Friday 10 June

2 Samuel 15:13-16:14

You see more backbone in a jellyfish than in “I’m a little victim-boy” David in this passage.  I want to be slightly careful as we again don’t get editorial comment on whether or not David is doing the right thing here but my hunch is that he is not.  My hunch is that he has let his own issues become his nations issues and his own tragedy become a national tragedy.  My hunch is that he is falling into a terrible trap that can catch any leader.  David has lost sight of his identity.  David has lost sight of His God.  He still loves God and he still submits to him but all that now stands before his eyes is the naked body of Bathsheba and the bleeding, decaying corpse of Uriah.  As I said, I want to be careful with this as it is my interpretation rather than any biblical statement but I think it is an important idea to put out there.  We see that David was still capable of praying - he asks God to turn Ahithophel’s counsel into foolishness - and yet we don’t see him seeking the Lord’s guidance over Absalom, we see him sending the ark of God away from himself with Zadok, we see him climbing to the worship place on the Mount of Olives but not worshipping, and then we see him stating ignorance as to whether or not Shimei has been sent against him by God.  David would not have been like this previously.  He would have sought guidance over all this stuff, he would have worshipped on the mountain, he would have rejoiced over the presence of the ark of God.  We all sin.  If we say we are without sin then we deceive ourselves.  But what will we do when we sin?  Will we run to repentance and rush to receive mercy?  Will we hold on to our identity in Christ and refuse to be pulled from the throne of grace?  Will we rejoice in and reclaim our calling as Sons and Priests?  Or will we, like David, damp-squib it away into obscurity and insecurity?  I know what Jesus would seek for us.  His love is too big and his mission is too great to have us defeated by the accusing voice of the enemy.  Let us stay close to the throne of grace.

Acts 6:1-7:19

And so the “institution” of the church was born.  A lot of Christians give the “institutional church” some stick but the truth is that it was an essential creation to enable all the converts to be looked after properly.  Any group that grows rapidly will need a bit of ‘institution’ or organisation about it after a while.  This extra level of organisation lets the church focus on its primary objectives which, if it is to follow the early church, would be prayer and preaching the gospel.  I love the idea of being part of a church that cares so much for the redemption of the world that is organises itself to be able to do it as well as possible.  It’s not that the church shouldn’t care for its own people (the apostles were very careful who they chose to do that), it’s just that that is subordinated to the greater goal of seeing people freed from the kingdom of darkness.  I know that sounds a bit controversial but maybe that indicates how far we have moved from the priorities of the early church??  The apostles still had the commission of Jesus ringing in their ears and the missionary power of the Spirit flaming over their heads; they could not let go of that for anything, no matter how important or virtuous.  I think its time for the church to return to Matthew 28.  I think it’s time for the church to return to Acts 2.  I think its time for us to pray and yearn for the word of God to spread once again.

Psalm 71:19-24

Here’s a good verse for people who have gone through it - ‘though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again’.