Jezebel of our unbelief

And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul. 1 Samuel 27:1

"THE thought of David's heart at this time was a false thought, because he certainly had no ground for thinking that God's anointing him by Samuel was intended to be left as an empty unmeaning act.

On no one occasion had the Lord deserted His servant; he had been placed in perilous positions very often, but not one instance had occurred in which divine interposition had not delivered him. 

The trials to which he had been exposed had been varied; they had

not assumed one form only, but many—yet in every case He who sent the trial had also graciously ordained a way of escape. 

*David could not put his finger upon any entry in his diary, and say of it, "Here is evidence that the Lord will forsake me," for the entire tenor of his past life proved the very reverse. 

He should have argued from what God had done for him, that God would be his defender still. 

Q: But is it not just in the same way that we doubt God's help?

We have had dark nights, but the star of love has shone forth amid the blackness; we have been in stern conflicts, but over our head He has held aloft the shield of our defense. 

Q: How can we ever be so ungenerous as to doubt our God? 

Lord, 

throw down the Jezebel of our unbelief, 

and let the dogs devour it." 

Charles Spurgeon

Creation Moment 12/24/2024 - His Reason: The CREATOR

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You care for him? 

Psalm 8:3,4

"David wrote many of the psalms preserved in Scripture. 

A careful examination of their contents can tell us a lot about his faith and about what made him a man after God’s own heart.

David spent substantial time in the revealed Word of God, which at that time would have most likely been the Torah, the first five books of our modern Old Testament.

David’s prayers encompass 

anger, 

despair, 

deep sorrow, 

and fear. 

Yet even when he experiences these feelings, he ultimately places his trust in God. And the reason he can have such firm hope in God is that God is the all-powerful, loving Creator." 

AIG

The Psalmist on the Law

"David did refer to another than the book of creation. 

In verses 7 and 8 the psalmist says, 

The law of the Lord is perfect, 

converting the soul; 

the testimony of the Lord is sure, 

making wise the simple. 

The statutes of the Lord are right, 

rejoicing the heart; 

the commandment of the Lord is pure, 

enlightening the eyes.

Now verse 11: Moreover by them is thy servant warned; and in keeping of them is great reward. 

It is clear that by "the law," "the commandment," "the judgments,"

of the Lord, David means the ten commandments, which are abundantly proven to be the law of God (Ex. 31:18; 32:15, 16; Deut. 10:4), by which the servants of God are "warned," and in keeping of which is "great reward." 

The "warning," the second commandment: "Visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me." 

Now the reward: "Showing mercy unto thousands of them that love Me, and keep My commandments." 

A.T. Jones

For Pride Month - Setting the Record "Staight" on David & Jonathon

"It’s not enough that the Pride Cult wants to undo Judeo-Christian
beliefs. These people also want to remake the Bible in their own image.

The Rainbow Mafia loves to try to turn heroes of the faith into gay men. One of the longest-held gay Bible tropes is that David and Jonathan were gay lovers. 

 

Those who argue for this ridiculous interpretation of scripture generally cite:

1 Samuel 20, Jonathan learns that his father, King Saul, intends to kill David, who God anointed to replace Saul as king. When Jonathan delivers the news and David knows he has to go into hiding, verse 41 tells us, “And as soon as the boy had gone, David rose from beside the stone heap and fell on his face to the ground and bowed three times. And they kissed one another and wept with one another, David weeping the most.” 

 

Q Spirit, a website that “promotes LGBTQ spirituality,” says of David and Jonathan, “It’s impossible to know whether David and Jonathan expressed their love sexually. Some consider David to be bisexual, since the Hebrew scriptures also recount how he committed adultery with Bathsheba and later made her one of his eight wives. There is no doubt that many people today do honor David and Jonathan as gay saints.”

 

Naturally, all of this is untrue. GotQuestions reminds us that “the Hebrew word for ‘love’ used here covers a broad range of meanings and does not mean ‘romantic’ or ‘sexual’ love unless the context demands it.”

