Humility and Revenence Are Related Spirits

Synopsis     1Sam 25:23-31     10/27/2018

Nabal had unjustly insulted and offended David. His wife recognized the offense had put her entire household at risk. So she packaged a large gift from the harvest. Then she loaded it on several donkeys and began journeying toward David’s stronghold.

She met David and his men on the road. They were on their way to exact vengeance from Nabal. So Abigail dismounted and threw herself down at David’s feet. She acknowledged Nabal’s sin and took responsibility for his failings.

Then she begged David for mercy. And she offered David and his men her gift. She also reminded David that his reputation might be hurt if he killed the innocent along with the guilty.

Finally, she reminded him that one day he would be king. And in that day, he would not want regrets or other burdens on his conscience.

Abigail Humbled Herself

Listening to Abigail plead before David is like listening to Moses plead before God for the sake of Israel.

Abigail humbled herself. She immediately fell to the ground before David. She laid there prostrate. And she acknowledged her personal failing. Even more than that, she took responsibility for her husband’s failings.

And this was wisdom.

Because it was from this position of humility, she was able to invite David to consider the ramifications of taking vengeance on Nabal. She reminded him that to do so would inevitably mean the loss of innocent lives.

Also, she reminded him that one day he would be king. And on that day, he would want to be free from all regrets. And he would want to be innocent of unnecessary violence.

Humility and Reverence Are Close Cousins

Francis of Assisi slept in a pigpen. Like his savior, his heart changed the world.

To see God’s hand in the ordinary should awe me. To see the spirit of God in other people should be a cause for reverence and humility.

“Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will exalt you.” James 4:10

Always Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Synopsis     1Sam 25:13-22     10/25/2018

All year long, David and his men had protected the shepherds who pastured in the high country near their stronghold. Nabal was a wealthy man from the tribe of Judah. So when the time came for shearing the sheep, David asked to participate in the harvest celebration.

But Nabal was a harsh person. He refused to be generous to David and his men. This concerned his servants. They understood that David would perceive Nabal’s harsh words as an injustice. One in particular approached Abigail, Nabal’s wife. He asked her to intervene in order to avoid a disastrous confrontation with David and his men.

Abigail was a wise women. One implication of this is that she was the one who was largely responsible for Nabal’s material wealth. And so, she recognized the danger. Accordingly, she ordered her servants to prepare provisions from the harvest and loaded them on donkeys. Then, she then sent these to David without informing Nabal. After all this, she followed behind the offering.

Abigail Saw Evil and Took Corrective Action

Abigail saw the error of Nabal’s actions. But instead of confronting him, she simply took corrective action. With this, she protected her husband and his reputation. But she also saved the lives of Nabal’s many servants.

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

When a wrong has been done, it takes action to heal the situation. When I say “I’m sorry”, but I’m not really willing to do anything to the heal the situation, the words ring hollow. The sentiment is not enough.

Sure, God has saved me. And He’s forgiven me. But that’s just the point. I don’t work to heal the situation out of the emotion of guilt. I work to heal the situation because my purpose is to make the world a better place – to love.

When I fail to love, I fail my purpose. And so, I make the world a worse place. .

Abigail covered for her husband. I need to do likewise. I need to do something about the disvalue I’ve created in other people’s lives. And I need to do it while the earth and its relationships are still available to me to love.

“The astute see an evil and hide, while the naive continue on and pay the penalty” Prov 22:3

David Was A Homeless Beggar

Synopsis     1Sam 25:2-12     10/25/2018

Nabal lived in the southern part of Judah in the city of Maon. He was a descendant of Caleb. And, he was very wealthy. But he was also very hard in his dealings with other people. Nabal’s wife was a beautiful and intelligent woman named Abigail.

It was the time for sheep shearing. Nabal had three thousand sheep and one thousand goats in his flocks. So shearing the wool was an exciting and wonderful time for the entire community. It was a harvest time. It was a time for celebrating the successes of the year.

As a shepherd from Bethlehem, David knew both the challenges of keeping flocks and the joy of the harvest. That’s why he made a point of protecting the shepherds and their flocks in high pasture near his stronghold. No one bothered the shepherds of Judah because of David’s protection. And so, now that it was harvest time, he wanted his men to participate with the community because they had contributed to the community’s success.

