I had once been an atheist actor in the entertainment industry and my purpose in life had been defined by my resume. In 2004, Christ Jesus saved me from myself. I now preach GOD's Word and my purpose is found in dying to myself daily while living for others.
A critic once claimed that the Bible contradicts itself regarding the death of Goliath.
The perceived problem and apparent contradiction is that 1Samuel 17:50-51 states that David cuts off the head of Goliath after striking him with the stone from his sling. However, according to 2Samuel 21:19, it was Elhanan the Bethlehemite who killed Goliath. So, who killed Goliath?
But where there are perceived problems and apparent contradictions, there are always Scriptural solutions. The passage in 2Samuel 21:19 is obviously a copyist error since the words “the brother of” are not in the Hebrew text. But what do I mean by that? This is substantiated by the fact that there is a parallel passage in 1Chronicles 20:5 that specifically says that Elhanan “killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite.” And this is why both passages say that “there was war with the Philistines again.” As in, after one that had previously occurred. Moreover, this is why 1Chronicles 20:8 concludes by saying, “These were descended from the giants in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.” Thus, there was more than one giant who had been slain.
Further, if the critic had examined 2Samuel 21 in proper context, he would have discovered that this battle was later in David’s years in the chronological timeline when both Saul and Jonathan were already dead (2Samuel 21:12). And he also would have noticed that David became weary in the battle and Abishai had to come help David (2Samuel 21:15-17). And finally, just like 1Chronicles 20:8, he would have read that there were other giants who “fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants” (2Samuel 21:22). Thus, proper context in the correct chronological timeline reveals that the corruption of the passage in 2Samuel 21:19 is traceable to the confusion by a copyist of several letters and words which, when combined in a certain way, could yield the reading found in the 2Samuel passage. And so this is probably an example of scribal dittography, which is a mistaken repetition of a letter, word, or phrase by a copyist.
The Bible is not guilty of a true contradiction between these two passages under examination because the perceived problem was easily resolved by additional information due to proper context and chronological timeline. A writer is only guilty of a true contradiction when two facts are affirmed that can’t both possibly be true at the same time and in the same manner. Multiple things must be considered before charging the author of a true contradiction. For example, it would seemingly be a contradiction to say, “the apple is red and the apple is not red,” but what if the author was referring to two different apples and didn’t bother spelling out that fact? Or perhaps the author had referred first to the skin and then to the pulp. Or maybe the author described the apple over a span of time, from when it was ripe and red to when it rotted and became brown. One must acquire a lot of information before concluding that a true contradiction is present, and writers often don’t supply more-than-necessary details. Authors should be considered innocent until proven guilty. This demand is not a special privilege for the Bible; rather, it is the way we handle all human communications in alignment with justice. Those who claim the Bible contains contradictions must prove the statements in question could not be resolved by additional information. Are their difficulties in the Bible? Yes. Are there perceived problems and apparent contradictions? Yes. Are there actual contradictions? No. The problem comes from the person reading GOD’s Word, not the Word itself; the mistakes are not in the revelation of GOD, but are in the misinterpretations of man.
Genuine mistakes have been found in copies of Bible text made hundreds of years after the autographs. GOD only uttered the original text of Scripture, not the copies. Therefore, only the original text is without error. Inspiration does not guarantee that every copy is without error, especially in copies made from copies made from copies made from copies. For example, the King James Version (KJV) of 2Kings 8:26 gives the age of King Ahaziah as 22, whereas 2Chronicles 22:2 says he was 42. The older age cannot be correct, or he would have been older than his father. This is obviously a copyist error, but it does not alter the inerrancy of the original. First, these are errors in the copies, not the originals. Second, they are minor errors (often in names or numbers) which do not affect any essential doctrine. Third, these copyist errors are relatively few in number. Fourth, usually by the context, or by another Scripture, we know which is in error. For example, Ahaziah must have been 22 because he was not older than his father. Finally, though there is a copyist error, the entire message still comes through. For example, if you received a letter with the following statement, would you assume you could collect some money?
“#OU HAVE WON $20 MILLION.”
Even though there is a mistake in the first word, the entire message still comes through -you are 20 million dollars richer! And if you received another letter the next day that reads like this, you would be even more certain:
“Y#U HAVE WON $20 MILLION.”
The more mistakes of this kind there are (each in a different place), the more certain you are of the original message. This is why scribal mistakes in Biblical manuscripts do not affect the basic message of the Bible or alter any essential doctrines – especially when there are more copies and earlier manuscripts for the Bible than we have for other antiquities of history, such as Aristotle or Alexander the Great. All difficulties in the Bible can be explained with critical thinking, which the critic seriously lacked in his presented argument because he neglected to do his due diligence as a detective. Also, all textual variants have been clearly notated in the margins and/or footnotes of our Bibles; none of them are hidden nor does any true Christian desire to hide them. The Bible is not only open to scrutiny, but it can stand under it. The Bible has withstood the criticisms of the greatest skeptics, agnostics, and atheists for centuries, and it is still able to withstand the feeble efforts of unbelieving critics today. The Bible does not contain any errors or true contradictions, only perceived problems and apparent contradictions that the confused critics often vomit out of their ignorant mouth-holes.
In conclusion, 1Samuel 17:50-51 and 2Samuel 21:19 do not contradict each other for two main reasons:
1Chronicles 20:5 is a parallel passage which reveals that Elhanan the Bethlehemite killed abrother of Goliath.
Proper context of the chronological timeline reveals that 1Samuel 17:50-51 and 2Samuel 21:19 describe two different battles.
Therefore, the critic fails to prove a Bible contradiction yet again.
I once saw a video where atheists targeted a Christian who simply wasn’t prepared to explain a challenging verse found in the Bible. (This is why you need to be prepared.) They asked him to read Psalm 137:9, which says, “How blessed will be the one who seizes and dashes your little ones against the rock.”
The irony here is that the atheists wanted to show everyone that the Christian was ignorant of what the Bible says; however, all they accomplished was showcasing that they are either one of two things:
(1) they’re completely ignorant of what the Bible actually says in its proper context, or
(2) they’re wicked and they blatantly lie about what is written.
Now, if they’re completely ignorant, they only revealed they have no integrity when it comes to textual criticism and they lack the investigative skills necessary to understand what is written. But if they’re wicked and lied about what is written, then they are intellectually dishonest and intentionally evil for telling blatant lies. Either way, they’re wrong in their conclusion about what is written.
As for that verse under examination, I’ll address that soon. But what those atheists were attempting to highlight are perceived problems within the Bible. But where there are perceived problems, there are always Scriptural solutions. Scripture interprets Scripture.
Psalm 109, like many others in the Old Testament (ex: Psalms 35; 69), pronounces curses on one’s enemies. Thus, they are called imprecatory (cursing) psalms. David says, “Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow” (Psalm 109:9). By contrast, Jesus said, “Love your enemies… and pray for those who… persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). So, how can the GOD of love in the New Testament (1John 4:8,16) be reconciled with the vengeful GOD of these cursing Psalms?
Several important factors must be kept in mind in understanding these imprecatory or so-called cursing psalms.
First, the judgment called for is based on divine justice and not on human grudges. David said clearly of his enemies in Psalm 109:5, “they have repaid me evil for good and hatred for my love.” Thus, David was loving and they were evil. Now, while David did pray this imprecation (curse) on his enemies, he nonetheless loved them and committed them to the justice of GOD for a due reward for their wicked deeds. David’s action in sparing Saul’s life is vivid proof that revenge was not a motivation behind this psalm. In spite of the fact that Saul stalked David and sought his life, David forgave Saul, even spared his life (1Samuel 24; 26), and mourned when Saul died. Further, they can’t be a grudge, since there are also self-imprecations as we see in Psalm 7:4-5, which says, “If I have rewarded evil to my friend, or have plundered him who without cause was my adversary, let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake it; and let him trample my life down to the ground and lay my glory in the dust.”
And so, imprecations are pronounced both ways, to an enemy or to self, but they are always directed upward to the GOD in Heaven for divine judgment.
Second, judgment in these psalms is expressed in terms of the culture of the day, which is ancient Near East. Since being fatherless or a widow was considered a tragedy, the curse is expressed in these commonly understood categories.
