Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Someone sent me this joke. Since I feel this way about Congress a lot of the time, I thought I'd share it with you.
A cowboy named Bud was overseeing his herd in a remote mountainous pasture in California when suddenly a brand-new BMW advanced out of a dust cloud towards him.
The driver, a young man in a Brioni suit, Gucci shoes, RayBan sunglasses and Y SL tie, leans out the window and asks the cowboy, "If I tell you exactly how many cows and calves you have in your herd, Will you give me a calf?"
Bud looks at the man, obviously a yuppie, then looks at his peacefully grazing herd and calmly answers, "Sure, Why not?"
The yuppie parks his car, whips out his Dell notebook computer,connects it to his Cingular RAZR V3 cell phone, and surfs to a NASA page on the Internet, where he calls up a GPS satellite to get an exact fix on his location which he then feeds to another NASA satellite that scans the area in an ultra-high-resolution photo.
The young man then opens the digital photo in Adobe Photoshop and exports it to an image processing facility in Hamburg , Germany
Within seconds, he receives an email on his Palm Pilot that the image has been processed and the data stored. He then accesses a MS-SQL database through an ODBC connected Excel spreadsheet with email on his Blackberry and, after a few minutes, receives a response.
Finally, he prints out a full-color, 150-page repo rt on his hi-tech, miniaturized HP LaserJet printer and finally turns to the cowboy and says, "You have exactly 1,586 cows and calves."
"That's right. Well, I guess you can take one of my calves," says Bud.
He watches the young man select one of the animals and looks on amused as the young man stuffs it into the trunk of his car.
Then the Bud says to the young man, "Hey, if I can tell you exactly what your business is, will you give me back my calf?"
The young man thinks about it for a second and then says, "Okay, why not?"
"You're a Congressman for the U.S. Government", says Bud.
"Wow! That's correct," says the yuppie, "but how did you guess that?"
"No guessing required." answered the cowboy. "You showed up here even though nobody called you; you want to get paid for an answer I already knew,to a question I never asked. You tried to show me how much smarter th an me you are; and you don't know a thing about cows...this is a
herd of sheep. . .
Now give me back my dog
A cowboy named Bud was overseeing his herd in a remote mountainous pasture in California when suddenly a brand-new BMW advanced out of a dust cloud towards him.
The driver, a young man in a Brioni suit, Gucci shoes, RayBan sunglasses and Y SL tie, leans out the window and asks the cowboy, "If I tell you exactly how many cows and calves you have in your herd, Will you give me a calf?"
Bud looks at the man, obviously a yuppie, then looks at his peacefully grazing herd and calmly answers, "Sure, Why not?"
The yuppie parks his car, whips out his Dell notebook computer,connects it to his Cingular RAZR V3 cell phone, and surfs to a NASA page on the Internet, where he calls up a GPS satellite to get an exact fix on his location which he then feeds to another NASA satellite that scans the area in an ultra-high-resolution photo.
The young man then opens the digital photo in Adobe Photoshop and exports it to an image processing facility in Hamburg , Germany
Within seconds, he receives an email on his Palm Pilot that the image has been processed and the data stored. He then accesses a MS-SQL database through an ODBC connected Excel spreadsheet with email on his Blackberry and, after a few minutes, receives a response.
Finally, he prints out a full-color, 150-page repo rt on his hi-tech, miniaturized HP LaserJet printer and finally turns to the cowboy and says, "You have exactly 1,586 cows and calves."
"That's right. Well, I guess you can take one of my calves," says Bud.
He watches the young man select one of the animals and looks on amused as the young man stuffs it into the trunk of his car.
Then the Bud says to the young man, "Hey, if I can tell you exactly what your business is, will you give me back my calf?"
The young man thinks about it for a second and then says, "Okay, why not?"
"You're a Congressman for the U.S. Government", says Bud.
"Wow! That's correct," says the yuppie, "but how did you guess that?"
"No guessing required." answered the cowboy. "You showed up here even though nobody called you; you want to get paid for an answer I already knew,to a question I never asked. You tried to show me how much smarter th an me you are; and you don't know a thing about cows...this is a
herd of sheep. . .
Now give me back my dog
Thursday, January 24, 2008
WHO IS KILLING AFRICAN AMERICAN PEOPLE?
Who is the number one killer of African Americans?
Their mothers.
In 2005, 363,024 black babies were aborted.
Think of Tulsa, Oklahoma, wiped out in one year.
African American women make up 13 percent of the female population in the United States. They have more than 33 percent of all abortions.
Margaret Sanger founded Planned Parenthood to keep dark skinned people from multiplying. Unfortunately, it appears she is succeeding.
Who is the number one killer of African Americans?
Their mothers.
In 2005, 363,024 black babies were aborted.
Think of Tulsa, Oklahoma, wiped out in one year.
African American women make up 13 percent of the female population in the United States. They have more than 33 percent of all abortions.
Margaret Sanger founded Planned Parenthood to keep dark skinned people from multiplying. Unfortunately, it appears she is succeeding.
PATTERSON V. KLOUDA
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary President Paige Patterson filed new motions to dismiss the suit of of Sheri Klouda, former professor of Hebrew at the seminary’s school of theology. Klouda sued for wrongful termination. She was fired for being a woman. The Seminary has a policy not to allow women to teach men theology. I'm not sure that teaching Hebrew is teaching theology, but I'm just a lawyer.
