Nature knows no equality. Amongst humanity, from womb to tomb, inequality is a universal reality attested to daily, regardless of circumstances. Inequality is exemplified in Christ’s Parable of the Talents in which he recognised differing abilities and aptitudes. The strong, the weak and the mediocre are on display regardless of race or culture.

With the exception of ideological interventions where merit is waived in favour of demographic ratios, proper ranking in terms of skills or suitability is based on merit whether it is selection for a sports team, a work post or promotion.  Even if there was equality within the education system, inequality of outcomes is guaranteed.

Liberty and equality are neither mutual nor reciprocal. Liberty is restricted by ideologically prescriptive state controls which stifle individual initiative and enterprise in their attempt to achieve equality. Such controls have resulted in the ANC’s singular, stellar, success: equality in poverty for the masses.

Merit is what gives substance to freedom of choice. Besides, who, being free, would choose to be equal?

The post All Things Are Never Equal appeared first on Duncan Du Bois.

Anxiety and despair over the circumstances which beset our daily lives have been a reality since Adam and Eve disobeyed God. The only difference is that modern technology enables us to experience the scandal, gossip and prejudiced comment of our polarised world in full colour, at full volume and in up-close-and-personal detail. Renowned American fiction writer, John Grisham, has remarked that America’s favourite pastime is the dissemination of hate. Chapter 5, verse 2 of Ecclesiastes warns: Do not be quick with your mouth; do not be hasty in your heart.

So: Whatever happened to “peace and goodwill amongst men?” How can that experience be enjoyed? In our polarised world, is that possible? It is, but only through an understanding of the foundation and origins of the circumstances that prevail.

How did our world become polarised?  How is it that we are beset by a constant struggle between good and evil? Let’s rewind to the origins of life on our planet in order to understand the forces of darkness.

Origins of evil

Revelations (12:7-9) informs us as follows: “There was a war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down – that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.”

Jesus in Luke (10:18) accounted for that with the words: “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.”

Continuing, Revelations (12: 12) states: “But woe to the earth and the sea because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury because he knows his time is short.” That statement is clarified in Revelations (20: 10) under the heading ‘Satan’s Doom.’ His fate is to be cast into the lake of burning sulphur where he “will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” So in the struggle between good and evil, we are assured that Satan’s days are numbered and that God and goodwill triumph.

Isaiah (14: 12-15) records the expulsion of Satan from heaven as follows: “How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn. You have been cast down to the earth. You said in your heart ‘I will ascend to heaven, I will raise my throne above the stars of God…..I will make myself like the most high.’ But you were brought down to the grave, to the depths of the pit.”

In the following passage, (28: 14-15) the prophet Ezekiel is believed to be describing Satan’s evolution: “You were anointed as a garden cherub, for so I ordained you. You were the holy mount of God, you walked among the fiery stones, you were blameless in your ways….till wickedness was found in you.”

The issue that defies our understanding is how could wickedness have come about from God’s creation in heaven? After all, the account of creation in Genesis repeatedly states “And God saw that it was good.” God is faultless and perfect. Therefore, it is baffling to try to grasp that within the DNA chemistry of creation there was a fault that mutated into evil. The only response to that mystery I can offer is to await the answer in the next life.

Exploring the element of corruption further, one finds that within the harmony of the Garden of Eden, there were two exceptions: the tree of knowledge and the serpent. Thus, it would seem that by casting evil out of heaven, the sanctity of the earth was compromised. Why, one wonders, did God allow his creation to become inhabited by the evil one? Why from the very outset of Man’s existence was he cast as the battleground in the war between good and evil?

On pain of death, God commanded Adam and Eve not to eat from the tree of knowledge. (Gen 2: 17). What is significant at that point was their ignorance of sin because they did not know evil. Yet it lurked and posed a threat.

But once they succumbed to the temptation of Satan in the form of the serpent, they became corrupted and open to the forces of evil. In his wrath, God banished Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden and consigned them to a life of toil and hardship.

So, in that we are tempted by and subjected to evil while at the same time we recognise righteousness and are urged to practice and uphold it, our world is a polarised battleground. This is apparent from the extent to which evil and the processes of being healed and cleansed from it are major themes running through the Bible.  If one combines the terms curse, darkness and evil, there are over 1,000 references to them in Nelson’s Concordance. The combination of the terms, healing, cleansed and light totals over 1,200references. Statistically, therefore, as those Biblical references indicate, we are hostages to an intense battle between good and evil.

As the chapters in Genesis after Adam, Eve, Cane and Abel indicate, humanity was captivated by rampant evil to the extent that God decided to destroy humanity with the exception of Noah and his family. Hence the Flood. Fast-forwarding beyond that event, humanity once again proved a weak and easy prey for evil. In seeking to provide order and guidelines as to how God wants Man to live, he handed down the Ten Commandments. But as we know, God’s chosen people, Israel, proved stubborn, “stiff-necked,” as God called them, and were punished in many ways for their backsliding and disobedience.

God’s ultimate effort to redeem humanity from its weak and wicked ways was to send His Son Jesus. By his selfless, faultless example, we are inspired to follow in his ways so as not to succumb to evil. But above all, in the greatest and most significant event in history, Jesus, the Son of God, sacrificed himself for our sakes to free us from sin and to reconcile man with God. His triumph over death was a triumph over the forces of darkness and a lasting victory for righteousness.

It has been said that in school one is taught a lesson and then given a test; whereas in life one faces tests from which one learns lessons. God is not above using or allowing evil to test us. Here are some examples: From 1 Samuel (16:14) we read: “Now the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him.” Saul’s rejection of God’s ways earned God’s displeasure via an evil spirit. God allowed Satan to inflict terrible tragedy and personal suffering on Job to test his loyalty. But Job remained steadfast in the face of adversity and was richly rewarded. Throughout his life on earth, Jesus was tormented and persecuted by the agents of evil. The reproaches Jesus suffered illustrate not only the reality of our polarised world but the encompassing extent of the forces of evil. The most brazen occurred following his 40 day fast in the desert when Satan made three arrogant attempts to corrupt him. In response Jesus said: “Away from me, Satan! For it is written ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only’” (Mt 4: 10). By his betrayal, suffering and death, God allowed Jesus to surrender to the forces of darkness. But by raising Jesus from the dead, God triumphed over evil.

Light and darkness are both practical and symbolic in indicating the struggle between good and evil. Nowhere was that more emphatically stated than when Jesus said: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life”(Jn 8:12). Light is associated with righteousness, joy, glory, upliftment, redemption.

The evil of Satan is associated with darkness. Paul in Colossians 1:13 states that Jesus has “rescued us from the dominion of darkness.” When Jesus was arrested on the night before his death, he described that as the “hour when darkness reigns” (Lk 22: 53). Jesus warned that those who paid lip service to God, would be “thrown into the darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Mt 8: 12). When Jesus was crucified, the whole land was shrouded in darkness.

As noted in terms of the contrast between healing and cleansing on the one hand, and evil and darkness on the other, the Bible has many accounts of wrongdoing and the retribution which follows. In that connection, an expression that occurs frequently is: “He did evil in the sight of the Lord.” God wants us to appreciate that disobeying, disrespecting and forsaking him has consequences. In Deuteronomy chapter 11, verses 26 to 29, he said: “I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse – the blessing if you obey the commands of the Lord; the curse if you disobey and turn from the way I command you.”

