My term as Chairman of Shepherd of the Hills has officially ended.  

If you are following The Plan, you should be starting the Book of 1 Kings  and the Book of 2 Chronicles, as well as reading through some Psalms.

The Books as History

As we begin 1 Kings, we enter the halfway point for the chronology of the Israelite monarchies which began with King Saul.  As a matter of fact, if you look at the table of contents for the Septuagint (which is the oldest Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, dating to 200-300 B.C.), we see that the Books of Samuel and Kings are actually called something different:

So these four books are seen from the earliest translations as a single, historical record of the rise (and fall) if the Kingdom of Israel.  

The books of 1 & 2 Chronicles were originally one book called "Acts of the Days," which got translated to "Chronicles" at some point in the early Christian Church.  The Septuagint (see above) refers to the two books of Chronicles as "Things Omitted," which I think is a much more interesting title.   What's interesting about Chronicles is that they seem to whitewash much of David's story.   No Bathsheba for instance.

So Where Are We?

David is on his deathbed and who will succeed him is in dispute.  Adonijah thinks he will be King.  Solomon thinks he will be King.  Which, of course, is a problem. 

The Supporting Cast

Let's start with Joab.   If you needed a punch thrown, Joab was just the cowboy to throw it.  He was a nephew to David (the son of his sister) and remained intensely loyal to David. 

We first hear about Joab when David is fighting it out with Ishbosheth (Saul's son) to succeed Saul as King of Israel.  After 24 warriors manage to slaughter each other to no conclusion at the Pool of Gibeon, open warfare breaks out.  Abner (Saul's military man), who is now serving Ishbosheth, manages to kill Joab's brother, Asahel.   Strike One.   Later, Abner switches sides, which is bad news for Ishbosheth, and as it turns out, bad news for Abner.    Joab is no fool, and can see that Abner is setting himself up to supreme military leader for David.  Strike Two.   Not being a man to wait around for strike three, Joab kills Abner in Hebron - protecting his position as commander of the armies and avenging the death of his brother.

David mourns the death of Abner and curses Joab, saying, "these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too harsh for me.  The LORD shall repay the evildoer according to his wickedness.”  So Joab is out of favor with David - until David lays siege to Jerusalem.  Then David makes this offer - "Whoever climbs up by way of the water shaft and defeats the Jebusites (the lame and the blind, who are hated by David’s soul), he shall be chief and captain."  A perfect job for Joab, who leads the assault and is supreme commander once again.

From this point forward, Joab is central to David's military conquests and his "go to" guy in times of trouble.   In Moab, in Syria, against the Ammonites, against the Philistines.  When David asks Joab to put Uriah the Hittite in the front lines at Rabbah - no problem.

Then Absalom rebels.  David flees Jerusalem, and as he gathers his army and prepares for the big battle, he say this to Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, “Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom.”  Of course he's saying this to the wrong group of guys.   When Joab is told that Absalom is caught in a tree and his soldiers are standing around wondering what to do, he says,  "You just saw him! And why did you not strike him there to the ground?"  They hadn't, so he did.  (Note to self: don't burn Joab's fields just to get his attention).

This may have been the end for Absalom, but Israel was still divided in their loyalties.  So David makes a deal with Amasa (Absalom's military commander), saying  "And say to Amasa, ‘Are you not my bone and my flesh? God do so to me, and more also, if you are not commander of the army before me continually in place of Joab.’”  This goes as well for Amasa as it did for Abner.  When Sheba rebels against David, Joab uses it as an opportunity to kill Amasa.   "Then Joab said to Amasa, “Are you in health, my brother?” And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him. But Amasa did not notice the sword that was in Joab’s hand. And he struck him with it in the stomach, and his entrails poured out on the ground; and he did not strike him again. Thus he died."

David relied on Joab.  But Joab killed two of his commanders and his son Absalom.  Joab also aligned himself with Adonijah and not Solomon.  Not things you are likely to forget on your deathbed.  When David's provides his  final instructions to Solomon he will say - "let not his hoar head go down to the grave in peace."  Translation - kill Joab.

Abishai

Then there is Abishai.  He is the brother of Joab, which should tell you a lot.    When David was looking for volunteers to sneak into Saul's camp one night, it was Abishai who said, "I'll go."  When they got there, it was Abishai who said "Today God has delivered your enemy into your hands. Now let me pin him (Saul)  to the ground with one thrust of my spear."  When it came time to kill Abner and avenge his brothers death, Abishai was there with Joab.   When David was fleeing Jerusalem and was being cursed by Shimei, it is Abishai that said "Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Please, let me go over and take off his head!”  When it came time for Joab to deal with Amasa, Abishai was by his side.  When David was about to be killed by a Philistine, it was Abishai that saved the life of David in battle.  He was one of David's "Mighty Men," and we are told he "raised his spear against 300" and "struck down eighteen thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt." 

Nathan

Nathan gets to deliver the hard messages to David.   

We first read of Nathan as David is planning to build a temple for the Ark of the Covenant.   David says, "Here I am, living in a palace of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent."  After initially blessing the idea - "Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it, for the LORD is with you" - God reminds Nathan (and David) that he did not ask for a “house of cedar.”  Nice thought, but a tent is fine, thank you very much.

Hard Message number one.

After David sleeps with Bathsheba and arranges to have Uriah killed to cover up his sin, it is Nathan who cleverly chastises David.   "You are the man!" 

Hard Message number two.

When David's son Adonijah assumed the throne for himself, it is Nathan (along with Bathsheba) that tell David.  "Has this thing been done by my lord the king," he asks.

