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Day by Day - 2 Samuel
Dwelling
The goal of our faith should be set on the presence of God.
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~~~
What we have before us in 2 Samuel 7 is the immediate reaction of King David to Nathan’s prophetic word that David would not be building a house for God, and rather that God would be establishing and building a house, a kingdom, a dynasty from David, and that the dynasty would be established forever. This response is a prayer from David. This is the second longest speech-act from David’s lips in 1&2 Samuel. It is one word longer than the prophecy itself, conveying to us that David’s response to God’s covenant promises is thematically as important as the covenant. In other words, we need to pay attention to David’s response just as much as we pay attention to the promises. We need to see how a person of elevated status, how a king, but even more than, a man after God’s own heart, acknowledges the promises of God.
In response to this news David walks whatever distance existed between his luxurious house and the tent that the tabernacle was housed in. He enters the tent and “sat before the LORD.” This is the only time in the Bible someone is said to be praying while seated. The word “sat” is the same word used to describe David “dwelling” in a house a cedar, but the ark “dwelling” in a tent. This little detail should not be lost on us. David is now dwelling before the LORD. Before, David was sitting in his house of comfort coming up with plans he wanted to accomplish for God, but now David, after hearing God’s plan for him, was sitting before the LORD awestruck.
We consider it the pinnacle of privilege to dwell in luxury; to be in a comfortable state of ease; the highest goal and pursuit to have it all! And David, in the eyes of the world, had luxury, comfort and ease. He had all that could be had, it seemed. But what we find here is that there is a pinnacle that reaches up to a greater privilege, there is a higher goal, there is a more satisfying comfort, and that is to sit before the LORD, marveling at his grace and agenda!
And the goal of our faith should not be set on the gifts, on the graces, but on the presence of God Himself. In that great prayer book called The Valley of Vision, one of the prayers goes like this: “I pray not so much for graces as for the Spirit Himself; because I feel his absence, and act by my own spirit in everything. Give me not weak desires but the power of His presence, for this is the surest way to have all of his graces.”
By: Clif Johnson
(Lifeword)
(Lifeword)
Aired on
Jul 26, 2024
Show
Day by Day
Duration
00:03:38 min.
00:03:38 min.
Day by Day - 2 Samuel
The Dead Are Replaced By The Dying
All kingdoms other than Christ’s will be marked by sin, death, and corruption.
#daybydaylw
Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!
~~~
The greatest mark of worldly kingdoms is death. Augustine said, “The dead are replaced by the dying.” The characteristic of every other kingdom is that they have start dates and end dates.Everything is dying. Everyone is dying. But God breaks in and says, “I am promising a king and a kingdom that will not fade away, who will not die.”
Isaiah 9:7 “Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it, with justice and righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.”
A kingdom that is greater than death, sin, and time, will need a king greater than death, greater than sin, greater than time. His greatness will be seen in the way he serves/suffers and in the way he reigns.
The kingdom spreads, marches, and makes itself known through Christ’s church, through her taking on the characteristics and values of the kingdom. What we are involved in here, people, is not a big self-help campaign. The church and her mission is not about living your best life now. The church is about making known that there are two kingdoms in this world, and everyone is living in one of them. Everyone is taking up residence in a kingdom, and our great message is that people can come into the forever kingdom, secured by Christ! All other kingdoms will be marked by sin, by death, by corruption, by sorrow, by brokenness, by an expiration date.
This king, King Jesus, reigns over all, has all authority, all things are under his feet and he is the head over all things, and in him all things hold together. AND LISTEN, this King invites you, commands you, to come to Him to enjoy all things as He has designed them to be enjoyed. So come!
Come to King Jesus and trade death for life
sin for righteousness
brokenness for healing
sorrow for joy
a hateful tyrant for a loving father
lies for truth
insanity for sensibility
slavery for freedom
Come to the KING and enjoy all things!
By: Clif Johnson
(Lifeword)
(Lifeword)
Aired on
Jul 25, 2024
Show
Day by Day
Duration
00:03:17 min.
00:03:17 min.
Day by Day - 2 Samuel
A House Built On A Promise
The story of the Bible is built upon the promises God makes to His people and their fulfillment.
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Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!
~~~
In order to understand the significance of 2 Samuel 7, then we first must understand that God is up to something before we even get to 2 Samuel 7. So like we have said, we cannot read the Bible as an anthology of separated stories that convey moral lessons for a happy life. This is not like Grimm’s Fairy Tales, of distinct stories that teach us good principles for living the good life. The Bible is a cohesive story of who God is and what He is doing in this world He created. And the major storyline is that God is rescuing and redeeming a people and creating a kingdom of people from every tribe, tongue, and nation. He chooses to start this kingdom with the Jewish people, and from them it will incorporate and spread to all the earth.
God established a covenant with Abraham, promising to do this very thing in Genesis.
God established a covenant with Moses beginning in Exodus 19 to bring blessing on His people when they obeyed, and curses when they strayed from His word of how life is to be lived within this kingdom.
And now, in 2 Samuel 7, God establishes the Davidic covenant, which has to do with zeroing in on an aspect of the Abrahamic covenant. In the Abrahamic covenant, God promised that through Abraham’s seed, all the families, or ethnic groups, of the world would be blessed. In the Davidic covenant, that promise of a seed is focused in on David’s lineage.
So once again, just take note that the Bible is a story, and what we are seeing is that story is built upon promises that God makes His peoples and then God fulfills those promises in the most miraculous of ways.
By: Clif Johnson
(Lifeword)
(Lifeword)
Aired on
Jul 24, 2024
Show
Day by Day
Duration
00:02:27 min.
00:02:27 min.
Day by Day - 2 Samuel
Not Even In The Top Ten
Something of seeming insignificance can be extremely important in God’s hands.