Despite Satan having a fearsome stake in our world, God is the arbiter of destiny. At the end of time, God’s supremacy and control will be demonstrated in awesome fashion: “The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord” (Acts 2: 20). So, Satan can tempt and corrupt but he cannot control destiny which, in any case, spells doom for him.

Our struggle with the polarised world is as much internal as it is external. Paul in Romans chapter 7 unpacks the struggle with good and evil that is waged within ourselves and the quandary which besets us:

When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being, I delight in God’s law. But I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members….. So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin” (verses 22-25).

In Matthew chapter 7, verses18-23, Jesus explained: “Nothing that enters a man from the outside can make him unclean. For it does not go into his heart but into his stomach and then out of the body. What comes out of a man, is what makes him unclean. For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts and folly. All these evils make a man unclean.”

Redemption from this liability was secured by Jesus. As Paul states in Romans chapter 8, (verses 1-2; 5-7): “Therefore there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.”

“Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires. But those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires…..The sinful mind is hostile to God….”

Of course, this does not mean an instant fix. Our vulnerable human nature persists. Thus, as Paul hastens to add, “the Spirit helps us in our weakness” (Romans 8: 26). In chapter 6 of his letter to the Ephesians, he exhorts us “put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes” (6: 11). He describes that armour as the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and the sword which is the word of God (6:14-18).

Prayer, worship and scripture are the weapons to use in order to defend ourselves against the deception and snares of our polarised world. The fact that Satan was brazen enough to confront Jesus should be a salutary lesson for us as we are infinitely more vulnerable to Satan’s treachery and evil intent.

Paul in Ephesians chapter 6, verses 12 -16 warned that our fight is against the “spiritual forces of evil” which have infiltrated “authorities”; that we are locked in a battle “against the powers of this dark world.”

Promoting hostility to God is Satan’s full-time occupation. Jesus gives us the true perspective and context of what confronts the righteous in this life. Here are his words from John chapter 15, verses 18 to 21: If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you…..If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also….They will treat you in this way because of my name.

Jesus’s mission on earth was to reconcile Man to God. His teaching and his sacrifice on the cross for our redemption radically intensified the nature of the war between righteousness and evil. The very reference to Jesus as the ‘Saviour’ provoked Satan into redoubling his efforts to corrupt humanity and to sabotage Jesus’s mission. Jesus explained this very clearly when he said: “I have come to bring fire on the earth….Do you think I came to bring peace….No, I tell you, but division. From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other….” (Lk 12:49-52).

That quote is often troubling to Christians since it appears to contradict references to Jesus as “wonder counsellor” who brought peace and goodwill amongst men. The way to understand what Jesus meant is to see it in the context of the war between good and evil. The righteousness Jesus exemplifies is absolute anathema to Satan. Thus hatred of and hostility towards Christian values and beliefs has gone into overdrive as a result of Jesus’s mission on earth. Jesus was simply warning us of Satan’s reaction to what Jesus achieved and established. The shrill of that war bombards us daily. As an example, let’s look at a very topical controversy: Donald Trump in the context of understanding polarisation and how the forces of darkness manipulate and exploit it.

As stated at the outset of this sermon, the abuse of communication technology is a major weapon in polarising our lives. The volume and intensity of information and disinformation and their agendas promote the polarisation of opinions. If one follows major networks like CNN and NBC, the New York Times and the Washington Post, one might be convinced that President Trump is unworthy of the position he holds and should have been impeached. 50% of Americans polled actually believe that. But 50% also reject those views. Why is that?

The answer is because the other 50% are possibly less gullible and more discerning and consult other sources like Fox News, Breitbart News, Newsmax.com and the Washington Times which carry diverse and alternative views. How do we discern prejudice and slander? The answer is to find out who owns those sources, with whom they are aligned and what their agenda is.

As American poet Ezra Pound wrote: “Real knowledge is for the few who insist on pursuing it. For the rest, education is mere shepherding.”  Whatever views on Trump one has, because he upholds Christian values he enjoys the support of millions of rank and file Christians. Because Trump challenges what is prescribed as politically correct thinking, he is maligned and scorned by those who are associated with humanism, secularism and moral decay.

Trump haters and detractors brand him as a “danger.” Arch-Trump hater and film-maker, Michael Moore said earlier this month that Trump was a greater danger to the US than the Corona virus. The Speaker of the House of Congress, Nancy Pelosi, has called Trump “the most dangerous man in American history.” But what is dangerous about Trump and why are his opponents so extremely hateful of him? To understand their vendetta, we need to know what their agenda is.

The anti-Trump forces advocate a melting pot of nations and a one-world government; they oppose national sovereignty which is why they want open borders and oppose Trump’s policy of building a wall along the Mexican border to stop illegal immigration. They favour bigger government and socialist welfare. They oppose school prayer and Christian values. Already several of those elected to Congress in 2018 refused to swear the oath of allegiance to the US constitution by placing their hands on the Bible.

• They have replaced God’s law with Man’s law.
• They have endorsed perversion and called it an alternative lifestyle.
• They have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.
• They oppose disciplining children and instead regard deviant behaviour as cultivating self-esteem.
• They ridicule time-honoured values in favour of what they call open-minded enlightenment.
• They advocate abortion as a woman’s right to reproductive freedom.

According to radical Democrat Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Trump’s pro-life legislation is – quote – “an all-out assault on women and an attempt to deprive women of moral freedom” [Feb 25, 2020]. Gillibrand’s sense of morality is clearly divorced from God’s morality. According to Gillibrand and her ilk, terminating the life of an unborn child is a decision that Christian morality has no business in condemning. They don’t believe that everyone deserves a birthday.

The anti-Trump forces, who call themselves progressives of the New Age, promote degenerative habits and lifestyles. They enjoy the support of New Age billionaire George Soros and his fellow travellers in the elite establishment which is backed by the mainstream mass media, Hollywood and figures such as Hillary Clinton.

When agendas disparage and disrespect Christian values and morals, you can be sure Satan is behind them. To those prejudiced against Trump because of his unsavoury past, the question to ask is: Was St Paul not far worse before his Damascan conversion?

Indeed, God’s way is not Man’s way. In liberating the Jews from Babylonian captivity, God chose a pagan warrior – Cyrus. In initiating the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem, God chose that same pagan warrior, Cyrus. Therefore, it is helpful to see Trump as a modern-day Cyrus, a force attempting to restore and defend good.  His presidency has re-established Christmas as a Christian event with nativity scenes in public places. He has officially reinstated the word ‘Christmas’ in public greetings rather than the trite quip ‘happy holidays.’ Trump has appointed two devout Christians to the nine-member US Supreme Court giving conservative Christian values a 5:4 majority. He has abolished the trans-gender toilets in schools that Obama instituted. He recognises that traditional American values are under siege in terms of the agendas driven by the godless and those who Satan exploits as useful idiots.

The relentless hate of Trump is promoted by the adherents of the new world order and their programme of humanism, socialism and secularism which, in practice means the marginalisation, persecution and suppression of Christian values.

