Tag: David

The Last of the Rephaim

1 Chronicles 20-21

Psalm 74

Ephesians 3

~ Devotion by Cayce Fletcher (SC)

Cayce Fletcher is a wife and homeschool mom of three. She writes and podcasts at amorebeautifullifecollective.com where she helps women grow in grace, build with purpose, and live beautifully. Read the latest post in the Systematic Theology series here. 

“Okay, everyone, here’s your order of service,” I said, as I started passing around the papers with handwritten songs and Bible lessons scribbled across the top. After running through announcements and singing a few worship songs led by my brothers, I gathered up my cousins and headed behind our podium (some bar stools with a blanket draped across the top). 

Up popped a little stuffed Beanie Baby chihuahua who exclaimed that he was David, ready to fight Goliath. On cue, someone lifted up our 10 lb (real-life) chihuahua, Max, who played his part well as he scoffed at the little David below. When the pretend slingshot hit its target, the beach condo living room cheered. The enemy was vanquished! The giant slain! God and his people were victorious! 

Many years have passed since that Sunday morning on vacation, but the story of David and Goliath captures my imagination just the same. Sometimes, we may be tempted to read the story (found in 1 Samuel 17) and assume that this guy, Goliath, just came out of nowhere. Or, we may think he is just the product of exaggeration. Giants didn’t really exist, did they? 

That’s a complicated question, but it is made even more mysterious when we place it against the backdrop of today’s reading. In 1 Chronicles 20:4-8, we read about the Philistines, along with descendants of the giants who had come to fight David. Three battles ensued – one of which was against the brother of Goliath, whose spear was like a weaver’s beam (thicker and about 5 ft long). In each of these battles, David and his men were victorious.

Importantly, these weren’t random large men who were intent on picking a fight with David. We are told they are the descendants of the Rephaim. Who are the Rephaim? One of the first mentions is back in Genesis 14 when a king that Abraham would eventually defeat first defeated a group of Rephaites. 

We read another mention of them in Deuteronomy 2-3. In this passage, the Israelites defeat Og, the king of Bashan, who is described as the last of the Raphaites. His bed is described as 14 feet long and 6 feet wide. 

We know that the spies described Canaan as a land of giants in Numbers 13. (These are the Anakim, or the descendants of the Anak.) Joshua fought these giants in Joshua 11 and destroyed almost all of them, but a few escaped and took refuge in Philistine cities. 

That brings us to today’s reading. For hundreds of years, the Israelites fought against these giants; finally, during David’s time, the giants were actually defeated. We aren’t quite sure where these giants came from (though there’s plenty of lore behind that you can research yourself). What we do know is that after David’s reign, we do not hear about giants again. 

We don’t see giants today, but the echoes of what David accomplished during his reign can be found in our lives today. Later Jewish writings started using the term Rephaim to refer to shades (or the people who were dead in Sheol, the grave). David defeated physical giants, but what he did foreshadows what Christ has done on the cross: The giants of sin and death are defeated. We are victorious! 

Hallelujah! Amen! 

Reflection Questions

  1. Where do you think these giants came from in the Old Testament? Do you believe that it is significant that they keep popping up throughout the first half of the Old Testament? 
  2. We’ve read about David has his mighty acts in battle. How did David have the courage to face down these giants? What do you learn from that? 
  3. What giants are you facing? How does this passage encourage you to stand your ground and fight? 

Prayer

Lord, 

Thank you for the battle that has already been won! Thank you for the victory against the giants of sin and death. Please strengthen me in my walk. Help me to be courageous as we stand and fight! 

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.

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Peace with God through Christ

1 Chronicles 18-19

Psalm 73

Ephesians 2

~ Devotion by Cayce Fletcher (SC)

Cayce Fletcher is a wife and homeschool mom of three. She writes and podcasts at amorebeautifullifecollective.com where she helps women grow in grace, build with purpose, and live beautifully. Read the latest post in the Systematic Theology series here. 

My brothers were older when I was born, so apart from occasionally being hit on the head with a basketball and called dumb when I teased them about girls, I didn’t live through the brunt of a boy’s household. With the birth of my oldest, however, I have been immersed in all things monster truck, dinos, and tractors—Minecraft, sports, and construction. The highlight of his day – no matter what I do – is to play ‘dinos’ with his dad, which really just means wrestling for 15 minutes. 

When his cousins are over, he loves to play ‘battle,’ and he’ll tell me sometimes of the preparations he’s making in his room for when the next war erupts between the girls and the boys. (It really is comical to watch the boys find wherever they can in the house to hit each other, while the girls play ‘kids’ and rock their little stuffed animals to sleep.) 

Today, we read of the battles that David waged against the neighboring nations. David is described in 1 Samuel 16:18 as someone “who knows how to play the lyre. He is a brave man and a warrior. He speaks well and is a fine-looking man. And the Lord is with him.” We just get a glimpse of these exploits today in our readings from 1 Chronicles. In 1 Chronicles 18:6b says, “The Lord made David victorious wherever he went.” 