Third, since the Hebrew culture made no sharp distinction between the sinner and his sin, the judgment is expressed in personal terms rather than abstractly. Furthermore, since the Hebrew family was a solidarity, the whole family was saved (Noah: Genesis 7-8) or judged together (Achan: Joshua 7:24).
Fourth, the phenomenon of imprecation is not unique to the Old Testament. Jesus urged His disciples to curse cities that did not receive the Gospel (Matthew 10:14). Jesus Himself called down judgment on Bethsaida and Capernaum in Matthew 11:21-24. Paul declared anathema any who did not love the Lord Jesus (1Corinthians 16:22). Even the saints in heaven cried out to GOD for vengeance on those who martyred believers (Revelation 6:9-10). And so, already, there is a common theme for curses: they’re about whoever is evil, but directed to GOD for divine judgment.
Fifth, imprecations are not a primitive or purely Old Testament phenomenon. Justice executed on evil is just as much a part of GOD, as is blessing on the righteous. Both are true of GOD in the Old Testament as well as in the New Testament. In fact, GOD is mentioned as being loving more often in the Old Testament than in the New Testament.
Sixth, because the Old Testament emphasis was on earthly reward, connected with family, prosperity, and the land, the Old Testament curses were expressed in these terms. With the New Testament revelation expressed more in terms of eternal destiny and treasure in Heaven (Matthew 6:20), there was less need to express imprecations in earthly terms.
Even in these Old Testament imprecations one can see an expectancy of the Messiah, the looking forward to a new and better covenant. The Father has committed all judgment to the Son (John 5:22). So, those who long for justice are not only aspiring to His righteous Kingdom, but can wait patiently for Him who comes quickly to execute it justly (2Peter 3:3-9; Revelation 22:12).
Alright, now let’s examine the perceived problem this video started with: In Psalm 137:9, the psalmist, when he considers the ultimate judgment that will be brought against Babylon, he appears to rejoice that babies will be injured. How could a man of GOD rejoice at the thought of little ones being dashed against rocks? How could a loving man of GOD rejoice over such a tragic and cruel event?
The psalmist is not specifically rejoicing over the dashing of babies. Rather, he is rejoicing over the retributive justice of GOD that would ultimately return the cruelty of the Babylonians back on them as a just punishment for their crimes against the children of Israel. The Babylonians had treated the Hebrews and their children with such acts of brutality. And so this is a plea to GOD not to allow the wicked to go unpunished. And ultimately, GOD would bring the Medes and Persians to inflict His judgment upon Babylon. In the hands of GOD, the armies of the Medes and Persians would balance the scales of justice, for the Babylonians would reap what they had sown. And so the wickedness of the Babylonians did in fact face judgment.
But the critic almost always responds with the fallacy that appeals to emotions by saying, “But why innocent babies?! What kind of monster would allow that?”
That’s a good question — perhaps you should ask yourself that question if you happen to be a person who advocates for abortion, which is the murder of an innocent and defenseless human life within the womb. But there’s a big difference between a human murdering a baby and GOD taking the life of a baby. GOD is the author of life and He has the right to do whatever He wants. Here’s where atheists get it wrong in their straw man arguments: if Christianity is true, people don’t actually die, they merely change locations. Therefore, if GOD “killed” babies and/or children, GOD removed them from this life here on this earth and placed them in their new eternal setting. And because GOD is omniscient (1Kings 8:39; Psalm 139:1-4,15-16; Isaiah 46:10; Jeremiah 1:5; Matthew 9:4; 10:29-30; 12:25; Mark 2:6-8; Luke 6:8; John 1:47-48; 4:18; 11:11-15; Acts 1:24; 1Corinthians 2:10-11; 1John 3:20), knowing the beginning to the end, GOD knows whether the babies and children would be righteous or evil and GOD would judge them rightly. We know that GOD will judge them rightly because GOD is Truth (1Samuel 15:29; John 14:6; Romans 3:4), GOD is Holy (Leviticus 11:44-45; 1John 1:5; Revelation 4:8; 15:4), and GOD is just (Acts 17:31; Revelation 20:12). GOD is also love (John 3:16; 1John 4:8,16). Why is GOD love? Even though GOD is omniscient (knows all), is omnipresent (everywhere at the same time) (Psalm 33:13-14; 139:7-12; Isaiah 57:15; Jeremiah 23:23-24; Colossians 1:17), and omnipotent (possesses all power to do anything) (Genesis 1; Exodus 7:10-14:31; 1Kings 17:14-24; 2Kings 4:2-7; Job 42:2; Jeremiah 32:27; Daniel 2:21; 3:19-27; Matthew 8:1-4; 9:27-31; 17:24-27; Mark 4:35-41; 16:1-8; Luke 1:37; 9:10-17; John 6:16-21), He is omnibenevolent — GOD is absolutely good (Psalm 106:1; 135:3; Nahum 1:7; Mark 10:18; John 3:16-17; Galatians 5:22; 2Thessalonians 1:11; Titus 3:4)! GOD is the great I AM (Exodus 3:14; John 8:58)! Therefore, we can have complete confidence knowing that the babies and children whom GOD removed from this earth have been judged rightly and now dwell exactly where they belong. In fact, Isaiah 57:1-2 tells us that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil and enter into peace. For example, in 2Kings 22:20, GOD says to king Josiah, “I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be gathered to your grave in peace, and your eyes will not see all the evil which I will bring on this place.” And that referred to GOD’s judgment against a wicked people. GOD removed king Josiah prior to that judgment so that he didn’t have to witness and experience all the calamity of said judgment. So, king Josiah’s death was not evil; rather, it was a righteous relocation. And it is for this reason it is written in Revelation 14:13, “I heard a voice from heaven, saying, “Write, ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!’” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them.” Therefore, what the godless perceives to be evil death (even though they have no absolute moral standard by which to judge evil), is actually righteous relocation.
Therefore, GOD taking babies and children is actually acts of mercy and grace. Think about it: none of the babies and children whom GOD relocated had to endure pain and suffering in this life brought about by all the evil people. Instead, they received a shortcut or fast-pass into Heaven. And so GOD’s Word proves true that GOD does not punish children for the sins of their parents (Ezekiel 18:20). In fact, Jesus said the Kingdom of GOD belongs to the little ones (Mark 10:14). Physical life here on this earth must be separated from our eternity after judgment. The choices of parents can have negative consequences on children in this life on this earth; however, no amount of physical consequences will affect the final judgment of a person’s salvation.
Perceived Problem: In Psalm 139:19-22, David proclaims that the wicked should be destroyed and that he hates his enemies. But Jesus told us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us (Matthew 5:44). So, how could David be a man after GOD’s own heart as it is written in Acts 13:22?
Scriptural Solutions:
First, David is a man after GOD’s heart and this is the very reason he hates evil. In fact, GOD tells us that we should seek good and not evil, and that we should hate evil (Amos 5:14-15). Proverbs 8:13 says, “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverted mouth, I hate.” Psalm 97:10 says, “Hate evil, you who love the Lord.” Thus, hating evil is what a man of GOD does. However, that does not mean that the man of GOD does not have love in his heart. In fact, GOD’s love within the man of GOD is what produces hatred of evil.
Second, David clearly states that he hates the enemies of GOD (not his own enemies). This is not about David. This is about GOD and the Lord’s absolute moral standard. Anyone who is an enemy of GOD is in fact evil. So if you’re against GOD, you’re evil. And you need to come to terms with that reality. The only reason why anyone is an enemy against David is if they are enemies of GOD. And for this reason, David, desiring to never be an enemy of GOD, concludes his psalm in prayer to GOD: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way” (139:23-24). Thus, David’s hatred of evil was a desire for GOD’s righteous justice and not for personal vengeance. David asked GOD to search for sin and call attention to it, even to the level of testing his own thoughts. This is exploratory surgery for sin. How are we to recognize sin unless GOD highlights it and makes it known to us? Then, when GOD shows us, we can repent and be forgiven. If we ask the Lord to search our hearts and thoughts and to reveal our sins, we will be continuing “in the everlasting way.”
