David

In The LORD Is My Trust

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LORD, I cry unto thee: make haste unto me; give ear unto my voice, when I cry unto Thee.  Let my prayer be set forth before Thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.  Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties.
Let the righteous smite me; it shall be a kindness: and let him reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head: for yet my prayer also shall be in their calamities.  When their judges are overthrown in stony places, they shall hear my words; for they are sweet.
Our bones are scattered at the grave’s mouth, as when one cutteth and cleaveth wood upon the earth.  But mine eyes are unto Thee, O GOD the Lord: in Thee is my trust; leave not my soul destitute.  Keep me from the snares which they have laid for me, and the gins of the workers of iniquity.  Let the wicked fall into their own nets, whilst that I withal escape.

Psalm 141:1-10

This is a Psalm of David.  It was probably written  while he was fleeing from king Saul when he was trying to kill David.

Back In Their Land Forever

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There is a day coming when Israel will return to their land, all of it, for God has said so, and what ever GOD has said will come  to pass. Yes there has already been a partial fulfillment of His word. The nation of Israel had been all but forgotten except by God, and the Nation of Israel came to be once again in 1948 May of that year. Hear the word of the LORD…

And David My servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in My judgments, and observe My statutes, and do them.  And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob My servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children’s children for ever: and My servant David shall be their prince for ever.  Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore. My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be My people.  And the heathen shall know that I the LORD do sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore.
Ezekiel 37:24-28

God has made everlasting covenants with Abraham, Israel, and David. He has promised Abraham an everlasting  people. He has promised Israel an everlasting land, and He has promised David rule over the kingdom of Israel forever more.

Why does the above verses mention David as king and David as prince. The Messiah of Israel is to rule as King, and the Messiah is a descendant of David, His name is Jesus the Christ (Messiah) the son of God, and descendant of David.  The rightful eternal King, shall reign forever and forever.

It is believed by some that David the prince is speaking of the son of Jesse, who is David the king of Israel with whom GOD made the eternal covenant. David the king of Israel in ancient days, will sit beside King Jesus, in Jerusalem in days yet to come. O what a glorious time that will be.

When you are born again through faith in Jesus Christ and His work or grace on the cross of Calvary, then you will have an eternal spot with Jesus as well. The way to be born again is by receiving God’s gift of grace which is displayed by Jesus, taking our sin, becoming sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21) taking the wrath of God in our behalf and dying, and He was buried taking our sins away, and then He rose again, and came out of that tomb alive. Believe Him, and be born again.

…That will I seek after…

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One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in His temple. For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion: in the secret of His tabernacle shall He hide me; He shall set me up upon a rock.

Psalm 27:4-5

The Psalmist, David had a heart for God, for seeking Him, to know Him better, and to trust Him.

We are told in other places in Scripture that there is none who seek God (Psalm 14:1-2; Romans 3:10-11), and that is true unless God gives you the desire to seek Him. God says in Hebrews 11:6, ” But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” So there are many seekers for God and His salvation, and most of them will most likely receive eternal life by coming to God by the only way which God and His Son Jesus has made for us.

That only way is by grace through faith in the death of Christ on the cross, His burial, and resurrection on the third day. He finished the work He came  to do.

If you, like David  are seeking to dwell in the house of the LORD all your life, to behold all the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in His temple then you will believe in –  trust in David’s Savior and Messiah, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ.

Dealing With Sin

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And God was displeased with this thing; therefore he smote Israel. And David said unto God, “I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing: but now, I beseech Thee, do away the iniquity of Thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.” (vv. 7-8)

King David had sinned against the LORD in ordering a census, a counting of the numbers of people in his kingdom. It must have been a bit of pride, wondering just how many people he was shepherding. Anyway he had sinned against the LORD in  doing what he did.

