Michiana Covenant Presbyterian Church

-Sung Psalm- 30---Last time we looked at the Coming of the Lord - and now we turn to the Day of the Lord.--The idea of the Day of the Lord is closely connected with the theme of -Judgment Day- in scripture.--Isaiah 13-6-9 speaks of the Day of the LORD as the day of destruction.--Jeremiah 46-10 refers to the Day of the LORD as the day of vengeance.--Ezekiel 30-3 speaks of the Day of the LORD as the day of doom for the nations.--The whole book of Joel is organized around the Day of the LORD as the day of judgment.--Amos 5-18-20 warns that the Day of the LORD is a day of darkness - not light.--Zephaniah 1 speaks of the bitter sound of the Day of the LORD.--And Malachi 4 says that the Day of the LORD will be a day of consuming fire.--So when Paul speaks of the -Day of the Lord- here in 1 Thessalonians 5, he is building on a familiar theme.--While the coming of the Lord is used at the end of chapter 4 as a comfort and encouragement, the day of the Lord has a very different connotation---And while the main theme is the judgment day at the end of history, it is important to recognize that for each of us, we all face the Day of the Lord.--For each of us it is appointed to die once - and then judgment. And no one knows the hour of his death---As John Chrysostom put it, -Do not place your confidence in your youth, nor think that you have a very fixed term of life, 'for the day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night.'...Let the old man keep this admonition- let the young man heed this advice.---So as we look at the Day of the Lord in 1 Thessalonians 5, remember that this life is the training ground for the next. How you live now sets the trajectory for eternity...

What is 1 Samuel 25 doing-- Is it simply an interesting story about David that the author decided to -throw in- just for fun-- Probably not. And especially because chapter 25 is sandwiched in between the two stories of how David spared Saul. And the story of Abigail is carefully crafted. The narrative is carried by speeches - and the longest and most important speech is right at the middle - and in the voice of Abigail.--The story of Nabal and Abigail is at the very center of -The Adventures of David.- It is surrounded by the two episodes of Saul being given into David's hand- it is preceded by the story of David in the Judean wilderness- it is followed by David in the land of the Philistines. The Adventures of David begin with the death of Goliath. They end with the death of Saul.--And in the middle come the deaths of Samuel and Nabal.--In these central episodes in 1 Samuel 24-26 we hear of what will happen to all of David's enemies. David's enemies will be destroyed - not because of David's might and power, but because the LORD was with David.--It is not David's military might, but his faith and trust in Yahweh that give him the victory- Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD- And as that was true for David, so was it most powerfully true for our Lord Jesus Christ, and therefore it is true for us as well- Wait upon the LORD and he will accomplish his purposes for you...

-Sung Psalm- 80---In 2-19, Paul asked, -what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming-- Is it not you-- For you are our glory and joy.- --In 3-13, Paul prayed, that God -may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.---Here in 4-15, he speaks of -we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord.---And again in 5-23, -may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.---When Paul speaks of the coming of the Lord, he is usually referring to the future coming of Christ - but that future coming cannot be divorced from his first coming.- -We have seen throughout this series that Paul is centered on the themes of faith, hope and love. We are to keep believing God in our work of faith. We are to keep loving God and neighbor in our labor of love. And all of this because of our steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ---What is lacking in our faith is endurance. What is lacking in our faith is simply that our faith has not yet persevered to the end---That is why hope is so important in Paul's letter. And hope is intimately bound up with the coming of Christ - as we saw in 3-11-13----and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints. --What is it that motivates our love for one another and for all-- Hope.--What is it that establishes our hearts blameless in holiness-- Hope.

In these central episodes of 1 Samuel we hear of what will happen to all of David's enemies. They will be destroyed - not because of David's might and power, but because the LORD was with David.--It is not David's military might, but his faith and trust in Yahweh that gave him the victory- -Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD-- And as that was true for David, so was it most powerfully true for our Lord Jesus Christ, and therefore it is true for us as well- Wait upon the LORD and he will accomplish his purposes for you.--It is important to point out that -waiting on the LORD- does not mean that you never do anything- Rather, it means that you wait for the LORD to do what he has promised - and then, when God says -Go-- you go.--But sometimes it is the tempter who says -now is the time-- David in the wilderness reflects the three temptations of Deuteronomy 6-11, -Do not say in your heart, these nations are too great for me.- -Dt 7-17- -Do not say in your heart, my power has gotten me this wealth -Dt 8-17- -Do not say in your heart, it is because of my righteousness- -Dt 9-4---These three temptations come back in the temptation of Christ in the wilderness. And we will see how Satan's temptation of Jesus is prefigured when David's men say, strike down Saul, and you can have the kingdom now----But David refuses. Why-- Because David knows what God has said- You don't strike down the LORD's Anointed- When you know what God has said - and what God calls you to do and to be - the temptations of the wilderness do not have nearly so much power over you- And you can have simple confidence in God that he will do what he has promised...

