David the psalmist was browbeaten for so many long years. It was perplexing to him. He asked his good friend Jonathan, King Saul's son why, and what for? What did his father, King Saul, have against him? Why would he suddenly be in such grave danger from Saul's malicious evil intent?
At first he'd found favor, starting with his miraculous defeat of the giant, Goliath of Gath, when he had actually still been tending sheep. He just so happened to have been "delivery boy" for his brothers; bringing them food from their father Jesse.
His brothers tried to keep him quiet but he managed to get himself presented to King Saul. King Saul was skeptical of David's ability to go against Goliath but David had firm faith in God's ability to help him in the confrontation to come and convinced Saul to let him try.
Goliath sneered at David. Here was a "boy" with a sling shot, no armor, pitted against the proud strong giant; a seasoned warrior. He should never have underestimated a "boy" whose faith was in Almighty God, and who relied on strength from Jehovah God to win his "battles".
That's what this focus is really about; strength from and trust in, God. David talked to God, addressing Him as, "O my Strength" (Psalm 59:9, 17). Magnificient faith and trust.
The Goliath incident was just the start of seeing David's unshakeable faith in God, His strength. My question to myself came this morning; just where did he learn this rock solid faith and trust? As you read more and more of his writings, or writings of others about him, it can be seen that David seems to have been looked down upon by his elder brothers and even his father Jesse. Somewhere along the line he had learned to lean upon Almighty God, Who he named: His Strength, Refuge, Deliverer, Rock, Mighty Fortress, etc. Where, pray tell, did he accrue this trust and even feel he "deserved" and had access to God?
Climb back up the trunk to upper branches of his family tree. The Lord gave me this thought this morning too. Who were some of the noteable people in David's ancestry?
It's easiest to flip over to Matthew 1, and see Jesus' genealogy. Of course, it started out with Abraham (the Father of all who have faith), Isaac and Jacob (patriarchs of Israel). However, I wanted to pinpoint those in the "lower branches," only three or four generations before David. Take a look. Who's there?
Rahab and Ruth!
Did you expect that?
Think back to their stories. Quite something for grandparents and parents to divulge. Rahab, the harlot: "O my grandmother was a harlot!" Not really something to tell the kids. Nevertheless, this is part of God's Word and even Jesus' ancestory, so read on here. Rahab, the Harlot, was the one who helped hide the spies who'd come to spy out Jericho (her city and people, mind you), for Israel, prior to attacking it. She is the one who kept the red cord out her window. The red cord she'd used to allow the spies to escape. Rahab was promised amnesty, protection and deliverance for when Israel attacked Jericho. She and whoever would be in her home at the time, if she kept that cord in her window would be saved (Joshua 2 & 6).
Make NOTE that Matthew does not add in "the harlot" bit for Rahab, nor for Ruth who was continuously termed "the Moabitess" as Rahab was "the harlot," in the Old Testament. Other places these are tacked on. These women were non-Hebrew and seemed never allowed to forget their past. However, their faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob brought them great favor with God and He had His plan to include them, expunging their record, not only in David's genealogy but His own dear Son, Jesus', so many generations later. Isn't that remarkable!
Amazing, merciful, God of grace.
Ruth would not leave Naomi, her mother-in-law's side. Some spark of faith Naomi had had, had ignited in Ruth's bosom and those mustard seeds of faith "moved mountains". (Ruth)
We do not read much about the men but I believe Salmon, Boaz, Obed and even Jesse, that they too, must have been men of great faith. Although I do feel a bit miffed that Jesse didn't seem to see David's potential.
"Oh, he's just the "baby of the family," what could he do; he's good for tending sheep or playing courier service for food to his brothers but certainly not king material!" It was almost an afterthought, and that only after Samuel's prompting, that he acknowledged, "Oh yeah, I do have another son BUT he's tending sheep..."
Kids' work.
Nevertheless, let's not get too far off on a tangent. Come back to the "faith" aspect. It should be said, "firm faith" in God. That faith which led David to say God was his "strength" even so early on in his fugitive life, running from King Saul. That scarlet cord of faith that had begun generations ago, ran right through David as well. Don't you find this amazingly exciting to see?!
Now read 1 Samuel 18:6 to 20:42. It is the backdrop to David the fugitive-psalmist writing Psalm 59, which is really what I'm reaching for here. This was written, as the prelude to Psalm 59 tells us, "when Saul had sent men to watch David's house in order to kill him" (NIV).
In typical David fashion, he asked the LORD God Almighty, the God of Israel, to protect and deliver him from his enemies and to rain down deluges of punishment upon them, with no mercy. Hardly sounds like a typical man of faith, at least from New Testament Day of Grace perspectives. His imagery is wondrous: "bloodthirsty men," "snarling like dogs" who'd "returned at evening" to snarl and sniff out some more, no doubt. Yet God's rescue would let others know that God was David's fortress; that He love him and that God rules.
Those enemy spies sent by Saul also, "prowled and howled". What constrast to David's singing of His God's strength and love and refuge in the times of his trouble. David could still say and sing, despite all the negatives in his life.
"O my Strength, I sing praise to You; You, O God, are my Fortress, my loving God" (Psalm 59:17 NIV).
The scarlet cord of faith was hung in David's window.
Father God, once again David directs us to You. In You we can trust. In You is our strength despite what evil doers perpetuate upon us -- even for years on end. Day after day, week after week; month after month; year after year; and even decade after decade (as in David's case) we need to trust, trust, trust. The hounding and doggedness of the pursuers never seeming to abait. Always lurking in the shadows; nipping and barking at the heels. You were there with David. You are here with us, now.
Yet, Father God our Strength, through it all, help us to get our strength from You, knowing You are beside us, and that wherever we go, whatever we do, or whatever happens to us, You are our fortress and Jesus our loving Savior. May we too, have firm faith in You and Your abilitity to be our Help and Strength in times of confrontation, so we will open our mouths and sing Your praises as David did and hang out our scarlet cord of faith in the windows of our souls.
In Jesus' precious Name we pray and praise.
~ERC April 2021~
Based on Psalm 59:1-17 (NIV) and 1 Samuel 18:16-20:42.
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