The Danger of Bringing News to David

David said to the young man who told him, "Where are you from?" And he answered, " I am the son of an alien, an Amalekite." Then David said to him, "How is it you were not afraid to stretch out your hand to destroy the Lord's anointed?" And David called one of the young men and said, "Go, cut him down." So he struck him and he died. David said to him, " Your blood is on your head, for your mouth has testified against you, saying, 'I have killed the Lord's anointed. '" (2 Samuel 1:13-16 NASB)

 The sequence of the narrative in 2 Samuel 1 goes as follows: 1) An Amalekite comes to David and tells of the death of Saul and Jonathan and the loss by Israel. 2) David and his men mourn for the loss of Israel. 3) David has the Amalekite killed. 4) David writes a dirge for Saul and Jonathan.

Sandwiched in the middle is the death of this 'young man' who brought David news.  Ironically, the boy's news does not match the account in 1 Samuel of Saul's death, so it's possible the boy is exaggerating his role.  What he does have is the crown and the bracelet from Saul.  So, if nothing else, he got to Saul's body first, before the Philistines, and 'rescued' these items.

I think it's interesting that this guy is an Amalekite, the same people who plundered Ziklag, taking David's wives; whom David caught and fought for a day and a half, and then he plundered them.  David's not all that well disposed toward Amalekites anyway, especially right now.  And then, after David has taught his men that it's not right to strike 'The Lord's Anointed' (1 Sam 24 and 26), here's another opportunity.  And David doesn't even condescend to execute the man himself, he has one of his men do it.

Because it comes after the initial clothes-rending and wailing, I wonder if it's an 'afterthought' of David.  On the other hand, it's much more likely it simply occurs to him in the normal path of grief, when he gets to the 'anger' stage, and there's this guy who says he killed the king and that he's an Amalekite; a double-whammy in David's book.  Also, the sense I get, or how I imagine David pronouncing this judgement is with distaste in his mouth for such a person; as if this Amalekite disgusts him (my imagination, it doesn't say that).

David makes a statement in his response to this news brought by this unlikely messenger.  His command and response makes it plain that he finds no joy or relief in the death of Saul and Jonathan.  A case could be made he's more upset about Jonathan, but it's both of them together he laments.  Saul pursued him, eventually drove him from his homeland, and tried to kill him numerous times.  Yet David laments his death, and avenges him on the one claiming to have killed him.

David was no idiot.  He didn't hang out with Saul when he knew Saul would kill him if he could.  He realized he couldn't even be in the same country with Saul.  Yet, while he didn't trust his king, David always treated him with the respect that Saul was chosen by God.  Even when it became clear God had also rejected Saul, David never stopped treating him as the 'Anointed of God'.

'Anointed' is 'messiah' in Hebrew and 'christ' in Greek.  The Anointed is Jesus, the Jewish Messiah and Universal Christ.  And our culture and society treats this One as a 'historical figure', a 'wise man', a 'prophet', a 'teacher', a myth, and so on.  They truly destroy the Anointed of the Lord, seeking to treat with contempt the Eternal Son of God, the One chosen from before time to rescue His human creatures.  It's ironic we, as a race, have rejected our Creator and Savior.

So, the application is for me to have someone wipe out all humanity...wait, no.  That's not it.  I know, the application is for me to wipe out all humanity...hmmm, no, that's not it either.  Okay, here it is: my Master will wipe us all out...um, still no.  So, what is the application of this passage?  Where do I see the connection between David and Saul, and me and my circumstances?

David loved Saul to the end.  I'm to love my Savior to the end.  But I'm also to acknowledge those around me chosen by my Master as authorities over me.  For instance, pastors, teachers, elders, and so on in my church.  I would say, especially pastors.  Churches are so quick to condemn anyone, especially pastors.  Even pastors seem to have such little regard for each other.  I am particularly critical (I call it being 'picky').

When Jesus stands and speaks to John on Patmos, He says that he has 7 stars in his right hand, and that these stars are the 'angels' of the seven churches.  Angels.  My pastor said that he thought it was cool to think that every church had an angel.  I think that, in this sense or application, the word really referred to the normal Greek meaning of 'messenger'.  I think the 'pastors' are the angels; messengers of God.  That's my opinion, and there are plenty of other opinions from which to choose.  But my opinion would mean that my pastor is not only one 'anointed' but also that he is held in the right hand of my Master and Savior. 

