The longest finger in the Bible - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 2 Samuel 12:7,

"You are the man!"

The Lord sent the prophet Nathan to David to point out his sin in committing adultery with Bathsheba and murdering her husband. After employing a parable, Nathan had adequately revealed David' sin and concluded with this accusation. I'm quite sure that David knew he had sinned, but the Lord confronted David with it, forcing him to confess his sin and get right with the Lord about it.

The whole affair is something of a reality the Lord wants us to be aware of today. Follow this pattern:

1. "You are the man!" Verse 7.

2. "I have sinned against the Lord, Verse 13.

3. "The Lord has taken away your sin." Verse 13.

4. "The son born to you will die." Verse 14.

5. "Then David got up from the ground." Verse 20.

6. "David took the crown from their king's head, and it was placed on his own head." Verse 30.

In point 1 above, David is accused by the Lord for his sin. We, likewise have sinned and the Lord's law convicts us of being sinners no matter what we have done. We have all sinned.

In point 2, David confesses his sin to the Lord. David was a man of faith, and as such had to confess his sin to God. The Lord, likewise, looks for our confession as well, insuring we understand where we sit in his court when we sin.

In point 3, David is told his sin is forgiven, the Lord has "taken it way." So, also us, our sins have been paid for by Jesus Christ, and when we acknowledge our sin and ask his forgiveness, our sins are "taken away" as well. Note John's comment in 1 John 1:8-10, "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us."

Nevertheless, even though our sins may be forgiven, we are not immune from reaping what we sow. In point 4, David is informed by Nathan that due to David's sin, in spite of him being forgiven it, his newborn son will die. Note Paul's comment about reaping what we sow, "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows." Galatians 6:7.

In point 5, David models for us exactly what we need to do when we get side-lined by sin. After seeking God's forgiveness, we need to get up, dust ourselves off, and move ahead. God has plenty of things for us to do to help build his kingdom while we are still here on this earth.

In point 6 we see that although we have sinned, and although we may reap what we sow, God is never finished with us. Having gotten up from the whole affair, after getting right with God, David resumes his victories with God at his side. So us as well, we need to expect to be both useful and blessed by God after a sinful episode in our lives.

Perhaps I'm taking a bit of liberty with the text here. However, the account really does portray fascinating truth for us today in our relationship with God when sin's ugly face shows itself in our lives.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Faith does not make us perfect persons - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 2 Samuel 11:27b,

"But the thing David had done displeased the Lord."

In the well known account of David's adultery with Bathsheba and his murder of her husband, Uriah, we are told the Lord was displeased with what David had done. Later, the Lord will confront David through the prophet Nathan.

David was a man of tremendous faith. In the account of his face-off with the giant Goliath, the faith he displayed was indomitable. David's faith was such that Paul, a millennium later, would observe God's comment of him, "I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do." Acts 13:22. Yet, here we have David up to his eyeballs in adultery and murder.

How can God find a man who commits murder, who commits adultery as one who is "after my own heart"? The answer lies in an understanding of what faith is and what it is not. The writer of Hebrews tells us, "without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." Hebrews 11:6. This observation that God rewards those who embrace him in faith provides for the inverse of the first half of this verse, "without faith it is impossible to please God" becomes "with faith it is possible to please God."

With faith, our reward is eternal life with our Creator. With faith we enter into a special family relationship with God where we become co-heirs together with Jesus Christ (see Romans 8) in all he inherits from the Father. With faith we find a place for us at God's table. With faith, we become pleasing and acceptable to God.

We are found to be holy and blameless in God's sight, Ephesians 1:4, due to what is said in verses 13 and 14 of that same chapter, "you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory." Faith brings us a standing of holiness and blamelessness in God's sight.

However, faith does not make us a perfect person. We read of sinful acts of the patriarchs in Israel's history. Here David, elsewhere Abraham (God's model of faith for us), Jacob, Samson, etc. In the early church we have Peter who was confronted by Paul, an occasion we read about in Galatians  2:11-21. We have the account of a very divisive disagreement between Paul and Barnabas in Acts 15:39 regarding Mark, "Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company."

What this teaches us is that faith, while it brings us God's grace through his salvation of us to eternal life, does not make us perfect in this life. Perfection awaits us in the resurrection, when we finally are entirely freed of our sinful natures. In the meantime, "So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want." Galatians 5:16-17.

While in this life, we are forgiven our sins as believers in Jesus Christ because of his payment for those sins we commit. When David sinned, it displeased the Lord. When we sin, we displease the Lord. However, we remain in his family, entirely dependent upon his grace and his mercy.

Do not be surprised when a brother or sister around you sins... they are no more perfect than you are, just as what we see in David in this passage.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Team Cain's hostility toward Team Abel - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 2 Samuel 10:1-4,

"In the course of time, the king of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanun succeeded him as king. David thought, 'I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, just as his father showed kindness to me.' So David sent a delegation to express his sympathy to Hanun concerning his father. When David's men came to the land of the Ammonites, the Ammonite commanders said to Hanun their lord, 'Do you think David is honoring your father by sending envoys to you to express sympathy? Hasn't David sent them to you only to explore the city and spy it out and overthrow it?' So Hanun seized David's envoys, shaved off half of each man's beard, cut off their garments at the buttocks, and sent them away."