-Sung Psalm- 130---We have seen throughout this series that Paul is centered on the themes of faith hope and love. We are to keep believing God in our work of faith. We are to keep loving God and neighbor in our labor of love. And all of this because of our steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ---What is lacking in our faith is endurance. What is lacking in our faith is simply that our faith has not yet persevered to the end---That is why hope is so important in Paul's letter. Even though he doesn't use the word -hope- in chapter 3, the concept of hope was very much the whole point of verses 11-13----...and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.---Notice the connection that Paul makes between love and holiness. The Lord Jesus makes you increase and abound in love for one another and for all - that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before God...

[Sung Psalm: 30]Last time we looked at the Coming of the Lord – and now we turn to the Day of the Lord.The idea of the Day of the Lord is closely connected with the theme of "Judgment Day" in scripture.Isaiah 13:6-9 speaks of the Day of the LORD as the day of destruction.Jeremiah 46:10 refers to the Day of the LORD as the day of vengeance.Ezekiel 30:3 speaks of the Day of the LORD as the day of doom for the nations.The whole book of Joel is organized around the Day of the LORD as the day of judgment.Amos 5:18-20 warns that the Day of the LORD is a day of darkness – not light.Zephaniah 1 speaks of the bitter sound of the Day of the LORD.And Malachi 4 says that the Day of the LORD will be a day of consuming fire.So when Paul speaks of the "Day of the Lord" here in 1 Thessalonians 5, he is building on a familiar theme.While the coming of the Lord is used at the end of chapter 4 as a comfort and encouragement, the day of the Lord has a very different connotation!And while the main theme is the judgment day at the end of history, it is important to recognize that for each of us, we all face the Day of the Lord.For each of us it is appointed to die once – and then judgment. And no one knows the hour of his death!As John Chrysostom put it, "Do not place your confidence in your youth, nor think that you have a very fixed term of life, 'for the day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night.'...Let the old man keep this admonition; let the young man heed this advice."So as we look at the Day of the Lord in 1 Thessalonians 5, remember that this life is the training ground for the next. How you live now sets the trajectory for eternity...

What is 1 Samuel 25 doing? Is it simply an interesting story about David that the author decided to "throw in" just for fun? Probably not. And especially because chapter 25 is sandwiched in between the two stories of how David spared Saul. And the story of Abigail is carefully crafted. The narrative is carried by speeches – and the longest and most important speech is right at the middle – and in the voice of Abigail.The story of Nabal and Abigail is at the very center of "The Adventures of David." It is surrounded by the two episodes of Saul being given into David's hand: it is preceded by the story of David in the Judean wilderness; it is followed by David in the land of the Philistines. The Adventures of David begin with the death of Goliath. They end with the death of Saul.And in the middle come the deaths of Samuel and Nabal.In these central episodes in 1 Samuel 24-26 we hear of what will happen to all of David's enemies. David's enemies will be destroyed – not because of David's might and power, but because the LORD was with David.It is not David's military might, but his faith and trust in Yahweh that give him the victory! Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD! And as that was true for David, so was it most powerfully true for our Lord Jesus Christ, and therefore it is true for us as well! Wait upon the LORD and he will accomplish his purposes for you...

[Sung Psalm: 80}In 2:19, Paul asked, "what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? For you are our glory and joy." In 3:13, Paul prayed, that God "may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints."Here in 4:15, he speaks of "we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord."And again in 5:23, "may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."When Paul speaks of the coming of the Lord, he is usually referring to the future coming of Christ – but that future coming cannot be divorced from his first coming. We have seen throughout this series that Paul is centered on the themes of faith, hope and love. We are to keep believing God in our work of faith. We are to keep loving God and neighbor in our labor of love. And all of this because of our steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ!What is lacking in our faith is endurance. What is lacking in our faith is simply that our faith has not yet persevered to the end!That is why hope is so important in Paul's letter. And hope is intimately bound up with the coming of Christ – as we saw in 3:11-13:"and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints. What is it that motivates our love for one another and for all? Hope.What is it that establishes our hearts blameless in holiness? Hope.

