The Field is the World (Matt. 13:38)

 June 10 : Have we been doing it wrong? Conservative leaders in the USA have tended to be less vocal about the gospel until recently. It left a vacuum into which leaders espousing policies that are antagonistic to God's revealed will in numerous places. David was vocal about his ventures in faith, his zeal for the worship of the Lord, and God's blessing followed as a signal of God's approval. The Apostles opposed wicked government actions against them and prevailed. 2 Samuel 7-8 : In these chapters, David is moved to build a Temple and God responds by giving him the Davidic Covenant, which points to Messiah’s eternal throne. He then begins to establish David in earnest, allowing him to subdue Israel’s enemies in preparation for the time of peace enjoyed under Solomon. What is the significance of a Temple vs. a Tabernacle? Why the rhetorical questions to David, “Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in? Whereas I have not dwelt in any house since the time that I broug...

  June 9 : From God’s “breach” on Uzzah, to the imprecations against Judas the false apostle, to the ideal of thorough surrender, from the inside out, today’s passages remind me of Matthew 3:12: "Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." 2 Samuel 5-6 : Is it significant that the Ark was at the threshing floor when Uzzah was smitten? The threshing floor figures prominently in the stories of Ruth and of Gideon, and later after David numbers the people, it’s at the threshing floor of Araunah. Such a place is where the wheat is divided from the chaff. Uzzah’s presumption is certainly a warning to us all, but is it an indication that he was not what he seemed to be? Psalm 109:1-19 : It’s hard to read this Psalm, knowing that we’re to love those who hate us and pray for those who despitefully use us. (Matthew 5:44) How is such a request for vengeance, even that satan ...

 June 8 : David's unwillingness to execute his rivals and patience in awaiting God's promised exaltation give us such a good model: he's been criticized for allowing Abner to do his dirty-work, but most kings would've gladly done worse. He gives us hope that God will vindicate us without our having to manipulate a situation. Ultimately, Isaiah 63 shows us what "vengeance is mine; I will repay" really means; and we should be motivated to deliver people from such a fate. Let us overcome ruthless evil, not with more ruthlessness but with good. 2 Samuel 3-4 : David is bold in executing the men who murder Ish-bosheth, but what about the murderers of Abner? Even if the guilt for the murders of Abner and Ish-bosheth is not on David’s hands, it seems that as civil authority, it’s his responsibility to punish those murders, and he’s inconsistent in his justice here, protesting his weakness and their severity in 3:39. He does command Solomon to deal with Joab in his las...

  June 7 : As Psalm 107 concludes, “Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the lovingkindness of the LORD.” In the end, that’s the most important thing for me to glean from these three passages: that, in contrast to my desire to understand history as a way to better understand what’s coming , it’s better for me to understand history as a (another) way to understand God. It takes wisdom to see God’s mercy and wisdom in accounts that can sometimes appear to be brutal and senseless. I know that He is all-wise, all-powerful and merciful. I need HIs divine interpretation of events to help me see how the plan worked out according to that kindness. 2 Samuel 2 : Things could’ve gone very differently in Israel’s history. What if Saul’s son Ish-bosheth had ultimately reigned over all Israel instead of David? What if tribes or groups of tribes had their own king, like David over Judah and Ish-bosheth over Gad, Asher, Ephraim, Issachar, (Jezreel), and Benjam...

  June 6 : I’m seeing how the people of God experienced both God’s goodness and His severity because of His covenant relationship with them. As Tevye in “The Fiddler on the Roof” says, “I know we’re your chosen people, but once in a while, couldn’t you choose someone else?” And yet, it is this very covenant relationship by which God has obligated Himself to show them mercy when they meet certain conditions and call on His name. This track record of God’s with Israel is what we base our trust in Him upon, and also take instruction on the importance of the conditions. David saw the honor in the love of the son for him, and the TRUE King would have loved him for the sake of His Son. And yet, Saul does still picture God in a way, for Jonathan did experience Saul’s wrath for David’s sake. Israel has experienced a judgment that the Gentiles’ fulness may come in. Even the church has been appointed to persecution, suffering and affliction for His sake—just not, thankfully, the wrath of God...