David was continuing the work that the first Israelites who entered the promised land were called to do. He was conquering the land for the Lord and ridding it of the influence of the Canaanites. 

Interestingly, later on, one of the reasons that God gave David for not being able to build the temple is the fact that he is a warrior. 1 Chronicles 28:3 says, “but God said to me, ‘You are not to build a house for my name because you are a man of war and have shed blood.’” 

David followed God’s command to conquer the land, but in doing so, he was also limited in what he was able to do. In obedience, he had to let the dream of building the temple pass to his son. He used the time he reigned to help gather and prepare so that Solomon would have what he needed to build the temple. 

Solomon, whose name means peace (it is derived from the Hebrew word Shalom), would go on to build the temple. In his reign, the Israelites experienced unprecedented peace and prosperity. 

I find it interesting to think about the battles that David faced (and the foreshadowing of the peace of Solomon’s reign) as we consider Ephesians 2. This chapter lays out the gospel in its full glory. Ephesians 2:14 says, “For he is our peace, who made both groups one and tore down the dividing wall of hostility.”

In the gospel, we recognize our original place before God – as someone removed from him, hostile to him, and dead in sin. And, we also recognize our way to peace: Through Christ, the hostility between God and us is torn down. 

In David’s time, the enemy was the surrounding nations, but we know that our enemy is not against flesh and blood (Eph. 6:12). David had to wage war, and victory against the enemy was only accomplished through bloodshed. We have victory in Christ (1 Corinthians 15:57)! The battle is already won. David could not build a temple but had to wait for peace in this world. Our peace is not tied to any physical circumstance; it rests on the peace we already have in Christ. 

“Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory in Christ!” 

Reflection Questions

  1. Why do you think that God told David he was not able to build the temple? Why did the temple need to be constructed by a man of peace, not war? 
  2. If the Israelites were battling against surrounding nations, what are we battling against now? How does this change how we live? 

Prayer

Lord, 

Thank you for the gift of your son! We praise you and are so thankful that we have peace with you in Christ! Help us to fight the battles we are called to against sin and darkness in the world – knowing that you have the victory in Christ! 

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.

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The Legacy of Asaph

1 Chronicles 16-17

Psalm 73

Ephesians 1

~ Devotion by Cayce Fletcher (SC)

Cayce Fletcher is a wife and homeschool mom of three. She writes and podcasts at amorebeautifullifecollective.com where she helps women grow in grace, build with purpose, and live beautifully. Read the latest post in the Systematic Theology series here. 

We’ve talked about legacy this week as the sum total of our life and our work. Another way we describe legacy is the way that work, skills, and even ministry are passed down through generations. 

My family was not a sports family (I don’t think I can emphasize that enough). Even though my dad was about 6’3” and played basketball in high school, none of my siblings really inherited the sports gene. My husband, however, is a football (and golf) fan, and I have learned more than I ever really wanted to know watching Sunday Ticket on lazy fall afternoons. 

Football and sports are a skill legacy passed down, with the Mannings a notable example. In the world of Golf, I remember watching one pre-Masters tournament when Jack Nicklaus’ grandson shot a hole-in-one during the pre-tournament ‘family’ round. It’s a legacy.

I did not inherit the ‘sports’ gene from my father, but I did inherit – and was encouraged to pursue – the music gene. We took piano lessons from a young age from Miss Alma Carter, who served up Cokes in the bottle and let us watch SpongeBob in her sun porch as we waited for the lessons to start. We were in every church program and cantata. And, we learned the VBS songs before anyone else so that our mom could lead the music when it started each summer. 

The legacy that started with my grandmother singing folksy Appalachian hymns on the local radio has continued to me singing harmony on Sunday mornings during worship. 

We often think of spiritual disciplines in terms of words. We read the Bible, we pray, and we journal. But a crucial spiritual discipline is worship. Worship gets us out of our heads and gets us focused on God. It is something that we do on our own, but we love to do in a group. There is such a special moment when you pause and listen to everyone singing in a song. The sound is a picture of the church – individual notes combined together to meld into something beautiful and transcendent. 

Music has always been a central part of how we interact with God. When we learn more about God, we are moved to worship him. When the ark returned to Jerusalem, David was immediately moved to celebrate. He offered sacrifices and then called some Levites “to be ministers before the ark of the Lord, to celebrate the Lord God of Israel, and to give thanks and praise to him” (1 Chronicles 16:4). 

The chief minister of musicians was named Asaph. He was a Levite who was a skilled musician and also described as a seer (or prophet) (2 Chron. 29:30). 1 Chronicles 9:33-34 describes how these musicians “stayed in the temple chambers and were exempt from other tasks because they were on duty day and night.” 

What may seem like a trivial detail about the daily routines of temple life actually speaks to something incredibly important: Worship was so important to the Jewish people that they had a dedicated team of people whose only duty was to sing to God. It wasn’t just something tacked onto a worship service to ‘spice it up.’ It was crucial. Someone was on duty day and night, worshipping before God. 

