Keep Yourself Close

“Now these are they that came to David to Ziklag, while he yet kept himself close because of Saul the son of Kish: and they were among the mighty men, helpers of the war.” (1Ch 12:1 AV)

 

Speaking of the thirteen years which David fled from Saul, he kept himself close and involved while God dealt with Saul.  He did so for two reasons.  First, regardless of his relationship with Saul, David still had obligations to the king and kingdom.  He was still responsible to fight battles on behalf of the kingdom.  This he did faithfully.  Second, David was anointed to be king in the stead of Saul.  Fleeing to a far-off land to avoid the hand of Saul would have created a leadership vacuum when God took Saul.  David has to be close by so that when the king was killed in battle, he would be right there to take leadership without any major interruptions.  If I am David, I am not sticking around as someone who hates me, sees me as a threat, and wants me dead is chasing me all over the countryside.  I am high-tailing off to the closest foreign nation where I know that Saul would not pursue after me.  David shows a great level of leadership even in his early years.  He knows his place and even though it is challenging at the moment, he continues.  He kept himself close because that is where he belonged.  What we also want to remember is David kept himself close without assuming or presuming anything.  He served his king well.  When given the opportunity to take the life and throne from his adversary, he declined.  David kept himself close but at the same time, kept himself humble.

At my beloved summer camp, our waterfront had a couple of sailfish set aside for the camper’s use.  For those who don’t know, a sailfish is a two-man sailboat a little bit bigger than a surfboard.  It can be sailed by one person, but it can also be sailed by two people.  One of the skills of sailing is to learn how to sail contrary to the wind in the direction in which you desire to travel.  This is called tacking.  Tacking is a zig-zag pattern that uses contrary winds yet can move in the general direction of the wind.  As a novice, I didn’t learn this lesson as I should have.  The only time I ever took one of these boats out, I lost control of the boat and tipped it over.  The sail beam got caught on the mud bottom of the lake.  My brother, who was a lifeguard at the time, had to row out to me and help me free the sailboat, right it, and tow it back in.  What I should have done was to pull the sail, or let the sail run so it picked up no wind, then waited for a favorable wind to resume my trip.  If I could not sail contrary to the wind and remain on course, the best thing to do was to keep close to the wind so when it changed direction, I could hoist the sail and continue on my determined course. 

There are times when circumstances are not to our liking, but we need to keep ourselves close.  There are times when we would rather flee.  Yet, we need to keep ourselves close.  There are times when life is very difficult and we think that running away from it all would be the better option.  But we need to keep ourselves close.  There are times when things are out of our control.  There is nothing we can do personally to make things better.  Decisions are not made by us.  We are at the mercy of everything or everyone around us.  But we still need to keep ourselves close.  When trouble comes and we seem to be the lightning rod that attracts all the trouble, even though we did nothing against the will of God to justify our treatment, we still need to stay close.  Staying close keeps a door open that needs to remain open.  Just because the winds are contrary at the moment does not mean they will always be.  Soon enough the winds will shift and the winds will be favorable.  However, if we’ve engaged the motor and sailed away, those winds cannot catch our sails and we will never experience the joy of being in the center of God’s will.  Remain close.  Keep yourself in the way.  And the will of God will catch up to your faithfulness.

Sit With Dignity

“29 ¶  There be three things which go well, yea, four are comely in going: 30  A lion which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any; 31  A greyhound; an he goat also; and a king, against whom there is no rising up.” (Pr 30:29-31 AV)

Webster’s 1828 dictionary defines comely as, “Properly, becoming; suitable: whence, handsome; graceful. Applied to person or form, it denotes symmetry or due proportion, but it expresses less than beautiful or elegant.”  Another way of think of this adjective is a thing that perfectly performs its intended purpose for existence to the degree its purpose defines its very existence.  In other words, a lion, greyhound, he goat, and King who so lives as to give no doubt as to the very definition of those things.  A lion’s lion.  A greyhound above all hounds.  A he goat that stands before others.  A king who is perfectly followed.  In all four examples, we see the common characteristic of leadership.  The king is obvious.  The lion is called the king of the jungle.  A greyhound is the fastest of all domesticated animals and would lead among them all.  And the he-goat naturally assumes leadership over a group of goats.  Our writer is stating there is nothing more comely than a creature who willingly assumes the purpose for which it was created.

One of the coveted positions in any orchestra is first chair.  For those not familiar, first chair means if there are any solos during a piece, the one sitting in first chair is the one who plays that part.  The concertmaster, or first chair, of the first violin section, has other technical duties such as tuning the entire orchestra correctly, setting the technical use of the bow, and other responsibilities placed upon him or her.  This position is one of expertise and dignity.  The concertmaster works with the director to produce the beautiful music we so often enjoy.  However, not all first chairs are equally created.  It is often observed the first chair can be a bit cocky.  Such was the case at one particular concert my father and I attended.  The final piece played that night was the Will Tell overture by Tchaikovsky.  In that piece, there is a brief piccolo solo.  The artist sat next to the first chair of the violin section.  He was to the immediate left of the conductor.  He played the same sequence of notes several times.  Each time, he got closer and closer to the edge of his seat without noticing how close to embarrassment he was getting.  I pointed this out to my father.  As we watched, the last time he played his solo notes, he came off the chair!  Hilarious!  Here he was, a consummate piccolo player.  The finest of the woodwinds section.  And he just about fell on the floor.  Not very comely.