And finally, in regards to all imprecations within the Old Testament, we must understand the following:
The judgments asked for are to be carried out by GOD and they were written out of intense personal and national suffering. The people were unable or unwilling to take revenge themselves and asked GOD to intervene. Why? Because GOD declared that vengeance belongs to Him and that we are not to seek revenge (Deuteronomy 32:35; cf. Romans 12:19; Hebrews 10:30).
Very few of us have suffered intense cruelty on a personal or national level, and so we find it difficult to grasp these outbursts for justice. These writers were intimately aware of GOD’s justice. Some of their words are efforts to vividly imagine what GOD might allow to happen to those who had harmed His people. In other words, they had an expectation of an “eye for eye” and “tooth for tooth” judgment (Exodus 21:24; Leviticus 24:20; Deuteronomy 19:21).
And so the godless need to humble themselves. If we dared to write down our thoughts while being unjustly attacked or suffering cruelty, we might be shocked at our own bold desire for vengeance. We would be surprised at how much we have in common with these men of old. The psalmists did not have Jesus’s command to pray for one’s enemies, but they did point to the right place to start: take it to GOD! We, as children of GOD, are challenged to return evil with good (Proverbs 25:21-22; Romans 12:14-21), but until we respond to this challenge, we will not know how much we need GOD’s help in order to forgive others.
There is a helpful parallel between the psalms of anger and the psalms of vengeance. The “angry” psalms are intense and graphic, but they are directed to GOD. Expressing their feelings, the writers boldly told GOD how disappointing it is when He “turns His back” on His people or acts too slowly. But while these thoughts and feelings are sincerely expressed, we know from the psalms themselves that these fleeting feelings are followed by renewed confidence in GOD’s faithfulness. It is reasonable to expect the same of the “vengeance” psalms. We read, for example, David’s angry outburst against Saul’s pursuit in Psalm 59:13, “Destroy them in wrath, destroy them that they may be no more,” yet we know that David never took personal revenge on Saul.
The psalmists freely spoke their minds to GOD, having confidence that He could sort out what was meant and what was felt. In fact, we know that “In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:26-28). And so, pray with that same confidence! If you can trust GOD with your life, you can trust GOD with with your feelings! Your open and honest communication with GOD is good and healthy.
Conclusion:
The truth is that all Christians are vexed by the evil of this world and are emotionally affected by the wicked people all around them. In fact, my righteous anger flares up on a fairly consistent basis. But I give it to the Lord (1Peter 5:6-11). Further, all Christians rejoice at justice — and we should! In fact, rejoicing at justice summarizes Christ’s second coming, the judgment against all wickedness, and the new earth under the new heavens (Revelation 19-22). Therefore, Christians love their enemies and pray for those who persecute them; however, Christians also pray for justice to come to those who refuse to repent due to their choice to be enemies of GOD. Like GOD, Christians would prefer that wicked people repent rather than perish (Ezekiel 18:23,32; 33:11; Luke 15:7). But if the wicked people refuse to repent and remain obstinate, rebellious, and want to be enemies of GOD, then Christians pray that justice be done according to GOD’s Holiness.
It is written in Galatians 6:7-10, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.”
As it is written in Revelation 22:11-13, “Let the one who does wrong, still do wrong; and the one who is filthy, still be filthy; and let the one who is righteous, still practice righteousness; and the one who is holy, still keep himself holy. Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”
To better understand GOD’s righteous judgment against evil, you truly need to read the following five articles I’ve published:
To all the unbelievers, may GOD soften your hardened hearts, cleanse your depraved minds, open your deaf ears and blind eyes, and draw you to Himself in repentance so that you might be saved. If you’re ignorant of what’s actually written, then you need to be willing to listen and learn. If you’re wicked, you need to repent. Or perish. The choice is yours. But justice will come in the Lord’s holy judgment.
If you would prefer to read the message, I’ve provided the words below:
[Game: What Would You Do?]
What if your best male friend started dating your best female friend and then you later found out that he was cheating on her behind her back? Would you confront him about it? Would you tell her? What if you confronted him about it and he asked you not to tell her because he says he won’t do it again?
What if a good friend told you something about your dad you didn’t want to believe to be true? Example: Your friend tells you that he saw your dad kissing a woman at a restaurant, but that woman wasn’t his wife / your mom?
What if you received a phone call and the person knew where you were and what you were wearing, and then led you to a briefcase with $100,000.00 inside. And then the person told you that you could keep the money, but someone you don’t know will die. Or you can leave the money and the person you don’t know will live.
Watch the following video and ask yourself, “What would I do?”
Prayer:
Holy Spirit, please completely consume us and open our hearts and minds to receive this message about authentic relationships. Please fill us with conviction, fill our hearts with Your love, fill our mouths with Your words, and align our thoughts to Your will. Please guide us in Truth and love so we will feel compelled to desire real relationships in the way You intend them to be for us. May we be compelled to be intentional about transforming relationships into REALationships. I thank You in advance and proclaim that by the power of GOD and in the name of Jesus, we will be changed from the inside out and challenged by this message to go beyond our comfort zones in order to love people the real and right way. Amen.
Background information:
Before I get into the message, I want to provide you with some background information just in case you are unfamiliar with the context surrounding the Scripture I’ll be using for the message:
The Israelites demanded to have a king just like all the surrounding nations (1Samuel 8:5). Saul was chosen by the people to be king because he was wealthy, influential, tall and handsome (9:1-2), but he failed to be the king GOD needed him to be for His people (13:13-14). After allowing Saul to fail on his own, GOD anointed David to replace Saul as the future king (16:13). Saul saw the anointing upon David’s life and became insanely jealous and tried to kill David a few times. However, since Saul was unsuccessful in killing David by his own power (18:11), he tried to get others to kill David for him (19:1). But Jonathan — Saul’s own son and heir to the throne — being a righteous man, stood up to his father on David’s behalf (19:4-5). Saul let it go that particular night, but then he tried to kill David yet again on a different night. And this time, Saul’s own daughter, Michal, helped David escape. So, this brings us to the point in the story when David and Jonathan’s relationship becomes a REALationship.
[Read:1Samuel 20(You can do this; it’s only 42 verses.) ]
[20:2]Jonathan showed loyalty to his father. He didn’t want to believe that his dad would do anything as awful as what David claimed Saul had done.
[20:3] Jonathan came to a crossroad. What would he do? Would he deny/reject David’s words or would he consider his words and investigate further?
[20:4] Jonathan shows great character by making a decision to keep an open mind to discovering the truth. Jonathan shows loyalty to David by asking him what he can do for him.
[20:8] Take notice that loyalty to the Lord supersedes loyalty to either Jonathan’s earthly father or best friend. At this very moment, David is challenging Jonathan to choose what’s right based on loyalty to the Lord — even if that means going against his father’s will.
“ ‘Don’t imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword. I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. Your enemies will be right in your own household! If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it. Anyone who receives you receives me, and anyone who receives me receives the Father who sent me. If you receive a prophet as one who speaks for God, you will be given the same reward as a prophet. And if you receive righteous people because of their righteousness, you will be given a reward like theirs. And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded.” (Matthew 10:34-42) -NLT
All this Scripture means is that when it comes to making a decision, we need to come into alignment with GOD’s will because GOD’s will is the absolute moral standard. If we choose anyone or anything over GOD, we’re choosing to do evil. Why? Apart from GOD, there is no good.
[20:9] Jonathan makes the right decision by declaring that he would side with David if his father was in the wrong. This doesn’t mean that he isn’t loyal to his father, it simply means that he is loyal to GOD over everything else.
[20:12-13] Take notice of Jonathan’s loyalty to the Lord.
[20:17] Jonathan loved David as he loved himself. Why is that loyalty to the Lord? Examine the Scriptures! In Matthew 22:39, Jesus told us that the most important commandment was twofold: love GOD and love others as you love yourself. Jonathan was obeying the greatest commandment by choosing to love David more than he loved himself. But wait — doesn’t Scripture tell us to honor our parents (Exodus 20:12; Ephesians 6:1-3; Colossians 3:20)? Yes. However, it is also written in Ezekiel 20:18-19 that we are not to imitate ungodly examples set by our parents because the Lord is the ultimate example and absolute moral standard we are to reflect.
[20:23] Understand this: GOD is the Great Witness to your loyalty to love.
