David the Sinner

Jim George said, “it’s not how you start that’s important, but how well you finish!” The beginning is often times the easy part, but the middle and the end are where life gets difficult.  Have you ever started something with zeal and excitement, only to quit when things started getting difficult? A 500-piece puzzle, a new job, a sports team, the Browns season, or whatever it was, the fun disappeared and it became drudgery. We all do it, that’s part of the human experience. 

Not everything started is worth finishing. Not every book needs to be read to the end. There are stewardship principles in the Bible that can help us manage our time or make decisions to change directions. I started a new job selling Kirby vacuum cleaners and quit after two weeks. Why? Well I missed the subtle ways they deceived me into the job and I bought into promises that were never actualized. I tried to do my best, but couldn’t buy into the cultish environment set up. I began to realize that staying with that job would have been bad for me.

However, I also learned perseverance by sticking with commitments I made even when things didn’t turn out the way I expected them to. I played baseball my senior year of High School, I guess I should say I “played” baseball. I made the team, I went to practice and I stuck around for the whole season. At tryouts and practice, my new coach was praising my efforts and encouraging me, and said to me, “I’m happy to be a place where I don’t have to coach on politics, and can just enjoy the game.” However, he shifted and made decisions that adversely affected me and my playtime. Yet I stuck it out for my team, in part because I wanted to grow in my resilience and work through things that were difficult. 

King David’s story started out better he could have scripted it. God anointed him to be the future king. He defeated a lion, a bear, and a giant! He won the daughter of the king. He was best friends with the king’s son. He was the king’s personal musician. He gained many followers and won many battles. He was a man of prayer, Scripture, and songs. 

When he was officially anointed as King of Israel, he won the heart of the nation and led them to victories over the enemies. His reign is considered the “Golden Age” of Israel. But somewhere David began to take his eyes off the Lord.

Read 2 Samuel 11:1-12:14

We are familiar with David’s story and his sin with Bathsheba. Yet, every time we come to this story we are encountered with the truth that even godly people have fatal flaws when they take their eyes off the Lord. 

A Slow Fade

I can guarantee you that David didn’t just wake up one morning and say, “I’m going to commit adultery.” David was aware of sin and righteousness. He stood for righteousness and honored God over and over in his life. However, major sins don’t just pop up one day, they are the results of a slow fade. One small decision after another conditions the heart, mind, and environment to set up an occasion to sin. 

I was very intentional to say “set up the occasion to sin” and not say “cause us to sin.” Anywhere along the line, if we wake up and repent, God will prevent us from moral collapse. 1 Cor. 10:13 reminds us that God is with us in temptation and will provide a means to overcome if we look for it. 

David was neglecting his duties to be with his men at war (2 Sam. 11:1). Israel was at war with the Ammonites, and David was resting in his palace, which was set at the top of Mount Zion. That fact alone should have caused him some embarrassment in honor and shame culture. He should have been there with his men who were risking their lives for him. We see at the end of chapter 12 that Joab calls David to join him for the final part of the battle so David could get credit for the victory as king. Shameful.

We don’t have time to recount all of or speculate other bad decisions that led him to the place where he “happened” to look upon Bathsheba and pursue his adultery. Have you every had the “what if I wasn’t even there” moments? If David had been in battle, he wouldn’t have committed adultery and wouldn’t of had his friend killed to cover up his sin. Yet he was there and suppressed the truth so he could “gain.” 

That’s the promise of sin, that you will gain from giving in. Yet it is such an empty promise and will only leave you wanting. As it’s been said, “sin will take you farther than you want to go, it will keep you longer than you want to stay, and it will cost you more than you want to pay.” 

An Abrupt Encounter

When David was confronted by Nathan, he wasn’t expecting to have his sins called out. He was king, after all, who would tell him he was wrong? Lord Acton said, “power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Even the “man after God’s own heart” gave into his fatal flaw and put his own desires above God’s will. 

Nathan boldly confronted David. Rather than a king dismissing, killing or waving off the messenger, David demonstrates why he was considered “a man after God’s own heart,” by recognizing and confessing that he has sinned against God (2 Sam 12:13). God forgave David of his sin, but there were still earthly consequences to his sin: his baby died.

We fool ourselves when we think that our sin won’t affect anyone else. Sin is costly and it will hurt those around us. Yet, God promises to forgive and cleanse us when we confess our sins and repent (1 John 1:9). 

A Savior Redeems

Romans 8:28 reminds us that God is always working for the good of those that love him. Even when we fail and sin, God is still working. God didn’t give up on David, or remove his covenant with him. That slow fade and sinful moment impacted the rest of David’s life, but God also used David despite his sin. 

Ultimately, God still chose to honor David and bring about the lineage of Jesus Christ. Jesus did what David could not do, and he lived a perfect life. Jesus fulfilled the law and provided the perfect sacrifice for sin. His resurrection brought redemption to all who believe. 

The grace of God is not an excuse to sin, it is the power we have over sin. When we fixed our eyes on Jesus he will guide us in the way, the truth, and the life.