June 5 : The uniting principle among these three passages seems to be that faith moves us to utterly trust God’s mercy even when it doesn’t look like it’s being extended to us. Hopeless as it looked, David sought the word from God; the Psalmist is urging God’s people finding themselves in the same position that existed under the rule of the oppressors in the Judges to ask for deliverance. Paul evangelizes the pagans even as he hopes his own people see that the word of salvation was always being extended to them and all they needed to do was turn and believe. 1 Samuel 30-31 : What is the decisive contrast between these two chapters? David experiences a great defeat, if not in direct combat; in that his city is destroyed, his wives are taken and some of his men want to stone him. Saul leads Israel to great defeat, in which he and his sons are killed. Saul is in the predicament he’s in because he couldn’t get a word from the Lord so he sought a medium. Why wasn’t he hearing from the Lor...

  June 4 : In Job 34:14 and Psalm 104:29, the authors make the point that if God withdraws His Spirit, we die and return to the dust. In today’s three passages, I see how crucial His continual presence is in my life. He withdrew His Spirit from Saul, and it upended his reign and legacy. He sent leanness to the souls of the Israelites in response to their repeated concupiscence and whining at Him about what He was providing. The religious leaders in Israel by the New Testament times had been purified to some extent of yearning for carnal pursuits and of literal idolatry by the captivity’s exposure to a carnal and idolatrous culture, but they had become religious relativists, taking their extreme fastidiousness about the Law as evidence of their holiness, while ignoring the purpose of the Law, which was to make them dependent upon God, to be ready for His salvation, to long for the true holiness they couldn’t find in themselves. As Paul has said, I have to avoid the ever-present temp...

 June 3 : These three passages raise some deep theological questions when carefully reflected upon. A simple story of conversion followed by "victory unto victory" is not exemplified by most Bible characters. Ezekiel presents Noah, Daniel and Job as prime examples (Ezekiel 14:14). Elsewhere we're told that Abraham was the "friend of God" to whom He spoke as one speaks to a friend (Numbers 12:8; Exodus 33:11). He was the meekest of all men on earth (Numbers 12:3-5), and was in some ways, as a spokesman for God, prototypical of Christ's ministry. (Deuteronomy 18:18) David was a "man after God's own heart" (1 Samuel 13:14/Acts 13:22). And yet Noah seems to have fallen short in his drunkenness, (Gen. 9:20-27), Job justified himself at God's expense, (Job 32:1-2), Daniel confessed his sin along with his people's sins, (Dan. 9:20), and David turned aside in the matter of the wife of Uriah the Hittite. (1 Kings 15:5) Chapters 3-9 of Romans dec...

June 2 : There's a lot to look forward to when we get to heaven. We'll "know, even as we are known" (1 Corinthians 13:12) probably means far more than I know, but at the very least, the things that are now more or less mysteries to me will be solved. The controversies of the faith will be settled. And my the revelations and providence of my life will have an explanation. God expresses His kindness to us  through Christ Jesus not only in terms of our salvation, but those things He  also gives us with Him (Romans 8:32), including opportunities , interventions, resources, relationships, gifts, empowerments, insights. For of Him, and through Him and to Him are all things.  (Romans 11:36) 1 Samuel 25 : David has been so careful to reserve vengeance for God with respect to Saul, but what about Nabal? In his passion to avenge Nabal’s insult, he seems to have forgotten Deuteronomy 32:35, which he was so careful to remember in the last chapter. But by God’s providence, Abigail...

June 1: Perfect love casts out fear, and he who fears has not yet been made perfect in love. (1 John 4:18) God has gone to great lengths to eliminate fear from our walk with Him, and yet we still frequently have anxiety. Where does it come from? Fear that we won’t have everything we need. Fear that God will abandon us. Fear that enemies will prevail and we will be shamed. God has the very breath of the enemies in His hands. He has given us everything we need for life and godliness, (2 Peter 1:3), and will never leave or forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5) We need to review and claim His promises more. 1 Samuel 23-24: Did David feel great anxiety and fear while he was being pursued by Saul? Some of the Psalms seem to indicate that he did; however, his faith never failed. He had an attitude of abundance in that he trusted that he could let Saul go and still be safe. If it had come to a pitched battle with Saul’s forces, would David have been slain? No: by God’s power, David would’ve been preserve...