#daybydaylw
Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!
~~~
David slept in just a little bit later than normal that morning. No battle or war was calling his name. He had finally put an end to the Philistine invasions and raids. He could enjoy the sunrise creeping up the horizon. Not too much to do that day, but he was looking forward to his dinner with Nathan. Nathan had always been a good friend, a faithful friend…faithful to the truth that is, and willing to tell David what he needed to hear. The sun was slipping down past the horizon when Nathan showed up and the two of them, along with their families, enjoyed a meal fit for a king. After supper, David and Nathan snuck off to one of the rooftops. David wanted to pitch an idea to Nathan.
“Nathan, our journey started long ago, being delivered from the Egyptians. Our people have managed to cross the Red Sea and the Jordan River into this promised land. We have faced many miseries, but God’s mercy has been greater. And Nathan, our great country and people are finally at rest. We can breathe a little bit. And look at what I get to enjoy—the luxuries of being a king in this house that is strong and always smells of cedar! And what a celebration we had just a short while ago—the worship, the dancing, the joy of having the ark of the covenant brought back into our possession. But something bothers me Nathan. It bothers me that that ark is only covered by a tent. The ark of God, Nathan, covered by a tent, and yet here I am walking from room to room lined in cedar, strong and sure. This is not good! Nathan, you know we have to do something. We have to build a dwelling place for the ark, for the honor and glory of God!”
Nathan, looked at David with understanding eyes, and calmly said, “Let’s go for it.”
David and Nathan shook hands, hugged, and then Nathan went home to leave David thinking about what needed to happen first. Choose a location, gather materials. David was restless that night dreaming of the majesty of the house he would build for God.
Nathan was restless as well, but for a different reason. It was the word of the LORD that kept David up. The word of God came to him and said, “You think my servant David could build me a house? Have I even asked for a house? Did I ask Moses to build me a permanent house? Joshua? Any of the judges? No, my son, I didn’t. My people were on the move by my direction, so I had to be on the move with them. So go back to David and prophecy this word over him.”
When it comes to listing off the top ten most famous events that take place in the biblical storyline, we might put on that list Noah’s ark and the flood, David and Goliath, Daniel and the lion’s den, the crucifixion and resurrection, Peter walking on water, and a few others. What wouldn’t likely show up on that list is what takes place in 2 Samuel 7, our text for today, even though what we will read about and study is probably in the top five, if not the top three, of most important events in the Bible. It may not make the most famous list because there is not a war involved, not a miracle, but rather only a conversation, a promise, between David, a prophet named Nathan, and God. And yet that promise is the very reason why we are sitting here today.
So my goal for the next couple of days is to explain what is going in this chapter and its significance, not just throughout the Bible, but it’s significance for us today.
By: Clif Johnson
(Lifeword)
(Lifeword)
Aired on
Jul 23, 2024
Show
Day by Day
Duration
00:04:11 min.
00:04:11 min.
Day by Day Hacks
Day By Day Hacks
We should daily pray for and look for opportunities to connect with a person to reach with the Gospel.
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Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!
By: Clif Johnson
(Lifeword)
(Lifeword)
Aired on
Jul 22, 2024
Show
Day by Day
Duration
00:04:43 min.
00:04:43 min.
Day by Day - 2 Samuel
How Much More Humble?
When we recognize God’s goodness, we should grow more joyful and more humble.
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Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!
~~~
How much more humble should our worship be? We have Jesus, who disrobed himself of all the trappings of eternal majesty and glory and took on the form of a servant, became obedient unto death, unto death on a cross as a despised and dirty criminal. He didn’t just bring the offering to the mercy seat that would atone for sin, He was the offering Himself!
Forgiveness won for the repentant.
Eternity secured for the believer.
Hope gained for the weak!
Adoption papers signed in the blood of Jesus.
Peace secured. Wrath averted!
Victory over sin made possible.
Death and hell avoided.
Life and Liberty accomplished!
Why shouldn’t we rejoice??!! When a person grows in understanding all that God has done on behalf of the believer, that person’s humility deepens, and their expressions become fuller.
What we must do is examine what see in the pages of scripture against our own lives. Is there humble, full rejoicing in our lives?
Will that mean that sometimes people break out in dancing in the aisles? I sure hope so!
Will it mean people will shed quiet tears of joy and awe? YEs!
Will there be high fives and bear hugs, and loud singing and shouts of praise? There should be!
Hoops and Hollers? Bring it on!
All of this and perhaps more, done with all our might—but watch this—all done with growing expressions of humility, and all done before the LORD. Coram Deo. Which spills out into the everydayness of our lives.
By: Clif Johnson
(Lifeword)
(Lifeword)
Aired on
Jul 19, 2024
Show
Day by Day
Duration
00:02:35 min.
00:02:35 min.
Day by Day - 2 Samuel
Full, Yet Humble
The more of God’s glory we see, the more humble we become.
#daybydaylw
Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!
~~~
You may not remember this, but just a couple of years ago, we had this very experience in a tiny way. We had gone without meeting corporately for about two months, and when we were finally able to all be together in the same room, under the same roof, and worship together, there was a vibrancy, a joy that corporate worship had been restored. Yes, we managed to do some church things while we couldn’t meet together, but it wasn’t the same was it.
So in the same way, the Israelites had managed some worship elements, but it was not the same as having the ark present, the visible manifestation of the presence of God in their midst. They had gone 20 years without the ark. Can you imagine? Kids had been born and grown up with no experience of how full worship was to be done.
How might you think we might respond if we had gone 20 years (1,040 Sundays) without worshiping God together, fully, as we are called to do? 1040 Sundays of our worship being disjointed, dislocated, because God was not in His proper place?
Do you think there might be FULL EXPRESSION of worship among the redeemed? Of course!
