Monthly Archives: October 2008

Acts 12:20-23 – 20Now Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon, and they came to him with one accord, and having persuaded Blastus, the king’s chamberlain, they asked for peace, because their country depended on the king’s country for food. 21 On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them. 22And the people were shouting, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!” 23Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last.

Herod was struck down because when the people he was speaking to heard him, they cried out (in an obvious attempt to appease an egomaniac) “the voice of a god and not a man”. Immediately God struck Herod and he eventually died of a worm infestation. The text says that he was struck because he did not give God glory (v.23). This, after Herod had killed James the brother of the Apostle John, had imprisoned Peter and would have killed him but for God’s miraculous intervention, killed the guards who had been guarding Peter and then threatened to cut off the food supply to Tyre and Sidon.

But for all this, the text says nothing in relation to Herod’s judgement from God. The reason Herod was killed was because he did not give God the glory. Of course, Herod’s persecution of believers, the murder of Christians and others, and the forced starvation of a whole region are all because he does not live for the glory of God. But none of those things are specifically mentioned as the reason for Herod’s death. Herod’s life was one big self centered endeavour and we would be foolish to think that God is not just as displeased with it today as He was then. And people need to be brought to see that they commit, every day, the very sin that brought God to end Herod’s life.

We have no idea how much praise God is worthy of and how little we give Him. But we should be very grateful for accounts such as this one that tell us just how much God is righteously jealous for His own glory.

And we absolutely must be brought to see the glories of the cross in all this. The cross tells us how offensive our sins are to God. The only escape from the just punishment for all our sin, is the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Herod didn’t believe it and he’s been regretting it for a very long time. You can be different.

Acts 8:1 “And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles”

A great persecution breaks out against the church and those who are scattered because of the opposition against them preach the Word wherever they go. Does the irony of this not grip us? The very thing that has caused them to be persecuted is the thing they do when they arrive at their new destinations. They know that this will probably lead to more trouble but they 1) have a mandate 2) cannot keep quiet, 3) remember that this is the kind of thing that Jesus said would happen. If opposition to the Gospel or Christianity is going to stop you from living and speaking its truths, then it is unlikely your love for God is as solid as you think it is. We shall inherit with Christ IF we suffer with Him (Romans 8:16-17 – 16 “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17and if children, then heirs-heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.”)

Suffering for the faith is part of our calling. It is also a mark of the true believer. And it is endured by those believers with joy. No matter what happens to the Christian, nothing can separate him from the love of God. We are willing to endure much because we cannot outlove Him. The blessings far outweigh the cost.

23On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. 24When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. 25You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David:
” ‘Why do the nations rage
and the peoples plot in vain?
26The kings of the earth take their stand
and the rulers gather together
against the Lord
and against his Anointed One.’ 27Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people[e] of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. 28They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. 29Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

31After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

Acts 4:23f – The response of the church to the report of Peter and John regarding their persecution by the Sadducees was to pray “O Sovereign Lord”. The only request they made was to be able to speak the Gospel with boldness (v. 29). They do not pray that God would perform miracles. They assume that He will, “Give us boldness while you perform healings, signs and wonders”… . The lesson here is that what matters, even when I am opposed and threatened is to remember that it has happened in the providence of God, by His sovereign control, for His glory. No matter what happens I am called to faithfulness. Nothing that happens to me is meant to stop me from praising God for His sovereign control, and knowing that He is at work. Note also that they quote Scripture confirming the opposition of unbelievers (v. 25f). The remarkable thing, of course, is that they do not pray that the persecution/opposition, will stop. God has promised that they would suffer and they do not expect anything else. Why pray for it to stop? The Word says it, prophesies it, promises it. Then why should I think that I can avoid it? God is faithful to His Word. If He has said, and He has, that we are called to suffer for His sake, then we can praise Him for His faithfulness to His Word and know that He will be just as faithful to the parts of the Word that promise good to us. God also told them to give the Gospel, so they pray that they will have the necessary qualities to do that. And God answered their prayer.

Proverbs 4 and Acts 1 – The Proverb says “don’t do anything without wisdom. Gain wisdom, prize it, guard it.” In Acts 1 Jesus tells Hid followers, just before He ascends to heaven: “do not do anything until you receive the Holy Spirit.”
How do we get wisdom? And how do we get the Holy Spirit? The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and those who fear the Lord are those who have trusted the Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit indwells all who are in Christ by faith.

To run ahead of God is foolish in the extreme. God directs us through the Word, and through the Holy Spirit enables us to understand the Word and empowers us to obey the Word. Apply yourself diligently to know the Scriptures and do nothing by which the Holy Spirit would be grieved or quenched for then you will not be able to understand the Scriptures that are so necessary to living.