 

In addition to sharing some of the interesting nuggets of the Hebrew language in this chapter, Brown took the gay myth head-on, citing an extensive footnote from one of his books:

Regarding the act of kissing (as distinguished from “making out”), note that kissing was a common way of saying hello or goodbye in the ancient Near East, as it is in many cultures to this day. Furthermore, if all the kisses that the Bible recorded were interpreted in sexual terms, then Isaac would have been erotically involved with his own son (see Gen 27:26, “Then his father Isaac said to him, ‘Come here, my son, and kiss me.’”), Laban would have been erotically involved with his nephew Jacob (see Gen 29:13, “He embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his home”), Laban would have been erotically involved with his grandchildren and daughters (see Gen 31:55, “Early the next morning Laban kissed his grandchildren and his daughters and blessed them”), Esau would have been erotically involved with his brother Jacob (see Gen 33:4, “But Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him”), Joseph would have been erotically involved with all his brothers (see Gen 45:15, “And he kissed all his brothers and wept over them”), Jacob would have been erotically involved with his grandsons (see Gen 48:10, “So Joseph brought his sons close to him, and his father kissed them and embraced them”), and Joseph would have been erotically involved with his just-deceased father Jacob (see Gen 50:1, “Joseph threw himself upon his father and wept over him and kissed him”) – and these are just examples from the first book of the Bible, Genesis!

Brown also pointed out in an article at the Stream:

Jonathan became a married man, with children. And, much
more significantly, David married numerous women, almost destroying his whole life because of his lust for a married woman named Bathsheba. He ended up committing adultery with her, getting her pregnant, and then killing her husband (see 2 Samuel 11). This is not what gay men do!

“Let this ridiculous myth be laid to rest once and for all,” Brown concludes. “David and Jonathan were as heterosexual as they come. And heterosexual men, just like heterosexual women, can enjoy significant, deep, same-sex friendships that are 100% non-sexual and non-romantic. Thank God for that.”

PJMedia/C.Q.

Creation Moment 2/28/2023 - David & Paul Agree....

"In Romans 1:19, 20 Paul wrote: 

“For what can be known about God is plain to them,

because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” 

We saw that it is relatively easy to understand how God’s eternal power can be seen in the things that have been made.  

David seems to echo Paul’s thoughts in Romans 1:19, 20. In Psalms 19:1-4, David writes:

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.  Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.  There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard.  Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.

David and Paul seem to agree that the heavens declare the glory of God, that His eternal power and divine nature have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made." Len Cornwell/Fulcrm7

Remarkable Prayer -- of 2 words

Help, Lord.

Psalm 12:1

 

"THE prayer itself is remarkable, for it is short, 

but seasonable, 

sententious, 

and suggestive. 

 

David mourned the fewness of faithful men, and therefore lifted up his heart in supplication—when the creature failed, he flew to the Creator. 

 

---There is much of directness, clearness of perception, and distinctness of utterance in this petition of two words; much more, indeed, than in the long rambling outpourings of certain professors. 

---The Psalmist runs straight-forward to his God, ...Lord, teach us to pray in the same blessed manner."

Charles Spurgeon

Take God for Thy Compass

 And David enquired of the Lord. 2 Samuel 5:23

 

"WHEN David made this enquiry he had just fought the Philistines,
and gained a signal victory. 

The Philistines came up in great hosts, but, by the help of God, David had easily put them to flight. 

 

Note, however, that when they came a second time, David did not go up to fight them without enquiring of the Lord. Once he had been victorious, and he might have said, as many have in other cases, "I shall be victorious again; I may rest quite sure that if I have conquered once I shall triumph yet again. Wherefore should I tarry to seek at the Lord's hands?" 

Not so, David. He had gained one battle by the strength of the Lord; he would not venture upon another until he had ensured the same. He enquired, "Shall I go up against them?" He waited until God's sign was given. 

 

Learn from David to take no step without God. Christian, if thou wouldst know the path of duty, take God for thy compass; if thou wouldst steer thy ship through the dark billows, put the tiller into the hand of the Almighty. 

Many a rock might be escaped, if we would let our Father take the helm; many a shoal or quicksand we might well avoid, if we would leave to His sovereign will to choose and to command. 

 

The Puritan said, "As sure as ever a Christian carves for himself, he'll cut his own fingers;" this is a great truth."

Charles Spurgeon

23rd PSALM: Verse by Verse SERIES PAGE

 23rd PSALM: Verse by Verse SERIES PAGE

 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters.

Psalm 23:2

 

 

1  

https://master1844-dc.blogspot.com/2021/11/23rd-psalm-verse-by-verse-series-1.html

2

https://master1844-dc.blogspot.com/2021/11/23rd-psalm-verse-by-verse-series-2.html

3 

https://master1844-dc.blogspot.com/2021/11/23rd-psalm-verse-by-verse-series-3.html

4

http://master1844-dc.blogspot.com/2021/11/23rd-psalm-verse-by-verse-series-4.html

5

http://master1844-dc.blogspot.com/2021/11/23rd-psalm-verse-by-verse-series-5.html

6

http://master1844-dc.blogspot.com/2021/11/23rd-psalm-verse-by-verse-series-6.html

A Soul Swollen With the Torrents of Sorrow

I acknowledged my sin unto Thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. 