Hard message number three.

Zadok and Abiathar

Zadok and Abiathar are both priests.    Abiathar was descendant of Eli and the sole survivor the day that Saul had Doeg the Edomite slaughter the priests of the Lord at Gibeah.  Zadok and Abiathar were the first High Priests of David's reign in Jerusalem.   When David fled the city during Absolam's rebellion, it was Zadok and Abiathar who packed up the Ark and were ready to follow him.  But David turns them away, saying "Carry the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the eyes of the LORD, He will bring me back and show me both it and His dwelling place."  Zadok and Abiathar also play a part in reconciling David with Amasa and the elders of Judah after Absalom's rebellion.

Things end very differently for these two.  Abiathar sides with Adonijah.  He becomes the ONLY high priest in the Old Testament that is deposed.  Quite a distinctions, considering some of the others that served as High Priest.  Zadok sides with Solomon.  He chose wisely.   This also fulfills an older prophecy - Abiathar was of the house of Eli and the descendants of Eli had a curse upon them.  Zadok is of the house of Eleazar (son of Aaron), and his descendants will remain High Priests for several hundred years.

Adonijah and Solomon

Of course, we can talk about the power struggle without talking about the two main actors.  David had many sons from many wives, but after Amnon and Absalom leave the scene, Adonijah, born to Haggith,  appears to be the heir apparent.  He enlist the support of Abiathar and Joab, but leaves out some fairly important people - like Nathan, Zadok, Solomon, and King David himself.    So when Adonijah pronounced himself King, Nathan and Bathsheba tell David, who promptly declares Solomon King.   Two kings are too many.

Adonijah fears for his life, so he "took hold of the horns of the altar," and made Solomon promise not to kill him.  "If he shows himself to be a worthy man, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground; but if evil is found in him, he will die," was Solomon's reply, which was as good a deal as Adonijah was likely to get.    Solomon seemed ready to spare his life, but then Adonijah asked for Abishag, King David's concubine.  This was enough for Solomon.   Enter Benaiah.

Benaiah

Benaiah was one of King David's "Might Men" and head of his personal body guard.   He sides with Solomon and is appointed head of the armies, but first there is some business to attend to.   Benaiah becomes the trigger man for Solomon  - killing Adonijah and Joab.  

This leaves Solomon as undisputed King of Israel with the support of the people of Jerusalem, the High Priest, and a loyal army commander.     It is interesting that it is the son of David and Bathsheba that inherits the throne, considering how they started.   \

Naturally these books and these stories can be read simply as interesting history.   But they are much more than that.  They are a demonstration of God’s covenant with his people.   David was a man after God’s own heart.  He sought God’s counsel continuously.  He prayed.  He wrote song after song honoring God.  But for all his blessings and all his glory,  he was just a man – and had the same weaknesses that we all do.   And his sin had consequences – his own family rebelled against him.  His closest advisors turned against one another.   Man’s sin is the central theme of these stories.   And no amount of good deeds, glorious conquests, songs of praise, or man made temples can make that sin go away.  It takes something else.  Something extraordinary.  Something like this.  

Blessings.

Keep reading.

Pray.

 

On May 20th we held the last Voters meeting of 2006-2008 Term.  There were two agenda items at our Voters meeting:

I am pleased to announce that Pastor Kevin Austin was called as an Associate Pastor by unanimous vote.   Pastor Kevin has been serving our congregation in the capacity of an Assistant Pastor.   As many of you know, Pastor Mike Brewer is preparing to retire as our Senior Pastor.  In order to ease the transition process, Pastor Mike has been working on a reduced schedule and transitioning many of the responsibilities to Pastor Kevin.  By calling Pastor Kevin as an Associate Pastor we properly aligning his title and job responsibilities with the work he is already doing.

We continue to be blessed with Pastor Kevin's service to the congregation.  It is a well deserved promotion!

The voters also approved the slate of candidates to serve as Church Officers for the 2008-2010 term.  This slate of candidates was approved by unanimous vote.   Here they are:

Chairman
Brad Firle

Vice Chairman
Mike Parrish

Treasurer
Steve Wise

Secretary
Cindi Howard

Care Board Chair
Jeff Miller

Family Board Chair
Diana Holk

Mission Board Chair
Renee Fyfe

Worship Board Chair
Connie Crawford

Board of Elders
John Bredehoft
Barry Clark
Phil Buchiarelli
Mark McReynolds
Mark Phillips
Ralph Poole
Les Schaefer
Mark Vaerini

If you are following The Plan, you should have completed the book of 2 Samuel, several of the Psalms, and have read through 1 Chronicles 25.

God has a plan - a plan to redeem His people, to rescue them from their sin.   In this plan, He chose a group of people who would be the family of Jesus.  This family began with a man named Abraham.   And King David is a central figure in that plan.  We are told that he is a man after God's own heart.  He thinks big, dreams big, prays big.   When blessings come, they come in a big way.  And when trouble comes, it comes BIG.

So where are we?

King David has established his capital in Jerusalem and brought the Ark of the Covenant to rest there.  Things have been going well for King David so far, and David seeks to honor God by building a temple for the Ark, saying  - "See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells inside tent curtains.”    David even inquires of the prophet Nathan (this is the first mention of Nathan in the Bible).   The Lord answers, saying "...have I ever spoken a word to anyone from the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd My people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?’" 

Of course, the answer is no - he hasn't  But it is here that God establishes His covenant with David:

“When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. But My mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever.”

I will be his Father, and he shall be My son.

I will be his Father, and he shall be My son.

