June 10, 2017
One of the many promised blessings for the one who would fear the Lord and walk in His ways is living to see one’s grandchildren. Those who have experienced this blessing know its abiding joy. Yet in Christ, this blessing is available to all who would believe in Him and be obedient to make disciples as He commanded. For in disciple-making, both the married and the single can become spiritual fathers and mothers. And raising up spiritual children to be disciple-makers too, spiritual grandchildren and great-grandchildren are soon to follow.
June 9, 2017
Stephen’s defense before the Jewish council was amazing in its span and understanding of Jewish history. He offered a condensed version of the Old Testament story starting with Abraham and steadily progressing to the 1st Century time of Jesus. But it wasn’t just a summary. It offered profound spiritual insights on the ancient faith story.
Consider the Moses part of the story. Here, Stephen described not only the facts of Moses’ life, but his motivations. Stephen described Moses as being aware of his God-given calling to be the deliverer of Israel when he was only 40 years old. So, when he fled to Midian after killing the Egyptian, he wasn’t just fleeing Pharoah’s judgment, he was fleeing God’s call.
Stephen’s commentary on the Old Testament helps us understand the storyline from God’s perspective. He establishes the best practice for our reading today. For the best way to understand the Old Testament is through the lens of the New Testament and through the person of Jesus.
Stephen tried to help the Jewish council understand that their history had always pointed to Jesus, that He was the fulfillment of their Hebrew Scriptures. Yet, they would not believe. And they sentenced Stephen to be stoned to death.
June 8, 2017
It didn’t take long for the early church to experience the complaints of its members. The apostles had apparently started a food distribution ministry to the widows, but the church had grown so rapidly that the size of the task had become overwhelming. Plus, the Greek background believers complained that the Jewish background believers were neglecting their widows. What began as a complaint about unfair food distribution had become an accusation against the apostles of racism.
Depending on how the apostles responded, this problem could have either split the early church or severely slowed it down. If they had turned a deaf ear to the complaint and done nothing to address it, the disunity probably would have split the church. But if they had focused the work of the apostles on working at the tables to distribute food fairly, then they would have neglected their true calling, namely, the ministry of the Word and prayer, which would have severely slowed the growth of the church.
However, the apostles responded wisely, gathering the people together, they asked for seven men to be appointed as “deacons” (Greek: diakonos – “servant”) to administer the widow ministry and to address the disunity. In this way, they wisely delegated this ministry, so that they didn’t neglect their own ministry calling.
The first-century church offers a wise paradigm for ministry in the 21st-century church. It is wise to set apart certain ministers to focus on caring for the physical needs of the flock. But it is equally wise to set apart pastors who are to focus on preaching and teaching the Word and praying for the flock. Both are needed in the church today.
June 7, 2017
David’s last words to his son, Solomon, sound somewhat generic and masculine: “Be strong and prove yourself a man.” Yet, the verses that follow show that what he meant was that Solomon should “be strong” in the Lord and in His promises. And what he meant by “prove yourself a man,” was that Solomon should keep the charge of the Lord and always walk in His ways.
David understood strength and manhood differently than the world. He wanted his son, Solomon, to be strong in the Lord and to walk as God’s man in all His ways. Yet, Solomon would not prove to be the man that David had hoped for, turning away to worship false gods as he grew older.
But God did not forget His promise that David would not “lack a man on Israel’s throne.” He sent His only Son, Jesus, to be born into the line of David, and to establish His eternal kingdom. Jesus was strong in the Lord and proved Himself the Son of Man, who takes away the sins of the world.
As Pilate said, “Behold the man!” (John 19:5).
June 6, 2017
When King David was old, his son Adonijah decided to make himself king. He followed the tactic of his rebellious older brother, Absalom, and started riding around Jerusalem in a chariot with fifty men running before him. As before, David was passive and did nothing to stop his son’s behavior.
Fortunately, Nathan the prophet worked to remind David of his promise to make Solomon king after him. Following a carefully worked out strategy, Nathan and Bathsheba, the mother of Solomon, went to David and helped move him to action.
Great leaders and warriors don’t necessarily make great fathers. And they rarely do a good job at preparing their organizations for a smooth and successful succession. Yet, God gave David excellent counselors, such as Nathan, who helped make the transition from David to Solomon the most successful succession in all of Israel’s history.
Starting well is good, but finishing well is even better.
June 5, 2017
The Scripture does not say why the Lord’s anger was “aroused against Israel.” But pride was the likely culprit. For the Word of the Lord rightly says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (Prov. 3:34, James 4:6). And in this one verse the word “against” is mentioned twice to describe the Lord’s position towards Israel.
Pride is the root of spiritual rebellion and God hates it. And David was “moved” to an act of pride by calling for a national census. Satan was no doubt involved in this temptation of David (1 Chron. 21:1), yet it was the Lord who allowed David to be the instrument of both His wrath and of His mercy.
The Lord sought to cure Israel and Israel’s king of their national pride, that they might humble themselves and instead take pride in the Lord Himself.
Be careful about taking pride in a people, place or nation for you will find yourself an opponent of the Lord. Instead, be humble and join the Lord’s side that His grace might be poured out upon you.
June 4, 2017
One of David’s fifteen “Psalms of Ascent,” to be sung while climbing the steps up to the Temple Mount. It begins by expressing David’s “gladness” at the invitation to go up to the house of the Lord. Such joy for corporate worship should be on every believer’s heart in anticipation of its perfection in heaven. Yet, David’s gladness was not only in anticipation of his worship destination, but also for the worshiping congregation that would join together with him in praising God along the way.
The invitation is still offered today, “Let us go into the house of the Lord!” Will you join the happy throng?
June 3, 2017
Just before His ascension, Jesus told the apostles to wait in Jerusalem for the promised Holy Spirit, so that they would receive power to be His witnesses. They obeyed. The remaining eleven disciples gathered in an upper room in Jerusalem “with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.”
Those scattered in fear by Christ’s crucifixion were now gathered in faith by Christ’s resurrection and ascension. Even the brothers of Jesus were in “one accord” with the disciples now, having come to faith after His resurrection.
This little band of believers “continued” in united prayer over the next ten days while the rest of Jerusalem lay unaware of the spiritual earthquake that was about to turn the world upside down for Christ.
June 2, 2017
Gold and silver are the currency of the world, but in heaven they will be as common as the stones we walk on. However, wisdom and understanding are both valuable here and essential for heaven. And where do we “get wisdom?” It is found in Christ alone. For “Christ is the wisdom of God” (1 Cor. 1:24). True riches are found in Christ alone (Phil. 4:19).
June 1, 2017
David’s grief at news of his son’s death is perhaps the most vivid expression of mourning in the Bible. He was “deeply moved” when he heard the news. The Hebrew word here refers to a “violent trembling” of the body. David was wracked with grief. His weeping could be heard by all those returning from successfully defending the king. Yet, their sense of victory was dulled by the king’s wailing.
Surely David’s grief was magnified by his own sense of regret as a father, knowing that it was his own sin that sowed the seeds to Absalom’s rebellion. However, David the father had forgotten his role as David the king, and this negligence could’ve led to his demise had not Joab intervened.
Yet, even in this sad picture we catch a glimpse of our Savior’s love for us. For He loved and wept over us while we were still sinners in rebellion against Him.
Remember His lament over Jerusalem the week of His passion? “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!” (Matt. 23:37).
Like David, Christ declared His desire to “die in our place,” and more than that, He actually came down and took our death, that we might receive His life.