Now let me say this as well—what we see here is full expression of HUMBLE REJOICING. Why do I say that? Let me show us together.
One detail that we are given is that David is wearing a linen ephod. Some people say that David is acting in a priestly way because he is wearing a linen ephod and making sacrifices on behalf of the people. I don’t disagree with that at all. And we know that the linen ephod has significance all the way back to 1 Samuel 2, when Samuel, as a boy, wore a linen ephod and was ministering “before the LORD.”
But what we have here is David having taken off his royal garments to be seen in the garments of a servant. David has lowered His status before the LORD. He has taken on the garments of a servant.
We know that clothes can be used to display status. And in this day, it was the same. People put on sackcloth and covered their heads in ashes to convey mourning. Religious leaders would tear their garments if they thought they had heard blasphemy. Joseph received a coat from his father that distinguished him as the patriarchal favorite. So it shouldn’t be a surprise to us that here David is taking off regal garments to take on the form of a servant.
We see this further later in the text, when Michal says, dripping with sarcasm, “How the king honored himself today uncovering himself…” In other words, “You were not kingly at all, not regal in the least, not distinguished or reserved or majestic. You looked like a slave boy trying to impress the slave girls.
And notice what David says there, “It was before the LORD that I disrobed and took on the form of a servant.”
So watch this—the more of the glory of God we see, experience, understand, the more humble we become. The more exalted God goes in our minds, the lower we go in our humility, and the more full, robust our expressions of worship become.
The ark of the covenant had returned, the mercy seat, the place of blood atonement was restored in its rightful place, and this humbled David and all the people to the core.
By: Clif Johnson
(Lifeword)
(Lifeword)
Aired on
Jul 18, 2024
Show
Day by Day
Duration
00:04:29 min.
00:04:29 min.
Day by Day - 2 Samuel
Lords A-Leaping!
Sometimes our worshipful response to God’s glory is spontaneous.
#daybydaylw
Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!
~~~
The restoring of the worship of God in Israel for all the world to see has so exhilarated David that he is LEAPING AND DANCING. Can we just stop for a moment and let that picture settle in our minds. David, leaping and dancing. The King of Israel, leaping and dancing down the streets of Jerusalem, with a procession of thousands of people doing the same thing. Music playing, drums beating, horns blasting, lords a leaping!
What are we to do with all this? If worship is directed by God, and the boundaries for worship are established by God, prescribed by God, and all that we have seen in this passage (the dancing, rejoicing, leaping, sacrificing, shouting) that is done before the LORD and received by the LORD, what are we to do, and how are we to think and act? This most definitely will make some of you uncomfortable, to read of a scene where it is obvious that structure and flow have given way to spontaneous expressions of worship?
This is not David saying, “Okay, the time for clapping has come to an end and now we enter into the leaping portion of our worship service!”
No, this was all a response to the majesty, the mercy, the blessing of God upon the people of Israel. This was a response to the glory of God returning to Israel, being restored to its right place in the life of Israel! And it was received by the LORD because he is worthy.
By: Clif Johnson
(Lifeword)
(Lifeword)
Aired on
Jul 17, 2024
Show
Day by Day
Duration
00:02:12 min.
00:02:12 min.
Day by Day - 2 Samuel
Coram Deo
Our lives are ever in the eyes of God and should be lived for the glory of God.
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Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!
~~~
My job as a pastor is to do my very best in explaining God’s word to you, which reveals His character, His plan, His kingdom, and to expose to you the implications and applications that God’s word holds for your life and my life. I am not an authoritarian over you, forcing you to act or think a certain way. My word is not the last word. However, Christ exercises His authority through the church. And my job is to exhort you, as professed Christians, who claim that Christ is King, to heed God’s inspired word.
We are to understand the Bible, not as a book full of antidotes, or little McNugget gems of wisdom for your personal and private life in order for you to be happy, but rather as the revealing of all that God desires for us to know about Himself, and how God has chosen to execute redemption for a fallen race, and how He brings holiness into the life of those He redeems. His word is the authority! His Son lived perfectly under His authority; He Son died and rose again to dispel all doubt about the veracity of God’s word; God’s Spirit convicts us of this authority, and convinces us of His authority, and the church is the institution, the organism where we display together the beauty and unity and harmony of marriages, and homes, ministries and relationships when they dwell under God’s authority.
This will undoubtedly bring friction into your life. The more you find yourself submitted to the anthem of “Christ is King,” the more you are joyfully following the rule of Jesus in your life in a biblically pronounced way, then the more resentment, the more pushback, the more ridicule you will face from the constituency of the world, from those who live according to another kingdom, with a different ruler. Sometimes that constituency is a talking head on television, and sometimes it is a spouse. But we must be reminded that we are to live “before the LORD.”
This is the recurring phrase, the dominant phrase in 2 Samuel 6:16-23. You will notice the phrase, “Before the LORD,” 5 times (14, 16,17, 21a, 21b) and this phrase is used in contrast to Michal’s accusation that David danced “before the eyes of his servants’ servants.”
We are to be ever mindful that our lives are to be lived “Coram Deo” before the face of God, under the authority of God, in the presence of God, within the penetrating gaze of God, to the glory of God. And we should seek to live our lives in a way that shows we want, we strive, to live Coram Deo. All of life being centered around God is living coram deo.
By: Clif Johnson
(Lifeword)
(Lifeword)
Aired on
Jul 16, 2024
Show
Day by Day
Duration
00:03:37 min.
00:03:37 min.
Day by Day Hacks
Day By Day Hacks
We should meditate and anticipate on the coming sermon each week.
#daybydaylw
Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!
By: Clif Johnson
(Lifeword)
(Lifeword)
Aired on
Jul 15, 2024
Show
Day by Day
Duration
00:02:49 min.