In Europe, that programme is at an advanced stage. A report earlier this month by an American TV station noted that 85% of Europeans no longer profess an adherence to Christianity or have become indifferent towards its teachings. Europe is rapidly being de-Christianised as Man’s laws replace God’s laws. Few churches have congregations and many have been closed, commercialised and used as places of entertainment. There can be no doubt that that process is being facilitated and guided by the forces of darkness which pervade the world.

Paul in chapter 2 of his second letter to the Thessalonians (9- 10) wrote: “The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of signs and every sort of evil that deceives…”

The concluding verse of Psalm 12 states: “The wicked freely strut about when what is vile is honoured by men.” If we ponder the relevance of that verse in the world today, we can recognise how outlooks are universalised and deemed acceptable. The terms “The Conversation,” “trending” and “The Narrative,” in social media are tools in the management of mind control and the promotion of social acceptance.

On this issue, Paul in his letter to Titus advises as follows: “Avoid foolish controversies, arguments and quarrels because they are unprofitable and useless. Warn a divisive person once and then a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him. You may be sure that such a man is warped and sinful…” (Titus 3: 9-11)

Let’s remind ourselves of what is stated in chapter 12 of Revelations: “woe to the earth because the devil has gone down to you.” When Jesus was before Pilate he said: “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But my kingdom is from another place” (Jn 18:36).

In the concluding remarks of chapters 11 and 12 of Hebrews we are reminded that “God has planned something better for us” and that “we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken.”

Jesus’s warning cannot be over-emphasised: “I have come to bring fire on the earth….Do you think I came to bring peace….No, I tell you, but division.” (Lk 12:49-52).To survive in our polarised world one has to understand the warnings Jesus gave about it, to be wary and circumspect about developments, who promote them and what their objectives are. But above all, one must strive to uphold Christian values and teachings. As Paul exhorted in Ephesians (5: 8-11):  “Live as children of the light, for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth and find out what pleases the Lord.    Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.”

The post OUR POLARISED WORLD: Understanding The Forces Of Darkness appeared first on Duncan Du Bois.

The greatness of God, however, should in itself be overwhelming in ensuring faithfulness to him and his precepts.  Fourth-century theologian, Gregory Nazianus, stated: “To conceive of God is difficult; to define him is impossible.” Recognition, appreciation and celebration of God as the author and architect of creation along with his works as recorded in the Bible, ought to be so staggeringly dazzling that they superglue us to serving him and glorifying him. Experience, history and everyday life, however, is filled with proof that, sadly, that is not the case.

Nonetheless, in a departure from considering our failings and foibles, this sermon is focused on celebrating our awesome God. We are all familiar with the first chapter of Genesis which recounts the origins of creation. But chapter 38 of Job provides an insight of God interrogating his creation; literally unpacking the nuts, screws and bolts of it. As such, it is the appropriate text on which to launch a celebration of awe.

Excerpts from Job 38

Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?… Who marked off its dimensions? Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footings set?…… Who shut the sea behind the doors….when I fixed limits for it and set its doors and bars in place?…. Have you ever given orders to the morning or shown the dawn its place?….. The earth takes shape like clay under a seal; its features stand out like those of a garment.

Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea or walked in the recesses of the deep? …Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth?….. What is the way to the abode of light? And where does the darkness reside?…… Have you entered the storehouses of the snow or seen the storehouses of the hail?…. What is the way to the place where the lightning is dispersed or the place where the east winds are scattered over the earth?

Who cuts the channel for the torrents of rain and a path for the thunderstorm?….. Who fathers the drops of dew? From whose womb comes the ice? Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens?…..can you loose the cords of Orion? Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons?

Job’ response that should be ours

In responding, Job displays humility and awe at God’s power and creation: “I know you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted….. things too wonderful for me to know….Therefore, I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes,” (42: 2; 6).

Job’s self-abnegation is appropriate in responding to God’s question: “Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge?” (38: 2). “Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who accuses God answer him!” (40: 2).

We are endowed with enquiring minds which can probe and realise the greatness of God as Gregory Nazianus did in the fourth century. But that same capacity has led many to scorn God and to dispute his hand in creation. According to such people our existence came about by cosmic accident and not by design. Creation, they claim, evolved as a result of a big bang some 15 billion years ago.

Millions accept that theory which is endorsed by many of the so-called learned community of our day. They brazenly dare to challenge God and to dispute him. Yet their theory is unable to explain many of the crucial aspects of our world which simply could not have resulted by accident. You don’t have to be a scientist to appreciate that if the axis of our earth was not tilted to the angle of 23½° we would not have the seasons as the earth revolves around the sun. That is taught in Grade 9 Geography. Therefore, it is ridiculous to claim that by some fluke during the big bang that not only was the earth created with all its diversity and capacity to rotate on its own axis, but while that was occurring, its axis was carefully tilted to 23½° – not 20 or 25 but 23½°.

Albert Einstein, one of the greatest scientists of all time, did not believe in the God of the Bible. As a pantheist, he believed that a god is in everything. In 1939 he stated that belief in the God of the Bible was in conflict with rationality. Christians, in his view, had “feeble souls” for cherishing the belief that God rewards and  punishes his creatures and that Jesus survived his physical death. Thus, Einstein’s often quoted statement that “God does not play dice with the universe,” is wrongly interpreted as his endorsement of the Biblical account of creation.

In trying to fathom creation, the Bible-deniers fail to appreciate that as finite beings we dwell in an infinity. God is timeless but we are time-bound and measure everything within a time-bound framework. St James expressed it aptly when he wrote, we “are a mist that appears for a while and then vanishes,” (4:14). It is a sad reality that there is a whole industry dedicated to promoting man-made theories of creation and sidelining if not ridiculing Biblical accounts. As Ecclesiastes noted, “yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end’ (3:11). Before leaving Job, let’s admire another one of his gem observations – chapter 26, verses 7 to 10:

….He suspends the earth over nothing. He wraps up the waters in his clouds, yet the clouds do not burst under their weight…..he marks out the horizon….for a boundary between light and darkness.

Space exploration photography has enabled us to appreciate the accuracy and reality of Job’s description of the “earth suspended over nothing.” Pictures of the earth transmitted from space always show the defined boundary line between day and night, light and darkness, which we know results from the rotation of the earth on it axis while it revolves around the sun.

How did that come about? The mathematical consistency of rotation and revolution: every 24 hours; every 365 days; the constant heat of the sun’s rays? How was it all fixed in place? Indeed, as Job exclaimed, “things too wonderful for me to know,” and “wonders that cannot be fathomed” (42:3; 9:10). Of course, science has some answers such as gravitational pull and the solar flaring of hydrogen. But beyond whatever data scientists compile, they fall short on explaining the big questions of how and by who.

David’s awe at God’s creation should inspire us: When I consider 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?…. You made him ruler over the works of your hands and you put everything under his feet…..O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! (Ps 8: 3-9). Yet sadly, today, in terms of name recognition, Bill Gates and Samsung score above God when it comes to the perception of creativity.

In order to appreciate the symmetry of day and night, observe and note the time of sunrise or sunset over say a three or four day period. I did this over the winter solstice –June 21, 22, through to June 24. I watched the red ball of the sun sink over the western horizon and disappear. On June 22, the peak of the solstice, I timed it at 4.56pm. Two days later it had taken nearly a minute longer to fade beyond my horizon. That is the wonder of the design of creation on which the seasons are based and the calculation of time. Take the opportunity to witness it, mindful of what is happening and has been happening unerringly since the beginning of creation. Be awed! Glorify God and have a Job and David moment!