II Samuel 18:1-3

1Then David mustered the men who were with him and set over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds. 2And David sent out the army, one third under the command of Joab, one third under the command of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, and one third under the command of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the men, “I myself will also go out with you.” 3 But the men said, “You shall not go out. For if we flee, they will not care about us. If half of us die, they will not care about us. But you are worth ten thousand of us. Therefore it is better that you send us help from the city.”

When David was being opposed by Absalom (II Samuel 18) and wanted to go out with his army to defend his kingdom and kingship, his soldiers prevented him saying
“You shall not go out. For if we flee, they will not care about us. If half of us die, they will not care about us. But you are worth ten thousand of us. Therefore it is better that you send us help from the city.” Whether this advice was right or not is open to debate, but I believe their assessment of the value of their king was right. Leadership is crucial to the battle. The defeat of the one at the helm has a powerful debilitating effect upon those who follow him and a powerful encouraging effect upon those who oppose him. Evil wins a battle when godly leaders fall. The fall of a pastor into sin or even discouragement, depression that prevents him form accomplishing his work … accomplishes much more than just the damage done to the man. It effects the while church, the church’s effectiveness in its outreach and care … . How crucial it is for all leaders, especially spiritual leaders and especially pastors/elders to keep themselves “unspotted form the world.” And how crucial it is for them and their families to be prayed for. That leaders families are part of the evil one’s attacks is not surprising. Many great leaders, especially in the church, struggle with issues at home. This was certainly true of David. His enemy in the episode before us today was his own son.

Proverbs 23:1-3 (ESV)
1When you sit down to eat with a ruler,
observe carefully what is before you,
2and put a knife to your throat
if you are given to appetite.
3Do not desire his delicacies,
for they are deceptive food.

Do not desire the king’s delicacies … . The Bible is not afraid to command our emotions. By the work of the Holy Spirit in us we are able to decide what we will desire or not. This is liberating. How many Christians believe that they are slaves to their feelings? How many state “I can’t help it” believing that in some way they are off the hook because of the strength of their desires? The command to love is in part at least, a command to feel. The command to rejoice, to give cheerfully etc. are commands to the heart to feel a certain way. We need to get a solid understanding of the power of such commands. To believe that only our actions are commanded is to resign oneself to a life of misery. How good it is to know that this sin, whatever it is, will be defeated, not just by some great act of willpower, but because I have come to the point where I do not want to do this thing anymore. And how good it is to know that fellowship with God can be a stronger desire of the heart than the desire to do the sin we are pulled to do. The agony of Paul in Romans 7 is not to be denied, but the joyful liberation that comes with obedience in the area of feelings is to be chased with great joy, for it is a great, great thing. And does this not begin in prayer? We should pray with the honesty that says “Lord, I want to do this sin but I do not want to want to do it. Bring me to the place where I will no longer want to commit this sin against you. And bring me to the place where I want to be in close relation with you more than I want anything else.”

1 Now when the king lived in his house and the LORD had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies, 2the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells in a tent.” 3And Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your heart, for the LORD is with you.”

4But that same night the word of the LORD came to Nathan, 5″Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD: Would you build me a house to dwell in? 6I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent for my dwelling. 7In all places where I have moved with all the people of Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?”‘ 8Now, therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel. 9 And I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. 10And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly, 11 from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the LORD declares to you that the LORD will make you a house. 12 When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, 15 but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. 16 And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’” 17In accordance with all these words, and in accordance with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David.

18Then King David went in and sat before the LORD and said, “Who am I, O Lord GOD, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? 19And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord GOD. You have spoken also of your servant’s house for a great while to come, and this is instruction for mankind, O Lord GOD! 20And what more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Lord GOD! 21Because of your promise, and according to your own heart, you have brought about all this greatness, to make your servant know it. 22 Therefore you are great, O LORD God. For there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. 23 And who is like your people Israel, the one nation on earth whom God went to redeem to be his people, making himself a name and doing for them great and awesome things by driving out before your people, whom you redeemed for yourself from Egypt, a nation and its gods? 24 And you established for yourself your people Israel to be your people forever. And you, O LORD, became their God. 25And now, O LORD God, confirm forever the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, and do as you have spoken. 26And your name will be magnified forever, saying, ‘The LORD of hosts is God over Israel,’ and the house of your servant David will be established before you. 27For you, O LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have made this revelation to your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house.’ Therefore your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you. 28And now, O Lord GOD, you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant. 29Now therefore may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you. For you, O Lord GOD, have spoken,and with your blessing shall the house of your servant be blessed forever.”