00:02:49 min.
Day by Day - 2 Samuel
A Reliance On The Son And Spirit Of God
To truly have right worship, we must rely on God’s Son and His Spirit.
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Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!
~~~
We need a perfect King. And that is why we need someone better than David. Someone who doesn’t forget God’s word or neglect it, but follows it completely and fully. Someone who does have clean hands and a pure heart. This is why we don’t hold David up as a character to emulate, but rather as a pointer to someone greater, to Jesus. Jesus is the better David. And since He is the perfect man, He can be our perfect King, who conquered sin and Satan and death. He can lead us in the worship God deserves, and He does so by the Spirit he gives us in salvation.
Continuing to live in a dislocated manner will bring havoc into all parts of life, but restoring worship to its proper place results in the right type of fear and joy.
In 1998, that dislocated finger brought pain into my life, to where I couldn’t operate, couldn’t live, couldn’t play ball, like I was designed to. And no matter how much my coach pulled and jerked on that finger, it wasn’t going back into place. I needed the work of a professional, a doctor. He came and set things right. He restored me. And that is the promise of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He, and only He, can restore our worship, can re-center our lives, can empower us to live out God’s word. He is the doctor. He is the King.
A reverence for God, a return to His word, and a reliance on His Son and Spirit are far more important than the appearance of worship.
By: Clif Johnson
(Lifeword)
(Lifeword)
Aired on
Jul 12, 2024
Show
Day by Day
Duration
00:02:18 min.
00:02:18 min.
Day by Day - 2 Samuel
Return To The Word Of God
True worship is not according to our preferences but to God’s Word.
#daybydaylw
Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!
~~~
Not only must there be an increasing awareness of the wonder of God, the holiness of God, but there must also be a return to the word of God.
What is it that put Uzzah in this position to begin with? It was a neglect of God’s instructions concerning the transportation of the ark.
We read in 2 Samuel 6 of the ark initially being transported on a new cart.
There was never a provision given by God that the ark should or could be carried by an ox cart, whether old or new. Where did that idea come from? It came from the Philistines, best I can tell. In 1 Samuel 5, when the Philistines returned the ark to the Israelites, the text tells us that they carried it on a new cart. The Israelites, the ones whom God had revealed himself and give them his word, were taking their worship cues from the world!
But later in the story, when David goes to Obed-Edom to retrieve the ark again, we read that the ark is being carried. We need only to look into 1 Chronicles 15 to see that David had made some adjustments to his plan. The ark is carried by the right people, in the right way, according to God’s previous word.
What does all of this mean? It means that worship is not according to your preferences but according to God’s word! And remember what we said about worship—it is the re-ordering of the entirety of your life around the person of God. So we are not just talking about what you do in your church, although it does include that, but we are talking about the entirety of your life. The entirety of your life is to be lived according to the design and purposes of God. Worship is not an event, it is a way of life.
True worship and following of God means there is a growing submission to God’s word, and God’s design for life, for your dating life, for your college life, for your marriage, for your money, for your raising of children, for your job. There is not one part of life that God has said, “Go ahead. Freelance that baby.” No. There is a design to every aspect, and worship is when we trustingly come under God’s word to obey it.
By: Clif Johnson
(Lifeword)
(Lifeword)
Aired on
Jul 11, 2024
Show
Day by Day
Duration
00:03:03 min.
00:03:03 min.
Day by Day - 2 Samuel
Reverence For The Wonder Of God
To have proper worship, we must fully recognize God’s holiness.
#daybydaylw
Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!
~~~
Restoring worship, the reordering of your life around God means this:
A reverence for the wonder of God
2 Samuel 6 contains one of the most disturbing passages in the OT, in all of the Bible. A man was struck down for saving the ark of the covenant from falling into the dirt.
So shocking to our system is this passage that some so-called theologians have attempted to get God off the hook by explaining that Uzzah had so much respect for the Ark, that when he touched the Ark, he was so overcome with fright that he died on the spot of a heart attack. It was his own terror that caused his death. But that would not do justice to the text. God is not seeking to be let off the hook. God does not hide at all what he does in this passage. He makes it plain and clear for all to see, yet we can refuse to see it, because we don’t want a God like this. This story offends our sense of justice.
What exactly was Uzzah’s sin?
To get at that answer, we must look backwards into recorded word of God and see the instructions that were given to the priesthood regarding carrying this special, sacred box. There was one special branch of priests, the Kohathites, who were commissioned and consecrated by God to carry the ark (Numbers 4:4-6). The ark was to be covered by three different coverings. And there was a special way to carry the ark. And Aaron is warned in Numbers to relay this instruction to the Kohathites and not to look upon the holy things so that they would not be killed.
Listen to what R. C. Sproul had to say—“Uzzah’s sin was his assumption that his hand was less polluted than the earth. But it wasn’t the ground or the mud that would desecrate the ark. It was the touch of man. The earth is an obedient creature. It does what God tells it to do. It brings forth its yield in its season. It obeys the laws of nature that God has established…the ground doesn’t commit cosmic treason. There is nothing polluted about the ground…God did not want His holy throne touched by that which was contaminated by evil, that which was in rebellion to Him, that which by its ungodly revolt brought the whole creation to ruin.” Sproul, Holiness of God, 108
Uzzah was not an innocent man, and yet, we find ourselves siding with him. Why is that? Because we do not properly understand the holiness of God, and we overestimate our own goodness and intentions. If we are ever to have restored worship, our lives ordered around God, then we must have a growing awareness of God’s outright, absolute, holiness.
By: Clif Johnson
(Lifeword)
(Lifeword)
Aired on
Jul 10, 2024
Show
Day by Day
Duration
00:03:36 min.
00:03:36 min.
Day by Day - 2 Samuel
Rough Terrain And Severe Consequences
There are specific details to follow in how we worship God.
