Reading With the People of God #10 KingdomНамуна

Focus of the month: (Kingdom)

7 Now, therefore, thus shall you say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be prince over my people Israel, 8 and I have been with you wherever you have gone and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. 9 And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall waste them no more, as formerly, 10 from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will subdue all your enemies. Moreover, I declare to you that the LORD will build you a house. 11 When your days are fulfilled to walk with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. 12 He shall build a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever. 13 I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. I will not take my steadfast love from him, as I took it from him who was before you, 14 but I will confirm him in my house and in my kingdom forever, and his throne shall be established forever.’ ”.

- 1 Chronicles 17:7-14

Wormwood - II Samuel 15:13-37

In this passage, we see David, king of Israel and founder of Jerusalem, Israel’s capital, fleeing Jerusalem with his entourage. The cause is his third son, Absalom. Bitterness toward David had been festering in Absalom for an extended period of time. The heir to the throne, Amnon, David’s firstborn son, raped Absalom’s sister, Tamar, and David did nothing about it. Absalom’s bitterness was long-suffering, and his revenge was carefully planned out. Now, Absalom was after the throne and determined to be king of Israel.

In verse 31, we read that Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom. This is significant because Ahithophel was a confidant of David’s and a trusted spiritual adviser. This friend, who had sat at David’s table and had been a close confidant, had now turned against David. It is also interesting that Ahithophel was Bathsheba’s grandfather. The opportunity to join Absalom revealed a concealed bitterness in Ahithophel.

Wormwood is a bitter herb and is often referenced in the Bible as a symbol of the corruption that stems from a bitter heart. Like a worm, bitterness bores into the heart and soul, clouding judgment, it brings destruction and decay. Instead of fighting against anger and bitterness these men embraced it, thinking it would right the perceived wrongs they had suffered at the hand of David.

David wrote several Psalms during this time of exile. Psalm 41:9 says; “Even my close friend, someone I trusted, one who shared my bread, has turned against me." Jesus quoted this verse after Judas had betrayed Him. The consequences of bitterness wound deeply and always come to a bad end.

What does one do with bitterness? Bitterness stems from anger and we are told to turn away from anger. To turn away means to repent, to give our grievances to God who promises to be our avenger. We cannot be reconciled to God and experience redemption when we choose to hate our fellow man and reject God’s will to forgive our debtors. In Jesus, we find forgiveness, and we extend forgiveness to others who have wronged us. Jesus’ example was from the cross when He asked His Father to forgive those who killed him. Jesus refused to die with angry bitterness as He hovered at the edge of death at the hands of His enemies. Jesus understands, He forgives and we must too.

The Potter - Romans 9

Paul has been systematically laying out the doctrines of the Christian faith for the church in Rome. He has explained imputed sin and righteousness, salvation, justification by faith, and living a new life through the process of sanctification. Now, he is about to tackle a difficult concept: election.

In helping us understand election Paul uses an illustration, the potter and his lump of clay. In verses 21-24, Paul tells us that the clay belongs to the potter, who chooses from the lump what clay he will use and for what purpose. The potter represents God and the lump of clay represents fallen humanity, there is nothing in the clay to commend any of the clay over the rest to the potter. Selection is solely the Potter’s choice.

It is important to see that all of the clay is from the same lump, there is only one humanity to choose from, a fallen humanity. There is not good clay and bad clay, but all humanity is equally fallen and without hope because of sin, thus doomed to eternal death. There was nothing in the clay that had a right to be chosen, and in this context, grace on the part of the Potter must be extended. If there was anything in the clay to recommend itself to the Potter, grace would not be necessary.

Grace and mercy are undeserved, so if the Lord chooses not to give them to someone, He is not depriving that person of what he has earned. God leaves some in their sins and to the consequences of those sins, and in doing so, He is just. In other words, God did not choose some for a terrible end that was already predetermined in Adam’s imputed sin. What God does is rescue some destined for certain destruction and offer them a pardon in Christ.

It is totally by God’s will and for His purpose that some are chosen to receive grace, mercy, and salvation in Jesus Christ, and none may boast except in Him.

* primer contributed by Jinet Troost