No matter how you started, or where you find yourself at today, that’s not the most important. What’s important is what you do next and how you finish. Although David sinned, he never gave up his faith in the person and promises of God. We have a beautiful song from him in Psalm 51 as a prayer and guide when we sin. Keep doing what you know you should do, keep your focus on Christ, and allow his grace to empower you to consistent perseverance. 

David the King

Have you ever had a life-changing moment, where “all the stars seem to align” and it seems like your destiny is figured out? It could be a big thing or a small thing. Others might not understand the importance to you, but in your own way, it seemed to solidify your life plan. The rush of emotions and confidence that follows seems to carry you forward for a while, but a bump in the road arises and causes you to question your certainty. 

That is definitely part of the human experience. I made the basketball team, so I thought it was a good sign that I was going to be the next Michael Jordan. And then, the next season I was cut and I realized that I had misplaced expectations. Making the team was huge, but I definitely began to dream beyond my talents.

However, there are times when God brings things to a point in our life that are defining, and he does have a call on our life. The moment in Trinidad when I was on a youth missions trip and sensed God calling me to pursue pastoral ministry. I was 19, and still had college, seminary, and several jobs ahead of me before that calling came to fruition. There were many frustrations that I encountered that caused me to question my calling, to second guess my decisions, and I almost pursued another path. 

David’s rise to king of Israel is a lot like that. He was a young teenager shepherding his father’s flock when, out of nowhere, the prophet of God anoints him as the next king of Israel. God’s choice for king. Now that is a defining moment, but the kingship wasn’t actualized for a decade or two later. 

READ 1 Samuel 18 – 2 Samuel 4 for the context.

Certainly, that moment gave David confidence and zeal, demonstrated in his boldness before Goliath. That propelled him into good favor with king Saul, at least for a moment, and he was brought into proximity of the king. Yet several years were spent dodging the spears of a king who had forfeited his right to the throne. Yet David never forced God’s hand or took matters into his own hands. He waited patiently for God to move. 

After years in the wilderness, hiding in caves, hiding in enemy cities, and fighting many battles, David’s time was upon him. King Saul and his son Jonathan were killed in battle. If I were David, I would think that was a good indicator that his time had come. Only it didn’t, not right away. Saul’s son Ish-bosheth was anointed king of Israel. A small part of Israel, Hebron, anointed David as king, but now the nation was fractured. 

READ 2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9

You could understand if David wondered about his calling. Maybe this was the kingship God had prophesied and he built it up in his mind like my Michael Jordan musings. No, God had made a covenant with David and was still working. David’s life was never dull, and there was a lot of drama between friends, but eventually, the nation recognized David as the true king of Israel. We know that David’s life wasn’t perfect, but he ushered in the “Golden Era” of the nation of Israel. 

As king, David united the kingdom and established its borders. He built up Jerusalem and established a fortified city. He desired to build a Temple for the Lord, but God said that the task was not for David, for David was a man of war. Yet, David’s son, Solomon, was chosen to build David’s plan for he was a man of peace. 

Truly, David’s life was a depiction of Proverbs 16:9:

The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.

The disciples of Jesus had their moment as well, when Jesus called them to follow him, they thought the Messiah had come to rescue Israel from the Roman occupation. Jesus did call them to change the world, but not in the way they anticipated. When Jesus was crucified, they all scattered and doubted the calling of the Lord on their life. You could sympathize with them as their leader was put to death before their dreams can to fruition. 

Yet the resurrection changed everything! God was at work and Jesus is alive. God’s call on their life wasn’t wasted or lost. No, it was bigger and grander than they could have imagined! Jesus didn’t come to release one nation from occupation, he came to set all who believe from their slavery to sin, shame, and judgment. 

This is our human story, God isn’t finished. He’s at work and he will establish your steps. Keep your eyes on Jesus and walk with him and you will see his faithfulness in your life (Heb. 12:2). 

David the Warrior

It was the beginning of my 6th-grade year, which was full of changes. All the 6th graders from across the city left behind the elementary schools and were united in this new building. This meant that some of the kids I saw every day since kindergarten were scattered and mingled with new kids from other schools. Amongst a few familiar faces, were a lot of unknowns, would they be friends or enemies? 

I can remember a beautiful August day when we went outside for PE class to play kickball. Yes, we called it gym class back then. This story, like many others, could easily begin with, “well there was this girl…” Anyway, I wanted to impress this girl with my kickball skills, but an opportunity for humor arose. 

A fellow classmate, Jacob, had slipped and fallen on the hill. Instead of assisting him, I tried to be cool and funny, so I made fun of him. It wasn’t nice, it wasn’t funny and it wasn’t impressive. I also hadn’t assessed the situation very well, for the kid I made fun of was the quarterback and captain of the football team. 

He bounced back up and got in my face, warning me that I better watch out because I was going to regret making fun of him. The teacher stepped in and nothing really happened the rest of class. What I didn’t realize was my entire year had been impacted by my foolishness. Jacob conspired with his teammates to make my life miserable. They would pick on me and mess with me in any way they could.