So, David asked Nabal for a small share in the celebration. But Nabal refused to be generous. And more than that, Nabal deliberately insulted David and his family. In the end, he refused to offer hospitality and sent David’s men away empty-handed.

David Was A Homeless Beggar

Although Saul had temporarily stopped pursuing him, David remained in the wilderness with his men. Other than the stronghold, they apparently had few possessions. So, basically they came to Nabal as homeless beggars. At least that’s how Nabal saw it.

One irony of the story is that only a short time before Nabal dishonored David, Saul had acknowledged that, eventually, David would be king. Yet God allowed David to remain separate and alone with his men in the wilderness. And because of this, he was the object of curiosity and even derision. the people misunderstood and marginalized David and his men.

The Poor Represent My Opportunity To Honor God

I hate to admit this but I’m like Nabal. I’m suspicious of the poor.

It seems like every time I drive out of the parking lot of my favorite store, there’s someone begging. Usually my prayer is that I don’t get stopped by the traffic light. That way, I don’t have to deal with it. Even so, sometimes I give and sometime I don’t. But I almost never give cheerfully.

There is a part of me that often feels taken advantage of. I tend to think like, “This is mine. I worked for it. Let the beggar work for his own stuff.” Instead of joy, I feel only a guilty obligation to do my duty.

So here’s what I’m beginning to learn.

Give freely.

It’s all Gods stuff anyway. Yes, I may have worked to lay a temporary claim to my stuff. And yes, I worked to provide for my family. But I also worked to honor and please God. And this pleases God.

Jesus once said to a Pharisee – Invite people to eat with you who could never return the favor. It’s then that you’re really growing past the limitations of your selfish thinking.

So, it turns out; the local retail store really is a place of nearly limitless possibility.

“Those who oppress the poor revile their Maker, but those who are kind to the needy honor him.” Prov 14:31

My Death and Living in the Moment

Synopsis     1Sam 24:13-25:1     1/24/2018

David spoke to Saul. Only moments before, David chose to spare Saul’s life. But now, David was challenging Saul. He wanted Saul to gain some perspective on the efforts Saul was making to persecute him even though he neither threatened Saul’s life nor the takeover of his kingdom.

David’s words struck Saul hard. But Saul was even more convicted by David’s mercy. He knew that if the circumstances were reversed, that he would not have done as well as David. So he expressed gratitude to David for sparing his life. And, he acknowledged that one day David would be king. And so, he asked for a covenant from David to treat his family well in the day of his reign.

David gave Saul his promise. And Saul stopped pursuing David. Then he returned home to Gibeah.

Near Death And Living In The Moment

It was a moment of sobering reckoning. Saul had just emerged from a cave after toileting. He was vulnerable. In his mind, he had made David into a monster. And now David was near him. David could have killed Saul. But he did not.

Perhaps a wave of emotion swept over Saul. Something like this seemed to have brought him back to the moment. Rather than living in regret over past failures or imagining future injustices, his attention was fixed on the reality of his situation. And with his attention firmly fixed in the present moment, he had to admit that he had been wrong. He was wrong about David. And his plan to kill David was wrong. So, he repented from pursing David and went home.

My Death and Living in the Moment

For much of my life, I have struggled to remain focused on the present moment. As a result, I have sometimes ignored people who were standing right next to me. Many of these had obvious needs that I could have helped solve. But I didn’t.

Generally, I don’t ignore people deliberately. It’s just a matter of distraction.

But what thoughts could be so distracting that I would fail to notice other people and their needs? Usually it’s one of three things. First, I think about the past offenses of others. Or, I focus on personal regrets at my own behavior. Or, I worry about future events that I have little control over.

It’s interesting. Like Saul, I’ve had certain moments in my life where I was nearly killed. It’s been car accidents, military training accidents, and other strange circumstances. Moments like these really do bring you back to the present. In a sense, they represent a certain grace from God. They are powerful opportunities to strip away all of the distracting thoughts and come back to the realities of this moment.

Hanging on to reality. It comes from reminding myself how proximate death always is. And in this awareness, a light shines on the gift-nature of life. This day is a gift. This moment is a gift. Come back to the gift given and rejoice in your good fortune. Rejoice in the God who is the giver of every good thing.

