Solitary Place

Part of my testimony in returning to the LORD after straying is the October 7th 2023 Hamas attack on Israel. As I learned and read about the extent of the atrocities and violence waged against the people of Israel I was sickened and horrified in my spirit - not knowing what to do or pray I reached out to the only Israeli friend I knew: David Sperling. When I asked him how I can pray specifically for his family and the people of Israel he directed me to Psalm 122, which I promptly highlighted and would read aloud daily in prayer for the days and weeks following the Hamas attacks.  Psalm 122:6-9 (NIV) "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: "May those who love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels." For the sake of my family and friends, I will say, "Peace be within you." For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your prosperity." If you love and fear the God of Israel, YAHWEH, the God of Abraham, Is...

I Chronicles 20 accounts some of King David's conquests against the adversaries in the lands around Israel part of the land promised to Abraham in Genesis 15. Most notably David continues pressing against the Philistine peoples who are freakishly large giants with anomalous phalanges from the descendants of the Rephaim. Who are the Rephaim? In Deuteronomy and Joshua the Rephaim were associated with giants in the land of Canaan often linked to Og king of Bashan, Philistine giants are Rephaim and include Goliath whom David fought and killed as a young man. These Rephaim are the giants in the land that the twelve Israelite spies saw when first scoping out Canaan after leaving Egypt. David's conquest against the Philistines is a continuation of taking the land that God had promised - picking up where the Israelites left off before the period of the Judges.  When God promises land to His people and strengthens His people to take it there should be no hesitation, for what God wills G...

Psalm 70:4 (NKJV) "Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; and let those who love Your salvation say continually, "Let God be magnified!" Let God be magnified! The word magnified in Hebrew is yigdal which means to grow up or to become great, understanding that all authority, power and greatness belongs to the LORD brings gladness to the hearts of those who love His salvation. The emphasis on faith in this verse is important, King David writes that those who seek  the LORD rejoice and are glad in Him, not those who find  the LORD. There is joy, happiness and gladness in seeking the LORD this is so important and faith building because we know that when we seek the LORD we will find  the LORD, draw near to God and He will draw near to you. What does it look like to seek the LORD with all your heart? Seeking takes time. Seeking out is an intentional act of the will, active and engaging. For me personally in this season of life seeking the LORD looks like praye...

In these accounts David defeats the adversarial Ammonites subjecting them to Israel by striking with a strong and mighty arm. Now the Ammonites resided in the land east of the Jordan river and are the descendants of Abrahams nephew Lot, they are a people that God warns Israel not to intermarry with. The beginnings of the Ammonites pick up in sin where Sodom and Gomorrah leave off through incest and as we will see in Solomon's time the progression is downward. Specifically child sacrifice through the worship of Moloch. YAHWEH detests this idolatry.  Psalm 20:6 (NIV) "The LORD gives victory to his anointed." This truth simply inspires fresh hope in the confident and mighty King David who smites all enemies surrounding Israel. Over and over it is reiterated that the LORD gave David victory wherever he went (II Samuel 8:14) and this is because God blessed and anointed David for such a time. As God's anointed, grafted into the family and heritage of Abraham, Christians can...

The subheading for Psalm 60 is an interesting one, it's a song written to music, specifically the tune of 'The Lily of the Covenant' and contains championing language depicting victory over Israel's enemies. In terms of timeline this was written just after David's mighty men at the hand of Joab struck down 18,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. Psalm 60:12 (NIV) "With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies." I think about the victorious living narrative that the believer must reinforce daily. We know that we are in a spiritual war and the battles we fight are not flesh and blood. We know we are warriors of righteousness with all authority and power under heaven in our hands by the Holy Spirit. We are more than conquerors in Christ because of Christ alone. We can win the day because He won the day, we fight from victory not for victory because death, Satan and sin have already been crushed.  Romans 8:37-39 (NIV) "In all thes...

II Samuel 8 and I Chronicles 18 are parallels, nearly identical with minimal detailed differences but outline all the victories of King David in the unified land of Israel against the remaining Canaanites along with Edom (sons of Esau), Moab (son of Lot, Abrahams nephew), Amalekites (Esau's grandson) and  Ammonites (son of Lot). The most amazing aspect of David's victories is that all the surrounding kingdoms around Israel subjected themselves to King David through paying him tribute and the accounts of his mighty hand in battle would've struck fear into all enemies outside those territories of subjugation. II Samuel 8:13 says David became famous after striking down 18,000 Edomites, earlier in the chapter we see David systematically defeat and subdue his enemies ruthlessly, but it's important to know what the author of II Samuel and I Chronicles 18 mentions not once but twice  in these chapters - therefore appearing 4 times in the recounting of David's victories: II...

Psalm 29:11 (NIV) "The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace." This strengthened my spirit man this morning. I am on day 5 of a fast and while my body is indeed weak my spirit is strong because of the Spirit of God living inside me! In seeking the LORD's voice as David had in times past, the sevenfold spirit of God has indeed strengthened me with wisdom and understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, fear of the LORD and His Holy Spirit (Isaiah 11:2-3). I find that I am most strengthened and am at the most peace, no matter what circumstances, trials, temptations or tribulations I face because the peace of the LORD transcends what I believe or "think" peace is humanly. This peace often accompanies an intentional silencing of distractions, especially for me with proper biblical fasting (refraining from food) in rebellion against the original sin of Adam and Eve eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. When G...