The point is, there are dignity and respect that should be paid to the calling which God has bestowed.  It doesn’t matter if the calling is to lead among men.  Or if the calling is to follow.  The calling is not the point.  The point is how we conduct ourselves within the boundaries of that calling.  Do we bring honor to that which the LORD has assigned?  Paul instructs us, “Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called.” (1Co 7:20 KJB)  A few chapters later, Paul remarks, “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” (1Co 10:31 KJB)  The lion can be bested by a pack of Hyenas.  The greyhound can be bested by a  Rottweiler.  The he-goat can be bumped off by a buck.  And a king can be assassinated.  The point our writer is making is not so much as the success of these four examples, but in how they carry themselves in front of others that makes them effective.

Liberation is Coming

“When the wicked are multiplied, transgression increaseth: but the righteous shall see their fall.” (Pr 29:16 AV)

 

This is the patience of the saints.  We are called to a very unique responsibility conflicted with a certain reality.  We are called to be a witness of the grace of God to those who are without Christ.  This puts us in regular contact with the wicked.  As time marches on, ever so closer to the LORD’s return, we notice less and less are coming to Christ.  We also notice there are fewer who seem neutral or tolerant of those who believe in Christ.  It seems the closer we arrive at the coming of the LORD, the more polarized the world is becoming against the God who created them.  We are called to share God’s love and grace despite what we may receive in return.  We are not called to pass judgment or wish God’s judgment in a way God would not allow.  Yet, the king above does share this with his children as a means of encouragement.  Solomon assures his children that wickedness will increase.  This is a foregone conclusion.  This will happen. However, there is a promise.  It will not always be this way.

We in America have been pretty sheltered.  Outside of the war between the states, we have never had an actual war wherein our land had been occupied.  I watch war films from time to time.  The history of war and how God moved to liberate the captives to me is fascinating.  There are not too many WWI films, but of those I’ve seen, the ones that stick in my mind the most are not necessarily battlefield films.  Rather, pictures of bombed-out cities and towns with people in rags sitting in their doorway are what really stick out at me.  When we view the occupying forces as they march down the main road, there is a certain look on the faces of the captives that is universal.  There are shots of people standing in bread lines as the enemy consumes all valuable assets for their campaign.  The occupying forces march on and take whatever they desire, leaving nothing in their wake.  All hope is gone from the faces of those who lay in deep poverty, disease, or worse death.  These films are all in black and white which makes them appear even direr.  When watching films like this, I cannot help but meditate on what these poor people might be feeling.  They were overwhelmed.  They were oppressed.  They were brought to the end of themselves.

Then as history unfolds, we see these same people receive news that liberation is coming.  At first, it is just news.  Word makes it through the grapevine that the good guys are coming.  Their demeanor begins to change.  No longer are they downcast.  They are still in pain, but the pain seems easier to endure.  As their eyes are fixed on the horizon, they look for any sign that may verify what they had heard.  They see an increase in activity which indicates the front lines are moving closer to their position.  Then they see aircraft fill the sky.  First of their enemy's forces, then of their liberator’s.  Smoke soon rises in the distance.  Liberation is with their grasp.  As they get closer to liberty, what the enemy does to them doesn’t matter.  The beating could get worse.  The starvation increases.  Solitary is their normal accommodations.  But it doesn’t matter.  They know liberty is close and those who would inflict such cruelty will be dealt with.  But the real prize is the restoration of all which the enemy destroyed.  Buildings and homes are rebuilt.  Roads are repaired.  Farmland is planted.  Parks are beautified.  There is food at the grocer's.  And there is the laughter of children playing in the streets again.

This is the hope of the saint.  We have seen sin completely destroy that which God meant as a blessing.  What is even more horrible to watch is the ever-advancing hatred for God and His righteousness that causes utter devastation upon mankind.  That in which we can take solace is the fact Jesus is coming back and all this will be over.  No more destruction.  No more wickedness.  No more ruined families, nations, or world.  When Jesus returns, the wicked will fall.  Then the righteous will rejoice with unspeakable joy.

The Richest Man On Earth

“He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” (Pr 28:13 AV)

 

Here, prosperity is equated to the attainment of mercy.  Normally, when we think of prosperity, we think of material gain.  When we think of prosperity, a picture of a nice home enters the mind.  When we consider what prosperity might look like, there is a large yard, two cars in the driveway, and enough in the savings account to retire on.  When it comes to the way God thinks, material blessings are not the first definition of prosperity.  Rather, the gaining of divine mercy is the most treasured possession of all.  There is also another way of looking at this.  That is, the first part of the proverb above warns if we do not seek the mercy of God by first forsaking our sin, then the lack of prosperity is our consequence.  Putting it another way, if we do not forsake our sin, then God will work contrary to our efforts and we will not receive blessings of life.  To get back to the original thought, however, we want to consider how much mercy means to the heart of the saint and why the gaining of that mercy is considered prosperity.