  May 31: In today’s readings, I am seeing the vital importance of the Spirit’s direction for our life. Romans 8 lists many aspects of this, the Psalmist accurately sees an orderly, predictable world established by an all-wise Creator, and David behaves himself wisely even in horrible circumstances, while Saul, bereft of the Spirit at this time, plays the fool, compounding his enmity against God in rebelling against God’s choice of David. Eli’s passivity at the news of God’s judgment on him and his house was a fault, but it was far better than Saul’s fury. 1 Samuel 21-22:  Today, we read how David’s life on the run began. Although David never sought Saul’s death, all of this shows how decisively the break was made from the beginning. David chides himself before Abiathar for not doing something about Doeg the Edomite. But how could he have known that Saul would command that the priests be slaughtered? God used it to build the relationship between David, the future king and Abi...

  May 30 : I’ve centered Jonathan in this story of David, centered the Pharisees in the consideration of God’s mercy and forgiveness, and looked at both the man of flesh who cannot please God in Romans 7 and the redeemed man who has been given God’s unfailing love as a free gift for Christ’s sake in Romans 8. So what of those outwardly obedient men who “have not obtained what he seeketh for”? (Romans 11:7, 9:32) They are provoked to jealousy (Romans 10:19, 11:11; Deuteronomy 32:21) by foolish people who are converted to be called the sons of the living God. (Hosea 1:10) What kind of Jealousy does it provoke, though? In the case of the older son in the Prodigal Son story, it’s a self-righteous jealousy. For a remnant today, there are those who become convinced about Jesus (Romans 11:5). One day, it will be “all” of them, (Zechariah 12:10), and not only will it be as a resurrection from the dead, (Romans 11:15/15:32), but a brotherly reunion as the Prodigal Son story should have been...

  May 29 : If there’s a unifying theme in these three passages, it’s our tendency to miss God’s intentions in what He gives us. Like the people’s expectations of a heroic, selfless King were dashed in Saul, like David’s expectations of a bonded relationship with the King’s family were dashed in Merab’s being given to another man, and even Michal’s love for David failing, the people of Israel now pine for a Messiah who will rebuild their Temple. He’ll come in his own name and be received, but he’ll be a deceiver who will sit in that temple and claim to be God. God’s people expected to obtain righteousness through obedience to the Law, yet it only made sin that much more attractive and condemning to them. By contrast, I need to fear and serve God from an earnest and sincere heart, and desire Him more than my expectations of what He can bring, paying careful attention to what He promises and the conditions He attaches. May He give me eyes to see clearly. 1 Samuel 18-19 : David was mod...

  May 28 : David exhibits the Spirit-led reasoning of a genuine believer, in his zeal for God, his competence in battle and his self-control to set reasonable restrictions upon himself. In our day, so many are looking around at spiritual leaders who fall prey to temptation and using that as an excuse to abandon their faith; looking at men will always provide an excuse. We need to be more realistic about ourselves and keep ourselves away from carnal men and women and keep ourselves away from other forms of temptation, so that we can walk in integrity in our houses, even when we’re out of the scrutiny of others. We also need to be as up-front as possible about why we do that, as a way to admit our liability to moral failing if we are always surrounded with temptation and no scrutiny. 1 Samuel 17 : In reality, the story about the lion and the bear are more incredible than the slaughter of Goliath. He caught (I’m assuming the lion) but the beard/mane? Two different words are used to ...

May 27 : Israel continues to await God’s man, the Messiah. Saul certainly looked the part, but although he was made a new man, he continued to have too much dependence on the flesh. He represents what James says about the “double-minded” (< g1374 >  dipsychos,  “double-souled”   James 1:8; 4:8 ) man, from whom God took His Spirit. By tying the spiritual anointing of David with the departure of the Spirit from Saul, we see that the real power to do what is right comes from Him, and not from a man of impressive flesh or pedigree. We see the surface and God looks all the way into the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7) A key revelation during David’s reign is the Davidic Covenant, which has all the guarantee on the side of God. Psalm 2 must have been written in light of this Covenant, which anticipates the “heathen” peoples becoming part of the Son’s possession. Romans 6 gives us the way of escape when we're feeling that divided loyalty, walking in the flesh too much: forsake the ...

 May 26: These three passages all point to God’s unwavering strength: in being able to declare something as done that has not yet been done; in being the strength of His king and people, in being perfectly observant of His own Law after becoming incarnate as a man. This shows His ability to keep a promise, His faithfulness. He is worthy of our trust. 1 Samuel 15: When Samuel tells Saul (vv. 28-29) that He has rent the Kingdom from him and given it to a better man, past tense for a future event, to show it’s an inevitable fact, he adds that “the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent; for He is not a man, that He should repent” it’s literally the same Hebrew word that is used in v. 35 where it says “the LORD repented that He had made Saul king over Israel.” Is this a contradiction? Of course, skeptics say that it is, but they don’t understand Hebrew any more than I do. The word is < h5162 > “nāḥam” which can mean, “to be sorry, rue, suffer grief” which God certainly did ...

May 25 : In today’s three passages, I see the central theme of God’s hero, of which all our most selfless and courageous men are poor shadows. God reveals His holy arm for us in winning our salvation by the obedient life and vicarious death of our Second Adam, the Son of God, the King of Kings, the King God will set upon His Holy Hill and give all the nations for an inheritance. By His cross, He triumphed over the powers and authorities, disarming them and making a public spectacle of them. “Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing, Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing: Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He; Lord Sabaoth, His Name, from age to age the same, And He must win the battle.” 1 Samuel 14: In light of the other two passages, I started wondering, is Jonathan a type of Christ, in his (essentially) solo campaign against the Philistine garrison here? I remembered v. 45, “Shall Jonathan die, who hat...

 May 24: There’s a character of saving faith - Hebrews 11:6 tells us that it is believing that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. My reading in Romans 4 today adds the detail of being “fully persuaded” in spite of circumstances not being conducive to that belief. There’s a content  of saving faith: the incarnation of the one-and-only, true-and-living God in human flesh, His substitutionary atonement and resurrection. There’s the implication of saving faith: simply acting as if  these things are true: Abraham’s faith that caused him to leave his father’s country, not knowing where he went, to continue to try for a child, knowing God had promised Isaac, and to offer Isaac, believing God would raise him from the dead. Where does it become presumptuous? In Abraham’s and Sarah’s case, it was in taking Hagar to force it along. In Saul’s case, it was in offering the sacrifice in the stead of a tardy priest; and it also seems to have been getting...

 May 23: I see a theme of acceptance running through these three passages: Saul accepted as king by the people, the Jews' mission to promote acceptance of the Lord by the nations, the acceptance of Paul by Christ. What are some wholesome things that make a man acceptable to his peers that shine through these accounts? Zeal: Saul's decisive action shamed his peers and drew them to him, which is not only how he became accepted as Israel's first king, but how the nation became united and defeated their oppressors. Worship and holiness in truth: the Psalmist praises God accurately, with knowledge of His works and no fear of the idols of other nations. He's an apologist for God, and urges others to submit to Him. As Psalm 33:1 says, "Praise is comely for the upright." Faithfulness and competence: Paul demonstrates both clarity in his reasoning and a deep understanding of the Scriptures. He handles the truth faithfully, putting things that are clear to any honest re...

 May 22: In these three passages, I see four different ways we can react to the ever-present, undeniable evidence that we aren't what we should be , or what a perfect God would have created us to be like: Like Saul, we could swing back and forth between doleful apathy and self-determined energy about it like a pendulum. By stages "woe is me" or "I'm going to fix this." Like the Psalmist warns, we could resist God's repeated urgings to repent and trust and become hardened by unbelief. Like Pharisaic Judaism, we can leverage knowledge of the Law only to gain advantage over others, failing to apply its teachings to ourselves. This is what Romans 1-3 is warning about. Like the pagans who at times show the work of the Law written on their hearts but consistently reject the God Creation tells them about, we could be willfully ignorant and pursue hedonism.  Ecclesiastes warns of the dissatisfaction this brings; many of the Proverbs warn of the sorrow and ruin i...