Stepping in the Light

“And they set the ark of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that was in Gibeah: and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drave the new cart. And when they came to Nachon’s threshingfloor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God.” II Samuel 6:3, 6-7

God gave very clear instructions to Moses about the Ark of the Covenant. Only certain people were ever allowed to see it or be near it. It was to be covered whenever it was moved, there was a specific way that it was to be carried using poles that slid through rings on the sides of the ark, and only certain people were allowed to carry it. No one was ever to touch it. If a person touched the ark, that person would die. The people were doing a good thing in the passage above, but they went about it the wrong way. They were very excited about bringing the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, and they did everything they could to make it a special occasion. The problem was that they failed to follow God’s instructions to Moses about how the ark should be transported. They placed the ark on a cart pulled by oxen. The ark shook as they travelled, and Uzzah reached out to steady it. As soon as he touched the ark, Uzzah died. If we aren’t careful, we can make the same kind of mistakes in New Testament times. It is wonderful to serve the Lord, but we must always be sure to do God’s work God’s way.

“For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.” Luke 14:28-30

A tremendous amount of planning goes into every construction project. Blueprints must be drawn for every trade and someone must be prepared to coordinate every phase of construction process. Detailed lists are compiled of the specific building materials needed and orders are placed and deliveries are scheduled well in advance. But before the first shovel of dirt can be moved, someone has to calculate the total cost of the project to be sure that the funds necessary for completion will be available.

Jesus used this illustration to help us understand that there is a cost associated with following Him. There are changes that must be made to our lifestyles. There are sacrifices that He expects us to make if we desire to be His disciples. It is easy to say that we want to be a Christian. It has often been said that becoming a Christian is one of the easiest things that a person could do. Believing in Jesus and asking Him to save us is simple. On the other hand, one of the most difficult things that a person can do is to live like a Christian. Jesus said that if we want to be His disciples, we must first count the cost.

“So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.” Luke 14:21-23

Jesus told a parable of a man who hosted a great supper. He invited his friends and the important people in town to his banquet, but they all made excuses as to why they could not come to the banquet. The master was determined that his banquet would be furnished with guests; so he sent out his servants to bring in the poor, the maimed, the halt, and the blind. The servants brought in as many as they could, but there was still room for more. The master sent out his servants again and told them to compel people to come in.

In this parable, the host represents God. The important people who made excuses represent the people of Israel. The poor and sick represent the Gentiles. The servants represent believers in Christ. The primary application of this parable is that God wants everyone to be saved. It doesn’t matter what their background is; He wants them. There is always room for more at God’s banquet table. As believers, we are the servants who are supposed to be bringing people in. Have you invited someone to the banquet lately? There is still plenty of room.

“And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.” I Samuel 30:6

In this passage, we find David at one of the lowest points of his life. He had been exiled from home and hunted by his father-in-law, the king of Israel. He had dodged javelins, hidden in caves, and lived the life of a double agent in the land of the Philistines. He narrowly escaped having to go to battle against his fellow countrymen because of the jealousy and distrust of the Philistine captains. He returned home to find that his city where he found refuge had been invaded and burned to the ground. His family and the families of his men were all kidnapped. The fighters who had followed him faithfully for many months were now speaking of stoning him to death. Sounds like a bad day, doesn’t it? David is at the point where many have given up and some have even taken their own lives. But what did David do? He encouraged himself in the Lord. He took the initiative to encourage himself. He did not wait for someone to come alongside and tell him that everything was going to be OK. He did not defend himself against criticism, argue with his soldiers, or lash out at those who were speaking against him. When he sought to encourage himself, he turned to the Lord. No matter how bad things may seem, we can always encourage ourselves in the love of God. Take heart. God loves you!

“Then said he, Unto what is the kingdom of God like? and whereunto shall I resemble it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it.” Luke 13:18-19

This parable was a mystery to me for many years. We have a mustard seed that grows into a tree. Once it is grown, the birds come and lodge in the branches. That is it. At first, it doesn’t seem that there is enough of a story to make spiritual applications, but Jesus said that this picture is like the kingdom of God. So where can we draw comparisons? First we have a large plant that comes from a small seed. A mustard seed is a tiny round seed that can grow into a tree anywhere from six to twenty feet tall. Jesus said that a grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die before it can produce new life. Jesus loved the church and gave His life for it. He promised to build the church upon Himself. He said that He is the vine and we are the branches. So it seems that this mustard seed being planted represents Christ’s sacrifice for the church. The great tree represents the church, and the branches represent believers. The fowls are not part of the tree, but they take up residence in it. They look like they are part of it. These represent false professors of faith and false teachers. We who are saved need to focus on abiding in Christ, and we should be aware that there will be some in the tree who are not really part of the tree.

