Month: May 2018

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Days 150 & 151 — Song of Solomon

Song of Solomon is a poem of love spoken from both the perspective of the lover and the beloved. Hopefully you are reading from a Bible that divides this book into sections labeled with the speaker’s identity so that you can easily understand who is speaking. Here is the text of the footnote in my Bible:

“Primarily on the basis of the gender of the Hebrew pronouns used, male and female speakers are indicated in the margins by the captions ‘Lover’ and ‘Beloved’ respectively. The words of others are marked ‘Friends’. In some instances the divisions and their captions are debatable.”

God’s word couldn’t miss speaking about this important human experience, and how fortunate we are that it does. Satan has so corrupted God’s intended design for physical intimacy between a husband and wife that sometimes we don’t know what the correct attitude is: this book offers a correction for us. It reminds us that God designed physical intimacy within the boundaries of God’s plan, to be a delight for us.

How would you like for your beauty to be compared to that of a horse? I’d find that funny if not for the hint given in yesterday’s reading about how much Solomon liked horses. Much of the imagery in this poem is obscure because we don’t understand the references with which our culture is unfamiliar. The poet does a beautiful job of veiling erotic references in a decent way, while still conveying desire and delight.

A key phrase in the book is “Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires.” What do you suppose that means? What does that tell you about our culture’s fixation with romance? If we were to take that admonition seriously, what would that look like?

Some scholars believe the book is intended to speak only of Solomon’s love for his wife; others believe the book speaks of God’s delight in us. I believe that since God gives us the relationship between a husband and wife as an object lesson to help us understand the relationship between Jesus and the Church, we can learn from this book about how God delights in us.

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Day 149 — I Kings 3 – 4; II Chronicles 1; Psalm 72

Solomon didn’t waste any time in getting into sin as king. Recall the brief passage in Deuteronomy 17:14-20 in which God gave His instructions for the future king. The consequences of Solomon’s actions led to another consequence, and then another, and ultimately had a big impact on the nation. Why wouldn’t God have reminded Solomon? It’s possible that He did, as He confronted David with his sin, and Saul, his. What does this teach you about God and how He deals with men? How do you relate that with His dealings with you?

Solomon didn’t get it all wrong, though. Psalm 72 reveals that he understood God’s heart for the leadership of His people, and apparently intended to lead them that way. According to the descriptions of his subjects’ lives under his rule in the early years of his reign, he started out leading that way, and the people benefited. However, that changed. His life reveals the inadequacy of good intentions when one is disobedient in other matters. A divided heart is not on God’s side.

It’s interesting also that the very things used to describe Solomon’s greatness as a national leader are the very things that God had said the king must not do. Could God have given Israel victory over any enemy without the numerous horses and chariots? Could He have established Solomon as a great ruler, and Israel as a world-class nation, without the many wives, key alliances, and wealth? He had demonstrated His ability to do those very things, and yet Solomon chose to put his trust in these other security measures and allow the power to corrupt him. If the one whom God loved in such a special way, to whom He gave great wisdom and many other blessings, could fail thus, what hope do any of us have to enjoy relationship with God? None at all, which I believe is part of the point of the long history of the Old Testament, the story of the world’s long wait for the promised Messiah. There can be no doubt that we have no hope for a relationship with God apart from His intervention on our behalf.

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Days 147 & 148 — Psalm 119

This psalm is precious to me because it was while reading it that I asked God to give me the love for His word that this psalmist had. At that time, I was frustrated with all the ways the poet was able to find to draw out his work by restating the same idea over and over again; I have since learned to appreciate the significance of each idea expressed in conveying all the reasons why God’s word is so precious.

I have taken different approaches to studying this psalm over the years, and found each valuable. For interest’s sake, you may want to keep track of any of the following central ideas as you read through it:

  • The benefits of keeping God’s word that the psalmist describes. Do you realize these benefits in your own life? If so, praise God for them. If not, why not? You should be seeking them.
  • The ways the psalmist uses to know God’s word. He was no slacker. Compare that to your diligence in knowing God’s word. Does that make you a seeker or otherwise? If you lack diligence, what ways speak the most to you as disciplines you could observe in your pursuit of knowing God?
  • What the psalmist asks of God. If he asks, couldn’t we? Shouldn’t we?

What are the connections between some of the ideas the writer presents in his parallelisms? Some of them are not obvious at all, but rather than dismissing the odd ones as odd, you should consider them for a deeper understanding.

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Day 146 — I Kings 1 – 2; Psalms 37, 71 & 94

David was plagued with the promised consequences of his sin even into his old age. Let us remember that God knows how to impose painful consequences for our sin. No one was still living who would have remembered God’s pronouncement to Eli of the consequences of his sin in preferring not to offend his sons at the cost of offending God; but God remembered. Do you recall God’s telling Eli that his descendants would not be holding the office of High Priest as a result of his sin? The sad stories here remind us that we cannot presume upon God’s mercy by choosing to sin.

