II Samuel 15
Absalom met people at city gate verse 1- 4
And it came to pass after this
that Absalom prepared him chariots and horses
and fifty men to run before him
And Absalom rose up early
and stood beside the way of the gate
and it was so
that when any man that had a controversy came
to the king for judgment
then Absalom called unto him
and said
Of what city are you?
And he said
Your servant is of one of the tribes of Israel
And Absalom said to him
See – your matters are good and right
BUT there is no man deputed of the king
to hear you
Absalom said moreover
Oh that I were made judge in the land
that every man which hath any suit or cause
might come to me
and I would do him justice
Absalom stole the people’s heart verse 5- 6
And it was so – that when any man came nigh to him
to do him obeisance he put forth his hand
and took him – and kissed him
and on this manner did Absalom to all Israel
that came to the king for judgment
so Absalom stole the hearts
of the men of Israel
Absalom asked David to go to Hebron verse 7- 9
And it came to pass after forty [four] years
that Absalom said to the king
I pray you – let me go and pay my vow
which I have vowed unto the LORD
in Hebron
For your servant vowed a vow while I abode
at Geshur in Syria
saying
If the LORD shall bring me again indeed
to Jerusalem – then I will serve the LORD
And the king said to him
Go in peace
So he arose – and went to Hebron
Absalom went to Hebron to stir up rebellion verse 10- 12
But Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel
saying
As soon as ye hear the sound of the trumpet – then you shall say
Absalom reigns in Hebron
And with Absalom went two hundred men out of Jerusalem
that were called
and they went in their simplicity
and knew not any thing
And Absalom sent
for Ahithophel the Gilonite – David’s counselor
from his city – even from Giloh
while he offered sacrifices
And the conspiracy was strong
for the people increased continually with Absalom
David leaves Jerusalem verse 13- 18
And there came a messenger to David
saying
The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom
And David said to all his servants that were with him at Jerusalem
Arise and let us flee
for we shall not else escape from Absalom
make speed to depart
lest he overtake us suddenly
and bring evil upon us
and smite the city with
the edge of the sword
And the king’s servants said to the king
BEHOLD
your servants are ready to do whatsoever
my lord the king shall appoint
And the king went forth – and all his household after him
and the king left ten women – which were concubines
to keep the house
And the king went forth – and all the people after him
and tarried in the place that was far off
And all his servants passed on beside him
and all the Cherethites – Pelethites – Gittites
six hundred men which came after him from Gath
passed on before the king
Ittai of Gittite follow David out of the city verse 19- 22
Then said the king to Ittai the Gittite
Wherefore go you also with us?
return to your place – and abide with the king
for you are a stranger and also an exile
Whereas you came but yesterday
should I this day make you go up and down with us?
seeing I go whither I may – return you
and take back your brethren
mercy and truth be with you
And Ittai answered the king
and said
As the LORD lives – and as my lord the king lives
surely in what place my lord the king shall be whether in
death or life – even there also will your servant be
And David said to Ittai
Go and pass over
And Ittai the Gittite passed over – and all his men
and all the little ones that were with him
People cried as David left verse 23
And all the country wept with a loud voice
and all the people passed over
the king also himself passed
over the brook Kidron
and all the people passed over
toward the way of the wilderness
David tells Zadok to return the ark to Jerusalem verse 24- 26
And lo Zadok also – and all the Levites were with him
bearing the ark of the covenant of God
and they set down the ark of God
and Abiathar went up
until all the people had done passing
out of the city
And the king said to Zadok
Carry back the ark of God into the city
IF I shall find favor in the eyes of the LORD
HE will bring me again
and show me both it and HIS habitation
BUT IF HE thus say
I have no delight in you – BEHOLD here am I
let HIM do to me as seems good to HIM
David asks Zadok to tell him Absalom’s plans verse 27- 29
The king said also to Zadok the priest
Are not you a seer?
return into the city in peace and your two sons with you
Ahimaaz your son – Jonathan the son of Abiathar
See I will tarry in the plain of the wilderness
until there come word from you to certify me
Zadok therefore and Abiathar carried the ark of God again to Jerusalem
and they tarried there
David prayed that Ahithophel’s give bad advice verse 30- 31
And David went up by the ascent of mount Olivet
and wept as he went up
and had his head covered
and he went barefoot
and all the people that was with him covered
every man his head
and went up – weeping as they went up
And one told David
saying
Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom
And David said
O LORD – I pray YOU
turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness
David sends Hushai the Archite back verse 32- 36
And it came to pass – that when David was come to
the top of the mount where he worshiped God
BEHOLD – Hushai the Archite
came to meet him with his coat rent
and earth upon his head
Unto whom David
said
IF you pass on with me
THEN you shall be a burden to me
BUT IF you return to the city – and say to Absalom
I will be your servant – O king
as I have been your father’s servant hitherto
so will I now also be your servant
THEN may you for me defeat the counsel of Ahithophel
and has you not there with you
Zadok and Abiathar the priest?