But let us now consider what David noted in Psalm 8 – that God has entrusted man with custody of his earthly creation. Chapter 8 of Deuteronomy provides us with a vista of the grandeur and richness of a part of the earth’s landscape –the promised land. But at the same time it contains a message and a warning.

The Lord your God is bringing you into a good land – a land with streams and pools of water, with springs flowing in the valleys and hills; a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey; a land where bread will not be scarce; a land where rocks are iron and you can dig copper out of the hills.

When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord for the good land he has given you. Otherwise when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied,…. You will forget the Lord your God…..You may say to yourself, ‘my power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.’ But remember……if you forget the Lord your God, you will be destroyed for not obeying….(verses 7-20).

As an agrarian people, the Israelites were integrally bonded with nature and the environment. So when they failed God, he punished them with droughts, hail, famines, locusts and plagues. Nature and the environment are ever-present in the Bible from Genesis to Revelations. The flood: the elimination of the wicked; forty years in the desert: discipline for waywardness; the promised land: reward for faithfulness; captivity in exile: the punishment for neglecting God.

The beauty of God’s natural creation is displayed widely in the Old Testament. Here is an excerpt from the book Song of Songs. See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season for singing as come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land. The fig tree forms its early fruit; the blossoming vines spread their fragrance… (2:11-13)

Just as we should be conscious of the daily wonder of sunrise and sunset, so we should find time, literally, to stop and smell the roses. The Camelsfoot tree in my property is in full bloom. I have to walk under it to fetch my copy of the Mercury every morning. So I stop and thrust my nose towards one of the low-hanging blooms. They have a delicate, exquisite fragrance. It brings home what wonders of creation are in our midst. Besides the beauty of the blossom, how does it get that fragrance? Another Job and David moment!  In that brief encounter one glorifies God. With few exceptions, no matter where one is, even a window box or a floral arrangement in a room can provide a reminder of the splendour and glory of God’s creation.

So it is sad to witness the plundering and degradation of our environment and ecosystems. Entrusted with safekeeping, man is destroying the natural environment. His indifference, however, does not go unnoticed by God. That is why we read of crop failures, droughts, floods and sicknesses. God punishes man’s disregard for the stewardship bestowed on him and for not glorifying him.

Awesome works

Like several other psalms, Psalm 145 by David is a psalm of praise. He says, “I will meditate on your wonderful works…..tell of the power of your awesome works” (5-6). Let’s reflect, then, on a number of those works to remind ourselves of the uniqueness of God’s powers, be in awe of them. Glorify God.

Venturing beyond the marvel of the creation of our planet, the sun, the moon and the stars, the power of God’s control was first demonstrated by the Flood. He used one part of his creation to destroy another part – corrupt human society. His interventions on behalf of the Israelites when they were captive in Egypt could not be matched by Pharaoh’s magicians. They acknowledged what they termed “the finger of God” when God tormented Egypt with a plagues of gnats and flies (Ex 8).

Pharaoh’s continued refusal to free the Israelites saw Egypt inflicted by a fresh series of plagues. What was remarkable about them was their selective effect. The plague on livestock affected only the livestock belonging to Egyptians. The same distinction occurred when God inflicted a plague of boils and rained down a devastating hail storm. Again, the Israelites were unaffected by those disasters. One needs to pause and try to process from a human standpoint just how astonishing it is that the Israelites and their livestock were immunised against epidemics which otherwise had a universal effect.

Equally astonishing is the plague of darkness. For three days Egypt was plunged into darkness. “No one could see anyone else or leave his place for three days. Yet all the Israelites had light in the places where they lived,” states Exodus in chapter 10, verse 23. In this instance, our minds should boggle at how God manipulated the rays of the sun so as to isolate the Egyptians in utter darkness.

As astounding as these plagues were, Pharaoh’s heart towards the Israelites remained stubborn. The lesson here is that human nature has not changed. Throughout history hearts have hardened towards God, regardless of the signs and wonders he has performed.

However, Pharaoh finally relented following the plague on the firstborn when again God distinguished between Egyptian and Israelite and cut down the firstborn of every Egyptian child and animal in a night known as the Passover. Pharaoh’s words to Moses are interesting: “Go… take your flocks and herds and go. And also bless me” (Ex 12:32). Did Pharaoh’s apparent eleventh-hour repentance signify that even the most obdurate opponents of God can be turned around? In Pharaoh’s case, however, it was short lived. By allowing his labour force, the Israelites, to leave Egypt, he crippled Egypt’s economy. He had to get them back. So he despatched his army to do just that.

Once again, the power of God in directing the course of events was displayed. The parting of the sea, driven back by a strong east wind so that the Israelites could walk between walls of water on dry ground and escape Pharaoh’s army, is another example of creation recognising and obeying its creator. Scientists and sceptics scoff at this incident telling us that it is impossible and must be an exaggeration. But as we know, with God nothing is impossible.

Another Old Testament wonder that has the sceptics baffled is the crossing of the Jordan River. Despite the river being in flood, the water upstream stopped flowing and piled up in a great heap. The whole of Israel passed through the river bed on dry ground (Josh 3:15-17). The significance of that event was noted by Joshua as follows: “The Lord God did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God” (Josh 4: 24). But, as time wore on, memories faded and hearts hardened despite the reminders of the prophets. Israel suffered when it stopped glorifying God.

New Testament wonders

The word “amazed” frequently occurs in accounts of the miracles Jesus performed. Since they were performed amongst ordinary people, we don’t read about scepticism. That attitude was manifested amongst the so-called learned, the Pharisees and Sadducees, who claimed that it was Beelzebub, the prince of demons, who powered Jesus. The same scepticism and refusal to acknowledge God’s infinite power prevails today. A sceptic once told me that the blank period in the four evangelists’ account of Jesus’s life between the age of 12, when he was found in the temple, and the age of 30, when he started his public ministry, was the time that Jesus spent learning magic in a distant eastern land.

While news of the wonders Jesus performed spread far and wide, there was a grey area in as far as realising who he is. The ordinary folk were in awe. The apostles seemed mesmerised and uncertain. The educated Jewish elite, apart from the likes of Joseph of Arimathea, saw him as an imposter who threatened their authority and way of life.

How fortunate we are that with faith reinforced by the bible, our minds are not clouded by doubt and scepticism. We are able to ponder in awe the miracles of Jesus. In that context, one of the most profound moments and utterances in the New Testament is provided by Thomas, called Didymus. His scepticism at the news that Jesus had risen from the dead was typically human.  For him, as with so many of us, seeing is believing. When confronted with the risen Jesus so that he could personally probe the wounds of crucifixion, Thomas’s exclamation is a superlative statement of reverence, awe and glorification – “My Lord and my God!”

Equally profound and comforting is Jesus’s response to Thomas -and to us: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (Jn 20: 28-29).

