A Boomer in the Pew

Do you Feel Sure Footed in Your Life's Journey?

Bible in a Year Series - Day #128 - This post is part of a year-long series where we are reading chronologically through the Bible.  Click here to learn more.  You are most welcome to join along at any time. 

Today's text from the ESV Study Bible:  Psalms 25,29,33, 36, & 39.

Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
teach me your paths.
Lead me in your truth and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all the day long. (Psalm 25:4-5)

This photograph perfectly describes my life at the moment.  Behind me are 20 years traveling a sure, and certain path.  The last three years have brought a time of instruction, and a new uncertain path.

A year ago, to help me understand this path, I did a 31 day series on Andrew Murray's Waiting on God.

This helped me a great deal!

I am now in forward movement asking that God will keep my paths straight.

How about you? 

Do you feel sure footed in your life's journey?

PS:  I don't like uncertainty.  I whine about it to God all the time. 

In 2 Samuel 7 God Discloses a Key Component in His Plan of Redemption: An Everlasting Kingdom

Bible in a Year Series - Day #127 - This post is part of a year-long series where we are reading chronologically through the Bible.  Click here to learn more.  You are most welcome to join along at any time. 

Today's text from the ESV Study Bible: 2 Samuel 7 and 1 Chronicles 17.

Once again, we find ourselves peering upon holy ground.  This is so important, in the history of salvation, I thought I would simply let the New Bible Commentary do all the talking:

"This chapter continues and completes the story of David and the Jerusalem sanctuary. The events recorded in it belong to a fairly late date in David’s reign, as v 1 implies.
    We have here the most important passage in the books of Samuel, and one of the key passages in the whole OT. It discusses the future of the Jerusalem sanctuary and of the Davidic monarchy—the two institutions which were vital to the people of Israel for several centuries after David. Through the prophet Nathan, God made firm promises to David about both of these things. These solemn divine promises amounted to an ‘everlasting covenant’ given to David (see 23:5).
    The two themes are cleverly linked by the use of the word ‘house’. The same Hebrew word not only meant an ordinary house, but also a temple, and thirdly a dynasty (just as in English, the current British royal family is called ‘the house of Windsor’). The chapter begins by discussing David’s plans to build a temple for Yahweh, a house for God (5). Then in v 11, the theme of a house for David is introduced—not his palace, but the Davidic dynasty, i.e. the sons and descendants who would succeed him as kings in Jerusalem.
    God’s promises about both these things are brought together in v 13: David’s son will build the temple; the dynasty will last for ever. These are very positive promises, but the chapter contains a number of negative points too. First, David’s plan to build the temple is refused. Secondly, God does not take pleasure in temples. (These two points are implied by vs 5-7.) Thirdly, v 14 recognizes that some of David’s descendants would be unworthy kings, and would deserve and get divine punishment. These various points, both positive and negative, provide a description and an explanation for the events from David’s time (early tenth century BC) down to 587 BC. In that period the temple was built, not by David, but by his son Solomon. Many of their successors were weak or sinful, but the dynasty continued unbroken for four centuries.
    In 587 BC, the temple was destroyed by the Babylonians, and Judah ceased to be a kingdom. The family of David continued in existence, but never regained the throne. What message does this chapter hold for such a changed situation? It tells us first that God is not dependent on temples, and his people, therefore, do not need temples. Stephen re–emphasized this lesson in NT times (see Acts 7:44-50). Secondly, God’s promise about David’s descendants was permanent. It was the basis of the expectation of the Messiah, ‘great David’s greater Son’. This promise gave assurance to the generations of God’s people who lived in the last centuries of the OT period, and then received its fulfilment in the birth of Jesus Christ; as the whole NT and the Christian church bear witness.
    All these promises, as God fulfilled them, would make David’s name great (9). Without question, David was Israel’s greatest king and his reputation stands for all time as one of the greatest men of history. However, his God–given greatness was not for his own benefit and glory, but in order to benefit the nation he ruled. So v 10 indicates God’s plans and promises for Israel through David. These promises came true during David’s own reign and remained God’s ultimate plans for his people despite the fact that in later times Israel and Judah often suffered political hardships, chiefly because of their sins against God. These plans depended on the fulfilment of God’s promise to send a Son of David, the Messiah, who would be the one finally to bring God’s people the security and peace they always need."

From this seed, and from this monarchy will come the everlasting King, and Kingdom.  Try wrapping your mind around that!

Do you Understand the new Song That the Psalmist Sings Of?

Bible in a Year Series - Day #126 - This post is part of a year-long series where we are reading chronologically through the Bible.  Click here to learn more.  You are most welcome to join along at any time. 

Today's text from the ESV Study Bible: Psalms 89,96,100,101,105,132.

