Idols are made by man, while man is made by God.

God cannot be seen with the naked eye, though metaphorically He has a mouth that speaks, ears that hear, hands that are outstretched, and feet that rest upon the footstool of earth. He is unbound by time and limitations. Idols, however, are made by human hands. The Psalmist describes the idols made by human hand and worshiped by the human heart,

“Their idols are silver and gold, made by human hands.

They have mouths but cannot speak,

eyes, but cannot see.

They have ears but cannot hear,

noses, but cannot smell.

They have hands but cannot feel,

feet, but cannot walk.

They cannot make a sound with their throats” (Psalm 115:4-7)

God, from the very beginning of the Bible’s narrative, is relational. He speaks to Adam and instructs him in the garden. He sees Adam and Eve hiding. He hears them excuse their disobedience when He confronts them. He promises Adam redemption. He slays an animal to cover the couple’s nakedness. He walks with Enoch, then translates him to heaven. He sees that the wickedness of man is great and speaks to Noah regarding His plans. He smells the aroma of Noah’s sacrifice and is appeased. He speaks to

Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. He, the God of Israel, is relational.

Those who live outside of God’s presence create a god or gods that resemble themselves, “Those who make them are just like them, as are all who trust in them” (Psalm 115:4-8). Images with a mouth that cannot speak; eyes that cannot see; ears that cannot hear; noses that cannot smell; hands that cannot feel; and feet that cannot walk. Images that represent their own spiritual reality: blind, deaf, dumb, and powerless. Instead of turning to the true God whom they may know, they create a mute idol–a reflection of their own inability to commune with the Most High God.

Therefore, the Psalmist urges Israel to trust in the LORD (115:9,11). Because He is the Maker of heaven and earth, He will help His people, He will shield them (115:10,11).

The God of the Bible is incomprehensible; no human could ever do Him justice, and no idol could ever capture His majesty, wisdom, and grace. Only as He reveals Himself through His Word and His Son can we even dare to know the Living God.

Questions from today’s reading (Psalm 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118):

• What does the LORD promise to be and to do for those who trust in Him?
• What affect does God’s presence have on creation?

The post Idols on Earth, God in Heaven appeared first on Chronological Bible Teaching.

• How does David prepare Israel for Solomon’s leadership?
• What will this transition of leadership mean for the nation of Israel?
• Describe the legacy left by David.

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When men come to the end of their lives, those who truly care ponder their legacy. David fulfills his legacy both by giving sacrificially to the LORD’s house and by giving wisely of his counsel to his son. He gives his wealth “because of my delight in the house of my God” (29:3), a gift that motivates Israel’s leaders also to give joyfully and sacrificially to the LORD. His greater gift, however, is wise counsel from the Spirit for his son’s reign. David’s two-fold counsel to his son Solomon reveals key truths that fathers must understand for themselves and pass on to their sons:

1. You were made to know God: “As you for you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands the intention of every thought. If you seek Him, He will be found of you, but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever” (1 Chronicles 28:9). Knowing God involves accountability—understanding that nothing is hidden from God—and spiritual hunger—for God doesn’t give Himself away to the casual seeker, but to the one who seeks Him above all else.
2. You were made to accomplish God’s purpose for your life: “Then David said to his son Solomon, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Don’t be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God is with you. He won’t leave you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the LORD’s house is finished” (1 Chronicles 28::20). Solomon’s happiest years were those during which he honored God by building the temple and writing the Proverbs. As long as he sought the LORD, he prospered in his personal life and in his kingdom. He fulfilled the purposes for which he had been raised up by God. When he turned from these purposes and let his heart drift away, his life mirrored the vanity that he described in the book of Ecclesiastes. At the end of Solomon’s life, he contemplated his works and confessed the vanity of those projects to which he devoted the majority of his attention.

What David commanded Solomon holds true for every person today. The great quest of this life is to know God and to fulfill His purposes. Everything else is vanity and chasing after the wind.

Questions from today’s reading (1 Chronicles 27-29; Psalm 68):

• What does David understand about himself and his descendants? (28:4)
• How has this understanding impacted how he lives his life to the end, how he prays,  and how he counsels his son?
• According to Psalm 68 what has David learned about God and His relationship with His people and His role for their temple?