“And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.” Luke 12:47-48 

We are responsible for what we know. I met a man recently who told me that he had never been to church. He said that he had never read the Bible and that he did not know anything about it. I know other people who have recently accepted the Lord and started attending church. Everything in the Bible is new to them, but they are learning about what God expects from them. Some folks have been attending church for many years, and know the Bible well. There are some things that God expects from everyone. II Peter 3:9 says, “He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” God wants everyone to be saved. I can remember hearing about my need of salvation as a young boy. Since that time, I have had countless hours of instruction about the things of God. I have read every word of the Bible numerous times, and I have spent hours studying and trying to understand difficult passages. If God has things that He expects of new Christians, how much more does He expect from those of us who have been saved for many years? It is not how much we know about the Bible that counts, but how much of it we are obeying.

“And he said unto his men, The LORD forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the LORD’S anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the LORD.” I Samuel 24:6 

David was in a unique situation. He had been chosen by God and anointed by the prophet Samuel as the next king of Israel; but the reigning king, King Saul, was still living. God had rejected King Saul as king because of his disobedience to God’s commands. David had become very popular with the people after he single-handedly liberated the Israelites from the Philistines by killing Goliath. When King Saul heard the Israelite women singing songs about how great David was, he became very jealous and decided that he wanted to kill David. The king had tried to kill David several times, but David had always escaped. One day while King Saul was hunting for David, he passed by the very cave where David and his men were hiding. The king was tired and decided to go into the cave to rest. David’s men encouraged David to kill King Saul while he slept, but David refused. Most people would not have faulted David for killing the king because David had already been chosen by God to take his place. David set a great example for us by giving respect to the office when the person occupying the office was not worthy of his respect. David understood that being anointed King of Israel was a sacred thing. It is important for us to remember to show the proper respect for those that God has placed in positions of authority.

“But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.” Luke 11:42

The Pharisees prided themselves in always knowing the right answers and always doing the right things. They not only gave tithes (ten percent) of all of their financial income as the scripture commands, but they made sure to include tithes of the small amounts of spices and herbs that came into their possession as well. Giving ten percent of your income to God can seem like a difficult thing for someone who has never done it before; but for those who begin tithing at a young age, it is just a matter of setting aside God’s portion first. The Pharisees were using their obedience to one command of Scripture to excuse themselves from obeying other commands. Jesus pointed out that they were not fair in their administration of judgment and they did not love people as they should. These two areas have to do with how we treat people. Jesus said to them, “These ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.” In other words, tithing is important, but treating people fairly and loving God are more important. Keeping our relationships right will not excuse us from our Christian responsibilities, but simply fulfilling responsibilities will not excuse us from keeping right relationships either. As we strive to please God, let’s not use the things that are easy for us to do to excuse us from those things that are difficult for us.

“And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?” I Samuel 17:29

David’s words here have always been inspirational to me. I see them as a rallying cry. When I read them, I feel that he is referring to the great cause of their nation, their freedom, their safety, their honor, their families, and their God. However, it is interesting to note that the Hebrew word for “cause” here is dâbâr, and it literally means a “word.” There are many meanings and shades of meaning for this word, including: cause, commandment, communication, decree, judgment, and message. Some scholars feel that David was merely defending his own right to speak his mind, as in, “Can’t I even speak a word?” But in context, David had just been asking the men about the commandment from King Saul that spelled out exactly what rewards would be given to the man who killed Goliath. Could it be that David was referring to the “word” of the king? If so, his words take on an even more piercing quality. “Don’t we have a commandment from the king to get this done?” In a deeper spiritual sense, he could have been referring to God’s Word and His reputation as well.

As Christians, we certainly have a cause (a dâbâr, a word, a decree, or a command) from our Heavenly Father. He has given us our marching orders and, like David, we need to let His Word stir us to action and carry us to victory. David believed that God would honor His Word. Do we have that same faith?

“Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.” Luke 10:36-37

Jesus gave this parable in answer to a question from a man who was trying to justify his thinking that he was a righteous person. The portrayal of the characters in this parable perfectly convey the truths that Jesus intended to impart to this man, and they are still applicable today. A traveler was attacked by thieves and left for dead. Upstanding and religious people saw him in his needy condition, but they ignored and avoided him. Another traveler comes by who is from a much maligned and hated group of people, the Samaritans. If an Israelite saw a Samaritan, they would automatically assume the worst; but the Samaritan went out of his way to help. He administered first aid, brought the unfortunate man to safety, and provided for his complete recovery. What does this mean to us? First, bad things happen. It wasn’t this man’s fault that he was attacked by thieves. Second, status or position is not enough to make us good. The priest nor the Levite offered any help to the wounded man. Their privileged positions were of no benefit to him. Third, our concern for others is only seen in our actions. If we really care about the people around us, we will do something to help them in their need. This is what it means to love our neighbor as ourselves. Is there someone who needs your help today? Why not follow the example of the Good Samaritan?