Mercy is the greatest need of the human heart that often goes unrecognized.  There is a second need that is closely related.  That is affirmation.  A realization others value us for who and what we are regardless of our shortcomings or faults.  A belief we have worth.  This belief in self-worth does have an element of mercy attached to it because we understand affirmation requires grace for someone to see worth in you despite what you might think of yourself.  Mercy is indeed a great treasure.  This mercy is even more valued when we consider how much it means to be forgiven.  When we undergo an honest self-evaluation, we realize how far short we have fallen.  We realize all that we have failed to do for the God who graciously saved us.  We realize the law, as it appears in His word, illuminates just how wicked our hearts can be.  The need for mercy is not contingent upon the need to feel better about ourselves.  Rather, the need for mercy is based on our desire to please the One who gave His life for us.  This need and attainment of mercy is God’s approval of us as a person despite what we have done.  This need for mercy is a deep-rooted human urge that often is covered by secondary means.

This need for mercy is often rejected because pride in our hearts is greater than the need for mercy.  When pride fails and guilt rages, then the need for mercy is found in another source.  Usually a vice.  Sometimes, rationalization is the god of mercy whom we worship.  Yet a lifetime is spent trying to find the one thing material prosperity cannot give.  That is, affirmation founded upon mercy.  If I can be forgiven, it is worth far more than any material possession one could own.  If I believed with my whole heart (and I do) in the mercy and grace of God, I don’t need houses or lands, dreams or plans, the dearest thing to me, etc…  If I know God has forgiven me of all my screw-ups, cleansed me from all my secret faults, and loves me based purely on His grace and mercy, then I am the richest man alive!

Go Fly A Kite

“Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.” (Pr 27:1 AV)

 

The understanding of this verse is simply enough.  We should not plan for tomorrow what can be done today.  Solomon was not suggesting tomorrow may not come.  We can see that from the second part of the verse.  Solomon’s advice is to not boast of tomorrow because when tomorrow comes, there will be things that we did not expect nor could we plan for.  Some emergencies happen.  Some complications crop up.  There are plans that others made for you of which you were unaware at the time.  The point our wise Sage is trying to convey is if there is something that can be done today, then it is wise to do so.  The opportunity to accomplish something may not arise tomorrow.  Today is the day it needs to be done.

When we kids, we used to go to our local park and fly kites.  We could only afford the cheap ones.  You know.  The ones you bought at the five-and-dime for a quarter or so.  You’d take it home, fold the supports out, strap on the sail, and make your own tail out of old rags.  We would get a bunch of kite string and make our own spool.  A twelve-inch long one by six would do nicely.  Notched out at both ends, we fastened wooden thread spools on the diagonal corners.  This enabled the flyer to wind up his kite at he brought it in.  The thing about flying a kite is one needs time and opportunity.  The weather had to be perfect.  Enough wind to fly the kite but not too much.  Otherwise, the wind would rip your kite apart.  There were many times I and my siblings would climb atop our bikes and, ride the two or three blocks to our neighborhood park, and get our kites skyward.  Experience would tell you that wind is a finicky thing.  We would learn the winds aloft were different from the winds closer to the ground.  To get that kite up and staying up, one needed a strong ground wind but once that kite was high enough, the winds aloft were much more consistent.  The flyer had to get his kite in the air while there was enough ground wind.  If he did not, it would never soar with the eagles.

This principle is true no matter the case.  There are opportune times to accomplish one’s goal and there are times when it is not.  Opportunity, as it is said, only knocks once.  That may not be true all of the time.  But it is true enough of the time that using an opportunity is the better part of wisdom.  When thinking of things that are more of a duty, then doing so in a timely fashion is the wise thing.  When we see something that needs to be fixed, it is smarter to do that sooner than later.  Waiting until later may only make the breach all the worse.  Solomon knows a good administrator does not procrastinate.  He knows how to prioritize and he is disciplined to ensure what needs to get does is done immediately.  Boasting of tomorrow when we cannot guarantee what tomorrow will bring is a foolish thing.

Unfailing Faithfulness In Spite of Failures

“For the LORD saw the affliction of Israel, that it was very bitter: for there was not any shut up, nor any left, nor any helper for Israel.” (2Ki 14:26 AV)

 

The term ‘shut up’ here means shut up in a defended city.  Most commentators believe the writer is referring to a fortified city that would house military personnel of some kind.  Any left would be any trained military personnel.  And helper would be any allies to help Israel.  Israel, with the help of Syria, went against Judah.  Ahaz, king of Judah, hired Assyria (modern-day Iran) to invade Israel and Syria.  In doing so, Assyria devastated both countries.  This was before a second invasion brought by Assyria in which Israel, or the ten northern tribes, are carried off into captivity.  When the LORD looked upon the affliction of Israel and their completely defenseless condition, He took pity on them that they are not consumed by their enemies.  His pity was based on the covenants He made with the forefathers of this present generation.  God made a promise to Abraham, Isaac, and David that Israel would outlast all of their enemies, establish an everlasting kingdom, and realize the Messiah as their King!  Yes, it was their fault they suffered as they did.  But God, in His mercy, took pity and fulfilled His promise.