#daybydaylw
Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!
~~~
Well, it seems like everyone is having a great time. There is worship, there are songs, people are “making merry!” This is truly a parade for the ages.
A typical Macy’s thanksgiving day parade has about 6,500 people participating in the parade. So this one going from Baale-judah to Jerusalem is about 4 times as big, and travels 4 times as long! The journey from Baale-judah to Jerusalem was about ten miles, over rough terrain.
And that rough terrain comes into play. They make it just fine for a certain distance. They make it to Nacon’s place, when at that point the oxen tripped and stumbled. And as they stumbled, the Ark of the Covenant came unsettled. It looked like maybe it was about to fall out of the new cart and land in who knows what on the ground. So not wanting that to take place, Uzzah puts out a hand to steady the ark in the cart.
In that moment, amidst the celebration, something terrifying happened. It wasn’t that the ark dropped off the cart, but rather the anger of the LORD was kindled. And then and there, Uzzah was struck down graveyard dead.
Can you picture the scene? The parade comes to a halt. But we are talking about 30,000 people. Necks begin to crane to see what happened, and word begins to spread. “Uzzah is dead. He saved the ark, but he died. What is going on up there?”
And the text tells us, “David was angry because the LORD had burst forth against Uzzah.”
Does that sound familiar to you? It should. In 2 Samuel 5 we saw that the LORD burst forth against the Philistines bc they were trying to assassinate David. And here, the LORD bursts forth against Uzzah because he had touched the ark.
I think we all are with David at this point. What is going on? Why would this happen? How are we supposed to continue restoring worship if this is what we can expect?
And that is the tension of the text isn’t it? “How can the ark of the LORD come to me?” How are we to worship if this is taking place? How can the worship of Israel be restored if everyone is afraid to approach you, O God?” This is David’s dilemma?
What will he do? What will you to reorient your life around the worship of God if this is what we might expect? Well, keep coming back to see this drama continue to unfold.
By: Clif Johnson
(Lifeword)
(Lifeword)
Aired on
Jul 09, 2024
Show
Day by Day
Duration
00:03:28 min.
00:03:28 min.
Day by Day Hacks
Day By Day Hacks
Personal study can incorporate the passages and lessons taught in Sunday sermons.
#daybydaylw
Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!
By: Clif Johnson
(Lifeword)
(Lifeword)
Aired on
Jul 08, 2024
Show
Day by Day
Duration
00:04:09 min.
00:04:09 min.
Day by Day - 2 Samuel
Are New Carts Necessary?
Weight and importance should be given to proper worship.
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~~~
Yesterday we took note of the number of men that escorted the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem. But it is not just the number of men, but also the name of God that is given to us. The author makes sure to let us know in 2 Samuel 6: 2 that the ark has a certain name—the LORD OF HOSTS (armies) WHO SITS ENTHRONED. The idea is that the ark is intimately tied with the God of Israel. He sits enthroned above the cherubim.
And then we are told that a new cart has been provided upon which the ark was carried. And this just makes sense to us doesn’t it? They have to transport it in some way. You can’t use the cart on the backside of the house that you used to shovel ox poop in. You can’t use the cart out in the garden that you used to throw the vegetables in. That wouldn’t be proper or reverent. If 30,000 men are coming in to protect this thing, then surely the least that could be done is to provide a new cart, one unstained, uncorrupted.
All of this taking place, all of this fanfare, because this was a special, holy, occasion in the life of Israel. All of this because the worship of God is absolutely serious business that deserves to be protected, respected, and honored.
But the original reader, hopefully, would have looked sideways at one particular thing—the new cart. Wasn’t there something written long ago about how the ark was to be transported? Wasn’t there something written long ago about who was to be transporting the ark? It seems like I remember something about that, maybe…oh well, maybe not. If your curious, join us next week, or go ahead and read for yourselves what happens in 2 Samuel 6.
By: Clif Johnson
(Lifeword)
(Lifeword)
Aired on
Jul 05, 2024
Show
Day by Day
Duration
00:02:31 min.
00:02:31 min.
Day by Day - 2 Samuel
Men And Magnitude
Restoring biblical worship is an act of great magnitude.
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Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!
~~~
The first four verses of chapter 6 give us our setting, and also begin to hint a little bit at a problem. And as we read, I want us to pick up on a few things that the writer is doing to let us know the bringing back of the ark of the covenant is a huge event.
Consider the Number of men
30,000 chosen men. That would be the entire population of Hempstead County, that have traveled to this particular city, in order to escort the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem. It shouldn’t be lost on us, that back in 1 Samuel 4, when the Israelites were in battle with the Philistines, and the two sons of Eli had rashly and foolishly brought out the ark of the covenant and treated it like a rabbit’s foot, that Israel was defeated by the Philistines, and the text says that 30,000 Israelites were killed.
So now, 30,000 chosen men have come to carry the ark to Jerusalem, to offer protection for the safe return of the ark, and to lay down their life, if necessary. This is truly a restoration taking place. Can you imagine the parade, how long the line of men must have been as they escorted the ark back to Jerusalem? The number of men lets us know the magnitude of the event, and the event is the restoring of biblical worship. How much more of an event should it be for us to make sure worship of God is at the center of our lives and our churches?
By: Clif Johnson
(Lifeword)
(Lifeword)
Aired on
Jul 04, 2024
Show
Day by Day
Duration
00:02:16 min.
00:02:16 min.
Day by Day - 2 Samuel
Worship Is Not A Side-Piece
If God is not at the center of our lives, we should reorder things so He is.
#daybydaylw
Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!
~~~
When God brought them out of Egypt, He had to reacquaint them on how to relate to Him, and that first commandment, “You shall have no other gods before me,” is meant as a centering command, a primary command, a command that all the other commands are rooted in. It is not simply the first in a list, but a foundational command.