Conclusion

The common retort of sceptics and cynics is that if God was so great why does he allow evil and violence to flourish? The answer is that man has turned his back on God, ceased to glorify him, outlawed him from places of learning and embraced secularism. It’s what God warned in Deuteronomy chapter 8, verse 20, cited earlier: If you forget the Lord your God, you will be destroyed for not obeying. The greatness of God is there for those who want to perceive it. And it envelopes us in numerous ways. Many Psalms and hymns are proclamations of praise for and glory of God. They remind us that God, our creator, expects us to praise and honour him. Jesus always acknowledged that his role was to give glory to his Father. Significantly, in most cases, the beneficiaries of his miracles gave glory to God. On the night before Jesus’ death, he prayed to his Father saying: “I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do” (Jn 17: 4). By rejoicing in the marvels of his creation, we glorify God. So, we need to increase our Job and David moments!

The post Glorifying God and Having Job and David Moments appeared first on Duncan Du Bois.

Healing is the major theme running through the Bible. This is clear merely by paging through a detailed Concordance. In that healing is both a process and a consequence, it involves cleansing, bloodshed and atonement. There are 60 references to atonement, 280 references to blood and 547 references to the terms clean, unclean and cleansing. There are 92 references to healing itself. Cumulatively that totals 979 references and as such, statistically indicates the significance of healing as a necessary and repetitive therapy not merely for our personal wellbeing but in our relationship with God.

Physical and Practical Healing

The Book of Leviticus accounts for most of the references to blood in that it provides explicit instructions on the ritual of sacrifice and the distinction between “clean” and “unclean.” Chapter 11 deals specifically with that aspect as regards food. Personal hygiene is the focus of chapters 12, 13 and 14. Disease, defilement and contamination posed not only an affront to God in how he should be worshipped, but were a real threat to human health and always have been.  Health care of the body and hygiene were very primitive by modern standards and, as such, subject to many rites and practices. However, what needs to be appreciated is that although health and healing applied externally to the body, it was a stepping stone to the health and healing of the soul.

There is a distinct evolutionary thread, regarding elements such as water and blood linking the Old with the New Testament. The title of chapter 19 of the Book of Numbers, “The waters of cleansing,” is instructive on the need for purification using water when a person’s cleanliness had been compromised. Water – and time – rehabilitated someone who had become defiled and restored his status within society and in the sight of God.  Water also relieved thirst and sustained life as we see when Moses struck the rock at Meribah (Num: 20: 6-13).

The parting of waters provided a passage to liberation. Consider the passage of the sons of Israel through the Red Sea which saved them from Pharaoh’s army. Consider their passage into the Promised Land when the waters of the River Jordan were held back so that they crossed on dry ground (Josh: 3). Transcending a watery barrier facilitated a new beginning, an opportunity for healing. Such instances, however, were practical and physical in application. Later we will consider the role of water and blood in the spiritual sense.

With reference to the cleanliness of the heart and mind, the prophets along with David and Solomon, all acknowledged God as the only source of such healing. God’s power in that regard is starkly stated in Deuteronomy, chapter 32, verse 39: “I put to death and I bring to life. I have wounded and I will heal, and no one can deliver out of my hand.”  But, as always, repentance is required in order to experience God’s mercy and healing. And, of course, seeking healing requires faith.  Hezekiah, the king of Judah, suffered from a serious illness. In faith, he prayed to God who responded with the words: “I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. I will heal you” (2Kin: 20:5).

David enjoyed God’s favour and mercy throughout his life because he always repented.  As he wrote in Psalm 41: “O Lord, have mercy on me; heal me, for I have sinned against you.” Following his adultery with Bathsheba and his consignment of her husband, Uriah, to an untimely death, David wrote Psalm 51 which was not only a plea for mercy but a fervent appreciation of the benefit of always staying within the presence of God and of the power of God’s healing. “Have mercy on me, O Lord, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin…..Create in me a pure heart and renew a steadfast spirit within me……Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me” (lines 1-2; 10; 12).

God’s healing is always available – but on his terms and conditions. Here are some examples: Speaking to Solomon, the Lord said: “If my people will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2Chr: 7: 14). The prophet Hosea, referring to Israel’s abandonment of God wrote: “Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds” (Hos: 6:1). In these examples we see spiritual renewal leading to worldly, physical benefit.

From such examples, we see how the focus is on internal, spiritual wellbeing as a prerequisite for political and worldly reward. When Israel was submissive to God, it enjoyed peace and stability. When it ignored God and turned to idols, it forfeited God’s protection and healing. But in a fallen world, just like ours today, redemption depends on the individual’s relationship with God. Again, David expresses this so concisely in Psalm 24, lines 4 and 5: “He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false, he will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God his saviour.”

Sin and defiance of  God, followed by God’s wrath and punishment, followed by sacrifice, repentance and forgiveness, form a consistent cycle in the Old Testament.  But it was always God’s intention to break that cycle by means of a New Covenant.  References to the Saviour were made a thousand years before Jesus’ time on Earth by David in Psalm 22 which foretold of Jesus’ suffering and death and in Psalm 16 which foretold of his resurrection. Jeremiah, in chapter 31, verses 31-32, prophesied: “The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them out of Egypt because they broke my covenant…” Thus, God revealed his intention to scrap the Mosaic covenant which was regarded as holy writ and to announce a new covenant in which healing from sin would be achieved once and for all  by Jesus’ atonement for our sins.  Jesus’ mission was, therefore, to bring about healing through atonement and sacrifice. In short, Jesus came to die for our sins and salvation.

Unfortunately, because of the historical and political misfortunes of Israel and despite the prophecies referring to the Messiah, Israel anticipated a Messiah who would restore its independence and cast off the yoke of Roman imperialism. Israel’s concept of healing was a worldly one, not a spiritual one. Yet, if one joins the dots, so to speak, by piecing together the various indications and prophesies about Jesus, Psalm 22 and Isaiah 52 and 53 for example, a very different perception of the Messiah materialises.  Referring to the “Suffering Servant,” Isaiah noted that “he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows….. by his wounds we are healed.” With the advantage of hindsight, we know that the Old Testament is the New Testament concealed and the New Testament is the Old Testament revealed.

Jesus The Healer

Thirty-seven specific miracles or signs, as John termed them, are recorded collectively in the four gospels. Many more occurred but, as John tells us (21:25) they were too numerous to record. All were performed publicly with the intention of creating belief in Jesus’ divine nature. Jesus did not perform miracles for show or merely out of compassion but to point to him as the Messiah and to the credentials of his kingdom.

By human standards and within the range of human capabilities, even those of the 21st century, the healing Jesus performed was miraculous.  Awe and amazement were the natural responses of those who witnessed Jesus’ powers. He healed every kind of illness and disability, instantly. Jesus healed by touch and even by distance or remote control as in the case of the Centurion’s servant (Mt 8: 5-13). He healed through space and time thus demonstrating his divine nature and his authority over all that he had created.  In calming the wind and the sea, nature recognised its creator and obeyed him. In changing water into wine at Cana, Jesus showed he had authority over natural science. In raising Lazarus from the dead, he showed he had authority over life and death. All Jesus’ miracles defied natural laws.

All that he did, he did in the name of his Father. As he said to his detractors, “I do what my Father does, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I in the Father,” (Jn 10: 37-38). He wanted to be seen as the Servant of God. We see this specifically in Luke, chapter 5, verses 40and 41, where Jesus freed people from their demons. In that instance, the demons came out shouting “You are the son of God.” But Jesus rebuked them and hushed them up. He did not want their witness because it would be exploited by his critics. The incident serves as another example of Jesus’ humility and his constant submission to his Father.