So then, the application is to never raise my hand against the anointed of the Lord, human or deity.  It's Thanksgiving tomorrow.  Do I express thanks for my pastor?  Do I support him behind his back?  Do speak of him with the respect as one held in the right hand of my Master?  Do I consider him the messenger of my Master to our congregation?  Do I honor him even when he seeks my demise?  Do I honor him even when I don't agree with him?  What if he is out to get me (and I don't think he is)?  Do I turn on him then?  What is the application in my circumstances?  Maybe you can find the application in yours?  In any case, I don't recommend you bragging to me about how you 'brought down your pastor'...and heaven help you should you tell me you're bringing down mine.  I'm just saying.

What's With The 'Wing'?

The men of David said to him, "Behold, this is the day of which the LORD said to you, 'Behold; I am about to give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it seems good to you.'" Then David arose and cut off the edge of Saul's robe secretly.  It came about afterward that David's conscience bothered him because he had cut off the edge of Saul's robe.  So he said to his men, "Far be it from me because of the LORD that I should do this thing to my lord, the LORD'S anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, since he is the LORD'S anointed."  David persuaded his men with these words and did not allow them to rise up against Saul. And Saul arose, left the cave, and went on his way. (1 Samuel 24:4-7 NASB)

I'm trying to imagine how this event went down, and I'm struggling with it.  So, Saul saunters (or more likely moves with swift intention) alone into this cave.  Coming from light to dark, his eyes can't see the extent of the cave recesses.  And then, a safe distance into the cave, perhaps to one side, he 'covers his feet' (a Hebrew euphemism for 'cop a squat').  Unbeknownst to him, in those dark recesses he couldn't see upon entering, are hidden his quarry, David and his men.  That's the setup for the verses above.

So here are the places I struggle. 1) Caves echo, and unless there are a lot of deadening sorts of plants or something, dirt on the floor, what have you; you shouldn't be able to whisper without Saul hearing something. 2) How did David get so close to cut and cut quietly?  I'm guessing he didn't whip out his handy orange-handled Fiskers and silently snip, he had to use a knife.  Either that sucker was SHARP, or he spent some time and effort at it.  How did that happen without Saul noticing something in this cave? 3) Why the robe?  If he's following the advice of his men, what's with the piece of robe?  Was that the sign to his men to go ahead and take out their adversary; the first blow?  Next, off comes his head?

I don't think anyone really knows the answers to these questions; partly since the cave in this region (there are hundreds at least) in which this happens is not even known.  So I have only theories (go figure - you knew it had to be). 

I suspect it went down something like this:

• This cave is HUGE, enough to fit 600 or more fairly comfortably, and David's sentry gave plenty of warning that Saul's 3,000 were coming up the canyon (or wadi as they are called there).  
• I suspect sand storms over the last thousands of years or so had deposited plenty of sand near the entrance, with less as you go deeper in the cave (I've never actually been to Israel, so I'm really just guessing), which would deaden sound nearer the cave, not so much deeper in.  
• When David's men realize it's Saul (their eyes are adjusted to the dark, and Saul's aren't), they figure now's the time God provided to take out Saul and end this.  
• I can only imagine that Saul has constipation, so, therefore really taking his time and working fairly hard at what he's doing; therefore hears nothing as he is very preoccupied.
• Because what he going to be doing is usually 'messy' Saul lays his outer garment aside as he approaches the place he picks to 'take care of business'.  I would think, again as I imagine it, this would be somewhere between the squatting and grunting Saul and the door, and therefore the only light source in the cave, and a place of more 'sand'.
• David approaches very carefully, his men watching and ready.  Saul doesn't notice a sound in the sand behind him (if he's facing the cave wall or something - tactically stupid, but I suppose possible).  Saul doesn't notice a shadow passing on the wall around him as David passes between the light of the cave entrance and himself (again tactically stupid, but again, I suppose possible).  David chooses the robe over Saul himself and cuts off a piece.  Saul doesn't hear this either because he's working so hard, and/or because David is so quiet.
• As David cuts the piece of robe, something flashes through is mind.  He sees Saul, the mighty king of Israel squatting helpless over his heels working away, and realizes that this could just as easily be him.  What if one of his men wanted to be the next king?  How hard would this be?  After all, he's setting a precedent here.  His conscience attacks him (or in Hebrew, 'his heart caused him to be struck').
• David changes what he's done into a teachable moment.  Rather than signal his men with the robe to take out their adversary, he sneaks back to them past the squatting sweating king.  And he says, to them, "God forbid (and by that he means 'God do to me if I do to him') that I stretch out my hand against the Lord's anointed."  David realizes that as insane as Saul may be, he and David both are anointed of the Lord.  So David takes this time to teach his men a very important thing for them to know (for his own protection): You don't presume to strike down those anointed from God.