I would spend recess running away from them. I tried to apologize, but it was too late. That’s when I met Jason. Jason wasn’t on the football team, but he should have been. Have you ever met a giant? Jason was a giant and towered above the rest of us. He didn’t like Jacob, football, or the team. Fortunately, he did like me. I soon realized that if I was running from Jacob and his cronies, I could run to Jason and they would leave me alone. Jason was my hero. Jacob and his teammates eventually listened to Jason warning them and began to leave me alone. 

Knowing Jason gave me confidence and security again. He saved me from the bullies and I learned a lesson about picking on others as well as making good friends. 

This childhood story came to mind as I was considering David in the Bible. In 1 Samuel 17, David is leaving the sheep and his harp behind and visits the front lines of a battle. He hears a bully, Goliath, challenging the armies of Israel to a hero’s battle. It was a custom in the Ancient Near East (ANE), to have their best fighter challenge the opposing army’s best fighter. Their fight would represent the whole and the armies whose fighter was defeated would concede the fight. Usually, that meant the winners would chase them down and try to slaughter them. 

Goliath was the hero of the Philistines, and he stood in the middle of the Valley of Elah and chirped at the Israelites for days. He called them cowards and ants, and he began to say things about the God of Israel. Their fearfulness and cowards reflected on the enemy’s perception of their God.

In the ANE, the pagans believed in many gods. Each location had its own god. So the Philistines would consider their fight with Israel as a battle between their gods. Some of the Israelites fell into this same understanding of deities. They would worship God but believed the enemy’s gods might exist. 

David arrived on the scene and couldn’t believe that no one in Israel’s army had shut Goliath up. His brothers were mad at him for asking questions and told him to go home to the sheep. But David saw something others weren’t seeing. He was seeing his God being blasphemed. He took it personally and knew that God is worth standing up for and would provide the strength to win. 

We know the story well, but what I see is that David is like my friend Jason. He I the hero who would stand up and fight for those getting picked on. Jason defeated my bullies and won the victory for me. David won the victory for Israel and the rest of the army gained confidence because of his action. 

Jason and David are types of Jesus, they point us to the need for a victor, a hero. Jesus is that for us. He came and fought our enemy, defeated him on the cross, and the resurrection proves his victory! It is through knowing Jesus that we can have the confidence to live in freedom today. 

There are many principles and practices we can learn from the life of David, that will help us grow as believers. His confidence and faith in God, wanting to please God more than man, being willing to step out in faith, and the list goes on. However, if we focus on trying to be David, we will miss seeing the picture of Christ in David. 

David the Warrior should point us to Christ the Warrior. David defeated Goliath, Jesus defeated death and one day Jesus will return to win the ultimate battle ending sin forever. 

David the Musician – 1 Samuel 16:14-23

Review: David the Shepherd – 1 Samuel 16:1-13

Last week we encountered young David, a shepherd boy, overlooked even by his father. David didn’t let his circumstances or other’s low opinions of him define him, rather his faith in God defined him. His circumstances, his work, was used by God to cultivate a heart of faith and prepare him for God’s future plan for him.

Music

Music has power. God created music to help instill an appreciation and communication of the good, the beautiful and the true. It’s a device that was intended to aid our desire and longing to worship our Creator. 

Like poetry, music can give a voice to our emotions. It can express our vulnerabilities, it can drive our anger, it can lift us out of our sorrow. It fills the gaps and brings meaning to the silence. Have you ever seen a movie clip without the music score? It is painfully awkward to watch. But you add the music and it becomes powerful.

We all appreciate music, although we may not all agree on the style of it. It is good to remember that music alone, is amoral, meaning that the music style isn’t good or evil on it’s own. It is the use and the lyrics that will determine the morality of the music. Some appreciate quiet, contemplative music. Others like a heavy, harder beat. 

I personally can read and studied to Chopan, The Gray Havens, the band RED, and Andy Mineo this week alone. Maybe some praise and worship music in there too. I’ve also noticed that I can listen rap, contemporary, heavy metal and drive just fine, but if I’m singing along to praise and worship while driving, I tend to speed more (that was actually what was happening the last time I got a speeding ticket – which was over a decade ago lol). 

What is your favorite music? What is your go to song? Maybe you have several songs that come to mind. What song do you listen to when you are sad? Mad? Happy? Depressed? 

Songs matter and speak to us. Have you ever stopped to think about the power your music choices have over you? Examine the lyrics of the songs, are they consistent with God's Word? Do they fit with the Philippians 4:8 grid? 

Perhaps a song that has endured the longest and maintains a level of popularity some 3,000 years later is Psalm 23. A song of Kind David about The Shepherd from the perspective of a sheep. 

Last week we talked about David the shepherd boy. It was a defining season of his life. It was hard work that would take him days away from friends and family. It was a job that was often looked down upon, although David saw the importance of what he did. It was job that David used to cultivate a heart for God and worship of God in his daily task. In that way, David continues to be an example to us of how to live our daily lives at school or work for the glory of God. 

This week we will be looking at 1 Samuel 16:14-23, where David is called by King Saul to play his instrument to calm his mood. Again, we see the power of music to move the temperament and attitude of the king. 