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The only peace some people experience is the temporary “numbness” that comes from a prescription or liquor bottle. David experienced peace, God-initiated peace, in the midst of life’s turmoil. How?

David lived with an awareness of God’s presence. He knew that God knew him. Knew his past. Knew his present. Knew his purpose.

David did not live in isolation. Even in his thought life, “You perceive my thoughts from afar” (Psalm 139:3). Thoughts include motives. God knew why David thought the way that he thought.

God was familiar with all of David’s ways―not just directions that David took, but the internal mechanisms that made David uniquely David. His birth order. His personality. His flaws. Nothing was hidden by God, “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?” (Psalm 139:7). Darkness shines as bright as the light of noonday with God. Therefore, David knew that the all-seeing, ever-present God would guide him perfectly, that He did not read reports or scan headlines to be brought up-to-date. God knows everything. All the time.

Transparency generates humility. And trust. David’s view of God as all-knowing and all-seeing didn’t cause him to cringe in fear, but confidently trust Him.

Therefore, David ended his psalm with a request, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24). Introspection is biased. Man generally looks inside for good and discards or justifies the bad. Nothing is hidden from God’s searching look. David does not trust his short-sightedness to discern the anxiety that lies within. Only God correctly discern’s the heart’s condition. Only God sees the end result of present thoughts, attitudes, and actions.

Perhaps it was this God-awareness that provoked David to seek the LORD after three consecutive years of famine and rectify a wrong done to the Gibeonites and to exhibit God’s kindness to Mephibosheth.

Peace accompanies the presence of God―peace that quietens anxious thoughts and calms fearful emotions. Because He knew David, David knew peace. Because David knew peace, he could extend that peace to others.

Because He knows me, I know peace. Because I know His peace I am able to extend His peace to others.

Questions from today’s reading (Psalm 131, 138, 139, 143, 144, 145):

• What do Psalm 138 & 139 reveal about David’s understanding of his life and purpose?
• According to Psalms 143 what sustains David when he feels most weak?
• According to Psalm 145 what does David understand about God’s reign as King and His kingdom?

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“According to the last instructions of David, the Levites were counted from those twenty years old or more . . . They were to serve the Lord regularly in the proper number and in the way prescribed for them” (1 Chronicles 23:27,31).

Good leaders have a penchant for understanding and implementing effective structure so that their organization functions smoothly. Further, good leaders plan for the future, not merely for the present. David recognized that the coming temple would require an organized effective worship structure so that daily, weekly, monthly, and annual services would never lack qualified workers. David’s plan ensured that every Levite had the opportunity to serve and worship, that every singer had an opportunity to exercise his gifts, and that every priest had opportunity to fulfill his calling. Such organization utilized the gifts that God put in place and eliminated any sense of competition and ensured that everyone understood their role.

While today’s text may seem a bit repetitious, this careful attention to detail developed a foundation for orderly temple worship that lasted for a millennium. The fruit of David’s organization shows up hundreds of years later when Zacharias enters the temple to offer the sacrifices and encounters an angel. Had David not established this organization then Zacharias wouldn’t have been at the right place at the right time.

“So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord . . . then an angel of the Lord appeared to him” (Luke 1:8, 9, 11). And the rest is history. What you do or don’t do today matters tomorrow!

God uses organization. Things simply work better when they have order. Paul instructed new believers in the first century church to “Let all things be done decently and in order” (1 Corinthians 14:40). Order works! By it we are better prepared to receive the blessing of God.

Questions from today’s reading (1 Chronicles 23-26):

• What responsibilities were given to the Levites as they prepare themselves for service in the new temple to be built by Solomon?
• What role was music to play in the new temple?

The post Order Works! appeared first on Chronological Bible Teaching.

The Bible is an unsanitized story about a real God who has a real relationship with real people who have real problems. Had the Author of the Bible sanitized its story no man would have hope.

Every people group has a story of origins, but no story compares to the Bible’s narrative. It begins with God’s creative goodness bringing all creation, including mankind, into being, His great wisdom in giving man a prohibition regarding the forbidden tree, His merciful promise to man regarding redemption (Gen. 3:15), and HIs marvelous picture of redemption (Gen. 3:21). That story is the greater context of David’s imprecatory prayer in Psalm 109.