In these central episodes of 1 Samuel we hear of what will happen to all of David's enemies. They will be destroyed - not because of David's might and power, but because the LORD was with David.It is not David's military might, but his faith and trust in Yahweh that gave him the victory! "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD!" And as that was true for David, so was it most powerfully true for our Lord Jesus Christ, and therefore it is true for us as well! Wait upon the LORD and he will accomplish his purposes for you.It is important to point out that "waiting on the LORD" does not mean that you never do anything! Rather, it means that you wait for the LORD to do what he has promised – and then, when God says "Go!" you go.But sometimes it is the tempter who says "now is the time!" David in the wilderness reflects the three temptations of Deuteronomy 6-11, "Do not say in your heart, these nations are too great for me." (Dt 7:17) "Do not say in your heart, my power has gotten me this wealth (Dt 8:17) "Do not say in your heart, it is because of my righteousness} (Dt 9:4)These three temptations come back in the temptation of Christ in the wilderness. And we will see how Satan's temptation of Jesus is prefigured when David's men say, strike down Saul, and you can have the kingdom now!!But David refuses. Why? Because David knows what God has said: You don't strike down the LORD's Anointed! When you know what God has said – and what God calls you to do and to be – the temptations of the wilderness do not have nearly so much power over you! And you can have simple confidence in God that he will do what he has promised...

[Sung Psalm: 130]We have seen throughout this series that Paul is centered on the themes of faith hope and love. We are to keep believing God in our work of faith. We are to keep loving God and neighbor in our labor of love. And all of this because of our steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ!What is lacking in our faith is endurance. What is lacking in our faith is simply that our faith has not yet persevered to the end!That is why hope is so important in Paul's letter. Even though he doesn't use the word "hope" in chapter 3, the concept of hope was very much the whole point of verses 11-13:"...and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints."Notice the connection that Paul makes between love and holiness. The Lord Jesus makes you increase and abound in love for one another and for all – that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before God...

Tonight is all about the Messiah in hiding. The book of Samuel makes frequent reference to -the LORD's anointed- -Ha Meshiach Yahweh-. David often uses it to refer to Saul -as we'll see next time-, but it has an unmistakable connection to David as well, because David is also the LORD's anointed. He is the Messiah.--Once you have seen this, it is easy to see parallels to Jesus as he teaches and makes disciples in Galilee - hiding in the wilderness, gathering followers, as he awaits God's timing --My hour has not yet come...----Jesus recapitulates the history of Israel - and since Israel has failed, and God has anointed David to be the king who succeeds where Israel fails, it is not surprising to see David himself recapitulating the history of Israel.- -David must wander in the wilderness -as Israel had done, and as Jesus would do-, and wait for the LORD's appointed time. The new feature is the feature of betrayal. This wasn't as much of an issue for Israel in the wilderness, because their treason arose from within.--But David is not only supposed to succeed where Israel failed, he is to lead Israel back into the right way - and not surprisingly, not all Israel will be entirely eager to follow---The LORD's anointed - the Messiah - has no place to lay his head, and worse, he will be betrayed even by those whom he has delivered from their enemies-

-Sung Psalm- 36---Paul thinks the Christian life as a life lived at the intersection of the cross and resurrection of Christ. We share in the sufferings of Christ - we share in his trials and tribulation. --But we also share in his resurrection glory - not just -someday-- Already - by faith - we see him sitting at the right hand of God. Already - by faith - we have been raised with him and are seated with him in the heavenlies.--That is our present identity. I have been crucified with Christ -there is the suffering with him-, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me - and the life I live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. -Gal 2-20-.--This is our present reality in Christ...

Last time we asked the question, why did God permit Saul to persecute David----And we saw that the LORD's anointed must be brought through suffering to glory. The only way for a son of Adam to become the son of God is the way of the cross. And even as Israel was tested in the wilderness, in order to learn to trust in the LORD, so also David must be tested in the wilderness.--And that won't happen as long as David is getting comfy as the great warrior, the king's son-in-law.--And so God sends the evil spirit to Saul in order to drive David into the wilderness...

What if I told you that your suffering - your affliction - is a part of the -great trial that was prophesied to come upon God's people at the end--- What if I told you that your suffering was part of God's plan for the ages - part of what God is doing in order to bring about the salvation of humanity-----Well, that's what it is- -How should Christians respond to the prognosis of a terminal illness, to a job loss because of refusal to compromise faith, to the death of a loved one.... Whenever we maintain our faith in Christ throughout these situations, we demonstrate our identification with the Messiah.- -Beale, 100---The church will never be healthy unless she suffers for Christ...

In 1 Samuel 18-20, David is the general who goes up against Saul's enemies - the LORD's enemies. After Goliath we hear about David's victories in 18-5, 18-14-16, 18-27, 18-30, and 19-8.--And Saul is not blind to who David is. By the end of chapter 20, Saul understands full well that David is the Lord's anointed -20-31-. But Saul is jealous and wants to see his own line follow him as king.--What is interesting is that Saul's family -and all Israel- sees more clearly than Saul. They see that the LORD is with David, and that is enough for them.--If we are going to keep our Messianic theme here - since the king is the Lord's anointed one -meshiach- - then we need to see that loving David, protecting David, and making a covenant with David is all about loving Jesus, delighting in Jesus, and protecting Jesus - and by -protecting- I mean defending and maintaining his kingdom - rather than seeking our own kingdoms...

