I Samuel 18
David befriends Jonathanverses 1-4
And it came to pass – when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul
that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David
and Jonathan loved him as his own soul
And Saul took him that day
and would let him go no more home to his father’s house
Then Jonathan and David made a covenant
BECAUSE he loved him as his own soul
And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him
and gave it to David – and his garments
even to his sword and to his bow and to his girdle
David commander of the Israelite armyverse 5
And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him
and BEHAVED HIMSELF WISELY
and Saul set him over the men of war
and he was accepted in the sight of all the people
and also in the sight of Saul’s servants
Song sung in honor of Davidverses 6-7
And it came to pass as they came
when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine
that the women came out of all cities of Israel
singing and dancing – to meet king Saul
with tabrets – joy – instruments of music
And the women answered one another as they played – and said
Saul hath slain his thousands – and David his ten thousands
Saul jealous of Davidverses 8-9
And Saul was very wroth – and the saying displeased him – and he said
They have ascribed unto David ten thousands
and to me they have ascribed by thousands
and what can he have more but the kingdom?
And Saul eyed David from that day and forward
Saul throws spears at Davidverses 10-11
And it came to pass on the morrow
that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul
and he prophesied in the midst of the house
and David played with his hand – as at other times
and there was a javelin in Saul’s hand
And Saul cast the javelin – for he said
I will smite David even to the wall with it
And David avoided out of his presence TWICE
Saul puts David in command of 1,000 menverses 12-13
And Saul was afraid of David – BECAUSE the LORD was with him
and was departed from Saul
Therefore Saul removed him from him
and made him his captain over a thousand
and he went out and came in before the people
David admired among soldiersverses 14-16
And David BEHAVED HIMSELF WISELY in all his ways
and the LORD was with him
Wherefore when Saul saw that he BEHAVED HIMSELF VERY WISELY
he was afraid of him
BUT all Israel and Judah loved David
BECAUSE he went out and came in before them
Saul offers his daughter, Merab, to Davidverse 17
And Saul said to David
BEHOLD – my elder daughter Merab – her will I give you to wife
only be you valiant for me – and fight the LORD’S battles
For Saul said
Let not mine hand be upon him
BUT let the hand of the Philistines be upon him
Saul gives Merab to another manverses 18-19
And David said unto Saul
Who am I? and what is my life – or my father’s family in Israel
that I should be son-in-law to the king?
BUT it came to pass at the time when Merab Saul’s daughter should
have been given to David
that she was given unto Adriel the Meholathite to wife
Saul’s daughter, Michal, loved Davidverses 20-21
And Michal Saul’s daughter loved David – and they told Saul
and the thing pleased him
And Saul said
I will give him her – that she may be a SNARE to him
and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him
Wherefore Saul said to David
You shall this day be my son-in-law in the one of the twain
Saul wants a hundred foreskinsverses 22-25
And Saul commanded his servants – saying
Commune with David secretly – and say
BEHOLD – the king hath delight in you
and all his servants love you
now therefore be the king’s son-in-law
And Saul’s servants spoke those words in the ears of David
And David said
Seems it to you a light thing to be a king’s son-in-law
seeing that I am a poor man – and lightly esteemed?
And the servants of Saul told him – saying
On this manner spoke David
And Saul said
Thus shall you say to David
The king desires not any dowry
BUT an hundred foreskins of the Philistines
to be avenged of the king’s enemies
BUT Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines
David brings two hundred foreskins for Michalverses 26-27
And when his servants told David these words
it pleased David well to be the king’s son-in-law
and the days were not expired
Wherefore David arose and went – he and his men
and slew of the Philistines two hundred men
And David brought their foreskins
and they gave them in full tale to the king
that he might be the king’s son-in-law
And Saul gave him Michal his daughter to wife
Saul David’s enemyverses 28-29
And Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David
and that Michal Saul’s daughter loved him
And Saul was yet the more afraid of David
and Saul became David’s enemy continually
David acted wiser than all other soldiersverse 30
Then the princes of the Philistines went forth – and it came to pass
after they went forth – that David BEHAVED HIMSELF
MORE WISELY than all the servants of Saul
so that his name was much set by
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 3 Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. (1285 “covenant” [bariyth] means agreement, contract, league, confederate, pledge, alliance, make a pact, or a binding oath of promise)
DEVOTION: There are people who make an issue of the relationship between David and Jonathan. Can two men have a friendship where there can be love for one another involved? The answer to that is YES!! Does this mean that there has to be sex involved in the relationship? NO!!!