King David's worship ethic affected every area of his life as exhibited in his psalms but also his prayer in I Chronicles 17 reveals his true heart and reverent awe for YAHWEH.  I Chronicles 17:20 (NIV) "There is no one like you, LORD, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears." The LORD is deserving of our praise because He is good and worthy of all glory and honor - I have been fasting for the past 4 days, 2 more days to go and I've learned that putting on a garment of praise each day through verbally  out-loud declaring who  God is, His promises to me (reciting Psalm 91) and reverently honoring His goodness, I am strengthened and my spirit man is settled. Man was created to glorify God through worship - a man who pleases God has a strong worship ethic that is consistent. O LORD create in me a pure heart and may my praise to you be a sweet sound to your ears.

Psalm 89 holds a special place in my heart. My senior year in college I was dealing with a deep discouragement as I got rejected from every medical school application I filed for because my MCAT score was not competitive enough for admission. During this season after graduation I put together a study plan: MCAT prep 4 hrs./day studying before and after work for 2 hrs. each. One weekday I was in the Starbucks on S. Church street and a pastor struck up conversation with me and encouraged me with Psalm 89. Psalm 89:19-24 (NIV) "I have bestowed strength on a warrior; I have raised up a young man from among the people. I have found David my servant; with my sacred oil I have anointed him. My hand will sustain him; surely my arm will strengthen him. The enemy will not get the better of him; the wicked will not oppress him. I will crush his foes before him and strike down his adversaries. My faithful love will be with him, and through my name his strength will be exalted." I had the...

Lot's of Psalms in today's chronological reading plan  I'm going to focus on Psalm 15 and the behaviors of the righteous. King David starts out this psalm with questions: Who is permitted to dwell in YAHWEH's sacred tent? This comes right along the same timeframe that the ark of the covenant arrived in Jerusalem with much music and dancing. The sacred tent is not likely the tabernacle tent coverings from the first generation of freed Israelites from Egypt, rather according to a literal interpretation of I Chronicles 15:1 King David pitched a new tent for the ark of the covenant.  King David asks another question to open this psalm: Who  is permitted to live on YAHWEH's holy mountain? Answering this question he begins to describe good human behaviors (NIV translation): Blameless walk who does righteous deeds. Speaks truth from their heart uttering no slander or slur. Does no wrong to a neighbor.  Despises  a vile person and honors  those who fear the LORD Ke...

After conquering the city of Jerusalem the king of Tyre sends David wood and artisans to build him a house in his new city. Building more houses for himself king David pitches a tent for the ark of God, what strikes me as interesting about this is that the rest of the tabernacle, built to the standard that Moses was given from God, seems to be no more - which is why a new tent was put together for it. As the ark of the covenant was brought to Jerusalem strong  praise was lifted up.  I Chronicles 15:16,22 (NKJV) "Then David spoke to the leaders of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers accompanied by instruments of music, stringed instruments, harps, and cymbals, by raising the voice with resounding joy... Chenaniah, leader of the Levites, was instructor in charge of the music, because he was skillful;" I can imagine the shouting and the exited clamor as the ark entered the city gates with the Levites and David playing music, dancing around! The horns, trumpet...

Psalm 106 is given the heading, 'Joy in Forgiveness of Israel's Sins' the psalmist recounts the history of rebellion and sin along with God's mighty hand of power there's even prophecy nestled in at the end predicting the Babylonian captivity.  1: The psalm opens up like one might open a prayer: with praise and thanksgiving declaring YAHWEH's good character. As a believer it is a good habit to get into declaring God's character as written in His word, Psalm 106:1 along with most of the declarative passages in Revelation accurately ascribe unto the LORD His goodness and holiness.  2: Posing a question the psalmist wonders at the the sheer quantity of miraculous acts of the LORD and how possibly one person could remember and declare all the praises of Him for His mighty acts.  3-5: The psalmist identifies himself as an Israelite and declares blessing on those who keep justice and do righteousness that the LORD's favor and glory rest on His chosen people an...

Unity. What is more good and pleasant than the roar of agreement through unity? Psalm 133:1-3 (NET) "Look! How good and how pleasant it is when brothers truly live in unity. It is like fine oil poured on the head, which flows down the beard - Aaron's beard, and then flows down his garments. It is like the dew of Hermon, which flows down upon the hills of Zion. Indeed, that is where the LORD has decreed a blessing will be available-eternal life.  The benefit of unity is peace and love within the covenant community which includes Gentile Christians. Since the work that Jesus did on the cross, bridging the gap between man and God as mediator - through his death and the literal tearing of the temple curtain symbolically opens up free access for all men  to approach the throne of grace. It is not natural for man to unconditionally love, it's not in our fallen nature to do so because man's heart is desperately self-seeking and violent. Through transformation in Christ alone ...

These two chapters stirs up the warrior nature in my heart as a bold and courageous man of God. All of Israel including the elders come together and anoint David as the king of Israel, promptly David marches to the Jebusite occupied city of Jerusalem, that is Jebus, that is the fortress of Zion - which is the City of David. Because God's hand of authority and favor was resting on David and he was obedient to the leading of the Spirit David grew in increasing greatness.  I Chronicles 11:9 (NIV) "And David became more and more powerful, because the LORD Almighty was with him." David assembled his mighty warrior men and named chiefs to support his kingship all throughout the land and the LORD brought about great victory and exploits through these faithful men. Most interestingly I find throughout scripture the men on whom the Spirit fills are used in miraculous and superhuman ways because of the supernatural enabling of the Holy Spirit including prophecy, we see this with th...