I don’t know if you’ve ever had a child who is a stubborn learner.  I had one once.  It seemed no matter how many times he tried and failed, he would continue to try the same thing over and again until the consequences became too unbearable.  I cannot remember a specific case, but something similar to the following was not uncommon.  This child might attempt to reach for something he is not allowed to have.  He may climb on furniture to get to it.  He would fall and bump his head.  After a bit of consoling and comforting, down on the floor he would return.  Yet, that forbidden object is still above his head.  He wants it badly.  So, he stacks a few things.  Climbing up, the tower falls and he suffers another injury.  Consoled and corrected again, he may ignore the object only as long as the pain from the last attempt reminds him of the consequences.  He now tries a different approach.  He attempts to jump from one piece of furniture to another thinking he can grab the item while flying through the air.  However, he misjudges the distance and misses his intended landing pad.  Tears flow again.  What kind of father would not take pity on such a child as this?  Dad does not remove every conceivable plan this child may imagine.  Rather, Dad constantly reminds this child he is only hurting himself.  Dad always stands ready to keep this boy from any permanent damage but will allow his son to learn things the hard way.  Dad’s love will not allow the foolishness of his child to cause harm beyond Dad’s ability to fix it.

Putting it another way, Jeremiah wrote, “It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.” (La 3:22 AV)  God is far more merciful than we realize.  Israel had done some pretty wicked things.  They turned their back on the very God who brought them out of slavery and gave them a country they could call their own.  The LORD kept them safe from external enemies and provided all that was necessary for their sustenance and growth as a nation.  He had even instilled fear in their neighbors so Israel was respected among their peers.  But what did they do?  They went down the road of immorality and pagan worship.  Totally and completely they rejected their God of mercy.  Yet He never rejected them.  God continued to keep them in His hand was will do so into eternity.  Despite their commitment to Him, He remains faithful to them.  The same is true with the New Testament saint.  No matter how unfaithful we are to the LORD, He will not abandon us and allow our lives to become a complete ruin.  He will remain faithful to the work of His hands.  He cannot abandon us no matter how we treat Him!  His grace and mercy will not allow it.

Wasted Windfall

“Hast thou found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for thee, lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it.” (Pr 25:16 AV)

 

I realize I have written before on the above verse.  The point was there can be too much of a good thing.  However, we want to focus on finding honey as opposed to harvesting it.  In particular, we want to notice why finding honey might lead someone to eat more than they need.  There is a great truth of particular application here stated in other areas of Proverbs.  Wealth hastily gathered is wealth often spent up quickly.  This is the idea here.  Honey that is harvested by a beekeeper will be stored and sold.  Honey which one comes upon unexpectedly would be seen as a windfall and consumed because it was rare.  The warning here is unexpected blessings are often quickly consumed rather than used in measure, thus becoming counter-productive to the purpose of the blessing, to begin with.

How many of us have found money while walking to and fro?  We probably all have found it from time to time.  Usually a coin here and there.  Not much to consider a windfall.  However, I have had occasions when I found paper money.  A dollar here, a dollar there.  In one case, I found a ten-dollar bill.  What is amazing is how our minds immediately go to how this money can be spent.  Usually towards something that we normally wouldn’t buy.  For a kid, it is some kind of snack or candy.  On the way home for middle school, there was a five-and-dime store we passed.  Every Wednesday, my mother gave all of us kids a quarter.  We could shop at the five and dime for candy or some sort of eatable.  Believe it or not, my treat was Beef-a-Roni.  But I remember one time when I had come across some money lying in the street.  The next Wednesday, it was like I went grocery shopping.  Chips, Beef-A-Roni, candy, baked goods, and Nickle candy filled a grocery bag.  I went home with enough to feed myself for a week.  It never dawned on me to put it away and save some towards a greater goal.  Or simply to save.  It seems a windfall kicks in the temptation to splurge.

Solomon’s observation is when people experience a windfall, they normally consume it quickly because they do not want to lose any of it.  In so doing, they end up hurting themselves in the long run.  Whether it is honey, or finances, coming upon something unplanned and not worked for tends to trigger an impulse that would only cause injury.  There was an episode of the Twilight Zone that featured a story of an elder couple who had three wishes from a genie.  The moral of the story is to be careful of that for which you wish.  You might get exactly what it is you wish for with all the unintended consequences that come with it.  Every time I allow my mind to go down that road of wishing things were different, I look at the consequences that would come with it and realize God knew exactly what He was doing when He ordered the life for me which I now live.  If honey comes, I pray I am disciplined enough to consume it in moderation and keep some for another time.  The principle above is not merely too much of a good thing.  It is consuming ‘all’ of a good thing when the good thing comes suddenly and unexpectedly.

Good Things To Those Who Beleive

“Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.” (2Ki 7:2 AV)

 

Unbelief is a serious thing!  In fact, it is the worst of all sins that will send the sinner to hell.  In Revelation 21:8 we see a list of sins for which the wicked are judged.  Unbelief is listed as one of those sins.  In our passage, a promise came to the King of Israel.  The capital city of Samaria (Northern Jewish Kingdom) was besieged by the Syrians.  Over time, the people were falling to starvation.  Two women came to the king with a dispute between them.  The one explained they had agreed to boil their children and consume them lest they died of starvation.  The first woman complied.  But when it came to the other woman, she would not take the life of her child.  The first woman came to the king thinking he would force the second to murder her own child.  So aghast was the king that he rent his clothes.  At that point, the prophet told the king that at this time tomorrow, there would be so much food and supplies it would be hard to give it away.  Then we read the reaction of one of the lords serving under the king.  To him, the promise was so fantastic as to be unbelievable.  In response, the prophet reveals to this lord he will see the fulfillment of it, but not enjoy the fruits thereof.  Almost like Moses who refused to believe God concerning the water from the rock and was forbidden to enter Canaan.