This humiliation of David's men led to a war in which many thousands were killed. I can't help but note that the very best and sincere intentions of David were met with suspicion and hostility. The reaction of Hanun's commanders to David's expression of sympathy was unfounded, unreasonable, and communicated great hostility.

Today, we live in a day when so many fret over what must have western civilization done to Islamic militants such that they too are hostile, vicious and attack innocents without apparent provocation. And, as with so many things, today's pundits, politicians and talking heads are without a clue. This being the case they have bent over backwards to insure there be absolutely no potential for hurt feelings by Muslims. This is why granny gets the treatment by the TSA when she flies, so that when Muslim men in their twenties get frisked at the airport, they do not feel like they are being picked on... all these kinds of foolish reactions by many in our culture who don't, as I say, have a clue.

There is a very simple and truthful explanation for what so many do not understand. Both the Ammonites in David's day and today's jihadists belong to what I refer to as "Team Cain". Christians and Jews belong to "Team Abel". It isn't just exactly so, but generally speaking, Islamic militants, as members of Team Cain hate and seek to destroy Team Abel. Team Cain exists outside of God's tent, are hostile and resentful and seek to destroy what the Judaeo-Christian heritage has produced - western civilization. As such, the United States and Israel are in the cross-hairs of militant Islam and are slated for annihilation by them.

Team Cain, of course, is not just made up of jihadists. Any group that is hostile to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, that is hostile to Jesus Christ and his church make their home in Team Cain. This is the group we see in Psalm 2:1-3 , "Why do the nations conspire [rage] and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, 'Let us break their chains and throw off their shackles.'"

Their rage is vented, not just against God, but also his people. John observed this in 1 John 3:12-13, "Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous. Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you."

Just as David destroyed the Ammonites, so God will ultimately destroy all of Team Cain. As we read in the next few verses of Psalm 2:4-6, "The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. He rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, 'I have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain.'"

There is no future in the long term for the members of Team Cain. No future for Islam or for the many groups right here in the United States that are hostile to God and his people. These will all find their inevitable end in a fiery lake of burning sulfur, Revelation 21:8. 

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

A place for us at God's table! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 2 Samuel 9:7,

"'Don't be afraid,' David said to him, 'for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.'"

David had called for Mephibosheth, son of Johnathan, David's friend that he loved, to appear before him. At the beginning of the chapter we read of David asking, "Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan's sake?" Mephibosheth was identified as one who was remaining from the family of Johnathan, Saul's son (King Saul was Mephibosheth's grandfather.)

Perhaps this is a bit of a stretch, but I can't help but be reminded that just as King David desired to bless Johnathan's family, and making a place for Mephibosheth at his table, so, likewise, God the Father welcomes to his table those who are from the house of our Lord, Jesus Christ. I'm not attempting to suggest that David and the others in this chapter are types for the reality that those who belong to Jesus Christ are welcomed into God's family, but simply that this kindness David extended to this family member of Johnathan, reminds me that God the Father has made a place for us at his table because of Jesus Christ.

We are told that all who embrace Jesus Christ in faith are welcomed into the Kingdom of God, that we become heirs of all that belongs to Jesus Christ as given by God the Father, "The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry,'Abba, Father.' The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

How wonderful is that?!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

David's faith was not a "work" - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 2 Samuel 8:6b,

"The Lord gave David victory wherever he went."

After listing David's military victories over the Philistines, the Moabites, Hadadezer of Zobah, and the Arameans, this comment is made. It is repeated again in verse 14 after the mentions of David defeating Edom, Moab (again), the Ammonites, the Philistines (again) and Amalek.

Why did the Lord give David victory "wherever he went?" Was David God's "teacher's pet"? Did God owe David something? Was David deserving of these victories because of the way he lived his life? I think none of these things.

What I do think is that God had his own agenda and pursued it through David - a man of faith, a man whose faith informed him of both God's purposes and the future that would be David's in God's kingdom yet to come. God knew that in spite of the fact that David's faith didn't make him a perfect person, it did make him the perfect person to pursue his agenda that would ultimately culminate in the coming of Jesus Christ to accomplish God's program of redemption and the building of his kingdom. We read in Acts 13:22, "I [God] have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do."

In spite of David's faith, it was not a debt that God owed David that prompted him to give David victory wherever he went. Our faith in the Lord, like David's, is always rewarded by him, but does not incur a debt on God's part towards us. Many have misunderstood what faith actually is and the part it plays in a potential relationship with the Lord. Some, contrary to the teaching of Scripture, equate faith as some kind of "work" that would render God indebted to us. Therefore, they reject out of hand the truth of salvation by faith.

Here is some of what the Scriptures say in regard to this very important issue of faith not being a "work", "Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness." Romans 3:4-5. Notice, a person who trusts in God is not a person who works. Also, "What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; but the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness, have not attained their goal. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone." Note that a righteous standing is come by faith, not "as if it were by works." Simply put, faith is not a work and our faith does not incur a debt God owes us.