Gad the prophet to David came with a message from God, and told him “God is displeased with this thing, and struck Israel with a plague. He goes to God in prayer, “I have sinned greatly because I have done this thing, I beseech You, do away with the iniquity of Your servant: for I have done foolishly.”

The king admits, confesses his sins. That is what every individual must do when we sin against God. No confession, no repentance, no deliverance.

And David said unto Gad, “I am in a great strait: let me fall now into the hand of the LORD; for very great are His mercies: but let me not fall into the hand of man.” (v. 13)

Now, take a look at verse 13 above. David has been given a choice of three things by which he will pay the price for his sins. His answer was, “Let me fall now into the hand of the LORD; for great are His mercies.” He would rather depend of the mercy of God than on the wrath of man for three months, or the affects of a plague. The mercy of the LORD is great. In the book of Lamentations, by Jeremiah the prophet, we are told that “His mercies are new every morning.” King David knew that.

God’s mercy means that God is not pouring out His wrath on those who deserve wrath; and my friend, that is all of us on planet earth. We have all sinned, and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). We all deserve His wrath, but He in His great love and mercy has provided for us through a perfect sacrifice to pay sin’s debt, and that is Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son.

And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the LORD stand between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders of Israel, who were clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces. And David said unto God, “Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? Even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed; but as for these sheep, what have they done? Let Thine hand, I pray Thee, O LORD my God, be on me, and on my father’s house; but not on Thy people, that they should be plagued.”
1 Chronicles 21:7-8, 13, 16-17

The angel of the LORD was ready to destroy Jerusalem, and God in His mercy stopped the angel of the LORD from doing that. David is very repentant, and the elders have witnessed the wrath that God was pouring out. He cries out to God, “I am the one who has done this sin, but these sheep, what have they done?” In calling his people sheep was humbling himself before the LORD God as a lowly shepherd.

The  king is told by the LORD to build an altar, and offer a sacrifice to the LORD on the threshing floor of Ornan. David goes to Ornan, and ask to purchase the land from him. Ornan sells the threshing floor to David, a he makes a sacrifice. It was many years before when Abraham had seen this mountain “afar off” as he was going with his son Isaac, the promised son; and was prepared to offer Isaac as a sacrifice, and God provided a Ram caught in a bush by his horns, in the stead of his son.

This threshing floor would become the place where the temple of Solomon would stand.

That Ram provided by God to Abraham is a picture of the promised Messiah, that would come, and give His life in our stead.

Do you desire to deal with your sin that has so long kept you enslaved to it? Would you like to be at peace with God? Would you like to know that your sins are forgiven? You can have those things by turning away from your sins, and turning to the Lord Jesus Christ; God’s perfect sacrifice for sin. He is the Son of God who became sin for us, on the cross, taking the wrath of God on Himself, dying; and He was buried, and then He arose from that tomb. Through Him and Him alone can we become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). That is God’s grace. God is giving us something which we do not deserve; that is deliverance from sin.

 

The Presence Of GOD

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And David made him houses in the city of David, and prepared a place for the ark of God, and pitched for it a tent. Then David said, “None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites: for them hath the LORD chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto Him for ever.”
1 Chronicles 15:1-2
“…For because ye did it not at the first, the LORD our God made a breach upon us, for that we sought Him not after the due order.”
verse 13

Does the LORD God show Himself to people in today’s world? If so how can we be in the presence of God?

I believe God is present with me every moment of every day. I know He is present when I get out of bed each morning, He gives me every beat of my heart, and every breath I breathe. I look out our patio door, and see wildlife, and say and think, “Look what God has wrought.” So yes, God’s presence is shown to people in today’s world.

Since I believe God is with me (us), then, can we be in the presence of God? Yes! How? I will get to the answer in a moment.

In the above Scripture King David had previously attempted to move the ark of the covenant in the wrong way. They had attempted the move by placing the ark on a cart (1 Chronicles 13:7-10), and a man died as a result of that wrong attempt.