I'm uncomfortable with the way the seminary handled Klouda, and other employees, but I do not see how she can win this case. Normally, the courts will not interfere in decisions of a religious institution based on it religion. A case involving Notre Dame is in point, when a female chaplain sued after being removed as head chaplain because she was a female. The court ruled for Notre Dame because it was a religious decision by a religious institution. I would expect the same type of ruling here.
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary President Paige Patterson filed new motions to dismiss the suit of of Sheri Klouda, former professor of Hebrew at the seminary’s school of theology. Klouda sued for wrongful termination. She was fired for being a woman. The Seminary has a policy not to allow women to teach men theology. I'm not sure that teaching Hebrew is teaching theology, but I'm just a lawyer.
I'm uncomfortable with the way the seminary handled Klouda, and other employees, but I do not see how she can win this case. Normally, the courts will not interfere in decisions of a religious institution based on it religion. A case involving Notre Dame is in point, when a female chaplain sued after being removed as head chaplain because she was a female. The court ruled for Notre Dame because it was a religious decision by a religious institution. I would expect the same type of ruling here.
Alpha & Omega Ministries (James White) has revamped their website into a cool new version. Check it out. White is one of the most active and knowledgeable apologists for the Christian faith.
THE BRAVEST WOMAN IN AMERICA
Having 3 daughters and a wife, I am always interested in stories of outstanding women. Here is a great one.
HT: Instapundit.
Having 3 daughters and a wife, I am always interested in stories of outstanding women. Here is a great one.
HT: Instapundit.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
BABY IT'S COLD OUTSIDE
I feel like I need to call Al Gore and ask where my global warming went! It has been in the 20s every night and in the 30s during the day. No, it isn't Fargo, but it is cold to us in Fort Worth who have not had winter in 3 years. I actually got out the overcoat today and wore it to work for the first time this year.
My office is also freezing. I am currently in an old building and the wind is coming through the windows and making me cold. I am not often cold, so this means it is really pretty cold in here. I've been having to wear my suit coat to stay warm at my desk. Since I am the only one in my office wearing a suit, I feel really formal sitting here with my coat on. Maybe I should make everyone come into my office for a meeting, so they would have to look at me with my coat on. I would look very authoritative. Like Al Gore.
The weather dude says there may be some freezing rain or ice on Friday. That means all my assistants will be trying to find a way to stay home. But I say NO! (OK, that last one comes from a comedy tape. If you have been around our family very long, you know you have to learn Thompson-speak, which is comprised of jokes from an old Louie Anderson video and a newer one by Tim Hawkins. Then, some old family inside jokes are thrown in. This makes it hard for visitors to understand what is going on. Just ask my son-in-law. He is good natured about it, but I'm sure there are times he thinks "who are these people?")
The Little Woman is really cold natured, except for brief episodic spells. She will have the fireplace going, a blanket wrapped around her, and the dog, who is also cold natured, cuddled up next to her.
So, I went out this morning and made the ice scupture posted above. You know, make lemon aid out of lemons. I had to wear my overcoat. I used one of the Little Woman's good knives, but snuck it back into the drawer while she and the dog were still under the blanket. She said I couldn't put it in the dish washer, but she didn't say anything about not using it for ice sculptures. Still, sneaking it back in seemed wise and, somehow, more fun.
Now, I'm going in to watch the Louie Anderson video.
Monday, January 21, 2008
1 SAMUEL 25
25:1 The Death of Samuel
While the appointment of Saul as king officially ended the era of the judges, the death of Samuel, the last judge, makes it final. We was so revered that Israelites from over the whole nation mourned him. They buried him in his home town of Rahah.
David continued to move around. His confrontation with Saul happened in the wilderness of En Gedi. Now he moves on to the Wilderness of Paran. According to Genesis 21:21, Ishmael grew up there after Abraham sent him away. The Israelites camped there after leaving Mount Sinai, according to Numbers 10:12. The spies later left from there on their mission to Canaan, according to Numbers 13:3. I wonder if David thought about Ishmael in exile, since David was in a sort of exile himself, or if he thought about the cloud of God’s presence when Israel wandered through this same area. At any rate, David would have a fateful encounter in this region.
25:2-3 Introducing the Characters
In addition to David, the characters in this story are Nabal and his wife, Abigail. Nabal was rich. He had lots of sheep and goats. Abigail, his wife, was both beautiful and wise. Nabal, in contrast, was harsh and evil. His name means “fool”. Isaiah 32:6 says “For the foolish person will speak foolishness, and his heart will work iniquity: to practice ungodliness, to utter error against the Lord, to keep the hungry unsatisfied, and he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.” Evidently, this trait was known in his clan, as the verse says “he was of the house of Caleb”.
As the story begins, Nabal was in Carmel shearing his sheep. Remember that Carmel is the sight of the monument Saul erected to himself after defeating the Amalekites, and the place where Samuel slew Agag, the king of the Amalekites, after Saul spared him. So, while we will focus on David, the shadow of Saul looms. You might even have to wonder if Nabal had been a supporter of Saul’s given his reaction to David.
25:4-9 David Seeks Provisions from Saul
David and his men evidently guarded Nabal’s men and sheep and prevented any harm from coming to them while they were camped in the area. So, David sent some men, on a fest day, and asked for provisions. David figured, since Nabal was rich and had plenty, and David had treated him well by not taking any of his animals or letting anyone else do it, Nabal would be grateful and generous and give a few sheep and some bread to his men.
