TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, Joab led out the armed forces. He laid waste the land of the Ammonites and went to Rabbah and besieged it, but David remained in Jerusalem. Joab attacked Rabbah and left it in ruins. David took the crown from the head of their king—its weight was found to be a talent of gold, and it was set with precious stones—and it was placed on David’s head. He took a great quantity of plunder from the city and brought out the people who were there, consigning them to labor with saws and with iron picks and axes. David did this to all the Ammonite towns. Then David and his entire army returned to Jerusalem.

In the course of time, war broke out with the Philistines, at Gezer. At that time Sibbekai the Hushathite killed Sippai, one of the descendants of the Rephaites, and the Philistines were subjugated.

In another battle with the Philistines, Elhanan son of Jair killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, who had a spear with a shaft like a weaver’s rod.

In still another battle, which took place at Gath, there was a huge man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot—twenty-four in all. He also was descended from Rapha. When he taunted Israel, Jonathan son of Shimea, David’s brother, killed him.

These were descendants of Rapha in Gath, and they fell at the hands of David and his men.

Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel. So David said to Joab and the commanders of the troops, “Go and count the Israelites from Beersheba to Dan. Then report back to me so that I may know how many there are.”

But Joab replied, “May the Lord multiply his troops a hundred times over. My lord the king, are they not all my lord’s subjects? Why does my lord want to do this? Why should he bring guilt on Israel?”

The king’s word, however, overruled Joab; so Joab left and went throughout Israel and then came back to Jerusalem. Joab reported the number of the fighting men to David: In all Israel there were one million one hundred thousand men who could handle a sword, including four hundred and seventy thousand in Judah.

But Joab did not include Levi and Benjamin in the numbering, because the king’s command was repulsive to him. This command was also evil in the sight of God; so He punished Israel.

Then David said to God, “I have sinned greatly by doing this. Now, I beg You, take away the guilt of Your servant. I have done a very foolish thing.”

The Lord said to Gad, David’s seer, “Go and tell David, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am giving you three options. Choose one of them for Me to carry out against you.’”

So Gad went to David and said to him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Take your choice: three years of famine, three months of being swept away before your enemies, with their swords overtaking you, or three days of the sword of the Lord—days of plague in the land, with the angel of the Lord ravaging every part of Israel.’ Now then, decide how I should answer the One who sent me.”

David said to Gad, “I am in deep distress. Let me fall into the hands of the Lord, for His mercy is very great; but do not let me fall into human hands.”

So the Lord sent a plague on Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell dead. And God sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem. But as the angel was doing so, the Lord saw it and relented concerning the disaster and said to the angel who was destroying the people, “Enough! Withdraw your hand.” The angel of the Lord was then standing at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

David looked up and saw the angel of the Lord standing between heaven and earth, with a drawn sword in his hand extended over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell facedown.

David said to God, “Was it not I who ordered the fighting men to be counted? I, the shepherd, have sinned and done wrong. These are but sheep. What have they done? Lord my God, let Your hand fall on me and my family, but do not let this plague remain on Your people.”

1 Chronicles 20, 21:1-17

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

As we have followed David’s story, we have seen a young shepherd boy who had gained God’s favor be anointed and blessed as Israel’s king. Once he was king, we have seen how God protected David and delivered him through numerous times of peril. We have also read about many victories over nations that would choose to threaten Israel. Through those victories, David became more and more powerful, maybe too powerful for his own good.

For power sometimes has a way of going to someone’s head, resulting in sinful behavior, and as we see in our scripture for today, this is exactly what happened to David,

David’s success had been firmly grounded in his faithfulness and obedience to God. As David remained true to God, then God remained faithful to David and blessed all that he did because David did it in the name of the Lord and to His honor and glory.

But as we see Chapter 21 open, we find things changing. For we read where Satan influenced David to take a census of Israel so he could have an idea of just how many people he had, especially the number of fighting men at his disposal. Of interest here is that David didn’t ask God as to whether he should do this or not. There was no quality assurance check to make sure the calling wasn’t a deception. No, David felt in his own mind that taking a census was a good idea and, despite Joab’s objections, went ahead with his order.

Well, this didn’t set well with Joab who knew it was sinful and it definitely didn’t sit right with God. For why did David need to worry about how many people he had at his disposal when he had God on his side. Isn’t the Lord all that David really needed?

Isn’t that all any of us need for that matter?