The ark of the covenant represented the very presence of God. In the fourth chapter of First Samuel they had gotten to the point of thinking something like this, “We can live how we please, and God will still be with us, because He is in the ark.” They soon found out that GOD was not contained in that box, when they lost a battle against the Philistines, the sons of Eli died in the battle, the ark was taken, Eli fell off of a tree and died, the wife of Phineas died in child birth, and before she died named the child Ichabod which means, “The glory is departed.” Please do not name your child Ichabod.

Now to answer the question, “How can we be in the presence of God?” First of all, you must come to God His way, not your own way. If you have the idea that  you believe in God, so that is good enough, and you practice sin without guilt, remorse, or shame, then you do not really believe in God. God is holy, righteous, and just and cannot look upon iniquity. In the New Testament the Epistle of James tells us, “You say you believe in God, you do well; the demons also believe and tremble.” If demons fear God and tremble you certainly need to fear Him.

How can we be in His presence? There is only one way, and that is through the cross of Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God. When you come to Him by grace, through faith, turning from sin to Christ Jesus, confessing Him as Lord, and believing in your heart that He is risen from the dead, then you will be saved, and will forever be in the presence of the LORD.

When you come to God His way, He will always be with you, because He gives His Holy Spirit to all who come to Him through Christ. The Person and presence of God is in you, guiding you, correcting, comforting you, loving you, moving you to be more Christ like every day.

Call on Him today.

Like A Mighty Army

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And they helped David against the band of the rovers: for they were all mighty men of valour, and were captains in the host. For at that time day by day there came to David to help him, until it was a great host, like the host of God.
1 Chronicles 12:21-22

At this point in David’s life he was staying away from king Saul who was very jealous of David’s  power and authority over the enemies of Israel. David, as a youth, had slain the giant Goliath with a stone in a sling, and cut off his head with the man’s own sword.

As David is staying out of Saul’s way he begins gathering a massive army of many men of valor. They were courageous and determined in the battles they fought against raiders of the kingdom. These men were coming, even from the family of Saul. An amazing gathering army. It is even like the army of God.

When I read these verses this morning, I thought of the song we followers of Jesus Christ often sing, “Onward Christian Soldiers” written well over one hundred years ago. It is very inspirational, and tells us how we ought to be toward the evil which we see in the world today.

Here are the words of the song:

Onward Christian soldiers, Marching as to war, With the cross of Jesus Going on before! Christ the royal Master, leads against the foe; Forward into battle, See His banner go!

At the sign of triumph Satan’s host doth flee; On, then Christian soldiers, On, then Christian soldiers, On to victory! Hell’s foundation quivers At the shout of praise; Brothers, lift voices, Loud your anthems raise!

Like a mighty army Moves the church of God; Brothers, we are treading Where the saints have trod; We are not divided; All one body we, One in hope and doctrine, One in charity.

Onward, then, ye people, Join our happy throng. Blend with ours your voices In the triumph song; Glory, laud and honor, Unto Christ the King; This through countless ages Men and angels sing.

Chorus:  Onward, Christian soldiers,  Marching as to war, With the cross of Jesus Going on before.

This mighty army is made up of those who have been redeemed by the sacrifice Jesus made by giving Himself for our sins. He gave His life, His shed blood – every drop – that we might be made right with God. He died, He was buried, and He rose from the grave. We are a mighty army when we are right with Him.

If you have never called on the name of the Lord in faith turning from your sins to Him, then you urgently need to do that today, even right now.

When the Wicked Rule: GOD is Still Faithful

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And in the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Jehoshaphat being then king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah began to reign.  Thirty and two years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab: for the daughter of Ahab was his wife: and he did evil in the sight of the LORD. Yet the LORD would not destroy Judah for David His servant’s sake, as He promised him to give him alway a light, and to his children.
2 Kings 8:16-19

Joram was the son of Ahab and was king of the northern kingdom of Israel. Jehoram was the son of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat was a king who did right in the eyes of the LORD.