GotQuestions makes an important point: “The church musicians of our day can be considered spiritual ‘children of Asaph.’” Anyone who sings psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs (which should be all of us) is part of the legacy of Asaph. We walk in his footsteps as we minister before the Lord. Worship is not just ‘filler’ to add to a service; it is how we glorify God and testify to who he is. 

As you read through Psalm 73, you are walking in the footsteps of your spiritual great(+)-grandfather worshipping our great God and singing of the good he has done for us. 

Reflection Questions

  1. Have you ever thought about how important worship is for our spiritual life? Why is it important? How does worship change our hearts? 
  2. Why do you think one of David’s first acts when the ark arrived was to worship with singing? 
  3. Some of us may not feel musically inclined. Why should we still make a point to participate in worship? 

Prayer

Lord, 

Thank you for the gift of worship. Thank you for the gift of music, songs, and harmony. Lord, we praise you!

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.

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The Burdens We Carry

1 Chronicles 14-15

Psalm 72

Galatians 6

~ Devotion by Cayce Fletcher (SC)

Cayce Fletcher is a wife and homeschool mom of three. She writes and podcasts at amorebeautifullifecollective.com where she helps women grow in grace, build with purpose, and live beautifully. Read the latest post in the Systematic Theology series here. 

I was recently tasked with an errand by my husband. I was to go to the store and return to silt screens (big tarps with pickets attached to help with run-off on construction sites). When I pulled up to the store, I noticed there were no carts nearby, so I tried – with my three-year-old daughter in tow – to somehow lift the two rolls while she hung onto my shirt. (Any moms reading this probably are nodding their heads. You’ve done something similar.) 

As we walked through the parking lot, I could feel the plastic start to slip down, and white-knuckling it, I tried to maneuver the tarps to the side to lift it back up without stopping in the middle of the road. About that time, a guy walked up with his wife and child, looked over, and immediately said, “Hey, do you need help with that?” Laughing, I responded that help would be great. 

No matter who you are, this truth applies to you: We are all limited by our bodies. As parents with more than two children like to say, you only have two hands. We can only lift so much, and even the strongest person in the world has a limit to their ability. (If you are wondering, that title goes to Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, who deadlifted 1,124 lbs(!).) We can only carry so much. 

Today’s readings dealt with the idea of carrying burdens. In 1 Chronicles 14-15, we read the second part of the ark’s journey back to Jerusalem. After Uzzah died when the men tried to return the ark on a cart, David left the ark at a man’s house. In 1 Chronicles 15, David had done his research, and this time, he brought Levites who would carry the ark in the proper way back to Jerusalem. 

Exodus 25:10-22 describes the way that the ark was meant to be carried – the ark was to be lifted up on poles. According to BibleHub, “The method of carrying the Ark on poles symbolizes the separation between the divine and the human, emphasizing God’s holiness and the need for reverence in worship. It also signifies the role of the Levites as mediators between God and the people, entrusted with the sacred duty of handling holy objects.”

Carrying the ark was the burden of the Israelites – one they could not shirk without dire circumstances. 

In Galatians 6, we read more about burdens, but in this passage, we read about our own burdens as the new royal priesthood. After Paul lays out the freedom we find in Christ in the first half of Galatians, he then moves to encourage the people ‘to not bite and devour one another’ (Gal. 5:15) and instead produce fruit in keeping with the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23). 

In Galatians 6, he turns his focus from our own individual spiritual growth to how we can support each other in overcoming sin. In Galatians 6:2, we read, “Carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” The Enduring Word Commentary explains it like this, “When Paul brought up the idea [in verse 1] of the one overtaken in any trespass, it painted the picture of a person sagging under a heavy load. Here he expanded the idea to encourage every Christian to bear one another’s burdens.”

We don’t bear the weight as the Levites did of the ark. We are not the mediator between God and the people. But, we can lift each other up – just as the Levites lifted up the ark – towards God. When we come alongside each other and support one another in our spiritual growth, we are doing the good work we are called to do (verse 9-10). 

Interestingly, right after this passage, we have a seeming contradiction in verse 5 when Paul seems to say that each person will have to carry their own load. 

Some commentators say that this is due to the differences in translation. Load, in verse 2, comes from a word that emphasizes the heaviness of the burden. It paints the burden as excessive, something you would stumble under. Whereas in verse 5, load or burden is a word that comes from the word for a backpack a soldier would have. Verse 5 is in reference to loads that other people cannot carry for us (think: calling, marriage, family, etc.). 

Other commentators say that this is actually a counter-example. Verse 2 is the optimal, Spirit-led response to burdens: We should bear each other’s burdens. However, if we want to respond ‘in the flesh’, we may try to think of ourselves as more highly than we ought. We take pride in ourselves alone and are responsible for our own work. Thus, we have to shoulder our own burdens. 