[20:30] Does the Bible actually say what I think it says? Yup! Sure does! Saul called his own child a son of a whore. This is one of the many reasons I love the GOD’s Word — it is so real and honest and doesn’t hide the truth! What can we learn from what is real and honest? Only everything.
[20:30] There are two important things to take away from this one verse: {1} Saul accuses Jonathan of wanting David to become king. But would that matter even if it were true? Does it matter what we want? It doesn’t. If our loyalty is to the Lord, then we will find ourselves saying exactly what Jesus had said on the Mount of Olives: “Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done” (Luke 22:42). {2} Saul attempted to give Jonathan a guilt trip by bringing his mother into the conversation. Understand this: those influenced by evil will often attempt to give you a guilt trip in order to manipulate you to let go of your righteous convictions for an unrighteous compromise. And if you desire to please people, you will be more susceptible to compromising your character.
[20:31] Saul speaks to Jonathan’s prideful desires by reminding him that he will never be king unless his competition is eliminated. Think about it! This was the same tactic Satan used to tempt Jesus while He was in the wilderness (Matthew 4:8-10)! “You can everything you’ve ever wanted!” Think about what that actually meant for Jonathan: he would possess all power, could have anything he wanted, could do anything he wanted, go anywhere he wanted to go, and could even satisfy his lustful desires with as many women as he wanted. Jonathan could fulfill every desire he ever had if he chose to help his father kill David. What would you do? Before you answer, let me remind you of the truthful and wise words of our Lord and Savior:
“And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?” (Matthew 16:26) -NLT
[20:32] Reminiscent of Jesus overcoming temptation, Jonathan decides to stay loyal to the Lord and to do what’s right by maintaining a REALationship with David. Why? Loyalty to love is loyalty to the Lord. Was his decision easy? No. Did he make the right decision? Yes. But sometimes the hardest thing and the right thing are one and the same.
[20:33] Saul threw a spear at his own son, intending to kill him. Ponder on that. If Saul was willing to kill his own son, was he truly concerned about Jonathan becoming king as he had claimed? Whose kingdom was he really concerned about?His own. He was only concerned about his own desires. This much was evident in verse 31 when Saul said, “get him so I can kill him.” That one word, “I” tells us everything we need to know about Saul. While David had served him faithfully and sang songs in obedience, the only song Saul knew how to sing was, “Me! Me! Me!” And sadly, Jonathan finally realized the truth about his father. But Jonathan also realized more than ever whose Kingdom he needed to be concerned about:
“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” (Matthew 6:33) -NLT
[20:34] Jonathan left the presence of his father, terribly upset; however, he wasn’t upset because his father tried to kill him; rather, he was upset because of the way his father was acting toward David! We already saw in verse 17 that Jonathan loved David as he loved himself, but this is the action that backs up the words! So, what would Jonathan do now? What should he do? The answer is written:
“No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8) -NLT
Four Qualities Of A REALationship:
The friendship that David and Jonathan had with each other is what all believers should strive to achieve with each other. In this chapter alone, there are four main qualities that make this friendship a REALationship.
Though David had been anointed to be the future king, he still had a servant’s heart and chose to bow down to Jonathan in respect (20:41); likewise, Jonathan was willing to serve David (20:4).
Jonathan loved David as he loved his own soul (20:17,34). When the Pharisees asked Jesus what the greatest commandment was, Jesus told them that we are to love GOD with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength, but we are also to love our neighbor as we love ourselves and that everything hangs on those two commandments (Matthew 22:36-40).
They grieved for each other and desired to live life with shared suffering(20:34,41). (Your pain is my pain, your joy is my joy, etc.) Shared suffering means that we are in this battle together. In fact, that’s what marriage is all about: for better or worse, we are together.
And at the center of it all, their relationship with GOD was the cement that held them together (20:16,23,42).
If we have a REALationship with GOD, we will naturally have a REALationships with others because we will desire to do GOD’s will, which is the right thing to do. We show loyalty to GOD by doing what’s right; we show loyalty to the Lord by living a life of love. So, a REALationship does what is right by GOD and by others by living a life of love. And this means we should have a servant’s heart, love others as we love ourselves, share others’ sufferings, and align ourselves with GOD’s will.
Life Application:
Think: Do you have conflicting demands for your loyalty? Sexual attraction, money, alcohol/drugs, or even popularity? What if you see someone getting bullied by a popular person? I believe that deep down inside you know you should defend the person getting bullied, but I’m also aware that many people also don’t want to become unpopular and then become one of the people who get bullied. So, what would you do? What’s the right thing to do? To whom will you show your loyalty? Hopefully by now you realize that the right thing to do is to act out of loyalty to love (the Lord). Our loyalty to the Lord will determine which people should receive our love and loyalty.
Would you choose to be loyal to your friend over your parent(s) if the Holy Spirit led you to do so? After all, we are not to imitate ungodly examples — even if they are our parents. But, would you be loyal to your parent(s) over your friend(s) if the Holy Spirit led you to do so? Or would that sense of belonging and/or popularity cause you to let go of your convictions and compromise?
Call To Action:
I challenge you to read Psalm 59 (Yes — the entire chapter. Don’t worry — it’s only 17 verses!). Chronologically, Psalm 59 was written by David after Michal (Saul’s daughter) saved David from Saul. Read Psalm 59 and imagine that someone in your school or place of work wrote it. In the “Come And See” challenge, I urged you to find three people who need love the most and to do intentional acts of kindness for them for one month. Think: one of those individuals could be a David, anointed by GOD for greater things, yet he/she is being persecuted by others. Imagine this person calling out to GOD for peace and protection from the persecution. Who are the three people who need love the most? Maybe it’s even that homeless person you always see while you’re on your way to wherever? GOD has anointed these people who need love the most for a greater purpose. GOD is calling you to be the Jonathan for that David. In a REALationship, you will do whatever it takes to love that person as you love yourself.
How’s your relationship with GOD? Is it a REALationship?
How does your REALationship with GOD affect your relationships with others?
How many REALationships do you have with others?
If you’re not loving others, what do you think this says about your relationship with GOD?
What would you risk losing in order to love people the way GOD commands us to love others? Would you risk losing your entire kingdom and chance at fulfilling your every desire if it meant loving someone the way GOD calls us to do?
In what ways can you decide to be real loving to those who need love the most?
If you would rather read this message, the words are provided below…
This is Part 13 of my Superhero series. In the introduction of this series, I provided the argument that heroes are real and then I distinguished between heroes and superheroes. I also provided a list of what defines a superhero. In Part 1, we learned that superheroes recognize the absolute standard of Good and realize that evil is a mere privation of what is good. In Part 2, we learned that superheroes recognize the absolute moral standard and realize that what is wrong can only be known by the standard of what is right. In Part 3, I defined and expounded upon love because all superheroes are full of love and are compelled to act out from love. In Part 4, I explained that superheroes desire to save people from all forms of danger and/or death and this desire comes from love. In Part 5, we learned that superheroes are solution seekers. In Part 6, we saw that solution seekers are willing to sacrifice if necessary. In Part 7, we saw that sacrificial love steps forward and offers service. In Part 8, we saw that superheroes go above and beyond the call of duty. In Part 9, we saw that superheroes never give up! In Part 10, we saw that superheroes don’t need recognition – they are motivated only by love! In Part 11, we saw that relationships matter and teamwork works! In Part 12, we saw that the struggle is real; however, Jesus is the real solution to our real problems.
In this message (Part 13), we will see that despite problems, superheroes are more than conquerors!
Superheroes have problems. Sometimes, they even have giant problems. But any good fighter will agree with me when I say that size doesn’t matter. The old adage is true: the bigger they are, the harder they fall. Take for example the mighty giant Galactus from Marvel comics. As big as he was, the Fantastic Four and the Avengers had been able to bring him down. How? By simply being superheroes. That means they were loving enough to resist evil, seek solutions, sacrifice themselves if necessary by offering their services, going above and beyond the call of duty, never giving up, and uniting as a team.