Jehoram had married the daughter of Ahab, Israel’s most wicked king, and he did evil in the sight of the LORD.  Jehoram was king of Judah, where they had a few king who did do right in the eyes of the LORD, but Israel had none, but those who did evil in the eyes of the LORD.

There is a reminder to us that God still reigns supremely, and that He can be trusted because He is always faithful to fulfill every word He speaks, and is written.

If you will notice verse 19, “Yet the LORD would not destroy Judah for David His servant’s sake, as He promised him to give him alway a light, and to his children.” GOD had made a covenant with David, not because David was perfect or sinless, but because he was always trusting the LORD, His mercied, grace, and loving kindness. He believed the LORD was God, and trusted his life, and knew the kingdom was the LORD’S.

Am I more like Jehoram, like Ahab; or am I more like David? That is the question we need to ask ourselves today. The mind and heart of Jehoram was on wicked, vile, and evil things. The heart and mind of David, for the most part ,was on doing the will, and work of the LORD his God.

When David sinned, he kept his account with God short, by going to God in prayer in repentance and confession. When the wicked sin they say, “I have not sinned,” and go on their way feeling justified in their actions, no matter how vile or wicked or depraved they are.

God wants us to trust Him completely. Coming to Him through the cross of Jesus, His death on the cross, His burial, and resurrection, calling on His name in repentance, and faith in Him is the only way to salvation from our sin.

Christ Jesus died in my place. It should have been me dying on that cross. He also died for you. It should have been you hanging on that cross by three rusty spikes/nails.

Even today we must trust that even “When the Wicked Rule; GOD is Still Faithful.” You can trust the LORD to do what He says He will do.

Though Judah/Israel has no king today it does not mean that God has broken His promise. There is a coming King, and His name is Jesus the Christ of God, and He is known as the King of kings, and Lord of lords. Jesus is a descendant of David. When He returns it will be to rule and reign on the earth.

This House

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And the word of the LORD came to Solomon, saying,
“Concerning this house which thou art in building, if thou wilt walk in My statutes, and execute My judgments, and keep all My commandments to walk in them; then will I perform My word with thee, which I spake unto David thy father: and I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake My people Israel.
1 KIngs 6:11-13

King David had a heart to build a house for the LORD. However, the LORD would  not allow David to build because he had been a man at war, and had shed much blood. God had told him, “Your son will build me an house,” and thus we see after Solomon is anointed King, that he begins to build that house.

The LORD is not so concerned with a physical house; as He is with the human heart. The heart of Solomon was what God wanted.

Could or would Solomon walk in the statutes of God? Would or could execute the judgments of God? Would or could he keep all the commandments of God? The answer to all three questions is; NO!

The house GOD wants to dwell in is the house of the human heart. That heart of the man or woman is corrupt and evil, unless that heart is changed by God Himself. Second  Corinthians 5:1through 2 speaks of this house. I leave the reference hear for you to investigate, and see for yourself.

GOD wants to make your heart His house to dwell in. He made that possible only through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ on a cross. He was buried, and He rose from that grave and is alive forever  more.

If you will confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, your shall be saved. Will you do that today.

The Death of a Stranger

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And David said unto the young man that told him, “Whence art thou?” And he answered, “I am the son of a stranger, an Amalekite.” And David said unto him, “How wast thou not afraid to stretch forth thine hand to destroy the LORD’S anointed?”  And David called one of the young men, and said, “Go near, and fall upon him.” And he smote him that he died.  And David said unto him, “Thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, ‘I have slain the LORD’S anointed.’ ”
2 Samuel 1:13-16

Some background for these verses. First of all David loved his king Saul, and Jonathan the king’s son. Even though Saul had tried to kill David or have him killed, David trusted the LORD with his life, and that of the king as well. Also, David had promised Jonathan and Saul that he would show favor to their family.