Verse 9-10 sum up our work and should be our motto as we do ministry: “Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us work for the good of all, especially for those who belong to the household of faith.” Amen!

Reflection Questions

  1. Why do you believe the ark had to be carried in this way? What does it symbolize?
  2. What do you think is the most likely interpretation of Galatians 6:2-5? 
  3. What is a burden you could share with others? And, what is a burden someone has that you can help bear?

Prayer

Lord, 

Please help us to be a people who support one another, not bite and devour one another. Help us to lift each other up to you. Let us not grow weary of doing good. 

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.

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The Shepherd King of Israel

1Chronicles 10-11 

Psalm 72

Galatians 5

~ Devotion by Cayce Fletcher (SC)

Cayce Fletcher is a wife and homeschool mom of three. She writes and podcasts at amorebeautifullifecollective.com where she helps women grow in grace, build with purpose, and live beautifully. Read the latest post in the Systematic Theology series here. 

I live on family land, and over the years, there have been several different kinds of livestock that we’ve had ‘out to pasture.’ Cows, goats, and chickens all have their challenges, but what they all will do, when given a chance, is escape. 

Several years ago, before we moved back to the Farm (as we call it), we got home after a long week at Southeast Camp only to find that the cows had escaped the fence and were busy eating up the vegetable garden and walking on the flowers in the yard. We had to shepherd them back into the fence. 

Israel often follows the same path. In the story of Israel, we see their propensity for ‘escape’ – or their ability to wander off the good path of God and pursue their own desires. They desperately needed a shepherd to care for them. God was their shepherd king, but in the time of Samuel, they rejected him. David stepped in to care for the people as the kingdom was handed to him. 

What did the shepherd king do for his people? 

The shepherd king guided them to green pastures. 

The shepherd king needed to bring the people to good pastures. That means he needed to guide the people to the place where they would get life – and that place is in God’s presence. David recognized the importance of bringing people to God. 1 Chronicles 13:3, “Then let’s bring back the ark of our God, for we did not inquire of him in Saul’s days.” 

During the time of the judges and Saul, the Israelites did not have a close relationship with God. As king, he could bring the people to God and show them how good God was. This is why bringing the ark back was one of his first actions as king. 

The shepherd king protected them from harm. 

David was a man of war. This was one way that David used his unique abilities in obedience to God. The people had not fully conquered the land in the time of Joshua. David continued this work during his time as king. 

In 1 Samuel 17:34-36, he describes what a shepherd does: “David answered Saul, “Your servant has been tending his father’s sheep. Whenever a lion or a bear came and carried off a lamb from the flock, I went after it, struck it down, and rescued the lamb from its mouth. If it reared up against me, I would grab it by its fur, strike it down, and kill it. 36 Your servant has killed lions and bears; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.”

The shepherd had to protect his flock from dangerous animals. The shepherd king had to protect his people from the surrounding nations and influences that would harm the people and lead them away from God. 

The shepherd king watched out for the weakest in the flock. 

1 Chronicles 12 describes the people who came to support David when he was on the run from Saul. 1 Samuel 22:2 gives more insight into who they were when it says, “All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their commander. About four hundred men were with him.” 

David looked out for the outcast, the ‘weak links’, the poor. He took them in and led them in such a way that they turned into the mighty men we read about in 1 Chronicles 11-12. They were men of valor with such jaw-dropping military exploits that we can’t really comprehend them today. 

In Psalm 72, we read about a prayer for this shepherd king. Verses 12-14 say, “12 For he will rescue the poor who cry out and the afflicted who have no helper. He will have pity on the poor and helpless and save the lives of the poor. He will redeem them from oppression and violence,

for their lives are precious in his sight.”

The shepherd king sees with the people the eyes of God. Each one is precious in his sight. 

Every person who leads someone else has to step into the role of shepherd. That is why we call ‘pastors’ pastors – it is a word derived from the Latin pastor, which means shepherd. When we shepherd others, we don’t do it for our own glory, but to bring people to glorify God. The ultimate example of this type of shepherd is Jesus – the perfect fulfillment of the shepherd king. 

May we humbly follow his example! 

Reflection Questions

  1. Why do you think that the shepherd imagery is so strong throughout the scriptures? What can we learn from this today? 
  2. Who has been a ‘shepherd’ in your life, leading you to God? 
  3. How can you be a better shepherd to others? 

Prayer

Lord, 

Help me to guide other people to you through my words and deeds. Please bless the shepherds around me. Strengthen them for the task at hand. May we approach all things with humility and dependence on you. 

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.

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The Tragedy of Saul, the first King of Israel

1 Chronicles 10-11 

Psalm 71

Galatians 4

~ Devotion by Cayce Fletcher (SC)

Cayce Fletcher is a wife and homeschool mom of three. She writes and podcasts at amorebeautifullifecollective.com where she helps women grow in grace, build with purpose, and live beautifully. Read the latest post in the Systematic Theology series here. 

Last week, as I was working on writing our summer camp journals, I turned on David for my kids to watch. It was the first time that I had seen the movie myself, but with The Prince of Egypt being one of my favorite movies as a kid, I had high expectations. 

Of course, there were things that I wish they had done differently, but overall, I was pleasantly surprised. I so appreciated how they didn’t just stop at the Sunday School version of David’s life (just covering the story of David and Goliath), but instead told his story up until he received the kingship after Saul’s death. 

Saul is such a tragic figure. He was so earnest in the beginning. If you remember in 1 Samuel 9, when Saul was first anointed, he responded to the kingship with humility. In verse 21, Saul responds to Samuel, “But am I not a Benjamite, from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why do you say such a thing to me?” 

As the years went on, this humility began to wane, and it was replaced by pride and self-focus. He is so scared to lose the kingdom, to do something wrong, that he ultimately loses it anyway. In Saul’s story, we see an example of someone who holds the ‘good’ so tightly that it becomes an enemy of the ‘great’ – a deep relationship with and dependence on God.

Over and over, Saul chooses to do ‘little sins’ in order to bring honor and fame to himself. He tries to manipulate the outcomes of battles. He’s willing to kill Jonathan (multiple times). He tries to keep the spoils of war and hides them from Samuel. By the end, he even turns to witchcraft to get answers because he feels like God has left him. 

Like Macbeth and other power-hungry characters, Saul’s downfall was his lack of awareness that God can just as easily take away the responsibilities that he gave if the holder is found lacking. If Saul had depended on God completely, we would have read a different ending to his story than what we read today in 1 Chronicles 10. 

1 Chronicles 10:13-14 sums up Saul’s life: “Saul died for his unfaithfulness to the Lord because he did not keep the Lord’s word. He even consulted a medium for guidance, but he did not inquire of the Lord. So the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David, son of Jesse.”

The tragedy of Saul affected more than just him. All of his sons fell in the doomed battle against the Philistines – an entire house extinguished. 

Writing this just after Father’s Day, this makes me think about the responsibility we have as leaders. Saul was so concerned with his own pride and recognition that he ultimately sacrificed not only himself but also his family on that altar. As a leader of the people, we were supposed to steadfastly point them to God. Instead, he foolishly acted in ways that ‘seemed right in his own eyes’ but were contrary to God’s law. 

Wherever you are leading – whether in your own homes, your church, or your community – you have a great responsibility to be steadfast. You cannot fall prey to the temptation of allowing the lines between right and wrong to blur in the service of your own desires. You cannot hold the good you feel like you deserve too tightly, ultimately rejecting wholehearted obedience to God. 

Saul’s life is a reminder to look at our own lives and the gravity of our actions. How are they measuring up? May our lives always be characterized by faithfulness, not unfaithfulness like Saul. 

Reflection Questions

  1. Saul’s life is a tragedy, and tragedy is often characterized by a central character flaw that leads to their doom. What do you think is the core sin of Saul’s life? 
  2. As Saul began to grow in influence and power, that tainted his relationship with God. How do you handle influence rightly so that it brings glory to God – not yourself? 
  3. When we think of Saul, we often think of Saul the King, not Saul the Father. How did Saul’s actions affect his family? What lessons can we learn from this about parenting?

Prayer

Lord, 

Help me hold my responsibilities rightly so that they bring glory to you. May I not fall prey to the dangers of pride, but instead lead with humility. Help me to guide those who are following after me to a better relationship with you. 

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.

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Still Fighting Giants

and David grew weary 2 Sam 21 15 ESV

2 Samuel 21–22

Psalm 57

1 Corinthians 5

-Devotion by Melissa New (AR)

This passage surprised me the last time I read it. We all know the account of young David fighting the giant, Goliath. But we don’t always notice that David was still fighting giants late in life. There were other giants in Gath besides Goliath, and it’s not hard to imagine that some of them remembered what David had done.

David is older and has been king a long time. He has fought many battles. And he’s seen so many things; victory, failure, betrayal, grief, and mercy. But even near the end of his life, the giants are still coming.

In 2 Samuel 21, David and his servants are fighting the Philistines “once again.” One of the descendants of the giants, Ishbi-Benob, sees his chance and thinks he can kill the king. We know he is a giant because he’s a descendant of Rapha, and the Scripture tells us his bronze spearhead weighed three hundred shekels (quite heavy for just a spearhead). He is also armed with a new sword. Ishbi-Benob appears battle-ready and dangerous.

During the battle, David became exhausted. But Abishai comes to David’s aid and strikes the giant down. Abishai is the brother of Joab and also one of David’s nephews. David is still David, but he’s not as strong as he once was. The man who once stood alone before Goliath now needs someone else to step in and help him.

There are seasons when God gives us strength to stand and fight. There are also seasons when God sends someone else to stand beside us because our strength is almost gone. David had once been the young man delivering Israel from a giant. Now another man is delivering David.