Tomorrow we will be reading of the Davidic Covenant.  Oh Lord, instruct our hearts and help us to see what a wondrous Lord you are.

This is a momentous day in the history of the world because it is here that God promises a monarchy that will reign forever, culminating with Messiah.

Further still, as we continue our journey through God's testimony to us, we will learn that not only are we subjects of holy God, but God will adopt us as sons. 

When the magnitude of these words come into our understandings, then the words of the Psalms become ever more sweet.  We begin to understand why we now have a new song:

Oh sing to the Lord a new song;
sing to the Lord, all the earth!
Sing to the Lord, bless his name;
tell of his salvation from day to day.
Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous works among all the peoples!
For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
he is to be feared above all gods.
For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,
but the Lord made the heavens.
Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. (Psalm 96:1-6)

When you read these words, do you find that your spirit awakens?  If not, that's OK, keep reading.  Remember, the Scriptures are God's testimony of his plan of redemption for mankind.  Mercifully, he chose not to leave us dead in the Garden of Eden.

So far in our reading we have seen God choose a son (Israel).  We have seen God's covenant with Abraham to build a mighty nation, we have witnessed the ordination of the sacrifice and temple through Moses and Aaron, and tomorrow we are going to see the birth of an infinite monarchy that will culminate in Messiah.

When God quickens our hearts with understanding, then we realize that we too have a new song, and a desire to tell of his salvation beams from within us.  When we understand this, then we realize the greatness of the Lord, and how great it is to praise him.

We will learn in later months that sanctification is a journey.  The key for us now is to trust God to help us understand the words of this text, and to commit ourselves to the journey.  In so doing, God will reward his faithful, and we will begin to more fully understand this new song that the Psalmist portrays.

Oh my soul, forever daily run to the living waters!

Note to Self: Herein Lies the Secret to a Fruitful Life

Bible in a Year Series - Day #125 - This post is part of a year-long series where we are reading chronologically through the Bible.  Click here to learn more.  You are most welcome to join along at any time. 

Today's text from the ESV Study Bible: Psalm 1-2, 15, 22-24, 47, and 68.

"Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish." (Psalm 1)

Note to self:  you would have saved yourself a LOT of grief if you would have planted yourself in God's word many years ago.

Have you Ever Noticed the Significant Amount of Foreshadowing That Exists in the Old Testament?

Bible in a Year Series - Day #124 - This post is part of a year-long series where we are reading chronologically through the Bible.  Click here to learn more.  You are most welcome to join along at any time. 

Today's text from the ESV Study Bible: 2 Samuel 5:11-6:23, 1 Chronicles 13-16.

As is typical, when you are reading a book of this magnitude, a lot has flashed before our eyes today.

What caught my eye the most was the return of the Ark to Jerusalem.  It has been quite a while since the Ark has been before us.

The Ark is God's dwelling place on earth, and David has instructed the people to cry "save us", which in Hebrew is Hosanna.

Interestingly, or perhaps even significantly, this is what the crowds were proclaiming when Messiah made his triumphal entry into Jerusalem:

"And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! 10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!” 11 And he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple." (Mark 11:9-11a)

So here in the time of David we see the triumphal entry of God into Jerusalem, and many centuries later we will again find God, in the person of Messiah, making a final triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

Significantly, however, God's final entry ends with an unfathomable conclusion.

Theologians point out to us the the whole of God's Old Covenant points us to Christ, and our need of a Savior who will provide the perfect sacrifice to appease God's holy wrath.

I wonder, as the crowds were singing hosanna to Christ, was there anyone who remembered God's first triumphal entry into Jerusalem?

Have you Ever Considered the Infinite Value of the Steadfast Love of God?

Bible in a Year Series - Day #123 - This post is part of a year-long series where we are reading chronologically through the Bible.  Click here to learn more.  You are most welcome to join along at any time. 

Today's text from the ESV Study Bible: Psalms 106-107.

Have you ever considered the steadfastness of God's love?

Consider the pattern told four times in Psalm 107:

• the people sin
• God presses down upon them
• the people cry out
• God restores them

I don't know about you, but I must confess that I have traveled down this road a couple times.

So then, why is God patient with us?  Why does he show steadfast love, in spite of our tendency to turn right away in his blessing and return to our sin?

The very first verse of Psalm 107 instructs us to praise God for his steadfast love, and the very last verse instructs: "Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things; let them consider the steadfast love of the Lord."