“Every day I face death; I swear it by the pride in you [brothers] that I have in Christ Jesus our Lord.” 1Cor 15:31

God Has Ordained Every Human Person With Purpose

Synopsis     1Sam 24;3-12     10/23/2018

Once again, the Philistines had invaded Israel. Saul disengaged his pursuit of David in order to repel the Philistine invasion. Once this was complete, Saul brought three thousand soldiers back into Judah to capture David and his men.

While searching for David in the desert near Engedi, Saul went into a cave to relieve himself. However, he was not aware that the cave he chose was actually David’s hiding place.

So, Saul went into the cave alone. Recognizing that God had delivered Saul into David’s hand, his men advised him to kill Saul. But David merely crept close and cutoff a piece of material from Saul’s robe as evidence that he could have easily killed the king.

Saul left the cave after he was finished. And then, David emerged behind him. He spoke to Saul. He explained what happened. David described how he chose to spare Saul his life. He wanted Saul to understand that it had never been his intention to kill him.

David Would Not Harm The Lord’s Anointed

David refused to injure any person that had been ordained and anointed king. And even though they were enemies, Saul was this ordained person. He was the anointed King of Israel. David understood that God would punish anyone who violated His purpose for a specially ordained human being.

God Has Ordained Every Person With Purpose

God created me in His image. And in the same way, He created you. And not just you. He created every human being who has ever been conceived in His image.

Now we know that God is efficient and purposeful. This is a fundamental Christian claim. Because of this, I know that am vested with dignity. God made me. And He made me for a reason. And these are among the central claims of our faith.

And not just me. God made everyone in this same way.

But sometimes I don’t see it.

The thing is, I know my own sins. And I know my own failings. And this knowledge makes me feel less than dignified. In fact, it sometimes makes me feel dirty and tainted and worthless. And because of this, my tendency is to think that most people are like me. So, I’m naturally tempted to think that most people are dirty, tainted and worthless.

God has challenged my feelings with His word. And if I come to terms with what He has said, then things begin to change. If I let His claims about my creation work on my mind, my emotions begin to fall in line. And I come slowly to believe that I have purpose. I realize my life means something.

And then I naturally begin to see that everyone is made in a similar way. And then I begin to find the freedom to see in the other, what David discovered in Saul. I find the Lord’s anointed.

And so when we meet, I pray I will see in you the anointing of God.

“God created mankind in his image; in the image of God he created them; male and female, he created them.” Gen 1:27

A Way Where There Was No Way

Synopsis     1Sam 23:19-24:2     10/21/2018

The men of Ziph reported to King Saul that David was hiding in their region. Saul expressed gratitude to them. And he asked them to get more specific information that he could act on.

Eventually Saul got word that David was in the region of Maon south of Hebron. Saul’s forces and David’s forces were moving along on opposite sides of a gorge. David was looking for an escape. But Saul was pressing for an attack.

At that moment, Saul received messengers who informed him that the Philistines had attacked. He disengaged from pursuing David. And then redirected his army to meet the Philistine invaders.

David then moved from Maon to the strongholds of Engedi.

Providential Escape

David and his men had no way out. They were separated from Saul’s army by nothing more than a deep gorge. And while the gorge provided separation for a moment, Saul’s superior forces would eventually flank David’s forces. Once that happened, David’s forces would be quickly surrounded. And that would be the end.

Out of this desperate situation, God saved David and his men. The Philistines struck at just the right moment. Saul felt forced to disengage. So, he redirected his men to meet the Philistine invasion. And this allowed David to escape.

A Way Where There Was No Way

God is always revealing Himself in some new way.

The foundation of His relationship with human beings always remains constant. For example, we are saved by faith. And, we are saved because of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Or, as another example, He has created all things with purpose and for His glory.

But even so, He seems to delight in showing His faithfulness in new and unpredictable ways. His love is fresh and creative every day.

“See, I am doing something new! Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? In the wilderness I make a way, in the wasteland, rivers.” Isaiah 46:19

Jesus High Priest and Access To God

Synopsis     1Sam 23:6-18     10/20/2018

Saul ordered Doeg the Edomite to kill all the priests from Nob, including Ahimelech and his sons. However, one son escaped the slaughter. Abiathar somehow managed to avoid capture. So he went to David in search of protection and safety.

The result was that David was growing stronger. He now had a followership of six-hundred men and the rightful High Priest in his camp.

