Author: David G Richardson

God chose David

He also consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.  6 When they entered, he looked at Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before Him.” 7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 8 Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” 9 Next Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” 10 Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen these.” 11 And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are these all the children?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, and behold, he is tending the sheep.” Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.” 12 So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance. And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is he.” 13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward.  2 Samuel 16:5b-13

Clearly God chose David.  But why?  On what basis?

This scripture teaches clearly that God looked on David’s heart and saw something that set him apart from his brothers.  Outwardly his eldest brother, for example, had that kingly appearance that impressed Samuel.  But God chose the one that even Jesse, the father, didn’t think it worth bringing him in from the field.

God chose the one who was superficially unlikely – the one who would later be described as a ‘man after God’s own heart’.

– SSxG

“He cannot deny Himself”

11 It is a trustworthy statement:

For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him;
12 If we endure, we will also reign with Him;
If we deny Him, He also will deny us;
13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.                                                           2 Timothy 2:11-13 

Nothing is impossible with God.  Faced with difficult and trying times, we often take comfort in the fact that God can help us no matter how tough the problem.

Yet even God cannot make a square circle.   He cannot make a stone that is bigger than he can lift.  These are logical impossibilities.

Here in verse 13 we find something else that God cannot do.  He cannot act out of character.  He cannot be unfaithful.  He cannot deny himself.

God demands certain qualities of us.  He demands justice, love, gentleness, humility, mercy and faithfulness among other characteristics.  He cannot be or do the opposite.

Let us take comfort in the fact that God is all that he demands of us.  He cannot deny himself.

– SSxG

 

Careful with comparisons…

18 “Come now, and let us reason together,”
Says the Lord,
“Though your sins are as scarlet,
They will be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They will be like wool.    Isaiah 1:18

As I look out my window, I see probably a foot of snow in my yard.   I know from personal observation that each snowflake has six points and that snow is cold.  But neither of these facts has anything to do with the comparison that Isaiah is making!

Isaiah compares sin to a red stain and purity to white snow.  I think we may legitimately ask ourselves what is it about sin that is comparable to red.  We may ask ourselves why purity is associated with white.

However it is not legitimate is to look for meanings associated with other characteristics of snow.  We must be careful in studying the Bible not to go too far with similes, metaphors and other forms of comparison…

– SSxG

 

 

“…without natural affection…”

3 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, [a]haters of good, 4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to a form of [b]godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.   2 Timothy 3:1-5

The word ‘unloving’ in verse 3 is more accurately translated in the KJV as “without natural affection”.  The love which is lacking in the “last days” is a natural love – the kind of love which parents have for their children and children for their parents.

What Paul describes as “natural affection” is the underlying premise of the reality TV series “Long Lost Family”.  In each episode, the hosts and researchers typically help guests to find birth parents or children given up for adoption.  Almost invariably there are tears of joy as families are reunited.

Truly the affection described is “natural”.   How dreadful to be in a time spoken of by Paul when even such familial affection is absent!

– SSxG

 

 

 

“…let them rule…” (2)

  26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”   Genesis 1:26-28

God delegated his authority to mankind to “rule over” and to “subdue” the earth.  Yet we have abused that role – we’ve caused pollution and destruction almost everywhere.

As Christians, we should take seriously our responsibility in this custodial role – to the point of cooperating with initiatives such as recycling and waste reduction.

However, this should never become our main goal.  Our primary objective as Christians is to live in such a way as to bring honour and glory to the name of Jesus.  Included in that is the mandate to “preach the gospel” to everyone.

– SSxG

 

“…let them rule…”

    26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”   Genesis 1:26-28

How does God exercise his sovereignty over his creation?  Does he control every detail?

Mankind was created to “rule over” and to “subdue” the earth and its creatures.  It pleased God to create humans in his image – even to the point of giving them limited sovereignty over his creation.

We see in Genesis a God who chose to actually delegate some of his authority to human beings!

– SSxG

 

“Show us the Father”

7 If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.”  8 Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. 11 Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves.   John 14:7-11

Jesus chides Philip for not recognizing that he was God.  Having just said that to know him was to know God the Father, Jesus emphatically tells Philip that to see him was to see God the Father.  The words and the works of Jesus correspond to the word and the works of God.

We learn about God from Jesus not just because of Jesus’ teaching about God.  We learn about God from Jesus as we observe his character.

Do we want to know what God thinks about sin and salvation?  About repentance and forgiveness?  Do we want to know about God’s attitude to the proud and the humble?  To women?  To children?  We must look to Jesus.

The same is true when we need to evaluate a philosophical or theological system.  We must ask if its understanding of God looks like Jesus as we meet him in the gospels.

– SSxG

 

 

“They went out from us…”

18 Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us. 20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know. 21 I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie is of the truth. 22 Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. 23 Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also.   1 John 2:18-23

To whom is John referring in verse 19?  Who are “they” who went out from us?  According to the context, these are ‘antichrists’.  They ‘lie’.  They deny ‘that Jesus is the Christ’ and they deny ‘the Father and the Son’.   It should not surprise us that at some point they profess a faith they do not have and never had.

There is another group entirely who no longer believe the faith they once professed.  These are people whose faith was genuine but fell into sin and who hardened their hearts.  These are people who have turned away from Christ because they want to enjoy the things of this world.

To avoid becoming part of this latter group, we must heed the many warnings in Scripture against falling away.

– SSxG

Faith like Abraham

8 By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; 10 for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.   Hebrews 11:8-10

Abraham is that great example of faith.  What did Abraham do when he heard the call of God?  He “obeyed”.  He “went out”.

If we have this idea that being a Christian is just a matter of believing certain facts – even essential facts such as the death and resurrection of Jesus – or that being a Christian is just a matter of making a decision to follow Jesus; we are sadly lacking in understanding of what faith means.

By faith Abraham obeyed.  By faith Abraham went out.  Similarly, Biblical faith in Jesus is not merely intellectual assent to certain truths – it is a commitment to follow Jesus in obedience.

– SSxG

All people everywhere

 29 Being then the children of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man. 30 Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, 31 because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.”  Acts 17:29-31

“All people everywhere”.  Paul was standing in the Areopagus in Athens when he declared that God is calling on all people everywhere to repent.

The message of the gospel is a message of repentance with regard to sin and faith with regard to Jesus.  This message is equally necessary for Paul, the religious Jew, and for the pagans to whom he preached.

The message of the gospel is offered to “all people everywhere”.

– SSxG