THEREFORE it shall be that what thing soever you shall hear
out of the king’s house – you shall tell it to Zadok
and Abiathar the priests
BEHOLD – they have there with them their two sons
Ahimaaz – Zadok’s son and Jonathan – Abiathar’s son
And by them you shall send unto me everything
that you can hear
Hushai returns to Jerusalem verse 37
So Hushai David’s friend came into the city
and Absalom came into Jerusalem
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 3 And Absalom said to him, See, your matters are good and right; but there is no man deputed of the king to hear you. (1697 “matters” [dabar] means acts, some situation or event that is thought about, affairs, business, occupation, case, or account.)
DEVOTION: Rebellion comes in many forms. Here we have a son rebelling against his father. He wants to be king instead of his father. His father has not killed him for killing his brother. His father has brought him back from exile because of his love for him. His father has restored him to a place of favor with him. His father gives him permission to go to Hebron to worship not knowing that he is going to crown himself king over the nation.
So here we find Absalom at the gate of the city of Jerusalem winning the hearts of the people through deception. He is lying to the people and they don’t understand what he is doing but he knows what he is doing.
Would we ever do these types of things against those who are leadership in our churches? Would we try to steal the hearts of a congregation against the pastor or the deacon board? We have to ask ourselves these questions and bring them before the LORD to ask for his help that we don’t do anything like this even against our Sunday School teacher or others who are in authority over us because we have a rebellious heart.
The LORD wants families to work together to please and glorify HIM. The LORD wants church families to work together to have a good testimony in the community in which they live.
If the world sees believers who are rebellious against their leadership they will question whether they want anything to do with Christianity. If they see Christian families always fighting with each other they will ask the same question.
CHALLENGE: Families and churches have to work together to glorify the LORD!!!
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 7 And it came to pass after forty years, that Absalom said to the king, I pray you, let me go and pay my vow, which I have vowed to the LORD, in Hebron. (5087 “vow” [nadir] means a solemn pledge, to behave in a certain manner, avowed, promise, or to give something to God.)
DEVOTION: Lying is the besetting sin of the children of David. David lied on a regular basis while he was on the run from Saul. We find that Absalom lied to the people while he was at the gate of the city of Jerusalem. David told Zadok to lie to Absalom about his willingness to serve him while he was really serving David.
Here is Absalom lying to his father about his purpose for going to Hebron. He was going to anoint himself king over Israel. David didn’t have a clue because he trusted his son.
This verse says “forty years” but it is thought by the best scholars that it was only four years that it took Absalom to steal the hearts of the children of Israel. He lied to them at the gate of Jerusalem and word spread that people thought this handsome son of David would make a better king than David. It wasn’t true but they believed him and his lies.
God doesn’t honor liars. HE wants HIS people to be truthful to each other and genuinely work to help each other. We are not to be looking to get ourselves ahead by lying either at home or at work or in the church. God wants us to be honest with each other.
It is not always easy to tell the truth but we should say nothing at all if we can’t say what is true. Most of us have seen the ad on television where Abraham Lincoln is asked by his wife if the dress she is wearing makes her look fat. The commercial has him not say anything but his wife walks away knowing what he is thinking.
CHALLENGE: We need to be encouragers of others rather than those individuals who put others down or are not encouraging them in the right areas for their spiritual growth.
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: 11 And with Absalom went two hundred men out of Jerusalem that were called: and they went in their simplicity, and they knew not anything.
(8537 “simplicity” [tom] means innocence, integrity, blamelessness, random happening or uprightness.)
DEVOTION: Evil men can corrupt large groups, but they do it one at a time. Absalom was stealing the hearts of the children of Israel. He worked on his plan for four years. He sat at the gate of Jerusalem and talked to the people who had legal problems. He told them that if he was king he would settle their problems. He promised something he couldn’t do but the people still believed him. He also didn’t require the people to bow down to him. He acted humble. He acted the way the people wanted him to act. He had a good appearance. He hired men to run before him. He took his time.
Not only did he take his time but he planned well. He sent out invitation to key people in David’s administration to come with him to Hebron for his sacrifice. This meant that David didn’t have key people in the city when he heard of the rebellion.
Those invited to travel with Absalom had no idea what was happening around them. Absalom had David’s permission to go to Hebron for the sacrifice.
He had others who were willing to work with him. He had the grandfather of Bathsheba willing to work with him. He told his father that he wanted to go to Hebron to fulfill a vow. He took two hundred men with him that thought they were doing right. They were innocent regarding Absalom’s rebellion. They didn’t know what was happening.
Some probably thought that David was old and was willing to give up his throne to his oldest son. The Bible says that they knew nothing about the rebellion. Here is a group of men who thought they were going to do something good and found out that it was a rebellion. They didn’t know what was going on around them. Absalom was good at keeping that secret until the last minute.
We sometimes find ourselves in situations where we are caught off guard. We need to be in the presence of the LORD continually, so that, we are not caught off guard. Ignorance is not a good state to be in. If we get caught in such a state, we need to get back into the LORD’S presence to see what HE would have us do.
An upright man can find himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. Here was a group of men in the wrong place at the wrong time. They were part of a rebellion they knew nothing about. It was sad but true.
This is part of the judgment of God on the sin with Bath-sheba. His family was rebelling against him as he rebelled against the LORD with Bath-sheba.
David was not done. He worshiped the LORD. He sent some key men back to Jerusalem to give Absalom poor counsel. He had a plan. He was willing to let the LORD direct his future.
CHALLENGE: When we find ourselves on the wrong side of an issue, what do we do? Do we allow the LORD time to work out the details or try to do it all on our own? David prayed. David worshiped. We need to do the same.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 26 But if HE thus say, I have no delight in you; behold, here am I, let HIM do to me as seems good unto HIM. (2654 “delight” [chaphets] means please, desire, pleasure, or favor.)
DEVOTION: David knows the type of life he has led in his relationship to the LORD. While running from Saul he depended on the LORD. While becoming king he depended on the LORD. Once in office he had the affair with Bathsheba and killed her husband. This didn’t please the LORD and HE judged David.
One of the judgments was that God would raise up evil in his own household against David. The one who would raise up would also take his wives before his eyes and sleep with them which we will read that Absalom did.
God told David that what he had done secretly would not be done secretly against him. And so there was open rebellion coming from his son. This statement from the LORD would come true during this rebellion of Absalom.
David knew that this was part of the judgment for his sin and so he makes this statement regarding the fact that if the LORD takes pleasure in him and returns him to his throne well and good but if not then he understands what the LORD is doing.
We need to understand that God has to judge sin in the believer’s life because HE is holy. HE can also be gracious to believers as HE sees fit. This is what David was hoping for from HIM this time. He was willing to take whatever the LORD decided to do.
Are we as understanding when things happen in our life? We know that we continue to sin after we became a believer. We know that the LORD doesn’t always give us the judgment we deserve and this is what we hope and pray for all the time.
One thing we have to always remember is that God always does what is for our good in our life. HE wants us to mature in our faith and hard times work better than good times.
CHALLENGE: If you are presently going through a hard time do you realize it is for your good and it is because God loves you? Remember that it is only those HE loves that HE chastens.
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: 31 And one told David, saying, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, O LORD, I pray YOU, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness. (5528 “turn” [cakal] done foolishly, turn into foolishness, make foolish, to cause to be marked by lack of good sense or judgment, or to frustrate)
DEVOTION: David prayed a prayer on his way out of the city of Jerusalem. He asked the LORD to turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness. It was a prayer to the LORD to cause the rebellion of Absalom to not succeed.
David knew that he was chosen of God to lead the people. He knew that this rebellion was not of the LORD. He knew that it would be defeated in the LORD’S time and in the LORD’s way.
He made a choice to leave the city of Jerusalem instead of having the fighting happening in the streets of the city and cause all kinds of problems for the people living in the city. He knew that if there was going to be fighting that it should be done on a field of battle where only soldiers were going to be hurt and not innocent people in the city.
