Post by Watchman on Feb 19, 2007 15:08:59 GMT -5
"And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. And Saul took him that day,and would let him go no more home to his father's house. Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him ashisown soul. And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that wasuponhim, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to hissword and to his bow, and to his girdle (I Samuel 18:1-4)."
Fair-eyed David was the youngest of the eight sons of Jesse. He was a comely lad, prudent of speech and a valiant warrior. A musician of exceptional skill, he played the harp "cunningly. Sweet singer of Israel, poet without a peer was David, whose psalms are manna to the hungry soul to this day.
Of the eight sons of Jesse, David was chosen of God to be king of
Israel. Anointed at Bethlehem in the midst of his brethren by Samuel
the prophet, the Spirit of the Lord came upon him from that day forward.
"But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from
the Lord troubled him (I Samuel 16:14)."
Because of his musical skill, David was called to play in Saul's presence. "And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me; for he hath found favor in my sight. And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him (I Samuel 16:22, 23)." Such is God's choice, His providence, His power over evil spirits and even such an inanimate object as a harp.
Later there was war with the Philistines and Goliath, the Philistines'
champion challenged the whole army of Israel. None would meet him. To a man they were all afraid. Well they might be, for Goliath was a giant whose height was six cubits and a span, ten and a half feet tall. What ordinary man can fight such a giant? But Goliath made a fatal mistake. He defied God, and the man who defies God has already sealed his doom. Whom will God choose to execute this blasphemer? David. But David is only a youth, a stripling probably not more than half as large as Goliath. David may well have been the smallest man on the battlefield.
But God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the
mighty. David will go in the strength of God, and he who goes in God's strength is no ordinary man, he is invincible, be he ever so small and weak,
There is no strength but God's. All human strength is but exaggerated weakness, and all human knowledge is but elaborate and exquisite ignorance. Man without God is nothing. "What is man, that thou art mindful of him (Psalm 8:4)?" "Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket and are counted as the small dust of the balance (Isaiah 40:15)."
What is a drop compared to all the waters in all the seas? What is a
small dust compared to all the earth? The original is far more emphatic and startling. The original language has it that man is not so much as a drop or a small dust, but "quansi," some little thing toward it; something not genuine but a mere appearance. As the apostle has it "For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away (James 4:14)."
Not a vapor but "quasi," a mere appearance and that only for a little time. "Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity (Psalm 62:9)." Vanity is the lightest thing that can be named; it is a mere show without reality.
Yet all men together are lighter than this. "All nations before him are as nothing; and are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity (Isaiah 40:17)." Without God, man is less than nothing. "Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of (Isaiah 2:22)?"
In the final reckoning, man is of no account of any consequence at all. But it seems that we must die to learn this lesson. Today man is
praised by every voice, while God is cursed in the same breath. Man is exalted and God is blasphemed. Our civilization, so called, is sick with a sickness unto death. The times are out of joint; all things are
backwards. We are revolted and gone. The worship of God has fallen into disrepute and the worship of man is the thing of the hour. In olden time, in the assemblies of God's people, God was praised and "prayer was want to be made"-a sweet expression meaning literally that prayer was at home. But in the churches today, prayer is not at home. Prayer today is an outcast, an orphan; a homeless angel who begs her bread where she may
and finds but scant hospitality in the earth. From the altar where once the sacrifice was offered and prayer ascended like sweet incense, there is now heard only the raucous voice of the praise of men. The fire that once burned upon the altar, consuming the bloody sacrifice, is now ashes, cold and gray. O' earth! Earth! Earth! Hear the word of the Lord.
Our only hope is that we shall come to see that man is nothing and God is all, Christ is all! When we shall realize that the pride of our
heart has deceived us, then perhaps, we shall again encompass the altar with tears, stain it with the blood of our broken hearts and praise God alone in the humility of faith.
Why is David calm and unafraid in the face of this fearful foe, while
all around him are veteran warriors, tried in the crucible of many a
fierce conflict, who has acquitted themselves bravely and honorably on many a field of battle, but who now stand trembling and afraid? What made the difference? David feared God. The man who fears God has nothing else to fear; but the man who fears not God is the abject victim of every fear, and is therefore a craven coward. Bravery is moral, not physical. Mere physical bravery is blasphemy and always suffers defeat.