King Saul didn’t know at this time that God had chosen David as his replacement, later in the story Saul will try to kill David, but for now he doesn’t see David as a threat. In verse 13, David was anointed by God, or we could say blessed by God. The Spirit of the Lord came upon David, but what does it say about Saul?

In verse 14, it says the Spirit of the Lord left Saul. We could say that God’s blessing and approval of Saul was removed. God’s anointing being lifted doesn’t mean that nothing good ever happened to Saul again, for we see that he was blessed and encouraged by music. But it does indicate that his time as king was coming to an end and that the empowerment of the Spirit had departed. 

David, receiving the blessing of the Lord, meaning the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, found himself catapulted from the shepherd’s fields to the king’s court in an instance. How? Why?

David may have had the day job of being a shepherd, but he also became a singer/songwriter in his spare time. It is easy to consider the times he was off in a distant field with his sheep, his lyre (as stringed instrument) and his rhymes, sing old songs and writing new songs. 

At some point, others began to hear and notice his gifting with the instrument. We don’t know if David played in the local synagogues or competed in a battle of the bands, but somehow (we actually know it was God’s plan) he was noticed by someone close to the king. 

King Saul was being plagued by “a harmful spirit from God” and wanted some soothing music to help him. What is meant by “a harmful spirit from God”? Does that mean that God sent a demon to attack Saul? I suppose you could define it as that, but I think a better interpretation is understanding the effects of sin and the consequences of guilt and shame on a person’s life. 

Saul disobeyed God and therefore lost the kingdom. His disobedience, rebellion, sin against God severed his fellowship with God. Sin disrupts our peace. Sin corrupts our mind and our thoughts. It robs us of harmony with our Creator. 

When the Holy Spirit convicts of sin, His intent is to draw us to repentance and dependence on God. When our own shame and guilt bring conviction, it puts us down and pushes us away from God. Genuine conviction of the Spirit will draw you closer to God, unrepentance will drive you away. 

Saul didn’t want to feel guilty or shameful in his disobedience. Remember, “power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely” (Lord Acton). Saul was king, he could do what he wants, or so he thought.

Rather than doing business with God, humbling himself and repenting of his sins, where he would find peace with God. Saul wants to mask his pain. He brings David the musician who will play beautiful music to fill the void so he isn’t left with his own thoughts of condemnation.

Sometimes it is good to use music as a distraction to our endless thoughts. If we get into a pattern of negative thoughts, it is good to find something to disrupt the patterns. However, sometimes we are afraid of our thoughts and avoid silence so that we won’t have to deal with them. Saul didn’t want to deal with them so he brought in David. 

We might put ear buds in, watch Netflix or listen to music until we fall asleep because we are afraid of thoughts in the silence. This practice often leads to disrupted sleep and tiredness, which compounds our thought problems. 

Remember Romans 8:1 - There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

When our thoughts are condemning us, we need to remind ourselves of the finished work of Christ and the freedom He has purchased on our behalf. Allow the Spirit of God to bring out the lies, the guilt and the shame you are holding onto so that He can draw you closer to the heart of God. It might sound like a scary process, but the judgment of God was poured out on Jesus on the cross, He won’t pour it out on you if you are in Christ. 

David, knowing God has called him to be king, went into king Saul’s service and performed his best for him. King Saul loved and appreciated David. And David became a refreshment to Saul.

David trusted God’s timing and didn’t try to take things into his own hand. Instead, he looked at every opportunity as a gift from God that he could use to benefit others. Here, he allowed the gifts and talents God gave him to be a blessing to the king. 

What talents and gifts has God given you? What song has God placed in your heart to be a blessing to others? 

You may not be a musician, I am not one, but that doesn’t prevent you from being used by God to bless others. In everything you do, do as unto the Lord, for you never know when God may call you into the kings court to be a calming presence and refreshment to others. 

David: Shepherd

Intro

This week we are starting a new series about one of the most beloved, revered and talked about Bible characters: King David: Shepherd.Warrior.King.Man.. On Sundays, we are going through the book of Psalms this year, and will be reading many songs written by King David, “a man after God’s own heart.” These next few weeks, we will be learning about the man behind the songs, and seeking to understand how we too can become men and women who are characterized by God’s heart. 

Read 1 Samuel 16 – David the Shepherd

Background

A little background to the story. God had selected a people group, the Israelites, who descended from Abraham and migrated to Egypt, God delivered them from bondage through miracles, led them into the wilderness wanderings, raised up leaders to guide them into the Promised Land. Due to their incomplete obedience, they went through several cycles of grace during the time of the Judges, a fractured people group made up of many tribes, but lacking national identity.

Then entered the time of the Prophets and Kings. Samuel was raised up as a prophet and last judge of Israel, who was guided by God to establish a king over the land. The first king of Israel was Saul, the peoples’ choice. He was a disaster and failed to obey God, which led to losing the kingdom. God send Samuel to anoint the future king of Israel, God’s choice, David.

Samuel doesn’t know that it will be David. All he knows is that there is a man who lives in Bethlehem named Jesse, and one of his sons will be anointed king. Samuel is obedient to God and makes his way to Bethlehem and to Jesse’s house. 

