Knowing One's Own Heart

“What prayer and supplication soever be [made] by any man, [or] by all thy people Israel, which shall know every man the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands toward this house:” (1Ki 8:38 AV)

The Spirit led me to consider the phrase ‘the plague of his own heart’. I thought it was an interesting and very accurate description of our wickedness.  In particular, the word ‘plague’ struck me as very important.  In the Hebrew, the word means spot or disease.  When we think of a plague, we think of things like the black plague or leprosy.  We think of horrible disease that spreads quickly and takes many lives.  So, when the saint dwells on the phrase, he is faced with the unpalatable truth that our hearts are diseased and wicked.  We are full of sin.  Like a plague, it spreads and destroys.  But what also was pertinent are two other truths associated with a sick heart.  The first is that it is known.  It is known by the one possessing it.  The soul is moved to act upon the revelation that his heart is plagued with wickedness and sin.  It is a truth he would rather not consider.  To see it with the mind's eye and the heart of conviction is beyond uncomfortable.  This then reveals the second truth.  It drives him to prayer.  He cannot live with the sickness of his heart.  He must go to the only one who can give forgiveness and heal the sick heart.  The only one who can free from sin is God.

To truly know the plague of our own hearts is not an easy endeavor.  There is a common reaction when speaking to the lost regarding the nature of their hearts and souls.  Being newly saved, I shared the following verse to people close to me. “But we are all as an unclean [thing], and all our righteousnesses [are] as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” (Isa 64:6 AV) I remember the reaction.  They were incredulous.  How dare anyone tell them that they were completely and wholly wicked! After all, they knew they sinned, but when compared to their estimation of themselves, they were basically a good person.  That is not what the Bible says.  This happened again while knocking on doors.  An individual could not accept the face of total wickedness in the soul.  After all, they were not nearly as bad as the worst criminals known to man.  To know the plague of one's own heart takes humility and honesty.  It takes examination of the heart against the words of God’s law.  I remember the first time I read the entire bible from start to finish.  I never felt so dirty in my life.

To say that our hearts are plagued is a great description.  What matters is our response.  Solomon knew the nature of the human heart better than anyone.  This is why he wanted a permanent place of worship.  We wanted a predictable and secure place to which the spiritually unclean Hebrew could go.  He wanted a place was the penitent saint could find mercy, forgiveness, and reconciliation.  Note also that the penitent will not go to the temple until he knows the plague of his heart.  That knowledge is of his own heart and not the heart of others.  Of course, we know how sinful other people are.  This is obvious.  The issue we have in knowing just how sin-sick our own hearts are.  The place of worship was built for those who came to the ugly truth of their own wickedness and wished to get right with God.  That is the whole point of our walk with God.  It must be established by faith and obedience.  The plague of our own hearts is the greatest hindrance to this.  It is time to do some radical heart surgery and treatment.  Knowing the condition of it is the start.

Wisdom Is Only As Good As Its Weakest Point

“And the LORD gave Solomon wisdom, as he promised him: and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon; and they two made a league together.” (1Ki 5:12 AV)

It doesn’t escape the mind that God kept his word yet Solomon didn’t use God’s provision to the fullest.  This chapter of First Kings tells of Solomon’s ability to set up a kingdom of influence and peace.  There has never been a time like Solomon’s time.  He could control all the kings of his enemies.  Mostly through diplomacy and shared commerce.  He could frame hostility as a financially and humanly wasteful way.  He built trade partnerships with his neighbors needed to build the temple.  What follows in chapter six is the description of the temple as Solomon gave direction to build it.  In many ways, Solomon used the wisdom God gave.  Yet, in all his wisdom, he couldn’t discipline the flesh.  It was his flesh that caused great harm to the people of Israel.  It was this one area of weakness that had more impact on Israel than all the wise arrangements he made with his enemies.  Wisdom is only as good as the weakest area.  This is one lesson Solomon did not learn.

