2010-08-13
God Morning Dear Ones,
Last week, through the telling of the story of David’s covenant of friendship with Saul’s son, Jonathan, we saw that the taking of vows is a very serious matter. While He wasn’t mentioned, God was indeed a party to that vow, as He is to all important agreements. So, the message is don’t agree to any vow without prayerfully making God a part of it first. If we don’t, there’s a high probability that deep down we know God won’t approve. Knowing the heart that David already had for God, we have every reason to believe he already knew God had a part in this covenant of friendship.
The death of Saul and his sons at the battle of Mt. Gilboa against the Philistines spells the end of Jonathan’s life as well. This would not be the first loss of huge emotional proportions for David, but I’m sure it was one of the most painful. Jonathan, Saul and Jonathan’s two brothers, Abinadab and Malachishua, were just a few of the Israelite lives lost there [1 SAM 31: 1-6]. This would set off events to test the covenant relationship these two families [David’s and Saul’s] had. Shortly afterward, David was made king of Judah at Hebron [2 SAM 2: 4]. Abner, Saul’s uncle, becomes more and more powerful among Saul’s followers [2 SAM 3: 6], and he joins David in a pact, offering his help to win over all Israel to David. This included bringing, Michal [Saul’s daughter] to marry David. Michal is already married to Paltiel son of Laish. The wisdom of this pact turns out to be quite faulty, even through it helped David to consolidate power to rule over all of Israel. How can we not remember the picture of David later dancing at the head of a procession returning the Covenant Box to Israel from the Philistines dressed only in a linen loin cloth? Remember Michal looking down upon this procession in disgust at her husband’s spiritual ardor? [2 SAM 6: 16]. Later, Abner is murdered with David blaming his nephew, Joab for this heinous deed. He orders Joab and his men to tear their clothes, wear sackcloth, and mourn for Abner. At the funeral David himself walks behind the coffin [2 SAM 3: 28-29, 31]. It is fortunate that the people knew King David had nothing to do with Abner’s murder (37).
Saul’s son, Ishbosheth, is murdered by his two officers, Baanah and Rechab, another heinous act. All this violence brngs fear to the city of Jezreel. Another descendant of Saul, Mephibosheth, was only five when Saul was killed at Mt. Gilboa. His nurse picks him up and flees, but she is in such a hurry that she drops him, and he becomes crippled for the rest of his life [2 SAM 4 :4]. Ishbosheth’s head is presented to King David at Hebron, and this disgusting act leads David to take another vow before the Lord. David gives the order to kill Rechab and Baanah, cut of their hands and feet, which his soldiers are to hang up near the pool in Hebron. They take Ishbosheth’s head and buries it in Abner’s tomb there. Is it any wonder that God decided that David had too much blood on his hands to build the temple that his son, Solomon, ends up erecting? [2 SAM 7: 12-13-the Davidic Covenant] Whatever mankind’s actions are, God brings mankind to His own justice in reviewing them.
Much later, David asks Saul’s family servant, Ziba, “Is there anyone left of Saul’s family to whom I can show loyalty and kindness, as I promised God I would?” [2 SAM 9: 3b]. Then Ziba told David about the crippled man, Mephibosheth. The latter is brought to David’s house and invited to live in comfort there. He is given things that belonged to Saul and the family. Mephibosheth has a young son, Mica. All the members of Ziba’s family become servants of Mephibosheth’s. Mephibosheth and Mica are always welcome to eat at the king’s table, as if they are one of the king’s own sons. David is a “man after God’s own heart” [1 SAM 13: 13-14], and his loyalty to God and the vow he made with Jonathan certainly demonstrates that. It is stories such as these that help reveal what pleases God and what doesn’t. They shape our values and give us motivation to come closer to God in the decisions on our lives that we make.