-Sung Psalm- 116---Preaching the gospel is a great and glorious thing - but Paul says that they were pleased to impart not only the gospel of God - but their own souls---How do you impart your soul to another person------When we are joined to the life of the Son of God - when the Holy Spirit - the Third Person of the Holy Trinity - joins us to the life of God - then we are joined to one another as well.--And so not only do we impart to you the gospel of God - but also, we impart to you our very souls.--Very imperfectly. With much weakness - much frailty - and with much sin and repentance- - we impart to you our own souls.--This is how Paul and Silas and Timothy walked among the Thessalonians. And this is how we, as your elders, seek to walk with you...

What is the point of the story of David and Goliath-- You often hear sermons focus on -what is the Goliath in your life---- Is cancer your Goliath-- Unemployment-- Lust----God was with David. God will be with you- So go out there and slay Goliath-----Another favorite is, David defeated Goliath when he was young - so the church should value young people---A third -application- is that David followed his heart, therefore if you are a man after God's own heart, then you should follow your heart too.--There is something tragically absent from all of these approaches to our text.--Christ...

-Sung Psalm- 103---Have you ever felt as though God has forgotten you-- I think that everyone feels that way at times - even Zion, the city of God, says, -The LORD has forsaken me- my Lord has forgotten me.---Those of you who have borne children will understand something of what Isaiah means- -Can a woman forget her nursing child-----If she forgets for even a little while, there is soon a reminder---But the LORD says, -Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you.- -v15---God will not forget his people. It may feel like it sometimes- God does not promise that everything will turn out the way we want it to---But he does promise us himself...

The story of 1 Samuel 16 is a story of two strange visitations at Bethlehem - the first being the coming of the Prophet Samuel to anoint David- the second being the messengers of King Saul to take David to the king.--And at the heart of the chapter - at the heart of the two visits - is the movement of the Holy Spirit - rushing upon David, even as he departs from Saul.--We saw last time that the LORD rejected Saul as king because Saul does not fear God. Saul fears the people. A king who fears the people will not - in the end - lead them to do what is right in God's eyes.--Oh, he may do a few things right- And our author is a faithful author who points out many things that Saul does right. But if your central failing is that you fear the people rather than God - then you will not lead well.--The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom...

-Sung Psalm- 115---In 1 Thessalonians we will hear about how Jesus is the one who delivers us from the wrath to come. Nowadays we don't like to talk about -the wrath to come.- That doesn't sound very nice.- -True. So let's not talk about anything that doesn't sound nice- Let's not talk about the war in Ukraine - that doesn't sound nice. Let's not talk about global warming - or abortion - or human trafficking - they don't sound nice.--God says that there is wrath to come. That he will judge each one according to his deeds. And those who turn aside from the living and true God have rebelled against him.--Isaiah 44 describes the process of idolatry. An idol is anything that we trust to deliver us. As verse 17 says, -He prays to it and says, 'Deliver me, for you are my god-'---The idolater knows full well that the piece of wood is not actually a god. But the idolater is seeking to worship his god through that piece of wood.---He feeds on ashes- Isaiah says, -a deluded heart has led him astray, and he cannot deliver himself or say, 'Is there not a lie in my right hand--'---Idolatry is fundamentally built on lies. When we worship something other than the living and true God when we think that something else can deliver us - we are deluded-- -What is your situation right now-- What is it that you are counting on to make your situation better----I know. I'm the same way. I know the right answer - -Jesus-- But then - in the moment - I've got a better answer, 'cause Jesus is taking too long...

We cluck our tongues at Saul, shocked that he did not obey God. God had been perfectly clear. He had given Saul a direct, specific command. And yet Saul thought he knew better than God.--Have you ever thought that you knew better than God-- Has God really said that . . . -- Wouldn't God prefer it if you did this instead----Saul's rebellion is especially poignant because it is based on such good intentions. His first error, which we saw last time, was that he offered the sacrifices, instead of waiting for Samuel. He was worshiping God---His second error, which we are looking at tonight, was that he did not totally destroy the Amalekites, but brought some of their flocks for a sacrifice. Again, he was worshiping God---We see this over and over in scripture. The Israelites tried to worship Yahweh through a golden calf. But God was not pleased---Ananias and Sapphira tried to worship God but lied about the percentage they were giving. But God was not pleased---If you would worship God - then you must hear his word and do what he says...

-Sung Psalm- 71---Today we turn to 1 Thessalonians - one of Paul's earliest epistles. Written to a church that was only a few months old, Paul had been hurried out of the city due to threats from the Jewish community, so he is eager to communicate with this fledgling group of believers. --And partly because Paul only had a short time in Thessalonica, this epistle gives us a glimpse into what Paul thought was most important for the church to know. He seems to think that some of his teaching and some of his conduct may have been misunderstood - so he writes to the church, seeking to correct the misunderstandings that have been reported by Silas and Timothy. --At the heart of his concern is to encourage the Thessalonians to continue in -faith, hope, and love- - a triad that will play a key role in Paul's writings for the rest of his life...

Saul of Tarsus was of the tribe of Benjamin. He was some sort of relation to King Saul. And certainly he was named after King Saul.--It is always important to pay attention to biblical names. Saul defeated Nahash the Ammonite. Do you know what -Nahash- means-- Serpent. King Saul has crushed the head of the serpent---And yet, King Saul apostatized. He had a high calling. He was called by God to be his servant in going before the people of God, and deliver them from their enemies. Now his namesake has been called to be God's servant in preaching the gospel to the Gentiles. --I said last week that the narrative of Saul of Gibeah in Benjamin is either the story of the redemption of Benjamin, or a bitter irony as Benjamin goes from bad to worse.--Do you think that Saul of Tarsus was unaware of this bitter irony-- The story of the redemption of Benjamin is found in Saul of Tarsus. When Saul of Tarsus says in Philippians 3 that he is of the tribe of Benjamin, and comments in verse 13, -Forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus,- I cannot imagine that he was ignorant of his namesake's failure to press on...

Our final Psalm in our journey through book One of the Psalter is Psalm 41. If you read it simply as an individual lament over sickness and trouble, then you will struggle over how to sing it. After all, few of us have enemies who would rejoice over our death. And -hopefully- few of us are wishing that God would raise us up, so that we can repay our enemies for their malicious betrayals---If you read Psalm 41 as a generic individual lament, then Psalm 41 sounds like a mean and nasty song that Christians shouldn't sing.--But Jesus said that Psalm 41 is about himself and Judas. That line about -my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me- - Jesus says in John 13 that this scripture was fulfilled by Judas.--That's why Psalm 41 has the title that it does- -To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.---This song should be sung in corporate worship- and this song should be sung in the voice of David...

The story in our passage for tonight is what happens when the Spirit of the LORD turns Saul into another man---We sometimes talk about how the first Joshua resembles the second Joshua -our Lord Jesus-. Perhaps we should also talk about how the first Saul resembles the second Saul -the apostle Paul-.- -Both have a remarkable encounter with God -this Saul with the Holy Spirit - in Acts it will be the exalted Lord Jesus- And both, it could be said, were turned into another man---Now, at first blush, 1 Samuel 10-12 sounds awfully pro-Saul. Israel sinned in rejecting the LORD as king, but Saul seems to do everything right- In other words, our author is an honest man. He admits that Saul started out well. But he also hints at what is to come...

At least - it sounds odd to us- Shouldn't the movement be from sorrow to joy-- Shouldn't we go from death to resurrection--- Shouldn't every song have a happy ending-----No.--What do you sing when you are in the middle of a horrible part of the story-- What do you sing when you are poor and needy-- When the world, the flesh, and the devil are trying to destroy you----In the middle of your pain and your affliction, you can sing Psalm 40...

The request for a king was simply the logical outcome of the failure of Israel. Israel had failed to be and to do what God had called them to be and to do.--It wasn't the request for a king that was the problem. For that matter, it wasn't even the way that they asked for a king.--It was the fact that with the exception of Joshua's generation, the people of Israel had continued to forsake the LORD more and more in each generation...

Samuel's sons do not follow in their father's steps.--We have seen this problem of the -next generation- before. Eli's sons had become like Canaanite priests - treating the women who served at the tent like prostitutes. Now Samuel's sons become like Canaanite judges - taking bribes and perverting justice.--The prophet Jeremiah would say generations later- -Stand at the crossroads and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is- and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.- -Jeremiah 6-16---What does he mean by -the ancient paths--- In the following chapter, Jeremiah warns against thinking of the temple as a magical talisman- -Do not trust in these deceptive words- 'this is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD' -in other words - the same magical thinking as in 1 Samuel 4 - when they thought that the ark would save them...---And yes, Jeremiah is referring to 1 Samuel 4, as he makes clear in Jer 7-11-12 - -Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes-- Behold, I myself have seen it, declares the LORD. Go now to my place at Shiloh, where I made my name dwell at first, and see what I did to it because of the evil of my people Israel...---The ancient paths are the ways - the word - and the Law - of the LORD...

Psalm 39 says, -I am mute- I do not open my mouth, for it is you who have done it.- I am afflicted and in trouble - because of your stroke. Sometimes God puts you in a situation where you have nothing to say - indeed, he calls you to say nothing.--Sometimes, if you say anything, you will make things worse. David realizes this. Sometimes the way we engage in spiritual warfare is through silence.--So David is silent. As Ambrose said, -He had no wish whatever to do the will of him who ruins one's peace of mind.---This runs contrary to everything we think. We tend to think that if we say something - we can fix things---But in our anger, our tendency is to react with bitter words. And sometimes there are no words that can make a situation better...