David and his men went down from the stronghold to Keilah. Keilah was a citadel city in the lowlands. Saul discovered David’s location there and called the army to pursue him. But David was able to ask God through the High Priest what to do. And so he escaped Keilah into the wilderness.

Finally, Jonathan came to David in the wilderness. He encouraged him and pledged his fidelity. And, he acknowledged that David would be king. And he went on to say that even King Saul knew this.

Priestly Access to God

In ancient Israel, access to God was mediated by the priests. And this  was especially accomplished by the High Priest. In those days, the people feared God and they lived in dread of sinning against Him by violating the Law of Moses. And they especially dreaded the publicity of their sins. But still, they all sinned. And so, the priests mediated between God and man.

Now Saul ordered eighty-five priests murdered. Only one priest from the line of Eli the High Priest, survived. His name was Abiathar. And he fled to David for protection. As a result, Saul was without access to an authentic high priest. Accordingly, his access to God was limited.

David, on the other hand, had the authentic high priest under his protection. So, in his exile, God was more proximate to him than He would ordinarily be to any Israelite – even the king.

Jesus High Priest and Access To God

Like most people in America, I live in a remarkable time filled with extraordinary technological advances. In this time, even a person with average wealth lives with an almost unimaginable access to goods and services. As many people have observed, even the most wealthy ancient king could not begin to conceive of the material blessings of modern people.

It’s like that with God too. The ancients could not have imagined having unfettered, immediate access to God. They would struggle to believe that they could call upon a high priest at will. And yet, only because of the sacrifice, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we have that access. And it can never be taken from us.

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin. So let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help.” Heb 4:15-16

The Drive to Protect the Self

Synopsis     1Sam 22:15-23:5     10/17/2018

Saul called Ahimelech, the High Priest, for questioning. Doeg the Edomite had testified against Ahimelech. Doeg reported that he saw David receive food and Goliath’s sword from Ahimelech at Nob.

Ahimelech didn’t know that David was a fugitive when he gave him provisions. Still, Saul condemned him and all of his family to death. So, Saul gave the order to the guards to kill the high priest and his family.

However, the guards refused. They felt conflicted. For them, the prospect of killing the Lord’s anointed priests was unfathomable. So Saul sought the foreigner Doeg to murder the priests. And so, Doeg killed eighty-five priests that day.

Then Saul turned his wrath on the entire priestly community at Nob. In a stunning irony, he put the entire community under the ban. So his forces allowed nothing to live. Every woman, child and animal was destroyed.

Tragically, only a single priest survived the attack. His name was Abiathar. He was forced to flee. And so, he went to David and his community. And there, he received protection from Saul.

Saul’s Drive to Protect His Throne

The destruction of Nob punctuates the deep irony of Saul’s life. In the past, Samuel castigated Saul for failing to utterly destroy the Amalekites. At that time, King Saul received a command from God through the prophet Samuel. He obeyed the command to attack. But he disobeyed by allowing his army to keep some of the spoils from the battle. He was afraid his men might revolt.

But years later, when Saul was feeling afraid of a conspiracy against him, he was no longer afraid of his soldiers. He commanded them to utterly destroy an entire city of priests. And the soldiers obeyed.

His decision proved that his fear of the loss of his kingship was greater than his fear of God.

So it clear that Saul could not escape the fear of losing his throne. It was an obsession. And he constantly thought about David.

But what if he had faced this fear. What if Saul had gone to Samuel and acknowledged that David was God’s choice for king? What if he had chosen to retire his kingship and allow David to become king in his place – while he was still alive? Would it have been so terrible to live out his elder days as the “King Emeritus” of Israel?

If he could have understood how his life would end, it’s hard to believe he wouldn’t have chosen a pleasant retirement instead.

The Drive to Protect the Self

Think about the fears that keep you awake at night. What if they all came to pass in a single day? What if you lost your money? And what if you lost your job? And what if every bad thing you ever imagined came upon you? What then?

Here’s what: You would meet the challenge. You would deal with it. And you would cope. What’s more, you would overcome.

God made you powerful to meet challenges. God made you powerful to cope with whatever comes your way. And God made you powerful to be an overcomer.

So come back to the present. Stop worrying about your life. By God’s grace, you will be sufficient in every hour of trial you ever encounter – if you simply commit to remaining in the present.