I will be his Father, and he shall be My son.

Remember this, and remember the big picture.  This is about the family of Jesus. And Jesus is a direct descendant of David.   Funny how covenants work out. 

Remember this part too - If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men - because that is exactly what happens next.  After defeating more Philistines (yes, again), defeating more Ammonites (yes, again), and showing kindness to Saul's descendant Mephibosheth, David runs into trouble.  

And her name is Bathsheba.

We all know the story - David should be out in the battlefield at Rabbah leading the army, but he is in Jerusalem instead.   He spies Bathsheba bathing, is overcome with desire for her, sleeps with her (knowing she is another mans wife), and gets her pregnant.  David call's Bathsheba's husband home from battle - Uriah the Hittite, one of "the Thirty" - and encourages him to be with his wife. David even gets Uriah drunk.  But apparently you can't reason with a Hittite.  So David conspires with Joab to get Uriah killed in battle.

And the rest, as we say, is downhill....

• Nathan chastises David - “The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die. However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also who is born to you shall surely die.”  Despite David's prayers and fasting, the child dies. 
• David's oldest son Amnon rapes Tamar in what is one of the most brutal stories in the Bible since Gibeah's crimes in the Book of Judges.
• Absalom, Tamar's brother, avenges Tamar's rape by killing Amnon.  Of course, this leaves Absalom as the oldest son of David and heir to the throne, so Amnon had a lot of things working against him.
• Absalom flees to Geshur and stays with the King of Geshur - Talmai (who is Absalom's grandfather, BTW), until King David forgives Absalom and Absalom returns to Jerusalem.
• Absalom returns the favor by conspiring against David, standing at the gate of the city, saying, "Look, your case is good and right; but there is no deputy of the king to hear you.” Moreover Absalom would say, “Oh, that I were made judge in the land, and everyone who has any suit or cause would come to me; then I would give him justice.”
• This kind of talk eventually leads to open rebellion against King David, who flees Jerusalem.
• After some intrigue among Absalom's advisors - Ahithophel and Hushai - a great battle is fought, Absalom's flowing locks get caught in tree and Joab kills him.
• David is grieved by the death of Absalom, when Joab sets him straight:

Today you have disgraced all your servants who today have saved your life, the lives of your sons and daughters, the lives of your wives and the lives of your concubines, in that you love your enemies and hate your friends. For you have declared today that you regard neither princes nor servants; for today I perceive that if Absalom had lived and all of us had died today, then it would have pleased you well. Now therefore, arise, go out and speak comfort to your servants. For I swear by the LORD, if you do not go out, not one will stay with you this night. And that will be worse for you than all the evil that has befallen you from your youth until now.”

There is another rebellion, by Sheba, which is suppressed by Joab, some tension between the North (Israel) and South (Judah), which will become very important later, and you can already sense the jockeying for position - who will succeed David?  This will begin in earnest when we pick up the story in 1 Kings..

The end of 2 Samuel has a great prayer - David's prayer of deliverance.  It begins:

The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;

The God of my strength, in whom I will trust;
      My shield and the horn of my salvation,
      My stronghold and my refuge;
      My Savior, You save me from violence.

I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised;
      So shall I be saved from my enemies

Blessings.

Keep Reading.

Pray.

If you are following The Plan, you should be reading through sections of 2 Samuel, 1 Chronicles, and numerous Psalms.

Just to set the stage:  David is King.  He has established his capital in Jerusalem. 

David fights the Philistines (again) and defeats them.  This is interesting because this is the first record of David going to battle as King.  David seeks God's guidance before doing so - So David inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hand?”.  David sets the standard here - but as we read through the accounts of subsequent Kings, we will see that not all of them follow this example and we can all guess how things will go for them.

BTW, there is an interesting angle on this battle here - http://www.followtherabbi.com/Brix?pageID=1612&article=2299. 

The principle action in this section is around the Ark of the Covenant and David bringing the Ark to Jerusalem.   A few notes:

• When they first started moving the Ark, they put it on a cart.  This may be OK if you are a Philistine, but God had been pretty specific about the Ark to His people.  So when Uzzah touches it, "the anger of the LORD was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him there for his error; and he died there by the ark of God."
• Then David rethinks things a bit.  He enlists the Levite's, has them sanctify themselves, and Levite's bear the Ark on their shoulders, just like the old days.  Remember that God gave specific instructions for moving the Ark.  From Numbers 4 - "And when Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the furnishings of the sanctuary, when the camp is set to go, then the sons of Kohath shall come to carry them; but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die."  And David ensures that the priests blow the Trumpets.
• "So they brought the ark of God, and set it in the midst of the tabernacle that David had erected for it. Then they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before God. 2 And when David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD."

Of course, not everyone is happy about this.  We read about Michal, Saul's daughter, watching David dancing and "whirling" and playing music - "...and she despised him in her heart."  Like father like daughter. 

David responds appropriately - "It was before the LORD, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the LORD's people Israel—I will celebrate before the LORD. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor."

Good messages in this story.  First, God is serious about what is required to be in his presence.   Just ask Uzzah.  He had the best of intentions, no doubt.  But the Israelites forgot God’s commands about the Ark – and remember that the Ark is where God would be present with His people.   Serious stuff.

Luckily for us we have this miraculous event.  But we should all remember this story when we hear the popular claim that there are many paths to God.    Jesus said (to paraphrase), I am the way and the truth and the light, no one comes to my Father except through me.   God is serious about what is required to be in his presence - then and now.   So share the story of His amazing sacrifice and love with someone - today.   Or they may end up as Uzzah.  Good intentioned, but dead nonetheless.

