Tag: KIng David

Posted on

The Lessons of History

I read an article on the teaching of history in American schools. The author bemoaned the fact that students are being encouraged to overlook the failings of other cultures while being hypercritical of the USA. For example the ancient Aztec civilization is renowned for architecture and agriculture, but teachers fail to mention their practice of human sacrifice. Historians may discuss the Great Wall of China without saying that it was built with slave labor in which thousands died.

In the teaching of US history the National History Standards are quick to call attention to the KKK, the Great Depression, and the dropping of atomic bombs on Japanese cities, while paying scant attention to the achievements of America’s founding fathers, scientists, inventors and adventurers.

In a USA Today op-ed, John Zmirak wrote that it is now possible to earn a degree from an elite US university without taking a single course in American history or classical literature. He wrote, “If we expect the next generation to preserve the constitution of a free society, we cannot send students out after a Lexus-priced education knowing less about America than the graduate of a Slovakian high school. But that’s what we’re doing.”

The writer of the book of Hebrews wants his readers to learn from biblical history. The eleventh chapter summarizes highlights of Israel’s past to teach readers of the New Testament to live by faith in God today. It reads like a list of heroes, a hall of fame of the Bible.

The people listed were not perfect people, but they are singled out because of their faith. John Calvin wrote: “There was none of them whose faith did not falter. . . . Nevertheless, although faith may be imperfect and incomplete, it does not cease to be approved by God.”

Regular readers of this blog have noticed that I have been surveying Hebrews 11. We have now arrived at verse 32 where king David and the prophet Samuel are mentioned. What do these men teach us about faith?

David, one of the great men of the Old Testament, trusted in the Lord when he was a mere lad, tending his father’s sheep. He faced the giant Philistine warrior Goliath with complete confidence that the Lord would give him the ability to defeat him. His psalms are a testimony of his faith. His kingship and the dynasty that followed are based upon his faith in the unconditional promise of God.

Samuel represents all the prophets of God.  He was a man of prayer. He was a man of courage who was willing to confront king Saul when he was wrong. He was a preacher of the truth during the time of the Judges when people wanted to do what was right in their own eyes.

The rest of the chapter describes the fate of many in Israel who were not named but they had a faith worth dying for. They were “tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison, They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated — the world was not worthy of them. . . . These were all commended for their faith” (Hebrews 11:35-39).

These verses remind me of our Lord’s words in Luke 9:23-25, “If anyone would come after me he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet lose or forfeit his very self?”

Living by faith can be dangerous. It involves the possibility of suffering and dying for the Lord. Hebrews 11 refutes the preposterous claims of some preachers that if we have enough faith (as they define faith), God has obligated himself to give us lives that are prosperous and pain free. As a matter of fact, this chapter proves that living by faith does just the opposite.

Warren Wiersbe wrote, “Most of us know nothing of suffering. The church in America is protected and almost pampered, but it may not always be so. The pampered church may one day become the persecuted church.”

He was right. The experience of persecuted and martyred Christians around the world resembles the closing verses of Hebrews 11. We’d do well to pay attention to the lessons of history.

Pastor Randy Faulkner

Posted on

David’s Mighty Men

“Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.” (Michael Jordan)

“For day by day men came to David to help him, until there was a great army like the army of God” (1 Chronicles 12:22).

King David could not have accomplished all that he did if it were not for the men who came to help him. They joined him when he was exiled during the reign of King Saul. They remained with him through many difficulties and battles. They drew inspiration from David’s devotion to the Lord. It was clear to them that the Lord was with David (1 Chronicles 11:9). They all played a major role in his rise  and the establishment of his kingship at Jerusalem.

Some of them are famous, such as “the three,” who risked their lives to bring their king a drink of water from the well at Bethlehem, his hometown. David was so moved by their action that he poured out the water as a libation to the Lord (1 Chronicles 11:17-19). They were Jashobeam, Eleazar, and Shammah (2 Samuel 23:11).

Benaiah is renowned as a valiant man “who killed a lion inside a pit on a snowy day” (1 Chronicles 11:22). Wouldn’t you like to know more of that story?

Amasai stands out as an inspired poet who wrote a beautiful ode to David: “We are yours, O David,/ And with you, O son of Jesse!/ Peace, Peace to you, and peace to him who helps you;/ Indeed, Your God helps you!” (1 Chronicles 12:18).

Men joined David’s army from the tribe of Issachar. The Bible says that “they understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do” (1 Chronicles 12:32). They knew that David was the rightful king and they followed him rather than Saul.

Men from the tribe of Zebulon were well-organized. They were men “who could draw up in battle formation with all kinds of weapons of war” (1 Chronicles 12:33). They “helped David with an undivided heart.” They had loyalty and integrity.

