How Long Is Too Long? Part Two: A Study of David

[Today's devotional is taken from the small-group study "Arrayed In Hope", which I wrote about a year ago.]

When David was initially anointed as king by the prophet Samuel, he was still young. In fact, First Samuel 16:12 describes David as “ruddy.” He had not yet grown facial hair. And he was not yet old enough to be enlisted in King Saul’s army, which had a minimum age requirement of twenty years old (see Numbers 1:3).

If we assume that David had just missed the age requirement for enlisting in the army, and was nineteen years old when he was anointed by Samuel, then we are contemplating a minimum waiting time of eleven years before David was able to take his place as king. But the wait might have been much longer than that, given the description in First Samuel 17:42: “When the Philistine looked carefully at David, he despised him, for he was only a ruddy and handsome boy.” From this description, it appears that David was so young that he could not even pass for a twenty-year-old.

The Scripture passages do not specifically tell us how David felt about the time gap between the anointing done by Samuel and the confirmation of David’s kingship by the elders of Israel. But we do have several psalms, written by David, in which we can read his affirmation of hope in God. Let’s read part of a psalm of David, aloud:

Psalm 25:1-5

In you, Lord my God, I put my trust.

I trust in you; do not let me be put to shame,

nor let my enemies triumph over me.
No one who hopes in you will ever be put to shame,

but shame will come on those who are treacherous without cause.

Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths.
Guide me in your truth and teach me,

for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.

Wisdom Of The Ages...

Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. (First Timothy 4: 12)

In Sunday’s sermon, Pastor Shane asked a question: What example are we setting? And it is not a question solely for children and teenagers: it is a question for everyone who professes to be Christian. As followers of Jesus, we are watched by the world. Our desire ought to be that those who see us will see the love and power of Christ manifested in us.

First Timothy chapter 4 shows the apostle Paul’s concern for Christians who have abandoned the faith. As Paul instructs Timothy to preach and teach, Paul adds a two-part mandate: 1) do not permit others to disrespect Timothy's ministry because of his age; 2) allow others to see Timothy’s example, captured in a five-fold structure of external actions reflective of his internal beliefs. Let’s dive in to First Timothy 4:12:

“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young...” In Paul’s context, as in ours today, there is the notion that young people are not as gifted or anointed as their older counterparts. However, God has indicated throughout Scripture that His anointing and the gifts of His Spirit are not distributed according to age; rather, He anoints and gifts people according to His pleasure (see First Samuel 16:10-12; Ephesians 4:7). Timothy, a church elder, was charged to address and correct those who dismissed his anointing because of his youth.

“Set an example for the believers...” Paul gives Timothy five areas in which to live as a godly example to others. As we consider these, let us pray that God will empower us to be living examples in our day as Timothy was in his.

v  Speech: Do our words express godly comfort and encouragement? Do we impart the wisdom and counsel of God as we interact with others?

v  Conduct: Do our personal and professional practices model the commands and counsel of God?

v  Love: Are we in love with God? Do we show His love to everyone we meet?

v  Faith: Do we believe God’s word and fully expect that He will accomplish all He has said?

v  Purity: Are our sexuality, inner thought life, and outward behaviors bringing pleasure to the heart of God? Are we obeying His call to holiness?

All Scripture references are from Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Battle, Meant...

When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you. When you are about to go into battle, the priest shall come forward and address the army. He shall say: “Hear, Israel: Today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not panic or be terrified by them. For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.” (Deuteronomy 20:1-4)

David left his things with the keeper of supplies, ran to the battle lines and asked his brothers how they were. As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, stepped out from his lines and shouted his usual defiance, and David heard it. Whenever the Israelites saw the man, they all fled from him in great fear. (First Samuel 17:22-24)

In the book of Deuteronomy we read the laws given by Moses to ancient Israel. Chapter 20 begins with a directive concerning warfare. The directive can be broken down into seven points:

v  The people were not to fear their enemies;

v  The people were to remember that God delivered them out of Egypt;

v  The people were to know that God would be with them in the war;

v  The priest was to announce Israel’s entry into battle;

v  The priest was to remind Israel not to be afraid;

v  The priest was to reassure Israel of God’s presence and role in the war;

v  The priest was to declare Israel’s victory before they began to fight.

The army of Israel, concerning Goliath and the Philistine army, failed to do what their law provided as standard protocol for warfare… but we see that David was not affected by Israel’s failure to keep the law. Let’s take a minute to consider the source of David’s success as a warrior. Pastor Sam shared two things about David that can encourage us today:

1. David had experienced the power of God. As a shepherd, David had received God’s power: to rescue his father’s sheep, and to avoid being killed by wild animals. First Samuel 17:37 gives us David’s mindset: “The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”

2. David had experienced the presence of God. First Samuel 16:13 shows us that David had an encounter with the Spirit of God: “So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David.”

