Category: anointed

A Human Tank

“Then Goliath, a Philistine champion from Gath, came out of the Philistine ranks to face the forces of Israel. He was over nine feet tall! 5 He wore a bronze helmet, and his bronze coat of mail weighed 125 pounds. 6 He also wore bronze leg armor, and he carried a bronze javelin on his shoulder. 7 The shaft of his spear was as heavy and thick as a weaver’s beam, tipped with an iron spearhead that weighed 15 pounds. His armor bearer walked ahead of him carrying a shield.”

1 Samuel 17:4-7, NLT

Goliath was like a human tank. First of all, he was almost twice the size of any other man. Secondly, decked out in his armor he was pretty much “bullet proof.”

The giant wore about 140 pounds of bronze armor, his thick spear weighed over 15 lbs. I guess Goliath wanted to keep it somewhat interesting, He “stood and shouted a taunt across to the Israelites.”

In the book of 1 Samuel 17 we read that the Israelite camp was “terrified.”

“I defy the armies of Israel today! Send me a man who will fight me!” 11 When Saul and the Israelites heard this, they were terrified and deeply shaken.”

Any infantry officer will tell you that if you can instill fear the battle is pretty much won. The Philistines already had the upper hand. The terror infected the Israel, in spite of some lucrative inducements no one moved–there still were no volunteers.

But here comes the boy David, “a man after God’s own heart.”

Goliath was arrogant and blasphemous. He believed that the Philistine army was superior in every way, and he was the ultimate Philistine.

How do you handle fear? As a believer do you listen to the enemy lies. If you are a believer (and I assume you are), the enemy has a “contract” out on you. Satan has marked you as a threat to his kingdom, and your fear is incredibly useful to him.

“Fear is born of Satan, and if we would only take time to think a moment we would see that everything Satan says is founded upon a falsehood.”

   A.B. Simpson

“But the Lord is faithful; he will make you strong and guard you from satanic attacks of every kind.”

1 Thessalonians 3:2, LB

Lions and Bears

He looked straight in the eyes of the predator. Lions and bears would be faced down, and the lamb would be freed.

“But David said… “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, 35 I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him.” (1 Samuel 17:34-25) 

David understood his duty to protect. When he encountered predators he didn’t retreat, rather he faced them down. He protected the flock, even if the bear or the lion attacked his flock. Perhaps David was being trained to be king?

David carried two weapons. He had a cudgel, a hard stick designed to be a club. He also carried a sling, that could be accurate to 100 yards. He most likely trained with both, until he became lethal. Nothing was left to chance or luck.

In the future, David would face Goliath, and he would be ready.

What David faced down is a clear statement of our own situation. Those around us, family maybe or more, are being attacked by the enemy. He comes and wants to seize them. We must stand in this if we want to rescue them.

We must use the weapons that have been assigned to us.

If we resist and attack, we may overcome the predators, and drive him away. That decision is yours. What you perceive or understand will determine your response, what will you do. Maybe your “rod” or your “sling” will determine the reality of their eternity.

Lions and bears. Both will attack, count on it. Will you be ready, or will you even fight against them?

We dare not minimize their strength, so, we must be ready. So much is riding on us. Will we step up, will we attack the enemy? You must decide what you will do.

Learning to Sing

Sometimes we desperately need to sing. And perhaps we should write down a simple, faltering poem. I would suggest that you not make it public, unless told otherwise. This is just between you and your heavenly Father.

I’m told that David wrote 73 psalms.

These psalms are contextual (that is his experiences). They can be prophetic. They also declare a devotional meaning. Whatever. But one overriding truth is very present: the Holy Spirit infuses David’s words. What he writes is inspired and guided by God Himself.

That is remarkable.

This is David’s best Psalm. I strongly suspect that it was heavily influenced by the sheep, the pasture, and even the predators. I also think loneliness and isolation enabled him to write and sing with such power, and beauty.

Psalm 23 has brought comfort to millions. The sick and dying, the captive and prisoner, believer and non-believer have found profound consolation from David’s simple words.

23 The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever.

A Boy is Anointed

“And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him, for this is he.” 13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward.” 

1 Samuel 12:12-13 

He was just a boy. The youngest, a mere 24/7 shepherd of a little flock in backwater, blue-collar Bethlehem. David brought nothing to the table, except a heart that God had chosen. I think the prophet Samuel was as shocked as anyone, as he closely examined the 7 brothers, one by one. 

“For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” (v. 7) 

But it wasn’t a logical choice, it was not rational. But it was God’s, and Samuel obeyed the Voice, for he was very obedient. It soon will become apparent to all Israel that God had made a very good choice. 

I must point out in this story something you may have (or haven’t) heard. It’s something done for every believer. 

“For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you.” 

