There are ears that don’t hear. Not because they are physically deaf, but because they refuse to listen to correction. The ears of the fool filter out rebuke, but the wise are teachable, listening to constructive criticism. Those who are hearers and doers of the Word, will abide with the wise.
After Abner was murdered by Joab, King David made it clear to all Israel and Judah that he had nothing to do with his death. The way David honored Abner, the deceased general of Israel’s army, persuaded the people of David’s integrity. And even though it was David’s general Joab who killed Abner, the people did not hold it against David.
David was not only anointed of God to be king, the Lord had also given him favor with all the people. For of what other political leader could it be said, whatever he did “pleased all the people”? After years of persecution by King Saul, David finally enjoyed the favor of God and of God’s people.
Yet, it can’t be said that David was a people-pleaser. No. He sought to please God, and the Lord gave him favor with the people of God. David led with integrity and the Lord honored him with favor.
Oh, to have a king like David today! Yet, there will soon be One even greater than he. His name is King Jesus, Son of David. He is the true “Anointed One,” and He will soon return as King of Kings and Lord of Lords!
“David inquired of the Lord.” This was a mark of David’s reign. But he not only “inquired,” he also obeyed, as the next verse reads, “So David went.” He asked the Lord for direction and then he followed the Lord’s direction.
Sounds simple doesn’t it? Yet, most people fail at either the first or the second action. Either they fail to seek the Lord’s wisdom before making a decision, and just act in ignorance. Or they have received knowledge of the Lord’s wisdom, but choose to follow their own way instead.
Hearing and obeying God’s Word are inseparably important. Choosing to ignore either, will ultimately result in disappointment. Yet, living a life both hearing and obeying God’s Word leads to divine blessing.
When John reflected back on the Lord’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the Spirit brought to his mind this Messianic prophecy from Zechariah concerning how the Lord would come to Zion. The name “Zion” (or “Sion”) is a synonym for Jerusalem. And Jesus entered Jerusalem, “sitting on a donkey’s colt,” just as it was prophesied.
John and the other disciples “did not understand these things at first.” The Old Testament prophecies fulfilled by Christ weren’t in the disciples minds in the moment of His ministry with them. But after Jesus was raised from the dead and glorified, the disciples began to understand how all that He had done was in fulfillment of the Word of God.
Remember how the risen Christ taught the disciples on the road to Emmaus? “And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself” (Luke 24:27). Jesus opened their eyes to the truth of His purpose in fulfillment of the Father’s Word.
The Spirit of Christ is ready to teach us too concerning the ministry of Jesus, if only we will have ears to hear.
King Saul, the first king of Israel, who had begun so well, finished in fear and dread, ultimately committing suicide. The young, tall and awkwardly humble Saul (remember him hiding among the baggage), had grown to be the old, prideful and painfully paranoid king. Yet here, when he saw and heard from the shade of Samuel, we see the humbled and broken man as he was.
When Samuel asked why Saul had “disturbed” him, Saul stooped with his face to the ground and replied, “God has departed from me and does not answer me anymore.”
How tragic it is to see the decline of one who was blessed of God, but took his eyes off of the Lord that blesses, to put them on the blessings themselves. It is a heartbreaking reminder to keep our eyes on the Lord, especially as we grow older. It is good to begin well, but even better to finish well for the Lord!
Samuel was the last of the judges and with his passing, Israel transitioned from the time of the judges to the time of the kings. Samuel was the greatest Israelite leader since Moses. He was a forerunner of the Messiah, bearing the threefold titles of prophet, priest and judge. He served the Lord faithfully from his childhood until his death. Both he and Jesus were described as growing “in stature and in favor with God and man” (1 Sam. 2:26, Luke 2:52). No shortcoming stains his biblical record.
But Samuel died and was buried. All Israel “lamented for him.” And their lament continues as they continue to await the coming of the Messiah.
Yet, the Messiah has already come. For Jesus is the fulfillment of Samuel’s threefold ministry and every other prophecy and foreshadowing in the Old Testament. One greater than Moses and Samuel has already come. He died, but was raised up on the third day and lives today!
Oh, that all Israel, and all those far from God, would cease their lament and recognize the One who has conquered sin, death and the grave. Jesus Christ is the Messiah. He is our Prophet, Great High Priest and King of Kings!