Looking at our passage, we see how God reacted to David’s act of insolence For if David wanted to choose evil over righteousness, opting against being true to God, then God would not be true to him. Instead of truth, David, and Israel by association, would receive consequences in the form of punishment and no amount of remorse or regret by David would change God’s mind.

For God sent this message loud and clear through David’s seer Gad who brought the following word from God to the king:

 “This is what the Lord says: ‘Take your choice: three years of famine, three months of being swept away before your enemies, with their swords overtaking you, or three days of the sword of the Lord—days of plague in the land, with the angel of the Lord ravaging every part of Israel.’ Now then, decide how I should answer the One who sent me.”

Note that not one of these three options were easy. Each contained their share of difficulty and tribulation but David felt that falling into the hands of the Lord and His discipline would be better than falling into human hands, the hands of His enemies. In a way, I think David may have thought that if he fell into the arms of the Lord, then he and the people of Israel might find themselves pardoned because God is a God of mercy. But David and Israel both learned in a hurry that although God is a God of love and mercy and grace, He is also a God of punishment and judgment and wrath.  

For the Lord honored David’s choice by sending a plague on Israel, killing seventy thousand men, followed by an angel to destroy Jerusalem. Would the holy city be obliterated by the Lord? It almost happened but as the angel was carrying out God’s will, God relented and ordered the angel to stop and withdraw from Jerusalem. At that juncture, we are told that the “angel of the Lord” was “standing at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

As the angel withdrew, scripture tells us that “David looked up and saw the angel of the Lord standing between heaven and earth, with a drawn sword in his hand extended over Jerusalem”, a sight that led “David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell facedown” in mourning and repentance. David lamented that others had to pay the price for his sin when he said to God:

“Was it not I who ordered the fighting men to be counted? I, the shepherd, have sinned and done wrong. These are but sheep. What have they done? Lord my God, let Your hand fall on me and my family, but do not let this plague remain on Your people.”

David’s word reveal that he is coming back around to the man and leader who had good standing with God, a man who was true to the Lord and obedient in seeking Him and carrying out His guidance. David took full accountability and asked for God’s wrath to be upon him and his family and not others. In his words, we find the anguish one can go through as they realize that their sin rarely only impacts just them. So often, many suffer for the transgression of just one person.

In David’s case, 70,000 men paid the price and lost their life, all because he angered God with his self-centered and self-focused order.

Friends, we need to pay close attention to this account and what happened to David through his relationship with God. If we live in a way where we seek to be true to God, then we can expect to find ourselves in God’s favor and He will be true to us. However, if we choose to rely on ourselves and get caught up in our power vice His, then we, like David, can expect to experience consequences, and those consequences will most probably impact more people that just us.

Truth or consequences.

Which will you choose?

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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THE LORD DOES GOOD IN HIS SIGHT

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

In the course of time, Nahash king of the Ammonites died, and his son succeeded him as king. David thought, “I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent a delegation to express his sympathy to Hanun concerning his father.

When David’s envoys came to Hanun in the land of the Ammonites to express sympathy to him, the Ammonite commanders said to Hanun, “Do you think David is honoring your father by sending envoys to you to express sympathy? Haven’t his envoys come to you only to explore and spy out the country and overthrow it?” So Hanun seized David’s envoys, shaved them, cut off their garments at the buttocks, and sent them away.

When someone came and told David about the men, he sent messengers to meet them, for they were greatly humiliated. The king said, “Stay at Jericho till your beards have grown, and then come back.”

When the Ammonites realized that they had become obnoxious to David, Hanun and the Ammonites sent a thousand talents of silver to hire chariots and charioteers from Aram Naharaim, Aram Maakah and Zobah. They hired thirty-two thousand chariots and charioteers, as well as the king of Maakah with his troops, who came and camped near Medeba, while the Ammonites were mustered from their towns and moved out for battle.

On hearing this, David sent Joab out with the entire army of fighting men. The Ammonites came out and drew up in battle formation at the entrance to their city, while the kings who had come were by themselves in the open country.

Joab saw that there were battle lines in front of him and behind him; so he selected some of the best troops in Israel and deployed them against the Arameans. He put the rest of the men under the command of Abishai his brother, and they were deployed against the Ammonites. Joab said, “If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you are to rescue me; but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will rescue you. Be strong, and let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. The Lord will do what is good in His sight.”

