THE LORD SPOKE (May 4)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Old Testament: II Samuel 5-6

The Israelites gave three reasons why they wanted David to be their king. Notice that the reasons are listed in increasing order of importance:

1. "we are your own flesh and blood" (II Sam. 5:1) - Civil war after Saul's death had threatened to undo permanently the tribal coalition of the Israelite people. Moses' original instructions on choosing a king (Deut. 17:15) had emphasized choosing a fellow Israelite as an element of national unity. (By the way, does this help answer the question if the Antichrist will be a Jew or a Gentile?)
2. "you were the one who led Israel on their military campaigns" (II Sam. 5:2b) - From the time of his victory over Goliath, David was promoted (I Sam. 18:5, 13-16) and found a place in the heart of the people who rejoiced to sing his praise (I Sam. 18:7 et al.).
3. "the Lord said to you...." (II Sam. 5:2b) - This was the key, often repeated (I Sam. 13:13-14; 16:1,13; 23:17; 25:26-31; and repeated three more times just in this chapter - vs. 2,19, and 23). What made it work was that fact that "David did as the Lord commanded him" (vs. 25). People will gladly follow a leader like that!

Did you notice what the Lord said to David on this occasion? "You will shepherd my people Israel." David was taken from the sheepfolds (I Sam.16:11; II Sam. 7:8) because his shepherd's heart qualified him for the Lord's service (see I Sam. 13:14 with Acts 13:22). Furthermore, God has promised Israel (and us?!), "I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding" (Jer. 3:15).


New Testament: Romans 7

When Paul starts out this chapter you’d think that the analogy he’s working out goes like this: we were once married to the Law but that Law was sickly and weak and eventually died. As in marriage, if the first partner dies, we are free to remarry. Likewise here: the death of the Law has allowed us to marry Grace.

Not so! In fact, it’s just the opposite. Paul actually makes one of the strongest positive statements about the Law that can be found anywhere in Scripture. “So then, the law is [notice “is”, not “was”] holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous, and good.” (Rom. 7:12; see also vs. 14 where it is also called “spiritual”). What died was not the Law but me. Sin deceived me and put me to death (Rom. 7:11). I was “controlled by the sinful nature” but “by dying...have been released from the law” (Rom. 7:5-6).

The Law actually did exactly what it was supposed to do. It revealed sin (Rom. 7:7,13) and my own inability to avoid it (Rom. 7:11,14,20). The Law performed exactly as God designed it to do and that’s why Paul can say it’s holy, righteous, and good. In the same manner, we performed exactly as our fallen nature equipped us to do. The result is also according to God’s good plan. “We died to the law so that we might belong to another - to him who was raised from the dead” (Rom. 7:4). So, yes, there is a shift here in the metaphor but the argument is very clear and has already been stated several times elsewhere in the book. Our death to sin has also released us to new life in Christ (Rom. 7:4,6).

How much easier it would have been if the chapter ended right there. But Paul in all honesty has to say “but I am [again “am”, not “was”] unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin” (Rom. 7:14). For the next several verses he describes his personal, present experience. The persistent, pernicious nature of sin continues to plague us. Anyone who tells you he doesn’t experience this is not telling you the truth! Yes, John tells us that the genuine believer does not “keep on sinning.... He cannot go on sinning because he has been born of God” (I John 3:6,9). But Paul tells us right here that a genuine believer continues to struggle with sin issues constantly. It leaves us feeling wretched (Rom. 7:24) and there is only one solution possible. By trusting in Jesus Christ we can resist our sinful nature but it amounts to being “a slave to God’s law” (Rom. 7:25). Only He can rescue us from this horrid corpse.

I hear the Savior say, “Thy strength indeed is small;
Child of weakness, watch and pray, find in Me thine all in all.”

Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.


For nothing good have I whereby Thy grace to claim;
I’ll wash my garments white in the blood of Calv’ry’s Lamb.

And now complete in Him, my robe, His righteousness,
Close sheltered ’neath His side, I am divinely blest.


Lord, now indeed I find Thy pow’r, and Thine alone,
Can change the leper’s spots and melt the heart of stone.

When from my dying bed my ransomed soul shall rise,
“Jesus died my soul to save,” shall rend the vaulted skies.


And when before the throne I stand in Him complete,
I’ll lay my trophies down, all down at Jesus’ feet.