Too often people read what they want to into the Bible. They see two men who really enjoy the company of one another. They are best friends. They happen to be in military service together. One is the king’s son who has all the best military equipment while his friend doesn’t have the same equipment because there is a shortage. So we find Jonathan giving David part of the military equipment to show their friendship.
Boys and men can have other individual of the same sex that enjoys the company of one another without breaking the laws of God in the process. Friendship is not evil unless there is sin involved. God wants us to love one another. It is hard for one man to say to another man that they love them because of what is going on in our society today. It also went on in the society of the world almost from the beginning of time.
Abraham and Lot had to deal with it. We just saw in the book of judges that they had to deal with sin in a city in Benjamin. Sin between men has to be condemned but friendships between men are something the LORD encourages and so should we.
David and Jonathan had a good friendship without a sinful relationship. We should not be ashamed if we have a good relationship with someone of the same gender. It is said in the book of Proverbs that a twofold cord is strong and a threefold cord is not quickly broken. Friends help friends.
Be a friend to those who love the LORD especially if they are of the same gender. Men need encouragement from other men.
CHALLENGE: Be an encourager. I have men in my life that encourage me regularly. Hopefully I encourage them as well.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 8 And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom? (7489 “displeased” [7489 “displeased” [ra’a] means to be sad, be evil, be wicked, to treat badly, be causing displeasure, to be noxious, hurtful, look coldly on or treat badly)
DEVOTION: True leaders want their men to succeed in all that they do. A true leader is not jealous when someone receives praise other than themselves. This is not true of all leaders.
Saul wanted all the praise of his people. He didn’t like that they were singing songs about David instead of just him. He didn’t want to share the glory of victory of the Philistines. He wanted all the glory for himself. He was very selfish as a king instead of remembering how humble he was when he was first anointed king over Israel.
We find that this happens to many leaders. They want all the glory for what is happening in whatever mission the LORD has given them. They forget that it takes others to help them succeed. Every group needs leaders. Every group needs to be encouraged when there is success involved.
I just finished a paper with many quotes from a book on leadership written by one I consider a good author and leader. I hope to sent this paper to pastors and church leaders soon. The book is called The Conviction to Lead by Albert Mohler. He states: Leadership requires maturing, learning, adapting, rethinking, and retooling.” A good leader has the desire to see this happen in their life and in the life of those around them. (If you are not receiving these book quotes emails please let me know if you want to receive them. I have over 150 different books I have sent out so far.)
CHALLENGE: God wants us to be good leaders. HE doesn’t want us to be jealous or selfish leaders.
: 12 And Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, and was departed from Saul. (3249 “departed” [yacuwr] means to turn aside, to change directions, to go off, retreat, to abandon, to go away, depart or out of one’s coarse)
DEVOTION: Saul knew that the LORD had left him and was on David. It is hard to imagine what it was life for him to know that the LORD was not with him and that he could see that the LORD was with David.
It is interesting to know that this is possible in the life of those who are trying to follow the LORD. Saul had stopped following the LORD. Samuel had informed him that he was no longer the servant of the LORD that he had been.
David was now the one that the LORD was blessing on a regular basis. He was being used of the LORD. Saul had an evil spirit bothering him that the LORD had allowed in his life. David was chosen to help Saul get over these times when the evil spirit bothered him.
Our understanding of what was happening in the Old Testament is limited. The LORD deals differently today with his children. Once someone has genuinely become a believer the LORD works with him or her for the rest of their lives or if they wander from the LORD the Holy Spirit tries to bring them back and if they refuse their life is taken. We call this person someone who is saved “yet so as by fire.” It is hard to be able to distinguish between those who are genuinely saved and those who seem to fake their salvation for a while.
In the Old Testament it seems easier to see the difference. Saul had disobeyed the LORD and Samuel had told him that the LORD had departed from him. His leadership was going to be given to David.
We find that there are people who seem to serve the LORD for a short period in their life and then go the other direction. We don’t understand how this happens but it seems to happen to individuals we know. It would be easier if the LORD would just take anyone who has seems to be saved and then leaves the LORD and the LORD just take him right away.
The LORD is the final judge regarding which people are genuine believers and which ones are not. We need to work with those who claim salvation and try to encourage them to change their ways to please the LORD in all parts of their lives.
Genuine Christians do sin and need to confess their sin. They do not live in sin for long periods of time without the LORD dealing with them with sickness, weakness or even premature death.
CHALLENGE: We need to be helping those who claim to be genuine believers in their growth in the LORD. Our job is not to judge but to help those who are struggling in their Christian life.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 14 And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the LORD was with him. (7919 “behaved” [sakal] means to be circumspect and hence intelligent, consider, expert, instruct, prosper, prudent, skillful, understand, or wisdom)
DEVOTION: This phrase is used four times in this chapter. Each time is was used it was in a different context. The first time it was use in relationship to the fact that David was one who was assigned a task and he did it. It was because he did his tasks wisely that the people looked up to him.
David was the leader of the complete army of Saul for a while but because Saul was jealous of him he removed him from that position to a lower position and even in that position he acted wisely before his soldiers and the people.
The third time it was Saul that saw that David acted wisely and it made him more afraid of him. He wanted to have David killed but he didn’t want to do it himself even though when the evil spirit came upon him he did try to kill him with a javelin two times.
The final time this phrase was used regarding his actions being ones that showed wisdom was in his relationship with the Philistines. He was a good leader of the troops. The men looked up to him and he acted wiser than all the other servants of Saul.
We are to have this type of testimony among those we are leading. We need to act wisely in our relationships with other people. We are to act wisely in our relationships even with our enemies. God is the one who gave David this skill and HE can give us that same skill in our relationships.
CHALLENGE: Would those around us say that we act wisely in our relationships with them and with our actions on the battle field? We need to ask the LORD for wisdom daily and HE states that HE will give it to us.
: 21 And Saul said, I will give him her, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him. Wherefore Saul said to David, “You shall this day be my son in law in the one of the twain.” (4170 “snare” [mowqesh] means trap, bait, lure, something that catches a person unaware, noose, or gin)
DEVOTION: Saul wanted to find a way for David to be killed without him doing it himself. He had tried to kill him twice but that didn’t work and the people of Israel really loved him because he acted wisely in his decision-making process. So, Saul had to think of different ways to see David dead.
Once Saul heard that Michal, his daughter, loved him he thought of a plan that he was sure would work. He would not require the normal dowry for his daughter because David was a poor man according to the standard of the day.
He required David to bring him one hundred foreskins of Philistine soldiers. He thought for sure that David would die in this adventure. David thought otherwise. He didn’t have any problem going against any number of soldiers for the daughter of the king.
He not only brought back one hundred foreskins but he brought back two hundred. He doubled the order of the king. The king thought an hundred soldiers might kill him but they didn’t. He was disappointed but the LORD continued to protect David from all the traps Saul directed his way at this time. There were more to come.
Today we have people around us that would like to see us fail in our Christian life. There are individuals who would like to see us disgraced in the eyes of those around us. They are jealous of our friends or something in our life that upsets them.
These individual devise plans to hurt us but it is only the LORD that can protect us from their thoughts and plans. We have to realize that it is only the LORD that can help us against these individuals.
David never gave up serving the LORD even with javelins thrown at him. We should do the same today. There are javelins coming our way but the LORD can protect us from all the fiery arrows of the workers of the devil.
CHALLENGE: Remember that those hate you are not in their right mind. Hate for another person doesn’t come from the LORD. We are to love one another and pray for our enemies.
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign)verse 10
God allowed and evil spirit to bother Saulverse 10
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal)verses 12, 14, 17, 28
LORD was with Davidverse 28
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead – God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
evil spiritverse 10
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Philistinesverses 6, 17, 21, 25, 27, 30
Enemiesverse 25
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Wrothverse 8
Displeasedverse 8
Eyedverse 9
False prophesyverse 10
Smiteverse 11
Snareverse 21
Afraidverse 29
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Brotherly loveverses 1, 16, 22
Covenant of friendshipverse 3
Gifts to othersverse 4
Behaved wiselyverses 5, 14, 15, 30
LORD with Davidverses 12, 14, 28
Married loveverse 20
Humilityverse 23
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Saulverses 1-29
Wouldn’t let David return home
Angry with David for his vicotries
Cast a javelin at David
Angry at David because LORD was with him
Afraid of David
Dowry for Michal: 100 foreskins
Gave Michal to David as wife
Afraid of David
Friendship between David and Jonathanverses 1-4
Loved him as his own soul
Made a covenant together
David acting wisely in difficult situationsverses 5-30
Played his harp
Made captain over a thousand
Behaved himself wisely
LORD was with him
All Israel and Judah loved him
Poor man
Lightly esteemed
David brings 100 foreskins to Saul
Michal gives as wife to David
Behaved himself wisely
Women singing and dancing to honor Davidverses 6, 7
Israel and Judah loved Davidverse 16
Merab – Saul’s daughterverses 17-19
Promised to David as wife
Given to Adriel the Meholathite instead
Michal – Saul’s daughter loved David verse 20
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
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QUOTES regarding passage
18:20–25 Not to be stymied, Saul saw in his “daughter Michal” (v. 20) a third means of destroying David. Saul learned to his delight (lit., “it was straight in his eyes”) that this daughter “was in love with David.” David had previously eluded the king’s spear and the Philistines’ weapons, but perhaps he could be ensnared and ruined by a woman. As Saul envisioned it, David would be facing a double threat: “the hand of the Philistines” (v. 21) and Michal herself, who would be a “snare to him.” Michal could be a snare in two ways: first, she could motivate David to place his life at extreme risk in battle with the Philistines; second, she could corrupt David spiritually.
The term translated as “snare” (Hb. môqēš) is a theologically significant one, used three times in the Torah to describe the dangers of idols and idol worshipers (Exod 23:33; 34:12; Deut 7:16). Perhaps Saul was spiritually astute enough to recognize that in marriage his daughter’s idolatrous inclinations (cf. 19:13) could easily lead David astray, in which case David would become the Lord’s enemy and come to a disastrous end. Thus, Saul was especially eager to provide David with “a second opportunity” to become a “son-in-law” to the king and spoke to David directly about it. (Bergen, R. D. (1996). 1, 2 Samuel (Vol. 7, pp. 203–204). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
A snare metaphorically is something that allures one from his real purpose and then destroys him. In such a light Saul to ruin David gave his daughter Michal to him in marriage so that she might become a snare to David (I Sam 18:21). (Hartley, J. E. (1999). 906 יָקֹשׁ. (R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer Jr., & B. K. Waltke, Eds.)Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament. Chicago: Moody Press.)
Saul, however, would not allow David to plead poverty as an excuse to get out of marrying Michal. A mere “hundred Philistine foreskins” would suffice as compensation for her (v.25). The Hebrew term mōhar (“bride-price”; elsewhere only in Gen 34:12; Exod 22:16 [15 MT]) refers to payment made by the groom to the bride’s father (cf. similarly Deut 22:29) and is paralleled in other Semitic cultures from the earliest times (cf. W. Robertson Smith, Kinship and Marriage in Early Arabia [Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1885], pp. 78–80; id., The Prophets of Israel and Their Place in History to the Close of the Eighth Century b.c. 2d ed. [London: A. & C. Black, 1919], pp. 171, 410 n. 13). But “the mohar seems to be not so much the price paid for the woman as a compensation given to the family, and, in spite of the apparent resemblance, in law this is a different consideration. The future husband thereby acquires a right over the woman, but the woman herself is not bought and sold” (de Vaux, AIs, p. 27). Under certain circumstances, as here (cf. also Josh 15:16), “heroic deeds could be substituted for the mohar, “(I. Mendelsohn, “The Family in the Ancient Near East,” BA 11, 2 [1948]: 27).
In asking David to kill one hundred Philistines, Saul of course was hoping that David himself would be killed. Saul gave another reason, however, for his demand: that he might “take revenge” on his enemies (v.25) by decimating them (cf. 14:24; Judg 15:7; and 16:28 for other examples of avenging oneself on the Philistine foe). Ironically, as Gunn observes (The Fate of King Saul, p. 150 n. 10), David himself has become one of Saul’s “enemies” (v.29; cf. also 19:17; 20:13; 24:4, 19; 25:26, 29). (Youngblood, R. F. (1992). 1, 2 Samuel. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel (Vol. 3, p. 711). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House)
18:17–30. When Saul then saw that he could not destroy David personally, he determined to let the Philistines kill him. This he arranged by proposing that David marry his oldest daughter, Merab. Saul had already reneged on one marital promise to David (17:25). David protested, however, that he was a commoner and had no sufficient bridal price (18:25, mōhar, not “dowry” as in kjv and others). Before anything further could develop, Merab … was given to another man (v. 19). Again, Saul offered his second daughter, Michal, who at that time loved David (v. 20; cf. 2 Sam. 6:16). But again David argued that he was unsuitable to be a son-in-law of the king because of his low status (1 Sam. 18:23). In an act of apparent generosity Saul waived the usual bridal payment and demanded only that David kill 100 Philistines and bring back their foreskins (v. 25), a requirement he more than met by slaying 200 (v. 27). Saul had been hoping, of course, that the exploit would cost David his life (v. 25). As a result, Saul was again afraid of David (v. 29; cf. vv. 12, 15). But David became Saul’s son-in-law by marrying Michal (v. 27), and his military success and his popularity increased (v. 30). (Merrill, E. H. (1985). 1 Samuel. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, pp. 449–450). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
18:25 dowry. Lit. “price.” Saul resorted to the same treachery in his offer of betrothal to Merab, plotting to eliminate David by placing him in jeopardy with the Philistines. David, already having proved himself wise in many things (16:18), was aware, to some extent, of Saul’s intent and acted obediently, valiantly, and wisely. (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (1 Sa 18:25). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
In the case of David, God’s purpose manifestly was to exercise and strengthen such qualities as trust in God, prayerfulness, self-command, serenity of temper, consideration for others, and the hope of a happy issue out of all his troubles. His trials were indeed both numerous and various. The cup of honour dashed from his lips when he had just begun to taste it; promises the most solemn deliberately violated, and rewards of perilous service coolly withheld from him; faithful services turned into occasions of cruel persecution; enforced separation from beloved friends; laceration of feelings from Saul’s cruel and bloody treatment of some who had befriended him; calumnious charges persisted in after convincing and generous refutation; ungrateful treatment from those he had benefited, like Nabal; treachery from those he had delivered, like the men of Keilah; perfidy on the part of some he had trusted, like Cush; assassination threatened by some of his own followers, as at Ziklag,—these and many other trials were the hard and bitter discipline which David had to undergo in the wilderness. (Blaikie, W. G. (1903). The First Book of Samuel. In W. Robertson Nicoll (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible: Samuel to Job (Vol. 2, p. 77). Hartford, CT: S.S. Scranton Co.)
Ver. 25. And Saul said, thus shall ye say to David, &c.] In answer to his objections, and in order to remove them, and especially what concerned the dowry: the king desireth not any dowry, but 100 foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king’s enemies; that is, he required or desired no other dowry of David, but that he would slay 100 Philistines, and bring their foreskins to him; by which he would be able to know that they were Philistines he slew, not Israelites who were circumcised; though it can’t well he thought that Saul should have any suspicion of that, or take such a method to prevent it; but as those were almost, if not altogether, the only uncircumcised persons that were their neighbours, since the Arabians, Edomites, Midianites, &c. received circumcision from their ancestors, it would be a clear case to him that these were the men he slew; and whom he the rather pitched upon, because they were his enemies, and the enemies of Israel, and abhorred of the Lord; which carried in it a shew of zeal for the glory of God, and the good of his people, and because he hoped David would fall by them in the enterprise, or however render himself very odious to them, and they would bear him ill will, and seek his ruin. Strabo reports of the people in Carmania, that no man among them marries a wife before he cuts off the head of an enemy, and brings it to the king; and the king lays up the skulls in a treasury, and he is the most famous that has the most heads brought unto him. Saul chose not heads, but foreskins, for the reasons before given: but Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines; he hoped in the enterprise the Philistines would be too powerful for him, and kill him. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 2, pp. 509–510). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
PLANT GOD’S GOOD SEEDS
poem by Anne R. C. Neale
Are you a walking agent of God’s healing?