The following is an AI generated overview of the Mars Climate Orbiter disaster: The Mars Climate Orbiter was lost in 1999 due to a critical unit conversion error where Lockheed Martin engineers provided thruster data in English units (pound-seconds) while NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory navigation team assumed the data was in metric units (newton-seconds). This mismatch caused the spacecraft to approach Mars 60 km (37 miles) closer than planned, plunging it too deeply into the Martian atmosphere where it burned up on September 23, 1999, after a 286-day journey. Cost of Loss: The mission cost $125 million (some sources cite a total program cost of $327 million). Technical Failure: The onboard software calculated trajectory corrections based on 4.45 times less force than intended because the software interpreted the English pound-force values as metric newtons. Systemic Issues: The error went undetected because quality control procedures failed to catch the discrepancy during the nine-month flight, despite warning signs that the spacecraft required more course corrections than expected. Consequences: The loss prevented the orbiter from serving as a radio relay for the Mars Polar Lander, forcing mission planners to rely on the existing Mars Global Surveyor instead.

Looking at the overall project and the amount of intelligence required just to get the Orbiter off the ground and to Mars is beyond comprehension.  Kudos to the men and women who did all the work to make this happen.  Very smart people indeed.  Yet it all went for naught because of one small flaw.  All the wisdom required to make this project happen was undone by one and only one factor.  This is how wisdom works.  Wisdom in one area does not mean wisdom is automatic in all areas.  We tend to live this way.  We are successfully smart is some or most areas of life and think it to be sufficient to cover all areas of life.  We may be great in academics, but lack discipline is self-control.  We may be great in separation standards of outward appearance, but accept worldly entertainment as a release.  We may be disciplined in our personal hygiene, yet overeat.  Wisdom is a complete package.  Not a partial one.  Solomon learned this the hard way.  Humility and constant self-examination are the keys.  Solomon forgot this.  He may have even used his gift of wisdom in ways that solved a short-term goal, but failed in the long game.  Marrying Pharaoh’s daughter may have ended conflict and opened trade, but it also introduced paganism.  Wisdom is an entire concern.  Not only those areas that seem easy to address.

The Prayer of the Second-generation Saint

“And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I [am but] a little child: I know not [how] to go out or come in.” (1Ki 3:7 AV)

This struck me as a perfect prayer for the second-generation Christian.  David learned much in the school of hard knocks.  He went from a Shepard boy to a victorious king by way of very difficult experiences.  His wisdom came by sword and by swagger.  David learned much the hard way.  His experiences from nothing to something were the greatest asset he had.  Solomon, on the other hand, grew up in the palace of a king.  By the time Solomon was grown into adulthood, the vast majority of Israel’s enemies were conquered.  There were not too many battles left.  David cleaned up a mess left by Saul and disobedient Israel.  He established Israel as the major kingdom of the middle east.  This was no small feat.  From the killing of a lion and bear to save his flock, to Goliath, to the Philistines; David fought many battles so Solomon did not have to.  This is the wisdom behind Solomon’s prayer.  He knew he never had the experiences of his father nor would he ever have them.  He would never know what it was like to personally wield a sword at the enemy.  He would never know what it was like to flee from your enemy and hide in caves.  He would never know the weariness of a battle too big for anyone but God.  He grew up protected from the world, and because of it, he lacked much experience.  This gives explanation to his view that he is but a little child.

It takes a great deal of maturity and humility to see one’s own weaknesses.  The pride of our youthful hearts demand we learn the same lessons our parents learned in much the same manner as they did.  This often results in greater consequences than our parents suffered.  It is God’s design to use the experiences and knowledge of former generations to teach the newer generations.  The plethora of knowledge should increase.  But that is not always the case.  The more we learn the less we know.  How else do we explain great wars of each generation?  We simply do not learn the lessons our forefathers learned.  We don’t accept their wisdom and guidance so that we can be further ahead than they were.  Solomon looked at his father.  He saw a great man whom God used.  He knew his father had made some serious mistakes.  He knew he didn’t want to make the same ones.  So, he asked for the wisdom of his forefathers.  This is great, but for one unfortunate truth.