After this, David’s men tell him that he should no longer go out with them to battle, “so that the lamp of Israel will not be extinguished.” They aren’t dishonoring him. They are protecting him. The king of Israel would be a target for any enemy, but you wouldn’t want to see the king who came to prominence by defeating a giant meet his end at the hands of a giant either.

It can be hard for us as we get older to realize that we aren’t as strong as we once were. There is wisdom in seeing where others are more able. Sometimes faithfulness means letting others help. The battles will still come up, but our role in the battle changes.

The chapter tells us that “in the course of time” another giant needed to be defeated.  Sibbecai the Hushathite killed the next giant, Saph. Sibbecai is named as one of David’s commanders who led 24,000 Israelite men in 1 Chronicles 27:11.

Then there is another battle at Gob. In this battle, Elhanan son of Jaare-Oregim the Bethlehemite killed Goliath the Gittite, who had a spear with a shaft like a weaver’s rod. This was an unusually large and heavy weapon. (In 1 Chronicles 20:5 the giant fought here is described as being Goliath’s brother, Lahmi.) Elhanan was probably another of David’s elite fighting men, very likely one of the Thirty mentioned in 2 Samuel 23.

Then there is another battle in Gath where a giant with “six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot” is fought. Jonathan, the son of David’s brother Shimeah, killed this unnamed giant who was also a descendant of Rapha in Gath.

In seven short verses we see four more giant encounters! David went out with his men to fight Ishbi-Benob and the Philistines, but his men convinced him that they can handle the giants now.

What a legacy that David is able to see for himself! David showed his men how to have the courage and faith to defeat Israel’s enemies. He had men under him who were also capable of killing giants. Some were part of his mighty men and some were his very own nephews.

This is definitely a victory in David’s life. He did not just defeat a giant. He helped raise up men who could keep fighting when more giants came. We often think that one great victory will settle everything. We think if we defeat one giant, we should be done with giants. But life does not usually work that way.

Life is full of battles, unfortunately. Jesus told us we would have trouble. (John 16:33) There are battles we thought we had already settled and won, but they come back up. There are battles that come when we are tired. There are battles that come when we are wounded. There are battles that come when we may need others around us to step up and help us get through it. (It is good to have “mighty men” and faithful family nearby. And they don’t have to be blood-related. Our church family is so important!)

David’s story reminds us that faith is not proven only in one dramatic moment. Faith must keep trusting God after the famous victory is over and when we don’t feel as strong as we want to feel.

In 2 Samuel 22, David sings.

“The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer.” He ends the song with, “The LORD lives! Praise be to my rock! Exalted be God, the Rock, my Savior!” (2 Samuel 22:47)

Let’s not forget to sing and praise God for what He does for us either!  All the “giants” or “battles” we find ourselves up against are another opportunity for God to show how very faithful and good He is.

We want to be like David; a leader who surrounded himself with faithful men who could help and advise him in times of need. But we want to be like David’s mighty men and nephews too. Do you know of someone who could use help in their battle? Maybe God has placed us near them for that very reason.

Reflection Questions

Do we acknowledge that we will face many battles and also prepare ourselves for them?

Do we let others help us when don’t feel strong enough to get through it on our own?

Are we training our children and younger family members to walk with God, so that one day they can help strengthen us and others when battles come?

Do we pay attention to the needs of others and help them with their battles too?

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father – I praise You for Your goodness and faithfulness. I am thankful that You are a God of strength and might and You do not grow tired and weary. Show me where and when I would be wise and faithful to offer and give aid and also where and when I ought to accept or ask for help. Help me be strong and wise for every task You are preparing for me to do, and also know what is the job for another. Help me intentionally and effectively raise up workers for Your kingdom. In Your Son’s name I pray.

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Who is Your God?

*2 Samuel 11-12

Psalm 55

*Romans 16

-Devotion by Jeremy Martin (TN)

            Have you ever focused so much on yourself that, whether accidentally or on purpose, you excluded God?  I have, and I say that to my shame.  Even now, as I’m trying to seek God with my whole heart, I find that I’m disturbingly easily distracted.  It’s embarrassing and concerning to me.  I have to maintain a constant vigil and firmly correct myself when I’m looking off to the side because I know from my own personal and painful experiences that “bad things” happen when I don’t let God rule my life (See 2/5 devotion).  In our reading in Romans 16 today, there’s a short little blurb in v18 that says “For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own stomach…“(LSB).  Ouch.

            The verse above is strikingly reminiscent of Phil 3:19 which states “whose end is destruction, whose God is their stomach…who set their thoughts on earthly things.” (LSB).  The (many) creature comforts that we have been given are nice, but if they are distracting us from proper service to and worship of our God then they have become a juicy, tasty looking worm on the end of a very sharp, barbed, and deadly hook to us.  We see from the above verse that the end of (exclusive) self gratification is destruction, and Paul clearly tells us it’s a bad idea.  Just think of what you could do with 30 pieces of silver though…but was it worth it? It wasn’t, it never is.  We were bought at a (very high) price, and to act solely in our own self interests is to dishonor the one who paid it for us.  Don’t set your thoughts on earthly things.