-Here I raise my Ebenezer-. How did an obscure location in 1 Samuel become part of one of the most famous hymns of the church----Tonight we are concluding our story of Ebenezer and Ichabod. The Battle of Ebenezer opened chapter 4 and a different Ebenezer closes our passage, while Ichabod - no glory - well described the condition of Israel when the Ark of the Covenant was taken captive...

We saw last time that Psalm 37 is the Psalter's version of the Sermon on the Mount. -Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.---Psalm 38 is a very different sort of song.--Psalm 38 is a lament.

What does it mean that Psalm 37 is -Of David--- Well, watch the first person singular---Verse 25- -I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread.---Verse 35- -I have seen a wicked, ruthless man, spreading himself like a green laurel tree. But he passed away, and behold, he was no more- though I sought him, he could not be found.---That's the voice of David - David is speaking to Israel. Israel is singing this song in and with David.--Psalm 37 is the Psalter's version of the Sermon on the Mount- -Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.-

1 Samuel 4-7 is held together by the story of the two Ebenezers. Ebenezer means -stone of help- - as Samuel will say in chapter 7, verse 12 - -Till now the LORD has helped us.---Israel had encamped at the first Ebenezer in chapter 4. The first Ebenezer was in the coastal plain near the foothills of Ephraim. That was the place where Israel was defeated, where the ark was captured, and where the two sons of Eli were killed.--That does not sound much like a stone of help---And in chapter 7, Samuel will set up a stone in Benjamin, near Mizpah, and call its name -Ebenezer.- -stone of help- -Till now the LORD has helped us.---Samuel is teaching his people that God's triumph comes through our weakness. The LORD brought judgment upon his priests and upon his people at Ebenezer.--What kind of help is that----- If God helps us by turning us over to our foes - what kind of help is that-----But his purpose is to bring Israel through suffering to glory...

Some think that the first line of verse 1 belongs properly to chapter 3. After all, there is no other reference to Samuel in chapter 4.- -But this is why I preached on 1 Samuel 4-7 in a single sermon last time- If you turn over to chapter 7, verse 3, we hear how the word of Samuel came to all Israel. -And Samuel said to all the house of Israel, -if you are returning to the LORD with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods----And then notice chapter 7, verse 12, -Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called its name Ebenezer, for he said, 'Till now the LORD has helped us.'---In chapter 4, there are the two battles of Ebenezer - where the LORD fought against Israel - and Samuel is silent. In chapter 7, Samuel will finally speak -many years later- - and a new Ebenezer will be established -many miles away from the Ebenezer of ch 4-.

Psalm 36 opens -Of David, the servant of the LORD.---This exact title is given to only three people in the Old Testament- Moses, Joshua, and David. -God refers to a few others as -my servant- - like Job, Isaiah, Nebuchadnezzar- He also speaks from time to time of Israel or of the prophets as -my servants--- -So when Psalm 35 says that the LORD delights in the welfare of his servant, the singular is important. The LORD delights in the welfare of the King - the Servant of the LORD - because when the King establishes righteousness and justice, then there is joy and peace in all the earth---Psalm 36 opens with an oracle regarding the wicked. The problem with the wicked is that -there is no fear of God before his eyes.- --The song then turns to give praise to God for his steadfast love - and concludes by praying that God will continue his steadfast love to his people...

We have heard many times how David is spoken of as the LORD's anointed - the Messiah. He is the anointed King - the Son of God - whom God set on his throne, as the one who would begin to establish the kingdom of God. The kings of the earth should -kiss the Son- -Psalm 2- - but as Psalm 2 pointed out - instead the rulers of this age have conspired against him.--And so Psalm 35 is a song for the hated King - the despised servant of the LORD. I title it this because Jesus himself says that Psalm 35 is about him.--In John 15-25, Jesus quotes verse 19 --they hated me without cause-- - as he tells his disciples that the world will hate you as well. So Jesus clearly calls you to sing this song with him...

[Sung Psalm: 36]Paul thinks the Christian life as a life lived at the intersection of the cross and resurrection of Christ. We share in the sufferings of Christ – we share in his trials and tribulation. But we also share in his resurrection glory – not just "someday"! Already – by faith – we see him sitting at the right hand of God. Already – by faith – we have been raised with him and are seated with him in the heavenlies.That is our present identity. I have been crucified with Christ (there is the suffering with him), and it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me – and the life I live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Gal 2:20).This is our present reality in Christ...

Tonight is all about the Messiah in hiding. The book of Samuel makes frequent reference to "the LORD's anointed" [Ha Meshiach Yahweh]. David often uses it to refer to Saul (as we'll see next time), but it has an unmistakable connection to David as well, because David is also the LORD's anointed. He is the Messiah.Once you have seen this, it is easy to see parallels to Jesus as he teaches and makes disciples in Galilee – hiding in the wilderness, gathering followers, as he awaits God's timing ("My hour has not yet come...")Jesus recapitulates the history of Israel – and since Israel has failed, and God has anointed David to be the king who succeeds where Israel fails, it is not surprising to see David himself recapitulating the history of Israel. David must wander in the wilderness (as Israel had done, and as Jesus would do), and wait for the LORD's appointed time. The new feature is the feature of betrayal. This wasn't as much of an issue for Israel in the wilderness, because their treason arose from within.But David is not only supposed to succeed where Israel failed, he is to lead Israel back into the right way – and not surprisingly, not all Israel will be entirely eager to follow!The LORD's anointed – the Messiah – has no place to lay his head, and worse, he will be betrayed even by those whom he has delivered from their enemies!

What if I told you that your suffering – your affliction – is a part of the "great trial that was prophesied to come upon God's people at the end"? What if I told you that your suffering was part of God's plan for the ages – part of what God is doing in order to bring about the salvation of humanity?!Well, that's what it is! "How should Christians respond to the prognosis of a terminal illness, to a job loss because of refusal to compromise faith, to the death of a loved one.... Whenever we maintain our faith in Christ throughout these situations, we demonstrate our identification with the Messiah." (Beale, 100)The church will never be healthy unless she suffers for Christ...

Last time we asked the question, why did God permit Saul to persecute David?And we saw that the LORD's anointed must be brought through suffering to glory. The only way for a son of Adam to become the son of God is the way of the cross. And even as Israel was tested in the wilderness, in order to learn to trust in the LORD, so also David must be tested in the wilderness.And that won't happen as long as David is getting comfy as the great warrior, the king's son-in-law.And so God sends the evil spirit to Saul in order to drive David into the wilderness...

[Sung Psalm: 116]Preaching the gospel is a great and glorious thing – but Paul says that they were pleased to impart not only the gospel of God – but their own souls!How do you impart your soul to another person?!!When we are joined to the life of the Son of God – when the Holy Spirit – the Third Person of the Holy Trinity – joins us to the life of God – then we are joined to one another as well.And so not only do we impart to you the gospel of God – but also, we impart to you our very souls.Very imperfectly. With much weakness – much frailty – and with much sin and repentance! – we impart to you our own souls.This is how Paul and Silas and Timothy walked among the Thessalonians. And this is how we, as your elders, seek to walk with you...

In 1 Samuel 18-20, David is the general who goes up against Saul's enemies – the LORD's enemies. After Goliath we hear about David's victories in 18:5, 18:14-16, 18:27, 18:30, and 19:8.And Saul is not blind to who David is. By the end of chapter 20, Saul understands full well that David is the Lord's anointed (20:31). But Saul is jealous and wants to see his own line follow him as king.What is interesting is that Saul's family (and all Israel) sees more clearly than Saul. They see that the LORD is with David, and that is enough for them.If we are going to keep our Messianic theme here - since the king is the Lord's anointed one (meshiach) - then we need to see that loving David, protecting David, and making a covenant with David is all about loving Jesus, delighting in Jesus, and protecting Jesus – and by "protecting" I mean defending and maintaining his kingdom – rather than seeking our own kingdoms...

What is the point of the story of David and Goliath? You often hear sermons focus on "what is the Goliath in your life?!" Is cancer your Goliath? Unemployment? Lust?God was with David. God will be with you! So go out there and slay Goliath?!Another favorite is, David defeated Goliath when he was young - so the church should value young people!A third "application" is that David followed his heart, therefore if you are a man after God's own heart, then you should follow your heart too.There is something tragically absent from all of these approaches to our text.Christ...

[Sung Psalm: 103]Have you ever felt as though God has forgotten you? I think that everyone feels that way at times – even Zion, the city of God, says, "The LORD has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me."Those of you who have borne children will understand something of what Isaiah means: "Can a woman forget her nursing child?"If she forgets for even a little while, there is soon a reminder!But the LORD says, "Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you." (v15)God will not forget his people. It may feel like it sometimes! God does not promise that everything will turn out the way we want it to!But he does promise us himself...

[Sung Psalm: 115]In 1 Thessalonians we will hear about how Jesus is the one who delivers us from the wrath to come. Nowadays we don't like to talk about "the wrath to come." That doesn't sound very nice. True. So let's not talk about anything that doesn't sound nice! Let's not talk about the war in Ukraine – that doesn't sound nice. Let's not talk about global warming – or abortion – or human trafficking – they don't sound nice.God says that there is wrath to come. That he will judge each one according to his deeds. And those who turn aside from the living and true God have rebelled against him.Isaiah 44 describes the process of idolatry. An idol is anything that we trust to deliver us. As verse 17 says, "He prays to it and says, 'Deliver me, for you are my god!'"The idolater knows full well that the piece of wood is not actually a god. But the idolater is seeking to worship his god through that piece of wood."He feeds on ashes" Isaiah says, "a deluded heart has led him astray, and he cannot deliver himself or say, 'Is there not a lie in my right hand?'"Idolatry is fundamentally built on lies. When we worship something other than the living and true God when we think that something else can deliver us – we are deluded! What is your situation right now? What is it that you are counting on to make your situation better?I know. I'm the same way. I know the right answer – "Jesus!" But then – in the moment – I've got a better answer, 'cause Jesus is taking too long...