While he was leaving he prayed to the LORD for the counsel of Ahithophel would not be good. This is a prayer that he made because he knew that the LORD had chosen him to be king and that rebellion is not what the LORD wanted but was something that he allowed to test David and the people of Israel.
The LORD allows tests in our lives for our good. We don’t like them at the time but it was a way the LORD uses to get our attention. David needed the LORD to get his attention. Most, if not all, of us need the LORD to get our attention at least once in our lives to keep us serving HIM correctly.
Some of us are presently going through a time period in our lives where the LORD is testing our endurance, as far as, our willingness to serve HIM no matter what. It should be a time of prayer for help.
David prayed for help and council. He wanted the children of Israel to be safe during this time period of rebellion.
CHALLENGE: Would we have reacted the same way as David? Would we have prayed and let the LORD do things in HIS time frame? Or would we have just been mad at God for allowing it to happen?
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DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
- Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
- Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
- Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
- Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
- Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
- Frugality (wise use of resources)
- Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
- Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
- Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
- Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
- Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
- Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
David prayed concerning his return verse 25, 26
David prayed for Ahithophel’s counsel
to be foolish verse 31
- Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
- Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Vowed a vow verse 7
Offered sacrifices verse 12
Zadok and Levites verse 24
Ark of the Covenant of God verse 24
Zadok a priest and seer verse 27- 29, 35, 36
Ahimaaz – son of Zadok
David worshiped God verse 32
Abiathar -priest verse 35
Jonathan – son of Abiathar verse 35, 36
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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 7, 8, 21, 25, 31
God – Elohim (Creator) verse 24, 25, 29, 32
Ark of the covenant of God verse 24
Ark of God verse 24, 25, 29
Eyes of the LORD verse 25
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Geshur in Syria verse 8
Cherethites – followed David verse 18
Pelethites – followed David verse 18
Gittites – followed David verse 18- 22
Ittai the Gittite
Stranger verse 19
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Rebellion against father verse 3, 4
Stole the heart verse 6, 13
Lying verse 7
Conspiracy verse 12, 31
Evil verse 14
Foolish counsel verse 31
David tells Hushai to lie verse 33- 37
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Justice verse 4
Pay a vow verse 7
Peace verse 9
Obey leadership verse 15
Mercy verse 20
Truth verse 20
Favor verse 25
Trust verse 25, 26
Prayer verse 31
Worship verse 32
Friend verse 37
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Absalom’s rebellion verse 1- 1
Prepared fifty men to run before him
Stood at gate of Jerusalem
If made a judge
Stole the hearts of people
Trumpet = Absalom reigns in Hebron
Hearts of men of Israel with him
David verse 2- 37
King
Leaves Jerusalem
Leaves ten concubines behind
Passed over brook Kidron
Commanded the Ark of God stay
Find favor in eyes of the LORD
Went up mount of Olivet
Head covered
Barefoot
Men with him covered their head
Weeping
Prayed for counsel of Ahithophel be foolish
Worshiped God
Men of Israel verse 6, 13
Jerusalem verse 8
Hebron verse 9
Tribes of Israel – spies verse 10
Ahithophel the Gilonite verse 12, 31, 34
David’s counsellor
One of conspirators with Absalom
Zadok and Levites side with David verse 24- 31
Hushai the Archite verse 32- 34, 37
Sent back to spy for David
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
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QUOTES regarding passage
After dismissing Zadok and Abiathar, David ascends the storied hill east of Jerusalem (cf. 1 Kings 11:7; Ezek 11:23), the Mount of Olives (v.30)—eventually linked to Jesus’ triumphal entry (cf. Luke 19:29, 37), his teaching ministry (the so-called Olivet discourse; cf. Mark 13:3), his agony at Gethsemane (cf. Luke 22:39), his ascension (cf. Acts 1:11–12), and his second advent (cf. Zech 14:4). Facing the eminence on which Solomon’s temple was later built, the Mount of Olives is about twenty-seven hundred feet high and rises about two hundred feet above the city itself. As David and the people with him climb the hill, they express their sorrow and sense of love by “weeping” (v.30) and their despair and sense of foreboding by covering their heads (cf. Esth 6:12; 7:8; Jer 14:3–4). In addition, David walks barefoot to symbolize the shameful exile on which he is now embarking (cf. Isa 20:2–3; cf. similarly Mic 1:8). (Youngblood, R. F. (1992). 1, 2 Samuel. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel (Vol. 3, pp. 996–997). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House)
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David and his loyal supporters in the meantime made their way east across the Kidron Valley and up the Mount of Olives. His covered head and unshod feet indicated his depth of despair. To make matters worse David discovered that his trusted adviser Ahithophel had joined Absalom’s cause. (Merrill, E. H. (1985). 2 Samuel. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 471). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books)
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The Lord sees David’s tears (15:30). “The Bible was written in tears, and to tears it will yield its best treasures,” said A. W. Tozer. David was a strong and courageous man, but he wasn’t afraid to weep openly. (Real men do weep, including Jesus and Paul.) We read about David’s tears in Psalm 6, which might well have been an exile psalm (vv. 6–8), as well as in Psalms 30:5, 39:12, and 56:8. “Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity; for the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping” (Ps. 6:8 nkjv). “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart—these, O God, You will not despise” (Ps. 51:17 nkjv).
David certainly had much to weep over, for his sins had brought sorrow and death to his family. Amnon had been murdered and Tamar violated, and now Absalom—the king’s own son—was in the process of usurping the throne of Israel and heading for certain death. David’s friend and counselor Ahithophel had turned against him, and the people for whom David had often risked his life were abandoning him to follow an egotistical rebel who was never chosen by God. If ever a man had a right to weep, it was David. Like disobedient children being spanked, it’s easy for people to weep when they’re being chastened for their sins, and then forget about the pain when the spanking is over. But David’s tears went much deeper. He was not only concerned for the welfare of his rebellious son but also for the safety of the nation and the future of Israel’s God-given ministry to the world. God’s covenant with David (2 Sam. 7) assured him that his throne would last forever, and this is fulfilled in Christ; but the promise also implied that Israel would not be destroyed or the lamp of David permanently extinguished (1 Kings 11:36; 15:4; 2 Kings 8:19; 21:7; Ps. 132:17). God would be faithful to keep His covenant, and David knew that his throne was safe in the hands of the Lord. (Wiersbe, W. W. (2002). Be restored (pp. 100–101). Colorado Springs, CO: Victor.)
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15:30 Mount of Olives. The hill to the E of the city of Jerusalem was the location for David’s contrition and remorse over his sins and their results. This was the location from which Jesus ascended to heaven (Ac 1:9–12). (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (2 Sa 15:30). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers)
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Ver. 30. And David went up by the ascent of Mount Olivet, &c.] So called from the olive-trees that, grew upon it, which is often mentioned in the New Testament, and where our Lord Jesus Christ, the antitype of David, often was, in his state of humiliation, and from whence he ascended to heaven after his resurrection; it was about a mile from Jerusalem, to the east of it: and wept as he went up; thinking perhaps of the wickedness and rebellion of his son, of his own hard case, to be obliged to quit his metropolis and palace, and make his flight afoot; and perhaps also of his own sins, which were the cause of his calamities: and had his head covered; with his mantle, with which he enwrapped himself as a mourner, ch. 19:4. so the Egyptians used to cover their heads in mourning, and the Romans in after-times; so Megara in sorrowful circumstances is represented as having her head covered with a garmentr: and he went barefoot; in token of mourning also, and like one forlorn, and going into captivity, see Isa. 20:2. Mic. 1:8. and all the people that was with him covered every man his head; as David did, and in imitation of him, and sympathizing with him; and which was sometimes done when men were ashamed and confounded, Jer. 14:3, 4. and they went up, weeping as they went up; the mount of Olivet, grieved for their king, and the distresses and calamities that were coming upon them. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 2, p. 629). London: Mathews and Leigh)
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FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
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CHILDREN OF GOD
Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore, the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 1 John 3:1
How have we become children of God? John answers in this way: Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us. This is a very interesting way of putting it. John does not merely say that God has shown His love to us, nor that He has revealed it or manifested it or indicated it. He does not merely say that God loves us, though He does love us and He has shown and displayed His love to us. Yes, says John, but He has gone further He has bestowed His love upon us. Now that means there is a sense in which God has put His love into us, implanted Himself if you like, infused or injected His love within us, and we must emphasize that because what really matters is the word that, which should be translated in order that. Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, in order that we may become, be made, the children of God; that is what John actually says.