We know the rest of the story.  The Syrian army fled.  In the middle of the night, they believed they heard the noise of a great army of chariots.  They believed Israel had hired the Hittites and Egyptians to come out against them.  They fled in such haste, they left all their material belongings and victuals behind.  So, what happened to this lord?  Four lepers came upon the spoil and reported back to the city of Samaria of Israel’s good fortune.  After investigating and determining it wasn’t a ruse, the king released the city to fly upon the spoil.  He attempted to organize the process to make it fair and safe and placed this lord over the management of the process.  For people who are starving to death to the point they would turn to cannibalism, there is no orderly fashion when there is food in them there hills.  This poor lord was trampled to death!  He sat in the gate as saw the considerable wealth the lepers had presented, but when the time came to enjoy the fruit of God’s promise, he lost his life.

The basis of God’s blessings is primarily faith.  God requires that we believe Him.  To do otherwise is to insult the very nature and character of God.  I ponder how much we have lost because we do not believe God able or willing to do that which He has promised.  As stated before, belief is essential to salvation.  Those unwilling to believe on Christ for the forgiveness of sin, even when they see heaven while being judged by Christ, will never enjoy it.  This is just my opinion, but I think this is the difference between those saints who experience God’s hand more dramatically or miraculously and those that do not.  Those who lack the courage that faith and belief bring will never place themselves in a position where the LORD will show Himself mighty on their behalf.  “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him….” (2Ch 16:9 AV)  One has to wonder if, at times, we are not that lord who hears what God can do and sees no possible way which it can happen, this cutting himself off from the blessing which he could have enjoyed if he wasn’t so hasty in judgment

Double Portion Takes Double Trouble

“And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.” (2Ki 2:11 AV)

 

Prior to this verse, Elijah had asked what it was which Elisha would like as a parting bestowment before the LORD took Elijah home.  Elisha’s response was a double portion of the spirit that anointed Elijah.  Elijah’s response has always bothered me.  Elijah said, “…Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so.” (2Ki 2:10 AV)  Why would Elijah state to seek double the power of God on his life a hard thing?  Why would it be he placed the condition of watching the chariot ascend as a condition on that double spirit?  Why would not Elijah simply give him his mantle and bestow the blessing?  What Elisha was asking was the ability to go further than his predecessor ever did.  To understand the difficulty of what Elisha asked and why it was the chariot parted them both asunder is to learn a secret of being used by God.

Elijah had been used by God to confront the worst of the worst.  Ahab, king of Israel was married to a Phonecian woman, Jezebel.  These two were responsible for setting in motion the wickedness which would eventually be the downfall of Israel.  They set up an entire priesthood of men dedicated to the worship of Baal, the god of the Phoenicians.  Further, they killed all the prophets of Jehovah God save those hid in a cave by their servant Obediah.  At one point, Elijah gathered all the prophets and priests of Baal for a test.  Both they and Elijah were to call down fire from heaven in the name of their respective gods and the true God would be the one who consumed the offering upon the altar.  After God harkened to the voice of Elijah, the prophet had all the priests and prophets of Baal killed.  This set Jezebel over the edge and she threatened to hunt down Elijah.  Elijah fled into the wilderness and expressed to God that he had no more to give.  He had burned out.  In short, Elijah lacked the constitution for the dramatic.  Elijah simply did not have the personality or gift to endure extreme circumstances. 

Now, we come to the request of Elisha.  Elisha, in essence, is asking Elijah for the constitution which Elisha did not have.  This did not offend Elijah.  It shouldn’t.  We are what God makes us and as long as we invest the talents He has given, there is no shame one doesn’t have as much as another.  Elijah knew Elisha would have to endure a dramatic experience without losing focus.  That is the whole point of the dramatic way in which Elijah was taken up.  A charging chariot ascending out of the sky would have gotten my attention.  Enough that it would have diverted my attention to the carrying away of Elijah.  As that chariot charged and came ever so close, I might have dived away protection my face and core.  Watching that chariot ascend would not have been high on my priorities.  However, as Elisha fell to the ground and didn’t watch where his hands were landing.  As he dove for cover, his eyes remained fixed on that chariot.  In other words, for God to use the prophet to the degree he wished, nothing can divert his focus on the task at hand.  Not his own safety, the wonder of the miracle, or the consequences thereof.  Nothing was allowed to get in the way of seeing God work all the way through.  This is the difference between someone with five talents and someone with ten.  He never is overcome with the peripherals.  He has complete control of his faculties.  The most important of all is watching, and being a part of, God’s hand at work.

It's Not Liberating No Matter How We Feel

“Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul.” (Pr 22:25 AV)

 

The context is keeping company with someone who would be considered an angry person.  Not someone who might get angry.  Rather, someone who is angrier than not.  Solomon warns his children not to build too close of a relationship with someone like this on the outside chance they might become like that person.  This is not what we want to consider this morning.  Rather, the last part of the above verse.  It is intriguing.  Solomon suggests anger is a snare to the soul.  The Hebrew definition for the word ‘snare’ means a noose, a hook for the nose where a person or animal is painfully led about, a trap in which to be ensnared.  In other words, a perpetually angry person is not as free as he or she thinks.