David's victories in this life were due to the agenda God pursued through a man of faith, not a reward for his faith, as if David's faith had been a good job done by him that incurred a debt from God, paid back through giving him victories.

This may seem to be a bit far into the weeds, but the great heresy of our day is the rejection of many in the church of the doctrine of salvation by faith, in favor of a doctrine of salvation by appointment. For these folks, faith is simply the manifestation of salvation, not what brings it. Their confusion is over an understanding of what faith is and what faith is not. 

Faith is not a work, but our faith in Jesus Christ brings us a place in God's kingdom, a place at his table! How wonderful is that?!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

The high cost of irreverence - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 2 Samuel 6:6-10,

"When they came to the threshing floor of Nakon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark of God, because the oxen stumbled. The Lord's anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act; therefore God struck him down, and he died there beside the ark of God. Then David was angry because the Lord's wrath had broken out against Uzzah, and to this day that place is called Perez Uzzah. David was afraid of the Lord that day and said, 'How can the ark of the Lord ever come to me?' He was not willing to take the ark of the Lord to be with him in the City of David. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite."

The ark of the Lord, following its possession by the Philistines, was at this time in Kiriath Jearim. David prepared a place for it in Jerusalem and pitched a tent for it. The above took place when they attempted to bring the ark to Jerusalem.

One might think Uzzah's actions where quite appropriate, yet the Lord struck him dead. However, the manner in which David went about moving the ark altogether failed to demonstrate an appropriate reverence for the Lord. Note the comment David made about the event, "It was because you, the Levites, did not bring it [the ark of the Lord] up the first time that the Lord our God broke out in anger against us. We did not inquire of him about how to do it in the prescribed way." 1 Chronicles 15:13. David was busy doing things his own way without regard for the Lord and it resulted in the death of Uzzah.

I am reminded that the healthy fear of the Lord we should all maintain requires an ongoing reverence for him and the things that are his, even in the midst of our celebration of him. Doing things any old way we see fit when we come together to worship just might reflect irreverence for who it is we are worshiping! How often I have not sought out the Lord to seek what it is I should be doing and how I should be doing it when it comes time for the things of God in my life.

Something to consider...

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

The importance of waiting for the Lord's best - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 2 Samuel 5:12,

"Then David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel and had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel."

"Then" in the above verse refers to the occasion when Hiram, king of Tyre, sent envoys to David together with building materials and builders.

The Lord could have made David Israel's next king immediately when he decided to replace Saul. However, what we read here is that it is not until after many different things had taken place from the time Samuel anointed David as Israel's new king until now that David recognized the Lord had finally "established" David's throne in Israel.

It wasn't a short road from the time the Lord decided (and let it be known!) to replace Saul, to the time David's kingdom was finally established in the nation. A number of events intervened, political intrigue and upheaval, conflict and war, major family turns and twists and disasters all had its impact on David and the nation to bring things in the nation to the point when David was finally established as king over Israel.

God is our transcendent and Sovereign Creator. He could have just ordered things so that David was immediately established on the throne the day he let it known he was going to replace Saul. But God had other things he wanted to do, there were additional agendas of his that attended the ascendancy of David to Israel's throne. Many of those things, no doubt, where unknown to David and the others who played a part in Israel's history at this time.

The thought strikes me that where I may be unable to walk and chew gum all at the same time, God is able to accomplish innumerable things when he accomplishes just one thing. Due to this, where I may expect something from God to happen immediately, it just may be that what I am anticipating is taking the long way to arrive because the Lord is doing other things I may not be aware of. Things that may take a little longer but are important for the level at which God may want whatever it is to be. Things that may be required to accomplish what it is God is doing in the way God wants it to happen.

Sometimes we do know what it is God may be doing that causes what I want to happen right now to take much longer. I am reminded of passages such as, (in looking for the return of Jesus Christ) when Peter says "But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." 1 Peter 3:8-9. Also James 5:7-8. "Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near."

What is it you may be patiently awaiting for from the Lord? One possible reason what you have prayed for has not yet arrived is that the Lord may be accomplishing the very thing in his own, much superior way than we could ever imagine… taking his time to bring the best.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Moral clarity in the midst of political intrigue - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my heart and mind in 2 Samuel 4:9-11,

"David answered Rekab and his brother Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the
Beerothite, 'As surely as the Lord lives, who has delivered me out of
every trouble, when someone told me, "Saul is dead," and thought he
was bringing good news, I seized him and put him to death in Ziklag.
That was the reward I gave him for his news! How much more—when wicked
men have killed an innocent man in his own house and on his own
bed—should I not now demand his blood from your hand and rid the earth
of you!'"

During the transition of Israel to a monarchy, a number of political
things took place. The first man to be anointed by Samuel as king was
Saul. Saul, who ordered his life, not by seeking the Lord, but by
reacting to the circumstances he found himself in did not work out.
The Lord then had Samuel anoint David as king. This eventually
resulted in a war between the camp of Saul and the camp of David. When
Saul died in his battle with the Philistines by literally falling on
his sword, Abner, the commander of Saul's army, took Ish-Bosheth,
Saul's son, and made him king over Israel.

Later, when Ish-Bosheth confronted Abner for sleeping with his
deceased father's (Saul's) concubine, Abner became angry and went over
to David's camp, who had been at war with Ish-Bosheth. After having
met with Abner, David accepted him and sent him on his way. Joab, one
of David's commanders, then killed Abner because Abner had killed his
brother. When Ish-Bosheth heard of Abner's death, "he lost courage,
and all Israel became alarmed" 2 Samuel 4:1. Because of this, two of
Ish-Boseth's raiding party leaders then killed Ish-Bosheth.

You get the picture here... a truck load of political upheaval.
However, in the midst of it all, David maintained a high level of
moral clarity (at this time anyway). He condemned (and had put to
death) the Amalekite who assisted in Saul's death for confessing, "I
killed the Lord's anointed." Additionally, he appropriately mourned
Saul's death, even though Saul attempted to kill him. David also
condemned Joab and those with him for killing Abner. Also, even though
David was at war with Ish-Bosheth, when ish-Bosheth was murdered by
his own men, David condemned the men who did it and had them put to
death.

Although David was at war with the house of Saul, he would not raise
his hand against a member of Saul's family -because Saul had been the
Lord's anointed at one time. None of the political intrigue that
swirled around him was able to take David's eye off of the godly
responses David knew to be right.

The difference between David and all around him was that David was a
man of faith and his faith (better said, the Lord himself) carried him
through the most difficult of times by David keeping his focus on the
Lord. I am reminded of Paul's admonition, "set your hearts on things
above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your
minds on things above, not on earthly things." Colossians 3:1-2.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send
me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are
receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just
respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

God works his will in a world gone astray - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 2 Samuel 3:2-5,

"Sons were born to David in Hebron: His firstborn was Amnon the son of Ahinoam of Jezreel; his second, Kileab the son of Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel; the third, Absalom the son of Maakah daughter of Talmai king of Geshur; the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital; and the sixth, Ithream the son of David's wife Eglah. These were born to David in Hebron."

The above listing of sons born to David include another list: a list of women David had children with: Ahinoam, Abigail, Maakah, Haggith, Abital, Eglah. A few verses later we read about Michal and later we read about Bathsheba. Michal had no children, 2 Samuel 6:23, but David's tryst with Bathsheba resulted in her conceiving a boy, which resulted in David conceiving the murder of her husband, Uriah. (This boy died as a baby in God's judgment of David for his adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah.) Bathsheba was also the mother of Solomon, David's successor to the throne.

Lots of women in David's life. In Deuteronomy the Lord tells Israel that if they demand a king to be over them after they enter the promised land, to appoint someone of the Lord's choosing. Here are the requirements the Lord provided for a king over Israel, "He (the king) must be from among your fellow Israelites. Do not place a foreigner over you, one who is not an Israelite. The king, moreover, must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself or make the people return to Egypt to get more of them, for the Lord has told you, 'You are not to go back that way again.' He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray. He must not accumulate large amounts of silver and gold." Deuteronomy 17:15-17.

Not a lot of wives. However, in this patriarchal period, polygamy was the practice and David practiced it well (as well as adultery). As many as the women are we read of in David's life, he didn't hold a candle to his son Solomon who had a thousand wives and concubines. Nonetheless, not to recognize all of the women in David's life is to not know David very well.

I note the Lord's prohibition for kings about wives is based on a somewhat subjective guideline: "He must not take many wives." How many is many? Certainly for us today, "many" is anything more than just one, regardless of whether a man is a king or not. Polygamy is against the law today, but in David's day it was not just legal, but it was the practice for those who could afford wives.

Here is an interesting question: when was polygamy banned in the Scriptures and monogamy recognized (or even commanded) as the ideal or only way in marriage? Where is it we find the condemnation of polygamy in the Scriptures? And, here is another interesting question: if we are going to say that monogamy is God's ideal for us, why will there be no marriage in heaven? (See Matthew 22:30.)

Please do not misunderstand me. I firmly believe monogamy is the only way to go when considering marriage. Not only is polygamy against the law, but, considering all of my shortcomings, I'm fortunate to survive having just one wife at a time.

In any event, all of this portrays just a small bit of the context in which God pursues his agenda and accomplishes all he desires. He does so in the midst of less than perfect circumstances in the world. He works his will in this world despite the sinful rebellion of our hearts and all the trouble our decisions create.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Does God care which chair I use at the dinner table? - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 2 Samuel 2:1a,

"In the course of time, David inquired of the Lord. 'Shall I go up to one of the towns of Judah?' he asked."

King Saul was dead by this time and David had been previously anointed by Samuel (who was now dead as well) to succeed him as king. Due to Saul's efforts to kill him, David had fled to Israel's enemy, the Philistines. In order to reestablish his presence among the Israelites, David inquired of the Lord for his next step in taking the mantle of Israel's next king.

David was a man of faith. That faith did not make him a perfect person, as we find in the accounts about David. However, he was a man of God, and unlike Saul, David sought the Lord in the decisions and actions he took. David was a man of prayer, as our verse shows. Saul's downfall, as one who was not of faith, was to look to make his decisions and take his actions based on the circumstances he found himself in, as opposed to seeking God's guidance. I suspect Saul prayed little.

This morning, my thoughts are drawn to determining which things we should take to God in prayer. Here in this verse we see David asking God where he should go to next. It wasn't a simple question of where a nice place might be to live, but to seek God on next steps in establishing his reign as Israel's next king.

Paul tells us, in Ephesians 6:18, "Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people." Prayer is important. All believers should be cultivating a prayer life, bringing before the Lord the many things that are on our hearts - certainly those things the Holy Spirit is prompting us in.

However, I note that Paul doesn't tell us to pray before we do anything and everything. I believe a consideration must be made here. I don't ask God if I should take my very next breath, so a determination of what it is that I should pray to God about is necessary - what are those things I need to be in prayer about? There are things, I believe, that the Lord simply has no preference on, things he will not provide us direction on. All things being equal, does God care whether I sit in the 9th, or 10th pew on Sunday morning? Does he expect me to seek him on which color of sheets I use on my bed? I don't think he cares about that, and if he did answer our question on it, it might be, "Why pester me on something like this?" God has given each of us our own minds, wills and emotions and he expects us to use them. That's why he endowed us with them.

On the other hand, if I have a child, lets say, that appears to be turning his back on the Lord, that is clearly something Paul would have me pray about, and something I'm certain God would like to hear from me about. David's next move to establish his kingship in the nation of Israel was important for him to pray about. Prayer is vital and there are many, many things we need to be on our knees before God about. But a prudent consideration of which kinds of things I should be in prayer about is something I need to be learning from the Scriptures, and itself a matter of bringing before God in prayer - that we might get it right.

Sometimes we need to get passed the issue of whether we are regularly praying or not (faithful believers pray!) and move on to what it is we are praying about. It does little good to be bringing things before God of little to no consequence, and particularly if doing so obscures our recognition of those things we really need to be praying about.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Profound friendship - not homosexuality - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 2 Samuel 1:26,

"I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother;
    you were very dear to me.
Your love for me was wonderful,
    more wonderful than that of women."

Upon hearing of the death of Saul and his son Jonathon, David mourned and penned the lament this verse comes from. In it he recalls the love he had for Jonathon, and that of Jonathon for himself.

We live in a day when the world shakes its collective fist in rebellion against its Creator. Instead of acknowledging God as he who "created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them", Genesis 1:27, many today have subscribed to fanciful notions of how mankind came into existence apart from the creative acts of our great Designer. Mankind has also seized (only in its own mind) for itself the role as to who it is that determines our gender. Nothing speaks more loudly, in pushing for the lie that our Creator God does not exist, than seizing credit for ourselves for determining what gender we are.

Our culture today demands homosexuality be accepted as a legitimate and bona fide behavior and lifestyle. As such, biblical Christianity is under attack. From without, Christianity's teachings are simply rejected. From within, attempts are made to distort what the Bible has to say about homosexuality. In short order we read in the Bible, "Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable." Leviticus 18:22. The penalty God gave Moses for those who committed acts of homosexuality was they were to be cut off from their people and be put to death. Also we read in 1 Corinthians 6:9, "Do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men...will inherit the kingdom of God."

Not to be put off by what the Scriptures actually teach, the many who fancy themselves as being on the cutting edge of today's society, who consider themselves in tune with the latest cultural movements and directions, but yet would like to retain their place in the church - embrace homosexuality (they have "evolved" on the issue) by deceiving themselves and others through a thorough twisting of the Scriptures. Our verse here about David and Jonathan is one such place. Another is 1 Samuel 20:17, "And Jonathan had David reaffirm his oath out of love for him, because he loved him as he loved himself."

The very same God who declared homosexuality as detestable is the same God who said, "I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do." Acts 13:22. It is this very same God whose apostle said of those who reject Jesus Christ, "Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error." Romans 1:24-27.

No, David was no homosexual and to construe him as such is a misreading of 2 Samuel 1:26. David's point in his lament was that he was going to miss a friend whose love and friendship transcended even the sexual embrace of another, which was his point in his reference to the natural love of a woman for a man. Not that Jonathan's embrace was better than a woman's in terms of sex, but that his friendship with him transcended a relationship of the type that would include sex. This was a deeply held friendship that had its roots in a common bond of love for God with underpinnings of a strong spiritual desire for God. In speaking of his friendship with him, Johnathon told David, "Go in peace, for we have sworn friendship with each other in the name of the Lord, saying, 'The Lord is witness between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants forever.'"

The Lord condemns homosexuality. But he offers his love and forgiveness to homosexuals as well as to all who have engaged in any sin our corrupted hearts have conceived (that would be all of us). All sins were paid for on the cross of Jesus Christ and he offers paradise in the next life to all who embrace him in faith and seek his forgiveness.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Reaping may be delayed, but it is certain - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Samuel 31:6,

"So Saul and his three sons and his armor-bearer and all his men died together that same day."

Here is the end of Israel's first king. Israel, in her rejection of God demanded a king of Samuel's appointment. When Samuel approached God over it, God told him to go ahead and give them what they wanted - he gave the nation over to its own desires, and it turned tragic.

