blessings

Is it really true that doing the right thing for wrong motives is as bad as doing a wrong thing? I don’t know, but the question comes up after reading the story of the time the Philistines captured the ark of the covenant. David and his men recaptured it, and then this happened, in 2 Samuel 6:6-11:

“When they came to the threshing floor of Nakon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark of God, because the oxen stumbled. The Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act; therefore God struck him down, and he died there beside the ark of God.   Then David was angry because the Lord’s wrath had broken out against Uzzah, and to this day that place is called Perez Uzzah.   David was afraid of the Lord that day and said, ‘How can the ark of the Lord ever come to me?’ He was not willing to take the ark of the Lord to be with him in the City of David. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. The ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months, and the Lord blessed him and his entire household.”

Uzzah, well-intentioned it seems, tried to steady the ark and thereby violated God’s order not to touch it. His thoughtlessness killed him, and it doesn’t seem fair. But Uzziah committed the arrogance of thinking God needed his help, thinking God’s commands were situational, thinking he knew better.

Obed-Edom had no choice. He wasn’t even an Israelite, and David just dumped the ark in his lap. But Obed-Edom faithfully cared for the ark and was blessed.

It seems that, more than our pedigree or intentions, God pays attention to our obedience. It’s worth remembering that he values listening and doing that highly.

no hate

What was it about David’s faith that let him see things as God sees them?

Read this, from 2 Samuel 4: 9-12: “David answered Rekab and his brother Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who has delivered me out of every trouble, when someone told me, “Saul is dead,” and thought he was bringing good news, I seized him and put him to death in Ziklag. That was the reward I gave him for his news! How much more—when wicked men have killed an innocent man in his own house and on his own bed—should I not now demand his blood from your hand and rid the earth of you!’
“So David gave an order to his men, and they killed them.”

Rehab and Baanah were a couple of bandit leaders who thought to curry favor with David by killing the son of Saul, his old enemy. David reacted the same way he did when a messenger thought to win his regard with news of Saul’s death, even claiming to have done the deed when he hadn’t: he had them killed.

The death of David’s enemies didn’t cheer him, and murder even of a enemy angered him. Rather than gloating satisfaction or revenge, David wanted only what honored God.

I get it, a little bit. I remember being upset at America’s response to the death of Osama bin Laden. Though necessary, possibly even good, even such a man’s death is no cause for celebration. Rather, this was a time when Satan eroded our humanity even as he brought ruin to a man who bought his lies.

God alone has the power of life and death. He alone decides who is past redemption. David saw that, and put his own agenda second to God’s to the extent of mourning when God mourned, even things that might help him. I hope someday to have such faith.

patience and trust

David’s faithfulness and trust in God, especially during the years he was hunted by Saul, are to me a wonderful model of discipleship. This morning, I’m struck by David’s response to the death of Saul. He mourned, which is a little surprising. But then he waited.

1 Samuel 2:1: “In the course of time, David inquired of the Lord. ‘Shall I go up to one of the towns of Judah?’ he asked.
“The Lord said, ‘Go up.’
“David asked, ‘Where shall I go?’
“‘To Hebron,’ the Lord answered.”

David had already been anointed as king, and told he would succeed Saul. Now is his time; his hard days are over, and he can go home. Not only that, he’s the king!

Yet David waits, and goes only when God tells him it’s time. Imagine the patience and trust that took!

My prayer today is that I can have patience and trust like that.

shares

I read something this morning that I think might challenge some of our American ideas of what’s fair. I tend to be a person who questions not the existence of but the extent of the entitlements our government pays to those who need the social safety net. It’s easy for me to think it isn’t fair that I pay so much in taxes to support all these people.

But this morning, in 1 Samuel, I read of the time that David pursued some raiders who had plundered his city and made off with the treasure and families of all his men. He chased them down, but the pursuit went on so long that about a third of his men grew exhausted, and he left them with the baggage train. He caught the raiders, defeated them, took back all they had plundered from David’s men and others, and headed home.

Here’s the part that interests me this morning, from verses 30:21-25: “Then David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to follow him and who were left behind at the Besor Valley. They came out to meet David and the men with him. As David and his men approached, he asked them how they were. But all the evil men and troublemakers among David’s followers said, ‘Because they did not go out with us, we will not share with them the plunder we recovered. However, each man may take his wife and children and go.’
“David replied, ‘No, my brothers, you must not do that with what the LORD has given us. He has protected us and delivered into our hands the raiding party that came against us. Who will listen to what you say? The share of the man who stayed with the supplies is to be the same as that of him who went down to the battle. All will share alike.’ David made this a statute and ordinance for Israel from that day to this.”

This passage isn’t really about entitlements, but that’s where it strikes my heart. David’s just position struck me because I could see myself wondering why I had risked my life and those other men would gain the advantage. My military training immediately sees the truth that in any army there are many roles not directly involved in combat, but no combatant can succeed without support. David’s decree is both just and sensible – what better way to make sure that your combat support is as diligent as your combatants? But my heart still says, “But they didn’t . . . .”

Just like I want to think about those on government entitlements. I would never withhold that support from the people I personally know who get it. Those people enrich our society in a variety of ways, not the least of which is faithful parenting of beautiful children. They give their time freely to help other people, and contribute in a myriad of ways. When I look at my own neighborhood, I wouldn’t change any of it. But in the abstract, I can sometimes think these folks are getting something for nothing.