David’s military exploits give Israel reason to boast. His moral and familial failures, however, provide fodder for enemies to attack him, “They speak against me with lying tongues. They surround me with hateful words and attack me without cause. In return for my love they accuse me, but I continue to pray. They repay me evil for good, and hatred for my love” (Psalm 109: 2-5). In response to their attacks David prays an imprecatory prayer asking “judgment for them, mercy for me.” He asks the LORD to:

• Raise up enemies for his enemies (109:6-7).
• Shorten the lives of his enemies (109:8).
• Cut off the continuance of their lineage and make their children beggars (109:9-10, 13).
• Take away their possessions (109:11).
• Withhold forgiveness for their sins (109:14-15).
• Curse them equal to their cursing of others (109:17-19).

David asks the LORD to be kind to him based on His covenantal relationship, “But You, Yahweh my Lord, deal kindly with me because of Your Name; deliver me because of the goodness of Your faithful love” (109:21). He appeals to God to answer this prayer to distinguish him from his enemies, “Help me, LORD my God; save me according to Your faithful love so they may know that this is Your hand and that You, LORD, have done it” (109:26-27).

Finally, David ends his prayer with gratitude toward God, “I will fervently praise Him in the presence of many. For He stands at the right hand of the needy to save him from those who would condemn him (109:30-31).

David’s imprecatory prayer reveals a number of encouraging truths:

• God vindicates and blesses those with whom He has made a covenant.
• Though David has the power to punish those who rise up against him, he trusts the Lord to vindicate him. Therefore, God’s people may ask the Lord to vindicate them and to punish those who rise up against them. Whether people today have the power to bring about vengeance, or they are powerless before men, they can hope in the God of the covenant, the Lord Jesus, to defend them ultimately.

Questions from today’s reading (Psalm 108, 109):

• What reason does Psalm 108:7-9 provide that guides David’s life and the interpretation of life circumstances?
• How does David’s confidence in God direct his prayer life and his interaction with others?

The post Mercy for Me, Judgment for Others appeared first on Chronological Bible Teaching.

“Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel” (1 Chronicles 21:1). David ordered Joab to take a census of Israel’s army.  At the end of nine months Joab reported his final tally, minus the tribes of Levi and Benjamin. Immediately, God confronted David for his foolishness–it wasn’t pretty!

David’s moral failure of adultery and cover-up attempt tarnished his greatness as Israel’s king. Satan offered a new and enticing bait. Perhaps David had begun assessing the success of his reign and Israel’s greatness and given credit to the size of Israel’s army instead of Israel’s God. Perhaps David began to think about “my” kingdom, instead of “Thy” kingdom. So, Satan, hacked into his mind and inserted tempting ideas that would appeal to David’s vulnerability.

David swallowed Satan’s bait, hook, line, and sinker. Why was taking a census of Israel’s army such a grievous sin against God? And, why does David take the bait?

Everyone has a metric he uses to access personal greatness. Education. Career. Bank account. Address. Clothing labels. Ministry. Luxury automobile. Vacation home. Jewelry. Fitness. Where do you stop and when do you know that you’ve arrived? Everything that a man has, he has received from the Lord. Health. Ability. Position. Place of birth. No man can claim personal greatness. Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised.

The conflict with his son Absalom revealed just how foolish David’s assessment was. Absalom too, sought greatness. He and David’s counselor conspired to take David’s kingdom for themselves. They almost succeeded.

David was reminded again, “If I find favor in the LORD’s eyes, he will bring me back and let me see it [the ark of the covenant] and his dwelling place again. But if he says, ‘I am not pleased with you,’ then I am ready; let him do to me whatever seems good to him” (2 Samuel 15:25-26). David is back where he should have been all along, trusting in the LORD. The only true metric of faith is that it pleases God. The only true question to ask in any endeavor is, “Does it please God?”

These two scenes from David’s life reveal a truth that strikes a chord in every heart: those who assess personal worth by anything other than God’s pleasure upon their life have swallowed Satan’s bait—hook, line, and sinker. Satan plays “Got’cha!” and will do anything to win.

Great is the Lord and worthy to be praised! No man may glory in his presence.

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Without God’s interaction with His people Israel, the world would not and could not know righteousness and justice. Righteousness and justice originate with God. Without God’s revelation of Himself to Israel, the world would be left in darkness and void of righteousness and justice. All of the world, not just the people groups who’ve carved the images of god that they worship, would be swallowed up on idolatry—bereft of God’s revelation of Himself.