25:10-11 Nabal Refuses David’s Request
Instead of being generous, Nabal is arrogant and harsh, consistent with the description of his nature. He refused to give David anything. Not only that, but he insulted David. When he says, in verse 10, “who is David”, he is demeaning him. We might say “who does he think he is, anyway”. He also said “there are many servants nowadays who break away from each one from his master”. This would indicate to me that Nabal supported Saul and thought David an upstart who should be serving Saul.
25:12-13, 21-22 David Gets Angry
When David heard what Nabal had said, he wanted to kill him. He told his men to put on their swords and he put on his. He intended to wipe out Nabal and his men. Verse 13 tells us David had about 400 men with him when he set out, and he left 200 to guard their stuff. Nabal’s men likely are not armed, or only a few of them were, to keep watch over the flocks. They would be no match for David and his hardened fighting force. It would be a massacre.
We can see both sides of David’s nature now. Last week, in Chapter 24, we saw that he refused to harm Saul, since he was God’s anointed. In this chapter, we see the rash and violent side of David. He has been slighted and he wants revenge for it. In verse 21-22, it is recorded that David swore to kill all the males in Nabal’s camp.
25:14-20 Abigail Furnishes What Nabal Would Not
Fortunately for all, one of Nabal’s young men told Abigail what happened. Notice he said Nabal “reviled” David (NKJV). He recounted that David’s men had protected them. The young man was wise and encouraged Abigail to do something, for he knew harm was coming and he could not counsel Nabal about it.
Abigail put together a large amount of supplies and sent them to David. Verse 18 gives us the list of stuff she sent. She did not even tell her husband about it, so he could not mess it up. Then she went on a donkey to meet David personally, hoping her presence would make up for Nabal’s actions. We think she is going to save Nabal, but we realize later, she is going to save David from himself.
This is a brave, as well as wise, woman. She knew David was coming with armed men and she went to meet them rather than hide. You can imagine David is “in a huff”. He is angry and on the way to shed blood, riding with 400 men. Confronting him is one lone Hebrew woman, but one full of wisdom, humility and grace.
25:23-31 Abigail’s Speech
Abigail gives quite a speech and saves David from himself.
Notice the similarity to her behavior in verse 23 when she first encounters David with that of David encountering Saul in 24:8. Abigail dismounted her donkey and fell on her face in the trail, bowing her head all the way to the ground. This is a position of absolute humility and supplication. David had stooped with his face to the earth and bowed down. The Bible in both passages honors the person who humbled themselves, not the one who was superior in rank.
Interestingly, Abigail asked David to blame her and not her husband. In verse 24, she says, in effect, blame me for the wrong that has been done to you. Then, she asked David to listen to her plea. And, some plea it is.
In verse 25, she admits her husband is a fool and not worth bothering with for David, but she calls herself his servant and says she did not see the young men come for food, implying she would have given them food had she seen them. She is asking for a second chance to be gracious to David and his men.
In verse 26, she says it is the Lord who is keeping David from bloodshed and from seeking revenge. It is as if she knows the Lord is using her to save David from doing something evil. She also asks that David’s enemies be made fools as Nabal is.
Then, in verse 27 and 28, she tendered the gift of provisions to David and asked him to accept it and to forgive her. You see she never criticized David, but lauded his character and appealed to it, as well as taking the blame on herself.
She continued by saying the Lord would build for David an enduring house, something the Lord would indeed later promise to David. His descendant would sit on the throne of Israel forever.
She went on to praise David over Saul and, finally, to declare that David would indeed be king. She asked David to remember her when this happened.
25:32-35 David Relents
While Abigail made this eloquent and wise speech, while bowing in the dust, you could probably see the anger leave David, and his admiration for this woman show. He would be convicted of his desire for revenge and grateful to God for intervening and keeping him from great sin.
In verse 32, he gave God the credit for all this. He said “Blessed be the Lord God f Israel, who sent you this day to meet me”. He went on to bless her advice, and he acknowledged that she, as the instrument of the Lord, saved him from sin.
David accepted her gift and sent her on her way. He said he heeded her voice, he took her advice, and he respected her person, he did not harm her even though she was the wife of the one who insulted him.
25:36-39a God Vindicates David
When Nabal heard what happened, he had a heart attack and died within 10 days. Verse 38 says the Lord struck him. As we saw last week, the Lord reserves the right of vengeance or vindication to himself. We are not to take it into our own hands. Here the vindication was swift.
David recognized the Lord’s vindication. When he heard Nabal was dead, he blessed the Lord both for vindicating him and for keeping him from evil. If the Lord had not saved David from getting his own revenge, he would have been like Saul, who murdered the entire town of Nob as revenge for giving supplies to David.
In chapter 24, David restrained himself and his men from vengeance against Saul. But, in chapter 25, David had to be restrained. The Lord, in his mercy, provided that restraint through Abigail. The sad thing is David could not transfer wisdom and knowledge from one situation to another. Where the king was involved, it was clear. Where someone of lesser status was involved, David could not apply God’s standard. He understood not touching the Lord’s anointed. He did not understand God’s command to leave vengeance in God’s hand.
It is part of Christian maturity to be able to apply scriptural principles in different situations. Peter himself failed in this. He applies God’s instruction not to judge clean and unclean in God’s creation when he goes to witness to Cornelius, but does not apply it when the Judaizers came to Antioch. Paul had to do it for him.
