The LORD Gives Victory

O LORD, you are my lamp. The LORD lights up my darkness. In Your strength I can crush an army; with my God I can scale any wall. "God's way is perfect. All the LORD's promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to Him for protection. For who is God except the LORD? Who but our God is a solid rock?  God is my strong fortress, and He makes my way perfect. He makes me as surefooted as a deer, enabling me to stand on mountain heights. He trains my hands for battle; He strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow. You have given me Your shield of victory; Your help has made me great. (2 Samuel 22:29-36 NLT)

Who better to understand this concept than David.  He became a warrior by going up against a giant named Goliath and he knew that day that the victory belonged to The LORD.  David did not slay his enemy.  The LORD did.  David was merely the instrument through which The LORD brought victory and justice.

You have made a wide path for my feet to keep them from slipping. "I chased my enemies and destroyed them; I did not stop until they were conquered. I consumed them; I struck them down so they did not get up; they fell beneath my feet. You have armed me with strength for the battle; you have subdued my enemies under my feet. You placed my foot on their necks. I have destroyed all who hated me. They looked for help, but no one came to their rescue. They even cried to the LORD, but He refused to answer. I ground them as fine as the dust of the earth; I trampled them in the gutter like dirt. You gave me victory over my accusers. (2 Samuel 22:37-44a NLT)

The same is true for us today.  Remember, people are not our enemies.  Scripture describes people as human beings made in the image of God who are taken captive by the enemy to do his will.  We fight the real enemy to set captives free.  Who is the real enemy?  In Hebrew and in Greek the word for “accuser” sounded nearly the same.  We pronounce it, “Satan.”

How about you?  Do you fight the real enemy – the accuser?  Do you set captives (people) free?  Do you fight in the power, and under the direction of, God?  Does The LORD give you victory?

The LORD Saves

Whenever I hear a modern-day follower of God talking, the word “saved” has a pretty specific meaning.  We ask people if they’ve gotten “saved” or if Jesus is their Lord and “Savior.”  This meaning is valid and is certainly filled with rich depth of understanding.  When people in Biblical days used the term, however, it often had a broader meaning.

I called on the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and He saved me from my enemies. "The waves of death overwhelmed me; floods of destruction swept over me. The grave wrapped its ropes around me; death laid a trap in my path. But in my distress I cried out to the LORD; yes, I cried to my God for help. He heard me from His sanctuary; my cry reached His ears. (2 Samuel 22:4-7 NLT)

The Israelites held in slavery in Egypt had a much more pragmatic (practical) meaning of the word.  They wanted to be broken free from the physical bondage in Egypt.  When The LORD set them free, God immediately became their savior. 

David tapped into this meaning as well, because he experienced a lifetime of people who wanted him dead (Goliath, Philistines, Saul the king of Israel, Absalom his son, and many more).  David was credited for killing his tens of thousands in battle.  That’s because tens of thousands wanted him dead.  (Remember, David did not pick the battle with Goliath and the Philistines.  They came after him and the Israelites.)  David knew what it was like to be targeted, attacked, and saved.  David saw The LORD as his savior.

"Then the earth quaked and trembled. The foundations of the heavens shook; they quaked because of His anger. Smoke poured from His nostrils; fierce flames leaped from His mouth. Glowing coals blazed forth from Him. He opened the heavens and came down; dark storm clouds were beneath His feet. Mounted on a mighty angelic being, He flew, soaring on the wings of the wind. He shrouded Himself in darkness, veiling His approach with dense rain clouds. A great brightness shone around Him, and burning coals blazed forth. The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded. He shot arrows and scattered His enemies; His lightning flashed, and they were confused. Then at the command of the LORD, at the blast of His breath, the bottom of the sea could be seen, and the foundations of the earth were laid bare. "He reached down from heaven and rescued me; He drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemies, from those who hated me and were too strong for me. They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress, but the LORD supported me. He led me to a place of safety; He rescued me because He delights in me. (2 Samuel 22:8-20 NLT)

How about you?  Do you know what it is like to be targeted and attacked?  You still have life and breath and the ability to read this, so you are alive.  Do you see The LORD as your savior?

Psalms with Purpose

When David wrote his Psalms, he often “signed” them with an introduction.  Sometimes he gave musical instructions which let us know that they were originally sung.  In addition to that, sometimes the introduction told us the purpose of the Psalm.

...useful for teaching... (Psalm 60)

A prayer of David (Psalm 86, 142)

...asking God to remember him. (Psalm 38, 70)

A meditation… (Psalm 53)

Have you ever used Psalms for teaching?  Do you learn from them yourself?  Have you ever prayed through certain Psalms?  Some of them were intended for that purpose.  Sometimes the purpose was less “personal” and more “formal.”  Some of the Psalms were intended for large groups of people, to lead them into worship of The LORD.

...A song for the dedication of the Temple. (Psalm 30)

A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. (Psalms 122, 124, 131-3)

A psalm of praise of David. (Psalm 145)

Does music lead you into worship of The LORD?  What kind of music?  Do you sing God’s praises?  David did.

He sang: "The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. He is my refuge, my savior, the One who saves me from violence. (2 Samuel 22:1-3 NLT)

Sometimes a Psalm of David will summarize and then list the reasons that he praises The LORD.  Psalm 18 (2 Samuel 22) is one such Psalm.

