Be careful what you pray for?

2 Samuel 11:1–12:31, 2 Peter 1:1–8, Psalm 139:1–24

The story of David and Bathsheba reads like a soap opera. David stayed home when his army went to war, saw a woman that fancied him, got her pregnant, and tried to get her warrior husband to go home and sleep with her. When he refused out of loyalty to his fellow soldiers still engaged in war, David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah. In the letter he wrote, “Set Uriah in the forefront of the hardest fighting, and then draw back from him, that he may be struck down, and die.” (2 Samuel 11:14–15)

David sent the letter for this man’s destruction using the intended victim to deliver it! This shows how the power of lust and sin blinded his eyes and messed up his thinking. The next step was a bit more logical . . .  

“When the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she lamented over her husband. And when the mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord.” (2 Samuel 11:26–27) He displeased the Lord? Duh!

But David was still in that “duh” state. How could he be approached? He was the king, after all. These days, counselors sometimes advise wives to use a story-telling technique with their husbands when they are oblivious to a problem. The story needs to parallel the problem, but somehow fit with what the problem-person does know. This way, he might “get it.” Nathan the prophet used this technique with David.

“And the Lord sent Nathan to David. He came to him and said to him, “There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor. The rich man had very many flocks and herds, but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. And he brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children. It used to eat of his morsel and drink from his cup and lie in his arms, and it was like a daughter to him. Now there came a traveler to the rich man, and he was unwilling to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the guest who had come to him, but he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.”

David had been a shepherd. He understood this story and his anger rose up against the man in the story. He said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die, and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.” (2 Samuel 12:1–6)

Imagine his horror when Nathan told him he was that man! The story told in kindness by the prophet challenged this king and brought conviction and repentance. God spared his life, yet David’s story takes a turn for the worse from that point on. It went from victories to chaos. Some say this happened because of his adultery and manslaughter, but when I read today’s psalm, I wondered. These words were written by David:

“Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” (Psalm 139:23–24)

I don’t know when he wrote that, but I do know that God answers prayers like this. In fact, I’ve often told people that if you ask God to show you the sin in your life, you’d better brace yourself. His revelation might come through reading Scripture, but more often sin is revealed when the Lord takes His hand off and I begin to see what He has been so gracious to restrain. Without His hand on my life, I realize my capacity for evil.

Peter wrote that because of Jesus, “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.” (2 Peter 1:3–4)

David was God’s man for his day, but he was still a sinner like everyone else. In a moment, God revealed the evil in him. David’s self-centeredness overwhelmed his desire to obey God.

From this story, many lessons unfold. I’m not to excuse myself from spiritual warfare or from being involved in the building of God’s kingdom. I can take a rest on my rooftop, but I need to stay away from temptation. When it does happen, I need to run to Jesus before my sinful desires lead me down that path to action and then destruction.

Because of Jesus, sin does not have to happen, but if it does, there is forgiveness in Him. Seeing my weaknesses is an unsettling and difficult experience, but God will use if for good. The good happens when I confess, am cleansed, and then set free from my sin so I can become more like Him.

Mercy, generosity, and dancing

Numbers 35:1–36:13; 1 Corinthians 16:1–24; Psalm 30:1–12

How many people know that many of the best parts of our legal system come from the Old Testament? One of those parts is that the law distinguishes between manslaughter and murder, killing someone without intending to do so, or killing with intent. The differences now from the way it was back in the days of Moses can be seen in this passage.

“Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, then you shall select cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the manslayer who kills any person without intent may flee there. The cities shall be for you a refuge from the avenger, that the manslayer may not die until he stands before the congregation for judgment. And the cities that you give shall be your six cities of refuge. You shall give three cities beyond the Jordan, and three cities in the land of Canaan, to be cities of refuge. These six cities shall be for refuge for the people of Israel, and for the stranger and for the sojourner among them, that anyone who kills any person without intent may flee there . . . . But if he struck him down with an iron object, so that he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall be put to death . . . . If anyone kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death on the evidence of witnesses. But no person shall be put to death on the testimony of one witness. Moreover, you shall accept no ransom for the life of a murderer, who is guilty of death, but he shall be put to death.” (Numbers 35:10-15; 16; 30-31)

Today, instead of fleeing to a city of refuge, those who commit manslaughter are put in prison, a similar ‘sentence’ but not quite the same as having to stay in a particular city for a certain length of time. However, this law applied to everyone, Jews and Gentiles, citizens and those passing through. It is unbiased.

Also, today the death sentence for murder is upheld in some places, but not all. That was changed because of the danger of punishing an innocent person. However, the Old Testament law had a safeguard against that; the need for more than one witness. Further, no one could ‘buy’ his life, whereas today many murderers are allowed to plea-bargain.

I’m not involved in the legal system, nor am I a lawyer, but it seems to me that God’s plan seems both fair and just, but also merciful. If the death was an accident, the guilty party was given a decent option.

The NT reading hasn’t anything to do with legalities, but it does have something to do with the traditions that the church falls into. As a Bible student, I’ve learned that we often get two things mixed up in interpretation. We need to see the difference between narratives that are “descriptive” and those that are “prescriptive.” That is, do the verses describe what was done back then, but are not commanded for us, or do they give a pattern that we are supposed to follow? Today’s reading is one of those passages . . .

Now concerning the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come. And when I arrive, I will send those whom you accredit by letter to carry your gift to Jerusalem. (1 Corinthians 16:1–3)

Paul was coming to the church at Corinth to collect an offering for the needy church in Jerusalem. He told the Christians in Corinth to give a weekly offering on Sunday so when he came, there would be no need for a special offering. He would simply collect that which had been donated up until then.

Is that descriptive or prescriptive? It isn’t a big deal, really, but if adhered to as strictly prescriptive, then a church today might box themselves in. That is, no spontaneous offerings, no love offerings without planning ahead, and you could not make a donation on any other day of the week. In this case, these rules sound silly, but there are many churches where failing to make this distinction has had adverse results in the way they do things.

I’m also learning how to read the OT in light of the NT and understanding how the redemptive plan of God fits into the history covered by the Bible. I’m also seeing how Christ is hinted at and revealed throughout – from Genesis to Revelation. I can see connections I’d not noticed before, but also am learning to distinguish between connections from my imagination and those that actually were intended by the biblical authors.

Here is an example. In the NT, Jesus said in Matthew 5:4, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” Some take this out of context and apply it at funerals. While it is true that God comforts those who grieve, this passage is not about mourning the dead, but mourning sin.

As I read the following verse from the Psalms, I wonder if it is saying the same thing. David wrote, “You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!” (Psalm 30:11–12)

Is David at a funeral? The Psalm doesn’t say so. It seems his mourning is not about grief of loss or a death, but the sorrow over sin and failure to love God by disobeying His commands. But how can I know that for sure? I could do word studies and read commentaries and so on, but the best way to interpret the Bible is by paying attention to the context. Read it and see what the whole Psalm is about.

Devotional reading has a different focus than Bible study as well, yet getting the gist of the passage is important so that I think rightly about God and His will for me. For that, today’s readings show His mercy for my mistakes, His desire that I be generous, and that it is just fine with Him if I do a happy-dance because He has turned my sorrow for sin into joy at His forgiveness!