25:39b-44 The Postscript
David remembered Abigail and her wisdom and courage. He proposed marriage to her. She reacted humbly to this also, bowing and taking care of David’s servants by having their feet washed.
We are also given a little more information, as we are told Saul had taken Michal away from him and given her to someone else, probably when David went away into the wilderness. David also took another wife, Ahinoam of Jezreel. This is a bit of a sour note at the end of a great story, as David begins to collect wives in violation of the Lord’s command. It was not an uncommon practice in the day, however.
Friday, January 18, 2008
IT’S NOT THAT HE’S BITTER OR ANYTHING
Dr. Death, Jack Kevorkian, erupted into a rant while speaking at the University of Florida Tuesday night. In case you forgot, JK specialized in administering drugs to people to kill them. He called it assisted suicide. Other called it euthanasia or murder. He was convicted in 1999 and went to prison. He is out now and on parole.
Kevorkian has turned from advocating physician assisted suicide to advocating 9th Amendment democracy. He stated that he advocates democracy as the founders had envisioned it and not as it is today. The 9th Amendment reads: The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people. In other words, the people have rights except where the Constitution grants them to the government. There has been a constant struggle since the time the Constitution was ratified to decide what power the government had and what power it did not have.
Kevorkian’s philosophy seems to be somewhere between Libertarianism and Anarchy. He ranted "You think you're free? You've been duped." “We have never been a totally free country; despite all the propaganda you've heard [and] the brainwashing you've taken." Did anyone ever think we were a totally free country? There have always been laws. The states had laws before the federal government came to be. They still have laws. The federal government began to exercise its power after the states ratified the federal constitution and it keeps on doing it. The Supreme Court reviews those laws to see if the Constitution does, indeed, allow them. I agree there are too many laws and the government gets too involved in our lives. Of course, a lot of people like that. If I don’t like cigarette smoke, I’ll support a law saying you can’t smoke where I breathe. But, it limits the rights of the smoker and nothing in the constitution specifically says the government can regulate smoking. The same thing with urinating in public. I had a client back in the ‘80s who got arrested for it twice. He thought the law was unduly restraining. The people who got urine on their shoes weren’t so sure.
Kevorkian also maintained he has no respect for the law. We knew that, Jack. That is why you felt free to kill people when the state said no, no, no. About this point in the speech, JK began to spin out into the unknown regions of logical space. He said no law can create a crime. Unfortunately, it just isn’t true. The state governs. If you are fortunate, it governs through law as opposed to, say, the whim of the dictator. If you violate the law, it is a crime. And you get punished. Like Kevorkian did.
It would be nice if we needed no law and we could all do what we want and would all be nice to each other. But, we don’t all play nice in the sand box. Saddam put children in jail, raped women, killed men, and tortured all kinds of folks. Jeffrey Daumer ate people. John Gayce sexually killed and abused little boys. Hitler killed six million or so Jews because they were Jews. Kevorkian shuffled old or sick people off this mortal coil using drugs. But, Kevorkian says "It just boggles the mind that we're forced to do things we don't want to do because the law will put is in jail.” (I wish I had video of this. I wonder if he was projecting white spittle into the crowd at this point.)
Kevorkian is smart enough to know you cannot function with no law. He went on to say a person should be able to carry a kilogram of cocaine in your pocket as long as you don't try to sell it or abuse it in some way; in your home you can smoke anything you want. You can have any rifle you want. You should be able to carry a rifle or an uzi down the street, as long as you don't threaten anybody. Notice, he set limits on rights here. You can carry a drug if you don’t sell it. Well why, Jack. Why would the government not have the right to say you can have the drug and use it, but you cannot sell it. Who are they anyway, your mom? He also said you can’t abuse it. Why? Who is to say I am abusing the drug as opposed to taking it. If I want to take twice as much as you, who are you to say no? (Also remember people think you abused drugs by giving them to people to kill them.)
Ok, I’m tired now. I was going to dissect the rest of the speech, the genocide in Iraq and America is Fascist and we should refuse to vote blah blah blah.
But, I do want to make another point. Kevorkian wants democracy as the Founders envisioned it. I’m afraid that might mean a democracy where Blacks and Women cannot vote. Let’s remember lots of those Founders owned slaves. Women did not vote for years after the founders had gone into eternity like the people Kevorkian killed. And, it appears, that might be what this Mad Hatter wants. He complained that Whites don't unite. He went on to say Black people have the power in this country. That will be a relief to lots of Black people in America, Jack. I’m sure a short poll will figure out they don’t feel that way.
Oh, but there’s more. He said Blacks can unite because of their common color and because they know what slavery is. I guess this means Whites don’t have a common color and don’t know what slavery is.
Do Whites really need to unite? Or Blacks, for that matter. Can’t we be people? Americans? Non-Kevorkians?
The University of Florida should have scheduled Kevorkian for a psychology seminar, because this man needs help. He sounds like a man who would like to destroy everything because we wouldn’t let him kill the people he wanted to. It is a shame to give such a big platform to a madman. Maybe they can follow it up with Charles Manson. He has some issues with the government, too. Maybe they could run on the same ticket for president and vice president. Kevorkian\Manson. Their slogan? “Die. All of you. Because I want you too.”
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Andrew Sullivan whining about Mike Huckabee and Christian Reconstructionists. Sullivan is a homosexual. Huckabee says homosexuality is wrong. That should not surprise Sullivan; after all, Huckabee is a former Southern Baptist preacher. Southern Baptists generally believe what the Bible says is true. The Bible says homosexuality is wrong.
