Bread of Life Fellowship

Table from sermon conclusion available here: https://media.BOLFellowship.org/A-Mothers-Laughter-Table.jpg

After escaping from the Philistine city of Gath, David hid in the cave of Adullam (1 Sam 22:1-2), where he wrote Psalm 57. David was running away and hiding from his enemies. From this cave, David refers to God as his refuge (57:1). God is referred to 21 times by name or pronoun in the Psalm's 11 verses. This God-centered mindset changes the Psalmist's tone from uncertainty to settled praise. There is a change in tone and theme between the two stanzas that has perplexed some scholars seeking a unified theme in the Psalm. Going from the individual plea (vss. 1-4) to an invocation that God would manifest His glory to the whole earth (vss. 9-11), some have proposed that the Psalm is a compilation of two separate compositions. But put together, the two sections present the minutia of individual need in the context of the wider substantial matter of God's glory. When we are experiencing a trial, we can "lose the forest for the trees," by focusing on deliverance from our circumstances, while missing how our trial contributes to the great goal of history – that God might be known and honored. David wants God to be exalted over all the earth, in the way he trusts and praises God in his trials. Psalm 57 shows us that our prayers for deliverance from distress serve a greater end than just a change of circumstance or feeling, but our suffering is ultimately for the glory of God.

Después de escapar de la ciudad filistea de Gat, David se escondió en la cueva de Adulam (1 Sam 22:1-2), donde escribió el Salmo 57. David huía y se escondía de sus enemigos. Desde esta cueva, David se refiere a Dios como su refugio (57:1). Se hace referencia a Dios 21 veces por su nombre o pronombre en los 11 versículos del Salmo. Esta mentalidad centrada en Dios cambia el tono del salmista de la incertidumbre a la alabanza firme. Hay un cambio de tono y tema entre las dos estrofas que ha dejado perplejos a algunos eruditos que buscan un tema unificado en el Salmo. Pasando de la súplica individual (vv. 1-4) a una invocación de que Dios manifestaría su gloria a toda la tierra (vv. 9-11), algunos han propuesto que el Salmo es una recopilación de dos composiciones separadas. Pero juntas, las dos secciones presentan los detalles de la necesidad individual en el contexto del asunto sustancial más amplio de la gloria de Dios. Cuando estamos experimentando una prueba, podemos "perder el bosque por los árboles", enfocándonos en la liberación de nuestras circunstancias, sin perder de vista cómo nuestra prueba contribuye al gran objetivo de la historia: que Dios sea conocido y honrado. David quiere que Dios sea exaltado sobre toda la tierra, en la forma en que confía y alaba a Dios en sus pruebas. El Salmo 57 nos muestra que nuestras oraciones por la liberación de la angustia sirven a un fin mayor que simplemente un cambio de circunstancias o sentimientos, pero nuestro sufrimiento es, en última instancia, para la gloria de Dios.

El título del Salmo nos dice que fue escrito por David, cuando los zifitas fueron y dijeron a Saúl: "¿No está David escondido entre nosotros?" Esta es una referencia a los eventos que tienen lugar en 1 Samuel 23. El trasfondo inmediato del Salmo 54 tenía a David dentro de la ciudad amurallada de Keilah, que liberó de los atacantes filisteos. Aunque se beneficiaron de la protección de David, los keilaítas consideraron a David una amenaza para la monarquía y trataron de entregárselo a Saúl. Al ser advertido por el Señor, David salió de la ciudad y buscó refugio en el desierto de Zif. David estaba en peligro incluso en esta zona remota e inhóspita, ya que los zifitas también buscaban entregarlo al rey Saúl. Se podía esperar la traición de Doeg el edomita contra David, pero aquí David se encuentra traicionado por su propio pueblo: los judíos de Zif. Al no tener a quién acudir y casi nadie en quien confiar, David se dirigió al Señor en oración y escribió una canción al respecto: las palabras del Salmo 54. Este Salmo es para cualquiera que se haya sentido abandonado, rechazado o denunciado públicamente por un amigo. Cuando uno puede sentir que "a nadie le importa", el Salmo 54 revela a un Dios que no sólo se preocupa sino que es poderoso para liberar a su pueblo de su aflicción. El Salmo sirve de modelo de oración: invoca a Dios para que escuche su lamento (2-3); se anima recordando quién es Dios (4); hace su petición (5); y ofrece acción de gracias demostrando una firme confianza en que Dios realmente lo libraría. Habiendo llevado su ansiedad al Señor al comienzo del Salmo, David recupera su tranquila confianza al final del mismo.