And this is what David was restoring to the nation. The nation had now settled in the Promised Land, and David had established Jerusalem as his capital, and now it was time to bring the ark back, to recenter the nation upon God.
And this forces us to the question, “How is worship defined in our lives? Is the worship of God, the honoring of God, the obeying of God, the centerpiece of our lives, the organizing aspect of our lives? Or is worship dislocated, relegated to some marginal place, off in the distance of our lives, only visited upon once a week, once a month when we may happen to come to church?”
Perhaps its time for you to re-order your life around the person and presence of God. Could it be that the reason your life doesn’t have the peace you desire, the joy you crave, the purpose it was designed for, is due to the fact that God is not at the center of it all? Have you considered that you have treated the worship of God as a side-piece, as an auxiliary to your life to trot out when you are feeling glad, or feeling sad? You treat it like a pill to make you feel better, and once you feel better, you put it back in the medicine cabinet to be used at a later time? That is not worship. That is therapy. And God is not a pill to take at your convenience. He is a King who deserves and demands full attention.
By: Clif Johnson
(Lifeword)
(Lifeword)
Aired on
Jul 03, 2024
Show
Day by Day
Duration
00:02:22 min.
00:02:22 min.
Day by Day - 2 Samuel
A Statement Piece
God must be the center of our lives and His glory our chief consideration.
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Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!
~~~
Recently, Kristi and I have been discussing the desire/need for a centerpiece in our home—a work of art that stops people in their tracks, causes them to stare and observe, to reflect and think; a piece of art that represents what we want to be the atmosphere of our home, a visual representation that reminds us of what our lives are to revolve around.
This is not an idea that Kristi and I came up with. The idea of a centerpiece has been around for a long time.
The church in which I grew up had a huge stain glass window that couldn’t be missed when you walked in the door, of three angels in worship. It was a statement piece, a centerpiece.
Prague, Czech Republic is known as the city of 100 spires. One look across the landscape of the city reveals why it is known as such. Cathedrals and historical buildings alike have spires, or what we might call steeples, on top of them. One such cathedral is St. Vitus Cathedral. Construction started in 926 under King Wenceslas, and wasn’t completed until 1344. And for certain, the building was designed to cause your neck to crane way back until you see the spire. As you walk into the courtyard of St. Vitus Cathedral, everything about the landscape and architecture slowly draws your eyes upward towards the spire, towards the heavens.
But we can go back even further to trace the idea of centerpieces, back to the formation of Israel as she traveled in the wilderness, setting up their tabernacle on their stops. And in the center of the tabernacle, there resided the ark of the covenant. It was the centerpiece. And all of Israel would camp in very specific formation around the tabernacle. The idea was that the tabernacle being in the center of the encampment, the tabernacle which housed the ark of the covenant, would be a visual reminder, a living symbol that the worship of Yahweh was to be central to the life of Israel, the centerpiece of their lives. Everything revolved around God.
This is worship—when God is the centerpiece of all of your life; when the honor and glory of God is the chief consideration in every aspect, every action, every decision. How much of your life needs to be reoriented in this way?
By: Clif Johnson
(Lifeword)
(Lifeword)
Aired on
Jul 02, 2024
Show
Day by Day
Duration
00:03:08 min.
00:03:08 min.
Day by Day Hacks
Day By Day Hacks
Pastors desire their church members to pray for one another consistently.
#daybydaylw
Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!
By: Clif Johnson
(Lifeword)
(Lifeword)
Aired on
Jul 01, 2024
Show
Day by Day
Duration
00:04:29 min.
00:04:29 min.
Day by Day - 2 Samuel
Restoring Dislocated Worship
Restoring rightful worship of God means there must be a reordering of our lives.
#daybydaylw
Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!
~~~
In the Spring of 1998 we were playing baseball somewhere in Texas. About midway through the game I hit a single and was standing on first base. I look over at my third base coach to get the signs, him telling me what he wanted me to do. He gave me the steal sign. So I took my lead off of first base and fixated on the pitcher, waiting for him to make his move towards home plate. He lifted his leg, and I took off towards second base. I knew it was going to be a close play, so I dove head first into second base, grabbing the base with my left hand as I slid past it. “Safe!” Was the call by the umpire. I start standing up, but as I look down at my left hand, which is still on second base, I notice that my ring finger is twisted and laying over my pinky finger. It had been dislocated at the middle knuckle. Our athletic trainer ran on to the field and tried to set it back in place by jerking on the finger, to no avail. What may have appeared as a minor injury, just a finger being out of place, affected my whole body, and what all I could do. I couldn’t finish the game. I wouldn’t be able to play again at full speed until that one finger was put back in place.
We are in 2 Samuel 6, right in the middle of a tidal wave of change for the people of Israel. Last week we read and learned that David’s kingship over all of Israel had been confirmed by God, by others. And one of David’s first acts as King was to restore worship in Israel.
You see, true, full, and right worship had been dislocated, so to speak. The ark of the covenant, the golden box that resided in the middle of the tabernacle, had been lost to the Philistines back in 1 Samuel 4. But through the providence and power of God, God had shown himself to be more powerful than Philistines, bringing plagues and pain upon them to the extent that the Philistines decided to return ark of the covenant, the symbolic representation of the presence of God. So they did that very thing, but the Israelites had forgotten, or they just neglected how they were to handle this ark, and they were punished as well. So they thought it best just to leave it at the house of a man named Abinadab. And that is what they did. For years, now, the ark of the covenant had been at the house of Abinadab. Israel’s worship had been dislocated, if you will.
So David, in 2 Samuel 6, is restoring, putting right worship back in its rightful place, by bringing the ark of the covenant back into Israel, to the capital city of Jerusalem. That is what we are watching take place in 2 Samuel 6. So what does it take to restore worship? What will it take?