Sullivan also says his “marriage to my husband is a gateway to legalized and protected relationships between humans and animals. Thanks, Mike!” The fact is, people from pedophiles to polygamists are using the court decisions favoring homosexuals to further their agendas also. So, sniff in superiority all you like, Mike is right.
Sullivan’s last hysteria is reserved for Christian Reconstructionists. He says they “are genuinely Taliban-Christianists”. I have to admit this kind of language is offensive in its over kill. In today’s debates, everyone who thinks they are persecuted says they are victims of the Holocaust. It cheapens and degrades the word, used for the slaughter of 6 million Jews by some guy who has a hang nail. The same comes from the Taliban slur. Everyone who actually believes in something, especially something conservative, is a Taliban. You hear this especially from homosexuals. The fact is, there are zero reports of Christian Reconstructionists who have invaded countries, forced women to wear sheets or engaged in mass killings. It is just a hysterical mind using overblown language to put down someone whose values include those we held in this country since its beginning, and in Christendom for centuries.
Sullivan concludes his post with “I think of Huckabee as almost a comic vindication for those of us who have worried about the rise and rise of unopposed Christianism in the GOP. Except he's not a joke. He could actually win this thing.” That is because there are a lot of people who want to keep the traditional values that made America great and that are in keeping with Christian tradition. Even if he wins, don’t look for Christian Reconstructionists or other conservatives to invade the Castro District and slaughter homosexuals. Sorry, Andrew, there won’t be a Taliban, there won’t be a Holocaust against homosexuals. Just more overblown rhetoric.
Sullivan also says his “marriage to my husband is a gateway to legalized and protected relationships between humans and animals. Thanks, Mike!” The fact is, people from pedophiles to polygamists are using the court decisions favoring homosexuals to further their agendas also. So, sniff in superiority all you like, Mike is right.
Sullivan’s last hysteria is reserved for Christian Reconstructionists. He says they “are genuinely Taliban-Christianists”. I have to admit this kind of language is offensive in its over kill. In today’s debates, everyone who thinks they are persecuted says they are victims of the Holocaust. It cheapens and degrades the word, used for the slaughter of 6 million Jews by some guy who has a hang nail. The same comes from the Taliban slur. Everyone who actually believes in something, especially something conservative, is a Taliban. You hear this especially from homosexuals. The fact is, there are zero reports of Christian Reconstructionists who have invaded countries, forced women to wear sheets or engaged in mass killings. It is just a hysterical mind using overblown language to put down someone whose values include those we held in this country since its beginning, and in Christendom for centuries.
Sullivan concludes his post with “I think of Huckabee as almost a comic vindication for those of us who have worried about the rise and rise of unopposed Christianism in the GOP. Except he's not a joke. He could actually win this thing.” That is because there are a lot of people who want to keep the traditional values that made America great and that are in keeping with Christian tradition. Even if he wins, don’t look for Christian Reconstructionists or other conservatives to invade the Castro District and slaughter homosexuals. Sorry, Andrew, there won’t be a Taliban, there won’t be a Holocaust against homosexuals. Just more overblown rhetoric.
Sunday, January 06, 2008
I haven't been posting my Sunday Bible Studies lately, but decided to get back to it. 1 Samuel 23 would make a great guy movie. It has a chase scene, betrayal, guy bonding and a narrow escape.
1 Samuel 23
23:1-6 The Lord Delivered Keilah Through David
The conflict with David had taken over Saul’s mind, but the Philistines were still a threat in Israel. They attacked the city of Keilah. Keilah (Citadel) was a city in the lowlands of Judah (Joshua 15:33,44). It must have been a walled city, as Saul referred to it later in this chapter as a city of gates and bars. The Philistines must have been successful, as they were looting the threshing floors. Evidently, the Philistines did not like to farm, but they liked to steal grain from the Israelites. Actually, it was pretty good timing. They waited until the Israelites had harvested and threshed the grain, then came for the finished product.
Why did they seek help from David, and not to King Saul? They may have sought help from Saul and he did not come. He may have been too occupied by finding David and ending what he saw as an insurrection. It may have been that Keilah was in Judah and David was from the tribe of Judah. Or, it could be that Saul was seen as the destroyer, having murdered everyone in the town of Nob. Certainly we see a contrast here between Saul the destroyer and David the savior.
David realized the risk. He was hiding. If he went to battle, he would be out in the open. Also, he had only 400 men with him. However, David did not seek only his own safety. He sought the will of the Lord. Verse 2 tells us he inquired of the Lord. 22:20 tells us Abiathar the priest escaped the slaughter at Nob. 23:6 tells us he came with the ephod. If this was the ephod of the high priest, it had the breastplate attached to it (Exodus 28:15, 28). The breastplate had a pouch with two stones, known as the Urim and Thummim (Exodus 28:30). When David inquired of the Lord, he likely did it through Abiathar, who would have used the Urim and Thummim.
It is important to note that the Urim and Thummim were given by God and God told them to use them. They did not come up with this idea on their own. We do not have them today and are not commanded to use them, so do not think you need to make a set and use it to determine God’s will. We have God’s word to guide us. We have his Spirit within us. We have Christ before the throne, interceding for us. Hebrews 4:16 says “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in the time of need.”
David is acting like the king here. He is acting like the king God wanted Israel to have. He sought the Lord before acting. He was concerned first for his people, not himself.
