Of David, when he changed his behavior before Abimelech, so that he drove him out, and he went away.
I will bless the Lord at all times;
his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul makes its boast in the Lord;
let the humble hear and be glad.
3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
and let us exalt his name together!
4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him are radiant,
and their faces shall never be ashamed.
6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
and saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the Lord encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
9 Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints,
for those who fear him have no lack!
10 The young lions suffer want and hunger;
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
11 Come, O children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
12 What man is there who desires life
and loves many days, that he may see good?
13 Keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from speaking deceit.
14 Turn away from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.
15 The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous
and his ears toward their cry.
16 The face of the Lord is against those who do evil,
to cut off the memory of them from the earth.
17 When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears
and delivers them out of all their troubles.
18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
and saves the crushed in spirit.
19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
but the Lord delivers him out of them all.
20 He keeps all his bones;
not one of them is broken.
21 Affliction will slay the wicked,
and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
22 The Lord redeems the life of his servants;
none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.
Who is Abimelech? This particular King was David's ~ Employer. A Philistine King. So we would be absolutely correct in saying this Psalm is David singing about escaping a bad boss.
Pressed to the wall? Bad day? The Scriptures record David was given Ziglak. Which more or less sounds like a name for some terrible sci-fi space outpost. And you would not be far from wrong. David lived, just about in a ditch, with the 400 men who would follow him for one year and four months. Who said being a Christian, a follower of God, is easy?
Pilgrimage, hiking Ziklag, part of the Negev desert and semi-desert region of southern Israel.
Archaeological explorations reveal some of the earliest presence in Ziklag is early Israel.
This is the Christmas season and in the Christmas Event we have a priest confronting God and rather than grab the horns of the altar he was standing beside for protection (a God thing in the Temple), John the Baptist's father grabs so-to-speak the horns of Gabriel, not to blow in celebration, but to demand details and scoffs at an Angel of GOD, who stands in HIS Presence. Well, back to David. David is confronted with all types of pressures. Governmental issues becoming criminal issues, marital issues, neighbor issues, wrong crowd issues, housing issues, transportation issues and self-management issues and macromanagement issues. David looked for God to provide the opportunity for a solution. We determine our hopefulness and hostility levels in our humble willingness to examine God's direction our lives. David was always willing to examine the options God was willing to provide.
David is being pursued by Saul back and forth, Saul is even killing priests. No one in Israel is particularly thrilled with Saul. Just about all of Israel is waiting for David. And David understands not to kill Saul, an anointed King of Israel. What he does to Saul, will be done to himself.
Luke 6:31
And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.
Now one of the things interesting about Scripture, when we are learning from Scripture there is a very bright LIGHT. This particular light is a Mirror. Had David killed Saul, he had set up an empire of coup. And he has displayed a need of Self over peace. Which brings us to the other time David brings up Abimelech. Scripture after all is Prophesy. And prophecy moves back and forth across the millenniums. Abimilech was the Judge, in the Book of Judges, killed in battle & not recorded as being a good Judge of Israel. David uses the example, later, of Abimilech in the decision to kill Uriah in battle. Nathan tells David he has brought violence into his own family.
David is used as an example to us, not just of one who is loved by GOD. But to not grow tired of SEEKING PEACE and PURSUIT of PEACE.
This beautiful poetic Psalm is written by a youngish, victorious David. He absolutely rejoices in Victory over being a fugitive, a cave and ditch dweller, and becomes soft. He tells himself God might not comment, David puts Self over Peace. David is also a supreme example of Peace being sought - in rapid currents of the waves life throws at us. He is the epitome of innocent as a dove, wise as a serpent. How can anyone ever say the Scriptures are not excellent examples of the curves, the hairpin turns life delivers. For example, the disciples of Jesus in the boat swamped by waves.
For us the Sciptures again remind us - David has great joy getting out of being a Philistine employee!
Galatians 6:9
Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.
Ecclesiastes 11:1
Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again.
(We used to say this a lot in my childhood, Cast your bread upon the waters, it will come back to you.)
Isaiah 40:31
Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
I sought the Lord, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
<><
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment