God’s Remarkable Response to David’s Sin

Psalm 38 finds David in a low place, brought low by his sin. Whereas in other Psalms he lays claim on his innocence and seeks deliverance, here he bemoans of his guilt.

There is no soundness in my flesh because of your indignation;

there is no health in my bones because of my sin. -Psalm 38:3

In this couplet, David suffers a strickenness in direct result of his sin. We find it throughout the Psalm.

For my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me.

My wounds stink and fester because of my foolishness,

I am utterly bowed down and prostrate; all the day I go about mourning.

But David’s desolate condition is not merely the result of sin: he suffers too from the hand of God.

I know this because verse 3 informs me of it. The lack of health and soundness in David’s body is given two causes. These are God’s indignation and David’s sin, and they are inextricable.

To think that God is so gracious to be ambivalent to our sin is to misunderstand God and to belittle the devastation of sin. It is also to misunderstand grace.

Sin is not a mere quirk or untimely hiccup, it is an offense against God.

Grace is not overlooking sin, but acknowledging it face on and atoning for it. Hearing the vulgar rebukes of his mockers, Jesus, pinned to the stake cried, “Father, forgive them! For they know not what they do.” Jesus embodies perfect grace.

And God would not be God if our sin did not stir within Him an indignation. He is the Holy One.

God cares too much about us to be the ambivalent friend. Indeed, God disciplines those he loves, that they might not suffer continually from their sin. David tangibly describes God’s discipline in verse 2:

For your arrows have sunk into me,

and your hand has come down on me.

The greatest reminder from this Psalm for me is that my sin affects God and rouses from Him a response. Here it is called indignation. Paul later calls it grief (Eph 4:30). It is remarkable that the Infinite, Perfect, and Immense Creator of the Universe could have such an affection for me that my minute comings and goings could sway Him–Him! That truth is indeed too marvelous to behold.

We could never comprehend the complexities of the emotions of God, nor the perfect means by which God mingles his love for his children with his hatred of sin. But as we grow nearer to his heart, the more wisely will we live and the more fully will we love. While my sin is forgiven and atoned for, it still stirs the heart of my Father. May I be sensitive to Him and desire deeply to please Him. God help me!

God’s Tender Walk with David’s Conflicted Heart

A few observations on the following text of David’s apparent impersonation of Harrison Ford in The Fugitive:

[Saul] pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon. Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side of the mountain. And David was hurrying to get away from Saul. As Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men to capture them, a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Hurry and come, for the Philistines have made a raid against the land.” So Saul returned from pursuing after David and went against the Philistines. Therefore that place was called the Rock of Escape. And David went up from there and lived in the strongholds of Engedi. -1 Samuel 23:25b-29

1. David is remarkably merciful by his insistence on not harming Saul.

By my estimation, David would be totally justified in wrenching the kingdom from Saul. David’s been anointed king by Samuel, and his predecessor Saul has been told that he’s been sacked (though, in denial, he continues to show up at the “office.”)

Why would David refrain from taking what is rightfully his? To some degree, his conscience can’t bear it. He ninja-style tears a corner off of Saul’s robe to show that he means him no harm (yes, when Saul is still trying to kill him), and the realization that he ruined the man’s North Face overwhelms him (1 Sam 24:5-7). Should he be this sensitive though?

I’m not sure. To me it’s David’s duty to take the throne, but it seems that, as surprising as it is to us,

2. God is willing to work within David’s conscience.

When Saul comes up in this passage with his army against David, God could have allowed the fight to break and routed Saul and company. To me, that would make sense. Hubris sends the fellow into working against God and God turns it back on his head. BOOM. That makes for a quick, clean story. Moral: served.

But it didn’t go down that way. God is tenderly raising up David, and when David feels like his conscience forbids him, God respects it and brings in the Philistines to redirect Saul away. (Again, God can work through sin and, in fact, uses it to accomplish his purposes [Gen 50:20]). This shows me that…

3. Our consciences are important and should be respected.

David has a right moral (I must not harm the Lord’s anointed!), but his information is just a bit off: he’s actually the anointed one now. But while David is still deriving the the right data and compiling, God is not going to lead David into betraying David’s conscience.