Notice, though, that everyone did not jump on the band wagon immediately. David sought the Lord, implying he would do what the Lord said. When the priest announced that the Lord said to go to Keilah, David’s men said they were afraid to go. In fact, they said, we are afraid here hiding from Saul, we’ll be much more afraid fighting the Philistines and wondering if Saul will attack us from behind. Remember, these are not all soldiers. 22:2 tells us they were men who were in distress, or in debt, or bitter in soul. To all those negative adjectives, now add “afraid”.
David must have been a bit rattled by this response, so he went and inquired of the Lord again. He forgot that the Lord already knew who his men were. Sometimes we do this when the visible is frightening, or the task does not make sense to us. The Lord told him to go and added, for assurance, that he would deliver the Philistines into their hands. So, they went, according to verse 5. They won the battle, saved the city, struck a great blow, and even got some spoils in return, the livestock of the Philistines. God saved his chosen people and he saved David, his chosen king.
If you go back to 22:5, you see that God sent his prophet, Gad, to David in Moab, telling him to return to Judah. This shows us God was working to save the city of Keilah before the Philistines even gathered to attack. If David had not returned, he would not have been close enough to come and deliver the city. Troubles often seem to burst into our lives unforeseen. But they are not unforeseen by God, and he is working for our good before we know of the problem.
This passage does cause us to consider the question of how we find God’s will today. Today, we focus on God’s Word. We are indwelt by his Spirit and led by him. He will guide us also.
23:7-14 Saul Pursues David
Saul’s spies again advise him of David’s location. This was as David’s men feared. Saul was delighted, as he thought David trapped inside the walled city where he could be overwhelmed and killed. Saul summoned the people to war. He had not done this to protect Keilah, but does it for his own self interest.
Notice how Saul interpreted the news. He said God had delivered David into his hands. He is attributing his wishes to God, who has announced to him that he is no longer in God’s favor. Saul has killed most of the priests. The high priest with the ephod is with David. Human beings have a great capacity to delude themselves. We need to be careful not to impose our desires on God. That is the hardest thing in the Christian life: finding what God wants and giving it to him, rather than finding what we want and asking God to be happy with it.
In contrast, David sought the Lord. He heard Saul was after him, so he ran to the Lord to discern his will. He was in a difficult situation, and he was there because the Lord sent him there. Yet, he did not despair or hate God for it. He simply went to the Lord and said “what’s next?”
The Lord told him Saul would indeed come after him and the men of the city would give him up, despite the fact that he had saved them. So, David and his men left. He moved from place to place, staying in strongholds in the wilderness of Ziph. Saul kept looking for him, but God protected him.
23:15-18 Jonathan Encourages David
David continued to move from place to place, knowing Saul’s men were hunting him and that Saul wanted to kill him. And you think you have a stressful job.
Jonathan found out where David was and went there. He risked at least his father’s disfavor, if not death, for doing this. But, he loved David and went to help him, knowing that David must be apprehensive and weary. Jonathan encouraged David. Verse 17 tells us he told David not to be afraid. Why should David not be afraid with the king after him? Because David would be king over Israel. The Lord had already told David so, and Jonathan knew it also. In verse 17, Jonathan said Saul knew it also. (So, Saul was intentionally trying to defy the Lord’s will.) He just reminded David of what the Lord had said, and reasoned that, if David was to be king, the Lord would not permit Saul to harm him.
Jonathan has no remorse that he will not be king. He loved the Lord and he loved the Lord’s man, David. He was content to be second to David, though we know that did not happen because Jonathan died along with his father.
What was the result of this talk? Verse 16 tells us Jonathan strengthened David’s hand in God. He gave David assurance of God’s blessing and protection and of his own love and support.
After giving encouragement to David, Jonathan renewed his covenant with David before the Lord. This was the last time David and Jonathan would ever see each other on the earth. David’s last memory of his friend would be his coming to the wilderness to give him strength to go on.
23:19-29 The Ziphites betray David to Saul
In contrast to Jonathan’s loyalty, the people of Zip betrayed David. They sent men to Gibeah, where Saul still lived in his royal house in the allotment of Benjamin. Not only did they betray David’s location, they offered to “surrender” David to him. I think that means they would keep track of him and not let him leave until Saul got there with his men to kill him or capture him.
Saul sent the men back to spy on David so he would know his exact location. Saul and his men followed. But, David had spies also. They told him Saul was coming. So, David went further into the wilderness. Saul heard and pursued him. In a great chase scene, David tried to escape by going around the other side of the mountain from Saul and his men. Yet, Saul closed in on him. Just as he got close, however, a messenger came and told him the Philistines were attacking the land. So, Saul had to turn back and see to the defense of the country. David was able to escape. Ironically, David’s enemies, the Philistines, became his saviors, through the intervention of the Lord.
David also wrote a Psalm about the betrayal of the men from Ziph. It is Psalm 54.
i. In Psalm 54, David called out to the Lord for help: Save me, O God, by Your name, and vindicate me by Your strength (Psalm 54:1).
ii. In Psalm 54, David understood his enemies: For strangers have risen up against me, and oppressors have sought after my life; they have not set God before them (Psalm 54:3).
iii. In Psalm 54, David expressed his confidence in the Lord: Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is with those who uphold my life (Psalm 54:4).
iv. In Psalm 54, David let go of the bitterness and fear and praised the Lord instead: I will freely sacrifice to You; I will praise Your name, O Lord, for it is good (Psalm 54:6).
