1st Kings 1 (afterthoughts on Abishag)

About a month ago the Sunday morning Bible study class that I facilitate began a study in the book of 1st Kings.  At only 3 chapters into our study I have to admit that I am quite amazed at the application aspects and various implications ie; gospel,evangelizing, etc; that I missed from earlier readings and study time.

1st King 1:1-4
1 When King David was old and well advanced in years, he could not keep warm even when they put covers over him. 2 So his servants said to him, “Let us look for a young virgin to attend the king and take care of him. She can lie beside him so that our lord the king may keep warm.”

3 Then they searched throughout Israel for a beautiful girl and found Abishag, a Shunammite, and brought her to the king. 4 The girl was very beautiful; she took care of the king and waited on him, but the king had no intimate relations with her.

I emphasized verse 4 of 1st Kings 1 because it was a section of the text that happened to gnaw at me during my preparation and, it became an unanticipated subject of much  discussion one Sunday morning.   During preparation I put verse 4 on the back burner and let it marinate a while ie; trusting the Lord to open my mind and eyes to the deeper things at His discretion instead of me trying to will my own understanding or spin on the text.

As part of the study, we would jump back to David’s adulterous affair with Bathsheba, discussing how the consequences of his sin played out as it related to 1st Kings. As noted earlier,the interaction between King David and Abishag in 1st Kings 1 ended up being a slight detour; some folks expressing skepticism(?) about David’s non-relations relationship with Abishag.

2nd Samuel 11:1-5
1 In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem.

2 One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, 3 and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, “Isn’t this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite?” 4 Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her. (She had purified herself from her uncleanness.) Then she went back home. 5 The woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, “I am pregnant.”

A peripheral thought that occurs to me is that of how cynical attitudes can creep in and corrupt our professed belief that Scripture is inerrant (2nd Timothy 3:16-17).  It’s cynicism in that when we consider the multiple wives and concubines that David had, plus his affair with Bathsheba, it would seem that the natural perception of king David is that he “loved” his women.  The problem is not in making that assessment of king David’s earlier character; where we have a problem Houston, is when we’re convinced through our cynicism that this aspect of David’s character never changes.

I’m convinced however by a few things from Scripture, that David was a changed man with respect to his perceived “love” for women.  Firstly by 2nd Timothy 3:16-17, meaning God doesn’t contradict Himself nor does His word.  Riding on that thought then is the belief that God meant exactly what He said when He tells us that “…the king had no intimate relations with her.”

In addition to those thoughts however, I’m further convinced that by His wisdom God reveals something about David.  Have you ever read Scripture and wondered why something is said or some Biblical character is mentioned which doesn’t really seem to have much relevance like… Abishag for instance? As I read 1st Kings 1, I was curious as to what was the point of telling us about Abishag, this bed warmer for the king and; why does the Bible make a point to tell us that David DID NOT have “relations” with her?

Earlier, I mentioned that we did some jumping, back and forth between 1st Kings and  2nd Samuel as we discussed David, his sins, consequences, Adonijah’s plot etc;.  A point that I missed, or rather had not been revealed to me at the time was a common thread and the contrasting results of David’s interaction with these two women in his life.  David’s fall was a result of lusting over a beautiful woman (Bathsheba), whereas with Abishag  the Bible tells us that David doesn’t try to fulfill any desires he might have had for this beautiful girl.  There’s a certain twist of irony if you will in the sense that the same thing that ensnared David is also the the same thing that points to God’s sanctifying process and power in the life of David.

“…the king had no intimate relations with her.”

Grace and peace be with you.

David & Adonijah, “rightful” heirs?

God in effect – God in affect Part 1

Blogging buddy E. Barrett of R3, wrote a post titled: “God’s sovereign reign”’, which serves as a catalyst for me to write today’s post.  The primary point I would like to focus on is a thought E. Barrett relays in his post…

One of my pet peeves is the phrase, “God’s sovereign reign.”  I can’t stand it when people start using that phrase.  Now I believe that God is in control.  And I believe that he’s the boss (not Tony Danza).  So in theory I have nothing against this phrase.  The problem is, when someone says, “God’s sovereign reign” what they really mean is “God just caused that bad thing to happen.” (emphasis mine)

It occurs to me that one reason that we may have a problem with this thought of God causing calamity(bad things to happen) is that we tend to look at it through our eyes instead of trying to gauge the situation from a Godly perspective.  Knowing that the loving God that you worship is also one that “causes calamity” may be a hard pill to swallow if, we don’t consider within that idea, God’s character and nature in handling wickedness.   For  instance, recall what God proclaimed to King David through Nathan for the transgressions that David committed against God…

2nd Samuel 12:7-13
”’’… 11 “This is what the LORD says: ‘Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity upon you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight. 12 You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.’ ”

13 Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.”
Nathan replied, “The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. 14 But because by doing this you have made the enemies of the LORD show utter contempt, the son born to you will die.”

Now – I don’t mean to muddle the context of David’s sins and the consequences of such with those of the recent earthquake in Haiti, nor past events such as Hurricane Katrina because there are several differences to consider (more on that at a later time perhaps).  So as E. Barrett points out in his post that he doesn’t buy into some folks claiming that “God caused such and such to happen”  I agree… to an extent.

Let us begin with the presumed idea that God sits in heaven just itching to punish humans anytime we sin.  This thought is not accurate however, when we go back through the Old  Testament and see how God led Israel to the promised land in spite of their sins.  Yes, there were consequences of their sins; and perhaps it seems harsh, however we should consider that the Jews had God there with them ie; he manifested His presence to His chosen people.

You’ve probably heard the argument/objection.. “If God exists, why is there evil in the world?” . As if the mere utterance of the statement is somehow a valid and logical argument for refuting God and His existence.  That’s like asking the following while sitting in a dark closet.. “If light exists, why is it dark in here?”  But to get back on track with the point to be made, in a like wise manner maybe we need to consider that in His reign, perhaps God does “cause bad things to happen’ when He exercises His will to not intervene, thus allowing nature, physical laws and the nature of man to run their respective courses.

Colossians 1:15-17
15He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

To be continued…

Grace and peace be with you.

Evil, Good and Good, Evil – Blackaby devotional

Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness;Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
Isaiah 5:20

It is Satan’s practice to convince people that what God calls good is actually evil and what God declares evil is, in fact, good. Satan persuaded Adam and Eve that their disobedience, rather than their obedience, would guarantee a full life. They believed him and immediately began to experience sin’s consequences! Despite the absurdity of Satan’s logic, he continues to deceive people into doubting that God has clearly said.

King Saul sought Samuel’s affirmation for the sacrifice he had offered, even though he had acted in direct disobedience to God’s command (1st Samuel 15:13). Ananias and Sapphira expected praise from the early church for their offering, though they were blatantly lying (Acts 5:1-11). An Amalekite soldier sought David’s gratitude for killing Saul, God’s anointed king (2nd Samuel 1:1-16).

We, too, will face the temptation to call something good that God has declared wicked. We may be persuaded that we can accomplish more good by lying than by telling the truth. We may claim that we are mobilizing Christians to pray for someone in sin when, in fact, we are spreading gossip. We may assert that we are following God’s will in our job when, in fact, we are striving to that which God declares is good. We may assert that we are following God’s will in our job when, in fact, we are striving to pursue our own ambitions. We will also be tempted to call evil that which God declares is good. God says it is good to love our enemies, yet we might decide our task is to hold them responsible for their actions.

It is so important to hold ourselves accountable to God’s Word. God does not need us to find exceptions for His commands. He requires our obedience.

Henry and Richard Blackaby
Experiencing God Day-by-Day

Truth and Consequences

On occasion I’ve spoken with with my son, as well as the college and career group at church, about examining deeply, the decisions or choices that are before us to make in any given situation or circumstance. What I’m attempting to articulate isn’t merely about big life decisions such as which college to attend,what career path to pursue, or which school district to buy a home in.  I’m speaking of “little” decisions such as dating across denominations or beliefs, maintaining friendship with people of low character or morals,”experimenting” with drugs ,alcohol or sex.  These choices, to do or not to do, can bring with them some negative baggage that may not be easy to shake; the consequences may stay with a person for the rest of their life.

A co-worker & friend lent me a movie several weeks ago that I finally got around to watching, and which left me thinking about the consequences of our actions in a more specific way.  It’s not intended to come off as endorsing or even suggesting that readers check the film out, merely commenting on it’s story.  The film Sleeping Dogs Lie (written and directed by Bobcat Goldwaith) examines the question: “Is it alright to lie for the greater good”; in this case the greater good of a relationship?

My friend that lent me the movie, shared with me a story of someone he’s connected to (by 3 degrees of  separation) that made a life altering and costly decision.  The young man, legally an adult at the time, made the decision to have sex with his underage girlfriend.  The young lady’s parents found out and then initiated legal action against the young man.  What resulted is that the young man faced the legal system , was convicted of statutory rape and has to file as a sex offender…for the rest of his life. The consequences that followed his decision were so bad that he eventually moved out of state in hopes of leaving his past behind him.  The temporal reality is that he can never really run away from this part of his life.  The spiritual reality of the situation is however that he can accept the mercy and grace of God, through Christ Jesus which will set him free from not only condemnation under God’s Law but can liberate him to the point of coping with the “scarlet letter” stamped on him.

Psalm 103:11-12
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;

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

2nd Corinthians 5:16-17
16So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

WARNING – READING BEYOND THIS POINT REVEALS THE END OF THE MOVIE

Generally I view movies as entertainment and perhaps a partial reflection of the culture, but not as moral guides, or an authoritative source of Christian worldview.

Idiom Definitions – ‘Let sleeping dogs lie’
If someone is told to let sleeping dogs lie, it means that they shouldn’t disturb a situation as it would result in trouble or complications.

Though the character Amy endures much pain in her life as a result of past choices/actions that she’s made, by the end of the movie she finds herself in a relationship with a man that she loves and that loves her.  Awww, happy ending.  From a Biblical perspective one problem with the end of “Sleeping Dogs Lie” is that the foundation of the Amy’s new relationship is built upon a lie. She’s confronted by her new love about her past her deep, dark and shameful secret.  Reluctant to risk losing her new man by repeating the same “mistake” of being honest, she covers her past shame with a lie by claiming that she had an abortion.  To her boyfriend this is an acceptable “mistake”.(reflection of the culture?)

The Bible draws us a picture of how far the consequences of sin reach. Consider the 3 curses that fell upon  David for the murder of Bathsheba’s husband  Uriah, and  for the adultery David committed with Bathsheba.

2 Samuel 12:10-14
10 Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’

11 “This is what the LORD says: ‘Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity upon you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight. 12 You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.’ ”

13 Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.”
Nathan replied, “The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. 14 But because by doing this you have made the enemies of the LORD show utter contempt, [a] the son born to you will die.”

In movie land the consequences last only as long as the movie.  In real life, consequences don’t always go away, the peripheral problems don’t get wrapped up nice and neat 5 minutes before the credits roll.  David for example was forgiven for his sins against the Lord but as in our own lives the consequences of sin can often have an implication that extends beyond our transgression and life.

Grace and peace be with you.