had the word of God-- and he disobeyed it. His explanation sounds plausible, but Samuel says other wise. Saul was not "a man after God's heart," and therefore his kindgom would not continue.
David, on the other hand was a man after God's heart. He knew not to fight the enemy without the Lord going before him: "Give us help from trouble, For the help of man is useless. Through God we will do valiantly, For it is He who shall tread down our enemies." Psalm 108:12-13 Saul sought his own glory, but David sought the glory of God.
Jesus said, "He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him." John 7:18
Jesus said only what His Father told Him to say. He only sought the glory of the Father, and now the kingdom of Christ has been established over all.
We get tested when the enemy is there taunting us and making threats, and we think the Lord isn't doing anything about it. Sometimes He doesn't "show up" fast enough for us. If we don't have the Word in us, we're going to go run and hide in a cave, and the bully gets a victory. If we do have the Word, but we don't have God's heart, we will speak and act presumptuously. We may have been better off running and hiding. When we speak the Word or do an "obedient" action out of God's time, and with a selfish motivation, we can easily become a weapon in the hands of the enemy.
"A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, But perverseness in it breaks the spirit."
Proverbs 15:4
I think we know, by now, that the perverseness is in the heart (if it were in the physical tongue, we could all cut out our tongues out and be very righteous indeed!). Words can be swords. How many times have our rash words broken another's spirit, and, in turn, our own? I cannot begin to count the times I have done this. But it happens less often now, because I'm tired of hurting others and suffering the pain of it myself-- and I'm tired of grieving the Holy Spirit. I want a wholesome tongue. I want a whole heart after God.
Powerlessness is a bad thing, and God wants to deliver us from it. But power without godly authority is deadly. We cannot inherit the kingdom of God by walking in power without love and submission to God. We can't beat the devil with the devil's attitudes. For one thing, we must realize that Satan is already defeated; but we still must destroy his works. God will help us destroy the works of the enemy if we have God's heart and are seeking His glory and not our own.
Jesus is the Tree of Life. The more we yield to the Spirit and allow Him to grow that Tree in our heart, the more life-giving our words will be. This is God's heart for you, and for all His children. Some of Satan's strategy would be to irritate you so much that you hack away at the Tree growing in someone else's garden. Let's be patient with one another, and look for and nourish that Tree. At this moment, it might be just be a seedling that needs to be nurtured and protected. Someday, it will be a great Tree that will offer shelter to the lost and dying.
The king and his son were the only ones who had swords! The oppressive enemy had seen to it that the people had none (and they put up with it!) In the spiritual sense, Saul was the one who had the word of God-- and he disobeyed it. His explanation sounds plausible, but Samuel says other wise. Saul was not "a man after God's heart," and therefore his kindgom would not continue.
David, on the other hand was a man after God's heart. He knew not to fight the enemy without the Lord going before him: "Give us help from trouble, For the help of man is useless. Through God we will do valiantly, For it is He who shall tread down our enemies." Psalm 108:12-13 Saul sought his own glory, but David sought the glory of God.
Jesus said, "He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him." John 7:18
Jesus said only what His Father told Him to say. He only sought the glory of the Father, and now the kingdom of Christ has been established over all.
We get tested when the enemy is there taunting us and making threats, and we think the Lord isn't doing anything about it. Sometimes He doesn't "show up" fast enough for us. If we don't have the Word in us, we're going to go run and hide in a cave, and the bully gets a victory. If we do have the Word, but we don't have God's heart, we will speak and act presumptuously. We may have been better off running and hiding. When we speak the Word or do an "obedient" action out of God's time, and with a selfish motivation, we can easily become a weapon in the hands of the enemy.
"A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, But perverseness in it breaks the spirit."
Proverbs 15:4
I think we know, by now, that the perverseness is in the heart (if it were in the physical tongue, we could all cut out our tongues out and be very righteous indeed!). Words can be swords. How many times have our rash words broken another's spirit, and, in turn, our own? I cannot begin to count the times I have done this. But it happens less often now, because I'm tired of hurting others and suffering the pain of it myself-- and I'm tired of grieving the Holy Spirit. I want a wholesome tongue. I want a whole heart after God.
Powerlessness is a bad thing, and God wants to deliver us from it. But power without godly authority is deadly. We cannot inherit the kingdom of God by walking in power without love and submission to God. We can't beat the devil with the devil's attitudes. For one thing, we must realize that Satan is already defeated; but we still must destroy his works. God will help us destroy the works of the enemy if we have God's heart and are seeking His glory and not our own.
Jesus is the Tree of Life. The more we yield to the Spirit and allow Him to grow that Tree in our heart, the more life-giving our words will be. This is God's heart for you, and for all His children. Some of Satan's strategy would be to irritate you so much that you hack away at the Tree growing in someone else's garden. Let's be patient with one another, and look for and nourish that Tree. At this moment, it might be just be a seedling that needs to be nurtured and protected. Someday, it will be a great Tree that will offer shelter to the lost and dying.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