Then Joab and the troops with him advanced to fight the Arameans, and they fled before him. When the Ammonites realized that the Arameans were fleeing, they too fled before his brother Abishai and went inside the city. So Joab went back to Jerusalem.

After the Arameans saw that they had been routed by Israel, they sent messengers and had Arameans brought from beyond the Euphrates River, with Shophak the commander of Hadadezer’s army leading them.

When David was told of this, he gathered all Israel and crossed the Jordan; he advanced against them and formed his battle lines opposite them. David formed his lines to meet the Arameans in battle, and they fought against him. But they fled before Israel, and David killed seven thousand of their charioteers and forty thousand of their foot soldiers. He also killed Shophak the commander of their army.

When the vassals of Hadadezer saw that they had been routed by Israel, they made peace with David and became subject to him.

So the Arameans were not willing to help the Ammonites anymore.

1 Chronicles 19

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Have you ever been in the midst of a situation and wondered, “Lord, what in the world are You doing in this circumstance?”

I mean, there are some experiences we have that can take us down some uncertain paths with twists and turns that we never imagined might occur. As a point and case, look at the way things played out for David as he simply wished to pay his respects for the death of the Ammonite king Nahash.

As we look at the scripture from Chapter 19 of 1 Chronicles, we find David sending a delegation to express sympathy to Nahash’s son Hanun who had ascended to the throne after his father’s death. We read where Nahash had been kind to David and so David saw it fitting to reciprocate that kindness to Hanun.

It seemed easy enough right?

But as we read on we see where Hanun’s commanders came to him suspicious of David’s motives and were able to convince the young king that the expression of sympathy was actually just a cover for something sinister as David was really just sending men to spy, sizing up the lay of the land in advance of an attack. If only Hanun had turned to God for counsel as we have seen David do, he would have been advised properly.

But that didn’t happen. Hanun listened to his commanders and took action, seizing David’s envoys, shaving them (a parallel passage – 2 Samuel 10:4 – tells us that half of their beards were shaved off) and cutting off their garments at the buttocks before sending them away. Imagine how these men must have looked. Half their face shaved while the other not. Bare buttocks exposed after the garments were cut. It was the utmost embarrassment for any man of the era.

Well, obviously David was not amused as to how Hanun had exchanged evil for the good he extended. He advised his men to stay in Jericho and let their beards grow back out before returning. No need for them to return home and extend the humiliation into their hometown. We sense that news of David’s displeasure must have traveled back to Ammon because scripture tells us that the Ammonites realized they had been obnoxious and angered David, something that was unwise given that the Israelite army was the most powerful force at the time.

And so the Ammonites prepared for what they viewed as an inevitable battle with part of that preparation trying to bolster their forces by hiring men from Aram. We read where they sent a thousand talents of silver to hire chariots and charioteers from Aram Naharaim, Aram Maakah and Zobah. They also hired thirty-two thousand chariots and charioteers, as well as the king of Maakah with his troops. As this opposing force advanced toward David and the Israelites, the Ammonites drew up in battle formation at the entrance to the city, while the other Aramean forces were in the open country. On hearing of this advancing, David sent Joab out with the entire army of fighting men.

Joab saw that there were battle lines in front of him and behind him, he selected some of the best troops in Israel and deployed them against the Arameans. He then put the rest of the men under the command of Abishai his brother, and they were deployed against the Ammonites. Before the fighting began, Joab made a pact with his brother: If either of them faced strong resistance from the forces they were fighting, the other brother would come to the rescue. They then did something that was even more important than acknowledging that they would be there for one another. They acknowledged that God would be there for them both. Look at these final words from Joab:

“Be strong, and let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. The Lord will do what is good in His sight.”

I don’t know about you but these words are incredibly inspiring. Joab and Abishai were going to battle against not just one but two armies. It had to be a little harrowing and it was definitely dangerous. Many were going to die and they might be counted in that number. Nonetheless, Joab and Abishai knew they were fighting in the name of the Lord God Almighty and they knew that the Lord would do what was good in His sight. It was this truth that gave them the confidence and courage to forge ahead, no matter what would lie ahead.

We need to draw power and encouragement from this as well. For as we enter into life each and every day, we will face uncertainties that will rise up to oppose us, maybe not as formidable as an entire nation’s army but nonetheless harrowing, challenging, and sometimes downright scary. It is in these times, times that we need to be brave and strong and wonder how we can make it through, that we must remember the words of Joab, knowing that the Lord will do what is good in His sight.