Man’s View is not God’s View 

Have you ever entered into a place knowing that you are looking to recruit someone to your team? Or maybe you were selected to be the captain of the team and you have to choose your team. What do you do? You scan those who want to be selected and you evaluate based on size, strength, speed, etc. for sports. But there is more to it than that. You have preferences and friendships. Part of your selection choice may be your friends, part may because you like the way someone looks, may your pass on someone because you don’t like how they look. 

If you had to make the choice of complete strangers and it was for something more important than a dodgeball game, how does that shape your choice? Most people pick the best looking, tallest, strongest person they can, based on their perceptions of that person. People are very easily swayed by their own perception and sometimes fail to vet the choice properly.

I’ve seen this in churches, and certainly we see this in politics. People are persuaded by a charismatic presence, a tall, strong appearance, and they make assumptions that this person is a good leader. That’s what the people did with king Saul. This is what Samuel was thinking when it came to Jesse’s sons.

1 Samuel 16:7

But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”

Praise the Lord for this truth! People are short sited and preferential. God is all-knowing and kind (and so much more…). God does not see us as others see us, or as we see ourselves (check out Psalm 103, 139 and 2 Cor 5:17). And God had other plans then what Jesse and Samuel thought.

How must David have felt when he heard that a prophet had come to see Jesse’s sons and he wasn’t even invited to the lineup? As the youngest child you kind of get used to missing out on some things. The first child gets all the attention, pictures, new clothes, etc. There is a novelty and a newness to life with a first-born child. In the excitement of everything being new, parents try to capture everything with their first born. 

Then each child after that the novelty of events, outfits and pictures wears off. Now it’s hand-me-downs and survival mode for parents. The over protection of the first child is now a knowledge of the resilience of the babies, so the older siblings care for the younger, etc. But that is all understandable. 

David’s dad didn’t think it was possible that Samuel would be looking for his youngest son who was off tending the sheep. Good thing God already saw him and chose him.

Sometimes this happens to our youth today. They are often overlooked because they are young. They think going to school is meaningless. They feel their voice is not heard and they are not taken seriously. But this isn’t how God sees them.

1 Timothy 4:12

Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.

God wants our youth to live like David did, to be bold in faith and set an example to others. God wants our youth to become men and women after his heart! David developed this while he was out tending sheep.

Out Tending Sheep

Have you ever cared for an animal? What did/do you have to do?

David was a shepherd boy tending his father’s sheep. In order to understand what that means today, we really only have to look at the Bedouin shepherds in the Middle East today. They pretty much are shepherding sheep the same way David did in Bethlehem over 2,000 years ago did. 

The chore of being a shepherd shaped David and laid the foundation of what he was going to become in God’s plan. A Bethlehem shepherd cared for a flock of sheep in a wilderness land. Shepherds would lead their flock each day to find food and water through a rocky mountainous terrain, not lush rolling hills of rich grass that often comes to our midwestern minds. 

Shepherds would care for the sheep, talk to them and even sing over them. Spending countless days and nights moving the herd to new pastures, David had a lot of time to reflect on God, practice his instrument and write songs. Oh how much of the book of Psalms and the development of David would have been lost if he had a smartphone!

Here we need to be reminded of the fact that our daily responsibilities, whether that is our chores around the house, school or a job, is shaping the person we will become. What we do does matter. You might look at a task, a homework assignment or a job as not that big a deal, but how you approach it will shape you. Either you will develop an attitude of insignificance or you will see a building block to bigger things. 

Some looked down on the role of a shepherd. They thought it was a dirty job, a meaningless job and would pass on the opportunity. 

Not David. He didn’t look down on the job, he cared about the sheep and his family. He made the most of his time by growing as a person, learning life lessons, worshiping and developing as a person. He practiced his harp and his voice and was later called to serve the king by playing his instrument. We still read his words today in the book of Psalms. 

When we see Christ in the mundane tasks of the day, we have an opportunity to worship God and experience his presence in our daily tasks.

God is using our present circumstances to prepare us for his future plans. 

David didn’t know at that time that God was going to call him to be a king, he just knew it was his job to be a shepherd boy and he made the most of it. He had to protect his sheep from a wolf and from a bear. He learned skills to protect his sheep and it paid off. 

But he didn’t just rely on his skills, he learned to pray and ask God for strength and victory. So, when he defeated the wolf and the bear, he praised God for the victory. Seeing God work in his life early, gave him confidence in his future. 

David recognized that caring for his father’s flock was important and provided a means of income and hope for his family. Allowing a predator to destroy the sheep would harm his family, so David was willing to sacrifice his safety in order to protect his sheep.

At night, a shepherd would gather in the flock to a pen, and the shepherd would lay in the doorway. The only access to the sheep was through the shepherd, and therefore he would keep them safe. 

You see, the sheep’s only hope of safety and security was being in proximity to the shepherd. This is true of us and our need to be close to our Savior, Jesus. 

The Good Shepherd – John 10:1-18

Jesus, like his great, great, grandfather David, is a shepherd. David was a shepherd of sheep, Jesus is a shepherd of people, the church. Jesus is the door to the Father and he protects his sheep. Jesus has come to offer life to those who enter in by him, and he will watch over them as they come in an out to pasture. 