For all of Solomon’s wisdom, he committed two serious errors that began the downfall of Israel.  He married non-Jewish wives for the sake of diplomacy.  He also established extra-temple worship on the high places.  It would be the Egyptian wives and wives from pagan nations that would steer Solomon’s heart from God to false gods.  His reluctance from the sword and attraction toward diplomacy is what drove him.  He learned much.  The book of proverbs is a testament to the wisdom God granted.  But he also ignored much.  The second-generation Christian who knows the testimony of his parents will do well to learn the lessons their bruises teach.  David had many battle scars.  Each one told a story.  Each one was a lesson for Solomon to learn.  The scars of the first-generation Christ often run deep.  But praise be to God that we can pass those experiences on to a generation that wishes to learn.

Our Condescending God

“Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy gentleness hath made me great.” (2Sa 22:36 AV)

That word, ‘gentleness’ is very interesting.  One dictionary states that the word means meekness.  Meekness is strength under restraint.  Still another states that it means condescension.  Putting the two together, we see that the gentleness of God is His attribute by which He comes down to the level of those whom He loves and intercedes in a way that they can thrive.  Two major events precipitated this passage of scripture.  The verse above is part of a psalm or song David wrote toward the end of his reign.  Joshua had made a treaty with the Gibeonites many decades prior.  Since that time, they were hewers of wood and servants of Israel.  Saul, wishing to impress Israel, broke the treaty and began to exterminate the Gibeonites.  God brought famine on the land because of this.  David, once he was established as king, enquired as to what the Gibeonites would require to make this right.  Seven male descendants were to be executed.  Five were sons of Michal, David’s first wife and daughter of Saul.  The second event was the decisive victory God had given Israel over the Philistines.  This battle would forever nullify the threat these people were toward God’s people.  David was finally at rest.  Perhaps the meekness to which David is referring has to do with the LORD refraining from more severe punishment following Bathsheba and the death of his four sons.  Regardless, that for which David is deeply grateful is that God would condescend to men of low report.  He was eternally grateful that God would care enough to be involved in his life.  The gentleness of God has enlarged David, and it was God’s salvation for which he was truly thankful.

What we must consider this morning is the relationship between the shield of salvation and the gentleness of God’s hand.  Note the colon between the two phrases.  That means the second half expounds on the first.  God’s salvation is brought by His gentleness.  This is truly evident in the incarnation of Christ and His death on the cross.  God came down to man.  God did not require man to come up to Him.  He came down to earth, took on the form of a man, lived perfectly according to the law, and was sacrificed for our sins.  What meekness!  What gentleness!  God’s gentleness does not stop at Calvary.  It continues for all eternity.  This is where the shield of salvation comes in.  Just this morning, as I was taking my time driving down the road, it gave me some time to reflect.  We are going through a challenging time.  And things are not going to get any better.  As we age and disease progresses, the challenges will increase and become more severe.  Life changes are going to happen at a more dramatic and quicker pace.  There is not taking for granted another decade or year.  If we are not careful, we will allow the difficulties of life to rob us of the joy which we should have in Jesus.

So, the thought came by way of the Holy Spirit that I am truly grateful for the life God had given.  But even more so, the eternal life I have been given.  There is no basis for complaint.  None.  God doesn’t owe us anything.  The life we have been given is merely a step into glorious eternal life.  If we have nothing at all, we have more than we need in the person of our Creator.  He didn’t have to condescend by way of creation.  He didn’t have to make anyone.  The fact that He gives life and then redeems life is far more blessed than any adversity we might face.  David’s use of the word ‘great’ isn’t the same as how we might understand it today.  The word ‘great’ means enlarged.  David may be speaking of his reign.  But he might also be speaking of his inner blessedness.  I think it is the latter.  Being grateful is one of the keys to David’s contentment.  God is good.  All the time!  The fact that He desires to create mankind and then be involved with mankind is too wonderful for the humble soul.

Fall Down!

“O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.”  (Ps 95:6 AV)

I don’t think we appreciate the dynamic of God as Creator nearly as much as we should.  Rebellion, even among God’s people, is out of control.  What we think, how we feel, or what we desire is king.  It astounds me how many who profess God as their God and Christ as their Savior and LORD do not care what His word says.  It is even more astounding how many profess a faith in God yet hold Him on trial for everything they think is not Godlike.  There is no fear of God anymore.  There is little humility and gratitude.  God owes us.  That is the feeling today.  If our lives are not as we wish, then God is not fair.  If we see the world in turmoil and the innocent abused, it is God’s fault and not the fault of wicked mankind.  God is the Creator.  We exist by His wishes and power.  We have the ability to reason and verbalize our rebellion because God gives us the breath of life.  As Solomon states, “The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, [is] from the LORD.” (Pr 16:1 AV) We live and move and have our being, as Paul states, by the sovereign hand of God.  The least we could do is acknowledge His existence and right to all that He has created by bowing down in worship.