The misunderstanding of anger is the expression of it is liberating.  Once we explode we feel better and people who experience it are motivated to do as we wish.  Our reasoning is since anger produced the desired results, then we are liberated from the circumstances which caused the anger.  Sometimes this behavior is justified.  For example, Paul says, “Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:” (Eph 4:26 AV)  Paul knows there are times when anger is appropriate.  However, if anger becomes a habit, then it becomes a hook in the nose or a noose around the neck.  We are subject to and defined by, our emotional state.  The more anger we feel, the less likely we experience other, more positive, and healthy emotions.  We cannot feel joy.  We will never feel peace and contentment.  Our passions become our enemy.  How we perceive the world is strictly in terms of how it affects us.  Our anger becomes our undoing for those whom we try to control merely find another master.  Anger gives the illusion of being liberating.  In reality, it is a subtle trap that keeps us at arm's length of anyone or anything else that we might consider worthy of our anger.

Don’t let a calm and even-tempered demeanor fool you.  Just because someone might be calm and cucumber on the outside doesn’t mean he isn’t seething on the inside.  Anger doesn’t always have to be expressed.  Anger can boil under the surface.  This is only slightly better. It may not as dramatically affect those around us.  But it does.  They can tell by our temperament there is something off.  Just because someone doesn’t blow up doesn’t mean he has gained victory over anger.  His anger is manifested in other ways.   The point being,  Solomon warns against anger because one way or another, anger becomes a trap.  Paul tells us there is a time and place for anger.  If I can confess:  anger was an issue with me for many years.  However, I was one of those easy-going and soft personality types who would never have the reputation of being an angry person.  But I was.  And it made my life miserable.  Not until I understood the damage anger can cause did I give it up.  From time to time, like everyone else, I struggle.  But for the most part, being free from anger is true liberation.  I am free!  And by God’s grace, I always shall be.

It Is Enough

“But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.” (1Ki 19:4 AV)

 

Been there done that.  Elijah had just come through an experience wherein God used him greatly.  He felt all alone.  Now, Queen Jezebel seeks his life.  Elijah is burned out!  He had fought one too many battles.  He is drained beyond his capacity.  Praying fire down from heaven was as dramatic as miracles get.  Probably second only to the parting of the Red Sea at the prayers of Moses, what Elijah did in the name of the LORD was dramatic, to say the least.  At the end of this miracle, the people of Israel killed all the false prophets and priests of Baal.  These were the Queen’s ministers.  This is why she was so upset.  Other than one hundred prophets of God that the servant of the king hid in caves, Elijah believed himself to be the only one.  Mind you, Elijah was not bitter.  HE was simply burned out.  We can all get this way.  It is enough.  I cannot go on any further.  I have had it.  I’m finished.  There isn’t anything that will get me out of bed today.  There is nothing more I can do.  The thing is, Elijah had fifteen more years of ministry before God took him home.

Delivering newspapers in the snow is not for the weak.  Especially when you weigh less than than a sack of potatoes half-eaten.  As a child, I had the responsibility of delivering newspapers.  Our family had three routes.  Two morning routes and one evening route.  The rule of thumb was if one of us was sick, the other two would divide the third route and deliver newspapers for our ill sibling.  It was ok for the one who had the evening route.  He or she delivered in the morning and evening.  However, if such an illness fell on a Sunday, that was bad.  Saturdays and Sundays the evening route became a morning route.  Sunday papers were ten times thicker than all the other days.  So, if one of our siblings got sick on a Sunday, that would not be good.  I can remember one such Sunday.  My sister Deb was ill.  Mary and I were tasked to deliver our own routes and then deliver Deb’s.  Deb’s route had two streets that ran uphill.  Cherry Street and Hyde Park.  This particular Sunday there was significant snow on the ground.  In the winter, we used wooden sleighs called toboggans.  Yes, my southern friends.  A toboggan is a sled, not a hat!  Anyway, pulling that toboggan uphill with fifty pounds of newspapers is not easy for a lightweight ten-year-old.  Needless to say, I reached my limit.  I sat down on that sleigh and could go no further.  Tears were streaming down my face as I looked at the massive hill before me.  I knew I had many more deliveries to make and no strength to do it.  There I was.  At the end of myself with more to do and no ability to do it.  It was enough.

What needs to be observed is God never chastens Elijah for how he felt.  Why would He?  Elijah had given one-thousand percent and he was simply tired out.  God never compared Elijah against Elisha noting Elisha performed more and often greater miracles than he did.  We all have our own level of tolerance and endurance.  This is not a criticism or critique.  It is a statement of fact.  The LORD acknowledged Elijah’s condition.  God provided rest.  God provided nourishment.  God provided encouragement.  And God provided purpose equal to Elijah’s ability.  There is nothing wrong with that!  To feel like we are at the end of our rope is not wrong.  In fact, it is healthy.  To know when to sit down and have a good sob is a healthy thing.  Elijah may have felt like he was quitting.  God didn’t let him.  Elijah perhaps hoped the LORD would have agreed with him and let him off the hook for any further ministry.  But He didn’t.  What the LORD did do was heal Elijah and adjusted the last fifteen years of his life to accommodate Elijah’s constitution.  It is not wrong to feel it is enough.  It is what we do afterward that matters.