I don't know if you thought it through or read it through, but this lesson David teaches his men is done so well, and so powerfully, that in the Kingdom of Judah, David's line has almost no assassinations, maybe three or four incidents (one at least has a lot of people dying, but is a single incident).  Not all his offspring die of natural causes, but very few die at the hand of a usurper.  On the other hand, in the Northern Kingdom of Israel, it happens all the time.  Dynasty's are rare up there in Samaria, and that kingdom lasts much less time than David's line ruling in Judah (like 300 years less!).

I'm sure that my 'imagination' of how the events in the cave went down deviate from what really happened significantly, but the overall sense of what happened is probably close.  The lesson is unmistakeable.  While I'm not sure what the point of cutting off the robe as opposed as stabbing the squatting king actually was, the point David makes is genius, probably inspired.  David's opportunity to teach his men not to strike one anointed of God had to be a divinely created opportunity, one he didn't pass up.  But what is my lesson, my take away here?  What point can I learn from the piece of robe rather than a life?

Paul already points our that our spiritual warfare is not against people but against the 'spiritual forces of darkness in heavenly realms' (Ephesians 6:12).  So I see that lesson here, that David sees that his foe is not really Saul, but those evil things oppressing Saul.  Seeing that I suspect David is able to see himself in Saul's sandals/shoes, perhaps even his predicament (caught with his robe around his ankles).  He did not see a helpless foe as an opportunity.  That is probably the biggest thing.  In a sense, those evil things oppressing Saul were now tempting David to take the life of their pawn, and therefore his place as their human puppet (okay, I'm probably over the top in reading into this). 

The lesson my Master is teaching me is probably more that the opportunities He provides I should be taking.  So, when I come home, and see that neighbor out in the street with his kids, I should take that opportunity to engage in a 'Kingdom conversation'.  When I'm in line at Walmart for an hour or so because there's only one line open for all 20,000 people in my city congregated in the store at the same time (why do they do that? Both, my town and the store), then I should take the opportunity for a 'Kingdom conversation'. 

There are opportunities all around me to engage the enemy of my Master, and bring in the light of my Master's Kingdom into the dark strongholds, offer release to captives, and plunder the camps of the Devil.  And he knows it.  So those opportunities are also to draw fire, flaming arrows requiring faith, chest shots requiring righteousness, head shots requiring salvation, and having the equipment handy provided by truth.  The sword I borrow from the Spirit of my Master divides soul and spirit, joints and morrow; what could be a more effective weapon than that?  Why, if I'm so well equipped, do I not take these afforded opportunities?

So, my challenge is to put it on, take it up, go forth, stand, pray, and engage.  If the gates of hell cannot stand against the called out ones of my Master, why aren't I kicking them in?  It's time.  "Let's roll!"

Circumstantial Faith?

Today’s entry is a hard one.  I think it’s hard because it was distilled down and I am missing some explanation.  On the other hand, what is left is succinctly on point.  First, my Master will bring me into circumstances where my faith in Him is tested against actualities (difficulties where I do not sense His blessings).  Second, my focus will be tested in the same circumstances to determine if it is on Him or on His blessings (am I a mercenary follower).

