Need someone to lean on in hard times? Here is the Good News of the Saviour...
Saviour and God Jesus wants to save you and give you a brand new life. He can comfort you in your difficult times through heartfelt prayer and Bible reading. Here is the Good News:
(1) God loves you. (John 3:16 from the Bible)
(2) Man has sinned against God. (Rom 3:23)
(3) Jesus has paid the penalty for your sins on the cross 2000 years ago.
(4) Accept Jesus by repenting of your sins, being baptised in the name of Jesus (Acts 2:38) and be infilled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38).
(5) You are assured of heaven. Walk on this earth by faith to begin your new journey.
Call Tabernacle of Joy (church) at 63344022 for more information and for Unlocking the Bible (UTB) – Bible Study to know how you can have an overcoming life. Visit www.tabjoy.org
God bless you.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Monday, August 16, 2010
The purity of Davidic worship
God favours the underdog : The early life of David
The era of the Judges of Israel was almost over. Samuel provided spiritual guidance to Israel for a long time since he was born in 1105BC. Samson had met with a tragic but heroic end and the Israelites did what was right in their own eyes. Soon after the death of Samson, Saul was anointed as king. God's original plan was a theocracy and not a monarchy ruled by a king. God let the people of Israel have their way since they wanted a king. As a king, Saul was insecure in his position. Because of his presumption, his sins disqualified him as a king. God rejected him.
Here enters David: he was the last of the sons of Jesse. He was a sheep-keeper. It was not the noblest of professions in Israel; in fact it was one of the lowliest occupation in Israel. Nobody expected the next king to come from the house of Jesse, and certainly not the youngest son who kept the sheep company. David was an underdog. Moreover, David descended from Judah, and he was not from a priestly family.
What was it that God saw in David?
I believe God saw a pure and simple heart in David. In the wilderness where David kept sheep, David played harp music unto God. In the wilderness, he could hear God speaking to him. It was a still and small voice that had spoken to David, just as God had spoken to Elijah, the great prophet in the past. David pursued the presence of God in the wilderness. He had read the Torah; he meditated on the Torah. He peered into the Law; he could understand spiritually what many priests of his times could not understand : the heart of God. He delighted in the Law. He internalised the Law of Moses. Added to that was his bravery: he killed beasts that attacked his sheep. These were qualities that made God choose David, despite his youth. David had integrity of heart, singleness of mind and heart and he practised God's presence in the wilderness.
David was not from a priestly family. He was not a Levite. Yet he understood worship, prayer and meditation well. Anyone with a heart of approaching God, God will not cast him off. God could bless a non-Levite with an extraordinary understanding of worship.
There is something special about the wilderness. God's voice could be heard audibly if one strains to listen to His voice in the desert. God's presence followed David in the wilderness. David also learned obedience from the sheep he tended. He was the faithful shepherd. Perhaps, Jesus, about 900 years later, drew his sermons based on David, the faithful shepherd and psalmist.
I speculate that David danced to God in his years as a shepherd. Moses may not have danced to God. The great Judges may not have danced to God. David transcended the Old Testament and saw the heartbeat of God. He communed with Him, so much so that his worship was heartfelt worship, a wild abandonment and total surrender. He danced and swirled. He played the harp. He read the Torah. He played with the sheep. He bowed, yadah, and surrendered in adoration. He was the forerunner as a mighty worshipper. His worship serves as a blueprint for modern day Christians. Not many people worshipped the way as in David's days.
David pursued the presence of God. God was pleased with him and He was delighted to anoint him as king. God's presence surrounded David.
In later years when David was king, after being chastised by Saul and pursued by Saul for umpteen years, his trials were over. He officially became king after the death of Saul. Later, he sacrificed to God and danced in the presence of God. David always yearned for the presence of God. He may have prayed : "God, manifest yourself. I want to see you." He had such an intimacy with God. He always consulted with God before going into warfare.
Such was the greatness of King David. He had many talents and a heart for the people, and he was tempered and restrained by humility through his trials. He adored the presence of God more than the praises of men.
The psalms that he left and his chronicles have served as a blueprint for Christians in the New Testament. David could out-worship many New Testament Christians at any time. He left a good legacy for Solomon, his beloved son. But his sins sowed the ruin of his kingdom later on after Solomon's demise. Despite this, David is a man after God's heart.
The era of the Judges of Israel was almost over. Samuel provided spiritual guidance to Israel for a long time since he was born in 1105BC. Samson had met with a tragic but heroic end and the Israelites did what was right in their own eyes. Soon after the death of Samson, Saul was anointed as king. God's original plan was a theocracy and not a monarchy ruled by a king. God let the people of Israel have their way since they wanted a king. As a king, Saul was insecure in his position. Because of his presumption, his sins disqualified him as a king. God rejected him.
Here enters David: he was the last of the sons of Jesse. He was a sheep-keeper. It was not the noblest of professions in Israel; in fact it was one of the lowliest occupation in Israel. Nobody expected the next king to come from the house of Jesse, and certainly not the youngest son who kept the sheep company. David was an underdog. Moreover, David descended from Judah, and he was not from a priestly family.
What was it that God saw in David?
I believe God saw a pure and simple heart in David. In the wilderness where David kept sheep, David played harp music unto God. In the wilderness, he could hear God speaking to him. It was a still and small voice that had spoken to David, just as God had spoken to Elijah, the great prophet in the past. David pursued the presence of God in the wilderness. He had read the Torah; he meditated on the Torah. He peered into the Law; he could understand spiritually what many priests of his times could not understand : the heart of God. He delighted in the Law. He internalised the Law of Moses. Added to that was his bravery: he killed beasts that attacked his sheep. These were qualities that made God choose David, despite his youth. David had integrity of heart, singleness of mind and heart and he practised God's presence in the wilderness.
David was not from a priestly family. He was not a Levite. Yet he understood worship, prayer and meditation well. Anyone with a heart of approaching God, God will not cast him off. God could bless a non-Levite with an extraordinary understanding of worship.
There is something special about the wilderness. God's voice could be heard audibly if one strains to listen to His voice in the desert. God's presence followed David in the wilderness. David also learned obedience from the sheep he tended. He was the faithful shepherd. Perhaps, Jesus, about 900 years later, drew his sermons based on David, the faithful shepherd and psalmist.
I speculate that David danced to God in his years as a shepherd. Moses may not have danced to God. The great Judges may not have danced to God. David transcended the Old Testament and saw the heartbeat of God. He communed with Him, so much so that his worship was heartfelt worship, a wild abandonment and total surrender. He danced and swirled. He played the harp. He read the Torah. He played with the sheep. He bowed, yadah, and surrendered in adoration. He was the forerunner as a mighty worshipper. His worship serves as a blueprint for modern day Christians. Not many people worshipped the way as in David's days.
David pursued the presence of God. God was pleased with him and He was delighted to anoint him as king. God's presence surrounded David.
In later years when David was king, after being chastised by Saul and pursued by Saul for umpteen years, his trials were over. He officially became king after the death of Saul. Later, he sacrificed to God and danced in the presence of God. David always yearned for the presence of God. He may have prayed : "God, manifest yourself. I want to see you." He had such an intimacy with God. He always consulted with God before going into warfare.
Such was the greatness of King David. He had many talents and a heart for the people, and he was tempered and restrained by humility through his trials. He adored the presence of God more than the praises of men.
The psalms that he left and his chronicles have served as a blueprint for Christians in the New Testament. David could out-worship many New Testament Christians at any time. He left a good legacy for Solomon, his beloved son. But his sins sowed the ruin of his kingdom later on after Solomon's demise. Despite this, David is a man after God's heart.
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