Moral bravery, on the other hand, is worshipful, knowing that the only real strength and valor comes from God alone. Only the fear of God can make a man truly brave and only such bravery is victorious. Such a man al-ways says, "By strength shall no man prevail (I Samuel 2:9)." But, says he, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea (Psalm 46:1,2)." "The Lord is my light and my salvation; wh6m shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid (Psalm
27:1)?"
"The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do
unto me (Hebrews 13:6)."
"Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let
him be your dread. And he shall be for a sanctuary (Isaiah 8:13-14)."
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is under-standing (Proverbs 9:10)."
"In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence (Proverbs 14.26)."
"The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares
of death (Proverbs 14:27)."
"The fear of the Lord tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil (Proverbs 19:23)."
"For he that feareth God shall come forth of them
all (Ecclesiastes 7:18)."
"Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be pro-longed, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them
that fear God, which fear before him: But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God (Ecclesiastes 8:12,13)."
"And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell (Matthew 10:28)."
Fear is the strongest emotion we know and it plays a far more important role in our lives than does reality. Reality scarcely moves us. We become inured to reality. Because it is commonplace, reality excites in us no sense of wonder and awe. We are complacent before the commonplace.
We ignore reality; but no man can ignore fear; no man can be complacent when fear seizes upon his heart, no man can be unconcerned in the presence of fear.
Fear is the supreme emotion, out of which all emotion rises. Fear is an integral part of all emotion, passion, thought and action. Always, in all things, we are motivated by fear, we are governed by fear. Account for it how we may, fear attaches to every facet of our nature, every circumstance of life, every thought, word, action, deed. No man escapes fear. Men talk about freedom from fear as though they could attain it. But the fact remains that men are never free from fear because such a thing is impossible.
There is fear, and there is fear. There is the fear of man, and there
is the fear of God. These are entirely different. The nature of fear is
according to the object of that fear. "The fear of man bringeth a
snare (Proverbs 29:25)." But, "The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death."
Who does not see the difference? The fear of man is a craven thing. It paralyzes men, causing apprehension, distrust, disquiet, trepidation, terror, panic, and dismay. The fear of man is the opposite of the fear of God; and the fear of God is the
antithesis of the fear of man. What is the fear of God? The fountain of life, the source out of which life issues. The fear of God is life's
one fountain, the one spring where life's thirsts may be quenched.
"The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant (Psalm 25:14)."
Come Ye Children and I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
Let us fear and walk in Love . God Bless
Brother Stair
Fair-eyed David was the youngest of the eight sons of Jesse. He was a comely lad, prudent of speech and a valiant warrior. A musician of exceptional skill, he played the harp "cunningly. Sweet singer of Israel, poet without a peer was David, whose psalms are manna to the hungry soul to this day.
Of the eight sons of Jesse, David was chosen of God to be king of
Israel. Anointed at Bethlehem in the midst of his brethren by Samuel
the prophet, the Spirit of the Lord came upon him from that day forward.
"But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from
the Lord troubled him (I Samuel 16:14)."
Because of his musical skill, David was called to play in Saul's presence. "And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me; for he hath found favor in my sight. And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him (I Samuel 16:22, 23)." Such is God's choice, His providence, His power over evil spirits and even such an inanimate object as a harp.
Later there was war with the Philistines and Goliath, the Philistines'
champion challenged the whole army of Israel. None would meet him. To a man they were all afraid. Well they might be, for Goliath was a giant whose height was six cubits and a span, ten and a half feet tall. What ordinary man can fight such a giant? But Goliath made a fatal mistake. He defied God, and the man who defies God has already sealed his doom. Whom will God choose to execute this blasphemer? David. But David is only a youth, a stripling probably not more than half as large as Goliath. David may well have been the smallest man on the battlefield.
But God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the
mighty. David will go in the strength of God, and he who goes in God's strength is no ordinary man, he is invincible, be he ever so small and weak,
There is no strength but God's. All human strength is but exaggerated weakness, and all human knowledge is but elaborate and exquisite ignorance. Man without God is nothing. "What is man, that thou art mindful of him (Psalm 8:4)?" "Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket and are counted as the small dust of the balance (Isaiah 40:15)."
What is a drop compared to all the waters in all the seas? What is a
small dust compared to all the earth? The original is far more emphatic and startling. The original language has it that man is not so much as a drop or a small dust, but "quansi," some little thing toward it; something not genuine but a mere appearance. As the apostle has it "For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away (James 4:14)."