Saul was not a man of faith. He had all the opportunities anyone could possibly need or want to recognize who God was and what God would do for the faithful. Yet, Saul, throughout his reign allowed his circumstances to dictate his choices, his actions, his movements, his life. Now, after a life of faithlessness, Saul dies an ignominious death with Israel in disarray and running from the Philistines.

I note that Saul ruled Israel as king for forty-two years, 1 Samuel 13:1, which means that Saul's shortcomings before God did not result in his dishonorable demise immediately. It was years in the coming. Israel suffered under Saul's kingship for forty-two years, existing as fragment of what it could have been had the nation sought God's leadership. But... they wanted a king. They did not want what God wanted for the nation and so they trudged under the mediocre leader for forty-two years.

Saul's delayed reaping of his faithlessness toward God reminds me that when we reap what we sow, it may not be immediate. It could be, but not necessarily so, and so the consequences for the foolishness in my life may be something I face later. Thinking we might have "gotten away" with something because we escaped an immediate judgment from God is a temerarious perspective. I am reminded of Hebrews 4:13, "Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account." Also, Romans 14:12, "So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God."

Sobering, isn't it?

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

What was David's was the Lord's - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Samuel 30:26,

"When David reached Ziklag, he sent some of the plunder to the elders of Judah, who were his friends, saying, 'Here is a gift for you from the plunder of the Lord's enemies.'"

This plunder was what David retrieved from the Amalekites who had raided the Negev and Ziklag. In raiding and burning down Ziklag, David's wives were taken as well as all that belonged to many in his band of fighters.

Upon returning to Ziklag, David's men were beside themselves when they found their families had been plundered and began threatening to stone him. David "found strength in the Lord his God", verse 6, and pursued the raiding Amalekites and retrieved it all, including the women and children. It was from what David recovered that he sent what he did to the elders of Judah.

I note that David referred to the raiding Amalekites as "the Lord's enemies", not "my enemies" nor "the enemies of my band of warriors" or any other such kind of description. He called them "the Lord's enemies."

Although some may point to the use of relative euphemisms as to why David referred to the Amalekites as "the Lord's enemies", but I think it quite likely that he used that terminology because the Amalekites had raided Judah, the Lord's people. When you raid the Lord's people, you are raiding the Lord.

The Muslims of today may note the devastating consequences of contemplating such an unwise action.

It is my perspective that there was an even further reason David referred to those who had raided his family and the families of his band of warriors as "the Lord's enemies." That further reason is that David, in spite of any shortcomings he may have had, had placed the Lord so squarely in the middle of his life, that he would define the events he found himself in as not simply the events of his own life, but the events of the Lord himself. David's perspective at many times was that what he faced, what he encountered, the joys and heartbreaks he experienced were those the Lord shared in as well. David had given himself to the Lord in a way most do not, not reserving for himself a separate set of life experiences, but that those life experiences were his together with the Lord.

Rather than asking the Lord to help him with his own agenda, David sought the Lord's agenda. Rather than pursuing only his desires, he sought the Lord's desires. Rather than only pursuing things his way, he sought the Lord's way. I am not saying David always ordered his life in such a fashion, but it is my firm belief that this was certainly the thrust of his life.

When we subordinate ourselves to the Lord, pursue what he wants, seek him and his ways, then whatever it is we encounter in life, it is not just us facing it, but we, together with the Lord. The Lord's friends become our friends, the Lord's enemies become our enemies, the Lord's intentions become our aspirations, his agenda becomes ours.

There is much for us to learn from David, a man of whom God said, "I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do." Acts 13:22. 

What was David's was the Lord's as well, including his enemies. How about me?

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

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Our discouragement just may be God's preparation to use us - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Samuel 29:6-7,

"So Achish called David and said to him, 'As surely as the Lord lives, you have been reliable, and I would be pleased to have you serve with me in the army. From the day you came to me until today, I have found no fault in you, but the rulers don't approve of you. Now turn back and go in peace; do nothing to displease the Philistine rulers.'"

David had fled from King Saul and stayed with the Philistine king, Achish in Gath (the town that the giant Goliath that David had killed was from.)  When the Philistines marched against the Israelites, David and his men accompanied Achish.

Although Achish trusted David to fight with him against Saul and Israel, the Philistine commanders demanded he be sent back. They expected David would turn against them in the battle. David protested, but was sent back nonetheless.

I can't help but see God's hand in all this. Where as both David and Achish wanted David in the fight, he was prevented from doing so. When we read of the battle that ensued, Israel was crushed, Saul fell on his sword, and most importantly, Saul's son, Jonathon, was killed.

David loved Jonathon as a brother. It is difficult to assume that David would not have come to Jonathan's aid in the battle and endangered himself as the Philistines slaughtered the Israelites. The Lord had other plans for David, and it is my assumption that God influenced the Philistine commanders to keep David out of the fight.

If this is so, what we see is that David was greatly discouraged when he was not allowed to join the fight, as he communicates in his protest to King Achish, "'But what have I done?' asked David. 'What have you found against your servant from the day I came to you until now? Why can't I go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?'" However, his discouragement was due to the actions God took to use David elsewhere in his purposes.