Restoring the worship of God means there must be a reordering of our lives.
Join us next week as we discuss what this looks like.
By: Clif Johnson
(Lifeword)
(Lifeword)
Aired on
Jun 28, 2024
Show
Day by Day
Duration
00:03:39 min.
00:03:39 min.
Day by Day - 2 Samuel
The Glory Of A Great Kingdom
The eternal kingdom of God which He establishes is greater than any earthly kingdom.
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Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!
~~~
2 Samuel 5 is recorded for us to give us a glimpse into the greatness of the Kingdom of God, and God’s chosen king, a king after God’s own heart. And we know this because of how the author drops in a few lines after each episode given to us in chapter 5. So we have in verse 5 the length of David’s reign over all of Israel—33 years. In verse 10 after the run in with the Jebusites, we are told, “David became greater and greater, for the LORD, the God of hosts, was with him.”
In verse 12 it tells us that “David knew that the LORD had established him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.”
After the two episodes with the Philistines in the end of 2 Samuel 5, with each instance we are told of David’s victories.
I don’t think 2 Samuel 5 is given to us in chronological order as the first events of David’s reign as king over all of Israel, but rather they serve as a snapshot of David’s Kingdom to show us the nature of God’s kingdom under David’s reign.
How much greater, then is the eternal kingdom of God under the reign of the true and eternal King of Israel, Jesus? The LORD establishes it. The LORD establishes it for the good of His people. And it will be successful.
By: Clif Johnson
(Lifeword)
(Lifeword)
Aired on
Jun 27, 2024
Show
Day by Day
Duration
00:02:00 min.
00:02:00 min.
Day by Day - 2 Samuel
A Promise That Blooms Over Time
No matter how many days pass, we can rest knowing that God’s promises bloom in time.
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Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!
~~~
2 Samuel 5—God’s Promise Blooms Over Time
In 2 Samuel 5:6, King David leads his men into Jerusalem to face down the Jebusites, using some crafty war strategy moves, after the Jebusites basically told the Israelites that their blind and lame were strong enough to conquer the toughest Israelite soldier. There are some very interesting and technical war games taking place, it seems, in this chapter, but from a broader perspective, something even greater is happening. You see, way back in Genesis 15:18-21, God made promise to Abraham that God would give to Abraham and his descendants a certain area of land. This episode we have in 2 Samuel 5 against the Jebusites, is the final piece of that promise being put into place.
What we see in the big picture is that even though many items in life have an expiration date, God’s promises are not one of them. We are in the midst of the waiting on one of God’s promises right now, and that is to see and experience the fullness of God’s already established kingdom, and to see the king in all his glory…faith being made into sight! No matter how many days pass, we can rest in the reality that God’s promises bloom over time. They never spoil, they never fade.
By: Clif Johnson
(Lifeword)
(Lifeword)
Aired on
Jun 26, 2024
Show
Day by Day
Duration
00:01:55 min.
00:01:55 min.
Day by Day - 2 Samuel
A Promise That Blooms Under Pressure
We can count on God’s promises to be true regardless of opposition or pressure.
#daybydaylw
Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!
~~~
2 Samuel 5— God’s Promise Blooms Under Pressure.
2 Samuel 5 is the coronation of the new, but promised, King of all of Israel, finally. This is the moment we have been waiting for since 1 Samuel 13, where God promised Saul that a man after God’s own heart would be the leader, and then that man is identified in 1 Samuel 16 when David was anointed King as a kid. But it takes a while for this promise to bloom. In fact, this promise seems to be on the ropes many times in the course of David’s life, as he is running from cave to cave in fear of his life from Saul. And then after Saul’s death, when it seems like the ideal time for God’s promise to come to fruition, the promise is still under threat. But here in 2 Samuel 5 we find the tribes of Israel reciting the promise to David as the reason for their having him as King. Maybe they had no more fight in them. Maybe they came to their senses. Whatever the reason, this promise is on their lips in verse 2.
And here is what we can learn from this. Sometimes God’s promises seem like we cannot count on them simply because the circumstances seem to be too great, too intense. But 2 Samuel 5 is another reminder teaching us that we can count on God’s promise to be true, no matter the opposition, no matter the pressure put on them, even the pressure and then reality and finality of death. For even death could not keep the Greatest King of Israel down.
By: Clif Johnson
(Lifeword)
(Lifeword)
Aired on
Jun 25, 2024
Show
Day by Day
Duration
00:02:11 min.
00:02:11 min.
Day by Day Hacks
Day By Day Hacks
The passages we read during private devotional time can bring to mind worship songs.
#daybydaylw
Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!
By: Clif Johnson
(Lifeword)
(Lifeword)
Aired on
Jun 24, 2024
Show
Day by Day
Duration
00:09:36 min.
00:09:36 min.
Day by Day - 2 Samuel
Mercies From God Should Produce A Humble Heart
When we look back and see the mercies of God in our lives, it should humble us.
#daybydaylw
Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!
~~~
2 Samuel 4:9 “As the LORD lives, who has redeemed my life out of every adversity…”
This seems to be David’s favorite characteristic of God. He says this line later in his life to Bathsheba when it comes time to name a new king (1 Kings 1:29).
David has just been presented to him by Rechab and Banaah what they consider a desperate situation. “You have had a long standing enemy, David. Saul and his household have hunted you like an animal. And today, we have taken it upon ourselves be used as the Lord’s tools to avenge your good name.”
Abner thought he could bring about God’s promise on his own behalf. Rechab and Banaah thought they were the ones to bring into existence God’s promise on their own behalf. What they called good was really wicked and evil.
