Category: Thinking about Biblical NARRATIVES

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

  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

 

    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

 

¹⁷ The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” ¹⁸ And He said to them, “I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. ¹⁹ Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. ²⁰ Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.”  Luke 10:17-20

Jesus had sent out the seventy as a vanguard.   Since they were under his authority, they had authority in his name to do signs and wonders.

Not unnaturally, they returned full of excitement because of the spiritual power that had been demonstrated through their ministry.  They did not think they were doing it in their own power – they clearly state their recognition that their authority was in Jesus’ name.  Nor did Jesus play down the significance of the events they had experienced.  Rather he gave it great spiritual significance by describing its impact on the demonic world.

Having recognized their excitement and validated their spiritual experiences, Jesus then put it back in perspective.  However wonderful and exciting the ministry they had engaged it, what was more important was their salvation.  What was of greater consequence was their own spiritual status – that they were in God’s ‘good books’.

It is easy for those in ministry – particularly when exciting things are happening – to lose perspective.  It is easy to give more weight to the wonders we see happening rather than to forgiveness of sins in Jesus and to our standing in his kingdom.

– SSXG

 

 ⁹ Now David knew that Saul was plotting evil against him; so he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod here.” ¹⁰ Then David said, “O Lord God of Israel, Your servant has heard for certain that Saul is seeking to come to Keilah to destroy the city on my account. ¹¹ Will the men of Keilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down just as Your servant has heard? O Lord God of Israel, I pray, tell Your servant.” And the Lord said, “He will come down.” ¹² Then David said, “Will the men of Keilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?” And the Lord said, “They will surrender you.” ¹³ Then David and his men, about six hundred, arose and departed from Keilah, and they went wherever they could go. When it was told Saul that David had escaped from Keilah, he gave up the pursuit.  1 Samuel 23:9-13

 God told David that Saul would come after him, and that the people of Keilah would give him up.  Yet neither of these things happened.

Since God does know the future, this prophecy must have been a conditional on David’s response.  The if was implied.  If you don’t leave, Saul will come and the Keilahites will give you up.  David heeded the implied warning and left.

Many of the warnings and promises of the prophets are similarly conditional.  If you obey me, these are the blessings you will receive.  If you rebel against me, these are the punishments I will mete out.  Sometimes the conditions of these promises and warnings are spelled out, but not always.

Many if not most prophecies to ancient Israel, for example, were conditional.  Before we assume that a prophecy is yet to be fulfilled, we need to check scripture and history to see if the prophecy has been fulfilled.  If it has not been fulfilled, we need to check scripture and history again to see if the conditions for the prophecy have been fulfilled.

–  SSXG

⁸ David said to Ahimelech, “Now is there not a spear or a sword on hand? For I brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s matter was urgent.” ⁹ Then the priest said, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the valley of Elah, behold, it is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod; if you would take it for yourself, take it. For there is no other except it here.” And David said, “There is none like it; give it to me.”    1 Samuel 21:8-9    NASB

I have an assortment of souvenirs and artifacts which help me remember people and events in my personal life.

It struck me in reading this obscure passage that David had not kept Goliath’s sword as a souvenir.  Rather it had been kept by a priest – and David didn’t even know it was there!

Since David was ‘a man after God’s own heart’ it is tempting to conclude that his indifference to this souvenir of his victory over the giant was due to his recognition that God had granted him that victory.   That may have been the case, we are not told.

It is nevertheless true symbolically.  The victory over Goliath was not David’s victory – it was the LORD’s victory.  How appropriate then that the souvenir of that victory should be in the care of one of the LORD’s priests.

– SSXG

3 Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” ² The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; ³ but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’” ⁴ The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! ⁵ For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” ⁶ When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.  Genesis 3:1-6  NASB

This is my second post on the Fall.  The devil, showing himself here to Eve, puts temptation in the form of a question.  “Has God said you are not to eat from any tree in of the garden?”

He may as well have asked, What is the point of all these beautiful trees and all this beautiful fruit if you aren’t allowed to eat any?  What’s with that?

But the devil has deliberately misstated the prohibition.  He’s making the prohibition about any tree in the garden.  He’s making it sound as if God is unreasonable.

Some have seen the prohibitions around sexuality in the Bible – relations only with the opposite sex, no sexual relations outside of marriage – and concluded that God asks people not to enjoy their sexuality. 

The devil has, as I’ve said, misstated the prohibition.  Adam and Eve were allowed to eat of the trees of the garden – all but one.  And God does permit the enjoyment of sexuality – within the given limits.  By deliberately misstating the prohibition, the devil makes it seem as if God is somehow unreasonable.

God may be demanding, but he is not unreasonable.

– SSXG

 

3 Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” ² The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; ³ but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’” ⁴ The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! ⁵ For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” ⁶ When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.  Genesis 3:1-6  NASB

This is the first temptation recorded in Scripture.

The devil, in the form of a snake, urges Eve to question God’s law concerning the fruits of the trees of the Garden of Eden.  Adam and Eve have been told not to eat of the fruit of a certain tree.  It is interesting to note that the very first temptation begins with the challenge, “… has God said…?”

At a personal level, this is often the way temptation begins.  Hath God said?  Perhaps you have misread it.  Perhaps the preacher exaggerated.  Perhaps it was misinterpreted.  This thing that feels so right, how can it be wrong?

At the level of the congregation and of the organizational church, this question is now being asked about homosexuality.  Hath God said?   Perhaps it is just a misinterpretation.  Perhaps the Church has been mistaken all these years.  This thing that feels so right to so many people, how could it be wrong?

The temptation for some individuals and for certain segments of the Church will be to question and then to ignore what God has plainly said.

– SSXG

 

⁴¹ And He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and began to pray, ⁴² saying, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.” ⁴³ Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him. ⁴⁴ And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground.   Luke 22:41-44  NASB

If you are reading this post, it is not likely that you are one who revels in your sin.  However, it is still possible that you and I do not always take our sin seriously.

Think of some of the excuses we make to ourselves:  There are a lot of people who do worse…   At least I don’t do…  It’s not my fault; I can’t help it…  It’s not such a big deal…

We should grieve over the sin we discover in our lives – grieve and then turn from it to accept his forgiveness.  We know that Jesus took our sin seriously.  Our sin took him to the cross.

In the garden of Gethsemane, just the anticipation of the suffering of the cross caused Jesus tremendous inner agony.

– SSXG

 

⁹ In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. ¹⁰ Immediately coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him; ¹¹ and a voice came out of the heavens: “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.”

¹² Immediately the Spirit *impelled Him to go out into the wilderness. ¹³ And He was in the wilderness forty days being tempted by Satan; and He was with the wild beasts, and the angels were ministering to Him.   Mark 1:9-13  NASB

To have the Holy Spirit descending on him in the form of a dove and the Father expressing his pleasure in his beloved Son – surely this was the high point of Jesus’ life to this point!

What follows next is arguably the worst temptation Jesus would experience in his life and ministry before the cross…  Does this surprise you?

Where do we ever hear of God’s blessing being followed by temptation?  Surely we expect that such a marvelous expression of God’s blessing would be followed immediately by fruitful ministry!  Perhaps we have been misguided…

These events in Jesus’ life do not prove that God’s blessing will be followed by temptation in the life of his followers.  That would be more than we find in this scripture.  But surely we can say this:  God’s blessing and times of temptation are not mutually exclusive!

– SSXG