Not a vapor but "quasi," a mere appearance and that only for a little time. "Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity (Psalm 62:9)." Vanity is the lightest thing that can be named; it is a mere show without reality.
Yet all men together are lighter than this. "All nations before him are as nothing; and are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity (Isaiah 40:17)." Without God, man is less than nothing. "Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of (Isaiah 2:22)?"
In the final reckoning, man is of no account of any consequence at all. But it seems that we must die to learn this lesson. Today man is
praised by every voice, while God is cursed in the same breath. Man is exalted and God is blasphemed. Our civilization, so called, is sick with a sickness unto death. The times are out of joint; all things are
backwards. We are revolted and gone. The worship of God has fallen into disrepute and the worship of man is the thing of the hour. In olden time, in the assemblies of God's people, God was praised and "prayer was want to be made"-a sweet expression meaning literally that prayer was at home. But in the churches today, prayer is not at home. Prayer today is an outcast, an orphan; a homeless angel who begs her bread where she may
and finds but scant hospitality in the earth. From the altar where once the sacrifice was offered and prayer ascended like sweet incense, there is now heard only the raucous voice of the praise of men. The fire that once burned upon the altar, consuming the bloody sacrifice, is now ashes, cold and gray. O' earth! Earth! Earth! Hear the word of the Lord.
Our only hope is that we shall come to see that man is nothing and God is all, Christ is all! When we shall realize that the pride of our
heart has deceived us, then perhaps, we shall again encompass the altar with tears, stain it with the blood of our broken hearts and praise God alone in the humility of faith.
Why is David calm and unafraid in the face of this fearful foe, while
all around him are veteran warriors, tried in the crucible of many a
fierce conflict, who has acquitted themselves bravely and honorably on many a field of battle, but who now stand trembling and afraid? What made the difference? David feared God. The man who fears God has nothing else to fear; but the man who fears not God is the abject victim of every fear, and is therefore a craven coward. Bravery is moral, not physical. Mere physical bravery is blasphemy and always suffers defeat.
Moral bravery, on the other hand, is worshipful, knowing that the only real strength and valor comes from God alone. Only the fear of God can make a man truly brave and only such bravery is victorious. Such a man al-ways says, "By strength shall no man prevail (I Samuel 2:9)." But, says he, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea (Psalm 46:1,2)." "The Lord is my light and my salvation; wh6m shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid (Psalm
27:1)?"
"The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do
unto me (Hebrews 13:6)."
"Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let
him be your dread. And he shall be for a sanctuary (Isaiah 8:13-14)."
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is under-standing (Proverbs 9:10)."
"In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence (Proverbs 14.26)."
"The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares
of death (Proverbs 14:27)."
"The fear of the Lord tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil (Proverbs 19:23)."
"For he that feareth God shall come forth of them
all (Ecclesiastes 7:18)."
"Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be pro-longed, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them
that fear God, which fear before him: But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God (Ecclesiastes 8:12,13)."
"And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell (Matthew 10:28)."
Fear is the strongest emotion we know and it plays a far more important role in our lives than does reality. Reality scarcely moves us. We become inured to reality. Because it is commonplace, reality excites in us no sense of wonder and awe. We are complacent before the commonplace.
We ignore reality; but no man can ignore fear; no man can be complacent when fear seizes upon his heart, no man can be unconcerned in the presence of fear.
Fear is the supreme emotion, out of which all emotion rises. Fear is an integral part of all emotion, passion, thought and action. Always, in all things, we are motivated by fear, we are governed by fear. Account for it how we may, fear attaches to every facet of our nature, every circumstance of life, every thought, word, action, deed. No man escapes fear. Men talk about freedom from fear as though they could attain it. But the fact remains that men are never free from fear because such a thing is impossible.
There is fear, and there is fear. There is the fear of man, and there
is the fear of God. These are entirely different. The nature of fear is
according to the object of that fear. "The fear of man bringeth a
snare (Proverbs 29:25)." But, "The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death."
Who does not see the difference? The fear of man is a craven thing. It paralyzes men, causing apprehension, distrust, disquiet, trepidation, terror, panic, and dismay. The fear of man is the opposite of the fear of God; and the fear of God is the
antithesis of the fear of man. What is the fear of God? The fountain of life, the source out of which life issues. The fear of God is life's
one fountain, the one spring where life's thirsts may be quenched.
"The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant (Psalm 25:14)."
Come Ye Children and I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
Let us fear and walk in Love . God Bless
Brother Stair