Abiathar, son of the high priest, Ahimelech, must have been left behind to care for the sanctuary when Saul called for his father’s attendance. When he heard that Saul had killed all the Lord’s priests, he fled to David.
Saul had falsely accused Ahimelech of “inquiring of the Lord” to aid David against him. But now by killing the Lord’s priests, he had actually driven Abiathar to David’s side, bringing the ephod, with the Urim and Thummim, with him (1 Sam. 23:6).
Saul’s killing of the priests was one of the most heinous acts of any Israelite king. It revealed his heart’s rejection of the Lord. Saul’s foot soldiers, who ran beside his chariot, refused to carry out his order to murder the priests. They feared the Lord, but Saul knew one who did not. So, Saul called on Doeg the Edomite to kill them. Doeg turned and killed not only the 85 priests, but went to their city and killed every living thing including women, children and nursing infants. That Saul would stoop to instruct an Edomite, to even touch the Lord’s priests, showed the insane hatred he had for the true king, David.
Centuries later, the son of an Edomite named Herod became king over Israel as a vassal of Rome. After hearing of the birth of the prophesied Son of David from the Magi, he murdered every baby boy under 2 years of age in Bethlehem attempting to kill Jesus. But he failed, for the Lord protected Jesus, just as the Lord protected David.
As David and his men fled from Saul, they stopped by the Tabernacle to ask the priest for bread. However, the only bread the priest had was “showbread,” which was the twelve loaves that were to be continually kept on the Table of Presence in the Holy Place. When fresh bread was baked to replace the twelve loaves, the older loaves were to be divided among the priests and their families to eat. The showbread was not to be given to those outside the priestly tribe.
Yet, the priest gave the bread to David and his men because it was all he had to offer. He decided that his moral obligation of hospitality toward God’s man overrode his ceremonial obligation to God’s house.
When the Pharisees accused Jesus of breaking the Sabbath, He referred to this story of the priest allowing David to have the showbread as a better understanding of the Sabbath’s purpose. Jesus told them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27).
We cannot rightly understand and follow God’s law without the Spirit of Christ to indwell and lead us. For Christ is the “Lord of the Sabbath” (Luke 6:5).
Whole-hearted worship.
The psalmist opens in the Hebrew with “Hallelujah” (“Praise the Lord”)! With this exclamation of praise, he both announces his intention and invites our participation. The psalmist is headed to the Temple to offer “whole-hearted” praise to Jehovah along with other worshipers. That’s what he is going to do. What are you going to do? Will you join him?
In order to bring whole-hearted worship, we must ask the Holy Spirit to help us examine our hearts. Does He reveal fire and zeal for the Lord there? If not, fan your faith into flame! There is no room for half-hearted passion in worship. Does He see anxiety and worry? Turn it into prayer and petition. Empty your heart in prayer that you may be filled with peace and praise. Does He uncover doubt or discouragement in you? Speak truth from the promises of God’s Word to your doubts and instruct your soul to lift up its countenance to the Lord. Ask the Spirit to root out any place in your heart where you are not worship-ready.
And then, bring your worship with you when you go to church. Arrive with intent to express whole-hearted worship, in song, in prayers, in Scripture reading, in hearing the Word preached, in tithes and offerings, and in response.
Whole-hearted worship doesn’t happen on its own. We must be intentional about expressing worship with our whole heart!
This psalm of David points to the coming Messiah who would be both priest and king. Jesus quoted from this psalm saying that David spoke “in the Spirit” (Matt. 22:43), for truly David’s words were Spirit inspired.
Since the offices of priest and king were separated in Israel, David had to look back to Melchizedek, whose name means “king of righteousness,” to find such a one. Melchizedek appears suddenly on the pages of the book of Genesis as the King of “Salem” (“shalom,” meaning “peace”) and “Priest of the God Most High” (Gen. 14:17). He blessed Abraham, who paid him a tithe, and then he is not heard from again until the Spirit brought him to David’s mind.
Who is this that would come in the “order of Melchizedek” that the Lord would swear and “not relent” to establish His eternal priesthood? It is Jesus the Christ. For Christ “arises in the likeness of Melchizedek” (Heb. 7:15) becoming both our King and our eternal and Great High Priest!