Second, David is not ashamed to be swept up in joy - dancing and making music before the Lord.  We shouldn't be ashamed either. 

Blessings.

Keep Reading.

Pray.

If you are following The Plan, you should be reading through 2 Samuel, 1 Chronicles, and Psalms.

Well, I must admit the past week has had some pretty difficult reading.   The bulk of our readings in 1 Chronicles has been around genealogies and it is sometimes difficult to stay focused when reading these passages.  But we should stay focused, even among these genealogies, or we miss this:

• Numerous times we read of "men of valor"  who are "skillful in war."  God heeds their prayer when they put their trust in Him, but when we read what ultimately becomes of these men of valor and war, the result is always the same.  They are taken into captivity for their unfaithfulness.  Usually by this Tiglath-Pileser fellow.  This also complicates things a bit, because we are reading in Chronicles of events (like the Babylonian and Assyrian captivity) which have not occurred yet in our narrative.
• There are several interesting passages that go unexplained.  Like this one from the genealogy of the tribe of Judah - "The son of Carmi was Acher, the troubler of Israel, who transgressed in the accursed thing."  What was the "accursed thing?"  If you find out - please let me know.
• Note that the Chronicler details the genealogies of 12 tribes, but if you are a fan of Dan or Zebulun I have bad news for you.  Their genealogies are not present.   Instead, the author focuses on the 1/2 tribe of Manasseh and the Levites. There is also a lot of focus on the contrasts between Saul / Gibeon and David / Jerusalem.  I suspect this is because the author is contrasting faithfulness and unfaithfulness and preparing us for what comes next - which is the construction of the temple in Jerusalem. 
• Another interesting (and recently very, very famous) passage is from Ch4.  "...And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, 'Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!'  So God granted him what he requested."  This is the famous Prayer of Jabez, which inspired a best selling book by Bruce Wilkinson, another not-best selling book that says you should "Pray like Jesus, not like Jabez," and a bit of a controversy around what is called the "Prosperity Gospel."

So, as 1 Chronicles established the genealogy of David, we begin 2 Samuel and the ascendancy of David as King of Israel and the establishment of Jerusalem as its capital. 

Saul is killed by an Amelikite, who clearly thought he was being merciful to Saul.  But David thinks otherwise and has him executed - "Your blood is on your own head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, 'I have killed the Lord's anointed.'"  

BTW, There is a similar story when Rechab and Baanah kill Ish-bosheth (who is Saul's son and heir to his throne, thanks to Abner, whose death at Hebron leaves Ish-bosheth without protection).  When they deliver their news to David he says -  "As surely as the LORD lives, who has delivered me out of all trouble, 10 when a man 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!"  So don't go doing David any favors by killing off his enemies.

David writes a great song as he laments the death of Saul and Jonathan.

Your glory, O Israel, lies slain on your heights.
       How the mighty have fallen!

.......

How the mighty have fallen!
       The weapons of war have perished!"

David is anointed King, fights a protracted war with the House of Saul until Abner and Ish-Bosheth die (see note above),  and Israel begins to rally around David - "Then all of Israel came together to David at Hebron, saying 'Indeed we are your bone and your flesh.'" 

David then moves on Jerusalem, takes the city (thanks Joab) and establishes his rule there.   Thereafter, it becomes known as the "City of David" (funny how that happens) and from this point forward,  instead of being just another backwater town of the  Jebusites,  Jerusalem becomes a very big deal.

One of my favorite passages in the Bible is a short story about Benaiah, David's chief body guard in 1 Chronicles 11.   "He also had gone down and killed a lion in the midst of a pit on a snowy day."  I like this passage because I read a book about it called (surprisingly), In a pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day.   Great book.  You should read it.

As if that weren't enough - we read through several of the Psalms - and there some great Psalms here. 

In Psalm 102, David is praying and seems to be forshadowing what will come.  Read this (slowly):

This will be written for the generation to come,
         That a people yet to be created may praise the LORD.
1For He looked down from the height of His sanctuary;
         From heaven the LORD viewed the earth,
To hear the groaning of the prisoner,
         To release those appointed to death,
To declare the name of the LORD in Zion,
         And His praise in Jerusalem,
When the peoples are gathered together,
         And the kingdoms, to serve the LORD.

The "groaning of the prisoner,"  "release those appointed to death," "declare the name of the LORD in Zion," ....sound familiar? 

An in Psalm 103 we have one of those famous snippets of Scripture:

"...as far as the east is from the west,
       so far has he removed our transgressions from us."

This is a famous enough verse that it is used in numerous hymns and songs, traditional and contemporary, including this one by the Casting Crowns.

 So here we are - David is King of Israel.  Jerusalem is his capital.   "Then David dwelt in the stronghold, and called it the City of David. And David built all around from the Millo and inward. So David went on and became great, and the LORD God of hosts was with him. "

And here is something we haven't read before "...For there was Joy in Israel."

Blessings.

Keep Reading.

Pray.

Every two years at SOTH members of the congregation are nominated and elected to serve as officers of the church. In general, these lay leaders’ collective responsibility is to “endeavor to coordinate the functions, plans, and activities of the Congregation in all its parts for the total furtherance of the work of Christ's Kingdom in our midst.” 

Since our current church officers were installed in June 2006, it is now time for us to elect officers for the 2008 – 2010 term.   The nomination process has been completed (mostly) and slate of nominees are...

In accordance with Church By-Laws, Communicant Members of the congregation may submit additional names for inclusion in the list.  Any additional names must be submitted before May 9th.