It’s difficult to understand why David charged Solomon with seeing justice accomplished when he failed to accomplish it himself, because justice in that day and place differed from our ideas of justice today. Don’t you wish Scripture would comment on some of these situations so we could understand them better? My only comment is that I find it interesting that the man after God’s own heart, faced with determinations of justice that were beyond his ability to decide, erred on the side of mercy. He is contrasted with God, who is perfect; but where he was imperfect, he was strong on mercy and weak on justice. Solomon was more wise and less conformed to God’s heart compared to his father, and was able to carry out justice better than David was. Again, these imperfect men point to God’s perfect balance of all character qualities.

David showed in Psalm 37 that he treasured God’s justice. Imagine if we took his advice and let go of our life’s dramas to wait on God to work them out in His time: at the very least, our relationships with God would be so much more intimate. Waiting in favor of attempting to work matters out ourselves builds trust and the hope in Him that He wants us to have. David’s life shows that God can be trusted to do as He promises, both for good and for bad. Is there anything for which you need to wait on God today?

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Day 145 — Psalms 111, 112, 114 – 118

These psalms remind us that God is personal. His works are great, and they are done for our sakes, that we might give Him the glory He deserves and serve our intended purpose of loving Him intimately and sharing with Him a relationship of mutual delight.

Note in Psalm 111 what one does to enjoy that relationship with Him: giving thanks, congregating with the upright for the purpose of worship, studying His works, delighting in His works, remembering His works intentionally- reviewing and recalling them. Where does the psalmist begin in remembering and studying God’s works? With the most basic of them, something so basic we tend to take it for granted: with His providing food for us. We are able to take that for granted much more than the people of the psalmist’s day did, but it’s likely that man has always been inclined to take for granted that a seed planted and properly tended bears fruit. It is God’s goodness that gives us the luxury of taking such reliable blessing for granted. What else do we take for granted? The natural wonders are works of God that cannot fail to inspire awe in their creator. The more he is able to delve into their depths, the more man realizes how amazing they are, and how little he truly understands about them. That is why studying them is so important.

As it is with His works of creation, God’s love and faithfulness are shown in the salvation He has worked out for man. If the psalmist was able to find reasons to praise God for His redemption through the Old Covenant, how much more can we praise Him for our abundant salvation!

I encourage you to spend some time today contemplating – remembering, observing, giving praise and thanks – God’s wonderful works, and specifically His wonderful works for you. You may not be enjoying the wealth and riches spoken of in Psalm 112, and yet, perhaps you are: perhaps your concept of wealth and riches is different than God’s. Accepting the promise of an all-powerful God who made and sustains everything by His word alone, you have all that you need, and that is great wealth indeed. You may not feel like light has dawned in your darkness, but that is not the end of your story. If you feel that God has not dealt bountifully with you, you need to remember and study your salvation.

Does it seem to you that these psalms lack structure, flitting from topic to topic rather insensibly? That understanding had long left me feeling mostly frustrated with the psalms, and believing that they were fluffy and shallow. However, study has led me to a greater insight into them, and they are truly powerful conveyors of truth. I invite you to take one of these psalms and dive into it in study. Ask God to reveal to you the connections between the ideas, and spend some time thinking over them. You might look up other Scriptures referenced in footnotes within the psalm. This kind of study is beyond the scope of this blog, but happily, your best guidance for study is found in the One living inside of you. He wants to be asked and sought! He rewards those who diligently seek Him!

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Day 144 — I Chronicles 26 – 29, Psalm 127

The exhortation that the man after God’s own heart gives to his son on the occasion of his handing the throne over to him are significant for us. I suggest that you make a list of all that David advised Solomon. Is any of it appropriate for application to your own life?

Isn’t it interesting that giving offerings for the temple to be built was a joyous event, prompting the people to praise not themselves for being such generous givers, but to praise God? The description of that experience demonstrates what an act of worship giving should be. If you aren’t to the point where you can give generously to God with a willing and glad heart, don’t neglect to give, for that would be failing to worship in that way. Rather, work on the generous and willing and joyful parts!

Note what David prayed for the people and for Solomon in chapter 29. These are great ideas for how we can pray for others in general and our children in particular.

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Day 143 — Psalms 131, 138, 139, 143, & 145

We’re getting to the end of David’s psalms, presumably words he would have written toward the end of his life. Psalm 131 is precious to me: at a time in my life when I faced a great and perplexing need, I first found this gem: “I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me. But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me. O…hope in the Lord.” Can you imagine in a time of profoundly felt, overwhelming need, the resolution of which you felt helpless to work out, being freed from the burden of working it out yourself? Can you imagine instead, resting as if cradled in God’s arms, as one fully satisfied? It’s not the most “sensible” response to such need, but then, “God has chosen the foolish things of this world to confound the wise….” Finding gems like this that feed our souls in time of great need, are one of the reasons people treasure the psalms so much.

Psalm 143 finds David crushed to the ground by the pursuit of the enemy, sitting in deep darkness in a hopeless state, faint of spirit. Do you ever feel that way? If you don’t presently, you may. If the man after God’s own heart can feel that way, how can we expect to be immune from such afflictions ourselves? Note all the things David did, all the things he requested from God, to address the problem. Do you need to do any of these things, request any of these things from God? There are some great prayer prompts in these verses.