The passage in John 16 is part of a discourse where Jesus is trying to prepare His disciples for His coming execution by crucifixion.  He has been trying to get across the event, but also the meaning.  Both seem to be missing them.  In verse 32, Jesus is responding to their claim to “finally believe” or “understand”.  He replies with “Really?  The hour has arrived when you will scatter and abandon me alone.”  How’s that for a tough response?  Jesus sees through their pretense, through their own denial and inability to see themselves, and into their ability to connect their faith with the actual circumstances they will face.  The ability is not there.  He knows this and brings them into it anyway.  He does so because He also knows that these twelve will then have the faith to take the good news of His the work He is about to do to the very ends of the known world, and beyond.

My Master is still working with my faith in actualities.  Am I tied to my beliefs about how He must work, and is my understanding of that work driven by my desires?  Or have I reached the point beyond saying that “He works however He likes and I will follow” and actually living that statement out?  Have I focused past the blessings to the One blessing?  When I tell my Master that “You love me, You have my back, and I am at Your service,” does that statement then reach into actual events of my day?  I believe that at this point, to a large extent, it does.  But an hour comes and has come when that faith is tested in actual events that I can not predict, do not understand, and where I am completely at His mercy. 

We have an apartment and storage unit, but we also have an appeal by family for help.  This transition is no longer about whether or not to enable family members to relax in happy luxury, it is now about assisting aging parents.  Now the decision to stay or go is no longer easy, but it seems clearer.  The marks previously used have been superseded by the appeal.  Now the Scripture compelling me to take care of my own household applies as it did not before.  So, the call appears to be to leave what has been achieved here, minor and major levels of success, and start over socially and economically.

This is the actual set of circumstances I am in.  Where is my faith?  Do I follow the blessings I have enjoyed here, or follow my Master into a hard life?  Well, I hope McDonalds is hiring where we’re going.

Oswald Chambers' "My Utmost For His Highest": April 4th.

Intercession by Example

I have to admit that this intercession angle is really cutting into my “quiet time/blog time.”  Today, Chambers ties the work of interceding to the work of Jesus and His Spirit.  So, now I am faced with the example of my Master, and being an extension of His work as an intercessor. 

The story behind the April Fool is interesting.  Long ago, I believe during either the middle ages or just after, New Years Day was moved from April 1 to January 1 on the calendar.  Celebrating on April 1 corresponded to the beliefs of many religions, including the Hebrew Calendar (sort of, since the Hebrew Calendar is a “lunar” calendar, the correspondence varied every year).  I’m not sure the reasoning, but the change was made.  Anyone who forgot and celebrated New Years or said, “Happy New Years” on April 1 was referred to as the “April Fool”.  That is a very abbreviated version of the account, but the idea was the the person who was unaware that things had changed on them, or forgot something basic was deemed a fool.

Today, I am that fool.  Of course I should be doing intercession.  Of course I should be seeking the face of my Master in prayer.  But I have been blogging in response to Scripture and in response to the writings of another child of my King.  And this activity has sometimes taken the place of prayer.  On the other hand, I have been in prayer throughout the day.  I have sought my Master in the afternoons (not every afternoon, but I am getting there).  So, in the process of my day, I do intercede.  But I have let this activity interfere with the other.

So, today is the last entry and I will leave off writing for prayer.  I will instead of writing these entries in the morning, write them whenever I have time.  I know that they have been the catalyst of growth, the means of making myself available to my Master in the past 3 months.  I know that the growth I have enjoyed recently has been wonderful, but it is time to get back to the work of prayer and intercession.  Sure I can and do pray throughout the day.  But I have neglected this work of my Master long enough.  I will become that intercessor I should have been all along.

So, here I go, and good by for now…

You believed that?  Am I not an intercessor already?  Haven’t you read the last two entries?  I would be crazy to now isolate myself from the hands of my Master when He has begun to do so much.  Don’t be an April Fool!  Things have changed within me, and I would be a fool to return to my old busted ways of doing things.

But since I am also to be an intercessor, I will add that to my bag of activities which put me within reach of my Master.  Sorry for the prank, but it is the day, and I do love pranks.  If you are truly angry with me, comment…and I will intercede with my Master for you too.

Oswald Chambers' "My Utmost For His Highest": April 1st.

Where will I not go, what will I not do?

