Category: Bible (Page 42 of 335)

As David gathered forces to consolidate his reign, groups of men armed for battle joined him from all over Israel. One group stood out not just as fighters, but as thinkers:

From Issachar, men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do.

Anyone who is both wise to the ways of the world, and perceives the best steps to take in response, is a person I want in my camp. David found room for this band of contemplative warriors.

So how do you and I gain these same attributes? The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10). Soaking in the Scriptures, growing in our understanding of God and his ways is a foundational step.

Then, I like to read good thinkers who reflect upon our time and culture through a lens reflecting biblical truth. The late Timothy Keller being one, and the contemporary author David Brooks being another (I’m currently reading his book How To Know A Person).

Finally, discussing ideas with others of like-mind. Notice that 200 men from Issachar walked into David’s camp, along with many more of their relatives. This group came to conclusions after batting around ideas with each other before saddling up to join David. Engaging with wise thinkers proves invaluable.

In my experience such people are hard to find. They don’t dwell among social media mobs or within media conglomerations. But they do exist. I pray for people like them to walk into my camp, both to bless my life personally, and to bless the world around us.

1 Chronicles 12 in Through the Bible in 2024

Photo by Papaioannou Kostas

The story of David and Bathsheba darkens my rosy view of life. David turned a lustful eye toward a neighbor and events tumbled out of control. As a result David, along with the people of Israel, suffered under God’s judgment. The illegitimate child of the liaison died, as did Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband.

Uriah lived a principled live, devoted to king and comrades. After sleeping with Bathsheba, David recalled Uriah from the battlefield, thinking he would spend the night at home and enjoy his wife. Uriah refused. He told the king:

“The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in tents, and my commander Joab and my lord’s men are camped in the open country. How could I go to my house to eat and drink and make love to my wife? As surely as you live, I will not do such a thing!”

David destroyed a gallant man in order to hide his sin. Along with Uriah’s life and David’s integrity, I wonder what else was wasted due to David’s taking of Bathsheba? One of David’s mighty men, what acts of bravery never materialized because Uriah not longer marched with the army? How many men suffered and died without their champion to lead them skillfully into battle?

Even from such a distance, it’s sad to dwell on the waste of a good man. But am I really much better than David? I’m guilty of sacrificing others in small ways to get what I want. What David did on a large scale, I do in miniature.

Depths of repentance and grace infuse the story of David and Uriah, and fortunately extend to you and me as well. With so much surrounding potential, if I choose to treat people with value and not simply as a means to get what I want, I help create (in a tiny way) a world where everyone flourishes.

2 Samuel 11 in Through the Bible in 2024

Photo by Anis Rahman

Several years ago while on a trip to Ireland I learned about the phrase beyond the pale. The expression was first used way back in the 13th century to describe people who lived outside the parts of Ireland controlled by the British. Sections of the perimeter were fenced, which became known as the Pale, deriving from the Latin word palus, or stake. Wild Irish people lived beyond the Pale (some of them my ancestors).

Today the phrase points to behavior outside the bounds of good conduct or judgment. Actions that are simply unacceptable. The phrase popped to mind while hearing Paul share about his life before Christ. He hated those who followed Jesus:

I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the Lord’s people in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme. I was so obsessed with persecuting them that I even hunted them down in foreign cities.

Crushing disciples of Jesus consumed Paul. He threw people in prison, signed death warrants, and hunted relentlessly. Paul forced believers to renounce their faith through threats and intimidation. Men, women and children felt his wrath. Paul roamed beyond the pale, hate-filled and merciless.

Yet God, in his mercy, flipped the man. With the same astounding drive, Paul began advocating for and spreading faith in Jesus Christ. Paul never forgot his past, remorsefully writing I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God (1 Corinthians 15:9).

No one exists beyond hope. No man or woman who opposes the Lord is too far gone to be reached by the mercy and grace of God. We should pray: Lord, flip those who oppose you and create fresh, humble champions of faith. Future followers of Jesus even now wander beyond the pale, waiting for a call from our Lord.

Acts 26 in Through the Bible in 2024

Photo by Jan Canty

Where do you toss your shoes at the end of the day? I either pull mine off at the front door, or drop my muddy boots outside. Neither spot is a place of honor in my house.

In the midst of desperate battles, David recorded these words as God described his treatment of the enemies of Israel:

Moab is my washbasin, on Edom I toss my sandal; over Philistia I shout in triumph.

The Lord treats his enemies with disdain. He washes his hands in one and dumps his dirty shoes onto another. Over all he triumphs.

No enemy damages the Lord. No one rises to any level of opposition. All those who shake their fist in hatred do so with less power than the filthy corner of my garage.

It may sound like trite, religious feel-good language, but in our outraged and unbalanced world, it calms my angst to dwell upon the fact that the Lord rules the nations.

Psalm 60 in Through the Bible in 2024

Photo by Dickens Sikazwe