David reminds me this morning that my focus should be on my contribution, not someone else's, and on the plenty that I have, not what someone else has. God’s providence for me is more than enough, as are the abilities he’s given me. I need to focus on using those things, and use them, as my poorer neighbors do theirs, for the best effect for all of us.

too late

God won’t wait forever, and he does’t give limitless do-overs. There are some things it’s too late for.

That’s what I’m thinking this morning after reading about King Saul’s desperate attempt to regain God’s favor before a big battle. This is the story, in 1 Samuel 28, of the time Saul went to a witch and had her raise Samuel’s ghost. Here’s what that got him, from verses 16-18: “Samuel said, ‘Why do you consult me, now that the Lord has departed from you and become your enemy? The Lord has done what he predicted through me. The Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hands and given it to one of your neighbors—to David. Because you did not obey the Lord or carry out his fierce wrath against the Amalekites, the Lord has done this to you today.’”

Time had run out for Saul. He and Jonathon both would die in the upcoming battle, and David would become king, just like God had told Saul earlier. It was too late to try to change what was to come.

That doesn’t mean Saul’s soul was lost – we don’t know about that. But Saul’s role as king, chosen by God and annointed by Saul, had been squandered.

God is under no obligation to give me a happy ending here on earth, even if I were to follow him perfectly. If I try to go my own way I especially have no right to expect God’s blessing. It’s easy to use his grace and the fact that he has given me a lot of chances as an opportunity to do what I want. That’s a risky choice; God is long-suffering and forgiving, but he doesn’t have to, and may not, treat me any better than he did Saul.

I’m grateful for God’s grace, and I don’t ever want to push God. Sometimes, though, I thoughtlessly or selfishly start to act like my life is for my benefit. When I catch myself doing that, I’m going to try to remember Saul.

riches

Our president, at a recent event in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, made a big point of how rich a few of his cabinet members are. He reportedly said that for those jobs, he just didn’t want a poor person.

On the surface, that makes some sense. After all, a man’s wealth might show that he has a superior understanding of business and money. Or maybe not. Look at this lesson from 1 Samuel 15:2-13:

“A certain man in Maon, who had property there at Carmel, was very wealthy. He had a thousand goats and three thousand sheep, which he was shearing in Carmel. His name was Nabal and his wife’s name was Abigail. She was an intelligent and beautiful woman, but her husband was surly and mean in his dealings—he was a Calebite.”
“While David was in the wilderness, he heard that Nabal was shearing sheep. So he sent ten young men and said to them, ‘Go up to Nabal at Carmel and greet him in my name. Say to him:
‘Long life to you! Good health to you and your household! And good health to all that is yours!
“‘“Now I hear that it is sheep-shearing time. When your shepherds were with us, we did not mistreat them, and the whole time they were at Carmel nothing of theirs was missing. Ask your own servants and they will tell you. Therefore be favorable toward my men, since we come at a festive time. Please give your servants and your son David whatever you can find for them.”’
“When David’s men arrived, they gave Nabal this message in David’s name. Then they waited.
Nabal answered David’s servants, ‘Who is this David? Who is this son of Jesse? Many servants are breaking away from their masters these days. Why should I take my bread and water, and the meat I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give it to men coming from who knows where?’
“David’s men turned around and went back. When they arrived, they reported every word. David said to his men, ‘Each of you strap on your sword!’ So they did, and David strapped his on as well. About four hundred men went up with David, while two hundred stayed with the supplies.”

Nabal the fool, wealthy as he was, committed a fatally stupid error, one that killed him in the end. Not by David’s hand, but by God’s.

Our country has to get over its fascination with wealthy and the wealthy. Those people are chasing goals completely different than God’s. Being smart with money has no bearing on whether a person is smart about life; in fact, you could make an argument that a singular focus on money is a mental illness that handicaps a person in life

Today I’m praying along with King Solomon (or whoever wrote the applicable passage in Proverbs) that God will grant me neither too much or too little money. I fear money is a snare I wouldn’t be able to handle.

strengthener

1 Samuel 23:15-16: “While David was at Horesh in the Desert of Ziph, he learned that Saul had come out to take his life. And Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength in God.”

That’s a striking picture of one key thing brothers and sisters in Christ do for each other. When trouble comes and we are disheartened or fearful, our Christian family can step up around us and help us see that whatever we’re facing isn’t too much for God.

I need to remember that, remember to give that kind of support. I’m pretty good with service – when someone’s in need I think of ways to help out, like doing chores for them or running errands, or watching kids or pets. Dawn and I bring meals. Those kind of things are the first things I think of when someone is facing hard times.

I also pray. In my study, as I have my devotions, or wherever I am when a prayer-chain email comes through, I beseech God on behalf of those troubled people.

But those visits are harder for me. I don’t naturally stop by to encourage people. Oh, I’m pretty good at encouragement if I run into people in church or downtown, but even then my words sometimes are more “So sorry for your trouble” than actual, helpful encouragement.

Jonathon traveled to see David, and helped him find strength in God. I admire people who do that, people who take the time to sit and weep, and pray together, and share scripture. I could, and I know I should. I wonder why I don’t?