Today’s reading: 1 Chron 11:1–47, 1 Tim 6:3–10, Ps 80:1–19

Today’s theme: Be content

There are so many great lessons today, one of the most important ones is that we must learn to be content and set our desires on God rather than the riches of this world. We can place all our trust in God because what He has decreed, He always brings to pass.

1 Chronicles 11:1–47

God’s decreed will

So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the LORD. And they anointed David king over Israel, according to the word of the LORD by Samuel.1 Chronicles 11:3 (ESV)

God’s word is not like the words of man, God actively brings His word to pass. When God decrees a thing, it WILL come to pass and nothing can stop it.

God spoke prophetically through Samuel and once the prophecy was decreed, God would actively work to fulfil the word He had declared.

This should give us confidence with every firm prophecy and promise of God’s word. God does not lie, if He decreed it as the king of the universe, He will bring it to pass. 2 Corinthians 1:20

It is worth remembering that when we read about God’s will in the bible, there are two types; one is His decreed will (sovereign will), which should be thought of as decrees from His throne, which always come to pass.

The other is; God’s commanded will (desire). This is found in the Ten Commandments and all of God’s laws and desires expressed in scripture, but not enforced by royal decree. This can be thought of as the law of the kingdom, which when disobeyed ,will incur punishment on the offender.

Strike first

David said, “Whoever strikes the Jebusites first shall be chief and commander.” And Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first, so he became chief. 1 Chronicles 11:6 (ESV)

Joab is a frustrating character, sometimes his stand and faith is impressive and at other times he makes some awful decisions. In this case, he made a name and position for himself by boldly standing up and going first, like Peter.

We can learn from this bold attitude for God and His work. Joab was not someone who suffered from procrastination or cowardice, he was zealous, bold and would strike first. We should be like this too. At the same time we should learn from his life, that these qualities also need to be balanced with obedience, humility and stillness before God. See Matthew 11:12

Give strong support

Now these are the chiefs of David’s mighty men, who gave him strong support in his kingdom, together with all Israel, to make him king, according to the word of the LORD concerning Israel. 1 Chronicles 11:10 (ESV)

We should give God our strong support and one of the ways we can do this practically, is to give strong support to God’s ministers and leaders in our lives. We should give strong support to our Pastors as they lead us forward in God’s great kingdom, and the war on the kingdom of darkness.

In Hebrews 13:17, we are reminded to “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.”

As Pastor Dennis preached in 2012, we should have the Heart of the King. The DVD of this message is available from the Church bookstore and a video from the first Heart of the King, Men’s Gathering in 2013, can be watched here https://www.wwmf.org/2013/01/05/media/video/the-heart-of-the-king-dvd/

Take your stand

But he took his stand in the midst of the plot and defended it and killed the Philistines. And the LORD saved them by a great victory. 1 Chronicles 11:14 (ESV)

Take your stand today, do not give a foothold to the enemy, do not give him any ground. Be bold and stand your ground! Fight! God is with you! Ephesians 6:13 encourages us “Therefore take up the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.”

Ephesians 4:27 reminds us “and give no opportunity to the devil.”

Pour your life out

and said, “Far be it from me before my God that I should do this. Shall I drink the lifeblood of these men? For at the risk of their lives they brought it.” Therefore he would not drink it. These things did the three mighty men. 1 Chronicles 11:19 (ESV)

When we pour out our lives for the ministry, our work and risk is not wasted, God does not take our service lightly. Our faith and work pleases God and God graciously and abundantly rewards us. See Galatians 6:9 and Matthew 25:23

Benaiah, an example to us all

And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was a valiant man of Kabzeel, a doer of great deeds. He struck down two heroes of Moab. He also went down and struck down a lion in a pit on a day when snow had fallen. And he struck down an Egyptian, a man of great stature, five cubits tall. The Egyptian had in his hand a spear like a weaver’s beam, but Benaiah went down to him with a staff and snatched the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. 1 Chronicles 11:22–23 (ESV)

Pastor Dennis preached a powerful message from this passage, focusing on the Character of Benaiah. Some of the key points highlighted were that the heroes of Moab spoke of killing sin and the flesh.