The scriptures reassert this truth in several places. Consider the following:

- In all things, God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.  Romans 8:28

- It is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. Philippians 2:13

Truly, the Lord is interested in ensuring that what is done in His sight is good, whether He does it Himself or He does it through someone who loves Him and is faithful to His purposes. He has done it, is doing it, and will always continue to do it. We need only have faith and trust Him to that end, waiting with patience for Him to work things out in accordance with His perfect will and way.

Joab, Abishai, and David did and God delivered them to victory. Know that He will do the same for anyone else who places their hope in Him.

I pray you are counted among that number.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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A GOD WHO BRINGS VICTORY

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

In the course of time, David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and he took Gath and its surrounding villages from the control of the Philistines.

David also defeated the Moabites, and they became subject to him and brought him tribute.

Moreover, David defeated Hadadezer king of Zobah, in the vicinity of Hamath, when he went to set up his monument at the Euphrates River. David captured a thousand of his chariots, seven thousand charioteers and twenty thousand foot soldiers. He hamstrung all but a hundred of the chariot horses.

When the Arameans of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David struck down twenty-two thousand of them. He put garrisons in the Aramean kingdom of Damascus, and the Arameans became subject to him and brought him tribute. The Lord gave David victory wherever he went.

David took the gold shields carried by the officers of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. From Tebah and Kun, towns that belonged to Hadadezer, David took a great quantity of bronze, which Solomon used to make the bronze Sea, the pillars and various bronze articles.

When Tou king of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer king of Zobah, he sent his son Hadoram to King David to greet him and congratulate him on his victory in battle over Hadadezer, who had been at war with Tou. Hadoram brought all kinds of articles of gold, of silver and of bronze.

King David dedicated these articles to the Lord, as he had done with the silver and gold he had taken from all these nations: Edom and Moab, the Ammonites and the Philistines, and Amalek.

Abishai son of Zeruiah struck down eighteen thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt. He put garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites became subject to David. The Lord gave David victory wherever he went.

David reigned over all Israel, doing what was just and right for all his people. Joab son of Zeruiah was over the army; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was recorder; Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelek son of Abiathar were priests; Shavsha was secretary; Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites and Pelethites; and David’s sons were chief officials at the king’s side.

1 Chronicles 18

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

In 1 Chronicles, Chapter 17, God made the following promise to David:

“I will make your name like the names of the greatest men on earth. I will also subdue all your enemies.” (verses 8b and 10b).

In the following chapter, Chapter 18, we find God making good on this promise.

First, and almost predictably, we find David gain a win over the Philistines. By far, this wasn’t the first time this had happened. You can go all the way back to David as a young boy topping the Philistine giant Goliath in a 1-on-1 fight with just one smooth stone cast from a sling. From that point on, David had been the Philistine’s nemesis but when they would attack him, they would find themselves on the losing end. Such was the case here and as a result, David “took Gath and its surrounding villages from the control of the Philistines.”

But God wasn’t done handing enemies over to David.

We read where the Moabites were next, followed by the king of Zobah, the Arameans from Damascus, and the Edomites. All were subdued by God and conquered under David’s rule. And through all, David began to build up the coffers of Israel with the spoils of victory. He gained the following:

- A tribute from Moab.

- Captured chariots, charioteers, horses, and foot soldiers from Zobah.

- Fortified garrisons in Damascus with the Arameans subject to him. He also was given a tribute.

- Gold shields from the officers of Hadadezer.

- A great quantity of bronze from Tebah and Kun.

And it wasn’t just David’s coffers that became greater. As God had promised, David’s name grew greater as well.

In fact, other nations began to see it would be fruitless to confront him and Israel. We see this in our passage as Tou, king of Hamath, sent his son Hadoram to David to congratulate him on all his wins, presenting David with “all kinds of articles of gold, of silver and of bronze” which David in turn dedicated to the Lord, “as he had done with the silver and gold he had taken” from “Edom and Moab, the Ammonites and the Philistines, and Amalek.” Better to make peace than be beaten.

And so it was. The Lord had fulfilled His promises to David and as the scripture tells us, He “gave David victory wherever he went.”