Giants being defeated isn’t mere fantasy imagined in comic books; in fact, real life examples from boxing and MMA or UFC fighting proves that size doesn’t matter:
In the Bible, David also had to face a giant problem: Goliath. In 1Samuel 17:11, Goliath challenged the Israelites. Saul and the entire army recoiled in fear. They had a defeatist attitude. We all tend to believe that our problems are bigger than they actually are. (How many times have you worried about a problem that ended up not being a problem?) Goliath’s strengths and size were so obvious that others failed to see his vulnerability. By failing to see Goliath’s vulnerability, they failed to recognize their opportunity. Don’t look at the ‘can’ts’ of life; rather, look at the ‘cans’! We are called to look past the problems, through the potential, and to the possibility!
David tried to encourage the men (17:26,30), but they allowed fear to overcome them. Unable to motivate others to step up, David chose to rise up to the challenge (17:32).
At first, Saul rejected David’s offer to fight Goliath because Saul didn’t believe in David (17:33). Understand this: there will always be people who will tell you that you’re too young, too inexperienced, too fragile, too weak, too small, you don’t have the right appearance, you’re not ready, or there’s nothing special about you. A comedian, Fred Allen, said one of my all-time favorite quotes: “If criticism had any real power to harm, then the skunk would be extinct by now.” But more important than the words of a comedian, the Word of our Creator says you’re not too young to be a righteous example:
“Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity. Until I get there, focus on reading the Scriptures to the church, encouraging the believers, and teaching them. Do not neglect the spiritual gift you received through the prophecy spoken over you when the elders of the church laid their hands on you. Give your complete attention to these matters. Throw yourself into your tasks so that everyone will see your progress. Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you.” (1Timothy 4:12-16) -NLT
What goes into your mind is determined by your decision of whom you allow to speak into your life. When you allow negativity within your mind, you allow those negative thoughts to move you into action. Action is inevitable and unavoidable; if you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice. If you choose to do nothing, you chose to do something. The Israelites allowed the words of Goliath within them; those words became negative thoughts; those negative thoughts moved them into action: to sit. Goliath basically told them they are worthless dogs and they need to sit. And sadly, they did. Like obedient dogs, they sat.
David’s response to the problem of Goliath was to rise up and say to Saul, “I can do this” (Romans 8:31,37)! Saul saw David’s faith and heard his response to Goliath as something like this: “You may be a big lion bro, but you’re not the alpha male — I serve the Lion of Judah! Come at me bro! Bring it on! Feelin’ froggy? Leap! Boy, I’ve killed lions and bears — you ain’t nothing but a punk!” — And Saul, taken aback by David’s confidence, was pleasantly surprised!
We need to be bold, confident, and fearless in the name of GOD! Why do you think I’m so fearless and bold in the name of Christ? I know the GOD who rescued me in the past and I know that GOD is with me and for me! And because GOD is with me and for me, who could ever be against me?! Physically, in this life on Earth, yes – many people can come against me, harm me, and even kill me. But they can do absolutely nothing to my soul and they possess no power to change my eternal destination because nothing can separate us from the love of GOD (Romans 8:39).
Saul liked David’s passion and courage yet essentially told David, “Yes! But… put on my armor” (1Samuel 17:38). That was Saul’s problem — his big BUT! Saul needed to get his big ‘BUT’ out of the way! The armor that Saul wanted to put on David was his own deadweight of doubt, fear, confusion, worry, insecurity, anxiety, and stress. David needed to ‘Taylor Swift’: [“I’m too young to lead, that’s what people say”] Shake it off!Actually, David needed to take it off. It was never his burden to carry. David took Saul’s armor off and essentially told Saul, “Listen to me! You were moved by my faith, but then you tried to make me immovable under the deadweight of your own doubt. Allow me to move freely in faith.”
Understand this: Goliath’s strengths were David’s handicaps. If David tried to do what Goliath did, he would have lost. When it comes time for action in the spiritual war of life, you can only use what you’ve been trained to use. David used what he had practiced and mastered, what he knew he could rely upon: his trust in GOD, his staff, and his sling. As a shepherd, David had been trained to protect the flock. Essentially, he told Saul, “Let me protect the flock — I can do this! It’s what I do! When others look at Goliath, they see a problem too big to defeat; however, when I look at Goliath, I see a target too big to miss! Dude, I can’t miss that fool — he’s huge!”
In 17:43, Goliath mocked David because of his shepherd staff. Goliath essentially said, “Am I the dog? Do you plan on using your stick to play fetch with me? No! You’re the dog! Now sit — just like the others!” Goliath tried to act like the Rock from WWE: “Know your role, Jabroni and shut your mouth!”
But David courageously responded to Goliath by essentially saying, “You’re a fool if you believe this stick is my weapon — I have GOD and that’s truly all I need to defeat evil; GOD is going to hand you over to me” (17:45).
Goliath had a ‘staff infection’ – he was so focused on David’s staff that he didn’t even see the sling, let alone the stone that would be coming his way. We need to realize that the battle ultimately belongs to GOD. In Exodus 14:26-31, GOD used the sea to cover the Egyptians and claim victory. In Joshua 6:15-21, GOD caused the walls of Jericho to fall to achieve victory. In 2Kings 6:17-23, GOD used the sight of many angels to secure a peaceful victory. Jesus won the war for us when He willingly sacrificed Himself on the cross and resurrected three days later. And the ultimate victory will come in the second coming of Christ. The battle belongs to GOD. Until then, it is our duty to walk by faith, live righteously, and do what’s right.
David’s motive to defeat Goliath was not for fame or fortune, prizes or praise; rather, it was so “that all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear” (1Samuel 17:47). The credit belongs to GOD, not our weapons; our praise should be to GOD alone. The Lord doesn’t save by force with a sword; in stark contrast, the Lord saves by willingly sacrificing Himself for us on our behalf (John 3:16-18). That is the main message of the Bible! And that’s what David wanted everyone to know — all glory goes to GOD!
David picked up five smooth stones from the brook (1Samuel 17:40). Why such a small weapon for such a big opponent? Isn’t a small weapon against a great opponent a great risk? Not with complete trust in GOD! Okay, but why five stones? Why not just one or double the efforts and collect ten stones? Let’s first look at it from a logical and practical approach. What if David missed? He would have four more chances. What if it took more than one stone to bring Goliath down? He would have the ammunition ready. What if after bringing Goliath down, some other froggy fellow stepped up and felt courageous enough to challenge David? He would have more stones ready. So, why not carry more than five stones? Well, just as David knew Saul’s armor would weigh him down, he also knew that carrying more than what was necessary would also weigh him down. In fact, some scholars theorize that the other four stones were for the other four giants. In 2Samuel 21:15-22, four other giants are listed as descendants from the giants in Gath (see also 1Chronicles 20:5). David wasn’t even worried about Goliath — he planned on taking them all down! David came prepared because he had trained for that moment his entire life (1Samuel 17:34-37).
Ponder on the small stone. A small smooth stone. GOD cares about the great things and the tiny things equally. Think about this: If you were to go back in time to figure out how those very stones ended up there, it was GOD’s design! After all, how long does it take for a stone to actually become a stone? How is a stone formed? And how does a stone become smooth over time? It’s a long explanation, but it takes many years. And how long did those stones sit there until David picked them up? So, GOD formed the victorious stones many years before that battle even took place; many years before Goliath was ever born. And GOD has in mind every person years before they are ever born (Jeremiah 1:5). GOD is able! Humans simply never take the time to notice. May the words of this message be your victorious stones that you will use to prevail against your giant problem(s). Ponder on this: how long has this message of David and Goliath been sitting and waiting for you to pick it up? How long has the Word of GOD been sitting there, waiting for the next conqueror in Christ to pick it up and use it?
David defeated Goliath with a single stone. And that’s quite fitting – we see in the New Testament that sinners were supposed to be stoned. Goliath got stoned. And when the Philistines saw that Goliath died, they fled (1Samuel 17:51). And what did David do? Did he start singing, “I started from the bottom now I’m here”? No! Understand this: there’s a big difference between being confident and being cocky. Confidence is rooted in GOD; cockiness is rooted in pride. David was confident; Goliath was cocky. The major problem with being cocky is that pride precedes destruction and an arrogant spirit gives way to the fall (Proverbs 16:18).
If we take away the strong point of the problem, everything else will fall apart and then fall into place. And this is why it is written in James 4:7-8 (NLT), “So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you.”
The strong point of the problem was not Goliath! Take your eyes off your perceived problem! The strong point of the problem has been and will always be Satan and other demons. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Without the devil there, all the demons are going to run! Without the leader, the followers will flee. And this is why it is written in Ephesians 6:11-18 to put on the full armor of GOD. Why? Because “we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”
The full armor of GOD was the armor David was already wearing and the reason he took off the deadweight of Saul’s worldly armor. David essentially said, “I’ve already got armor on!” But what if David didn’t have his awesome faith in GOD? What if he allowed doubt and fear into his thoughts like the others did? What if he tried to be just like everyone else and wear that worldly armor? What would have happened if he carried what he was never meant to carry? The smallest things are actually the biggest things. So, even though many people think the story of David and Goliath is about a giant and big problems to overcome (which it is), I believe the story is more about the little things of life. The story of David and Goliath is not about a big problem; rather, it’s about seeking the solution, regardless of how insignificant that solution may appear to be. In this case, the solution was a small stone.
The little things will add up and weigh you down. But the little things will also come together to create your victory. Every single tiny thing that you do – even if it appears insignificant – links together to create a long and large chain of connected events that make a huge difference – not only for your life, but everything you do changes people around you. Where you are at right now is training you for where GOD will take you in the future. But if you’re not in the right places, listening to the right people, practicing the right habits, it may take you a lot longer to get to where GOD wants you to go. David happened to be at the right place at the right time because he had been doing the right things with the right motives (1Samuel 13:14; 16:11,19,22-23; 17:15; Acts 13:22). Where are you in life? What are you learning?Whom are you allowing to speak into your life? How are you training? For what are you training?
Everything you choose to do or not do propels you into action. But which direction are you going? Are you going to sit on the sidelines and actively watch or are you going to rise up and actively fight against evil by choosing to live a righteous life? The Israelites had only two choices: (1) sit and watch and then become slaves to the Philistines, or (2) rise up and resist evil and live in the freedom GOD desired them to experience.
We must intentionally place our focus on all the small things. All the small ways that GOD has blessed us and is setting us up for later success. What are your stones of victory that GOD has provided for you? They’re already here/there! You just have to look for them. But then, after recognizing them, you must also pick them up and use them.
The battle belongs to GOD. What are you carrying that you were never meant to be carrying? Doubt? Fear? Depression? Suicidal thoughts? The burden of sin or that you’re not good enough? The burden of excessive demand for you to be perfect? It’s time you give your heavy burdens to GOD. Take that off! Don’t carry what you were never meant to carry. Like David taking off Saul’s armor of deadweight, it’s time for you to take your deadweight off.
“Then Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.’ ” (Matthew 11:28-30) -NLT
The “rest” that Jesus promises is love, healing, restoration, and peace with GOD, but it’s not the end of all work/labor. We do have to carry something — we are all called to take up our cross and follow Jesus (Matthew 10:38; 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23). But that’s easy to bear and is light in comparison. A yoke is a heavy wooden harness that people put on an ox or oxen so they can be teamed up to do work. If we’re yoked to the world and its ways, we are a slave to our society and culture and must do what the world tells us to do: pull others down to get ahead, get revenge, sleep around, etc. Here’s the thing: if you’re teamed up with the world, you’re going to be yoked to a lot of lazy people and you’re going to pulling a lot of deadweight. You’re going to be carrying some burdens you were never meant to carry. But if we’re yoked with Jesus, [“Jesus take the wheel”] then we’re not of this world, Jesus does most of the hard work, takes lead and makes our journey lighter and easier, and all we’re called to do is love GOD and love others (Matthew 22:36-40) while sharing the Gospel. How difficult is that?
Understand this: our problems don’t define us; exterior circumstances should never alter our inner dispositions. Everyone has problems; however, our problems don’t prevent us from succeeding. Like hurdles in a race, success comes from overcoming the problems. We must not believe we are unable to jump simply because a hurdle exists. [“When a hurdle comes along, you must jump it!]
What are your hurdles that you need to jump over?
What deadweight are you carrying that you need to take off?
What are your stones of victory that you need to pick up?
Superheroes don’t place their focus on how big the problem appears to be; instead, they narrow their focus onto the solution, regardless of how small it may seem to be. In the 2019 movie, Avengers: Endgame, Iron Man didn’t place his focus on the big problem (Thanos); instead, he narrowed his focus onto the small solution (the infinity stones). Because of this, Iron Man collected defeated Thanos by with stones — just like like when David defeated Goliath! Regardless of how big your problem appears to be, GOD is bigger. Therefore, when your giant problem approaches you, pick up your stones of victory and shout, “Come at me bro! Bring it on!” Understand this: I AM is inevitable. In the end, the Lord wins and the children of GOD are redeemed and restored (Revelation 21-22).
“Yet even in the midst of all these things, we triumph over them all, for God has made us to be more than conquerors, and his demonstrated love is our glorious victory over everything!” (Romans 8:37) -TPT
Just as David picked up five stones of victory, we also have five ‘stones’ of victory. Five Scriptures are key in understanding that we are more than conquerors. It is written in John 1:5 that darkness cannot overcome the light. John 8:12 tells us that the Lord is the Light. Ephesians 5:8 tells us that we are light in the Lord and we walk as children of Light. John 16:33 tells us that Jesus has overcome the world. And 1John 5:4 tells us that everyone who has been born of GOD overcomes the world and that our faith enables us to be victorious. In 1John 5:4, the word for overcoming is the Greek word nikos. It means to conquer. It was used to portray athletes who had gained the mastery of the competition and ultimately reigned supreme as champions over the games. This means that we are the ultimate champions and this describes our superior position as children of GOD over the world. We are fully armed with everything we need to be super-conquerors in this life! It’s time to understand who you are in Christ!
If you would rather read this message, the words are provided below…
This is Part 7 of my Superhero series. In the introduction of this series, I provided the argument that heroes are real and then I distinguished between heroes and superheroes. I also provided a list of what defines a superhero. In Part 1, we learned that superheroes recognize the absolute standard of Good and realize that evil is a mere privation of what is good. In Part 2, we learned that superheroes recognize the absolute moral standard and realize that what is wrong can only be known by the standard of what is right. In Part 3, I defined and expounded upon love because all superheroes are full of love and are compelled to act out from love. In Part 4, I explained that superheroes desire to save people from all forms of danger and/or death and this desire comes from love. In Part 5, we learned that superheroes are solution seekers. In Part 6, we saw that solution seekers are willing to sacrifice if necessary.
In this message (Part 7), we will see that sacrificial love steps forward and offers service. But in order to do that, we must be available. If we are able, we should also be willing. Superheroes need to be able and available.
With television shows such as American Idol, The X Factor, So You Think You Can Dance, America’s Got Talent, The Voice, etc., it’s obvious that our nation is infatuated with talent and entertainment. Even when our country went through a recession back in 2008-2009, box office sales for the movie theaters still boomed. With that said, I’m going to use the entertainment industry in order to help you better understand this message.
Actors Tom Cruise and Rob Lowe were both slated to play the lead role in the classic movie, “Footloose” (1984). The casting directors were impressed with Tom Cruise because of the famous underwear dance sequence he performed in “Risky Business” (1983); however, Tom Cruise was unavailable for the part because he was filming “All the Right Moves” (1983). Rob Lowe auditioned three times and had dancing ability and the ‘neutral teen’ look that the director wanted, but he pulled his knee; consequently, the injury rendered him unavailable and prevented him from getting the part. Kevin Bacon was offered the leading role for the Stephen King movie, “Christine” (1983) at the same time that he was asked to do a screen test for “Footloose.” The producers from “Footloose” convinced Kevin Bacon that turning down a sure role in “Christine” for a part he might not even get in “Footloose” was the wiser choice by telling him that if he did get the part for “Footloose,” the role would make him an instant star. And in just 30 seconds into the screen test reading, Kevin Bacon was offered the lead role in “Footloose.” However, it was the director of “Footloose,” who only after watching “Diner” (1982), convinced the producers to go with Kevin Bacon. And Kevin Bacon almost didn’t get the part in “Diner” because he was sick on the day of his screen test reading for the role of Fenwick. But Kevin Bacon had previously decided that his character (Fenwick) would probably be half-drunk during the entire movie anyway, so he forged ahead, auditioned, and then got the part. And because of all this, there is now what Hollywood refers to as the “six degrees of Kevin Bacon”:
Here is the same information (as above), but put into a different perspective: Kevin Bacon only got the part in “Diner” because he made himself available for the audition even though he was sick. Because he made himself available and got the part in “Diner,” the director of “Footloose” saw him in “Diner” and then had reason to push Kevin Bacon to his producers; consequently, Kevin Bacon got the lead role in “Footloose.” However, the only reason Kevin Bacon got the lead role in “Footloose” was because he turned down “Christine” and made himself available for “Footloose.” However, Kevin Bacon was only chosen after Tom Cruise and Rob Lowe had both been unavailable.