The Egyptian speaks of the world and we need to take the world’s weapon of media and technology (the spear), and use it against the ways of the world.

The Lion in the pit is the Devil who comes like a roaring lion, the pit and the snow makes the circumstance hard, but Beniah had the heart of the king, the heart of a true servant of God and so slew the Lion. Pastor highlighted the point that Beniah chased the Lion down.

We can learn so much from Beniah’s life and exploits, for our walk of faith. The DVD is available from the church bookstore and here is a message reflection, from the website https://www.wwmf.org/2012/08/04/resources/benaiah-the-heart-of-the-king/

Benaiah proves to be loyal

He was renowned among the thirty, but he did not attain to the three. And David set him over his bodyguard. 1 Chronicles 11:25 (ESV)

Beniah became the chief bodyguard and proved loyal all the way through to Solomon’s reign, unlike Joab.

Uriah the Hittite

Uriah the Hittite, Zabad the son of Ahlai, 1 Chronicles 11:41 (ESV)

It is worth noting that Uriah, the man that David had killed to cover his adultery with his wife (Bathsheba), was one of David’s elite soldiers, one of the thirty. This makes the betrayal even worse.

1 Timothy 6:3–10

Be content

But godliness with contentment is great gain, 1 Timothy 6:6 (ESV)

As God’s people we are called to be content. It seems that the false doctrine being taught in Paul’s day, was similar to the prosperity gospel of today, with its focus on material wealth.

When we live a goodly life and are content in our hearts with God’s provision for us, we have more than the man who may have more money but is never satisfied and is constantly driven by the compulsion for more.

False teachers are prideful when they speak, they love controversy, always claiming false revelations and causing friction amongst people. We must hold fast to the true faith passed down to us (it is not new or novel).

Desire God, not riches

But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 1 Timothy 6:9 (ESV)

Despite western ideals, we should not desire to be rich, we should desire God and chase God, not money. Our appetite should be for God and not for more money.

If we have a job we should work well, and be good stewards of what God has given us but we should not desire to be rich. Think about this today, have you been infected with the spirit of the age, to ‘keep up with the Jones’?

We should live our lives in service and mission to our King, like Beniah, seeking His good and the good of the kingdom, not seeking to build our own kingdom.

Love God, not money

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. 1 Timothy 6:10 (ESV)

The love of money is the root of all sorts of evil and a focus on money can draw us away from trusting in Christ.

Psalm 80:1–19

Pray for Jews to be saved

Turn again, O God of hosts! Look down from heaven, and see; have regard for this vine, Psalm 80:14 (ESV)

As we read this, let us remember to pray for the salvation of the Jewish people today.

Most of the above post is a copy of the original notes from the same date in 2014.

Additional resources

Desiring God on 1 Timothy 6

Today’s reading: 1 Chron 9:1–10:14, 1 Tim 5:18–6:2, Ps 79:1–13

Today’s theme: Loyalty and zeal for God

Today’s reading is packed with lessons all centred around our zeal and passion for the Lord. We are encouraged to be loyal and faithful to the Lord despite difficulty and trials, knowing that He disciplines us because He loves us. In light of all this, we are also called to work well for the Lord.

1 Chronicles 9:1–10:14

God, Sovereign over discipline

So all Israel was recorded in genealogies, and these are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel. And Judah was taken into exile in Babylon because of their breach of faith. 1 Chronicles 9:1 (ESV)

It was not by chance or misfortune that the people of Judah were taken into exile in Babylon. The scriptures tells us that there was a reason for it, namely that they broke or violated their faith and relationship with God.

God is sovereign even over judgement, suffering and our discipline, as His children. The devil has no real power of his own to do anything to God’s people, because we belong to God and Satan is not God’s equal. God alone is sovereign, which means He has complete freedom and the ability to perform His holy will, He maintains control over all His creation.

One of the things we can learn from this, is that God’s creation, our lives and circumstances, are all under God’s loving control. Even exile like experiences are ordained by Him, for our good. In this sense, the devil and men in general, become tools in God’s hands, to accomplish His purposes, even if it is to discipline His people in love. See Ephesians 1:11, Romans 8:28 and 1 Timothy 1:20

Work for the Lord

besides their kinsmen, heads of their fathers’ houses, 1,760, mighty men for the work of the service of the house of God. 1 Chronicles 9:13 (ESV)

In the last two chapters, we heard about men who were mighty warriors but now we see those who are mighty in the service of the Lord, in the house of God. As we work together in the body of Christ, we must not have weak feeble hands, feet or minds (Hebrews 12:12-14).

We should be strong and bold in our work for the Lord. Acts 20:35 reminds us that we must work hard to help the weak. Colossians 1:10 reminds us that our work should bear good fruit. Galatians 6:9 reminds us to not grow weary in doing well.

Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 15:58 “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labour is not in vain.”

Passion for God’s glory

And Phinehas the son of Eleazar was the chief officer over them in time past; the LORD was with him. 1 Chronicles 9:20 (ESV)

We are reminded of Phinehas who was alive in the days of Moses, he had great zeal for God, he took a spear and ran through a man of Israel and a woman from the Baal cult, who were in open rebellion against the Lord. His actions turned away God’s anger and God blessed him for it because he so zealously defended the Lord’s glory and name (Numbers 25:11).

This would again encourage the people to remember their heritage and would spur them on to be zealous for God’s Glory. We should be like Phinehas in our passion for God’s glory. See Titus 2:14, 1 Peter 3:13 and Philippians 3:12-13

Be loyal

all the valiant men arose and took away the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons, and brought them to Jabesh. And they buried their bones under the oak in Jabesh and fasted seven days. 1 Chronicles 10:12 (ESV)

The Valiant men of Jabesh Gilead rose against the odds to retrieve the bodies of Saul and his sons, this is another example of today’s themes of loyalty and zeal for the Lord, leading us to work hard in faith. We can learn from their spirit and example.

Live faithfully for God

So Saul died for his breach of faith. He broke faith with the LORD in that he did not keep the command of the LORD, and also consulted a medium, seeking guidance. He did not seek guidance from the LORD. Therefore the LORD put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse. 1 Chronicles 10:13–14 (ESV)

The lesson we learn from Saul’s life is that we must remain faithful to God, we must remain loyal and we should seek the Lord for guidance. Saul’s unfaithfulness literally led him into witchcraft because as the bible says, rebellion is like the sin of witchcraft, as Samuel declared to Saul in 1 Samuel 15:23.

Again we see evidence of God’s sovereignty. God killed Saul, God took the kingdom from him and God gave it to David. It makes no sense to rebel against God, He is the King of the universe, we should willingly submit to His guidance and passionately live for His glory. See 1 Corinthians 10:31

1 Timothy 5:18–6:2

Open rebuke

As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear. 1 Timothy 5:20 (ESV)

Those who are called Christians but persist in open rebellion, should be rebuked by the Elders / Pastors openly, for their own sake and the sake of the rest of the community.

All believers can learn from this principle, that we should in the spirit of Phinehas, boldly confront and kill sin. Sin is a bold affront to God and His kingdom, we should be bold in opposing it in our own lives and the wider church community.

Keep yourself pure

Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, nor take part in the sins of others; keep yourself pure. 1 Timothy 5:22 (ESV)

“Keep yourself pure” – this is a very simple command – we should pause and meditate on it today. We are called to purity, it is our responsibility to keep ourselves pure (consider the things that we listen to, read, watch or think about).