Similar situations happen with us. We can feel that something might be wrong, even when it is ambiguous or even totally acceptable. But when we do feel like we are breaking conscience, we should honor that feeling. Crossing over and disobeying one’s conscience only begets more and more disobedience. We unfortunately get used to feeling bad, and then stop feeling anything altogether. The end result is a deadened or severely weakened conscience that we need for things like life. That’s why Paul encourages the church members to respect one another’s arbitrary opinions:

One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. – Romans 14:5

We must obey the silent murmurs and even silly apprehensions of our hearts. They are there for a reason. Maybe we have the wrong data, and that will work itself out eventually. But let us be fully convinced in our own minds.

You may feel like your conscience has been so maligned by you that it is deadened beyond recovery. Take heart. It is not. You, or your heart, are never beyond recovery. Our God’s arms are never too short to reach you, nor are His healing hands ever too unskilled to restore you.

God, Genocide, and the Big Red Button

To read the Bible is to grapple with the ugliest shades of life. Shades of darkness, terror, incest, war, rape, and the like. Contrary to our childhood Sunday school classes, many of the stories are starkly graphic and disturbing.
Why?

Well, it is unfortunately true to life. It is not unfortunate that the Bible is continually relevant for thousands of years, but rather it is unfortunate that life is indeed so grim.

The following passage reveals a grim moment.

Thus says the LORD of hosts,

“I have noted what Amalek did to Israel in opposing them on the way when they came up out of Egypt. Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that they have. Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.”

– 1 Samuel 15:2-3

In this passage, we see the LORD commanding Saul to destroy the Amalekites, and later, He enables Saul to essentially do so. Some escape (we see their descendents harassing future Israel), and Saul does not follow his order completely. But largely, this genocide does indeed occur, which raises some questions: why would God order a war of this scale, eliminating even the women and children? And how can this God be good or trustworthy?

My intention is to show that God is good–indeed the source of all Goodness and in Himself Goodness perfected.

It is common for a pastor or teacher to give all of the reasons why such a commissioned catastrophe would be warranted. And, granted, surely there are many. The sins of the Amalekites is no small measure. And for Israel to remotely survive, they need to be defeated. But even such an explanation would likely be challenged by many who argue for the innocence of–at least–the children. So, the argument that the Amalekites got what was coming to them, may not stand in the eyes of our culture.

How then, can God still be good?

God is still good here only if indeed we and the Amalekites have total depravity–meaning, the only way God is righteous is if the children are truly unrighteous and if unrighteousness’ penalty is death.

There is no room in the Bible for the humanist view that people are innately good. Our world should convince us otherwise, but those that disregard diety must–for the sake of their sanity–find goodness somewhere. In the Bible, God is God and the only one that is Good. He is perfectly just in taking life. He owes us nothing. To our American, man-centered brains, this bewilders and frustrates. We want a God that is man-centered: working tirelessly for our “glory.”

But do we really?

Do we actually want a God that is man-centered in His workings? A God that would never be capable of killing the Amalekites?

I contend we do not.

Our souls were made for basking in glory. We cry and quiver and shout in stadiums and theaters and National Parks–places designated for displaying glory. But even our best worldly commencements and parades and victories fail us. Our sports icon spouts off racist remarks. Our American hero cheats on his spouse. Our elected officials make mistakes. Under the costume or uniform, we know that it’s a lie. Their glory is tainted; our satisfaction in vain.

A God who intentionally purported such glories of man, would do unto us the worst evil. It would be like being served a veggie burger when one asked for beef.

God is good because He is committed to glorifying Himself to us. It is indeed only what will satisfy us. A God so committed to man that He would be incapable of judging people or killing the Amalekites is no God at all. He would be but a cosmic prostitute–a play-thing for self-enjoyment.

It is difficult to overcome a man-centered worldview, even as a Christian. But a thorough knowledge of our depravity should help. We should know that inwardly we are all tainted pictures. None deserve their life–not to mention an eternal one. And yet God gives more grace. And yet He loves. It is refreshing to return to a true consciousness of our sin, for confession begets repentance. And repentance is the true calling of a perfect God to a broken man. Praise God for His relentless invitation to repent in the midst of our deep depravity.

The Medicinal Psalms

How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
They feast on the abundance of your house,
and you give them drink from the river of your delights.
For with you is the fountain of life;
in your light do we see light. – Psalm 36:7-9

The love of God is so precious, more than we realize. This psalm makes it abundantly clear.

God’s love is like a rare gem among the rubble of life. Compared to all else it ought to be revered and cherished.