Testimonies for new members received at Bread of Life

The author of 1 Samuel breaks off the narrative about David to tell us something of greater importance. He does this to place David's predicament right beside Saul's dilemma to show us that as difficult as David's situation was, Saul's was far worse. King Saul was abandoned by God. In verse 15, Saul utters what are among the most miserable words in all of Scripture when he tells the ghost of Samuel, "I am in great distress, for the Philistines are warring against me, and God has turned away from me and answers me no more, either by prophets or by dreams." Saul had reached the point in his life that Samuel had prophesied of years earlier in chapter 15, verse 23, "rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected you from being king."Facing the greatest misery of his life, Saul sinks into the deepest darkness of his career as king, as his rebellion (akin to witchcraft) turns to actual witchcraft. In the absence of a word from the Lord, king Saul hypocritically violates God's commandment and turns to Satan for answers. In desperation and facing devastation, men will often turn to anything they think will bring them hope. But the lesson Saul learned is that if one despises God's Word, He will take it away and if one persistently refuses to obey God's word, they will endure His silence.

In 2 Corinthians 7:10, the apostle writes: For godly sorrow produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world brings about death. Evaluating the veracity of repentance can be difficult, but most everyone would agree that a distinction must be made between the person who is truly repentant and the one who only regrets the consequences of their actions. Identifying the marks of true repentance is very practical in our lives and in our church. Is your friend, for example, truly sorry about how their words offended you, or do they just want to move on as if nothing happened? How can the church know whether a person under discipline has genuinely repented or is merely going through outward motions wrought by regret? How can a wife know whether her husband's tears and sorrow after infidelity are the fruit of genuine repentance or of mere worldly sorrow? Even more important is the question of one's repentance before the Lord. How can one be confident that they are not among the multitude of people who think they have repented but are self-deceived? After all, Jesus warned that there are many who call Him "Lord," yet he will say to them, "depart from me I never knew you" (Mt 7:21-23). Scripture commands us to examine our own salvation (2 Cor13:5) to make it sure (2 Pet 1:10). False assurance is the price of not evaluating one's repentance accurately; the cost of which will be eternal.

November 17, 2024 - Five Baptisms and testimonies

Chapter 25 is enveloped by two significant events. In the chapter's first verse, the death of the prophet Samuel marks the end of an era. In the chapter's last verse, the only remaining link between David and Saul, Michal, Saul's daughter and David's wife, is taken away from David as Saul marries her to another man. These two incidents extinguish any hope of reconciling the two kings.Chapters 24 and 26 narrate parallel stories where David refrains from taking the life of Saul on two occasions when he has occasion to do so. The lesson from both stories is that God will vindicate injustice perpetrated against his people. Up to this point in the narrative, David has acted impeccably in his battles with the Philistines, his protection of the people of Israel, and his dealings with the frantic, foolish king Saul. Significantly, chapter 25 falls between the parallel stories in 24 and 26, only this time, we will find a flawed king David, an unexpected hero, and in the place of Saul, a rich ignoble fool named Nabal. While David was unable to apply his trust in God's justice, Abigail demonstrates astonishing wisdom. Her words and actions are used to open David's eyes to the sin he would have otherwise committed in carrying out a massacre on Nabal and his people. God rescued David from his own wrongdoing using Abigail, who was at once decisive, resourceful, perceptive, engaging, respectful, encouraging, theological, rational, convincing, and shrewd. God finally executed justice on Nabal by taking his life. The death of the Saul-like fool leaves us with the looming thought that the only way this conflict between Saul and David will end will be with the death of king Saul.