Hidden sins show eventually

The sins of some people are conspicuous, going before them to judgment, but the sins of others appear later. So also good works are conspicuous, and even those that are not cannot remain hidden. 1 Timothy 5:24–25 (ESV)

Things are not always as they appear, some sins are not apparent so someone may seem as though they are walking right with God, but they have sins which they think are hidden,. These sins have gone on before them in the sense that although nobody else knows, the consequence and rot of the sin will eventually manifest in the person’s life, further down the line.

In the same regard, some peoples good works are not obvious to all, they are done in secret and without announcement. All of this is why Paul warned Timothy not to ordain Elders quickly, based on outward appearances.

Because of the nature of sin and true good works, we need the Holy Spirit to guide us in terms of appointing Elders, or even working with someone in any type of ministry.

Work unto the Lord

Let all who are under a yoke as bondservants regard their own masters as worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and the teaching may not be reviled. 1 Timothy 6:1 (ESV)

Those of us who work under a manager should do so in honour to the Lord. As Christians we should not be rebellious or disrespectful to those in authority over us.

Psalm 79:1–13

Appeal to God’s own zeal

Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of your name; deliver us, and atone for our sins, for your name’s sake! Psalm 79:9 (ESV)

When we pray we should appeal to God’s own zeal and passion for His own glory and name.

Most of the above post is a copy of the original notes from the same date in 2014.

Additional resources

The Gospel Coalition on 1 Timothy 6

Today’s reading: 1 Chron 8:1–40, 1 Tim 5:10–17, Ps 78:53–72

Today’s theme: God over adversity

There are multiple lessons today. We are reminded that God can deliver us through adversity and that He has an order in creation, for men and women. God desires that we honour our Pastors.

1 Chronicles 8:1–40

Remember, God helps us overcome adversity

and Beriah and Shema (they were heads of fathers’ houses of the inhabitants of Aijalon, who caused the inhabitants of Gath to flee); 1 Chronicles 8:13 (ESV)

The writer of these chronicles has an underlying purpose to encourage the readers, by reminding them of their past with God.

Judah and Benjamin receive special attention as the royal tribes and Saul’s family later receive even more focused attention, reminding the people that they once had a king and kingdom and that they should look to the restoration of the kingdom (Acts 1:16).

One of the ways in which this is done, is by retelling the difficulties that some key families in Benjamin overcame, to bolster morale and trust in God. These difficulties include the deportation of Ehud (8:6), Shaharaim’s divorce (8:8), Saul’s failed kingship (8:33) and the memory of the brave warriors who were cut off (8:40).

Despite all of these difficulties, we see anecdotes like this verse, reminding us that God will help His people overcome adversity and if He did it in the past we can have hope for the future. Romans 8:17 reminds us that we are called to adversity and to have joy in God.

The hope of restoration

These were the heads of fathers’ houses, according to their generations, chief men. These lived in Jerusalem.1 Chronicles 8:28 (ESV)

The short note regarding the Benjamites having lived in Jerusalem, is another way of reminding the Jews who have come out of exile, that Jerusalem was once theirs before Judah became a province of the Persian Empire.

This also points to the hope of the writer and the people, for full restoration, as prophesied in Jeremiah 33:15 and Amos 9:11.

The chronicler’s efforts to remind and bolster morale for the rebuilding of Jerusalem, is used by God to encourage the people, as we read in Ezra 1:5 and Nehemiah 11:4.

Jesus fulfilled both of these prophecies as mentioned in Matthew 2:2, Luke 1:32, Luke 19:38 and John 1:49. We will see their final completion at His second coming.

1 Timothy 5:10–17

Biblical womanhood

So I would have younger widows marry, bear children, manage their households, and give the adversary no occasion for slander. 1 Timothy 5:14 (ESV)

The Oxford dictionary tells us that egalitarianism is “the principle that all people are equal and deserve equal rights and opportunities”.

There is truth in this but our culture has taken this belief to such an extreme, that it has resulted in absurdity (feminism, same sex marriage etc), and threatens the very fabric of society.

Paul’s command for younger widows reflects the normal biblical expectation for all young women, that they marry, have children and keep their homes well.