How I am so prone to diminish it! It is worth everything!… And yet I often get more excited about a group of men dressed in the color of my fancy delivering an oblong ball across a field. How wretched am I!

It is essential to continually return to a knowledge of the true greatness of the Lord. That is why reading the psalms can be so cleansing to the perspective. They remind us of the sublime glories of God, inviting us inside to“feast” and “drink” at the table of God.

To meditate on God’s goodness and drink of his delights, these are the ends for which we were made.

Samuel’s Burden to Pray

In an address to the people, Samuel, the part-priest, part-prophet, part-judge of Israel, says the following when the people urge Samuel to not stop interceding on their behalf:

“Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you, and I will instruct you in the good and the right way.” – 1 Samuel 12:23

Oh Lord, may I realize the depths of my sin by neglecting to pray for those you have put around me! Samuel’s statement touches on an oft-neglected obligation: the command to pray.

It is common to hold prayer for others as beneficial, loving, and–unfortunately–entirely optional. We can forget that Jesus says things like “pray for those who persecute you” (Mt 5:44), meaning, “like yes, actually do it.” Samuel feels deeply this burden of prayer, equating ceasing it with sinning against the Lord. I think, at best, I might view my neglected prayer as (maybe?) sinning against those I’m failing to pray for, but likely not against the Lord!

There are likely two reasons I see why we wouldn’t pray:

1. We don’t actually believe that prayer works.

For whatever reason, we haven’t taken to heart God’s command to pray. Perhaps we are discouraged about unanswered prayer in our past, perhaps we doubt God’s ability or desire to hear us, or perhaps we think that God’s sovereignty rules out His desire to work through our prayers. Whatever it is, we must wrestle through these doubts.

2. We don’t actually love the people for whom we are called to pray.

This is true for everyone. Due to our humanity, we will fall short of how we are to love. But, luckily, if we can realize this, our first step is confession and prayer to the Lord, who can impart a Godly compassion to us. Praise God that we are not left alone in our sin, but by His Spirit, God will continue to mold his children into the likeness of Jesus.

May we, full of faith in a God who hears prayer and love for the people around us, feel too Samuel’s burden to pray.

Samuel’s Front Row Seat to the Surprising Love of God

16 “Tomorrow about this time I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over my people Israel. He shall save my people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have seen my people, because their cry has come to me.” 17 When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord told him, “Here is the man of whom I spoke to you! He it is who shall restrain my people.” 1 Samuel 9:16-17

The relationship between God and Israel is continually fascinating. I think we should pay special attention to when God acts in a surprising fashion. This is one of those moments.

This moment is fascinating because God is setting in motion a plan to fulfill the desires of Israel–the sinful desires of Israel. Israel desires a king. For protection, for war, for judgement, and also to simply be like all of the other nations around them. It is a vain desire. This desire did not come from God; indeed, in 8:7 God commands Samuel,

“Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.”

Israel rejects God! And now, God is not only allowing them to reject Him, He is seemingly helping them do so by instructing Samuel to anoint a king. This is like the father who gives money to his rebellious son who is running away from home: it seems senseless! It seems foolish! Perhaps even wrong!

But God is not senseless and God is not foolish. And, as always, God is right.

The love that provides for a rebellious son is the sort of God-love that is far more common to us than we realize. How often does God bless us, provide for us, give us intellectual capacity, physical ability, and we… use it against Him? Well… actually all the time. Like all of the times.

A day has not passed in my life in which I have not worked against God, strived against his purposes, or used his gifts to sin against Him. Every breath is a gift, and some turn to praise while others become bitterness or contempt or disparagement. And yet… God keeps on giving.

I think part of the reason that God enables us is because He can turn even our worst sins to (not only) good, but to His very purpose (Gen. 50:20). There is no darkness He cannot enlighten. There is no brokenness He cannot make whole. There is no smudge He cannot fix. There are no tears He cannot hold.

So God speaks personally to Samuel, He instructs Him to anoint a king (that is Saul), and He does all this even though it will not be good for Israel to do such a thing (cf. chapter 8) nor is it good within itself (they are rejecting God). So, why would God enable his chosen people to reject Him? Because God’s purpose is to redeem.

Through Saul (and more specifically through his successor David), God is forging a path for a king that will not oppress his people but who will bless them in the most excellent way. That King is Jesus.

Praise God that He works our sin into beauty, and praise God that He turns our disobedience into redeemed purpose.