Whenever God says “no” to a prayer request of ours, we would be very wise to respond as David did when God said “no” to him. No griping here on David’s part. Just gratitude for all that God had done for David despite the fact that He had said “no” to his request. David’s prayer in II Sam. 7:18-29 is a tremendous testimony of faith. God had just refused him the great desire of his heart to build the temple of God. Look for complaining or resentment or anger. You will not find it. How do you respond when God says “no” to you?

But note also that when God said no to David regarding building the temple, He also promised something better. He gave him the promise of the Saviour to come in his line. God had something far greater in store for David than what he asked for. Never question the goodness of God to you. He may say no but He has something better in store.

But even that is not the main point of the story. The main point is that because of God’s faithfulness to His own purposes we have Christ. Let’s not chase after anything but Him. Jesus is the theme of the Bible and He is the theme of life itself. Seek Him out today.

We live in an age when it is considered uncouth to say anything detrimental about anyone. This has much to commend it. No one should demean the disabled (mental or physical), people of certain ethnic origins, the poor, etc. But the Bible pulls no punches when it comes to venerating wisdom and knowledge and disparaging those who have not worked hard to attain those two companions. The Bible is full of tight logic, well argued thought and sensible conclusions. God expects us to think and put arguments together and arrive at conclusions that agree with it because it is right. Proverbs 9:6 (ESV)
Leave your simple ways, and live,
and walk in the way of insight.”
We live in a culture that quite often values the mundane, the simple, the ordinary, the stupid … . Philosophy and logic and well argued thought are not near as important as they ought to be. And the Bible is clearly on the side of good thinking. People should not use their lack of education as an excuse for not knowing things and not being able to put cogent thoughts together. They need to get out of the chair of nothingness and sit in the chair of hard mental strain. A good reminder from God to us today about the importance of not wasting the minds He has given us. I can bemoan the fact that God did not make me as intelligent as the biblical scholars that I read. But maybe the principle difference between them and me is not the IQ but rather hard work. Scholars are made, not born and I have adopted many habits that make me culpable for my lack of wisdom, knowledge and well fired brain power. Lord, forgive me and help me to show repentance in hard mental activity that demonstrates itself in understanding.

Many in the church today separate what God has joined together – heart and mind. To say that we are to use our heads is not to say that our hearts should be cold, dead, and unemotional. The greatest commandment does not say love God with all your heart soul OR mind. It says heart AND mind. We must not emphasize heart or mind to the neglect of the other.

Sola deo gloria.

II Sam. 6:1-15

1 David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. 2And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale-judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the LORD of hosts who sits enthroned on the cherubim. 3And they carried the ark of God on a new cart and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. And Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were driving the new cart, 4with the ark of God, and Ahio went before the ark.

5And David and all the house of Israel were making merry before the LORD, with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals. 6And when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. 7And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah, and God struck him down there because of his error, and he died there beside the ark of God. 8And David was angry because the LORD had burst forth against Uzzah. And that place is called Perez-uzzah, to this day. 9And David was afraid of the LORD that day, and he said, “How can the ark of the LORD come to me?” 10So David was not willing to take the ark of the LORD into the city of David. But David took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. 11And the ark of the LORD remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months, and the LORD blessed Obed-edom and all his household.

12And it was told King David, “The LORD has blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.” So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with rejoicing. 13And when those who bore the ark of the LORD had gone six steps, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened animal. 14And David danced before the LORD with all his might. And David was wearing a linen ephod. 15So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting and with the sound of the horn.

II Sam. 6:1-15 – David brings the ark of the covenant back to Jerusalem. And the way he did it violated the Law that dictated how the ark was to be transported. Note in verse 13 that after Uzzah is killed and after David has been angry and afraid, the ark is again retrieved and carried properly. There is no record of God telling David why Uzzah was struck dead. There is no record of an answer to David’s question in v. 9 “How can the ark of God come to me?” David, or someone, must have gone to the Scriptures to discover how the ark was to be legitimately carried. The thing to note is that God does not respond to David’s question. The reason He does not is that He has already told the people of Israel how the ark is to be carried. God will not speak to us directly where the Word of God has already spoken. We are obligated to know the Word of God and we should not expect God to give us direct revelation just because we are ignorant of the Scriptures. Search the Scriptures. This is how God speaks to us. Given II Timothy 3:16f it is highly doubtful that God will ever speak directly to us. The Word thoroughly equips us for every good work. What more do we need than that?