I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; 

and Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin.

Psalm 32:5

 

"DAVID'S grief for sin was bitter. Its effects were visible upon his

outward frame: "his bones waxed old"; No remedy could he find, until he made a full confession before the throne of the heavenly grace. 

He tells us that for a time he kept silence, and his heart became more and more filled with grief: ....his soul was swollen with torrents of sorrow. 

 

*He fashioned excuses; 

he endeavored to divert his thoughts, 

but it was all to no purpose; 

 

At last it came to this, that he must return unto his God in humble penitence, or die outright; so he hastened to the mercy-seat, and there unrolled the volume of his iniquities before the all-seeing One, acknowledging all the evil of his ways .... Having done this he received at once the token of divine forgiveness; Blessed be God, the fountain is ever flowing to cleanse us from our sins.  Therefore will we acknowledge our iniquities."

Charles Spurgeon

Lesson from David & Peter's Repentance

O Lord, 

to us belongeth confusion of face . . . because we have sinned against Thee.

Daniel 9:8

 

"A deep sense and clear sight of sin, 

--its heinousness, 

--and the punishment which it deserves, 

should make us lie low before the throne. 

 

We have sinned as Christians. 

Alas! Favored as we have been, we have yet been ungrateful: privileged beyond most, we have not brought forth fruit in proportion. 

 

An unpardoned sinner sins cheaply compared with the sin of one of God's own, who has had communion with Christ.

 

Look at David! Many will talk of his sin, but I pray you look at his

repentance, and hear his broken bones, as each one of them moans out its dolorous confession! 

Mark his tears, as they fall upon the ground, and the deep sighs with which he accompanies the softened music of his harp! 

 

Look, again, at Peter! We speak much of Peter's denying his Master. Remember, it is written, "He wept bitterly." Have we no denials of our Lord to be lamented with tears? 

 

My soul, bow down under a sense of thy natural sinfulness, and worship thy God. 

Admire the grace which saves thee—the mercy which spares thee—the love which pardons thee!" Charles Spurgeon

Lessons from David's 2 Words of Prayer

Help, Lord. Psalm 12:1

"THE prayer itself is remarkable, for it is short, but seasonable, sententious, and suggestive. 

David mourned the fewness of faithful men, and therefore lifted up his heart in supplication—when the creature failed, he flew to the Creator. 

---He evidently felt his own weakness, or he would not have cried for help;...There is much of directness, clearness of perception, and distinctness of utterance in this petition of two words; much more, indeed, than in the long rambling outpourings of certain professors. 

The Psalmist runs straight-forward to his God, with a well-considered prayer; he knows what he is seeking, and where to seek it. Lord, teach us to pray in the same blessed manner." Charles Spurgeon

There is none like that; give it to me

And David said, There is none like that; give it to me. 1 Samuel 21:9

 

"PERHAPS you remember the circumstances under which these words were spoken. 

David had been warned by Jonathan that Saul sought his life and, therefore, he left the court in a hurry and fled. He appears to have gone in such haste that he did not take proper provision with him—he did not even take his sword. 

Coming to Nob, where the priests dwelt, he received the sacred bread which had been offered to God as the showbread and he and the men with him ate thereof. And when he asked Ahimelech if he could furnish him with a weapon, he said there was no sword there save one, "the sword of Goliath, the Philistine, whom you slew in the valley of Elah. Behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod: if you will take that, take it: for there is no other save that here." And David said, "There is none like that; give it to me." 

 

I am not going to spiritualize my text.  

Let me use it as a slogan. 

Give it to me—there is the desire to possess. 

 

I. Speak of the sword of the Spirit, which is THE WORD OF

GOD, and you may well say, "there is none like that."

II. Only once more on this point. Mark THE CHRISTIAN'S HOPE and may we not justly say, "There is none like that"?

 

When the Lord hides His face from you, then, like the spouse, you begin to seek Him through the streets and to say, "My Beloved, where is He?"

 "Let us therefore come boldly unto the Throne of Grace, that we may obtain mercy and find Grace to help in time of need." (Heb.4:16) 

"There is none like that, give it to me."