            In our 2 Samuel reading today, it’s not his stomach that has become his God but another anatomical bit, and David sets his thoughts on earthly things.  He sees from the roof of his house a woman bathing: she’s beautiful and he makes inquiries about her, finding out that she’s Eliam’s daughter and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.  Despite this, David sends for her, sleeps with her, and she becomes pregnant (2 Sam 11: 1-5).  This is not only a violation of God’s law, but one of the basest social human betrayals that you could possibly imagine once you understand who Uriah was.

            To understand better, King David had a mixed army of about 288,000 men, these were organized into 12 divisions of around 24,000 men each.  This consisted of a paid standing army (regular troops whose job it was to fight), a militia designated by tribe (armed citizens who fought under veteran commanders) who took turns by month serving unless there was a special need and all of the people where called, and then his “Mighty Men” or “The 30“; a small but elite group of about 37 men (later expanded to 80) that were very much the equivalent of the Special Forces of the time, the ancient Jewish equivalent of Navy Seals, or probably more accurately, “Mossad”.  (external sources include: chabad.org, biblicalwarfare.com, and it aligns logically with what we know from scripture).  Uriah was one of the Mighty Men.

            The Mighty Men of David were generally thought to have been the fierce and loyal followers who stayed with him when he was fleeing King Saul (or at times exceptional fighters who joined later and gained their position from extraordinary feats of bravery). At the very least, they fought side by side with him. Uriah’s closeness to David is illustrated by how closely he lived to the palace, you could see his house clearly from the roof of David’s house.  There is a special bond formed when men fight beside each other, when their lives are in danger, and when they are forced to rely on each other for survival.  David considered all of this, and then chose to betray his close friend in order to feed his earthly appetite.           

            Then, as sin often does, it got worse.  David tried to conceal his crime (2 Sam 11: 6-13) by trying to get Uriah to go sleep with his wife (and failing because of Uriah’s fierce loyalty and code of honor), and then resorts to having Uriah killed (2 Sam 11: 14-27).  Understanding how fiercely loyal his friend Uriah was and how David repaid that loyalty is truly cringe-worthy.  I can’t think of a deeper betrayal that one human could do to another, it’s definitely the low point of David’s life.

            This is all starkly shocking considering the favor that God has shown David, but it should highlight the painful fact that we are all subject to the lusts of our own flesh and must constantly discipline ourselves to remain true.  David was a man after God’s own heart, but he was still a man, and all men have fallen short.  In this case he broke a number of commandments, killed one of his closest friends, and betrayed the trust of a nation and his God.

            When Nathan shows up to speak to David in 2 Sam 12: 1-14, he tells David a parable of a rich man who took advantage of a poor man and took his one beloved ewe, and David reacts in outrage and says that the man should be killed, after which Nathan explains that it is David himself who was that rich man, and offers a bit of punitive prophecy in v10-12 and v14 (war, betrayal of David, his wives taken publicly, and the baby will die).  He is also told at this time that God will forgive him (v13), but all of these dark prophecies against him will still take place as a result of his sin.  This shows us yet again that our God is indeed a God of justice, but also of mercy.

            David’s actions at this point should be a template to us when we sin: he weeps, he prostrates himself before God, and fasts intensely.  He begs and pleads with God.  We can presume that he tore his robes and put ashes on his head (although it doesn’t specifically say that) as was customarily done in those days to express regret.  He does his absolute very best to humble himself and to, if possible, avert the catastrophe that Yahweh has promised in return for his sin.  In this instance, God did not revoke his judgment and the baby dies, but later when Solomon was born it says (in 2 Sam 12:24) that “God loved him”.

            As a side note, in 2 Sam 12:26-30 there is a “war event” that requires a mustering of all of the forces (probably around 288,000 men, as noted above).  This is usually noted by the phrase “all the people”, or sometimes “all of Israel”, as in v29.  There’s a bit of disturbing information towards the end of this chapter in v31 that describes the practices of the conquering armies to their enemies that just highlights how brutal war was (and is).  I recommend you don’t read it if you don’t have a strong stomach, but if you do read this please note that these were the practices of men and not the commandments of God, and make that clear distinction in your mind.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

  1. Each of us is very different, but we are also much the same.  Reflect for a moment on David’s greatest sin, what was the worst sin that you have ever committed?
  2. When you repented of that sin, how specifically did you ask God to forgive you?
  3. Is that sin still poignantly fresh in your mind?  Whatever your answer is, why?
  4. What steps did you take in order to never commit that same sin again, and were you successful?
  5. How can we be successful against temptation to sin?  What are your specific weaknesses and what measures can you personally take that will help you to overcome them?