Despite the western world’s disregard for gender roles and biblical models for the family, we must not give in to the spirit of the age, but stand as a bulwark against it.

We must embrace biblical complementarianism (men and women have distinct but complementary roles, equivalent rather than equal).

We are called to show the world what true womanhood looks like, we should encourage and support our young women in this, as the current culture tells them to sacrifice these things for careers and personal goals.

Honour your Pastors

Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. 1 Timothy 5:17 (ESV)

We should honour and respect our Elders, in particular our Pastors, who labour in teaching and preaching the word to us. Give God thanks for Pastor Dennis and Rev Taylor today.

Psalm 78:53–72

God our shepherd

With upright heart he shepherded them and guided them with his skillful hand. Psalm 78:72 (ESV)

God is the great Shepherd of Israel. This psalm shows how He delivered them and led them to the holy land that He chose (54), and despite their rebellion He redeemed them and chose David His servant (70). The Lord is our Shepherd also and now we have King Jesus in place of King David.

Most of the above post is a copy of the original notes from the same date in 2014.

Additional resources

The Gospel Coalition on 1 Timothy 5

Today’s reading: 1 Chron 7:1–40, 1 Tim 5:1–9, Ps 78:30–52

Today’s theme: The importance of family

Today we are reminded of the importance of both our physical and spiritual family. We should provide for and love our physical families and this should be reflected in the church family, where we should stand steadfastly together as one unified army, for God’s glory.

1 Chronicles 7:1–40

One unified army

The sons of Tola: Uzzi, Rephaiah, Jeriel, Jahmai, Ibsam, and Shemuel, heads of their fathers’ houses, namely of Tola, mighty warriors of their generations, their number in the days of David being 22,600. 1 Chronicles 7:2 (ESV)

These genealogies are not just lists of names, these were recorded when the children of Israel returned from exile and they serve as a call to a unified kingdom.

The tribes mentioned here are from the north of Israel, however the chronicler was from the Southern kingdom, which is another indication that unity and oneness is being appealed to.

Another important note for this section, is the amount of times it mentions the number of “mighty warriors” that each tribe had.

As God’s people, from various cultures, times, locations and denominations, we too are called to be one and to serve as mighty warriors in the army of our King Jesus Christ. See John 17:20-23 and 2 Timothy 2:3-4

Biblical inclusiveness

His daughter was Sheerah, who built both Lower and Upper Beth-horon, and Uzzen-sheerah. 1 Chronicles 7:24 (ESV)

There is a biblical kind of inclusiveness in this passage, this is seen in the additional details and side notes. For example, in verse 14, an Aramean (another nation) is mentioned and here the exploits of a woman (some cultures treat women as second class) named Sheerah, is noted.

This points to God’s heart for the purpose of Israel from the beginning, that they would not be an exclusive closed group, but that they would be the light of the world and a blessing to all nations.

The calling on God’s covenant people, Israel, is also on God’s “new covenant” people, the church (Jews and Gentiles). We are called to be a light in the world and a blessing to all people.

Jesus did not just die for one type of people, but for all types from every nation, tribe and tongue and He died for both men and women. We are called to finish the mission, by proclaiming the good news to all people. See all nations around the throne, in Revelation 5:9–10 and 7:9–10.

1 Timothy 5:1–9

We are a family

Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity. 1 Timothy 5:1–2 (ESV)

Paul’s instructions to the young Pastor Timothy, is connected to the biblical inclusiveness we observed in our OT reading.

The church is a family and we should treat one another with the love and respect that family deserves. We should respect and honour older men and women as if they were our own mother or father, and we should encourage, work with and walk alongside the younger men and women as if they were actually our brothers and sisters.

Jesus said in Mark 3:31–35, that His true family was not limited to His physical mother and siblings, but spiritually to all believers who obey Him.

Paul gives a note of warning, knowing the tricks that the enemy uses to take these loving family-like relationships in the church, and turning them into a cause of temptation and stumbling. In Timothy’s case, this was in regards to the young women.

