1 SAMUEL 17:1-18:4
DAVID: (17:47) "The Lord saveth not with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord's." David "RAN" to the battle "by faith" (Heb 11:33-34). To King Saul, David was a "runt" (17:56). Saul, who represents the flesh, would have weighed David down with his armor (world-systems); but David put his trust in God instead. Psalm 144 is titled in the Septuagint, "Concerning Goliath".
JONATHAN: "the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul." Jonathan was the crown-prince, but stepped down from being the next king so David can rule.
RESPONSE: I feel outclassed often, when I am out in the world on business. But if I wear Saul's armor (the ways of the world), then I will be weighed down and unable to move with God. I think that is how we get into trouble sometimes - trying to do things like everyone else does them. That doesn't fit us! We don't need that armor anyway because it's not our battle! Even though Saul offered all those rewards, David's real concern was for the church's shame in allowing the enemy to speak against our God. That should be our concern. That the world thinks they can talk any old way they want to about us and about Jesus. It seems to be okay to tolerate everyone but us! When we don't take the Name of the Lord to the fight, we appear to have NO CONFIDENCE IN GOD OURSELVES!
JOHN 8:21-30
Jesus told these Jews that they can't follow Him where He goes. He's going to heaven to be with His Father and they won't be going there! When you die without God, it is not annihilation, soul sleep, or nothingness; it is eternal torment.
FOUR WAYS TO GUARANTEE YOU WON'T GO TO HEAVEN:
(1) v.22 - Be self-righteous. These Jews believed if Jesus was talking about suicide, He would go to hell - and that, of course, they weren't going with Him! They had "earned" heaven, in their minds. In fact, they were so "righteous", they could mock the very idea that they would die in their sins!
(2) v.23 - "You are from beneath;...you are of this world." They are earthbound, "of this world" - a phrase John uses a lot. He is talking about the invisible spiritual system that dominates world thinking, belief systems, their religion, their morals and behaviors, materialism and externalism that opposes God. It is the whole invisible spiritual realm of EVIL, led by Satan. And they are in it, they love it and don't want to let it go.
(3) v.24 - Unbelief. " if you believe NOT that I am he, you shall die in your sins." The ONLY way to God is through Jesus Christ and belief in Him. If you persist in rejecting Jesus as God ("I Am") you will die in your sins.
(4) v.25-27 - Willful ignorance. After all the time Jesus spent teaching, they STILL asked Who He was! Their tone was sneering. They refused to know because they loved their sin and their self-serving, self-centered selfishness.
RESPONSE: "As He spoke these words, many believed on Him." Maybe God USED the Pharisees to give Jesus an opportunity to convince and convict those listening! We don't need to die in our sins. "BELIEVE!"
PSALM 111:1-10
HALLELUJAH PSALMS: This is the first of three. They concern the goodness and greatness of God. This one is His "Works" (5 times). His works are "great" (exceeding majesty). His work is "honorable and glorious" (imposing grandeur and magnificence). His works are worthy of "remembrance". His works have "power" to give us the nations as an inheritance. His works are "truth and judgment" (absolute rightness).
PROVERBS 15:11
Job 26:6 says, "Hell is naked before Him.." God sees the depths of the underworld AND the depths of the hearts of men. If He sees through the wiles of the devil, then men are no difficulty. In fact, God knows our hearts better than we know them ourselves, and therefore is an infallible judge of character. "God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things." (1 John 3:20)
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