He will guide his flock to daily provisions. He will watch over his flock through the darkest of nights. He has laid down his life and raised it up again, so that we who believe in him will live. 

David’s time in the wilderness, in obscurity, as a shepherd was about to come to an end, but it provided opportunities for him to become “the man after God’s own heart,” and the future king of Israel.

Anointed

When Samuel had finished looking at Jesse’s sons and God did not choose any of them, he asked if there were any more sons. Jesse said his youngest was in the field watching over the sheep. Samuel said to send for them quickly for they will all stand waiting for him to arrive.

When David arrived, it describes his appearance as “ruddy, had beautiful eyes and was handsome.” Some scholars conclude that means that he was a red head. I think they are on to something! LOL

God directed Samuel to anoint David as the future king of Israel. Upon anointing him, the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that point on. God called David to a huge task, but like the wolf and bear, God didn’t leave David to do it in his own power. His Spirit empowered David to live each day to become the king.

God calls us to himself through his son Jesus, and empowers us with his Spirit to faithfully follow him. As the sheep of his pasture, we need to stay close to him and listen to his voice and follow him. Like David, God will empower you to be faithful if you trust him.

Next week, we will look at the shepherd boy who became a warrior.

Kingdom Priorities

Matthew 6:33

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 

The New Year is upon us and it is full of possibilities! That’s the exciting thing about a new year, is the hope that things can be different, things can be better, goals can be accomplished and a fresh start is to be had. 

Even though we may not have accomplished everything we wanted to last year, that doesn’t stop the hope and anticipation of a new year being different. And we are right to be hopeful, for God says in Lamentations 3:22–23:

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Every morning, every day, every week, every month and every year, God’s steadfast love and mercies provide an opportunity for growth, for healing, for hope of the abundant life that Jesus promised us (John 10:10).

The reality is there is an enemy of our soul who does try to steal, kill and destroy our hope and our change that leads to that abundant life. And we should be watchful and mindful of his attempts. 

But the enemy we need to worry about in meeting our New Year’s resolutions and personal goals is closer than you think. It’s you. I mean it is ourselves that gets in our own way. We look forward to a new year, we make resolutions and promises of change and growth, but then we slip right back into the same old patterns, the same habits and nothing really changes. 

So the biggest changes we need this year is to reprioritize our values and time management. Trust me, I am writing this just as much to myself as I am to you. 

The problems is based in our own desire for comfort and pleasure. We may not want to admit it, but we are all hedonists at heart (a person who believes pursuit of pleasure is the most important thing). We want everything to be comfortable, enjoyable and pleasurable. We want change, but at our own pace. We want growth, but not if I have to give up my xbox, social media, music, toxic friendship, tv show, etc. 

Somethings we hold on to aren’t inherently bad, they are just distractions from the good. What we need is a perspective beyond our daily routine.   

Psalm 90:12

So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. 

We don’t know how many days we have, but we all know they are limited. We each get 24 hours in a day, 1,440 minutes or 86,400 seconds. How are we numbering those and making the best of those?

What would you do if you were giving $86,400 and someone stole $100 from you? Would you focus on the $100 so much that you miss out on enjoying what you could do with $86,300? Why do we get so caught up in a person cutting us off, or saying a something negative to us and let it ruin our whole day? 

So we need to learn to pursue a heart a wisdom with our days, minutes and seconds numbered.

Ephesians 5:15–17

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 

Here we are told that walking in a wise way is to make the best use of our time, to manage it with wisdom recognizing there is evil in the world. How? We understand what the will of the Lord is. What is the will of the Lord and how can we know it? 

God’s will is a large topic that we can’t fully unpack here, but a general statement is that God’s will is for you to love Him with all your heart, soul and mind, learning to be faithful to His words and treating others as He would treat them. 

It is so important that we understand that our relationship with Jesus needs to be our number one priority, for this life is temporary and our time is limited.

James 4:14

Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. 

On Monday night we saw something that never happens, the biggest football game of the week was stopped and postponed on national television. We are a NFL culture. It is the biggest stage and it pulls in a lot of money. But something happened this Monday that shifted everyone’s focus away from THE Game…LIFE.

Damar Hamlin, a 24 year old safety for the Buffalo Bills, after what looked like a routine hit, stood up, began to twitch and grab his chest, and collapsed in the middle of the field. The emergency staff acted swiftly and were able to have an AED attached, performing CPR for almost 9 minutes before stabilizing him enough to go to the hospital. 

Nobody was talking about football. Nobody was talking about Donavan Mitchell making NBA history across the state, scoring 71 points. The broadcast showed the players and coaches from both teams praying, worried, kneeling and hoping for the best. Broadcasters had no words to describe it, one saying, “we are not emotionally equipped to handle this, we can’t talk about football when a player’s life is on the line.”

One sports broadcaster openly admitted that he needed to pray and bowed his head and lead a prayer on national television. 

Something so startling, so upsetting, so much more significant than a game took over the attention of the nation, that is the significance of life. A brutal reminder of our fragility and temporary life. 