Now, the only reason I chose to use this example was because Kevin Bacon played the evil villain, Sebastian Shaw, in the 2011 movie, X-Men: First Class. Kevin Bacon is now forever a part of superhero history and because of that, he is now in my book about superheroes. So, let’s use this message of ability and availability to see how it applies to our lives according to GOD’s Word:
“One day as Jeroboam was leaving Jerusalem, the prophet Ahijah from Shiloh met him along the way. Ahijah was wearing a new cloak. The two of them were alone in a field,and Ahijah took hold of the new cloak he was wearing and tore it into twelve pieces.Then he said to Jeroboam, ‘Take ten of these pieces, for this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: “I am about to tear the kingdom from the hand of Solomon, and I will give ten of the tribes to you!But I will leave him one tribe for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel.For Solomon hasabandoned me and worshiped Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians; Chemosh, the god of Moab; and Molech, the god of the Ammonites. He has not followed my ways and done what is pleasing in my sight. He has not obeyed my decrees and regulations as David his father did.”‘ ” (1Kings 11:29-33) -NLT
Solomon was David’s son. Solomon started out as an average man, became the wisest man (1Kings 3:5-12), but then ended up crashing and burning due to his sins. The irony is that Solomon was wise enough to foresee his downfall, but he blinded himself to Truth because he chose to set his focus on personal pleasure. Solomon’s story saddens me and not just because he was David’s son or that he had once been so wise, but because his story is like many Christians of today’s culture. So many Christians today have taken their focus off GOD’s will and have become distracted by the pleasures that our sinful society offers. Let’s examine what tripped Solomon up and how it relates to us today: GOD’s Word tells us that Solomon abandoned GOD and worshiped Ashtoreth, Chemosh, and Molech.
This deity was a mother goddess linked with fertility, love, and war. This deity was associated with carved trees or nature, as being the female deity of the moon, and also associated with sexual immorality. Sex and nature. Or as the hippies claimed, “it’s love and peace, man!” But as we learned in chapter 3, sex and love are not one and the same: sex needs love to be relevant and meaningful; love does not need sex to be relevant and meaningful. Love can survive and even thrive without sex, but sex without love is pleasure without purpose. Solomon ruined his life because he allowed sex to become his love. Ashtoreth was essentially the same ‘god’ that the hippies of the 1960’s worshiped. The goal was satisfaction for self. And so many of those misguided hippies of the 1960’s ended up being the people who influenced our politics and society; consequently, many of the dangerous indoctrinations and misguided beliefs have carried over into the present day in which we live. Nowadays, worship of Ashtoreth can be compared with the people who call themselves “ecosexuals” because they essentially worship ‘Mother Nature’ and center their lives on the pleasure of sex. The scattered remains of Ashtoreth are still evident in the entertainment and advertisement industries. If you haven’t noticed, sex sells. If you haven’t noticed, the lure of lust is the rust that causes a person’s stainless steel character to corrode and crumble.
Chemosh:
According to the Moabite Stone (the Mesha Stele), Chemosh was associated with the goddess Ashteroth. This deity was [in general] of the same nature as Baal (Baal-Hadid). The word baal means “lord.” Baal was most often associated with being the god of weather, war, or fertility. So, Baal was a god who was believed to enable the earth to produce crops and people to produce children. Nowadays, our secular society who supports scientism essentially worships themselves as the only beings capable of ensuring the growth of crops and allowing/denying human fertility. The modern version of Chemosh or Baal is most likely celebrities and scientists. Many people idolize celebrities, viewing them as superhuman; many people essentially worship scientists, viewing them as our saviors.
Molech (Moloch, Molek, Melek, Malik):
Children were burned to death as a sacrifice while worshiping a false god. Nowadays, Molech can be compared to Planned Parenthood and the thousands of abortions (murders) that take place every day. As of 2018, it was estimated that Americans have aborted (murdered) about 60 million babies since our sinful society demanded the ‘right’ to do so in 1973. (Click here to read my logical argument against abortion.)
Ancient Sin Is Modern Sin:
There’s nothing new about sin; Satan is subtle, evil is deliberate, and the devil’s demons haven’t changed their tactics. Even today, people are still placing their focus on false gods and idols. And if a wise man such as Solomon was able to be beguiled by physical beauty and enticed and entranced by the temptations that surrounded him, you better believe that you are susceptible to falling as well. In fact, GOD’s Word tells us that we are not exempt from falling:
“These are all warning markers—danger!—in our history books, written down so that we don’t repeat their mistakes. Our positions in the story are parallel—they at the beginning, we at the end—and we are just as capable of messing it up as they were. Don’t be so naive and self-confident. You’re not exempt. You could fall flat on your face as easily as anyone else. Forget about self-confidence; it’s useless. Cultivate God-confidence. No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face.” (1Corinthians 10: 11-13) -MSG
“God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” (1Corinthians 10:13) -NLT
“Stay alert, be in prayer, so you don’t enter the danger zone without even knowing it. Don’t be naive. Part of you is eager, ready for anything in God; but another part is as lazy as an old dog sleeping by the fire.” (Mark 14:38) -MSG
“So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded.” (1Thessalonians 5:6) -NLT
But referring back to 1Kings 11:29-33, Ahijah the prophet tore his cloak into 12 pieces and announced that Jeroboam was to replace Solomon as king. Even if Ahijah had not told Jeroboam what the tearing of the cloak meant, the same thing was about to happen to Solomon and to Jeroboam regardless. Most of the time, we experience only signs and symbolism in our lives without any explanations. GOD doesn’t always tell us the ‘why.’ Therefore, we need to constantly and consistently keep our focus on GOD and the ways of GOD so that we can have our eyes open, alert, and ready to see the signs that GOD gives us when they arrive in our lives. We need to pay attention, be aware of where we are and if we’re living right before GOD. We need to keep ourselves in check at all times. Indeed — check yourself before you wreck yourself! We need to constantly self-examine ourselves to ensure we’re living the right way.
“But I have taken you in hand. Rule to your heart’s content! You are to be the king of Israel. If you listen to what I tell you and live the way I show you and do what pleases me, following directions and obeying orders as my servant David did, I’ll stick with you no matter what. I’ll build you a kingdom as solid as the one I built for David. Israel will be yours!” (1Kings 11: 37-39) -MSG
GOD declared a promise to Jeroboam while pouring out His heart and love. GOD chose Jeroboam. However, let’s be honest — GOD only chooses and works with whomever is available. Why? Because we have the great gift of free will. And if someone isn’t willing, that person would not be available. This is why GOD always promises things, but inserts special stipulations into the contract agreement. GOD can only follow through with the promise or the miracle if we do our part. This is the reason why so many people have come and gone as leaders. If there is only one choice to work with, GOD will use that person until someone better is available to use, and so on and so forth. If we are chosen as someone of great significance, as an anointed one, it’s important that we always do our best and try to continually improve. There will always be a chance that someone coming out of the shop will be better than you. A lot of people will make themselves available yet they lack ability. A lot of people have ability, but who will make themselves available? There will always be a chance that you will injure your knee at the ‘audition’ and render yourself unavailable to be chosen for the part. We don’t want to be replaced by someone because we didn’t try our best. It would be even worse if GOD replaced us with inanimate and inarticulate items such as a blue cord. We need to show up to the ‘audition’ even if we don’t feel 100%! However, if we do get replaced by someone when we do try our best, then it was simply for the best and we need to move on. But we must try our best. However, to do that we must first make ourselves available. Ability is useless without availability; if you have the ability to act yet are unavailable to act, you won’t act and thus your ability is useless.