Those who walk with God in sincerity and truth look forward to the day when we fall down at the presence of Our Lord Jesus Christ.  Those who love the LORD cannot imagine any other scenario where we don’t fall down for all of eternity and never look up.  To fail to have that heart as we walk as pilgrims is confusing, convicting, and not desirable.  Those who fall down and worship are not perfect.  Not by any stretch of the imagination.  In fact, often just the opposite.  Remember those who washed the feet of Jesus?  Remember how the Pharisees failed to wash the feet of Jesus, and a lowly woman of questionable character wept, washing his feet with tears and anointing his feet with the best that she had?  It doesn’t take a sinless heart to worship.  Just a broken one.  Many who know of true worship are not stellar examples of Christlikeness.  The thing is, unlike the Pharisees, they know it.  It is one thing to live unbroken and unbroken.  It is quite another to live broken and broken.

David was by no means a perfect man.  He made many mistakes.  He occasioned the death of tens of thousands.  Poor choices and disobedience left a wake of hurt behind him.  Yet, he never forgot that God was his maker.  He never walked in pride.  He may not have been able to completely tame the flesh, but his heart was broken every time he failed.  This psalm is written to Israel.  The creation of which the writer speaks is the creation of Israel as a nation.  But God’s creative hand was not limited to a nation.  He created and creates all things.  You and I are here because our Creator made us.  He is all-powerful.  He is all-wise.  He sees everything, and no one or nothing can hinder His hand.  With a God who is infinite in attributes and actions, only a fool would not fall down and worship.  We may not understand all that He does.  In our limited ability to observe and understand, we may think God is not who He claims to be.  Regardless, He is still the Creator.  It doesn’t matter what we think or how we feel.  He is the Creator, and the first response to His existence is to fall down in humility and worship Him as such.

The Bearer of Good News

“Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok, Let me now run, and bear the king tidings, how that the LORD hath avenged him of his enemies. And Joab said unto him, Thou shalt not bear tidings this day, but thou shalt bear tidings another day: but this day thou shalt bear no tidings, because the king’s son is dead.” (2Sa 18:19-20 AV)

“And Ahimaaz called, and said unto the king, All is well. And he fell down to the earth upon his face before the king, and said, Blessed [be] the LORD thy God, which hath delivered up the men that lifted up their hand against my lord the king. And the king said, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Ahimaaz answered, When Joab sent the king’s servant, and [me] thy servant, I saw a great tumult, but I knew not what [it was].” (2Sa 18:28-29 AV)

There is great wisdom in what Ahimaaz did.  It was customary for certain pages to relay certain types of news.  There were pages that relayed good news.  There were others who relayed bad news.  Cushi was the page of bad news.  He was the one whom Joab wished to send alone.  However, it seems Ahimaaz knew how David would take the news of Absalom’s death and wished to cushion the blow with good news.  This is further evidenced by exactly what it was that Ahimaaz told David.  Note in particular that Ahimaaz knew of Absalom’s death by way of Joab’s testimony.  He may not have seen the incident nor witnessed Absalom’s burial.  He knew of Absalom’s death as secondhand information.  Therefore, when he shared the news of a battle won, he was not lying to David regarding his knowledge of Absalom.  Ahimaaz knew his job well.  He knew his job was to encourage the king when adversity was on the way.  Adversity is part of life.  Those who encourage in the light of impending adversity are much needed.