Our election meeting will be held on Tuesday May 20th, 7:30PM.  Please come and attend.

Blessings!

If you are following The Plan  you should have completed 1 Samuel and several of the Davidic Psalms.

The reading plan that we are following works through the Bible chronologically.   (Most people are surprised when they learn that the Bible isn't organized chronologically in the first place!).  This causes some confusion as we follow the plan - because we jump around in different books to preserve the chronology of the stories.  But one of the really interesting things to me about reading through the Bible chronologically is that the reading plan attempts to place the various Psalms in the context of the events in which they were written.  Granted this isn't a perfect science, but for me reading the Psalms in this way is a much richer experience. 

Hopefully this is true for you as well!

So where are we?

The Israelites, having been freed from slavery in Egypt, led through the Wilderness, and occupied the Promised Land (rather poorly I might add), asks for a King to rule over them.  Despite warnings from Samuel, they were granted a King - and Saul was anointed.   But Saul was unfaithful to God's commands.  And since God was one of the only things Saul had going for him, his kingship and life quickly spin out of control. 

As this is happening, David is becoming more and more powerful, and loses favor with Saul.  Why?

Maybe it was pride:

    “Saul has slain his thousands,
      And David his ten thousands.”

But probably this explains it all - "Now Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him." 

Saul goes about attempting to Kill David - first through a dowry for his Daughter ("one hundred foreskins of the Philistines"), but that doesn't work, so Saul does a lot of spear throwing and hunting David down.  He even has those that help David killed - like the Priests of the temple after Doeg the Edomite rats out Ahimelech for giving David Goliath's sword (yes, that Goliath).   Of course, the King's servants won't kill the priests, so Doeg does it for him.     

So Saul has some serious issues.   He is afraid of those that are blessed by God.  (If you are in this situation, some serious soul-searching and repentant prayer is in order).   He deals with anger by throwing his spear - at David as well as his own son - Jonathan.   And he slaughters God's servants.  Then when the climactic battle looms, he does not seek God's counsel, but the counsel of a "medium" - the Witch of Endor (Ch 28).  

Now this raises some interesting questions.  Is it really possible for humans to summon spirits using magic?  Does the Witch actually posses this power?   Good questions that I can't answer - here is one commentary.  But Saul shows complete contempt for God with this act.   Complete contempt.

David, for his part, spends his time running from Saul and trying to stay alive.  We read of this great relationship between David and Jonathan.  We read of David on the run - among the Philistines no less.  And while under the protection of the King of Gath he raids neighboring villages and tracking down the Amelikites that burned Ziklag.  And despite two opportunities David does not kill Saul.  "I will not stretch out my hand against my lord, for he is the LORD’s anointed." 

The book ends with the death of Saul and his three sons, including Jonathan.

No wonder David's psalms plea for deliverance so often.   Like in Psalm 59:

Deliver me from my enemies, O my God;
         Defend me from those who rise up against me.
Deliver me from the workers of iniquity,
         And save me from bloodthirsty men

But mostly, these psalms sing of David's complete trust and dependence on God - a righteous and merciful God.  For his safety, for his deliverance, for his whole life.

I will bless the LORD at all times;
         His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

Blessings!

Keep Reading!

Pray!

If you are following The Plan you should be through 1 Samuel 17.

Let's review a bit:  the Israelites have been led out of Egypt to the Land of Canaan.  Once there, despite some fairly easy to understand instructions, they failed to drive the Canaanite's (and others) from the land and fully claim their inheritance.   They are led by judges with varying degrees of success (and failure).  Enter the Book of Samuel.

Hannah gives birth to Samuel over some steep odds, takes him to Shiloh, and fulfills her promise to set him aside for the Lord (as a Nazirite).  This makes Samson and Samuel our only two Nazarites mentioned in the Bible so far.  She has one of the great prayers of the Bible in Ch.2, which includes this - "The LORD brings death and makes alive;  he brings down to the grave and raises up."  I like that "raises up" part.

The sons of Eli are running wild, abusing their position and "treating the Lord's offering with contempt."  Eli admonishes them with this - "If a man sins against another man, God may mediate for him; but if a man sins against the LORD, who will intercede for him?" but they don't listen and he doesn't really do anything else to stop them as they defile the temple.   The Lord speaks to Eli and says "Why do you honor your sons more than me."  Good question for Eli.  Good question for all of us.

Then the Philistine capture the Ark.  Let me say that again - THE PHILISTINES CAPTURE THE ARK OF THE COVENANT!  Oops. Now, perhaps you are thinking that you have had a bad day today - or yesterday - or some other day this week.   But you haven't.    Not unless you have allowed what you hold most holy and sacred to fall into the hands of the Philistines.   Eli's sons are killed in the battle and when Eli hears the news he falls out of his chair (literally) and breaks his neck.  BTW, the Ark is returned to Israel after the Philistines suffer from its possession.

And then, Israel asks for a king. 

Samuel is instructed to warn the Israelites what a King would mean (he would reign over you, take your sons and daughters, etc...).   Despite the warning they say,  "No!" they said. "We want a king over us."  So it goes...

Samuel anoints Saul as King.  The Bible actually records three difference accounts of this happening (ch9:17-10:8, ch 10:17-25, ch 11:14-15).  The first is private, the second is public, and the third is his installation at Gilgal.

As usual, things seem to go well at first.  The "spirit of God took control of him," and Saul set about doing what the various Judges could not - clearing the land of the Philistines, Canaanite's, Amelikites, Ammonites and various other *ites.  "Wherever he turned he caused havoc." 