Our Great Podiatrist

“The rest of all the acts of Asa, and all his might, and all that he did, and the cities which he built, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? Nevertheless in the time of his old age he was diseased in his feet.” (1Ki 15:23 AV)

We might ask ourselves why this detail is relevant.  Looking at 2Chr 16:12 might shed some light.  “And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he sought not to the LORD, but to the physicians.” (2Ch 16:12 AV)  This mention reveals whatever disease from which Asa was suffering, first, could have been solved if he sought the LORD.  Second, we also learn from the life of Asa and the context of the passages that Asa had tremendous faith and integrity.  He cleaned up Judah from idolatry and sodomy and even confronted his own mother who was partially to blame for it all.  Asa would harken unto the prophet Oded and bring sacred revivals to both Judah and Israel.  The northern tribes were gathering to Judah for a sacred feast.  We learn in 2Chron.16 that Ephraim perceived the LORD was with Asa.  But Asa took a turn for the worse.  The practice of solving things himself rather than go to the LORD stared a bit earlier than his feet.

Following the revival in Judah, the king of Israel began to build a city, Ramah.  Baasha, king of the northern ten tribes saw what was going on and was concerned that if Asa continued his revival, the kingdom would be reunited and he would lose his throne.  He built Ramah on the border of the two kingdoms to keep his own people in.  Asa panicked and contacted Benhadad, General of Syria.  Asa took the gold, silver, and precious things of both his house and the temple and paid Syria to break their treaty with Israel.  Syria went against Israel and Judah took Ramah and destroyed it.  This treaty and plan was from Asa and not the LORD.  It was a well-thought-out plan but not what God had wanted.  Hanai the prophet came to see Asa, king of Judah and said, “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.” (2Ch 16:9 AV)  Asa had a habit of solving things he thought he could solve without consulting the LORD.  If there was a practical way out of a situation, then he would take it.  Even if the LORD might have advised otherwise, if there is a pragmatic solution, then Asa would not seek the LORD for something he could figure out himself. 

For the most part, this is how we live.  We rely on our experience to be our guide.  And, for the most part, we are correct.  In fact, we have known people to pray over the simplest of tasks when the common sense God has given is sufficient for the task at hand.  We wonder why they are taking the time to pray over something when, in fact, there is a simple solution.  However, there are two faults above.  First, Asa took things that did not belong to him to pay a pagan nation to do something they were not allowed to do.  It solved the problem.  Sure.  But in the process, it compromised the integrity of Judah.  Second, in the matter of his feet clearly, all he was doing was not working.  There are two questions to ask.  First, is it right?  Forget the question: will it work or will it not work?  That is not the correct question.  Is it right and does it follow Biblical principles?  Secondly, is it working?  Asa got in the habit of trusting his own judgment rather than seeking God’s voice.  He got a bit self-dependant.  In doing so, Asa suffered far more than he needed to.

Age Is No Excuse

“For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.” (1Ki 11:4 AV)

 

Not much context is needed here.  Solomon had made the grave error of attaining thousands of wives and concubines.  The vast majority were from non-Jewish nations.  The law expressly warns kings from taking multiple wives for the reason stated above.  The more wives they take, especially if they are non-Jewish wives, will tempt the heart of the king away from the one true God unto the false gods of the nations from which these wives came.  Paul tells us this is the nature of marriage in the seventh chapter of his first letter to the Corinthians.  When we marry, we tend to seek those things that please our spouse more than those things that please our LORD.  It is more natural to prioritize a relationship we can see versus one which we cannot see.  However, what we want to consider this morning is the underlined portion of our verse.  In his youth, Solomon was able to withstand the temptation of idol worship. At least that is what the verse intimates.  However, as he grew older, his resolve waned.  This is something I have always noticed in my youth but am becoming more keenly aware of as I age.

Even in the animal kingdom, we see this play out.  As a deer hunter, I have seen three types of deer make foolish decisions.  There is the young buck who is so naïve and inexperienced, he doesn’t notice the obvious.  He looks up in my tree, knows there is something a bit off, gets a whiff of my sent, and carries on as though no alarm is warranted.  There is the more mature buck who does know the risks involved in his pursuit of a doe.  HE knows you are up in that tree.  He can smell your scent.  He may even see you move.  He knows the danger and will either avoid you and go another way, or the urge to procreate will be greater than the risk involved and put his life in the hunter’s hand.  Then there is the third type of buck.  He is an aged buck.  He used to be the dominant buck of the area, but youth has chased him off.  He walks through the woods and fields in a pretty deliberate and straight manner no matter the risks involved.  He sees you.  He smells you.  But he also knows there is no more future for him in the process of increasing his species.  He walks a bit slower.  When alarmed he may trot off instead of bounding and running.  His life consists of traveling from the feeding area to the bedding area.  He may look for a new herd on the outside chance he might survive a sparing.  But more than likely, his age has caught up with him and that which was once a threat he is no longer concerned with.