Indeed, we serve a God who has and does bring victory. For David, the victory was from his enemies who were subdued. For us today, God has subdued and given us victory over our greatest enemy Satan through His Son Jesus Christ,  who bore the sins of mankind on Calvary’s cross and then conquered death and the grave so we might be able to as well. As a result of His selfless sacrifice, whoever believes in Jesus as Savior will not perish but live forever (John 3:16). Paul summed up our victory this way:

“Death has been swallowed up in victory.”

“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:54b-57

The sting of death is sin but those who are in Christ Jesus have been justified or made just-as-if-I-had-never-sinned. When God sees us through the lens of Jesus, He sees our sin penalty already paid and grants us the victory over death, ushering us into a life forever with Him and His Son Jesus.

Friends, we have good news, not just today but every day. For through Jesus Christ, we are a victorious people and we need to live like it, giving all thanks, honor, glory, and praise unto our God who brings victory now and forever.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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RECEIVING PROMISES

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

“And now, Lord, let the promise You have made concerning Your servant and his house be established forever. Do as You promised,  so that it will be established and that Your name will be great forever. Then people will say, ‘The Lord Almighty, the God over Israel, is Israel’s God!’ And the house of Your servant David will be established before You.”

 “You, my God, have revealed to Your servant that You will build a house for him. So Your servant has found courage to pray to You. You, Lord, are God! You have promised these good things to Your servant. Now You have been pleased to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue forever in Your sight; for You, Lord, have blessed it, and it will be blessed forever.”

1 Chronicles 17:23-27

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

As David concludes his prayer unto the Lord at the end of the 17th Chapter of 1 Chronicles, we find him displaying a principle of righteous living that we tend to not talk about too often, if at all.

I’m talking about the principle of receiving the Lord’s promises.

Looking to the scriptures, we find David speaking to the Lord regarding what He had said to David via his prophet Nathan. He said:

“And now, Lord, let the promise You have made concerning Your servant and his house be established forever. Do as You promised,  so that it will be established and that Your name will be great forever. Then people will say, ‘The Lord Almighty, the God over Israel, is Israel’s God!’ And the house of Your servant David will be established before You.”

 “You, my God, have revealed to Your servant that You will build a house for him. So Your servant has found courage to pray to You. You, Lord, are God! You have promised these good things to Your servant. Now You have been pleased to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue forever in Your sight; for You, Lord, have blessed it, and it will be blessed forever.”

The Lord had promised to do the following for David:

1. I will make your name like the names of the greatest men on earth.

1 Chronicles 17:8b

2. I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed.

1 Chronicles 17:9a

3. Wicked people will not oppress them (the Israelites) anymore, as they did at the beginning

and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders over my people Israel. 1 Chronicles 17:9b-10a

4. I will also subdue all your (David’s) enemies. 1 Chronicles 17:10b

5. When your days are over and you go to be with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom.

1 Chronicles 17:11

6. He is the one who will build a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever. I will set him over my house and my kingdom forever; his throne will be established forever.

1 Chronicles 17:12,14

7. I will be his father, and he will be my son. I will never take my love away from him, as I took it away from your predecessor.

1 Chronicles 17:13

Seven distinct promises made by the Lord. Seven promises that David willingly and thankfully received. But note an important aspect of what David had to say when he received those promises. For his focus and concern wasn’t about how exalted either he or his son Solomon would be while on the throne. Rather, David was most concerned about how the name of the Lord would be “great forever”, receiving praise and honor and glory from the people who would proclaim:

“The Lord Almighty, the God over Israel, is Israel’s God!”

Friends, as we consider the many promises of the Lord, we, like David, should always see the fulfillment of those promises as an exclamation of God’s glory and grace, His supply and His faithfulness. God makes assurances and then He makes good on those assurances. No one else we experience in life does this as perfectly as He does. No one.

Here are at least 10 promises we should cling to:

1. Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9

2. Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Matthew 11:28-29

3. I am the vine; You are the branches. If You remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing. John 15:5

4. God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” Hebrews 13:5-6

5. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” 2

Corinthians 12:9a

6. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Jeremiah 29:11

7. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27

8. And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

9. No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. 1 Corinthians 10:13

10. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

Question: Have you, like David, received God’s promises today, fully seeing His majesty revealed in His steadfast consistency and unwavering fulfillment of all He said He would do? Have you praised Him for His reliability and dependability, for His truthfulness and trustworthiness? Have you rejoiced in His abundant goodness and love?