But Saul lets being King go to his head a bit.  He decides to present offerings on his schedule, not Samuel's (which is God's).   But Jonathon's faithfulness and courage prevail.   And when Saul hears the command to "attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys," he decides there is some room for interpretation in this command, brings back as booty the best livestock and even King Agag of the Amelikites.  Samuel denounces Saul for not obeying God's command and to correct the error he "hacked Agag to pieces before the Lord at Gilgal."  So even for Samuel, if you wanted something done right you had to do it yourself. 

Then we are introduced to David, whom Samuel annoints and we read one of the most famous stories in the whole Bible - David vs. Goliath.  Now there is a lot to be said for this account (ch17, BTW).  But I like this part:  As Goliath is taunting Israel, David says,  "Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?"

David gets it- that is, he understands.  And much of the next month we will be reading about David - a man after God's own heart.

Interesting.  The Israelites forsake God in the wilderness and ask to inherit the land they were promised.  God leads them into the land (well the second generation anyway) and they forsake God anyway.  They ask God to raise up leaders (Judges) from time to time, which He does.  And they forsake Him.   Now they ask for a King.  All throughout this history, God's commandments are clear to them and God remains faithful to them.   If they would simply obey those commandments then there would be no need for the promised land, judges, or a king. The have everything they need.  But they don't obey.  They lose faith.   They turn away from God and even worship the Baal's and Ashtoreths.  So maybe its not that simple. Not for them.  Not for us.   Maybe our sinful,  fallen nature prevents us from reconciling with God and living in obedience and humility before Him. 

Maybe we need something extraordinary to happen. 

But first, we will be taught this same lesson one more time - in epic proportions.

Blessings.

Keep Reading.

Pray.

 

If you are following The Plan you should have completed the Book of Ruth.  (You should have completed it a few days a go, but alas, I am behind blogging once again).

What a difference!  We just completed reading through Joshua and Judges - and the Lord's anger burning against the Israelites over their disobedience and unfaithfulness...and then we read the Book of Ruth.

According to one resource the Book of Ruth "tells nothing either of cleanliness or of uncleanliness, neither of prohibition or permission. For what purpose then was it written? To teach how great is the reward of those who do deeds of kindness."

How refreshing.  No mass violence - like putting entire cities to the sword.  No personal violence - like driving tent pegs through Sisera's temple.  Just a story of people in this time of great turbulence acting with kindness and compassion towards one another.  Ruth stands in stark contrast to the books preceding it.

No wonder it is one of the most read and most loved books in the Bible.   Just a few comments:

There is the great statement of faith from Ruth (a Moabite women) to Naomi :  "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me."

It is interesting that Ruth is a Moabite who essentially converts – “your God will be my God.”  It reminds me of the story in Act (Ch.10) about  Cornelius – who become the first non-Jew gentile to convert to Christ.  Not sure why, but it does.

In Bible commentaries, there is much made about the concept of the “Kinsman-redeemer” in the Book of Ruth, as well as the concept of Hesed, which means “loving kindness.”  Look them up – interesting reading.

And of course, we get the family lineage from Boaz to David.   And David is an ancestor of Jesus Christ, which makes Ruth (a Moabite!) a forebear of Jesus and one of only four women mentioned in the lineage of Jesus.

Boaz, father of Obed

Obed, father of Jesse

Jesse, father of David

David, ancestor of Mary

Mary, mother of Jesus

Blessings.

Keep Reading.

Pray.

I am pleased to announce that the sale of House #2 has been finalized.

As many of you know, our Congregation adopted a 3 year financial plan in December - part of that plan called for selling one of our properties, which we refer to as "House #2."  While this was a difficult decision, the conditions that made the purchase of House #2 an important investment for SOTH in the past have changed, and it is no longer seen as playing a significant role in our future mission and ministry work.  Because of this, the Church Council voted unanimously to suggest the sale of house #2 to the congregation, which approved the sale in our December 2007 meeting.   This is a significant step in our 3 year mission plan, and the quick sale of the house in a challenging market is the result of a tremendous effort by the church staff.

Blessings!

If you are following The Plan you should have completed the Book of Judges.

So there I was, sipping my morning coffee, starting my daily reading, and wondering to myself, "How come no one names their daughters Jael anymore?"  Then I got to Judges (Ch.4) and this - "But Jael, Heber's wife, picked up a tent peg and a hammer and went quietly to him while he lay fast asleep, exhausted. She drove the peg through his temple into the ground, and he died."

And so goes the Book of Judges.   Where the Book of Joshua had the epic sweep of conquest, the Book of Judges treats its violence much more personally - more Tarentino than Spielberg.

It starts off well enough, with the tribes of Judah and Joseph picking up where Joshua left off - driving the Canaanite's out of their territories.  But the rest had problems - in particular,  Manasseh, Ephraim, Zebulun, Asher, Naphtali, and Dan. 

Naturally, this angers God (after all, what was the exodus all about?  The 40 years in the wilderness?  The covenant with Israel?)  The Angel of the Lord appears and says, "I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land that I swore to give to your forefathers. I said, 'I will never break my covenant with you, and you shall not make a covenant with the people of this land, but you shall break down their altars.' Yet you have disobeyed me. Why have you done this? 3 Now therefore I tell you that I will not drive them out before you; they will be thorns in your sides and their gods will be a snare to you."