Jesus’ ministry was only three years in duration. Yet in that time over a substantial geographical area, without any of the media and travel facilities we have today, he became not only well-known but the object of political intrigue and betrayal. His achievement of widespread recognition was based on the signs and miracles he performed and his teachings. While many became his followers and believed in him as a result, at the same time a significant number doubted him and saw him as an imposter who posed a threat to their order. Such reactions were and remain typical of our fallen world.

Not only were the signs Jesus wrought extraordinary, they also crossed social boundaries. His healing of those afflicted by leprosy was a case in point.  Not only did he accept lepers in his presence but he touched them – two things that were absolute taboo at that time. The same applied to his healing of the demon-possessed. Like lepers, they were social outcasts. But for Jesus there are no barriers and his mercy and healing are never confined by man-made rules or practices.

At the same time, however, the healing that Jesus bestowed was not just physical. It was spiritual. As Ezra Taft Benson has observed: “The Lord works from the inside out. The world works from the outside in.” In other words, Jesus’ miracles were outward signs of inner restoration.  In Matthew chapter 7, verses18-23, Jesus explained how he saw healing by distinguishing between “clean” and “unclean.” Thus he explained: “Nothing that enters a man from the outside can make him unclean. For it does not go into his heart but into his stomach and then out of the body. What comes out of a man, is what makes him unclean. For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts and folly. All these evils make a man unclean.”

As an American evangelist once put it: “Jesus did not come to take people out of the slums. He came to take the slums out of people.”

Water and Blood

As noted earlier, besides cleansing, passages through water facilitated liberation from Pharaoh and accession to the Promised Land.  As such, those passages were key steps in the process of healing. In the New Testament, our salvation was established by Jesus through water and blood.  Jesus’ baptism in the waters of the Jordan was a baptism with water and the spirit. As he said in John 3: 5: “No one can enter the kingdom of God un less he is born of water and the spirit.”  The waters of baptism are waters of transition from a barren state to a state enriched by the Holy Spirit.   They are a rite of passage.  Revelations 22: 17 refers to the “free gift of the water of life.”  Whereas water was synonymous with cleansing, physical purification and quenching of thirst in the chapters cited from the Old Testament, the waters of baptism to which Jesus referred, have a purely spiritual dimension. As Paul wrote in 1 Cor: 12: 13: “For we are all baptised by one Spirit into one body.” The waters of baptism are a passage to a union with God; a rebirth to a new life immersed in God’s spirit. As such, the experience of baptism is both a process and a consequence which transforms the soul and renders it fit for the Spirit to dwell in.

John tells us that “Jesus Christ did not come by water only, but by water and blood” (1 Jn: 5:6). It is by the blood of Jesus that we are saved.  As Paul wrote in his letter to the Ephesians (1:7): “In him we have redemption through his blood, forgiveness of sins.” Jesus himself said at the Last Supper: “This is my blood of the new covenant which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Mt 26: 28).

Blood, as the Old Testament shows, was central to sacrifice and to atonement for sin. Chapter 4 of Leviticus, titled The Sin Offering, provides detailed instructions as to the slaughtering of an animal and how its blood was to be sprinkled and poured.  Exodus chapter 30, verse 10 refers to the “annual atonement made with the blood of the atoning sin offering” which was to be done “for the generations to come.” As Hebrews states: “The high priest carries the blood of animals into the most Holy Place as a sin offering. And so Jesus suffered to make the people holy through his own blood” (13: 11-12). Jesus is the sacrificial lamb of the new covenant. That is the stark difference between sacrifice for atonement in the Old Testament and the New. As stated in Revelations, our robes become white after being washed in the blood of the lamb (7: 14).

Through the blood Jesus shed, we are healed. He suffered the most horrific death for our salvation.  There is no event in history that can compare in meaning to the sacrifice Jesus made. There is no healing to compare with the healing Jesus performed and suffered and died for. There is no ailment or disability that Jesus cannot heal. All it requires, as many examples in the New Testament show, is to have trust and faith in Jesus.

As we enter the season of Advent, let us look beyond the baby Jesus in the manger in Bethlehem. Let us recognise and be eternally grateful for why he took on human form and remember that the healing he provided and continues to provide, comes to us for free, without the pain and agony Jesus suffered on our behalf. All he asks is that we show repentance for our sins, that we recognise and acknowledge Jesus as our Lord and Saviour and that we strive to live in his ways. In this season of gift-giving, let us always appreciate that the greatest gift is that of salvation which Jesus purchased for us by his death on Calvary. Jesus is not the ultimate healer. He is the ONLY healer.

The post Healing appeared first on Duncan Du Bois.

The human race is endowed with a restless spirit which, as history shows, results in repetitive cycles of strife and hardship interspersed with periods of relative stability.  My outlined perspective of Saul and David incorporates views from American Pastor Stephen Morefield’s book titled Fierce Grace: 30 days with King David published in 2018.

Background

Circumstances that prevailed during David’s time had their origins earlier. Although under Samuel as Judge, Israel enjoyed peace for many years (1Sa: 7: 13-16), in his old age, the elders of Israel requested that he appoint a king to lead Israel as Samuel’s sons were dishonest (1Sa: 8: 1-6). Reluctant to accede to their request, Samuel prayed to God whose response was very critical. “It is not you, they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their King,” said the Lord (1Sa: 8: 6-8).  God instructed Samuel to warn that there would be consequences if they appointed a king: “Let them know what the king who will reign over them will do” (1Sa: 8: 9). Samuel did as he was instructed: “When you cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, the Lord will not answer you,” warned Samuel (1SA: 8:18). But the people rejected God’s warning and insisted on having a king so as to be like other nations, so they claimed. Reluctantly the Lord told Samuel to heed their wishes and give them a king (1Sa 8: 19-22).

Here we see the basic fault of Israel – seeking to replicate the fashions of the ungodly instead of holding fast to God’s guidance. Israel desired to be “of the world” instead of appreciating that although “in the world,” if it adhered to God’s will, it would enjoy his protection.

So Israel reaped havoc. Saul’s reign of 42 years was one of war, instability and intrigue. Within months his army was reduced to just 600 men by the Philistines (1Sa: 13: 11-15). As Samuel tells us: “All the days of Saul, there was bitter war with the Philistines” (1Sa:14:52). When Saul failed to destroy the Amalekites, as God instructed, and, instead, plundered the best of the Amalekite livestock, the Lord said to Samuel: “I am grieved that I have made Saul king because he has turned against me and not carried out my instructions” (1Sa 15:11). But when Samuel informed Saul of God’s disappointment, Saul rejected it. The two never met or spoke again. A kind of Cold War ensued in which Samuel feared for his life (1Sa: 15:34).

Enter David

That was when God sent Samuel to Bethlehem saying that he had chosen one of the sons of Jesse to be anointed as the new King. The oppression of Saul’s reign, of which God had warned, was evident in the fear with which the elders of Bethlehem received Samuel (1Sa: 16: 1-4). Under God’s guidance, Samuel’s selection of David came as a surprise because he was the youngest of Jesse’s eight sons – an example of how man’s reasoning differs from God’s. Nonetheless, Samuel anointed David in the presence of his brothers. As scripture says, “From that day the spirit of the Lord came upon David in power” (1Sa:16:13).