In Psalm 145 David says that “One generation shall commend your works to another.” How are you doing in that regard? Note all the things he is going to share with the next generation to commend God’s works. Notice also that he isn’t just going to list the works, but also he meditates on them. What is the purpose of meditating on God’s works, do you suppose? What do you find worth meditating on in the list of things you noted that David intends to share with the next generation? Why not spend some time meditating on them today?

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Day 142 — I Chronicles 23- 25

Today’s reading isn’t interesting or edifying, is it? Once again, on such passages I ask why God would want this information preserved for us. Temple worship, and much of it practices that weren’t really required by the Law – what value can that have for us? The answer to that is that the man after God’s own heart will know a thing or two about worship, and so his ideas offer valuable instruction for us if we want to delight God with our worship.

That Chronicles would spend this much time on the assignments of the Temple staff, that the king himself would devote himself to these matters before construction on the Temple was even begun, reveals how important order in worship is. The detail on the music, which is never mentioned in the Law, tells me that worship was not meant, even in that day of God’s people being under the Law, to be about rules, but about joy and mutual delight.

The division of the available workers indicates what is important in worship. Note what the various assignments are, and what percentages of the workers are assignrd to each. What does that teach you about worship?

Are there other things you see in these chapters that I haven’t, that speak to you about your own worship practices?

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Day 141 — Psalms 108 – 110

As one of our fellow readers said to me, David really messed up a lot. We would expect a man after God’s own heart to make consistently better choices than David did. This reminds us that he was a man, made of flesh just like us. That timely reminder makes Psalm 108 all the more meaningful to me. This man testified at this point in his life that his heart was steadfast. That steadfast heart compelled him to praise God with all his being, so early in the morning that he awoke the dawn with his highest praise. What made him so steadfast and so grateful to and worshipful of God? It wasn’t his circumstances, for his army apparently wasn’t enjoying victory over their enemies; he said, “Have you not rejected us, O God? You do not go out with our armies.” What an example to us. Can you say in the midst of trying times that your heart is steadfast? When your circumstances are so adverse that it seems like God has rejected you, can you praise God for His great steadfast love and faithfulness that reaches to the clouds?

Psalm 109 is one of the best examples of a psalmist asking God to do awful things to another on his behalf. Check out his reasons for that: they were attacking him unjustly, speaking against him with lying tongues, encircling him with words of hate. He had experienced such animosity before, but had never displayed such a violent hatred against those who were responsible. The difference here is that he had loved these people who were encircling him with words of hate. How that must have hurt! How sad that love can turn into hatred.

Psalm 110 is prophetic, speaking of Jesus. It’s another reminder that Jesus wins in the end! That’s definitely a reason to hope and to offer praise to God today. With that reminder, we can, like David, joyfully praise God with highest praise no matter our circumstances. That is what a steadfast heart looks like. Is your heart steadfast today? Can you offer God lavish praise as David did?

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Day 140 — II Samuel 24, I Chronicles 21-22, & Psalm 30

When we read these two passages side by side, apparent discrepancies are highlighted. Let’s think through those briefly.

As to who incited David to take the census, there truly is no discrepancy if we recall how Satan accused Job before God, and received God’s permission to attack Job. Why would God let Satan incite Him against His people that way? In this case there apparently was a sin problem in Israel that God was ready to address, and the three options He gave David for punishment were ways He had warned them He would use if they did not follow Him. Satan’s accusations apparently worked into His plan for disciplining His people.

What was wrong with David’s taking a census of his people? Although it wasn’t evident to us, the sin in the matter was evident to Joab and apparently to other leaders over whom David’s superior position prevailed. Most importantly, it was evident to David. Bible scholars believe the objections and David’s confession point to an issue of pride in David’s heart, and his plan to rely on the strength of his military rather than on God for security. That the sin isn’t evident to us reinforces the reality that God is aware of the thoughts and intents of our hearts even when they are not evident to others.

The difference in the numbers counted in the census can be attributed to any number of factors. One is that accounting method they used back then (have I addressed that before?) that counted parts as wholes, making their accounting a lot less accurate than we make ours today. Their difference in rounding numbers, added to the possibility of the addition or omission of a single dot in copying the text in ancient times yielding different numbers in translation, added to the difference in reckoning who was Israel and who was Judah, explain the difference. Further, it seems to me that the numbers given are rather loose anyway, since Joab took it upon himself to fudge them by omitting two of the tribes. Which of these might be included in the numbers in I Chronicles?

From the incident on Araunah’s threshing floor, God finally indicated the place for a temple to be built to house the Ark of the Covenant. This would be the place in which the entire nation would gather to observe their required pilgrimage holy days, the place where God would place His name. Interestingly, it was the spot where Abraham had built an altar on which to sacrifice Isaac hundreds of years earlier. Now it was again a place where God showed mercy in accepting an alternate sacrifice. Why don’t you contemplate the significance of God’s choosing that site as the place in which He would be present among His people? What does that teach you about God?