In other words, what really makes us children of God is that God has put His own life into us. God’s nature is love, and He has put His nature into us so that we have the love of God. We cannot be children of God if we are not like God; the child is like the parent, the offspring proclaims the parentage, and God in that way makes us His children. He puts His own nature into us, and we become His children, and that nature that is in God is in us, and it is acting and manifesting and expressing itself. Paul says that “the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost (Romans 5:5).
A Thought to Ponder: What really makes us children of God is that God has put His own life into us. (From Children of God, pp. 16-17. By Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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According to a recent poll published in Reason magazine, trust in American political parties is at a historic low. For the first time, more than 50 percent of the electorate now identifies as Independent, as opposed to Republican or Democrat.
It’s not just political parties that are targets of our growing skepticism. Trust in societal institutions across the board has been on the decline for years. For example, the American people have shrinking confidence in the media, in big tech, and in Congress. Even confidence historically popular institutions, such as law enforcement and the military, is on the decline. Three years ago, civilian trust in the military stood at a whopping 70 percent. Today, that number has dropped to 56 percent.
What’s the story here? As one scholar put it, “This is not just the events of the past 12 months.” It’s a trend.
At least part of the reason is an overall disorientation and fear in the general population. Any sort of traditional consensus has now receded in our collective memory. Such a shared consensus once offered a feeling of stability and consistency, but, now, no new governing paradigm or worldview has replaced what has been cast aside.
Also, various offspring of postmodernism, such as critical theories, have slipped the surly bonds of academic culture to become defining features of popular culture. The portrayal of everything and everyone as only motivated by the acquisition and preservation of power erodes trust. Add to this the fact that a growing number of Americans are now constantly looking over their shoulders for the cancel culture police.
Perhaps the primary reason we have distrust for institutions is that so many institutions have earned it. Simply put, they’ve failed us – Politicians who change their principles at the drop of a hat; journalists who play fast and loose with the truth; Hollywood, sports, and political icons fallen to scandal; couples who said “till death do we part” finding various escape clauses; not to mention, pastors and ministry leaders indulging in corruption themselves or turning a blind eye to those who do.
This is a time for one of my favorite anecdotes. After a particularly embarrassing loss in the playoffs, the legend goes, Hall of Fame football coach Vince Lombardi started the next season by holding up a pigskin and saying to his Green Bay Packers, “Gentlemen, this is a football.” Maybe the best way for the Church to regain the trust and restore the hope of the world is to go back to basics.
Christ’s first words in the Gospels were straightforward, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Paul seemed to assume that caring for the poor was a given for the Christian life. James’s definition of true religion was that it was a lived-out, not merely spoken-of, reality where Christians should “visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” To quote another of my favorite anecdotes, this one from an old friend from Tennessee, “It ain’t rocket surgery, man.”
Chuck Colson called this the Church being the Church. In an age of failing institutions, the opportunities are incredible for those who reject both a privatized, pietistic faith and the temptation to be a rootless activist group. Now is the time to take seriously the tasks of living out the Gospel, being what Paul called “ministers of reconciliation.” What that might look like could be different for different churches in different contexts. It may mean maximizing the use of church facilities, offering medical clinics or food pantries. It will certainly mean defending the weak and vulnerable, especially the victims of our culture’s bad ideas, and supporting those Christian organizations that do.
A former colleague used to say, “The Church is God’s Plan A and there is no Plan B.” Taking that calling seriously will require, at the very least, a “this is a football” moment for Christians. The task of re-catechizing Christians in a Christian view of life and the world is essential. The Church certainly has things to offer the wider culture that no other social institution does. We’ll need to be clear on what is different about the Church, beginning with the Christian understanding of the human person and human dignity.
Who humans are, nothing less than an image bearers of God, is not only a fundamental distinction of a Christian worldview, but finding ways to communicate and apply it will be critical to our cultural witness. We’ll spend this year’s Wilberforce Weekend, May 21-23 in Fort Worth, looking at the idea image of God and fleshing out how it can shape our approach to the world around us. For a full schedule, with speakers and topics, including our Friday intensive on what it means to imagine God as male and female, visit wilberforceweekend.org. (BreakPoint)
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Jesus tells the parable of the Good Samaritan.