Troubled by the evil spirit that now resided in him, Saul was advised to employ a harp player to ease his torment. Jesse’s son David was recommended and so came into Saul’s service and, initially, was well-liked by Saul. But that cordial relationship did not last. Following David’s slaying of the giant Philistine, Goliath, Saul became jealous and resented the favour which his subjects bestowed on David (1Sa: 16: 15-23; 17: 26-45; 18: 6-10).

So resentful was Saul of David’s status that twice he attempted to kill him. In frustration, Saul sent David away to lead military campaigns. But enjoying the Lord’s favour, David’s successes simply exacerbated Saul’s mindset. (1Sa: 18:16). In an attempt to curb his influence, Saul twice offered his daughters to David in marriage. But David rejected the offers saying that he had no desire to become Saul’s son-in-law. Outraged, Saul then plotted to have David fall into the hands of the Philistines (1Sa: 18:18-25). But that failed when David again defeated the Philistines. However, in an attempt to soothe relations between himself and Saul, David expressed readiness to marry Saul’s daughter Michal.

Saul’s Resentment

However, Saul’s resentment of David became more pronounced than ever with David’s ongoing success against the Philistines. Saul then instructed his attendants and his son Jonathan (who was loyal to David) to kill David. But Jonathan remonstrated with Saul’s warning that his Father would suffer if such evil was perpetrated (1 Sa: 19: 1-5). For a while matters stabilised until Saul once again succumbed to evil and demanded that David be brought to him so that he could be killed (1Sa:20:31). Before fleeing the palace as a fugitive, David made a pact with Jonathan out of love for each other (1Sa: 20: 42). As he said to Jonathan “there is only a step between me and death” (20: 3)

Chapters 20 to 22 of Samuel’s first book tell of David’s ongoing flight to evade Saul’s efforts to capture him. Saul was so consumed by hatred of David that those who assisted him, like the priest Ahimelech, became the target of Saul’s wrath.  To their credit, Saul’s officials refused to kill Ahimelech pointing out that he was a priest of the Lord. But Saul was so under the influence of evil that he hired Doeg, an Edomite, to kill Ahimelech and 85 others along with women, children and livestock (22: 16-20).

In what has transpired thus far, we see that every desire that finds its fulfilment outside of God comes at a price. So why did God allow this course of events? The answer is, as it always is under such circumstances: to discipline his people for trying to do life without him and to pay the price of wanting a king when he advised against it. At the same time, however, the grace of the Lord enabled David to navigate the ills of Saul’s kingship. From that experience, we should take heart that when circumstances become difficult and dangerous, God is testing our commitment to him. As verse 8 of Psalm 62 states: “Trust in him at all times….pour out your heart to Him for God is our refuge.”

God’s Fugitive

In chapter 23 of Samuel’s first book, we see David being hunted like an animal by Saul, constantly having to evade and flee Saul’s marauding army. Each failed search simply increased Saul’s frustration. Yet despite David’s fugitive status and the fact that his life was in constant danger, an event occurred that shows that he was not vengeful.

Having sought refuge in a cave with his men, David was surprised to see Saul enter the cave to relieve himself. Unseen by Saul, David crept up to the crouching figure and cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. Returning to his men at the back of the cave, David became conscience-stricken. Although his men urged him to kill Saul, David’s response was gentle and Christ-like. “The Lord forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed.” Going out of the cave, David hailed Saul with the words “My lord, the king,” and prostrated himself before Saul saying: “I cut off the corner of your robe but did not kill you….I have not wronged you but you are hunting me down to take my life” (1Sa: 24: 11-12).

Understandably, Saul was gobsmacked by this encounter. He wept aloud, praised David for his righteousness and conceded that he had treated him badly. “May the Lord reward you well for the way you treated me today,” he said (24: 16-20). Vengeance, we see, is God’s prerogative to take, as and when he sees fit. A reconciliation of sorts followed with David giving Saul an oath of loyalty and Saul leading his army back home. But the truce was short-lived.

After an interlude during which David took two more wives – Abigail and Ahinoam – Saul’s conflict with God drove him, once again, to pursue David. And once again, we see God’s hand over David. The Lord put Saul and his soldiers into a deep sleep which enabled David to enter Saul’s camp undetected and go right into the tent where Saul was sleeping. David could easily have killed Saul. Instead, he reproached his men with the words: “Who can lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed one and be guiltless? As surely as the Lord lives, the Lord will strike him down; either his time will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish” (26: 9-10).

As we saw with the confrontation between Saul and David outside the cave, so a similar exchange took place. David asked Saul why he was pursuing him and said that if men had put Saul up to do so, they were cursed before the Lord. Saul, in response, pleaded guilty of having sinned and vowed not to try and harm David again. They parted company in peace (26: 18-25). But intuitively David did not trust Saul and decided to escape to the land of the Philistines and to ask for refugee status. King Achish agreed but on two conditions: that David raided and plundered Achish’s enemies and joined the Philistine army to attack Israel. (27).

At that point in his life, David found himself testing the adage that my enemy’s enemy is my friend. It’s a man-made solution which, as Proverbs (14:12) tells us, does not work out: “There is a way that seems right to man, but its end is the way to death.” Thus, David found himself compromised. If he refused Achish, he would be killed. But if he made war on Israel, he would be a traitor.

Saul’s Demise

Yet in this vexed situation, God continued to work in David’s life. The commanders of the Philistine army refused to have David under their command and demanded that he return to the land of the Philistines which is what he did (29). In the meanwhile, Saul’s army proved no match for the Philistines. Seeing his army routed, Saul took his own life. His body was later mutilated by the Philistines. Thus God vented his wrath and vengeance on Saul. Had Saul honoured his commitment to peace with David, his fate may well have been different. On three occasions Saul had promised to do so, but reneged each time. In the end, he paid the price for his deceit.

Saul was a failed leader – an unrepentant hypocrite, coward and a deceiver, just like so many leaders today. Israel’s plight under Saul showed that it needed more than a man to hope in. All men are fallible. Under Saul, the land God had promised to his people since the time of Moses was desecrated by the Philistines. Righteousness was mocked and denounced by the pagans – just as it is today. Falsehood and false gods were esteemed.

The second book of Samuel commences with David going into mourning after receiving the news of Saul’s death. Despite Saul’s malevolence, David bore him no malice and continued to refer to Saul as “the Lord’s anointed” (2Sa:1: 11-14). In this, we see a reflection of Jesus’s exhortation that, as Christians, we must not bear malice towards those who persecute us. Instead, we should recognise that such persons have succumbed to the same evil forces to which we are exposed without the grace of God.

David’s Kingship

God then instructed David to proceed to Hebron where, at the age of 30, he was crowned king over the house of Judah and ruled for the next 40 years. But Abner, the commander of Saul’s shattered army, refused to recognise David. A feud erupted between the house of David and that of Saul, led by Ishbosheth. But the Lord was with David and the rebellion collapsed after two years. Epic victories followed against the Philistines, Moabites and Ammonites with David’s sovereignty extending to the Euphrates River in the east. As scripture states, “the Lord gave David victory wherever he went” (2Sa:8:14). Obedience to God brought Israel peace and stability. As David stated in praise of God: “You have established your people Israel as your own forever and you, O Lord, have become their God” (2Sa:7: 24).