As we age we allow the inevitability of our death to become more of a consideration than the life that is right before us.  We get tired.  We get worn out.  Since we will not outlive the long-term consequences of our choices, we do not take as much diligence in making the right choice.  We see some fights not worth fighting anymore because pragmatism has overtaken principle.  It’s not worth the fight because we do not see and benefit of winning it.  Most of all, we simply lose our strength.  Instead of understanding we have just as much as we did before but our quickness of applying has slowed down, we perceive the absence of fortitude equals the absence of strength.  Caleb and Joshua conquered their greatest enemies in their eighties.  Elijah’s greatest miracles came in the last fifteen years of his ministry.  There is much to be said for age and experience.  Solomon could have said no.  What was the worst that was going to happen?  He may have lost the love of some.  Perhaps of many.  But he still would have had the love of a few.  Solomon allowed his age to become his greatest weakness.  And, let us consider, God still called it sin.  Age may be a reason, but as far as God is concerned, it is not an excuse.

Toward This Place

“That thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place of which thou hast said, My name shall be there: that thou mayest hearken unto the prayer which thy servant shall make toward this place.” (1Ki 8:29 AV)

 

This is part of Solomon’s prayer to the LORD regarding the newly constructed temple and his discourse with the people over the same.  Before the temple, the ark of the covenant resided in a tent.  This tent was designed to be mobile.  It was required as until the time of Solomon, Israel did not have a permanent home.  They wandered in the wilderness once escaping from Egypt.  Then Joshua took them into Canaan.  From Joshua until the death of David, Israel was constantly battling their enemies both within their territories and their neighbors without.  Now that the diplomat, Solomon had taken the throne, peace reigned.  It was time for a permanent structure to be constructed wherein the ark of the covenant might rest.  Another purpose for the construction of the temple is seen above.  It was a permanent reminder to the people of God of the privilege and duty to worship the God of their fathers.  It was a visual reminder.  It was a focal point.  It was a religious icon designed to stir the heart towards a consistent reminder to walk with God.  In Solomon’s prayer, he mentioned the possibility of the nation losing its liberty to another, being taken from Canaan into captivity.  If the temple stood, the Jews were to face in that direction and pray.  Not that the direction itself or the building itself bestowed any spiritual power.  It was merely an object meant to bring the mind and heart into the state wherein they could truly worship.  Don’t get me wrong.  I am not advocating idol worship.  Merely, a reminder that prepares the mind and heart for a deeper relationship with God.

Many homes have such things.  They might have an open Bible on the fireplace mantle.  There might be a cross or two hung in the home.  There are scripture verses hung in rooms.  Some have pithy sayings of a spiritual nature.  Maybe a line or two of a poem that shares some truth.  There are reminders all around us that tell us to remember that which is, or should be, important to us.  One of the things I like to do is go over to our sanctuary for prayer.  When the building was built several decades ago, a member constructed the pulpit and also carved out an eight-foot cross that hangs behind it.  When I go over to the church to pray, the first thing I do is gaze on that cross.  I meditate on what that cross means.  Specifically, what it means to me.  Not merely that He saved me.  Rather, all that salvation entails.  I am reminded of the love behind the sacrifice.  I am also reminded of the duty laid upon me because of that sacrifice.  When I pray, I periodically gaze at that cross while in prayer of my mind or heart begins to wander.  Most of the time I am either bowed with my eyes closed, or gazing upward.  I gaze at the cross not because I believe this cross has any power or personality.  Rather, to keep my mind and heart focused on the person behind that cross.  Think about a phone call before video calling.  We might call someone close to us.  Like a parent or child.  Sometimes during that phone call, we might look upon a photo of that person.  The photo has no other attributes but a piece of paper with chemicals on it.  The photo is not the person.  Rather, in gazing upon that photo, we are reminded more intimately, to whom we are speaking.  Again, do not misunderstand me.  I am not speaking of idols.  We do not pray to a cross.  We pray to the person whom that cross represents.

Let’s apply this a bit more directly.  One of the unintended consequences of having to adapt to the COVID virus is the convenience that electronic ministry made to congregational worship.  With the flip of a switch, we can broadcast our services live.  We can sit down with a cup of coffee, dressed down in our house clothes, and enjoy the service.  Myself, I was quarantined for a total of 48 days without ever coming down with symptoms and having tested negative.  I know what it is like to be part of a service in a remote location.  As convenient as it may be, it is not the same.  The brick and mortar of a church house possess no power.  The Bible tells us where two or three are gathered together, the LORD is in the midst.  If we are gathering in our home with our family, the Holy Spirit is just as much a part of that gathering as if we were in the house of God.  What the church house does do is it provides an atmosphere unique to itself.  When we are in God’s house, we are not in our house.  When we are in the church building, we are not in a theatre.  The short of it is, gathering in a physical building helps to provide a constant and deeper reminder of our worship that no other place can provide.  As the people of God prayed towards the city of Jerusalem, it reminded them of the covenants God made with them.  It reminded them how much they had failed Him.  And the direction in which they prayed was a physical representation of a spiritual direction which they were feeling.  That is, a return from their error into repentance and faith.  So, as the vaccine becomes more available, our hope and prayer are the people of God will find their way back to the house of God.  It simply is not the same remotely joining a worship service.