God chose Israel through whom all the nations would see His righteousness and justice. Yes, the world could look at all of creation and see His handiwork, but it was through Israel that His righteousness and justice were made known to the world. Psalms 97, 98, and 99 highlight this truth:

• “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne” (Psalm 97:2b);
• “For You LORD, are the Most High over all the earth; You are exalted above all the gods” (Psalm 97:9);  “He has revealed His righteousness in the sight of the nations” (Psalm 98:2b);
• ‘Yahweh is great in Zion; He is exalted above all the peoples” (Psalm 99:2);
• The mighty King loves justice. You have established fairness; You have administered justice and righteousness in Jacob” (Psalm 99:4).

The Psalmist rejoices that God’s presence among His people makes Israel great. They are stewards or custodians of the revelation of God to humanity. The Psalmist recognized the importance of studying the lives of Moses, Aaron, and Samuel to understand God’s righteousness and justice, “Moses and Aaron were among His priests; Samuel also was among those calling on His Name. They called to Yahweh and He answered them. He spoke to them in a pillar of cloud; they kept His decrees and the statutes He gave them. LORD our God, You answered them. You are a forgiving God to them, an avenger of their sinful actions” (Psalm 99:6-8).

Virtue, rectitude, and righteousness appear old-fashioned in today’s culture where everyone determines what is true and right for himself—where the witness of God through the church has grown dim. Nevertheless, God is righteous and His ways just, and one day He will judge the world, “For He is coming to judge the world righteously and the peoples fairly” (Psalm 98:9).

Questions from today’s reading (Psalm 97, 98, 99):

• What does the created world recognize about God that man misses?
• What do these psalms reveal about God’s presence?

The post The Foundation of Righteousness and Justice appeared first on Chronological Bible Teaching.

• What does David understand about God that sustains him during the trouble in his family and his kingdom?
• What do these scenes in David’s life reveal about the consequences of decisions made by leaders?

The post Review and Reflect appeared first on Chronological Bible Teaching.

David was obviously introduced to the Bible’s narrative as a teen-ager. He had no idea, however, would be part of that narrative and studied by millions. The Bible narratives chronicle God’s dealings with David while the psalms written by David provide insight into David’s spiritual formation.

David’s “last words” capture the essence of his life, “David the son of Jesse…the man exalted by the Most High, the man anointed by the God of Jacob, Israel’s singer of songs” (2 Samuel 23:1). David attributed the expansion of Israel under his leadership to righteousness and the fear of God, “When one rules over men in righteousness, when he rules in the fear of God, he is like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless morning, like the brightness after rain that brings the grass from the earth” (23:3-4).

God, the Most High, chose David and anointed him as Israel’s second king. He composed dozens of songs that captured the greatness of God and the ups and downs of his own spiritual journey. David’s life reveals that a good life isn’t a perfect life.

A good life isn’t a perfect walk, but a progressive walk. Though David sinned grievously against the LORD, he repented deeply and experienced God’s atoning grace.

A good life is one lived in process—getting to know God and finding one’s place in His Story. David walked with God in the midst of fighting battles and loving people. He experienced much heartache along the way, but he never turned his back on God and His unfailing love.

A good life continues beyond death, “Has he not made with me an everlasting covenant, arranged and secured in every part?” (23:5). God’s promise to David extended beyond David to future generations. David likewise instructed Solomon to continue showing kindness to Barzillai for his faithfulness when David fled from Absalom (1 Kings 2:7).

A good life worships the Living God. Though music plays an integral part in worship, worship begins in the heart of one who knows God, regardless of singing and instrumental talent.

A good life doesn’t “burn all of his bridges” during his lifetime. David made his son responsible for justice regarding Joab, “Deal with him according to your wisdom, but do not let his gray head go down to the grave in peace,” and Shimei’s betrayal, “Do not consider him innocent…bring his gray head down to the grave in blood” (1 Kings 2:6,9).

Goodness of life has little to do with goodness in life, but with knowing God in life. Many “good” people don’t live a good life, but all those who know the Lord Jesus, follow Him with passionate devotion, and live out His story enjoy the true good life.

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