I have been in enough hospitals to know the value of this.  There are healthcare workers who have good news.  There are healthcare workers who have bad news.  When a therapist comes to help work muscles, or a occupational therapist comes in the room to teach new skills; these blessed people bring good news.  But when an oncologist enters the room, especially for the first time, there may not be good news.  When someone from the nutritional department comes in to help plan a menu, this is generally good news.  When an orderly comes in to take you to imagining, it might not be good news.  A few months back, my wife was getting an infusion.  She needs supplemental hydration following her cancer treatment.  It is difficult for her when they need to put an IV in.  It often takes someone from imaging to come with an ultrasound machine to find a workable vein.  This is a painful process because her veins are hard to get to.  In walked a gentleman from an organization that shares flower bouquets with patients who are having a difficult time.  That month happened to be the month they ministered to my wife.  The flowers came before the imaging team came.  Good news before bad.

Ahimaaz knew how to soften the blow of what was coming.  He could have risen up in pride because he knew something David wanted to know.  He could have practiced ‘one-up-manship’ by sharing the news of the death of Absalom.  However, he knew his duty.  He knew what it was that he did best.  He knew that David needed to hear the good news before he heard the bad news.  Ahimaaz ministered to his king well.  Perhaps the LORD is asking you to be that one who softens the blow of some hard news that is on its way.  Perhaps you are the one who needs to show someone the bright side of an otherwise dark experience.  Maybe your words of encouragement will get someone through and impossible situation.  We know how David reacted to Absalom’s death.  One has to wonder how much worse it would have been if David was not first encouraged before he was discouraged.

What Happened to Tamar?

“And Absalom her brother said unto her, Hath Amnon thy brother been with thee? but hold now thy peace, my sister: he [is] thy brother; regard not this thing. So Tamar remained desolate in her brother Absalom’s house.” (2Sa 13:20 AV) 

I wonder what happened to Tamar when Absalom rebelled.  I feel sorry for Tamar.  She was forced and rejected by her half-brother.  Her brother shows compassion by taking her into his home.  Then he rebels against their father, the king.  He must flee to his grandfather and leaves Tamar behind in Jerusalem.  Two men used her.  A half-brother and a brother.  The brother was far more subtle.  He used the injustice toward his sister to commit insurrection which he probably had in his heart already.  If he really cared for Tamar, he would not have tried to take the throne from the duly and divinely anointed king of Israel.  Rebellion fails to see a greater responsibility while pursuing the desires of the heart.  Absalom’s duty was to protect and provide for his sister.  Once banished and eventually dead, he could do neither.  Absalom’s sin was founded on the false idea of a greater good.  He believed exacting justice and fleeing was a greater good than to care for his sister.  In the wake of his rebellion, Absalom left a family and a sister behind.  For what?

Absalom’s fault was not in executing his half-brother for raping his sister.  The bible tells us that David was comforted by the death of his criminal son.  Why Absalom did not return and make it good with his father is not immediately known.  What we do know is that when Absalom returned to Jerusalem, he sat in the gate and judged the people.  We can surmise that Absalom did not return to Jerusalem upon executing justice because, in his heart, he had no respect for his father.  Perhaps he resented his father because he felt that David should have been the one to exercise justice and not leave it to his son.  But that begs a question.  Why does justice need to be as swift as Absalom wanted?  It didn’t.  The law allowed half-siblings to marry as long as they forfeit their inheritance.  Perhaps David was working the situation to that end.  Who knows?  There is a lot of detail missing.  We don’t know what was going on behind the scenes.  Nor can we perfectly discern the hearts of David or Absalom.  What we do know is that Absalom’s rebellion failed to take care of his obligation towards Tamar.  Once David had passed, one has to wonder what ever became of poor Tamar.  A victim of one man’s lust and another’s rebellion.

When man is bent on a course of action, he will justify it with a greater good.  The greater good is not a greater good.  It is an excuse.  Absalom was so bent on rebellion that he did an equal injustice to his sister as his half-brother did.  He abandoned her for his own ambition.  Perhaps he believed he would not be denied the throne and thus could care for Tamar.  But someone who acts in rebellion never considers failure.  He feigns compassion for his sister.  He feigns an elevated sense of justice where it concerns his sister, Tamar.  It is hugely ironic that Absalom sits and judges Israel according to the law, yet commits insurrection contrary to it.  He follows the law as a means of breaking it.  This morning, I was impressed by how calloused Absalom was toward his sister once rebellion was stirred.  He claimed love and compassion for her enough to welcome her into his home and take care of her every need.  Yet, he would not sacrifice his rebellion for the sake of someone he professes to care for.