Your life is significant because it is a gift God has given you. What you do with your time will determine how you use that gift. Don’t get caught up in playing games and wasting time that life goes by without true meaning.

Jesus tells us that our number one priority needs to be seeking Him, His kingdom and living out kingdom principles (righteousness). Another way to say this is to love and obey God. A faithful life of obedience in the ordinary will lead to a significant life and impact on others. 

Sure we may have some big goals, and some will go on to doing big things. But for you and me, if we learn to prioritize God daily, to learn to love Him more today than I did yesterday. If I learn to Care for others, and treat them as I want to be treated. If I tell others about the goodness of God and the provision of grace found in Christ, then I will see God’s blessing in all areas of my life. Not only will I get Christ, but He will bless me with more than I could even ask or think. 

So this year, start with the big things, learn to prioritize your relationship with Jesus, your Bible, your faith. Allow Him to determine the values you hold to and the use of your time. When you start with the small stuff, you miss the big stuff. When you start with the big stuff, you get the small stuff thrown in!  

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

**I wrote this blog post in preparation for my Sermon on 4.18.21. You can listen to the sermon here or watch our worship service here. 

1 Peter 4:12–13

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. 

It’s a truly human statement. You know what it’s like, when you finally start to take charge of your life, develop a new habit, start your New Year’s resolution, only to feel like the rug gets pulled out from under you. 

It’s like stepping on the scale after a eating really healthy and it screams back at you gains instead of losses. When you pay off a bill, only to have to get your car fixed. When you finish your degree and you're excited to get your life started, and then you can’t find a job. 

Even worse, is when you finally take your faith seriously and you want to obey God, you decide to surrender an addiction, a sinful habit, to God and at the first turn you meet opposition. That’s life. It’s hard. It’s really, really hard. 

Sometimes it can even feel like the more you obey God, the more difficult life gets. King David felt this way. Consider Psalm 73…

Psalm 73:2–3

“But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled, my steps had nearly slipped. For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.”

David’s focus, in his distress, turned to the wicked, the pagans, surrounding him. These people were arrogant and prosperous. They rejected God, and yet their life seemed so easy. 

But David had to gain a new perspective, he had to get his eyes off the wicked and onto His God.

Psalm 73:16–17

“But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end.”

He had to turn to the truth, to the God he loved, and have a course correction.

Psalm 73:23–26

“Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

He turned his complaint into a praise, this is lament. It’s been said, “to cry is human, to lament is Christian.”

It’s a discipline we need to learn and develop in this life. Lament is to turn your complaint into worship, your grief into praise. It is to recognize your own limitations and the vastness of God’s grace.

I want you to keep this in mind as we turn to Exodus 5 (Read).

Let’s remember our context here in Exodus. God called out a people from this world when He called Abraham. He placed a blessing and a promise on them, that He would direct them, prosper them and invite them into His redemptive plan. 

Yet his descendants ended up in 400 years of slavery in Egypt. They entered Egypt in prestige, but were systemically dehumanized over generations, until all they knew was subservience to the Pharaoh. 

God’s divine hand on His people, caused one of their children to be rescued by Pharaoh’s own daughter, and raised in Pharaoh’s house. For forty years, Moses was raised as a prince of Egypt, yet wrestled with his identity, knowing he was a Hebrew. 

In attempts to take matters in his own hands, he had to flee the palace and find respite in the wilderness. It took another 40 years to get Egypt out of Moses, and prepare him for the role God had for him, to be the messenger of God to lead His people to freedom.

As mentioned before, Moses had an identity crisis. He didn’t know who he was when he was a prince, with education, prestige and power. Now he is in the wilderness and believes himself to be nothing. 

Yet he met God at the burning bush, and God chose him to be a messenger. Even with the miraculous signs, Moses couldn’t shake his identity crisis, and didn’t feel worthy of this call. Yet God, in His loving kindness and patience, held fast to His commitment to use Moses to lead His people.

A Courageous Step of Obedience

Moses, now in cooperation with his brother Aaron, stood before the people and told them all that God commanded of them. The people received the Word from God and rejoiced. Exodus 4 ends with a celebratory worship service!

With the support of a rejoicing people, a call from God and his brother beside him, Moses takes courage and stands before Pharaoh. He proclaims, “Thus said YHWH, let my people go.” 

This is epic! Can you imagine the adrenaline rushing? His expectations soaring and believing God could actually use him to move the hand of Pharaoh! 

PAUSE

Let’s consider Egypt for a moment, and how Pharaoh was going to receive this. Egypt was the super power of the known world at this time. Pharaoh was considered to be divine, and the mediator between the Egyptian gods and the people. People entered into his presence as if he were a god.

He ruled the world as an Ancient Near Eastern king would, allowing people from all walks of life and lands to have an audience with him. The common approach for a visiting representative would be to say, “Thus says the king from my land.” Pharaoh would then recognize that the message was sent by an emissary and give merit based on his knowledge of this known land.

Enter in Moses and Aaron, who boldly say, “Thus says YHWH the God of the Hebrews, let my people go.” 

