II Samuel 21:15-23:7We now arrive at the closing months of David’s life. How a person finishes the race of life often says a lot about who he or she is and has been. II Samuel 21:15-21 tells that David is no longer able to be in battle. How about that Philistine with 24 digits (12 fingers and 12 toes)? It reminds me of some of the characters in the superhero cartoons or the Mortal Kombat series. Since the latter days of Moses till the end of the life of David, the Israelites are contending with “the giants in the land.”
Chapter 22 is a jubilant Psalm of Thanksgiving as David consider the how God had delivered him and sustained him through the challenges of his life. You might want to join him and survey your own life for how God has delivered and sustained you. I invite you to write out your personal psalm of thanksgiving. It will be a blessing, and if you tuck it in the pages of your Bible, you might find it again someday and it will remind you of just how blessed you are. Curtis Borland just sent me an e-video presentation that said on one slide, “You are too blessed to be stressed.” One of the old hymns I learned as a kid sings similarly,
When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
*Count your many blessings, see what God hath done.
*And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.
Randall Thompson has written a stirring version of II Samuel 23:3-4, entitled “The Last Words of David”. “One who rules over people justly, ruling in the fear of God, is like the light of morning, like sun rising on a cloudless morning, gleaming from the rain on the grassy land.” The song is often sung at inaugurations and coronations of world leaders and you can locate it on You Tube for free. I like the Westminster Choir version, but there is also one from the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. For me, this is a reminder to pray for our world leaders and also to examine my own places of leadership, not that I rule but servant lead in the fear of God. For we really are responsible to God for how we lead and there is accountability for our words, actions, and attitudes.
Psalm 103More on our prayer theme of thanksgiving is stirred by this great Psalm of David. I’m thinking of several different songs that lift this up from Rachmaninoff (Classical) to Andrae Crouch (Black Gospel) to Stephen Schwartz in Godspell (Rock Opera). Do take time to read this Psalm aloud. We will also share it in our class this evening. Notice the great themes for thanksgiving: forgiveness, healing, redemption, steadfast love, satisfaction with good things, vindication and justice, mercy and grace, and for his just rule over life and the world. How might these themes apply to your life and what prayers of thanksgiving might you give to the LORD? I really like verses 11 and 12, “For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far he removes our transgressions from us.” Forgiveness really is complete in the LORD.
Psalm 108You have already seen this one in Psalm 57, so we do have a repeat in the Psalms. Verses 7-13 will make more sense if you pull out a map, or better yet a biblical atlas. This Psalm of God’s victory for his people is jubilant and even has a little bit of swagger to it.
So how is your day of thanksgiving going? See you this evening.
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