I have not forgotten to keep on with the telling of my own story, what brought me to become a “completed” or Messianic Jew at the age of 25. God put the idea in me of asking Who the Lord Jesus Christ [my Yeshua] is. My family, all traditional Jews at the time weren’t happy, except for one brother who had converted to the LDS faith and accepted Christ himself. I was married to a man raised as an Orthodox Jew. He was quite intolerant of my efforts to discuss Christ’s Messiahship and my refusal to keep on attending services at the shul that weren’t feeding me spiritually. Legalistic warnings of “turning my back on my own heritage” abounded, only adding to the misery I was already feeling. My father had already passed away two years before this, and I made the decision to leave my first husband with little more than some clothes, a small amount of money, and the clearly-made decision that this marriage needed to end. [Our religious differences were by no means the only reason for taking such drastic action]. I boarded a plane in CA and left for UT and the opportunity to attend my brother’s wedding to girl who was part of a long-standing and huge Mormon family. I spent much time reading and questioning my new sister-in-law and a friend of theirs, who was a physician and a leader in the LDS church. In my emotionally and spiritually needy condition, I decided to accept the Lord as my personal Savior. I would go on to join the Mormon church, being baptized by total immersion in the font on the lower level of the big Mormon Tabernacle on Temple Square in Salt Lake City. At the same time, I was confirmed by the laying on of hands by this elder, who was quickly becoming a friend. My remarkable spiritual journey to where I am today had begun.
PRAYER: O Lord, much has been already said about the taking of vows. We are delving into stories from the Bible to better understand why our Lord Jesus spoke about vows in the Sermon on the Mount [MT 5: 33-37]. In our society today, we are all too quick with oaths and vows using Your name. We don’t take the time to thoroughly and prayerfully consider all the impact on us and others around us of our either hasty and/or faulty actions. Can that be the reason that 52 % of all marriages in North American end in divorce? Can that be the reason that You will condemn many people in comparison to those You will admit to eternal life? “Many are called, but few are chosen” [MT 22: 14]. Dearest Abba, those of us who spend time in Your word and in prayer know that You abhor the wrongful use of Your name and these hasty, ill-conceived vows that are taken. This author is as guilty as anyone else, since my first marriage was accomplished with an immature desire to use it as an escape from unhappiness and find a way to finance my college education. If marriage or any other vow is to be taken and ordained by You, it must be done with a pure heart, no ulterior motives, and for the right reasons. You must be invited to be a Resident and Leader of any home or realm we establish. PS 46: 10-11, “Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted in the nations; I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our Refuge.” What an important lesson You have for us in that! We end this prayer with PS 23: 6, “Your kindness and love will always be with me each day of my life, and I will live forever in Your house, Lord.” In the holy and mighty name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.
Next week: We will look at the call to a covenant relationship with God, it’s security once established, and it’s transforming power. If space permits, I will continue with my own story. My husband, Peter, early on in our marriage, said to me, “Where you are concerned, it’s ready, fire, aim!” I’ve never forgotten this, because of the truth inherent in it. Aren’t we all this way to some degree? Dr. Wm. Bakus wrote a book that was used for a course I took. It’s called Learning To Tell Yourself The Truth. “Truth Therapy” as he calls it can be painful at times, as some of the self-revelation in this message has been. And yet, the truth is a lot less painful than living by a tissue of lies. Our problems begin with poor parenting in the generation raising us, quick judgments, the placing of unkind tags on people, or the refusal to deal with consistent, fairly placed, and wise discipline when children need it. Perhaps the most deadly problem is refusal to learn from mankind’s mistakes of the past. We can learn a lot from the problems depicted in the Scriptures. Things like using violence to solve problems, not living up to promises made, a parent favoring one child over the others, encouraging the destructive sin profile of combining a lot of money, time on one’s hands, and a thirst for power, etc. All thee can be seen in these historical accounts in the Bible. God has a lot to teach us, and we must open our hearts to the Holy Spirit in looking for which of these lessons applies to us. If we do this, God has made many vows to protect, provide for, guide, love, and encourage us. After all, didn’t He sacrifice His Son on the cross, so we might have a chance to be saved?! And who could ask for more than that? Praise and thanks be to Him!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn
JS 24: 15