Consider this from The New Bible Commentary: 

"The psalm ends by noting that here is a truth that the upright see (42) and a thought on which the wise concentrate (43). The pictures are respectively of the fertile becoming infertile (33-34) and the infertile changed to support life and afford security (35-36). This is so often true: there is covetable prosperity when everything succeeds (37-38), but also times of recession when calamity follows trouble (39) and leaders can offer no solution (40); but then again, prosperity is recovered and the needy given security (41). What is it in all this that the upright (those who are right with God and committed to rightness of life) see? First, that every circumstance is directed by the Lord who is not a watcher from the sidelines but an executive director. It is he who works transformations in both directions. The most practical course in life is to be right with the One who directs all. Secondly, his providences are moral. If fruitful land becomes a waste, it is a judgment on sin (34); therefore the upright should determine on holiness. Thirdly, when prosperity comes it is not a reward for good behaviour but a sheer act of divine concern for the needy (41). For this reason, true wisdom (43) will always fill its gaze with the great love, (lit.) ‘the loves’ of the Lord—that changeless, ‘ever–unfailing’ love which is so many–faceted that within it (in answer to prayer) there lies the solution to every need."

Oh my soul, fill your gaze upon the steadfast love of the Lord!

Baby Boomers, Coca-Cola Hilltops, We are the World, and King David's Psalm 133

Bible in a Year Series - Day #122 - This post is part of a year-long series where we are reading chronologically through the Bible.  Click here to learn more.  You are most welcome to join along at any time. 

Today's text from the ESV Study Bible: Psalm 133.

Do you remember Coca-Cola's hilltop commercial, or how about the wildly successful We are the World video.

Take a moment to click the links just above, and watch the videos.  Go ahead, I'll wait.

Why do you suppose that these videos were so wildly successful?  Why are beauty pageant contestants always seeking world peace?

Where does this instinctive longing come from?  Would you agree with me that we all possess this inner yearning?

Here's my answer:  we are created in the image of God, live in a fallen world (Genesis 3), and our souls instinctively cry out for what we lost in Eden's garden.

A battle wages inside each of us.  A battle where our own selfish interests constantly competes for this desire to live in "perfect harmony".

In the ebb and flow of history, we can see the traces of both of these interests.

Psalm 133 is David's shout for joy because here we see Israel, which had been divided by civil war, again reunited.  I suspect that if King David had video capabilities, we would have seen him singing "Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!" from a mountain top with cameras panning around him.

There isn't a person on the planet who can deny this inner thirst.  My recommendation is that you get in touch with it, drill it down to its very base, and there you will find a God spark.

I implore you, put a little fuel on that spark and see if you don't find your way to a relationship with God.

Is Warren's Shaft the Pathway to King David's Capture of Jerusalem?

Bible in a Year Series - Day #121 - This post is part of a year-long series where we are reading chronologically through the Bible.  Click here to learn more.  You are most welcome to join along at any time. 

Today's text from the ESV Study Bible: 2 Samuel 5:1-10, 1 Chronicles 11-12.

Today David becomes king of all Israel, and we find ourselves in two books of the Bible as we see the story unfold.

If you have been a regular reader of my blog, you will know that I love to hop out into archaeology to help bring perspective to our narratives.

David needed a city to rule Israel, and his current location (Hebron) evidently wasn't a good one.  Therefore, David captured Jerusalem, which many before him tried and failed.

Here are notes from the ESV Study Bible:

"The account of David's kingship over Israel starts with the capture of Jerusalem, on the boundary between Judah and Benjamin. It had not been controlled by any tribe, and thus it was both symbolically and geographically better suited to be the capital of all Israel than Hebron (in central Judah). Jerusalem was the “Salem” of Melchizedek (Gen. 14:18). It has been fortified since the Middle Bronze Age, i.e., the first half of the second millennium b.c. In the second half of the millennium it was one of the city-states of Canaan that was under the influence of Egypt. Several letters from the king of Jerusalem to the pharaoh exist among the fourteenth-century Amarna letters. The Jebusites are listed among the Canaanites in Gen. 10:16 and, broadly speaking, were considered to be among the Amorites (Josh. 10:5). The city was too strong to be conquered at the time of Joshua (Josh. 15:63; Judg. 1:21). The Jebusite city, the stronghold of Zion, was located on the western slope of the Kidron Valley above the city's water source, the spring of Gihon. An extensive network of water tunnels has been excavated, one of which was probably the water shaft through which David's men entered the city. This water shaft is often identified with “Warren's Shaft,” which is directly over the water channel near the spring, though recent archaeological finds have challenged this. According to 1 Chron. 11:6, Joab led the attack and was therefore made David's chief commander."

Here are more photographs of Warren's Shaft, and an interesting article as to whether this is the actual shaft used by Joab to capture Jerusalem.

These are wonderful times for David, and all of Israel.  Unfortunately, we are about to reach the summit of David's kingship, and with the affair of Bathsheba we will begin to see a decline of David's blessing with God.

But until then, let's bask in Israel's glory.  We are soon to learn of God's covenant with David.