Yet, we shouldn't be surprised by this.  Remember back in Deuteronomy?  God commands Moses to write a poem foretelling this rebellion, saying to Moses  "You are going to rest with your fathers, and these people will soon prostitute themselves to the foreign gods of the land they are entering. They will forsake me and break the covenant I made with them. On that day I will become angry with them and forsake them; I will hide my face from them, and they will be destroyed. Many disasters and difficulties will come upon them, and on that day they will ask, 'Have not these disasters come upon us because our God is not with us?"

So as we think back on Judges, remember this phrase - "The anger of the LORD burned against Israel..."

Who were these Judges? (There were 12 of them .... hmmmm).  What did they do?  

The book ends with the story of Micah the priest, the tribe of Dan moving north to occupy some land, and the horrible story of a brutal rape of a travelers daughter at the hands of the tribe of Benjamin - a story with overtones of Sodom and Gomorrah and complete indifference towards suffering, and then the tribes almost exterminate the tribe of Benjamin because of it.

So despite "judges" rising up and leading Israel from time to time, this is a story of ongoing obedience and disobedience to God by the Israelites.  It's easy for us to focus on this waywardness and condemn them.  But really the story here is about God's faithfulness to his people.  His ongoing devotion and righteousness towards a rebellious, murderous, lying, cheating, collection of brigands, thieves, and murderers.  

We should remember this - because "they" are us.   Kinda harsh, but true.  Maybe we aren't murderers and rapists, but we are condemed by our sinfulness to a constant  state of rebellion against God.   What the Isrealites during the time of Judges deserved (and got) was God's wrath.  It is what we all deserve.  Except in our case Jesus stands in for us and his sacrifice washes away our rebellion and sin. 

Even during the time of the Judeges, God did not abandon his people.   (Do you really think he would abandon you?)  When they cry out for relief, he grants it.   When they are in anguish, he soothes them.  And when they cry out for a leader, he builds one up.   Which brings us to the last lines of Judges - "In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit."

On to Samuel... and what may come of this King business.

Blessings.

Keep Reading.

Pray.

If you are following The Plan you should be through the end of the Book of Joshua.  (Actually, you should have been through the end of the Book of Joshua two days ago, and this is not March 28th, but I got a little behind on my blogging.....)

Moses is now dead and buried east of the Jordan.   God charges Joshua to "...arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them—the children of Israel."  So Joshua mobilizes the tribes and sends out spies to Jericho. 

We read the famous story of Rahab in Chapter 2 - and it is clear that the inhabitant of these lands have heard about the Children of Isreal - what God has done for them and what they have done to Sihon and Og, and they are terrified.  "I know that the LORD has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you."  And, by the way, they should be.

Israel crosses the Jordan, which dries up for them like the Passage of the Red Sea and the Children of Israel set up camp in Gilgal - and a few interesting things happen: 

• First, the sons of Israel are circumcised.  With Flint knives.  Before antiseptic, scalpels, and pain medicine.  Ouch.  It's safe to say they are committed at this point.
• Second, they ate the produce of the land and Manna ceased the next day.   Remember that?  God had been providing for them all this time, and once they eat the produce of the land, the manna stops. 

And then it begins - a devastating war of extermination against those living in the land that God had promised the Children of Israel.

• Jericho falls - "...And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, ox and sheep and donkey, with the edge of the sword."  All except Rahab and here household, that is.
• Ai falls - "...So Joshua burned Ai and made it a heap forever, a desolation to this day.  And the king of Ai he hanged on a tree until evening. And as soon as the sun was down, Joshua commanded that they should take his corpse down from the tree, cast it at the entrance of the gate of the city, and raise over it a great heap of stones that remains to this day.
• Gibeon saves themselves from destruction with a deceitful treaty, choosing slavery over destruction.    But this upsets some of the Southern Kingdoms (Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon).  They march on Gibeon, where Joshua descends upon the five Kings from Gilgal, and "..the Lord routed them before Israel, killed them with a great slaughter at Gibeon...cast down large hailstones from heaven."   Were are told the sun stands still in the sky on this day and the five kings are hunted down..."and afterward Joshua struck them and killed them, and hanged them on five trees."
• Makkedah falls - Joshua "struck it and its king with the edge of the sword.  He utterly destroyed them - all the people..."
• Libnah falls - Joshua "let none remain in it, but did to its king as he had done to the king of Jericho."
• Lachish falls - ".. and struck it and all the people who were in it with the edge of a sword."
• Horam, King of Gezer falls - coming to the aid of Lachish.  "Joshua struck him and his people, until he left him none remaining."
• Eglon falls - "...They took it on that day and struck it with the edge of the sword; all the people who were in it he utterly destroyed that day..."
• Hebron Falls - "...And they took it and struck it with the edge of the sword—its king, all its cities, and all the people who were in it; he left none remaining..."
• Debir Falls - "...they struck them with the edge of the sword and utterly destroyed all the people who were in it. He left none remaining..."

And that's just in the South.   They then turned north, where the northern kingdoms rallied together and fought Israel near the "waters of Merom," with predictable results I might add.

• Hazor falls - "...And they struck all the people who were in it with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them."

And by this time it just seemed too much work keeping track of each and every city put to the sword - "So all the cities of those kings, and all their kings, Joshua took and struck with the edge of the sword."

"Then the land rested from war."

Once the warfare ends, they begin dividing up the land among the twelve tribes.   The Tabernacle is erected at Shiloh.  Caleb and Joshua are rewarded for their faithfulness (remember - they are the only two of the original Israelites over 20 who are allowed to cross the Jordan).  They receive Hebron and Timnath Serah as their inheritance.  Cities of refuge are established.  The Covenant is renewed at Shechem (Ch24) and the bones of Joseph are buried there - remember Shechem is the plot of ground that Jacob bought.   Joshua and Eleazar die.

