THE LORD CONFIRMED HIM. 1st Chronicles 14 In every new venture in which we move forward in faith, believing God has opened "a great door and effectual," we are always glad when we know the Lord has confirmed and established the work. How He does that is not always the same in every case. Sometimes it may be because of a singular success in some particular part of the work. Other times, it may be evidence of the overall potential that is obvious, and we can press on despite difficulties, knowing that God is working.
In the case of David and Hiram, it seems like Hiram, king of a very small kingdom of very skillful people, took the initiative to build a house for David. This was no small insignificant task. Making lumber out of the cedars of Lebanon was time-consuming and labor-intensive. Bringing all the materials and workmen needed was a major undertaking. But Hiram thought that much of his friendship with David, that the objective far outweighed the expense.
For those who had returned from Babylon, it would have been an encouragement to expend their labor and work together in fellowship to rebuild their heritage, which had been torn down. It would have been a good lesson for those returned exiles to separate themselves from those around them who had accommodated themselves to the world.
God had established David. David did some things well, but did not follow God's word regarding his relationship with women. The consequences were a divided home and unruly children. Those born of one of David's wives were often against those born of another wife. During Saul's reign, he had come to think David was a greater enemy than the Philistines. He hunted David "Like a partridge in the wilderness" and got so sidetracked from his leadership responsibility that he was powerless against his real enemy.
We all likely have a strong point or two in which we are proficient, but that does not negate our failures in other areas. We need to know ourselves well enough to face our weaknesses and commit ourselves to changing that "Achilles heel" into a controlled part of our lives, even though it may not be what we would naturally like.
Love for our Lord Jesus Christ and appreciation for what He has done for us motivate us to do all we can to further His kingdom. By preaching the Gospel and teaching God's people, we are allowed to help establish His kingdom. Faithful people who love the Lord can be used by Him when they are unified to accomplish what He desires.
God is faithful to His people when He establishes local testimonies of saints in an area. His people stand out among those who profess faith in Christ because "they know the Bible" and are committed to precisely presenting the truth. They do not "beat around the bush" but show what is said in the scripture and are willing to apply it to themselves and the people around them.
Our implacable enemy will never stop his attacks against the people of God. If we yield in one way, he may repeat the same tactics again and against us in an attempt to defeat the purposes of God. If we stand strong and oppose to the extent that we can gain a victory, we should not deceive ourselves into thinking the war is over. He will attack God's people openly, subtly, religiously, or secularly, and he will not stop. We must constantly be on our guard and close enough to our God to inquire of Him at any time and know we are heard.
Do not wait until you are in a difficult situation to ask for God’s guidance. “Ask and it shall be given unto you, seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you.” Take preemptive action by seeking wisdom and guidance from God instead of waiting until an emergency happens, and then asking for help.
When God answers, express thanks to Him openly, give Him the credit for victory, and give Him glory. Be grateful for the privilege of participating in bringing about His divine purposes. Burn the idols! Let nothing come between God and us. Get rid of anything that is self-motivated or defiling to us or anyone else. Commit to being faithful to the Lord with wholehearted devotion and follow Him only.
The valley of Rephaim had been a fruitful place for the enemy in the past, so they returned. David had neglected to speak to God about bringing the ark to Jerusalem, but he had learned the lesson. Now, he asked God for instructions before taking action and acted on what the Lord had told him. He also carried out what he knew from God's word and burned the idols of those the Israelites had defeated so that none of them would carry home any souvenirs of idols to their families.
There seems to be a lot of talent in some men’s skillful hands. There is evidence of mankind’s talents in many places and ways worldwide. Some promote self-worship and say, “Up with man!” but a time is coming when all of man’s work will be burned with fire!
Massive edifices for industry, for pleasure, and worship have been raised up to glorify man – people come from all over to see them, but there are times when cheering turns to deathly quiet; all you can hear is the burning of fire! It happened in the past and will happen again, as things are made to bring honor to men. The “gods” they have made bring great acclaim to man’s genius, but they will end by being burned with fire!
It is a serious mistake to ignore the infinite power of God. His wisdom and authority are not moved by the feeble efforts of man to glorify himself. God reveals Himself often in the simple things we can hold in our hands, see with our eyes, taste with our tongue, hear with our ears, and smell with our noses - and they cannot be burned with fire!
The soul of a child makes itself known when we hear their first cry. The joy of the parents standing close by is easily seen and, in a lesser sense, shared by those who look on. This is evidence of new life given by God to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. The satisfaction that comes when we try hard things and succeed is not something that can be burned with fire!
The worship of God and the salvation He gives, the glory of His creation, and everything that is His are good. Peace with God and the peace of God and love – all of these – cannot be burned with fire! So, I will focus on things I know will last. Not on material success or things that quickly pass and are soon forgotten. All will be worth it when, in holy worship, we cast the crowns He gives before Him, and none of it can be burned with fire!
The next time the Philistines came, David, under divine guidance, used a different approach to meeting the enemy. There is a reason behind this. It was not only to confound and defeat the enemy but also to remind the people of God that "God has gone forth before thee." God was out front in this battle, and the victory was because of His power and presence.
When we do "as God commanded," our efforts are not in vain, nor are they a reason for pride because of our success. God must be at the center of our lives. He will only have that place if He is at the center of our thoughts. He can only be at the center of our thoughts if we have no idols in that place. Money, fame, success, pleasure, and people can all be idols to us when they have priority in our time and attention. It is up to us to deliberately remove anything in our lives that takes the place of God, and then determine to follow Him with love and devotion.
If and when God is willing to use us to bring some spiritual benefit to others and bring about victory through our efforts, there is a latent danger to us. Our ego will want to rise and tell us we did well. After all, look how successful we were in this work God gave us. Look at all we were able to accomplish. When a person becomes famous, they are in great danger of falling because "Pride goeth before the fall."
"He that is down need fear no fall. He that is low, no pride. He that is humble shall ever have, God to be his guide."
David's fame produced fear in other people and nations. Israel had become weak under Saul's leadership and had been sidetracked by envy, jealousy, and hatred. When the Philistines attacked Israel under David's leadership, they found a whole new kind of people who were revitalized under their new leader. Now, the Philistines fear those who had once feared them.
When the people of God put unreserved trust in Him and are willing to obey Him, that faith and obedience open doors to an active and full area of service for Him. Israelites back in the land were reminded, "If God be for us, who can be against us?" Our unity is also dependent upon our obedience and faith to act according to the word of the Lord. We have the legacy of faithful people who went before us to give us guiding principles that work when acted upon.
It was the Lord who made the nations fear David. The same Lord makes our feeble efforts prosper as we serve Him in the place we are called. Respect does not depend on us seeking to be like those around us, but rather on us owning Jesus as Lord in sincerity and truth. He is the One who can control the attitude of those among whom we live.