In the less familiar part of Philippians 2, Paul encourages the believers in Philippi to behave well among each other, so they will have nothing to be ashamed of before the seat of Jesus, nor will he.  And then he says that, even if he is being offered as a drink offering for their faith, he's OK with that.  I'm not so sure I would be OK with that.

Church people are the reason I never went back into ministry the first place. Being "poured out as an offering for their faith" implies that all the work I do for them and with them being of no effect on their lives. That's what happened to me the first time. 

In my first ministry experience after seminary, it got to the point that they focused so much on what they didn't like about me, they could no longer focus on God, hear His Spirit, or even understand the basics of the gospel.  One man even claimed that Jesus had told him to gossip and incite others against me.  If they could agree on what they didn't like, or were in agreement about details or particulars, that would indicate some area of ministry or my walk with God in which I had fallen down.

I realize that I contributed a lot to what happened there.  If Satan can so overcome a body of believers in Christ that they walk the line of the unpardonable sin in photo-negative, what the heck was the shepherd doing anyway?  Yes, I admit I was asleep at the wheel.  Had I been more open to immersing myself in the lives of the people for whom I was responsible, I would have seen Satan's fingerprints sooner, known to pray directly and specifically, and at least faced the spiritual warfare head-on.  I probably would have lost anyway, because the beachhead had already been firmly established before I got there.  But I would prefer a straight on fight to being steamrollered from behind.

So, am I willing to be offered up as a drink offering for the faith of others?  I am not the same person I was, God has done a lot of work in me these 11 years, and I believe that in some ways I am more spiritually mature than then.  But I am also more cynical, sarcastic, and skeptical.  I have fewer illusions of other believers because I simply jettisoned any expectations that they be like Christ.  How's that for a lovely pastoral attitude?

But one thing I have still is hope.  Hope is the ground that God plows to grow faith.  Faith is the raw material God uses to build love in the hearts of His people.  Having hope still is due to God's continued work in my life.  I know change is possible.  My faith in His work in the lives of others enables me to pass on that hope to others.  When someone can hope for change, believes that God can bring it about and wants to, and then commits the future to Him, change happens.  The change is the change God chooses, not the change we imagined, but change still.  That's what has and is happening to me.

Too "Good" for God?

I know I'm not unique in this, but every once in a while I wonder about it.  In 2 Corinthians 5:14, Paul says that he is constrained (hemmed in or fenced in) by the love of Christ.  In that frame of mind, nothing else but the love of Christ matters to him.  His entire life is focused on that love which, initially called him to itself, and then proceeded to send him out as a messenger and witness of it to the rest of the world.  The activity of Jesus on my behalf, the glorious appearing somewhere around the corner, the throne of God, the Lamb Slain from the Foundation of the World.  The visions of the glory of God are abundant, but are they my focus?

I have a problem.  I am fairly good at a wide variety of things, and have an aptitude for learning more.  It doesn't sound like a problem, but I believe that because my focus has not been on the glorious love of Christ, I have upstaged the Truth of which I am a custodian and servant.  I do not do so consciously, but I do not try not to consciously. If that does not make sense, let me put it this way. I really like the praise and attention of others. So when I do something right or well, I like the attention I get.

I am thinking now, and have before, that I am too slow to point to Jesus as the One deserving attention. I had someone tell me that I am too hard on myself, since lots of people do that or have the same issue. But does that make it acceptable for me? I doubt it makes it acceptable to Jesus. It's not that I should be pointing to Jesus as the One really responsible for whatever I do. I make way too many mistakes for that. I think I should be using any positive attention I get as an opportunity to advertise for my Lord and Master. It is the “Love of Christ” that I should be pointing to given any opportunity, because it is that very love that will enable others to experience the real core of my life, eternity.

I have a challenge now. If I am as “skilled” as I say I am, then I will see how far that skill really goes. I will attempt to word my advertisement for my Master in response to any praise I receive in such a way that it is both clear, and acceptable in a carnal corporate environment. I succeed when the subject of the response overshadows any attention on me, positive or negative. When I am upstaged by God, I will be truly successful, and finally live the call of Knight of the Realm, Servant to the King (KOTR SOTK).