Opposition and Negative Impact

Pharaoh’s response is telling, “who is this God? I don’t know YHWH. You say He’s the God of the slaves? I know the gods, I don’t know this god. Nope, I’m not giving away my free labor from your appeal. They must be lazy, so thanks for letting me know. They can work harder now.” 

Back to Moses

That was supposed to work. I say what God wants me to say and Pharaoh would obey. Although, God did tell him that Pharaoh would not listen. An interesting study is to follow Pharaoh’s statement “I don’t know this God” and the acts of God through Exodus, “this is YHWH!” 

Moses is discouraged, but at least he has the his people with him, right? Wrong! Now they are frustrated with Moses for making their lives even more difficult. Their praise is now turned to complaint and frustration. 

Lamenting and Gaining Perspective

Moses is left with questions. His expectations have hit an all-time low. 

Exodus 5:22–23

Then Moses turned to the LORD and said, “O Lord, why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done evil to this people, and you have not delivered your people at all.” 

Moses takes his complaint before the Lord. He begins to lament and express his frustrations to his God. Moses has not given up on God, but now he is questioning God.

Here in chapter 5, we don’t know what’s coming next. If we are only looking at chapter 5, it is a discouraging chapter. Moses wrote it, knowing what God did and how God delivered His people, but he wrote this so the people would see his growth and God’s hand. 

We all experience disappointments and frustrations. Moses did. Kind David did. You have or will. I have. We want things to be easy and straightforward. But we live in a broken and fallen world. Sin makes a wreck of everything. 

“God’s people must not assume that carrying out his commands will increase their own comfort.” (Doug Stuart)

It’s a journey that we are on. Our destination is not the here and now, but in the plan and presence of God. His timing, His way is perfect and it’s for our greatest good.

“The desert taught him much, but experience can teach him more. He must learn to be still, and wait on God, relying wholly on the sovereign purpose of God which will ensure that the redemption of his people will take place.” (Iain D. Campbell)

Moses’ faith was shaken, his confidence diminished and his resolve questioned. He heard the command of God, but inserted his own plan and expectations too. What failed? Not God. Moses’ expectations.

God told him that Pharaoh would be stubborn. God warned him that it was going to get worse before it got better. God’s plan was for Moses to take one step forward, and another step forward. 

However, Moses felt like it was two steps back. 

Moses needs a course correction, he needs to gain perspective. He is too close to the immediate frustrations to see the bigger picture. All he can see is disappointment and hardship. 

When life gets hard, when things don’t go the way we expected them to go, we have a choice. We can blame God, which only frustrates more. Or we can wait on the Lord and trust that He will be faithful to those who persevere in faith. 

My niece, Kayla Ricker, helped me illustrate this point. Below is four pictures. Picture 1, represents what we see when we are in the midst of trials. It’s hard to make out what it actually is. We can see it’s messy and can seem chaotic. Why?

Picture 2 shows why. We are too close to the painting to see the picture. It’s as if our eyeball is right up to the canvas. Here you see Bash, standing right against he painting. We, the observers, can see there is a painting there, but poor bash can only see what’s in front of him.

Gaining perspective is hard work. Picture 3 shows Bash’s effort to step back, but his focus is still on that singular spot. He’s straining and straining, trying to pry his eyeball off of that spot. 

This is what David meant in Psalm 73:16

“But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task…”

We can’t snap our fingers an arrive, we need to go to the “sanctuary of God.” We need God’s Word, God’s Spirit and God’s people to help us gain perspective. 

Picture 4 is this very thing. When we can step back and observe the whole picture, we can see what God was doing. We can appreciate the beauty of the masterpiece. 

What are some truths we need to dwell on when we are trying to gain perspective?

We have the luxury of knowing the rest of Moses’ story. We know that God shows up and teaches Pharaoh a lesson. He delivers His people in a miraculous way. He meets His people in the dessert and sets up camp with them. He institutes genuine worship and guides them. The Passover celebration and the Tabernacle point to the ultimate deliverance coming in the person of Jesus Christ!

But we don’t know the rest of our own story. We need the presence and promises of God to sustain us in the here and now.

The Bible is full of these truths, too many to unpack here. However, the Great 8, that is, Romans chapter 8 has so much to teach us and comforts for us to hold fast too.

Romans 8:1

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 

Romans 8:16–17

The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. 

Romans 8:18

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

Romans 8:28

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 

When we are following Jesus, even when it seems like everything is against us, we are victorious. We don’t have to worry about standing condemned before God. We may suffer with Him, but we are His children and heirs of His promises. What you may be going through right now cannot be compared to the glory God has awaiting you. God is working all things for your good, shaping you into the image of Christ. 

Moses offered his complaint, and God answered him.

Exodus 6:1

But the LORD said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for with a strong hand he will send them out, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land.”

More on that next week, but for now know that God did not abandon Moses. He will not abandon you. 

What do we learn from Moses in Exodus 5? 

Walk in obedience, expect trouble along the way, gain perspective by holding fast to God’s promises, learn to lament, and wait on God, He will answer. 

The only step is to persevere in our trust of God, what we will find is that, instead of one step forward and two steps back, we step into the arms of God and He will carry us home.