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 Kings 15:5,
"David had done what was right in the eyes of the Lord and had not failed to keep any of the Lord's commands all the days of his life—except in the case of Uriah the Hittite."
David was a sinner, as we all are. The account of his adultery with Bathsheba and his murdering her husband, Uriah the Hittite, confirm what we all know to be true of us all: we are all sinners.
Nevertheless, look at the wonderful praise given David regarding his heart for the Lord in this verse! It was given to demonstrate why the Lord blessed David with "raising up a son to succeed him and by making Jerusalem strong", verse 4.
Paul makes an observation of David by quoting God himself, "God testified concerning him [David]: 'I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.'" David is held up to us in the Scriptures as a great man of faith. As all great men of faith, not a perfect man, not without sin, but a great man of faith in any event. Faith brings righteousness, not perfection. Perfection comes in the resurrection.
What of us today? Do we have great people of faith today? I think so! I think in every age there are many who hold a wonderful standing with the Lord due to their faith. Paul makes the point as he explains that in the face of Israel's rejection of Jesus Christ as a nation, there are always those the Lord has as his own: people of faith. "I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. God did not reject his people,whom he foreknew. Don't you know what Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he appealed to God against Israel: 'Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me'? And what was God's answer to him? 'I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.' So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace." Romans 11:1-5. Paul makes his point here as he discusses the role faith plays relative to Israel's rejection of Jesus Christ.
People of faith may not have the stature of David, not recognized in the Scriptures as David has been, may not have a position within God's agenda as David did as king of Israel, but yet are great people of faith, blessed by the Lord.
What makes this so fascinating to me is to read of the innermost thoughts and feelings of David as a man of faith in the book of Psalms. In that book, we do not read of the fairy tale preached in so many churches today that when we place our faith in the Lord all our problems go away - disappear as if by magic. Far from it. As a great man of faith David struggled within his own heart. In Psalm 6:3 David complains to the Lord, "My soul is in deep anguish. How long, Lord, how long?" In verses 6 and 7 of that same psalm we read, "I am worn out from my groaning. All night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears. My eyes grow weak with sorrow; they fail because of all my foes." It is not David's sin that he struggles with here, but his foes.
In Psalm 42 David asks of himself three times, "Why, my soul, are you downcast?" Then in other places he expresses things like, "I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul." Psalm 31:7.
As I read of David and his innermost thoughts and feelings, I learn what it is like to be a real person of faith. Not the caricature painted by those who distort what a life of faith is like, but what real life is like for a man declared by God as one who had a heart for him!
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.
"David had done what was right in the eyes of the Lord and had not failed to keep any of the Lord's commands all the days of his life—except in the case of Uriah the Hittite."
David was a sinner, as we all are. The account of his adultery with Bathsheba and his murdering her husband, Uriah the Hittite, confirm what we all know to be true of us all: we are all sinners.
Nevertheless, look at the wonderful praise given David regarding his heart for the Lord in this verse! It was given to demonstrate why the Lord blessed David with "raising up a son to succeed him and by making Jerusalem strong", verse 4.
Paul makes an observation of David by quoting God himself, "God testified concerning him [David]: 'I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.'" David is held up to us in the Scriptures as a great man of faith. As all great men of faith, not a perfect man, not without sin, but a great man of faith in any event. Faith brings righteousness, not perfection. Perfection comes in the resurrection.
What of us today? Do we have great people of faith today? I think so! I think in every age there are many who hold a wonderful standing with the Lord due to their faith. Paul makes the point as he explains that in the face of Israel's rejection of Jesus Christ as a nation, there are always those the Lord has as his own: people of faith. "I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. God did not reject his people,whom he foreknew. Don't you know what Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he appealed to God against Israel: 'Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me'? And what was God's answer to him? 'I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.' So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace." Romans 11:1-5. Paul makes his point here as he discusses the role faith plays relative to Israel's rejection of Jesus Christ.
People of faith may not have the stature of David, not recognized in the Scriptures as David has been, may not have a position within God's agenda as David did as king of Israel, but yet are great people of faith, blessed by the Lord.
What makes this so fascinating to me is to read of the innermost thoughts and feelings of David as a man of faith in the book of Psalms. In that book, we do not read of the fairy tale preached in so many churches today that when we place our faith in the Lord all our problems go away - disappear as if by magic. Far from it. As a great man of faith David struggled within his own heart. In Psalm 6:3 David complains to the Lord, "My soul is in deep anguish. How long, Lord, how long?" In verses 6 and 7 of that same psalm we read, "I am worn out from my groaning. All night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears. My eyes grow weak with sorrow; they fail because of all my foes." It is not David's sin that he struggles with here, but his foes.
In Psalm 42 David asks of himself three times, "Why, my soul, are you downcast?" Then in other places he expresses things like, "I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul." Psalm 31:7.
As I read of David and his innermost thoughts and feelings, I learn what it is like to be a real person of faith. Not the caricature painted by those who distort what a life of faith is like, but what real life is like for a man declared by God as one who had a heart for him!
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.
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