Ponder on this: there are more chances for your replacement the higher you get up the ladder. Look at it this way: if your job is to crawl into pipes/tunnels and clean out the sewage and waste that clogged the pipes/tunnels, how many people do you think will be after your job? Not many. But if you are a celebrity with fame and fortune, how many people would want your job then? Almost everyone. The better the position you are placed in, the greater expectation of your work, and the greater the risk of being replaced if you do not meet the expectation.
“Much will be required of everyone who has been given much. And even more will be expected of the one who has been entrusted with more.” (Luke 12:48) -HCSB
“But then Jeroboam thought, ‘It won’t be long before the kingdom is reunited under David. As soon as these people resume worship at The Temple of God in Jerusalem, they’ll start thinking of Rehoboam king of Judah as their ruler. They’ll then kill me and go back to King Rehoboam.’ So the king came up with a plan: He made two golden calves. Then he announced, ‘It’s too much trouble for you to go to Jerusalem to worship. Look at these—the gods who brought you out of Egypt!’ He put one calf in Bethel; the other he placed in Dan. This was blatant sin. Think of it—people traveling all the way to Dan to worship a calf!” (1Kings 12:26-30) -MSG
Jeroboam replaced Solomon as king and then wrecked himself as soon as he started because he did not check himself. Jeroboam didn’t check his motives or align himself with GOD’s Word — his focus was on himself instead of doing GOD’s will. That’s why GOD needs to always be first. If we do GOD’s will, then we will be blessed in the process.
“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” (Matthew 6:33) -NLT
Unfortunately for GOD and everyone under Jeroboam’s rule, Jeroboam was the man that GOD had to work with for the time being. Can you believe that?! That guy was the best man for the job as king even though he was not suited for the position at all! (I can believe it. I can think of at least a couple presidents in our American history who weren’t suited to be president.) But out of all people who made themselves available, GOD selected Jeroboam because he was the closest thing to a leader who was available. That would be unbelievable if only it didn’t match so many other descriptions of world leaders throughout our history; Jeroboam’s story matches the accuracy of what we already know to be true throughout world history. That means that the entire lot of people GOD had to choose from were just a bunch of lukewarm, fence-sitting, selfish sinners or worse. They lost their edge. Their fire went out.
“So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.” (Revelation 3:16) -ESV
In Revelation 3, the church of Laodicea receives no praise from the Lord. GOD states that because they are neither hot nor cold and merely lukewarm, GOD is going to spit them out of His mouth. The people claimed that they needed nothing because they were wealthy, but GOD called them wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, naked, and shameful (Revelation 3:17-18). GOD proclaims His love, advises they accept His discipline, and admonishes them to repent. The insipid are intolerable; their indecisiveness leads to indigestion. Indifference leads to idleness. Fence-sitting, couch-potato, comfort-Christianity receives no praise (Hebrews 10:38; 12:4-13; Proverbs 3:11-12)! In Revelation 3:20, Jesus tells us that He stands at the door and knocks, simply waiting for someone to respond and allow Him in. And when that person allows Jesus within, He will have dinner with that person. Why is this important? In Mark 2:15-17, we see that this is how Levi — a tax collector — became Matthew, the disciple. Once we allow Jesus within and we fellowship with Him, hearing His Word in itself would be the meal we would be eating; consequently, being filled with the Bread of Life, life would exude out of our very pores and we would be on fire for Christ, thus incapable of being lukewarm. This letter to the church of Laodicea concludes with a promise to the victor that he/she will have the right to sit with Him on His throne. This promise is to say that we will be part of the family and will share in His glory.
I don’t know about you, but both the stories of Jeroboam and the church of Laodicea motivates me to act righteously. If I’m not chosen as someone of great significance, that means that there must be someone out there who is a better person than I am and that he/she was chosen for the job. GOD seeks ability, but works with who is available; therefore, we need to make ourselves available!
Are you available? Have you allowed your heart to be available to GOD? Once you make yourself available, you then put yourself in the running. If you don’t get chosen for a specific job, don’t get discouraged — that just means there is someone better suited for that particular job. No big deal. That doesn’t mean that you should drop out of the running though! You are perfect for a particular job, it’s just a matter of patience to discover where GOD needs you to be. GOD knows what you are best at, what you’re good at, what you’re alright at, and even what you’re bad at. GOD wants to use the gifts, talents, and abilities that He gave to you for how they would be used in the best way. Therefore, make yourself available. You cannot go to auditions if you don’t make yourself available for the auditions. You cannot get the part if you don’t audition. And when you audition, you should not give a halfhearted audition — you should put forth 100% effort and do your best while auditioning even if you don’t feel 100%. Every single new ‘audition’ is a new opportunity for you to prove that you are the right one to be chosen.
There are many roles in acting just like there are many roles that we Christians play in the huge ‘movie’ called Life. GOD is the writer, producer, director, script supervisor, executive producer, camera operator, the sound guy, the editor, etc… GOD is also the casting director. GOD created this ‘movie’ called Life; in addition, He knows who is best suited for what role. We need to place our trust in GOD (Proverbs 3:5-6). GOD places His trust in us just as a director places his/her trust in an actor/actress. It’s a mutual trust. The movie can’t be great without the actors — and the Director knows that. GOD still needs ‘actors’ and ‘actresses’ to fill the roles in Life. Are you available? Don’t concern yourself about when you will get chosen — it will happen. Patience… GOD has a specific role that He wants you to play, but there is a specific time in which He needs you to fill that role. Practice your ability, but be available always. Always go to your ‘auditions.’ Always try your best. Never get discouraged. Understand that it’s just a matter of time. And in the meantime, constantly try to better yourself as a person. There’s always room for improvement.
Jeroboam got cast as the part of the king, but I guarantee you that the audience was unhappy with the selection and the movie bombed. But Jeroboam got the part because he was the best one for the role who was also available to be used as that role. There were better men than Jeroboam (no doubt), but perhaps they were too far away in the world to be cast as the king for that particular place. Or perhaps those better men were already playing a role in GOD’s movie somewhere else. GOD knew that the movie wasn’t great with Jeroboam as king, but GOD had someone else in mind for the role of King, and His name was Jesus. That’s part of the storyline in this movie we call Life – GOD allowed bad kings so that we would appreciate the Good King. But GOD’s planning and timing had to be precise. So, GOD worked with who was available for the time being. Are you available? Let’s learn a lesson from the prophet Isaiah on how we should respond in life:
“Then I said, ‘It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.’ Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal he had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs.He touched my lips with it and said, ‘See, this coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed, and your sins are forgiven.’ Then I heard the Lord asking, ‘Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?’ I said, ‘Here I am. Send me.’ ”
(Isaiah 6:5-8) -NLT
Isaiah’s humility helped him realize he was a sinful man. Isaiah’s recognition of his sinful nature enabled him to repent of his sins and receive forgiveness. Isaiah’s willingness to do GOD’s will made him available to be chosen for anointed and appointed ability.
I challenge you to make yourself available! Be the most righteous person you can possibly be, be patient, and be persistent. GOD has a plan for you. To insure your availability, ensure that you are living in alignment with GOD’s Word. Live as righteous as possible. What happens when the right people aren’t available? GOD has to choose a Jeroboam or a blue cord. Be available. Don’t make GOD choose a Jeroboam because you weren’t available. Are you available? Can GOD depend on you to be chosen as the superhero who feeds that homeless person on the street? Or are you going to be in the strip club thereby rendering yourself unavailable? Can GOD depend on you to be chosen as the superhero who tells the truth when everyone else is too afraid to speak up? Or are you going to be hiding your head in the sand thereby rendering yourself unavailable? Can GOD depend on you to be chosen as the superhero to speak a miracle over someone’s life and help heal someone? Or are you going to be intoxicated at a party thereby rendering yourself unavailable? If you choose to love, desire to do GOD’s will, seek solutions, and are willing to sacrifice, you have the ability. But are you available? And will you help others be ready and available for when Christ returns?
“Always be ready! You don’t know when the Son of Man will come.” (Matthew 24:44) -CEV
If you’re not ready and available when GOD calls you, how are you going to help others be ready and available when Christ comes? If you are able, you should also be willing. Be able. Be available.
Quest For Truth 