Now, David has been told by an Amalekite stranger that Saul, and Jonathan are dead. The stranger tells David a cock a maime  story of how he killed Saul, when according to First Samuel 31:1-6 Saul fell on his own sword, thus killing himself, when he saw that the war was lost, and when Saul’s armor bearer saw that the king was dead he killed himself.

The stranger did not know David. It appears that he sought David out seeking some kind of reward for killing David’s enemy. Only he did not know that Saul was not David’s enemy; Saul was David’s king, and David would not lay a hand on him, neither permit anyone else to do so. David was king Saul’s enemy and all because of envy.

David had two opportunities to take Saul’s life, and he would not do it, because Saul was the LORD’S anointed king (1 Samuel 24:1-9ff; 26:1-16ff). So for this Amalekite stranger to come to David seeking a reward for killing his king was very foolish. Later on after David has become king another two men kill a son of Saul – Ishbosheth – whom Abner tries to set up as king. Ishbosheth was not God’s chosen, or anointed king of Israel. These two men, Rechab and Baanah kill Ishbosheth while he is lying in his bed in the middle of the day. They think they will get a reward from the king for killing an enemy. Their reward is death (2 Samuel 4).

King David remembers the covenants he had made with Jonathan, and he keeps them. That shows us that David is an honorable man of God. He keeps his word. He is faithful to the LORD God as well.

From David we learn how to trust the Lord, our God, and Savior. As David was a man of his word, so ought the Christian to be people who will speak the truth in love, and when we make a promise, or a covenant with someone we keep it. Also, just because someone takes a hit at you, and they consider you their enemy; they do not have to be our enemy.

How can we live like that? How can we love a neighbor who hates us, and does whatever they can to destroy us? We need to first know the LORD, and His Son Jesus Christ. We must have a different heart than that the world has. Do not strike back. Difficult? Most certainly, but remember David’s refusal to strike king Saul.

Do you know Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior. He died on the cross for our sins – your sins and mine – He was buried, and He rose again. We have a risen Savior who is forever living and He intercedes for us continually. Call on His name. He will hear you and He will deliver you (Romans 10:13).

Promise of a Prosperous Pursuit

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And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.  And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, “I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod.” And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David.  And David enquired at the LORD, saying, “Shall I pursue after this troop? Shall I overtake them?” And He answered him, “Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.”
1 Samuel 30:6-8

Giving a little background information. David and his men had been given the city of Ziklag for he and his men to dwell in. This was a Philistine city which the ruler of the Philistines had given them. David, and his men were serving that ruler, or so the ruler supposed, while David and his men never attacked any people of Israel, as David told Philistines that he was.

On a day the ruler told David they were going to war against Israel, he asked David to join him, and David agreed. They got to the site of their troops, and the lords of the Philistines did not like that, David, and Israelite with a reputation of killing ten thousand to Saul’s thousand. So, Achish the ruler of the Philistines sent him back to Ziklag.

When David and his men returned to Ziklag ravaged, their wives and children gone. All the people of Ziklag had been taken by marauding band of Amalekites. Upon finding the city ravaged, their wives and children taken, and all their things, their stuff taken, there was talk among the men of stoning David. David was grieving as well as the other men.

In verse six of the above text we read, “…But David encouraged himself in the LORD.” I can hear him praying, singing psalms, praising God Almighty, and giving an offering of thanksgiving. Doing so will encourage the wounded heart.

Then David asked the LORD, “Shall I pursue after this troop? Shall I overtake them?” He is no longer discouraged. David is ready for action, and he asked to LORD, before he just in a hap hazard fashion takes after them without the LORD’S counsel. The LORD’S counsel is “Pursue; for you shall surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.”

Now David has God’s word of assurance they will be victorious. They will get their wives, their children, and all that was taken, they will get it all back, just as the LORD had said.

How does this apply to the Christian of today?  First of all we all have days when it seems like those around us – family, friends, fellow workers at our place of employment, and enemies even – are against us. Remember David’s own men were talking of stoning him. Yet, David knew the LORD, and strengthened himself in the LORD. You and I can do that as well. We do not need a therapist. We need Jesus Christ. He is our healer, and He is our Help.

When you are discouraged, or depressed pick up your Bible, and read it. If you, as a Christian are down, in despair, and doubt, then read the Psalms. Begin thinking about the many blessings the Lord has given you. Be reminded of God’s wonderful, marvelous love, mercy, and grace. Also be reminded of His greatness, power, His holiness, and righteousness, and that He still cares for us.

Jesus Christ who died on a cross to free us from sin, from death, and from hell is also the wonderful counselor. He is Lord of all, and He is our Savior.

If you are down and discouraged today, and you do not know Jesus who died for you, here is how you can be delivered from sin, and have help for your discouragement. “If you will confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved” (Romans 10:9).

Futile Pursuits

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But there came a messenger unto Saul, saying, Haste thee, and come; for the Philistines have invaded the land. Wherefore Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines: therefore they called that place Selahammahlekoth. And David went up from thence, and dwelt in strong holds at Engedi.
1 Samuel 23:27-29

King Saul of Israel hates the young David who is  the one who killed the Philistine champion and giant  by the name of Goliath. Ever since the young maidens were singing “Saul has killed his thousands; and  David has killed his tens of thousands,” Saul has been envious to the point of hating David.

Saul also know that he will not have a son, or anyone from his family take the throne, because Samuel the prophet has told him so. He is in pursuit of David for the distinct purpose of killing him.

The king has no more loyal servant than David. David is fleeing from Saul out of his fear of the LORD God, more than any fear he might have of Saul. David does not want to harm his king, therefore he flees from him. Yet the king pursues.

In his pursuit of David he leaves his kingdom at the mercy of the enemies around them, and while he is out chasing a friend, and faithful servant the Philistines invade Israel. This takes Saul and his army out of the pursuit.

Futile pursuits take place when we take our eyes off the Lord, and go after what we want in our lives. Futile pursuits happen when we become envious over someone else’s successes, and do things that might sabotage their work, or ministry. Futile pursuits take place when we know the word of God, and the will of God, but we do things against the will of the Lord instead.

As a Christian we sometimes get involved in futile pursuits that take us away from what God called us, and leads us to do. Let us pursue the things of God, beginning with loving our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ with all our hearts, all our minds, all our souls, and with all our strength; and also loving our neighbor as we love ourselves.

It is the will of God for you to be saved through faith in Jesus Christ and His redemptive work on the cross, His burial, and His resurrection; but you see your own way of salvation and there is no other way. Your pursuit of salvation is futile, and will fail. The enemy of God’s salvation is attacking destroying your kingdom because you are pursuing your own envy, and evil.

Turn your life over to Jesus Christ today.

Behaving Wisely

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And Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David, and that Michal Saul’s daughter loved him.  And Saul was yet the more afraid of David; and Saul became David’s enemy continually. Then the princes of the Philistines went forth: and it came to pass, after they went forth, that David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul; so that his name was much set by.
1 Samuel 18:28-30

King Saul had grown envious of David. Why?  Because Saul could see and he knew that the Spirit of the LORD had left himself, and was now in his servant David.

Why had the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul?  The king had been disobedient too many times. Some of the times his disobedience was due to his arrogance and pride. Those things can get in the way of behaving wisely.

The Spirit of the LORD was within David from the moment Samuel anointed David as the next king of Israel (1 Samuel 16:12-13). To make one thing clear for the Spirit of the LORD – He can dwell within many at the same time; because the Spirit of the LORD was on and in Samuel as well. It was because of David’s love for the LORD God, and thankfulness for His work in his life that he behaved himself wisely as he went out, and as he came in

Saul was afraid of David, also because he could see, and he knew that the LORD was with David. When the Spirit of the LORD is with you, and you know it, there is nothing you have to fear. You are at peace, you have faith, and confidence that the LORD is working in and through your life, and that nothing can get in the way of the Lord’s working in you.