So, there they are - the Children of Israel settled in the land God had promised them.  Mission Accomplished, right?

We'll see - on to Judges....

Blessings.

Keep Reading.

Pray.

If you are following The Plan you should be through the end of the Book of Joshua today.

When we last left off, Moses was preparing Israel to take possession of the land that God had promised them, reminded the people of all that God has done for them.  Moses offers this:

See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.

But then God prepares the people of Israel ...through Moses ...one last time - for what will come of the people of Israel.   Oh, and its not good.

And the LORD said to Moses: "You are going to rest with your fathers, and these people will soon prostitute themselves to the foreign gods of the land they are entering. They will forsake me and break the covenant I made with them. On that day I will become angry with them and forsake them; I will hide my face from them, and they will be destroyed. Many disasters and difficulties will come upon them, and on that day they will ask, 'Have not these disasters come upon us because our God is not with us?'  And I will certainly hide my face on that day because of all their wickedness in turning to other gods.

So even as Moses is preparing the people to cross into the promised land and inhabit it as their inheritance, God is working through Moses and preparing the people of Israel for their eventual rebellion.  Gee, I wonder where that idea would come from (http://sothchairman.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!F60CA4E01EE9BA02!204.entry)?.   He instructs Moses to write a poem - Deuteronomy 32 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy%2032-34&version=31;) - as a witness of God against the Children of Israel.

It was interesting to read through these stories over Easter week.  We have read over and over of God's righteous anger at the Children of Israel for their constant rebellion against him.  Despite providing for every need and leading them towards a land of abundance,  they denied him, lost faith, turned towards other gods, and generally complained the entire way. 

Fast forward a bit (well, more than a bit, but you know what I mean) to Easter week and particularly Good Friday.   Jesus is crucified and is subjected to all of that righteous anger - God's wrath - for all of mankind, for all of their sins against him in the past and in the future. 

It is unimaginable.

It is awe inspiring.

Jesus humbling himself as a blood sacrifice for all this rebellion.   Wave after wave of God's anger poured out against Jesus - and he accepts it all - for you and for me.   Then the famous words - "It is Finished." 

It sure is.

So as you are reading through the Old Testament - following The Plan - and you come to those passages when the children of Israel are rebelling against God (and there's lots more of that to come) and wondering about Gods anger and wrath and how that affects us today - remember Good Friday.  Remember Easter.   It is Finished.

Blessings.

Keep Reading.

Pray.

If you are following The Plan, you should be through Deuteronomy Chapter 23 by the end of today.

Let's just reset the stage a bit - the Israelites are encamped east of the Jordan and are preparing to enter into the land God promised them.   Two tribes - Reuben and Gad - have settled in these lands, but have agreed to send soldiers across the Jordan when the time is right.   The generation that rebelled against the God has died away and only 3 are left - Moses, Joshua, and Caleb.  Moses is preparing Israel to inherit the promised land, and reminding this younger generation of all that has occurred before them.  So if it sounds like Moses is repeating himself - he is.   As a matter of fact, the word "Deuteronomy" means "Second Law" (thank you Wikipedia!).

Some observations:

• One of the best passages from scripture is Deuteronomy 6:5 - "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength."  Pretty clear, eh.
• There is this interesting passage in Chapter 4 (25-31) that includes this:

The LORD will scatter you among the peoples, and only a few of you will survive among the nations to which the LORD will drive you. There you will worship man-made gods of wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or eat or smell. But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul.

Remember this when we get to Judges, Kings and Chronicles.   Because this is EXACTLY what is going to happen.

• Parents take note:  There are some pretty harsh instructions for dealing with wayward sons and daughters - like stoning them to death at the city gates....
• Beginning in Chapter 20, Moses is starting to prepare the people of Israel for Battle.    And once Moses dies and Joshua takes over, it will get very bloody very fast.  So keep reading and stay tuned for the Bible as Saving Private Ryan - The Book of Joshua.

Blessings.

Keep Reading.

Pray

I am excited to announce that we have signed an agreement with Capstone Development Advisors (www.onecapstone.com) to help us with the development of SOTH owned real estate.

As many of you know, the construction of a new Church home on our "South Property" has been pursued at two different points in our congregation's history.   During the last three years we have made  improvements to the South Property with this vision in mind (such as site development, parking, etc...).  As we contemplate next steps, and the significant costs associated with them, we want to ensure that we understand the breadth of options available to us as a congregation and how they help to further our ministry and mission work in the community and beyond.

Enter Capstone.

Capstone Development Advisors is a local organization with extensive experience in real estate development for Christian Churches and schools.   The SOTH leadership team will be working closely with Capstone over the next 60-90 days and will be presenting findings and recommendations to the congregation.

At SOTH we have been blessed with an incredible opportunity, through the property that we own, to have a transformational impact on the community around us.  It is an exciting time at SOTH - please keep these efforts in your prayers.

The beautiful headstone for our friend Tony Trujillo has arrived and is in place.  To celebrate, we threw down some blankets (careful not to "disturb" the sites around us) and had a picnic right next to him....sandwiches, chips & soda, lots of laughter and story telling and best of all - Tony was surrounded by children once again.  Running, laughing, playing. 

Every day that we are here is a gift from God.  

Too often we get distracted by our own busyness - we walk through the day frustrated or annoyed or angry - by work, family or friends, our obligations.

But scripture is clear.  We are here to love.  To live an abundant life. To share this amazing story of God's grace with others.

Every day that we are here is a gift from God.  What are you using that gift for today?