David gets good intel but it wise to pray about it before
taking action based on the information he has received. He learns that Saul is coming down against
him in a vulnerable situation and his first instinct is to get the ephod from
the priest, the holy garment onto which a breastplate holding the Urim and
Thummim (we are uncertain what this looked like) were laid and which were
originally to be consulted as oracles.
David learns that what he has heard is true and that if Saul comes down
to Keilah the men there will surrender David up to him and save their own
lives. David then chooses to go on the
run from Saul and yet even on the run Jonathan comes and they renew the
covenant between them based on Jonathan's firm belief that the kingdom will
eventually be David's and not his own, but he will be next to David in that
eventuality. The more I read about this
man, the more amazed I am at his loyalty and self-sacrificial nature.
The main problem here is that the steward to whom only one
talent was entrusted has completely misjudged the character of the master. He has concluded that the master is harsh and
greedy so was afraid to do anything other than hold onto that which was
entrusted to his care. The master
doesn't agree with his assessment of his character, simply asks that if such
were the case do the steward's actions make sense. We see the master's character clearly in his
reaction to the first two stewards, offering them more responsibility and to
enter his joy, to share in his good fortune.
What we believe about God matters immensely in how we live our
lives. If we believe Him only to be
righteous and holy judge of all men we will become like that or live in
constant fear of making a mistake. If,
however, we understand His self-revelation in Exodus 34 as merciful and
forgiving and loving and the supreme self-revelation of the cross, we will risk
boldly knowing that failure isn't either final or fatal.
Paul breaks into spontaneous praise after writing eleven
chapters of serious theology. As I
always say, your theology (knowledge about God) should always lead to doxology
(praise of God). If it doesn't, you didn't
understand your own theology. In the
midst of this praise Paul uses Scripture to ask a question, "who has known
the mind of the Lord" and to say that His ways are inscrutable,
unknowable. Immediately thereafter, Paul
says, however, that we are to "be
transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what
is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." His ways are inscrutable to a person who has
not had his or her mind transformed to conform to the truth of the Gospel. If, however, we have received Jesus we have
received the Holy Spirit and therefore it is possible for us to know the God
whose Spirit dwells in us. We don't need
an ephod, we need only prayer and a Bible to know God's will and to have great
wisdom. It requires, however, more than
a one-time assent to that truth, it requires us to be living sacrifices,
absolutely surrendered to Him.
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