1 Thess. 1:4 

He chose you! And if that isn’t enough, this verse declares that He LOVES you! “The phrase beloved by God was a phrase which the Jews applied only to supremely great men like Moses and Solomon, and to the nation of Israel itself. Now the greatest privilege of the greatest men of God’s chosen people has been extended to the humblest of the Gentiles.” William Barclay 

Do you understand? You have been selected from billions of others, His choice, made of agape love. He has anointed you with His Holy Spirit. Like David, who returned to his very routine “sheep-watching,” he walked away spiritually altered by his encounter with the oil of Samuel. 

You also have been altered. Like the scruffy grimy boy David, when the Holy Spirit comes, nothing will ever be the same. History has been changed 

I know this. You are now His. Selah. 

A Grinding Humility

“All who lift themselves up will be brought low, and those who make themselves low will be lifted up.”

Luke 14:11

David was the eighth and youngest son of Jesse. They lived in Bethlehem and David served his father by tending his sheep. Like Moses, David learned the skills from life as a shepherd. He wasn’t valued by his family. He lived out in the field and simply did whatever he was told.

A diversion for young David was to sit and play a lyre. It calmed the sheep, and gave himself something to break the blind-numbing boredom of watching over a flock. He also learned the sling, punching rocks at targets both near and far. He got really good at both.

These things will determine David’s role as a king, and a shepherd of the nation of Israel.

But these are humble acts which seem small at best. And yet, given time, they will grow and will become the very basic foundations of a good king. Being a shepherd and protecting the flock is exactly what God wants. He seeks out those who have His heart.

Just perhaps this is what it really means to be a pastor, an elder, or a deacon. May we look to those who love the flock, and who can throw a stone or two.

“The authority by which the Christian leader leads is not power but love, not force but example, not coercion but reasoned persuasion. Leaders have power, but power is safe only in the hands of those who humble themselves to serve.“

John Stott

The Lineage of King David

There are 17 verses in the New Testament that apply “Son of David” to the person of Jesus Christ. Everyone knew that the coming Messiah had to be in the lineage of King David–no question about it.

The promise of the coming, “Son of David” was avidly understood by every Jew. They were waiting and watching for him.

There were roughly 1000 years between King David and Jesus the Messiah, and yet a direct line could be made by the Jewish record-keepers in the Temple. There really was no debate about it, the lineage could be proven by any Jew who wanted to know.

Both Matthew and Luke include this vital information in their respective Gospels. One lists Joseph’s line, and the other Mary’s line. Both were important enough to include in each writing. (And like it or not, so do we.)

It boldly proclaims that Jesus is the long-awaited deliverer born of David’s lineage, entrusted with the monumental task of establishing an everlasting kingdom! The Jewish people grasped this profound truth: the Messiah would arise from the very bloodline of David, fulfilling their deepest hopes and aspirations!

Jesus had the royal authority to establish a kingdom.

Matthew 28:18

Here’s just one example, Mark 10:47. Now there is more here. “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me,” was quoted several times by sick people directed at Jesus as He ministered. That cry was strongly anchored in their belief in the Davidic kingdom.

They knew and they understood that the Messiah cared for them. (See Psalm 23.) They had a real handle on the scope of the coming Kingdom, knowing that it came for them. They were educated enough to know the essential nature of God’s liberating and healing promises and prophecies.

The “Son of David” has finally come!

“The time promised by God has come at last!” he announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!”

Mark 1:15, NLT

He Had God’s Heart

“The Lord has found a man after his own heart,”

1 Samuel 13:14 

What kind of heart does God have? I suppose that should be our starting point to where this blog is going. Since we must start somewhere. I suspect 1 Samuel 13 declares one of the first references to David’s story. 

In this passage the prophet is confronting Saul, the king. We see Samuel declaring that Saul, is rejected, and another is going to be anointed. Saul is extremely disturbed, but this is the firm will of God. 

Centuries later the Apostle Paul mentions David in one of his sermons. 

“But God removed Saul and replaced him with David, a man about whom God said, ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart. He will do everything I want him to do.’ 

Acts 13:22, NLT  

What does it really mean “to be a man after God’s own heart?” 

  • Ordering Your Life with God’s Will: Passionately desire to do what God wants. 
  • A Broken and Repentant Heart: When sinning, they do not deny or make excuses, but sincerely confess, as shown in Psalm 51. 
  • Dependence & Faith: Relying completely on God, not on one’s own strength, work and effort. This trust in Him is wisdom that discerns. 
  • Worship, Prayer and Praise: A heart that consistently praises and thanks God, regardless of circumstances. A heart that wants to be closer to God. 
  • Deep Love for God: Valuing God’s presence and character above position, power, or personal desire. He is not ashamed of serving God openly. 

When we look at David, we will never see perfection. We do however see a love for God in His ways. Ultimately, he will do all that God desires.