But, as the cycles of life demonstrate, the prosperity and security that Israel enjoyed under David led to complacency and to sin. No longer needed to lead his armies, boredom and temptation seduced David. His adultery with Bathsheba and his consignment of her husband, Uriah, to death in the frontline fighting angered God. As the prophet Nathan informed David, God intended to exact punishment from David (2Sa: 12: 11).  But God was swift to forgive David for his repentance. “The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die,” Nathan told David. Instead, the child that Bathsheba had conceived through David would perish (2Sa: 13-14).

What this episode shows is that God remained loyal to his covenant with Israel. He did not waver despite David’s sinfulness. He accepted David’s contrition and rewarded him with a new son from Bathsheba called Solomon, who, as we know, became famous for his wisdom.

Mephibosheth

Patience and mercy, two Godly virtues, are often lacking in our lives. God’s walk with Israel through disobedience, disgrace and defeat through the centuries, depicts his character. Israel did not deserve that any more than we do for our sinful ways.

David’s treatment of Mephibosheth reciprocated the compassion and mercy God had showered on David’s life and is a salutary lesson in the dignity and respect that can accrue when power is infused with humility.

In ancient times, when a dynasty was overthrown – in this case, Saul’s household –it was common practice to kill off any surviving male heirs so as to consolidate the new ruler’s position and eliminate any future challenges. Saul’s son, Jonathan, who had died along with his father in battle against the Philistines, had a son named Mephibosheth who had a severe deformity: he was crippled in both feet.

Leviticus chapter 21, verses 17 to 23,  lists physical defects and deformities which prohibited a person so afflicted [quote] “to come near to present the offerings made to the Lord by fire…..he must not go near the curtain or approach the altar and so desecrate  my sanctuary.” As we know from the New Testament, many of Jesus’ miracles involved healing deformities and disabilities such was his compassion for the physically stricken. In ancient times, however, such people were consigned to the margins of society and regarded as expendable burdens.

David’s treatment of Mephibosheth, therefore, is significant. He could have had him killed or exiled. Understandably, Mephibosheth was terrified when he was summoned to appear before King David. But David’s first words of greeting were “Don’t be afraid.” Mephibosheth’s surprise and opinion of himself was reflected by his response: “What is your servant that you should notice a dead dog like me?” He must have been astonished and relieved when David informed him that he would inherit everything that belonged to his grandfather, Saul, and that Mephibosheth would “always eat at my table” – like one of David’s sons (2Sa: 9: 6-13).

How do we relate to this? The answer is that we are the Lord’s Mephibosheth’s.  In Hebrew, the name means ‘mouth of shame.’ We are crippled- inside. Sin is inherent in our DNA. Just as Mephibosheth was spared and cared for by the grace of David, so only by the grace of God do we sup at his table.

David’s Last Years

The cycles of history repeated themselves in David’s last years. Just as he had had to flee from, Saul, so David found himself having to escape from his son, Absalom, who conspired to supplant David as king. Once more David became a fugitive. In the turmoil that followed David’s abandonment of Jerusalem, Mephibosheth, to his discredit, remained in Jerusalem under the impression that [quote] “today the house of Israel will give me back my grandfather’s kingdom.” David was disgusted and promptly awarded everything that belonged to Mephibosheth to Ziba, his loyal steward who served Mephibosheth (2Sa: 16: 1-4).

This turn of events reflects the very real rollercoaster that is our sinful human existence. Mephibosheth was gifted by David’s grace. Yet he saw nothing remiss in attempting to take advantage when his benefactor’s fortunes were down. Mephibosheth’s opportunism reflects the self-centeredness and greed that thrives in human nature and which can only be defied and denied if we are subservient to God.

Just as David mourned the death of Saul, so he mourned the overthrow and death of Absalom. Whereas the messengers of that news had thought David would be pleased that Absalom’s rebellion had been crushed, David was heartbroken –“If only I had died instead of you,” he cried (2Sa:18: 33). David then faced the task of winning back the hearts and minds of his subjects who had transferred their loyalties to Absalom (2Sa:19: 13-14). When he encountered Mephibosheth, David again showed mercy. He could have punished him but instead, despite Mephibosheth’s lies about Ziba, David ordered that the fields he had granted to Ziba be divided between the steward, Ziba, and Mephibosheth. David could have thrown Mephibosheth out, which is what he deserved for being a turncoat. But instead, he displayed magnanimity and waived Mephibosheth’s attempts to patronise him. It’s the same kind of generous spirit Jesus displayed towards his apostles on occasions when their faith in him faltered or failed. And, of course, the same spirit of forgiveness that Jesus had towards his executioners on Good Friday.

Hardly had the sedition of Absalom ended, when a new rebellion arose under Sheba, the Benjamite, who declared that he and his men had no faith in David (2Sa:20: 1-2) Fortunately that sedition was short-lived . But strife and dissension plagued the last years of David’s reign as king. Yet he never questioned his lot in life or cursed God. When the anger of the Lord burned against Israel following David’s failed government of his kingdom, he implored God as follows: “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, O Lord, I beg you take away the guilt of your servant” (2Sa: 24: 10). He was distressed at the suffering of his subjects, following the Lord’s unleashing of a plague which killed 70,000 Israelites and said to the angel: “I am the one who has sinned and done wrong. These are but sheep. What have they done? Let your hand fall upon me and my family” (2Sa: 24:17).

Conclusion

David offered himself as the scapegoat of Israel. But God ignored David’s offer because he had a far more worthy offering to atone for the sins, not only of Israel, but for all of mankind, namely, Jesus. In many ways, Jesus was, as Stephen Morefield contends, “the Greater David.” He conquered temptation and sin completely, whereas King David’s achievements depended on the grace of God which, on occasions, he forfeited through sin.

From a broader perspective, the annals of Saul and David’s lives characterise the range of human behaviour: faults, failings, highs, lows, deceit, lust, devotion, foolishness, opportunism, victory, defeat and death. Occupying two books of the Old Testament and nearly a century in terms of history, it is an account that focuses deeply on how God works.  His patience, compassion and mercy are infinite but depend on repentance and subservience. Saul failed in that regard. Consequently, he met an ignominious end. David also succumbed to sin but repented and showed subservience to God and met an honourable end.

Psalm 12*, which was written by David, shows that the challenges of the world during his time, have become even more severe in our own time. The relevance of Psalm 12 to our time reflects the timelessness of the scriptures.

Help, Lord, for the godly are no more;

the faithful have vanished among men.

Everyone lies to his neighbour; their

flattering lips speak with deception.

May the Lord cut off all flattering lips

and every boastful tongue that says

“We will triumph with our tongues;

we own our lips – who is our master?

Because of the oppression of the weak

and the groaning of the needy, I will now

arise, says the Lord. I will protect them

from those who malign them.

O Lord, you will keep us safe and protect

us from such people forever.

The wicked freely strut about when what

is vile is honoured among men.

(* 12.6 – omitted)

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