The message to me in this is that although we may find our disappointments in this life, we may actually be experiencing those due to God's intention of using us later on in a way we may not see. It won't be until we are down the road that we can look back and see God's purposes for the disappointment he allowed or even manipulated in our lives.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

The witch of Endor - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Samuel 28:7,

"Saul then said to his attendants, 'Find me a woman who is a medium, so I may go and inquire of her.' 'There is one in Endor,' they said."

As Saul faced off with the Philistines at Gilboa, he was terrified when he saw the Philistine army. His response, now expected by us as we read of Saul, was that his circumstances caused him to look elsewhere rather than directly to God for help. Although Saul had earlier expelled the mediums and spiritists from the land, he sought one for himself to inquire of Samuel, who was now dead. He looked for a medium to ask Samuel what it was he should do, verse 15.

Saul had found himself now estranged from God. Living his life of looking to other things, rather than the Lord, the Lord had by now completely abandoned Saul. And, yet again, rather than throwing himself at the mercy of God, he disturbed Samuel from Sheol to ask him what to do.

As the medium called out to Samuel from the dead, she was terrified and cried out at the top of her voice when she saw him. I suspect her terror was due to the actual reality of Samuel presenting himself when she performed her medium's magic. As all who engage in this kind of fakery, she was no more prepared to see anyone really respond from the dead than anyone else. Yet, God made it happen.

Saul was completely right when he expelled all the mediums and spiritists from Israel and completely wrong for later employing one. God had told Moses to tell the Israelites, "I will set my face against anyone who turns to mediums and spiritists to prostitute themselves by following them, and I will cut them off from their people." Leviticus 20:6. This act of Saul to use a medium was yet again another expression of his lack of faith in the Lord.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Faith doesn't make us perfect (God does that) - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Samuel 27:1,

"But David thought to himself, 'One of these days I will be destroyed by the hand of Saul. The best thing I can do is to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will give up searching for me anywhere in Israel, and I will slip out of his hand.'"

David, with his band of 600 warriors, together with their wives and families moved to Philistine territory to escape the hand of Saul. Saul had determined to kill David as the Lord had chosen him to replace Saul on the throne. David and his band lived in Philistine territory for sixteen months.

Saul's rejection by God was a result of his proclivity to make choices and act on the circumstances he saw about him, rather than trust in God. David here looks to be operating from a very similar perspective.

However, I have to admit that I'm not certain on this. It may be that great faith, such as what David had demonstrated earlier, informs us that God expects us to respond to threats, etc. wisely. Make choices, employing godly wisdom and act without presuming on God.

I do note that, while in Philistine territory, David engaged in genocide, "Whenever David attacked an area, he did not leave a man or woman alive, but took sheep and cattle, donkeys and camels, and clothes." Verse 9. Also, "He [David] did not leave a man or woman alive to be brought to Gath, for he thought, 'They might inform on us and say, "This is what David did."' And such was his practice as long as he lived in Philistine territory." Verse 11.

One of the great disappointments in David's life was that the Lord refused to allow David to build a temple for him in Jerusalem, bestowing that honor on his son, Solomon. The Lord's refusal was because David had engaged in so much bloodshed. I wonder if the activities of David, while in Philistine territory, where a part of the Lord's calculation...

I am reminded that faith does not make a person perfect. God does that through his Holy Spirit, perfecting us over time, never to reach perfection until the resurrection, as that old sin nature remains with us in this life. David, a man of great faith is a good example of this. He trusted in the Lord, fully convinced of God's ability and faithfulness in following through on all his promises. Yet, we see this same man of faith engaged in adultery with Bathsheba and the murdering of her husband, Uriah. Was his moving to Philistine territory another example of David's imperfections?

Just musing here on some things I'm unsure of. One thing I am not unsure of is, while faith brings us a standing of righteousness before God, it does not make us perfect in this life.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

My reward - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Samuel 26:23a,

"The Lord rewards everyone for their righteousness and faithfulness."

This statement by David to Saul was on the occasion of the second opportunity David had to kill Saul (who was pursuing David to kill him!). The statement was made by David to explain his motivation for sparing Saul's life. David sought first the Lord's reward rather than satisfy his own potential hostility toward his would-be killer.

As I consider David's words, we all know the point he was making for himself. However, as I consider my own life, I am reminded of a couple of things his son, Solomon, had to say. "Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous, no one who does what is right and never sins." Ecclesiastes 7:20. Also, "Many claim to have unfailing love, but a faithful person who can find?" Proverbs 20:6.

As I examine my own life, when David says we are rewarded for our righteousness and faithfulness, my performance in this life would provide a reward no one would want! It would certainly be of the "negative" variety.

How happy I am that God decided to send his Son to do for me what I could never have been able to do myself! I am reminded of Titus 3:4-7, "When the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life."

Just how wonderful is that?!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

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Abigail: Good character or bad? - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Samuel 25:32-33,

"David said to Abigail, 'Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who has sent you today to meet me. May you be blessed for your good judgment and for keeping me from bloodshed this day and from avenging myself with my own hands.'"