Charles Spurgeon

Breaking Down David's Prayer of Psalm 86

 HAVE MERCY

Bow down Your ear, O Lord, hear me;

For I am poor and needy.

Preserve my life, for I am holy;

You are my God;

Save Your servant who trusts in You!
Be merciful to me, O Lord,
For I cry to You all day long.

 YOU Are Merciful

Rejoice the soul of Your servant,
For to You, O Lord,  

I lift up my soul.

For You, Lord, are good, 

and ready to forgive,

And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.

Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer;
And attend to the voice of my supplications.
In the day of my trouble I will call upon You,
For You will answer me.

 

YOU Are the MIGHTY GOD

Among the gods there is none like You, O Lord;
Nor are there any works like Your works.

All nations whom You have made
Shall come and worship before You, O Lord,
And shall glorify Your name.

For You are great, and do wondrous things;

You alone are God.

 

 TEACH me

Teach me Your way, O Lord;
I will walk in Your truth;

Unite my heart to fear Your name.

I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart,
And I will glorify Your name forevermore.

 Deliver me by Your Mercy

For great is Your mercy toward me,
And You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.

O God, the proud have risen against me,
And a mob of violent men have sought my life,

And have not set You before them.

But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious,
Longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth.
Oh, turn to me, and have mercy on me!
 

--Do It-- For YOU are GOD

Give Your strength to Your servant,
And save the son of Your maidservant.

Show me a sign for good,
That those who hate me may see it and be ashamed,
Because You, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.
PSALM 86 (NKJV)

ARCHAEOLOGY: Finding the Purple

King Solomon made for himself the carriage; 

he made it of wood from Lebanon. 

Its posts he made of silver, 

its base of gold. 

Its seat was upholstered with purple, 

its interior inlaid with love.

Song of Songs 3:9-10

"For the first time, rare evidence has been found of fabric dyed with royal purple dating from the time of King David and King Solomon.

While examining the colored textiles from Timna Valley — an ancient copper production district in southern Israel — in a study that has lasted several years, the researchers were surprised to find remnants of woven fabric, a tassel and fibers of wool dyed with royal purple. ......the finds date from approximately 1000 B.C. corresponding to the Biblical monarchies of David and Solomon in Jerusalem. The dye, which is produced from species of mollusk found in the Mediterranean, over 300 km from Timna, is often mentioned in the Bible and appears in various Jewish and Christian contexts.

This is the first time that purple-dyed Iron Age textiles have been found in Israel, or indeed throughout the Southern Levant." SciTech

a,b,c's of David's Repentance

 "David was pardoned of his transgression because he humbled his heart before God in repentance and contrition of soul, and believed that God's promise to forgive would be fulfilled. 

 

a) He confessed his sin, 

b) repented, 

c) and was reconverted. 

 

In the rapture of the assurance of forgiveness, he exclaimed, "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. (Ps. 32:1,2)" 

 

*The blessing comes because of pardon; 

*pardon comes through faith that the sin, confessed and repented of, is borne by the great Sin-bearer. 

 

Thus from Christ cometh all our blessings. His death is an atoning sacrifice for our sins. He is the great Medium through whom we receive the mercy and favor of God. 

 

He, then, is indeed the Originator, 

the Author, 

as well as the Finisher, 

of our faith."  

E.G.W.

Psalm 139: David's Personal Psalm

Psalm 139:

O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me.

vs.1

"Certainly one of the grandest psalms in all of the Psalter, it is also one of the richest theologically.
It combines an
---exposition of the greatness of God’s character
---with the reality of human experience.

The omniscience of God is seen (in verses 1-6).

The omnipresence of God is seen (in verses 7-11).

The omnipotence of God is seen (in verses 12-16).

This intensely personal Davidic psalm expresses the psalmist’s awe that God knew him, even to the minutest detail.

 

The exact occasion is unknown.

I.          God’s Omniscience (139:1-6);

Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. vs.2

II.         God’s Omnipresence (139:7-12);

Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? vs.7

III.       God’s Omnipotence (139:13-18);

My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret,.. vs.15

IV.       David’s Obeisance (139:19-24).

Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? vs.21

"Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted [with] all my ways." vs.3

The Targum adds, "to study in the law.'' His walk in the daytime, and every step he took, and his lying down at night. It denotes his perfect knowledge of all his actions, day and night. He surrounds every path of man, that they cannot escape his knowledge." BooksOfTheBible

 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. vs.23,24

Presentation on David's Prayer {1888, by E.G.W. / Highlights}

by Ellen White DELIVERED AT BATTLE CREEK, MICH., DEC. 8, 1888.