“I have the strength for everything through him who empowers me.” Phil 4:13 

Creative Power And Self-fulfilling Prophecy

Synopsis     1Sam 22:6-14     10/16/2018

Saul felt betrayed. He knew that Jonathan had made a covenant with David. But the sense of betrayal was not limited to his relationship with Jonathan. At this point, he feared a conspiracy against him lead by David.

So, he held a council. He sat with a spear in his hand. And, Saul demanded to know any and all conspirators. It was an ominous and fearful moment for the king’s court. A single ill-considered word could bring sudden death. So, the tension was palpable. Saul wanted answers. But more importantly, he demanded absolute loyalty.

For their part, the leaders of Israel felt perplexed. They all knew that David was absolutely loyal. But to defend David’s loyalty to a king who was already convinced would have been a death sentence.

In this moment of extraordinary tension, Doeg offered his information. He had seen David with Ahimelech at Nob. And Ahimelech had given David food and Goliath’s sword.

So, Saul sent for Ahimelech the high priest. Convinced that he had found evidence of a conspiracy against him, he questioned Ahimelech forcefully.

Saul Looking For Conspiracy

Saul was looking for evidence. But his problem was that he was already sure he knew the truth: David was a threat. So, in practice, he sought out evidence not to learn the truth, but only to confirm his suspicions.

Creative Power and Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

It’s important to remember that personal power is a two edged sword. It cuts both ways. God has made me in His image. I am a creative being. But like any other gift, creativity can produce either blessings or almost unimageable horrors.

Sometimes my thinking gets stuck. Maybe I feel afraid. The fear may not make sense to anyone else, but it seems obvious to me – because I have a real feeling of fear.

I may think I’m open to the truth. But, like Saul, all I really have is an assumption or unsubstantiated hunch. As a result, what can happen is a mental bias that forms in my brain. I accept any evidence that supports my assumption. But any evidence that does not support my assumption, I discount. In the absence of real truth-seeking, I end up with a grotesque distortion.

Curiously, when I act out of this fear, I very often cause the thing I fear to actually materialize. That’s the power of human creativity. Unfortunately, I have made many enemies out of this kind of error. You see, it turns out that a vilified person will eventually react.

And then, the person or thing that I feared most, eventually becomes my actual enemy.

“the sword you fear shall overtake you in the land of Egypt; the hunger you dread shall pursue you to Egypt and there you shall die.” Jeremiah 42:16

From Strength To Strength

Synopsis     1Sam 21:12-22:5     10/16/2018

David left Nob and travelled to Gath. But the Philistines immediately recognized him. And they reported him to Achish, their king. So David feigned mental disease. As a result, Achish dismissed David as a lunatic.

He fled from Gath to the cave of Adullam. Here he reconnected with his family. And it was here that David attracted a following of men who were social outcasts. Nearly four hundred men placed themselves under his authority.

Once he had established himself, David took his mother and father to Moab. He entrusted their protection there to the king of Moab. Then he returned to his stronghold. However, a prophet named Gad warned him to relocate back in the land of Judah.

David Moved From Strength to Strength

David was desperate. With trepidation, he searched for safety and protection.

Initially he tried to find safety in the one place Saul could never go. He travelled  to Gath of the Philistines. Gath was Goliath’s home town. David somehow imagined that he could be there undetected. But his fame extended farther than he realized. And so, he was immediately recognized. And he only escaped the situation by feigning madness.

But from there he went up to a stronghold. The cave of Adullam provided protection. It was a place to safely rest. At this stronghold, he was able to re-establish communications with his family. And it was there, that David began to attract followers.

Because he had this new stronghold and over four hundred followers, David regained some confidence. At this point, he felt the need to protect his parents. So he travelled to Moab. There he petitioned the king of Moab to protect his father and mother.

David recovered incrementally. He went from strength to strength.

From Strength to Strength

Necessity is the mother of invention. And need drives us to achieve.  But there is no skipping steps. David built a base and gained a following of men to support him before travelling to Moab seeking protection for his family.

So, I can’t skip steps. And I have to build a foundation first. I have to work up through the potential of each moment if I hope to achieve lasting success. Because in the end, success is the motion from strength to strength.

This is true in every quest, spiritual or social or material.

The trustworthy will be richly blessed; but whoever hastens to be rich will not go unpunished. Prov 28:20