PRAYER

Father God, please forgive me of all of my sin, whether intentional or unthinking.  Please show me the way into Your kingdom, and cleanse me of all my wrongdoing and many shortcomings.  Help me to listen and to obey Your word, and to honor the price that was paid for my salvation.  Thank you Lord God for sending us Your son to teach us, and to be an example of obedience.  Discipline us God, not in Your wrath lest we be destroyed, but according to Your mercies.  Thank you Father, in Jesus name, Amen.

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Never Alone

Leviticus 24-25

Psalm 13

Matthew 26

–Devotion by Emilee Christian (MO)

I love the Psalms, especially those by David. David didn’t shy away from sharing his conflicting emotions with the Creator. Psalms 13, while short, is an excellent example. He begins the Psalms questioning God, feeling abandoned by Him. David pleads with the LORD for deliverance. Yet, David ends with a submission of praise. Personally, I don’t think anything happened to change David’s circumstances in between verses 4 and 5. Rather, I think David resolved himself to continue to trust in God’s unfailing word, even when he could not see its immediate fulfillment. The sort of dedication David has towards the LORD at the end of this Psalm very much reminds me of Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane.

Jesus, like David, knows what it feels like to be alone. We see this in our reading from Matthew 26. Jesus understands how it feels to feel forsaken or forgotten by God. Jesus knows anguish, a sorrow that rests heavy in one’s heart. The words of David in Psalms 13 echo the story of Jesus’ crucifixion. Jesus’ accusers had the upper hand as they beat him, gloating and rejoicing in his suffering. Knowing all he was about to endure, Jesus still submitted to God’s plan. He went away with his accusers willingly. His submission was an act of praise and worship, just as David’s words are in the conclusion of Psalms 13. 

We will face struggles in our life as well. Though many of us will not be facing death by crucifixion or a life on the run from an angry king, we will face trials that leave us feeling desolate and hopeless. It is then we can take refuge in knowing our Savior, our High Priest, has felt the same. 

There is strength in numbers. Even the most introverted value and thrive upon community. It’s how our Creator designed us. When our soul feels crushed, we can run to the Savior who understands us. May we not forget that we have a powerful best friend in our corner. Jesus knows pain. Jesus knows loss. We are not alone. 

Reflection Questions:

  1. Why do you think there is so much detail about Christ’s suffering? Is it simply for the fulfillment of scripture or do you think there could be another purpose for the narrative?
  2. What does the knowledge of having a savior who can personally relate to your pain mean for you? If you are currently going through a trial, how does the knowledge your Savior can relate affect you? 
  3. How can you rededicate yourself to God during your own trials?

PRAYER:

Dear LORD,

Thank you for your Word. Thank you for reminding us that we are not alone. Thank you for giving us a Jesus who knows what it is to cry tears of anguish late into the night. Even when things feel hopeless, may I turn to You. Strengthen my resolve to do Your will. It’s in Jesus’ name we pray, Amen. 

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Leaving a Legacy

1 Chr 22; Ps 30, 108-110

There’s nothing quite like the moment when you hold your little newborn baby in your arms. For months, you dreamed of when they would arrive, what they would look like, and the sweetness of that moment. But, your dreaming of the future doesn’t stop once you get home from the hospital. 

With every birthday, we imagine the future self that they will grow into. Some of our dreams are realized, and some are given up as life passes on. 

My husband has always wanted to be a Golf Player (with a capital G, capital P). When we learned we were pregnant with our first, he immediately said, ‘He can grow up and learned to be good at golf.’ Even if we don’t want to admit it, we all do this.

We all have dreams that we pass on to our children. Some of these dreams are our unrealized hopes for our own future. We think, “I can’t do this, but maybe my kids can.” Some of these dreams are our way of passing on our accomplishments. We build a family business and want our kids to continue that legacy. 

David had his own special dream that he wanted to pass down to his children that was a combination of both his unrealized hopes and his hard-won legacy. Since Solomon was young, David knew that his little boy would grow up to do what he wasn’t able to do: Build the temple. So, David spent his lifetime paving the way for Solomon, assembling together all the resources he would need to do something magnificent. 

My son is still young. No, we haven’t done golf lessons – yet. But, he has a few clubs to play with. There is still time for him to become that Golf Player that we dreamed of five years ago. 

But, as I read through David’s story, I’m moved to imagine a different kind of legacy that I want to pass on. I don’t just want to have dreams that center around things that would be ‘cool to do.’ My dreams for him are to build a legacy that would glorify God and impact the world.

How are we launching others to do good work for God? Are you helping those coming after you build a lasting legacy of glorifying God? 

-Cayce Fletcher

Cayce blogs at https://amorebeautifullifecollective.com about faith, family, and life. You’ll find encouragement for how to build intentional lives rooted in faith and beauty. Check out the latest post on the human nature of Jesus here. 

Reflection Questions

  1. What were some hopes and dreams that you wanted for yourself but have passed you by? 
  2. If you have kids, how have you tried to realize those dreams in your children? 
  3. What is the legacy you want to leave? How are you setting up the people who come after you to glorify God? 

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