If not, why not do so right now and then make it a part of your daily spiritual discipline. For through the Lord, we are blessed far beyond what any of us deserve and those blessings are largely revealed in the Lord’s promises.

Receive them gladly today and every day.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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THERE IS NO ONE LIKE THE LORD

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

“There is no one like You, Lord, and there is no God but You, as we have heard with our own ears. And who is like Your people Israel — the one nation on earth whose God went out to redeem a people for Himself, and to make a name for Yourself, and to perform great and awesome wonders by driving out nations from before Your people, whom You redeemed from Egypt? You made Your people Israel Your very own forever, and You, Lord, have become their God.”

1 Chronicles 17:20-22

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

“There is none like You, No one can touch my heart the way You do, I could search for all eternity Lord and find there is none like You.”

These words from a great song titled In the Garden (None Like You) by the group Watermark should serve as our daily anthem as we come before the Lord of all Creation. For truly, who in life is like the Lord our God?

Going back to our continued study of 1 Chronicles and the life of King David, we find him lifting up a prayer before God. And after he wonders why he and his family were so worthy of God’s goodness, present and future, as shared by Nathan the prophet, David enters into words of praise, exalting and magnifying the Lord to His rightful place above all things. Look at his words:

“There is no one like You, Lord, and there is no God but You, as we have heard with our own ears. And who is like Your people Israel — the one nation on earth whose God went out to redeem a people for Himself, and to make a name for Yourself, and to perform great and awesome wonders by driving out nations from before Your people, whom You redeemed from Egypt? You made Your people Israel Your very own forever, and You, Lord, have become their God.”

David’s words in just three verses offer us incredible takeaways that we should use when discussing the Lord with others. Here are three key points we should latch onto:

1. There is no one like the Lord. Period.

Ask yourself this, “Who else in life can do for me what the Lord can do?” The answer is simple. No one can.

No one possesses the transformative, re-creational, regenerational, salvational, miraculous power that the Lord has.

He and only He can give life. Because of Him, we gain existence and then continue to exist.

He and only He can change us from the inside out. He is the only One who can see and reach into the deepest depths of our hearts and mend what is broken.

He and only He can save us. We have no hope short of receiving God’s salvation promise through His Son Jesus Christ, the only way to the Father (John 14:6).

Providing life at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end. No one can do that but the Lord.

2. There is no God but God.

Like the Israelites, we can see this truth as read the words of scripture and hear God’s unrivaled position of majesty and authority over all things trumpeted. You’ll recall this statement from God Himself:

“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.”

“You shall have no other gods before me.”

“You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them.”  Exodus 20:2-4

When God says that there is to be no other god before Him, there really isn’t any room for interpretation or debate.

We are to refrain from worshiping anything else in life except for God and God alone. Nothing is to be placed above Him. Nothing is to be held in a higher esteem than Him. And nothing is more important in life than Him, no matter what the world might present to entice us.

All our attention, all our glory, honor, and praise are to be directed to the only One worthy of receiving it.

3. There is no people like God’s people.

Although we live in a world rife with diversity in demographics such as nationality, skin color, gender, and language, the truth of the matter is that there are only two categories when it comes right down to it: those people who are saved and those who are unsaved.

Those people of the world who have chosen to accept Jesus as their Savior have been set apart, sanctified, glorified, and justified by the Father through the Son, different and distinct from those who choose to reject the salvation offer. That’s just the fact of the matter.  

The Bible speaks clearly about the distinction. When Christ returns, there will be a sorting out process that will take place. Here’s what Jesus told us about what that will look like:

“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.”

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.”  Matthew 25:31-34

For the people saved by God through Christ Jesus, the sheep on the right, this day mentioned will be the best day ever. For those on the left, it will be the worst. Here’s what their fate will be:

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. Then they will go away to eternal punishment.’”  Matthew 25:41, 46a

If you’re reading this today and have accepted Christ as your Savior, rejoice and be glad in the salvation promise you have received. Those who are in Christ are victorious people and should live in joy, peace, and hope that comes with that truth.

If you’re reading this and are among those who will be on the left, I recommend you consider accepting Jesus as your Savior today. Without Him, you are without hope and the scriptures are clear on what awaits those who don’t accept the salvation that God offers through His Son, a salvation no one else can offer because there is no one like the Lord.

Not now. Not ever.

Amen.

Listen to the song, In the Garden (None Like You) here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZRMlbGyddg

In Christ,

Mark

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