Helping other people to cope with all the stress in their life?
Surrendering your life to help God you see?
God will help you be His catalyst on earth, to help others in their strife,
You can change a person’s life
By being an agent to help all in need,
God will assist you to be His agent
In spreading God’s love, helping others, and planting God’s good seeds,
As you give yourself away to help others you see
God will reinforce you with Love, Faith, Hope and Trust,
Help God on earth, be a walking agent for Him
God is the God of Love, of Righteousness, and God is Just.
Deuteronomy 8
Moses reminds the Israelites of the Lord’s blessings on them.
INSIGHT
Following God has never been easy. God never intended for it to be. He tests us to know what is in our hearts and to teach us that we do not live by bread alone. When things are too easy, we tend to be ungrateful. We tend not to give God the recognition for His blessing. In chapter 8, we see God’s love and care, along with His tests and trials. We need both to be healthy. To grow, we need sunshine and rain. (Quiet Walk)
Like Jesus
For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.
Romans 8:29
As a boy, theologian Bruce Ware was frustrated that 1 Peter 2:21-23 calls us to be like Jesus. Ware wrote of his youthful exasperation in his book The Man Christ Jesus. “Not fair, I determined. Especially when the passage says to follow in the steps of one ‘who did no sin.’ This was totally outlandish . . . . I just couldn’t see how God could really mean for us to take it seriously.”
I understand why Ware would find such a biblical challenge so daunting! An old chorus says, “To be like Jesus, to be like Jesus. My desire, to be like Him.” But as Ware rightly noted, we are incapable of doing that. Left to ourselves, we could never become like Jesus.
However, we’re not left to ourselves. The Holy Spirit has been given to the child of God, in part so that Christ can be formed in us (Galatians 4:19). So, it should come as no surprise that in Paul’s great chapter on the Spirit we read, “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son” (Romans 8:29). God will see His work completed in us. And He does it through the Spirit of Jesus living in us.
As we yield to the Spirit’s work in us, we truly become more like Jesus. How comforting to know that’s God’s great desire for us!
By Bill Crowder (Our Daily Bread)
JESUS PEOPLE
And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
John 17:3
The end of salvation is that we should have eternal life. What is a Christian? What is Christianity? The definition given by the New Testament is that a Christian is a person who possesses eternal life. Perhaps the best way of emphasizing that is to consider how it is that we hold such a low view of Christianity and the Christian life. What is the average person’s conception of a Christian and what makes one a Christian?
Some people seem to think of it in terms of country. They still speak about Christian countries and non-Christian countries, as if the whole country could be Christian. Others think in terms of church membership. Others think in terms of living a good life, following Christ and His teaching, trying to apply it personally, and getting other people to do the same
But according to the New Testament, all that does not even begin to make one a Christian, and the world is very often quick to detect the hollowness of the claims in such people who call themselves Christians. I was reading of a distinction that I think was common among many Chinese people in past years. They called all the ordinary foreigners Christians, but others they called “Jesus people.” What they meant was that they regarded everybody who went to China from the West as Christians, because they came from so-called Christian countries, and most of them claimed that they were Christians. But the Chinese saw that they were often drunkards and immoral and so on, and they felt that if that was Christianity, they did not want it. Then they found that there were other people who came from the same countries and who also called themselves Christians. But these lived a pure, holy, and kind life. They seemed to help people and were altogether different, and the Chinese began to c all them “Jesus people,” because they seemed to be like the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.
A Thought to Ponder
The end of salvation is that we should have eternal life.
From Saved in Eternity, pp. 125-126, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones.
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