David and his band had kept a wealthy man's servants and livestock safe in the area of Carmel when he had moved down to the Desert of Paran. (The man's name was Nabal, which means fool.) Later, David sent men when he heard Nabal was shearing his sheep, to ask for food for his men. We are told that Nabal was a surly man and was mean in his dealings with others, and when David's men approached him to ask for some sustenance, he responded badly. Upon hearing about it, David had his men saddle up to go kill all the men of Nabal's household.

Nabal's wife, Abigail, heard about it, and without informing Nabal, loaded up food on donkeys and raced out to meet David on his way coming to destroy Nabal. She apologized to him, recognizing her husband as a fool, and provided the food to David as a gift. David relented, Abigail returned home, eventually telling Nabal about it. Upon hearing of it, we are told Nabal's heart failed him and he died about ten days later. Afterward David sent for Abigail and made her his wife.

Over the years I have read various Bible study materials that reference Abigail.

In some materials she is envisioned as a bad wife who had betrayed her husband, resulting in herself becoming a widow. Further, she wound up becoming one of the many wives David had, which, from all accounts, being married to David was not necessarily a blessing, but quite the opposite. She was anything but what Peter observed of Abraham's wife, Sarah, "For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to adorn themselves. They submitted themselves to their own husbands, like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her lord. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear." 1 Peter 3:5-6.

In other Bible study materials, however, Abigail is seen as a wise woman, reminiscent of a "Proverbs 31 woman". Resourceful, protecting her family, and, in a fairy tale ending, becoming the king's wife and providing him sons. Additionally, her acts that led to Nabal's death delivered her from a surly and mean husband.

Which is it? Is the account of Abigail one of a woman who did the godly thing, the right thing and thereby reaped God's reward? Or, is the account one of a flawed woman who brought death to her husband as she conspired behind his back?

I don't believe the account was provided us for the reasons of character study primarily. Certainly, it can be used to illustrate character traits within the choices women make... either way. But the story is the account of David and the circumstances of how he acquired one of his wives. It provides the detail and background of a bit of the genealogy surrounding the family of David. It also shows us how quick David was to shed blood, something that would keep him from building the temple for God in Jerusalem, 1 Chronicles 28:3.

For me, in this narrative, of the three main characters, David, Nabal and Abigail, it is Abigail I find the most fascinating, the one with greatest character. I do have to note, though, that it is from the larger perspective of all of the Scriptures we find David to be a great man of faith, the one through whom the genealogy of Jesus Christ would pass through, a man after God's own heart. A flawed man to be sure, just as the rest of us, but a man who served God's purposes well.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

God's interests or mine? - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Samuel 24:6-7,

"He [David] said to his men, 'The Lord forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the Lord's anointed, or lay my hand on him; for he is the anointed of the Lord.' With these words David sharply rebuked his men and did not allow them to attack Saul. And Saul left the cave and went his way."

While Saul was pursuing David to kill him, (the Lord had rejected Saul as king over Israel and selected David to replace him), an opportunity presented itself for David to destroy Saul, and thereby removing the threat to his life.

However, since Saul had been God's first king for Israel, David would not lay a hand on Saul (something his own men were encouraging him to do, and, I am certain, his own self-interests) - and this, not out of respect for Saul, but out of respect for God. Although David's life was threatened by Saul, and the circumstances brought a great opportunity for David, David acted on his respect for God, not on his own personal interests.

David had is shortcomings, but in this instance he is an example of someone who makes choices in life, not on the basis of his own personal interests, but out of his interest for the things of God. How often I have been focused on what I want, what I pursue, what I desire, rather than on God's agenda! At times my prayer list has reflected my agenda rather than God's. David, here, is a wonderful encouragement for me to look beyond my own self-interests and look to God's.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

The caution to not deceive myself - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Samuel 23:7,

"Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah, and he said, 'God has
delivered him into my hands, for David has imprisoned himself by
entering a town with gates and bars.'"

In his pursuit to eliminate his replacement on the throne of Israel,
Saul sought to kill David. I notice when Saul was told of David's
location, he credited God for delivering David into his hands.

Never mind that God had already decided to replace Saul with David as
king and that Saul knew of this by now, as his son, Johnathan, told
David, "My father Saul will not lay a hand on you. You will be king
over Israel, and I will be second to you. Even my father Saul knows
this." Verse 17. Never mind Saul had been told by Samuel that the Lord
had rejected him.

It simply didn't matter to Saul, who, lacking faith, defined his
understanding of life and made his choices by the circumstances that
surrounded him, rather than on an understanding of God and what God
was busy doing.

How often today have we seen Christians do the very same thing!
Pursuing, in a lack of faith, the things their hearts lead them to,
with focus off the Lord, off his word and on the circumstances of
life. Believers today, just like old King Saul, pursuing things they
should know better not to do (or not doing what they should), with the
claim, "the Lord is leading me to..." And, yet, in order to pursue
those things, ignore the wise counsel of Scripture and the wise
counsel of those with mature faith.

Just like me, I'm sure you have seen plenty of examples of this within
the life of a church, or churches you have been involved with. And, it
isn't just the believer sitting in the pew, but elders and pastors as
well!

The message here for me is to insure I remain focused on God, on the
counsel of his word. on the counsel of those with maturity in the
faith. Else, I may find myself deceived by myself, just as old King
Saul!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send
me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are
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respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com