Men's Conference 2024 Pastors Joe Babij and Steve Sherman teach men to stand firm in the spiritual war or temptation that is being waged against them.

Men's Conference 2024 Pastors Joe Babij and Steve Sherman teach men to stand firm in the spiritual war or temptation that is being waged against them.

David and Saul are engaged in a life and death version of a "cat and mouse game," a metaphorical expression describing circumstances where one is constantly trying to evade or outmaneuver another. In verse 14 we have what could be the title of the entire section - Saul sought [David] every day, but God did not give him into his hand. Whatever Saul and David do in their life and death chase, the results are safely rooted in the divine plan – David will remain safe, for he is God's choice for king of Israel.The two men, Saul and David, could not be more different! The contrast between the two men is portrayed in the story in chapter 24. Nothing reveals the heart of a person more than how one treats someone who has done them wrong. When his mortal enemy Saul is left vulnerable, what does David do? He spares Saul's life. David provides for all posterity a model of how to handle vindication against injustice. David truly believed Deuteronomy 32:35: Vengeance is mine, and recompense, for the time when their foot shall slip; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and their doom comes swiftly. David was content for God to take care of this situation; he did not need to take matters into his own hands.

The title of Psalm 52 tells us that it was written by David, when Doeg, the Edomite, came and told Saul, 'David has come to the house of Ahimelech.' This is a reference to 1 Samuel 22-6-23, where Saul slaughtered the Israelite priests at Nob by the hand of Doeg the Edomite. This ugly and tragic event prompted David to pen the Psalm. --In Psalm 52 David indicates the kind of man Doeg is. In a word, he is bad. Doeg's most destructive weapon was his deceitful tongue. He loves evil more than good, lying and all words that devour -v. 3-4-. Doeg's bitter words resulted in his gaining a short-lived opportunity in the eyes of king Saul. But God will have the final word on bad men like Doeg. David declares, God will break you down forever- he will snatch and tear you from your tent- he will uproot you from the land of the living -v. 5-7-. Such is the end of Doeg and all who follow in his evil footsteps. --In contrast to Doeg -the bad- who is uprooted from the land of the living -v. 5- is David -the good- is like a green olive tree in the house of God -v. 8-. While Doeg trusted in the abundance of his riches -v. 7-, David trusted in the steadfast love of God -v. 8-. Doeg's brief rise to fame followed by sudden destruction is contrasted to David's perseverance and preservation, just like the olive tree, among longest living of the trees in Israel.

The title of Psalm 52 tells us that it was written by David, when Doeg, the Edomite, came and told Saul, 'David has come to the house of Ahimelech.' This is a reference to 1 Samuel 22:6-23, where Saul slaughtered the Israelite priests at Nob by the hand of Doeg the Edomite. This ugly and tragic event prompted David to pen the Psalm. In Psalm 52 David indicates the kind of man Doeg is. In a word, he is bad. Doeg's most destructive weapon was his deceitful tongue. He loves evil more than good, lying and all words that devour (v. 3-4). Doeg's bitter words resulted in his gaining a short-lived opportunity in the eyes of king Saul. But God will have the final word on bad men like Doeg. David declares, God will break you down forever; he will snatch and tear you from your tent; he will uproot you from the land of the living (v. 5-7). Such is the end of Doeg and all who follow in his evil footsteps. In contrast to Doeg (the bad) who is uprooted from the land of the living (v. 5) is David (the good) is like a green olive tree in the house of God (v. 8). While Doeg trusted in the abundance of his riches (v. 7), David trusted in the steadfast love of God (v. 8). Doeg's brief rise to fame followed by sudden destruction is contrasted to David's perseverance and preservation, just like the olive tree, among longest living of the trees in Israel.