"The LORD lives! Praise to my Rock! May God, the Rock of my salvation, be exalted! He is the God who pays back those who harm me; He brings down the nations under me and delivers me from my enemies. You hold me safe beyond the reach of my enemies; you save me from violent opponents. For this, O LORD, I will praise you among the nations; I will sing praises to Your name. You give great victories to Your king; you show unfailing love to Your anointed, to David and all his descendants forever." (2 Samuel 22:47-51 NLT)

How about you?  What drives you to pray to The LORD? What drives you to praise The LORD?

Reflecting in All Circumstances

When David, king of Israel, would reflect on his life and The LORD, he would often write it down in Hebrew Poetry or song lyrics.  We have these writings captured in the book of Psalms.  The words were meant to be experienced more than read.  The introduction to each Psalm explains this to us.
...concerning Cush of the tribe of Benjamin. (Psalm 7)
These Psalms have a different feel when we read them after reading about the circumstances.  The story tells us about what was happening outside – with people, conversations, and actions.  The Psalm tells us about what was happening inside – the thoughts and feelings of David’s mind and heart.  Look at how the following stories and Psalms are connected to one another.  Pick one to look up in your own Bible and read both the outside (Samuel passage) and inside (Psalm) perspectives.  You can start to see how David turned to God in all circumstances.
...regarding the time Saul sent soldiers to watch David's house in order to kill him. (1 Samuel 19:11ff, Psalm 59)
...regarding the time Doeg the Edomite said to Saul, "David has gone to see Ahimelech." (1 Samuel 21:1-9, Psalm 52)
...regarding the time the Philistines seized him in Gath. (1 Samuel 21:10-15, Psalm 56)
...regarding the time he pretended to be insane in front of Abimelech, who sent him away. (1 Samuel 21:10-15, Psalm 34)
...regarding the time he fled from Saul and went into the cave. (1 Samuel 22, Psalm 57)
...regarding a time when David was in the wilderness of Judah. (1 Samuel 22:5ff, Psalm 63)
...regarding the time the Ziphites came and said to Saul, "We know where David is hiding." (1 Samuel 23:15-29, Psalm 54)
...regarding the time Nathan the prophet came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba. (2 Samuel 11-12, Psalm 51)
...regarding the time David fled from his son Absalom. (2 Samuel 15-18,Psalm 3)
How about you?  Do you express what’s inside your mind and heart when going through situations that are thrown upon you from the outside?  Do you turn to God in all circumstances?

David, Poetry, and Music

Whenever someone tells me they are going to read through the Bible in a year, I have mixed feelings.  I’m excited that they want to read through the Bible and I always want to encourage the reading of Scripture.  I also struggle, though, because I know that many people get stalled at certain places in this quest.  Some stop at the Levitical law.  Others get stuck at the counting or genealogies of Numbers.  Still others get stuck in books like Psalms, because the writing style is so different from many of the other books.  David, the king of Israel, wrote many of the Psalms.  We know this because the introductions tell us.
A psalm of David. (Psalms 15-17,23-29,32,35,37,101,103,108,110,138,141,143-4)
We also know that David wrote the Psalms with a certain style in mind: Hebrew Poetry.  Often times we can’t tell the poetic style because it is only evident in the original Hebrew.  Rhyme, meter, or specific structure to the writing, like starting each section following the letters of the alphabet, don’t translate into our language very easily.  So, we read it an it feels “glunky” and we don’t know why.
For the choir director...to be accompanied by… (Psalms 4-6,8-9,11-14,19-22,31,36,39-41,55,61-2,64-5,68-9,109,139-40)
We also know that many, if not all, of the Psalms are intended to be experience with music.  Some of them have instructions for the “choir director,” so the lyrics can be sung.  Others tell us what tune it should be sung to or what music should be playing in the background.  Sometimes they even tell us the type of instruments that should be playing in the background.  Psalms were intended to be heard, sung, and experienced more than just read.
How about you?  When you reflect on God and your life, do you think in poetry?  Do you start thinking of music?  Do you sing, play an instrument, or otherwise experience closeness with God through poetry or music?

A Time to Reflect

We left last week with David mourning because his son, Absalom, died in battle.  Absalom was trying to overthrow David as king of Israel and lost.

So the king went out and took his seat at the town gate, and as the news spread throughout the town that he was there, everyone went to him. Meanwhile, the Israelites who had supported Absalom fled to their homes. (2 Samuel 19:8 NLT)

Once again, taking back the throne, that was given to him by God, wasn’t easy.  David’s life continued to be a struggle.  He did, finally, re-establish himself as king.  He fought some more battles against external enemies, but the next big even we find described in 2 Samuel is a time describing David’s core team for the kingdom.

Now Joab was the commander of the army of Israel. Benaiah son of Jehoiada was captain of the king's bodyguard. Adoniram was in charge of the labor force. Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the royal historian. Sheva was the court secretary. Zadok and Abiathar were the priests. And Ira, a descendant of Jair, was David's personal priest. (2 Samuel 20:23-26 NLT)

David can begin to take the time to reflect on his life.  He is far enough along that he has some perspective and can begin thinking about the good and the bad, the ups and the downs.  He can remember the battle as a young boy against Goliath, the many wars where he was credited for slaying his tens of thousands, and the many times he escaped death at the hands of his enemies.  He can also remember how his libido got him in trouble, how seeing a woman take a bath was enough to turn him into an adulterer and murder, and how these negative traits got his daughter raped and brought two of his sons to death.  David had much to reflect upon at this point in his life.

For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. (Ecclesiastes 3:1 NLT)

How about you?  Do you take the time to reflect on the ups and downs of your life?  When you do reflect on the “big picture,” do you reflect with God?