David left the treachery with the One who is sufficient to deal with them.
1 Samuel 23
23:1-6 The Lord Delivered Keilah Through David
The conflict with David had taken over Saul’s mind, but the Philistines were still a threat in Israel. They attacked the city of Keilah. Keilah (Citadel) was a city in the lowlands of Judah (Joshua 15:33,44). It must have been a walled city, as Saul referred to it later in this chapter as a city of gates and bars. The Philistines must have been successful, as they were looting the threshing floors. Evidently, the Philistines did not like to farm, but they liked to steal grain from the Israelites. Actually, it was pretty good timing. They waited until the Israelites had harvested and threshed the grain, then came for the finished product.
Why did they seek help from David, and not to King Saul? They may have sought help from Saul and he did not come. He may have been too occupied by finding David and ending what he saw as an insurrection. It may have been that Keilah was in Judah and David was from the tribe of Judah. Or, it could be that Saul was seen as the destroyer, having murdered everyone in the town of Nob. Certainly we see a contrast here between Saul the destroyer and David the savior.
David realized the risk. He was hiding. If he went to battle, he would be out in the open. Also, he had only 400 men with him. However, David did not seek only his own safety. He sought the will of the Lord. Verse 2 tells us he inquired of the Lord. 22:20 tells us Abiathar the priest escaped the slaughter at Nob. 23:6 tells us he came with the ephod. If this was the ephod of the high priest, it had the breastplate attached to it (Exodus 28:15, 28). The breastplate had a pouch with two stones, known as the Urim and Thummim (Exodus 28:30). When David inquired of the Lord, he likely did it through Abiathar, who would have used the Urim and Thummim.
It is important to note that the Urim and Thummim were given by God and God told them to use them. They did not come up with this idea on their own. We do not have them today and are not commanded to use them, so do not think you need to make a set and use it to determine God’s will. We have God’s word to guide us. We have his Spirit within us. We have Christ before the throne, interceding for us. Hebrews 4:16 says “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in the time of need.”
David is acting like the king here. He is acting like the king God wanted Israel to have. He sought the Lord before acting. He was concerned first for his people, not himself.
Notice, though, that everyone did not jump on the band wagon immediately. David sought the Lord, implying he would do what the Lord said. When the priest announced that the Lord said to go to Keilah, David’s men said they were afraid to go. In fact, they said, we are afraid here hiding from Saul, we’ll be much more afraid fighting the Philistines and wondering if Saul will attack us from behind. Remember, these are not all soldiers. 22:2 tells us they were men who were in distress, or in debt, or bitter in soul. To all those negative adjectives, now add “afraid”.
David must have been a bit rattled by this response, so he went and inquired of the Lord again. He forgot that the Lord already knew who his men were. Sometimes we do this when the visible is frightening, or the task does not make sense to us. The Lord told him to go and added, for assurance, that he would deliver the Philistines into their hands. So, they went, according to verse 5. They won the battle, saved the city, struck a great blow, and even got some spoils in return, the livestock of the Philistines. God saved his chosen people and he saved David, his chosen king.
If you go back to 22:5, you see that God sent his prophet, Gad, to David in Moab, telling him to return to Judah. This shows us God was working to save the city of Keilah before the Philistines even gathered to attack. If David had not returned, he would not have been close enough to come and deliver the city. Troubles often seem to burst into our lives unforeseen. But they are not unforeseen by God, and he is working for our good before we know of the problem.
This passage does cause us to consider the question of how we find God’s will today. Today, we focus on God’s Word. We are indwelt by his Spirit and led by him. He will guide us also.
23:7-14 Saul Pursues David
Saul’s spies again advise him of David’s location. This was as David’s men feared. Saul was delighted, as he thought David trapped inside the walled city where he could be overwhelmed and killed. Saul summoned the people to war. He had not done this to protect Keilah, but does it for his own self interest.
Notice how Saul interpreted the news. He said God had delivered David into his hands. He is attributing his wishes to God, who has announced to him that he is no longer in God’s favor. Saul has killed most of the priests. The high priest with the ephod is with David. Human beings have a great capacity to delude themselves. We need to be careful not to impose our desires on God. That is the hardest thing in the Christian life: finding what God wants and giving it to him, rather than finding what we want and asking God to be happy with it.
In contrast, David sought the Lord. He heard Saul was after him, so he ran to the Lord to discern his will. He was in a difficult situation, and he was there because the Lord sent him there. Yet, he did not despair or hate God for it. He simply went to the Lord and said “what’s next?”
The Lord told him Saul would indeed come after him and the men of the city would give him up, despite the fact that he had saved them. So, David and his men left. He moved from place to place, staying in strongholds in the wilderness of Ziph. Saul kept looking for him, but God protected him.
23:15-18 Jonathan Encourages David
David continued to move from place to place, knowing Saul’s men were hunting him and that Saul wanted to kill him. And you think you have a stressful job.
Jonathan found out where David was and went there. He risked at least his father’s disfavor, if not death, for doing this. But, he loved David and went to help him, knowing that David must be apprehensive and weary. Jonathan encouraged David. Verse 17 tells us he told David not to be afraid. Why should David not be afraid with the king after him? Because David would be king over Israel. The Lord had already told David so, and Jonathan knew it also. In verse 17, Jonathan said Saul knew it also. (So, Saul was intentionally trying to defy the Lord’s will.) He just reminded David of what the Lord had said, and reasoned that, if David was to be king, the Lord would not permit Saul to harm him.