Our modern-day warfare may not seem as dramatic as that of a boy defeating a giant, but in fact you and I may have to do some serious battling in the realm of the spirit. We face relatives who have given themselves over to deep evil. We hear the voices of prominent people, sometimes even those who claim to be people of God, and their words are full of fear. These who we love, and who are “the sheep of God’s pasture” (see Psalm 100:3), need to be rescued. And if we have experienced the power of God and the presence of God in our personal lives, then we are equipped to fight and win.

Today is a good day to take your experience onto the battlefield. The LORD is with you. Fight fearlessly.

All Scripture references are from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

The Man; The Spirit; The Destiny.

In Sunday’s sermon, Pastor Andy pointed out that unless the Holy Spirit is present in us, we will never accomplish the destiny God desires for us. We see this in the life of Saul. When the prophet Samuel spoke with Saul, he gave this prophetic word prior to Saul’s anointing as king: “The Spirit of the Lord will come powerfully upon you, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person.” (First Samuel 10:6) The prophetic word came to pass, and there was initial evidence of the Spirit of God ruling Saul’s heart:

As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul’s heart, and all these signs were fulfilled that day. When he and his servant arrived at Gibeah, a procession of prophets met him; the Spirit of God came powerfully upon him, and he joined in their prophesying. (First Samuel 10:9-10)

Saul also went to his home in Gibeah, accompanied by valiant men whose hearts God had touched. But some scoundrels said, “How can this fellow save us?” They despised him and brought him no gifts. But Saul kept silent. (First Samuel 10:26-27)

The people then said to Samuel, “Who was it that asked, ‘Shall Saul reign over us?’ Bring these men to us and we will put them to death.” But Saul said, “No one shall be put to death today, for this day the Lord has rescued Israel.” (First Samuel 11:12-13)

Unfortunately, Saul’s early years of self-control and wisdom eroded. Saul brazenly disobeyed the word of God, offering unauthorized sacrifices and keeping alive livestock and prisoners of war that God had destined to death.  Barely two years into his reign, Saul was given a prophetic word that the kingdom of Israel had been torn from his hand, and that the LORD had chosen another man. First Samuel 16 records the transfer of spiritual authority from Saul to David:

So Samuel took the horn of oil, anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came upon David in power. Samuel then went to Ramah. Now the Spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD tormented him. (First Samuel 16:13-14)

In the New Testament we find a critical checklist: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23a). Though Saul’s kingship continued for decades after the Holy Spirit departed from him, his life bore the evidences of a man devoid of God’s Spirit. Unlike the early years of his reign, in which a Spirit-filled Saul demonstrated patience and grace, the remainder of Saul’s kingship was marked by jealousy, anger, fear, and impulsive actions.

As they danced, they sang: “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.” Saul was very angry; this refrain galled him. “They have credited David with tens of thousands,” he thought, “but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?” And from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David. (First Samuel 18:8-9)

When Saul realized that the LORD was with David and that his daughter Michal loved David, Saul became still more afraid of him, and he remained his enemy the rest of his days. (First Samuel 18:28-29)

As we go through this day, let us reflect on our own track record. Do our lives indicate that the Spirit of God lives in us? Or, do our lives show evidence that the Spirit of God is absent from our hearts?

Holy Lord, you are our God. Fill us with Your Spirit. May Your Spirit be evident to all: in the way we live, in the way we respond to crisis, and in the way we respond to the harsh words of others. Help us to follow You in complete obedience so that we might live the life You destined for us. Amen.

Scripture references are from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Hearing... And Responding.

Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I. Send me!" (Isaiah 6:8)

You may have heard the old joke: "Lord, here am I... send someone else!" Sadly, though, it's not a joke for everyone. There are countless stories of Christians who, in the face of hearing a call from God, opted to respond with a resounding "No."

In this past Sunday's sermon, Pastor Martha shared with us that hearing the voice of the Lord should evoke within us the desire to obey His voice. A key component of obedience is availability: if we truly adore the One who is King, then we will want to please Him. If we truly love Him, then we will want to be found in His presence. If we have taken His interests to heart, then we will want to participate in carrying out His agenda.

As we reflect today, we must ask ourselves whether our worship of God is authentic. Worship is not measured by the beauty of our singing voice, nor even our participation in ministry events. The Scripture reminds us that God examines our hearts (see First Samuel 16:7; Isaiah 29:13-14): He takes note of our motivations and inner thoughts. Isaiah's response, "Send me!", was not a begrudged acquiescence to the call of God. Rather, Isaiah was excited. Isaiah was eager to do something for this great King of kings. Isaiah wanted to be a part of God's program, and he said "yes" to God even before he learned what his specific assignment was.

What about us? Are we responding to the voice of God with an eagerness to go wherever He sends us? Or, are we asking Him to lay out every detail of our life-path before we say 'yes'?

O Master, let me walk with Thee in lowly paths of service free;
Tell me Thy secret; help me bear the strain of toil, the fret of care.
(Washington Gladden)