The story of 1 Samuel 16 is a story of two strange visitations at Bethlehem – the first being the coming of the Prophet Samuel to anoint David; the second being the messengers of King Saul to take David to the king.And at the heart of the chapter – at the heart of the two visits – is the movement of the Holy Spirit – rushing upon David, even as he departs from Saul.We saw last time that the LORD rejected Saul as king because Saul does not fear God. Saul fears the people. A king who fears the people will not – in the end – lead them to do what is right in God's eyes.Oh, he may do a few things right! And our author is a faithful author who points out many things that Saul does right. But if your central failing is that you fear the people rather than God – then you will not lead well.The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom...

[Sung Psalm: 71]Today we turn to 1 Thessalonians - one of Paul's earliest epistles. Written to a church that was only a few months old, Paul had been hurried out of the city due to threats from the Jewish community, so he is eager to communicate with this fledgling group of believers. And partly because Paul only had a short time in Thessalonica, this epistle gives us a glimpse into what Paul thought was most important for the church to know. He seems to think that some of his teaching and some of his conduct may have been misunderstood - so he writes to the church, seeking to correct the misunderstandings that have been reported by Silas and Timothy. At the heart of his concern is to encourage the Thessalonians to continue in "faith, hope, and love" – a triad that will play a key role in Paul's writings for the rest of his life...

We cluck our tongues at Saul, shocked that he did not obey God. God had been perfectly clear. He had given Saul a direct, specific command. And yet Saul thought he knew better than God.Have you ever thought that you knew better than God? Has God really said that . . . ? Wouldn't God prefer it if you did this instead?Saul's rebellion is especially poignant because it is based on such good intentions. His first error, which we saw last time, was that he offered the sacrifices, instead of waiting for Samuel. He was worshiping God!His second error, which we are looking at tonight, was that he did not totally destroy the Amalekites, but brought some of their flocks for a sacrifice. Again, he was worshiping God!We see this over and over in scripture. The Israelites tried to worship Yahweh through a golden calf. But God was not pleased!Ananias and Sapphira tried to worship God but lied about the percentage they were giving. But God was not pleased!If you would worship God – then you must hear his word and do what he says...

Our final Psalm in our journey through book One of the Psalter is Psalm 41. If you read it simply as an individual lament over sickness and trouble, then you will struggle over how to sing it. After all, few of us have enemies who would rejoice over our death. And (hopefully) few of us are wishing that God would raise us up, so that we can repay our enemies for their malicious betrayals!If you read Psalm 41 as a generic individual lament, then Psalm 41 sounds like a mean and nasty song that Christians shouldn't sing.But Jesus said that Psalm 41 is about himself and Judas. That line about "my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me" – Jesus says in John 13 that this scripture was fulfilled by Judas.That's why Psalm 41 has the title that it does: "To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David."This song should be sung in corporate worship; and this song should be sung in the voice of David...

Saul of Tarsus was of the tribe of Benjamin. He was some sort of relation to King Saul. And certainly he was named after King Saul.It is always important to pay attention to biblical names. Saul defeated Nahash the Ammonite. Do you know what "Nahash" means? Serpent. King Saul has crushed the head of the serpent!And yet, King Saul apostatized. He had a high calling. He was called by God to be his servant in going before the people of God, and deliver them from their enemies. Now his namesake has been called to be God's servant in preaching the gospel to the Gentiles. I said last week that the narrative of Saul of Gibeah in Benjamin is either the story of the redemption of Benjamin, or a bitter irony as Benjamin goes from bad to worse.Do you think that Saul of Tarsus was unaware of this bitter irony? The story of the redemption of Benjamin is found in Saul of Tarsus. When Saul of Tarsus says in Philippians 3 that he is of the tribe of Benjamin, and comments in verse 13, "Forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus," I cannot imagine that he was ignorant of his namesake's failure to press on...

At least – it sounds odd to us! Shouldn't the movement be from sorrow to joy? Shouldn't we go from death to resurrection?! Shouldn't every song have a happy ending?!No.What do you sing when you are in the middle of a horrible part of the story? What do you sing when you are poor and needy? When the world, the flesh, and the devil are trying to destroy you?In the middle of your pain and your affliction, you can sing Psalm 40...