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How do you answer the question, "Where are you in the Word?" when it comes up? The obvious answer may be that we are reading about the times of David, but is that the kind of answer we are expected to give? Are we expected to say something along the lines of what we are researching? "Well you see Bob, I've been looking into the Biblical aspects of _____ to see if I'm on the right track in my thoughts." What kind of answer should we give?
The obvious answer is to say that you are reading the Bible to get closer to God. I'm no longer reading "Someone else's mail," but do I say that I'm reading the historical accounting, mixed with life lessons or do I say that I'm skipping around the Bible as I glean truths expressed in the book Desiring God by John Piper? It's a valid question, I think. Both answers are valid, and there may be other equally valid answers out there that I haven't considered. Both of the mentioned approaches to Biblical reading are fruitful in their own way, also, so neither answer is wrong.
What about you? Where are you in the Word? What answers do you give to this question? How do you use your Bible? Is it currently a book to be read cover-to-cover or is it a resource of knowledge to explore, concordance at the ready? Do you say that you are reading a story, a theme, a book, a chapter or a single verse? I'm curious.
I was sure that Sheba was going to cause a great trouble for David, but it looks like this ended relatively quietly. After this, it was time to do a little house cleaning. I'm not sure how much later the famine was, but it does mark at least a 3-year time where the weather was the biggest news in Israel. Granted, a famine is more than just a case of bad weather, but it sure beats uprisings and murderous politics! Well, that depends on who you ask, I guess. ;-)
This famine was God's response to Saul's murderous treatment of the Gibeonites. If you'll recall, God had told the Israelites to utterly destroy everyone in their path to clear out their promised land, but they ended up making treaties with some of them. The Gibeonites fall into that category. God enforced the treaty, even though it had gone against his instructions. We need to fulfill our end of bargains unless in fulfilling it, we are corrupted before God. I don't understand how turning over seven descendents to be put to death for the actions of a deceased king will solve anything, but that was the request of the Gibeonites, and that request likely saved many from death by starvation.
Never let it be said that David was an OK songwriter. This guy was awesome! After the hectic life he had enjoyed to this point, a powerful song like this was definitely in order. This song is also great enough that it deserves to be quoted twice in the Bible. To paraphrase:
I was in trouble too deep for me to get out of on my own. My cause was hopeless and then I looked to God. He came in glory and power and destroyed my foes, rescuing me. My own strength is not enough, you are the true source of power. In you, the weakest man is made powerful. I will praise you forever!
David took a census at the suggestion of Satan, which infuriated God. After this was done, David had to choose among three terrible things for the people to experience. Three years of famine would be terrible. Three months of running from enemies would be disastrous. Three days of plague would be horrendous, but it would be only 3 days. I think that may have been the one I'd choose due to the short span. That is what happened, and many died. I don't see the harm in taking a census, but in following the wishes of Satan is another matter altogether. God did show that the matter was closed by providing the fire for the alter that David built, though, so the crisis was ended.
Once this was done, David began the preparations for a temple to the Lord. I imagine he would have started on the building himself, but God let him know that he was too much a man of violence. Solomon, David's peaceful son was deemed the better choice for this task. It takes a big man to admit that he isn't the right one for a task...any task! David was not without his faults, but compared to so many others we've read about, he stands out in my mind as a wonderful example for us all.
David made Solomon king over Israel, but he still took an active role in the way things went in Israel for the building of the temple. This was obviously something that mattered to David quite a bit. The building was a musical event as much as a construction site. Just the way I would imagine David's celebration of God!
David had a meeting here to discuss the "state of the nation" and discuss what would be next. Rule one: Obey the commands of God and serve Him wholeheartedly.
It was nice that God allowed David to have such an active role in the building of the temple. God put the plans in David's mind and let him be the one to understand God's intentions, so he would not become unimportant in it's building. And that blessing at the end shows a truth that is as valid today as it has always been. Everything we have came from God and we can give nothing to Him that didn't first come to us from Him.
It was now official. Solomon was now the king, and the party must have lasted for days! But beware, Israel. Another is setting himself to assume the kingly role. And that other is another of David's sons. Adonijah, born next after Absalom. David did have a rebuttal to this, though. He had Nathan and the priests anoint Solomon and declare him king. This caused Adonijah to be in great distress, fearing for his life, but Solomon was slow to anger and quick to forgiveness. The matter was solved within a short time and war did not break out. Solomon was already a wise and peaceful ruler.
David's last words to Solomon were to put things right. David had sworn oaths not to harm certain people that should have been dealt with harshly so it went to Solomon to take care of these matters. Of course, David also reaffirmed the best advice that could have been given. He reminded his son to walk the Lord's path so his reign could last and prosper. He also gives us some insight into the nature of God: You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil; with you the wicked cannot dwell. The arrogant cannot stand in your presence; you hate all who do wrong. You destroy those who tell lies; bloodthirsty and deceitful men the LORD abhors.
This reminds me a little also of the words spoken when my grandfather knew that eternal glory was approaching. "...the last mile is so steep, but I see beautiful places in my dreams. I didn't want to come back. It was filled with azure skies and looked like the majestic mountains of Colombia." David is acknowledging, for the final time on this earth, the majesty of God. I imagine David also had dreams in his final days. Dreams of the glory that awaited him. This is truly a beautiful reading.
Weekly LinkAccording to google, a troll is no longer a fictional character that won't let children cross his bridge. It is now "an outrageous message posted to a newsgroup or mailing list to bait people to answer. Trolling is a form of harassment that can take over a newsgroup or mailing list. Well meaning defenders can create chaos by responding to trolls. The best response is to ignore it." I have had this difficulty in the Gospelcom forums. They don't require registration to post thoughts, despite the trolls in there, and they don't have any policy that comments combined with scripture are more valid than comments that are only backed with personal philosophy. This only serves to feed and validate the trolls. The idea of a Christian forum is to bring like-minded people together and let the lurkers gain an understanding of their viewpoints. It is not a place for anyone to undermine the Biblical truths that should reign supreme over the carnal minds of people who don't have the courage to register or the spineless nature of most forum administrators out there. I have found a forum where the administration runs the forum with the Bible as the ultimate reference and where they showed some backbone. Too many "Christian" communities are being torn by these attacks, and blog posts like this show the anguish of the intended audience. This one doesn't allow this. When I signed up, I had to declare my spiritual position so others could look at my comments and know where I was coming from. There are people of every (and no) faith in there, but there is an area that allows only people who profess a faith in God for their salvation. There are games to be played there, but not until you have been active in the forums for a bit. If I had to give a downside to this set up, I'd say that the problem is the size of the board. There are thousands of registered users there, so unless you set up the board to watch a particular person, it's hard to have a sense of closeness with anybody there. It's not that there isn't a sense of community, it's that the community is larger than what I'm accustomed to. I have selected "Sheep in the Big City" to describe myself for that very reason. Check out the forums if you like. Not everybody there is an angel, but they have an effective and defined way of keeping the trolls away! |
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