These chapters in 1 Chronicles contain a rather long list of names of biblical heroes from the various tribes of Israel who are remembered for their bravery, initiative, determination, versatility, sound judgment, and devotion to God.

As I read these chapters recently I was reminded of a few key principles.

1. Individuals are important. Sometimes we wonder why the Bible, particularly the Old Testament, records long lists of names. This teaches us that these names represent persons who are to be remembered. They are significant. Their lives contributed to the flow of biblical history and the outworking of God’s purposes in his world. The next time you read through a boring list of genealogies, or tribal names in the Bible, tell yourself, “people are important to God. I am important to God, too.”

2. Collaboration is important. The thousands of warriors who joined David’s army could not have been victorious if they had not been organized into clans, ranks, and troops. They were well led by Joab and other officers. They were united in their efforts and loyal to their king. The same should be true in the life of the church. Our loyalty must be to Christ, and with mutual respect we must serve him without pride or a craving for power over others. Mother Teresa has been quoted as saying, “None of us, including me, ever do great things. But we can all do small things, with great love, and together we can do something wonderful.”

Moses had his elders in Israel who were appointed to help him in the administration of the nation. The apostles in Jerusalem sought the help of spiritually mature men who joined them in the leadership of the early church. Paul and Barnabus appointed elders to provide leadership for the local churches they established in their missionary work. And King David relied upon the help of his mighty men.

I cannot help but remember the strong leaders, men and women, who assisted me in the ministries of the churches I pastored. I thank God for their wisdom, humility, prayers, and guidance. At this time in my life I often think of fellow pastors, elders, and deacons with great affection and appreciation.

Pastor Randy Faulkner

Posted on

Old Testament Lessons for Today

I recently read a book review in a religious magazine. The book’s author, a prominent pastor, claimed that the Old Testament is not as authoritative as the New Testament. Perhaps he meant to say that it is not as applicable, or relevant as the New Testament. But to say that it is not authoritative is to question its truthfulness and value, something no Christian should do.

The New Testament plainly says that Christians should study the Old Testament and apply its lessons to our lives. Romans 15:4 says, “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.”

In 1 Corinthians 10, the apostle Paul based his teaching to New Testament Christians on the experiences of Old Testament people. In verses 6 and 11, he repeated the phrase, “These things happened to them as examples, and were written down as warnings for us.”

When Paul wrote to Timothy that “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching” (2 Timothy 3:16), he was not saying that every Old Testament Scripture is equally useful or applicable to Christians today. But he was saying that it is useful and practical for what it teaches about God, his will, his mighty acts in history, and how he worked in the lives of his people in the ancient past.

One example might be the life of King David. When he was at his best, David provides a model for us in how to live with a heart for God. When he stumbled morally, his story is a solemn warning about the consequences of sin.

David provides an example of a warrior spirit, courage and boldness. He discovered that if he obeyed God’s will, the Lord himself would be with him (1 Samuel 16:18). When the youthful David fought the Philistine hero, Goliath of Gath, he recognized that he was facing more than a military problem. This was a theological problem. Goliath was insulting the Living God! And you know what happened to Goliath.

We are tempted to think of our problems as financial problems, or psychological problems, or interpersonal problems, or health problems. And to us they are. But on a deeper level they reveal our opinion of God. If we, as David did, recognize God as “the Living God,” then we are in a position to entrust our problems to him, as David did.

On the other hand, when David sinned, his story is a warning to us about the terrible cost of disobeying God’s moral law. Even though David confessed his sin and repented, the natural consequences of his failure brought devastation to his family and to the nation of Israel. Hundreds of lives were lost in the civil war that ensued. David’s sons fought among themselves and brought grief to the heart of the king.

One of the timeless lessons from this part of the Old Testament is that God’s children cannot get away with sin. Our heavenly Father disciplines his children. His correction is always because of his love (Proverbs 3:11-12).

Another lesson from the Old Testament story of David is that it is possible to be forgiven and restored to fellowship with God. David’s psalms teach us that, especially Psalms 32 and 51. The sorrows that followed David’s great sin changed him and prepared him to resume his role as the anointed king of Israel. He passed along a legacy of faith to his son and successor, Solomon.

The theme of David’s life was that he was a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14; Psalm 89). I think this means that at the core of his being, David’s heart was compatible with God’s. Surely this is what we want to be true of ourselves. We learn these lessons from the Old Testament.

It is truthful, trustworthy, practical, applicable, divinely inspired, and, yes, it is authoritative. These lessons from the life of David are proof of what our Lord Jesus said, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God'” (Matthew 4:4). Every word, the Old Testament as well as the New.

Pastor Randy Faulkner