Behaving wisely is  work of the Holy Spirit of God in the follower, the disciple of Jesus Christ today. Behaving wisely does not mean doing whatever I want with my life. Behaving wisely means following the Lord’s direction for one’s life; going where He goes, doing what He does, loving like He does, and loving what and who He does, and also hating what He hates.

We cannot behave wisely apart from the Spirit of the LORD, whom we know as the Holy Spirit given to everyone who comes by faith to the Lord Jesus Christ in  repentance, confessing one’s sin, turning from sin to Christ believing Him and His work on the cross dying for the sins of the world, His burial, and resurrection. When you have received this free gift of grace God gives us His Holy Spirit, and then we will begin “Behaving Wisely.” Also read Ephesians 2;8-10.

Our Righteousness

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Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah. In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and He shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land. In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The LORD our Righteousness.
Jeremiah 33:14-16

Be Strong, and Of Good Courage…

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And David said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the LORD God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD. And, behold, the courses of the priests and the Levites, even they shall be with thee for all the service of the house of God: and there shall be with thee for all manner of workmanship every willing skilful man, for any manner of service: also the princes and all the people will be wholly at thy commandment.”
1 Chronicles 28:20-21

The Price Of Despising God And His Word

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And Nathan said to David, “Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel,
“I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; and I gave thee thy master’s house, and thy master’s wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things. Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in His sight? Thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised Me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.”
2 Samuel 12:7-10

The City of David

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And the king and his men went to Jerusalem unto the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land: which spake unto David, saying, “Except thou take away the blind and the lame, thou shalt not come in hither:” thinking, David cannot come in hither.  Nevertheless David took the strong hold of Zion: the same is the city of David.  And David said on that day, “Whosoever getteth up to the gutter, and smiteth the Jebusites, and the lame and the blind, that are hated of David’s soul, he shall be chief and captain.” Wherefore they said, “The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.”
So David dwelt in the fort, and called it the city of David. And David built round about from Millo and inward. And David went on, and grew great, and the LORD God of hosts was with him.
2 Samuel 5:6-10

I the LORD have spoken

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Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD unto them; “Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat cattle and between the lean cattle.  Because ye have thrust with side and with shoulder, and pushed all the diseased with your horns, till ye have scattered them abroad; therefore will I save My flock, and they shall no more be a prey; and I will judge between cattle and cattle.  And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even My servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.  And I the LORD will be their God, and My servant David a prince among them; I the LORD have spoken it.”
Ezekiel 34:20-24

The Branch of Righteousness

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Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah.

In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land.  In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The LORD our Righteousness.

Jeremiah 33:14-16

Words of Jesus; Son of God, God the Son – 082020

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“And Jesus answered and said, while He taught in the temple,
‘How say the scribes that Christ is the Son of David?  For David himself said by the Holy Ghost, ‘The LORD said to my Lord, Sit Thou on My right hand, till I make Thine enemies Thy footstool.’ David therefore himself calleth him Lord; and whence is He then His son?’
And the common people heard him gladly.”  Mark 12:35-37 (KJB)

Words Of Jesus; Son Of God, God The Son – 072220

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“At that time Jesus went on the Sabbath day through the corn; and His disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto Him, ‘Behold, Thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the Sabbath day.’ But He said unto them,
‘Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him; how he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests?
Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the Sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless? But I say unto you, That in this place is One greater than the temple. But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.
For the Son of Man is Lord even of the sabbath day.’”  Matthew 12:1-8  (KJB)

The Prophet from Galilee…

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…And much more than the Prophet (Deuteronomy 18:15).

“Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, ‘Of a truth this is the Prophet.’ Others said, ‘This is the Christ.’ But some said, ‘Shall Christ come out of Galilee?’ Hath not the Scripture said, ‘That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?’ So there was a division among the people because of Him.”  John 7:40-43  (KJB)

In my math I was taught 2 plus 2 equals 4.  I do not understand what people, when it comes Jesus Christ, cannot put two and two together.  All of these thoughts are correct.

Jesus was and is that Prophet.  Jesus did come from Galilee.  He is from the seed of David, and born in Bethlehem (Isaiah 11:1;  Matthew 2:1; Luke 2:4).

Much of the division over Jesus Christ. even in 2019, is because many do not put it all together from Scripture.  Jesus is everything Scripture says.  He is in fact the central Character of Scripture.

Rejoice in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

He Looked Around

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“And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when He had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide was come, He went out unto Bethany with the twelve.” Mark 11:11  (KJB)

This was during the week of His presentation, and the giving of His gift from God to Adam kind; the gift of His life.  His public presentation as King was received by many, as He came in on the donkey; with people singing and saying

“Hosanna: Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord: Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that comes in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest.” Mark 11:9-10

We are told in verse 11 that He came to Jerusalem, and entered the temple. He looked around.  Of these words John Gill wrote…

“and when he had looked round about upon all things; that is, in the temple, as the Lord and proprietor of it; and made a thorough visitation of it, and search into it, and corrected what was amiss in it:” John Gill

Jesus is Lord and Proprietor of the temple.  Today the temple of the Lord is each individual who has been redeemed by the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, and secured by the resurrection of Christ from the grave (1 Corinthians 3:17; 6:19).

He is in you.  He is in me.  He is in us who confess Him as our Lord and Savior. He has every right and authority to look around in His temple.  He will lead us in the paths of righteousness as we yield to His word and Holy Spirit.

Believe Him

Sleeping

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Tim A.'s avatarShiloah Baptist Church

Please read 1 Samuel 26 – 28…

“So David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul’s bolster; and they gat them away, and no man saw it, nor knew it, neither awaked: for they were all asleep; because a deep sleep from the LORD was fallen upon them.” 1 Samuel 26:12 (KJB)
“For they were all asleep because a deep sleep from the LORD had fallen on them.” 26:12b (NKJB)

As you can see King Saul was caught in one of those vulnerable situations we mentioned yesterday.  It does not seem that there is any more vulnerable time than when we are sleeping.  We need sleep for our bodies to recuperate, and renew for a new day.

The account of these words are such that we can learn about the sleep that occurs here.

David and Abishai – brother of Joab – were in Saul’s camp while…

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That all the Earth May Know

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Tim A.'s avatarShiloah Baptist Church

Reading for this Resurrection Sunday is 1 Samuel 17 – 19…

“…That all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.” 1 Samuel 17:46 (KJB)

This is the story of David and his defeat  of the Philistine giant Goliath who was defying the army of God – Israel – thus defying God Himself.  David loved God.  God especially loved David.

David was determined that Goliath was as good as dead, with no head.  He was especially determined that “All the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.”  David’s faith is inspiring, and gives us courage to face whatever lies ahead.  Unlike King Saul who sat in his tent shaking in his sandals.

Something everyone needs to understand about faith is is that faith is not believing something so strongly  that we make it so; it is believing that what God says and directs us…

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When the Preacher Goes Home

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Tim A.'s avatarShiloah Baptist Church

Please read 1 Samuel 14 – 16…

“Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.” 1 Samuel 16:13 (KJB)

Saul had proven himself to be a disobedient, arrogant king.  He rejected the word of the LORD and more. A king who would be god himself; so GOD chooses another.  Saul’s kingdom would end with him: there would be no dynasty.

The Scripture text for today is on the day of the anointing of a young shepherd as the next king of Israel – David.  Saul would not have a dynasty.  His son Jonathan, nor any other would carry it onward. David’s descendants would reign in Israel forever on the throne of Israel.  God sought out a man “After My own heart”…

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