Jonathan has no remorse that he will not be king. He loved the Lord and he loved the Lord’s man, David. He was content to be second to David, though we know that did not happen because Jonathan died along with his father.
What was the result of this talk? Verse 16 tells us Jonathan strengthened David’s hand in God. He gave David assurance of God’s blessing and protection and of his own love and support.
After giving encouragement to David, Jonathan renewed his covenant with David before the Lord. This was the last time David and Jonathan would ever see each other on the earth. David’s last memory of his friend would be his coming to the wilderness to give him strength to go on.
23:19-29 The Ziphites betray David to Saul
In contrast to Jonathan’s loyalty, the people of Zip betrayed David. They sent men to Gibeah, where Saul still lived in his royal house in the allotment of Benjamin. Not only did they betray David’s location, they offered to “surrender” David to him. I think that means they would keep track of him and not let him leave until Saul got there with his men to kill him or capture him.
Saul sent the men back to spy on David so he would know his exact location. Saul and his men followed. But, David had spies also. They told him Saul was coming. So, David went further into the wilderness. Saul heard and pursued him. In a great chase scene, David tried to escape by going around the other side of the mountain from Saul and his men. Yet, Saul closed in on him. Just as he got close, however, a messenger came and told him the Philistines were attacking the land. So, Saul had to turn back and see to the defense of the country. David was able to escape. Ironically, David’s enemies, the Philistines, became his saviors, through the intervention of the Lord.
David also wrote a Psalm about the betrayal of the men from Ziph. It is Psalm 54.
i. In Psalm 54, David called out to the Lord for help: Save me, O God, by Your name, and vindicate me by Your strength (Psalm 54:1).
ii. In Psalm 54, David understood his enemies: For strangers have risen up against me, and oppressors have sought after my life; they have not set God before them (Psalm 54:3).
iii. In Psalm 54, David expressed his confidence in the Lord: Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is with those who uphold my life (Psalm 54:4).
iv. In Psalm 54, David let go of the bitterness and fear and praised the Lord instead: I will freely sacrifice to You; I will praise Your name, O Lord, for it is good (Psalm 54:6).
David left the treachery with the One who is sufficient to deal with them.
Thursday, January 03, 2008
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
MOHLER IS IN THE RACE!
Robert Jeffress, pastor of First Baptist Dallas, said in a press press release he would nominate Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President R. Albert Mohler Jr. for president of the Southern Baptist Convention at the next meeting, which is in June. Jeffress said Mohler provides “the kind of visionary leader Southern Baptists need to communicate a missional conservatism and biblical clarity to the world”.
Things look good for a Mohler election. The meeting is in in Indianapolis, just across the river from Louisville, Kentucky. Lots of seminary students and faculty from Southern could afford to drive over and attend. In addition, Mohler is well known to anyone who watches television news shows and talk shows, as he is constantly called on to give the Christian point of view on various issues. He always does so in a calm, intelligent and informed manner. He also has a good blog and commentary for Crosswalk.com. He has a radio broadcast as well.
Mohler is also part of the old conservative guard. He has stree cred for reforming the seminary. He has sided with the insiders for years, including a recent "we love Paige Patterson" gathering.
As pastor of FBC Dallas, Jeffress carries weight as a nominator. He also served 15 years as pastor of First Baptist Church of Wichita Falls, Texas, former roost of Morris Chapman. He has a television program and a radio broadcast.
Mohler has also put in his time as a denominational leader. He served on the Program and Structure Study Committee that made recommendations for the reorganization of the convention in 1995. He serves on the denomination’s Great Commission Council. Mohler chaired the SBC Committee on Resolutions. He served on the Baptist Faith and Message revision committee in 2000. He chairs the Council of Seminary Presidents.
Count me in.
Robert Jeffress, pastor of First Baptist Dallas, said in a press press release he would nominate Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President R. Albert Mohler Jr. for president of the Southern Baptist Convention at the next meeting, which is in June. Jeffress said Mohler provides “the kind of visionary leader Southern Baptists need to communicate a missional conservatism and biblical clarity to the world”.
Things look good for a Mohler election. The meeting is in in Indianapolis, just across the river from Louisville, Kentucky. Lots of seminary students and faculty from Southern could afford to drive over and attend. In addition, Mohler is well known to anyone who watches television news shows and talk shows, as he is constantly called on to give the Christian point of view on various issues. He always does so in a calm, intelligent and informed manner. He also has a good blog and commentary for Crosswalk.com. He has a radio broadcast as well.
Mohler is also part of the old conservative guard. He has stree cred for reforming the seminary. He has sided with the insiders for years, including a recent "we love Paige Patterson" gathering.
As pastor of FBC Dallas, Jeffress carries weight as a nominator. He also served 15 years as pastor of First Baptist Church of Wichita Falls, Texas, former roost of Morris Chapman. He has a television program and a radio broadcast.
Mohler has also put in his time as a denominational leader. He served on the Program and Structure Study Committee that made recommendations for the reorganization of the convention in 1995. He serves on the denomination’s Great Commission Council. Mohler chaired the SBC Committee on Resolutions. He served on the Baptist Faith and Message revision committee in 2000. He chairs the Council of Seminary Presidents.
Count me in.
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
Ben Witherington has posted a thoughtful poem, comparing Isaac and Christ, the son not spared. Read it here.
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