But David saw the situation differently than Rechab and Banaah. And he swears by the living God who has been extraordinarily merciful to him that he, David, will not turn his back on God, turn his back on God’s word, in order to join in the plot and ploy of these men who raised their hand against the house of Saul unjustly.
The Kingdom of God, led by David, would not be established by the means of injustice and murder. It would be established upon the foundation of God’s promise.
Get what David is saying. David is not presuming upon the mercy of God. David is not saying, “Well, God has been merciful in the past, so I’m pretty sure he will be merciful again.” No! David is saying, “The Lord has been kind and gracious and merciful to me, that when I was in dire straits, He pulled me out. When I was being chased down, He delivered me. When I was wasting away in the wilderness, he was building me up and renewing my strength. When I was in misery, I was met with mercy!And none of it was because I deserved it! It was all because God made a promise and was going to keep that promise. So how could I turn away from Him? How could I take His promise into my own hands? Why would I trust anyone else, who by false means, is trying to bring the promise to reality. NO! I will trust LORD! I will not presume upon future mercy by my disobedience, but instead I will trust the LORD!”
My friends, can you look back over your life and see sparing mercy? Can you see saving mercy? You must not look upon those mercies and gain a proud heart.
By: Clif Johnson
(Lifeword)
(Lifeword)
Aired on
Jun 20, 2024
Show
Day by Day
Duration
00:03:27 min.
00:03:27 min.
Day by Day - 2 Samuel
The Anvil Of God’s Word
Setting ourselves against God’s Word ensures we will be crushed by it.
#daybydaylw
Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!
~~~
In this story, we see three people who are scared—Ish-bosheth, Rechab, and Banaah. And all three of them are scared as a result of refusing to trust in God’s word.
You have Ish-bosheth, who once Abner is gone, goes into a downward spiral of fear. But why does this happen? It happens because Ish-bosheth refused to believe God’s word that David would be the next king of Israel. Ish-bosheth knew God’s word to David. Abner had known this word and communicated it to Ish-bosheth, as I am sure Ish-bosheth already knew. But Ish-bosheth not only refused to believe God’s word, he actively positioned himself against God’s word, trying the create his own throne and dynasty.
Not only that, but Ish-bosheth put his hope and trust in man. All of his courage and resolve came only in so far as Abner was close by his side. Do you remember when Abner told him that he was going to switch sides and join Team David? What happened? Ish-bosheth was paralyzed with fear. And now that Abner is dead, he is gripped with more fear.
Ish-bosheth refused to heed God’s word, and actively set himself in resistance to God’s word and suffered for it.
Heed the warning here today—do not set yourself up against God’s word. God’s word is the anvil upon which your rebellion and refusal to trust it will be crushed.
By: Clif Johnson
(Lifeword)
(Lifeword)
Aired on
Jun 18, 2024
Show
Day by Day
Duration
00:02:11 min.
00:02:11 min.
Day by Day Hacks
Day By Day Hacks
Singing during times of quiet, private devotional can be a response to what we read in God’s Word.
#daybydaylw
Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!
By: Clif Johnson
(Lifeword)
(Lifeword)
Aired on
Jun 17, 2024
Show
Day by Day
Duration
00:06:11 min.
00:06:11 min.
Day by Day - 2 Samuel
The End Does Not Justify The Means
How we accomplish our goals is as important as the accomplishments themselves.
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Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!
~~~
Did you win the game?
Did you make the grade? Do well on the test?
Did you get the raise?
Did you finish the job?
Most of life is focused on results, outcomes. There was a time towards the end of my academic life, that I stopped caring about hard work, effort output, and was only concerned about one thing—finishing the degree.
But we all should know that the end does not always justify the means. Winning a game by the means of cheating tarnishes the win. Getting the raise by means of sabotaging co-workers discredits your own work. Completing your homework by copying someone else’s negates the point.
It is not just the end that matters, but also the means.
How you get to a goal is just as important as the goal itself.
In the unfolding drama of 2 Samuel, which is about David ascending to the throne of Israel, uniting Israel into one kingdom, we have been watching different people employ different means in order to try and accomplish the goal and unite the kingdom. We have seen political prowess, pandering, polygamy, and murder. And underlying, or should we say superseding all of this is the sovereignty and providence of God, who takes even the sin of man and makes it serve His decreed purposes.
Over the next few days we will watch one more attempt by some to try and impress King David with their ability to bring fruition God’s promise of a Davidic Kingdom, but it will not end well for them.
By: Clif Johnson
(Lifeword)
(Lifeword)
Aired on
Jun 14, 2024
Show
Day by Day
Duration
00:02:14 min.
00:02:14 min.
Day by Day - 2 Samuel
Tomato Soup, Super Glue, And Secret Purposes
No corrupt world leader or false teacher can disrupt the plans of God.
#daybydaylw
Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!
~~~
Not too long ago, two oil activists entered the National Gallery in London, and splattered tomato soup all over Rembrandt’s painting, “Sunflowers.” They then superglued themselves to the wall.
They wanted to make a statement. They wanted to ruin a masterpiece to gain attention to their own cause.
Later that day, the National Gallery put out a statement informing the public that the painting was unharmed because, unbeknownst to the activists there was a thin layer of glass protecting the painting.
Listen to me church, the world, corrupt leaders, wolves in sheep’s clothing will think they can stop and disrupt and dismantle the plans of God. They throw their tomato soup all over the masterpiece of the gospel, thinking they are destroying it. And yet, there is the protective glass of God’s Providence protecting His masterpiece. What makes the providence of God different than the national Gallery in London is that God is able to incorporate the tomato soup for His own hidden purposes, for His glory and our good.
By: Clif Johnson
(Lifeword)
(Lifeword)
Aired on
Jun 13, 2024
Show
Day by Day
Duration
00:01:39 min.
00:01:39 min.
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