INSIGHT
The harsh reality of life is that we cannot help everyone in need. From the parable of the Good Samaritan, we can learn several things which help us evaluate when we should help. We are obligated to assist a person in need when
· he or she comes across our path in the normal course of life;
· he or she has a legitimate need, not of his or her own making;
· he or she cannot help himself or herself; and we have the ability to meet the need.
(Quiet Walk)
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CHRIST’S SANCTIFICATION OF HIMSELF
I sanctify myself. John 17:19
We must engage our attention about the meaning of Christ’s sanctification of Himself. Clearly, He cannot mean that He will do anything to increase His own holiness. That is impossible. He was perfect from the beginning, without blemish, without sin and without fault. So when He says He is going to sanctify Himself, He cannot mean He is going to make Himself more holy than He was before. What it means, obviously, is that He is using the term in the primary sense of sanctification—namely, dedication, consecration, a setting apart for the special work of God and for God’s purpose in Him and through Him. It means an entire offering of oneself to God for His glory and for His purpose.
Then, in order to grasp the full meaning of this statement, the next word we must look at is “myself.” “I sanctify myself,” our Lord says. And by that He clearly means Himself as He is in His total personality, everything that He is, as God and man, all His powers, all His knowledge, all His perfection, all His ability—everything. There is no word more inclusive than this word “myself.” It means my total self, all that I am in and of myself, all my relationships, all my privileges, all my abilities, and all my possessions. I sanctify myself in the full totality of my being and my personality.
So what our Lord is really saying at this point is that all He is and has, He is now giving entirely and utterly to God “for their sakes” (John17:19a)—“they” being the Christians then in existence—and for our sakes too—those who are going to come into existence—all those people He has been talking so much about in this prayer, the people who had been given to Him by God, and for whom He has come into the world.
A Thought to Ponder
Jesus’ sanctification means an entire offering of Himself to God for God’s glory and for His purpose.
(From Sanctified Through the Truth, pp. 34-35, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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Love’s Product
“That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.” (Philippians 1:10-11)
Knowledge and judgment that are motivated by love (Philippians 1:9) are directed very carefully to certain end products that will fulfill our Lord’s design and desire for His adopted sons and daughters while they are still on Earth.
A repository of facts can be nothing more than a curiosity and is often an arrogant distraction. A growing intellectual ability must be useful. It is no different in God’s kingdom. Our knowledge and judgment must be used to “approve things that are excellent.”
Paul’s challenge to the Roman church was that they use their minds to “prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:2). To his young son in the faith, Paul insisted that Timothy study to show himself “approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).
The “proving” (testing, affirming) has a twofold goal: that our life on this earth would be “sincere and without offence” and that we would be “filled with the fruits of righteousness.” Purity and productivity are earthly spiritual goals that are reiterated many times in the Scriptures. They, of course, are mere reflections of the holiness that our Lord creates in us when we are born again (Ephesians 4:24), but they are nonetheless an often-repeated demand for those of us who claim a kinship with Christ Jesus
The Bible sums it up this way: “But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:15-16). (HMM III, The Institute for Creation Research)
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On Chicago Day in October 1893, the city’s theaters shut down because the owners figured everyone would be attending the World’s Fair. Over seven hundred thousand people went, but Dwight Moody (1837–1899) wanted to fill a music hall at the other end of Chicago with preaching and teaching. His friend R. A. Torrey (1856–1928) was skeptical that Moody could draw a crowd on the same day as the fair. But by God’s grace, he did. As Torrey later concluded, the crowds came because Moody knew “the one Book that this old world most longs to know—the Bible.” Torrey longed for others to love the Bible as Moody did, reading it regularly with dedication and passion.
God through His Spirit brought people back to Himself at the end of the nineteenth century in Chicago, and He continues to speak today. We can echo the psalmist’s love for God and His Scriptures as he exclaims, “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (Psalm 119:103). For the psalmist, God’s messages of grace and truth acted as a light for his path, a lamp for his feet (v. 105).
How can you grow more in love with the Savior and His message? As we immerse ourselves in Scripture, God will increase our devotion to Him and guide us, shining His light along the paths we walk. By Amy Boucher Pye, Our Daily Bread)
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Never Judge another Knight without first knowing the strength and cunning if the Dragons he fights.
Richele E. Goodrich (Thanks Skip)
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NEW
We now have a Facebook page for Small Church Ministries – please invite others to join us on Facebook. Thank you. Look for the logo from the devotionals.