Text: "It is time for thee, Lord, to work, for they have made void thy law. Therefore I love thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold." Ps. 119: 126, 127.

There was a time during David's reign over the kingdom of Israel, when he saw that special contempt was shown for the law of God.

But what influence did this have upon him? Did it have the effect to sweep him into the current, so that he shared the same distrust in the law of Jehovah, and manifested the contempt that was revealed by those around him?--

It had an entirely different influence. He saw that the disregard of the law of Jehovah brought moral desolation instead of increased piety, devotion, and love for God. God seemed to be put out of their minds; .... He beheld the influences that resulted from the transgression of the law of God, and it quickened his zeal, earnestness, and devotion, so that he felt urged to elevate the standard of righteousness, and hold it high amid the people, instead of uniting with them in transgression.

If David thus marked the depravity of his time, and attributed it to the neglect of keeping the law of God, may we not interpret the increasing depravity, and the prevalence of iniquity in our world today, to the universal scorn shown for God's law? From generation to generation, from age to age, there has been a growing disrespect and contempt for the law of Jehovah.

The secular and the Christian world seem to have joined hands in this matter, and all are trampling under foot the law of Jehovah. Why is it that today, as we look around us, we see so few youth whose moral sensibilities can be aroused? We are forced to admit that it is next to impossible to get them to appreciate the claims that high Heaven has upon them. How difficult it is for them to see the sinfulness of sin, and to realize that God has made an infinite sacrifice in giving his Son to come into our world, that man might have another trial, notwithstanding his transgression of the law.

God has a law which governs the intellects of all the holy beings in his universe, and this law is designed to govern the inhabitants of this world. Christ died that the human family might be brought back to their allegiance to God. He was their only hope of redemption. He did not suffer and die on Calvary's cross to annul the law, because he would thus be the administrator of sin by perpetuating transgression. If the law of God could have been changed, or one precept of it altered to meet man's fallen condition, then the Son of God need not have come into our world and died.
Christ's righteousness becomes our righteousness, if we sustain a living connection with him.

John was shown the last work for this time (Rev. 14:9-12), and he saw a people of whom he says, "Here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." John tells us what was opened to him in vision: "And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament." This vision represents a people whose attention was called to the sanctuary in heaven. There John saw the ark of God, containing the tables of stone whereon

was engraven the law of God; and this people have been seeking to be in harmony with heaven by keeping all God's commandments. There has been great opposition because they have respected the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, which by the secular and religious world has been ignored.

Has the Protestant world stopped to look back at the suffering caused by popery in attempting to bind men's reason, so that they should not worship God as seemed right to them? Can they not see how the Roman Church has exercised her revengeful and cruel power? Those who would not bow to her mandates had to endure the prison and the stake, torture and death. And when those were swept away who would not bow their conscience to any but the God of heaven, others would spring up to fill the ranks, and lift the standard of religious liberty and right.

And now this nation,--the greatest nation of earth,--under whose government we are blessed with every religious and temporal advantage; which has been the

recipient of unrivaled mercies; which Providence has watched over and shielded; by which the standard of liberty and religious freedom has been lifted,--will it follow the course of the papacy, and make void God's law?

The Lord bids us to watch; for we read that while men slept, the enemy sowed tares in the field.
Will any stand before God's mirror, and because it shows them their defects, say that it is not true? We should not, as soon as our defects are pointed out, go away and forget what manner of persons we are; we must plead the blood of a crucified and risen Savior by living faith, that pardon may be written opposite our names.

We must wash our robes of character,

and make them white in the blood of the Lamb.

May the God of heaven stir up your minds and hearts. This work does not rest alone with the ministers; but every man is to search the Scriptures for himself, that he may give a reason of the hope that is within him with meekness and fear. Even though you have no great breadth of intellect, you can tell the simple story of the cross.

A correct understanding of "what saith the Scriptures" in regard to the state of the dead is essential for this time. God's word declares that the dead know not anything, their hatred and love have alike perished. ... Unless we are intelligent in the Scriptures, may we not, when this mighty miracle-working power of Satan is manifested in our world, be deceived and call it the workings of God; for the word of God declares that, if it were possible, the very elect should be deceived. Unless we are rooted and grounded in the truth, we shall be swept away by Satan's delusive snares. We must cling to our Bibles. .... We must know for ourselves that we have the truth of God. Therefore let no one entertain the question whether this or that portion of the word of God is inspired. Go to work;"