We should love and treat one another like family, with pure motives and intentions.

Love your own family

But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. 1 Timothy 5:8 (ESV)

The fact that the church is a spiritual family does not take away from the fact that we have actual families, with real spouses, parents, grandparents, siblings and children.

We have a biblical calling to provide for our own families. Our families should not suffer so that we can “minister in the church” as we read earlier in this letter, things should be in order at home before we turn to work in the church.

The church should be a reflection of healthy and loving “real-life” family relationships in Christ. The Gnostics who taught that the spiritual was all that mattered, would have favoured the spiritual family at the neglect of the real family.

God wants us (particularly men), to provide for our families through loving hard work. In this life, our faith is so rooted in God’s wonderful and physical creation, that Paul boldly declares that a man who does not provide for his family, is worse than an unbeliever. Our self-centred western culture needs to hear and see this today.

Psalm 78:30–52

Be steadfast in heart

But they flattered him with their mouths; they lied to him with their tongues. Their heart was not steadfast toward him; they were not faithful to his covenant. Psalm 78:36–37 (ESV)

We must keep guard over our hearts so that we are not just paying God lip service.

This is what God wants from us, hearts that are faithful to Him and to His covenant. If we do not make our hearts steadfast towards the Lord, our repentance will become mere lip service.

Thank God for His Holy Spirit, who helps to make our hearts strong for God and thank Him for the covenant of His word, which we can focus on as we walk in true repentance.

A company of destroying angels

He let loose on them his burning anger, wrath, indignation, and distress, a company of destroying angels. Psalm 78:49 (ESV)

It is good to remember that God has given some of His angels special ministries. As we pray, we can ask God to send a company of destroying angels to defeat the enemy.

Most of the above post is a copy of the original notes from the same date in 2014.

Additional resources

The Gospel Coalition on 1 Timothy 5

Today’s reading: 1 Chron 6:1–81, 1 Tim 4:6–16, Ps 78:13–29

Today’s theme: Sing songs of praise

Today, let us take time to sing songs of praise to the Lord. We are also reminded today, of the value of godliness in our lives and that Jesus will sustain us, as the bread of Heaven.

1 Chronicles 6:1–81

Sing songs of praise

These are the men whom David put in charge of the service of song in the house of the LORD after the ark rested there. They ministered with song before the tabernacle of the tent of meeting until Solomon built the house of the LORD in Jerusalem, and they performed their service according to their order. 1 Chronicles 6:31–32 (ESV)

Ministry in song through Praise and worship, was a large part of life in Israel, for God’s covenant people. Even in the biblical accounts of Heaven, we see the large role singing and praise plays.

Singing praises and worship, should be a large part of our lives too. We should give thanks for those, who like these priests, lead us in praise and worship when we come together. See Colossians 3:16

The songs of Asaph

and his brother Asaph, who stood on his right hand, namely, Asaph the son of Berechiah, son of Shimea, 1 Chronicles 6:39 (ESV)

Asaph was the great writer of many Psalms (songs, hymns and poems), like David.

1 Timothy 4:6–16

The value of godliness

for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. 1 Timothy 4:8 (ESV)

Although much of this passage is really aimed at those in leadership, there is a theme that we can all benefit from.

We should exercise our spirits by practising godliness. We should have our hope in God our Saviour and so we should work hard. Above all, ensure we are not distracted by silly myths, instead we should keep a close eye on the teaching we receive, ensuring it is sound and that we apply it to our lives.

Psalm 78:13–29

The bread of Heaven

Man ate of the bread of the angels; he sent them food in abundance. Psalm 78:25 (ESV)

The people always called this Manna (what is it), but God had told them it was bread and reminds us here that it was the bread of the angels.

Jesus said of himself in John 6:58, “This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.”

Most of the above post is a copy of the original notes from the same date in 2014.

Additional resources

Praise songs for today (a player is at the top of each link below)

Back to the Heart of Worship

10,000 Reasons

Oceans

Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing