THE SABBATH WAS MADE FOR MAN

And it happened that He was passing through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and          His disciples began to make their way along while picking the heads of grain. The Pharisees were saying to Him, "Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?"

And He said to them, "Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions became hungry; how he entered the house of God in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the consecrated bread, which is not lawful for anyone to eat except the priests, and he also gave it to those who were with him?" Jesus said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."

(Mark 2: 23-28 NASV)

Not long after this event, the Pharisees asked Jesus for a sign that would prove He was the Messiah. His reply was that the only sign He would provide would be the Sign of Jonah.

    The Holy Spirit showed me a truth about the Sign of Jonah. While researching that, this truth about Sabbath came to me. I came to see that how the Pharisees misunderstood the Sabbath led to their opposition to Jesus, and their request for a sign. Exploring their view of the Sabbath led me to a fuller understanding of the Sabbath. I saw enough truth to see that it could stand as a teaching on its own, and yet it remains part of the context for the Sign of Jonah.

A Kernel Of Truth From The Grainfields

(Sorry, I couldn't resist the pun!)

   This event starts with Jesus and His disciples passing through some grainfields on a Sabbath day.  We are not told where they were going, but most likely they were on their way to a synagogue Sabbath service.

    The Disciples were hungry, so they began picking some of the grain.

    Now, the grain was not the sweet corn we are familiar with in America.  I know the KJV uses the word “corn” instead of “grain.”  In the Elizabethan English used in the King James, “corn” just simply meant grain. The grain the Disciples ate could have been any kind of grain except for American corn, or maize. American corn is not native to the land of Israel, and is not grown there today.

    I can only wish the Disciples had been blessed to enjoy American corn!   I grew up experiencing the pleasures of Bixby corn.

    Bixby is a farming community south of Tulsa.   Some of the farms there sell produce all year around, but the best time to go there is in June when the corn is in season.  The corn you would buy during that time would be FRESH!   They would start picking it that morning, and it would be so sweet and flavorful!

    You would go buy a bushel, take it home, clean it, cook it, and eat it.  Then you would go back the next day for another bushel!  Or at least you would want to... It's that good!

     Most likely the Disciples ate barley or wheat.  Barley is more robust and more suited than wheat to the climate and soil the land of Israel, so the people tended to eat barley daily, and they saved wheat for special occasions and purposes.

    Now, Jesus didn't eat any grain, but His disciples did.   Why didn't Jesus eat?   He was probably fasting.   After all, He was doing more ministry than they were at that time, so He needed to fast.

    Some Pharisees saw what the Disciples were doing, and they didn't like that at all!   They knew what the Sabbath commandment said, and in their eyes, the Disciples were violating the Sabbath.

    To summarize, the Sabbath commandment said, “Remember the Sabbath; Keep it holy; Do no work.”

    The Pharisees focused on that last part of the commandment.   They did so because, in their natural, carnal reasoning, they focused on tangible things that one can perceive through the five physical senses.

    To them, if something looked like work, sounded like work, felt like work, or smelled like work, it was work.

    Picking grain definitely looked like work.

    Sometimes work produces sounds, but not always.   But work will still sound like work when described.  Today, many people use computers to do their work in offices. The only sounds they produce are tapping on keys, or mouse clicks, talking on the phone, or maybe that print out something.  None of that sounds much like work.   But if someone says they updated five spreadsheets and wrote three reports that day, then we would say that sounds like work!

    Sometimes people come home smelling like work, and I'm not just talking about sweat and dirt.  Auto mechanics smell like grease.  Food production or preparation workers smell like the food they work around.

    So, the Pharisees, following their reasoning that was based only on what their senses told them, concluded that the Disciples had violated the Sabbath.

    Notice this, the Pharisees didn't confront the Disciples. They confronted Jesus about His disciples' actions. Why did they confront Him, and not them?

    Of course, Jesus was their leader.  As their leader, He was responsible for His disciples' actions.  But the Pharisees wanted to know what kind of leader Jesus was.  Behind their accusation was a question: Are you going to correct Your disciples' behavior, or are You going to condone it?

    Jesus knew they misunderstood the Sabbath, and He knew HOW they misunderstood the Sabbath. The beginning of of their misunderstanding was their failure to see the difference between the Sabbath and the Sabbath commandment.

    That is the Kernel of Truth from the grainfields: The Sabbath commandment and the Sabbath are not the same!

Illustrating The Difference

Jesus attempted to show the Pharisees the difference in His answer to their accusation.

First, He reminds them of an episode from the life of David that is recorded in I Samuel 21.

    in that story, David is fleeing from King Saul, and he comes to where the sanctuary is set up.   David has a few men with him and they were hungry when they arrived.   So David spoke with the priest in charge.  The priest told David the only food on hand at the time was the consecrated bread that only the priests were allowed to eat.  The priest gave David and his companions some of this holy bread, and they did not get in trouble for eating it!

    In Matthew's account, Jesus also points out that the priests have duties they must perform in the sanctuary every day, even on the Sabbath, and they are not accountable for violating the Sabbath commandment.

    Obviously, the Sabbath has some trait, characteristic, or aspect that goes beyond the Sabbath commandment.  What could that be?

    The only clue Jesus gives us is this: The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath; so the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.

    Before exploring the wider view of the Sabbath, let me summarize the narrow view of the Pharisees: They saw the Sabbath commandment as a restriction on activity.

 

Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession; He was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was in all His house.  For He has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, by just so much as the builder of the house has more honor than the house.  For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.   Now Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later; but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house--whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end. Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says,

           "TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE,

           DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME,

           AS IN THE DAY OF TRIAL IN THE WILDERNESS,

        WHERE YOUR FATHERS TRIED Me BY TESTING Me,

        AND SAW MY WORKS FOR FORTY YEARS.

          THEREFORE I WAS ANGRY WITH THIS GENERATION,

          AND SAID, 'THEY ALWAYS GO ASTRAY IN THEIR HEART

          AND THEY DID NOT KNOW MY WAYS';

          AS I SWORE IN MY WRATH,

         'THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST.' "

    Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God.   But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called "Today," so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.  For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end, while it is said,

          "TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE,

           DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS,

           AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME."

     For who provoked Him when they had heard? Indeed, did not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses?  And with whom was He angry for forty years?  Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness?  And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient?   So we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief.

   Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it.   For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard.  For we who have believed enter that rest, just as He has said,

           "AS I SWORE IN MY WRATH,

            THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST,"

although His works were finished from the foundation of the world.   For He has said somewhere concerning the seventh day:

          "AND GOD RESTED ON THE SEVENTH DAY FROM ALL HIS WORKS";

and again in this passage,

          "THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST."

    Therefore, since it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly had good news preached to them failed to enter because of disobedience, He again fixes a certain day, "Today," saying through David after so long a time just as has been said before,

           "TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE,

           DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS."

   For if Joshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken of another day after that. So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God.  For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His.  Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience.

(Heb. 3:1 - 4:11 NASV)

 

Expanding Our View Of The Sabbath

This passage in Hebrews gives a larger view of the Sabbath beyond a day where activity is restricted.

    The passage begins by comparing Jesus and Moses.  Moses was just a servant, a steward over the house of God at the time – the nation of Israel.  As a steward, he had authority because he was given authority.  As a son, Jesus was born with authority.

    But Moses didn't complete the job God had given him. God's intention was for Moses to lead Israel out of Egypt all the way to take possession of Canaan.

    The generation of adults that left Egypt did not make it to the Promised Land.  They had allowed unbelief to harden their hearts against God's command to take the land.  The only thing God could do with that generation was to keep them in the wilderness until they all passed away from old age.

    But notice what God said about them in chapter 4, verse 11 ( a quote of Psalm 95:11): they would not enter into His rest.

    Did you catch that?  God was talking about why they would not enter the LAND, but He said they would not enter into His REST!

    So, God equated land with rest. What does that have to do with the Sabbath?

    Take a closer look at chapter 4, verses 3 and 4.   Those verses point us back to the beginning.  God's rest started back then, when He finished Creation.

 

God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good.  And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.  Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts.  By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.  Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.

(Gen. 1:31 - 2:3 NASV)

Back To The Beginning

I included the last verse of Genesis 1 to emphasize that God had spent six days in creation. We could also say that He spent six days in production, or making, or productive activity.

    On the seventh day, God rested.  Why did He rest?  Was He tired?

    NO! Psalm 121:4 says, “Behold, He who keeps Israel will never slumber nor sleep.”

    How can a God Who is All-Powerful sleep?  Why would He need to?   How could He get tired?

    God never needs a good night's sleep. He doesn't even need to doze off, or take a cat nap.

    Now, if God doesn't need to sleep or slumber, why did He rest that day?  Because He was DONE with His works.

           Gen. 2:1 – the heavens and the earth were completed.

           Gen. 2:2 – God completed His work

         ... which He had done.

        He rested from all His work,

        … which He had done.

          Gen. 2:3 – He rested from all His work

        … which God had created

        … and made.

   I listed these items on separate lines to illustrate that God rested on the Sabbath because HE WAS DONE!

But Wait! There's More!

We have not yet reached a full understanding of the Sabbath.

    So far, I have focused on activity.   The Pharisees saw the Sabbath commandment as a restriction on activity.   We now see that God rested on the first Sabbath because He had completed His productive activity in the six days of Creation.

    But, was God inactive on that first Sabbath?

    Did He sit down in a recliner, put up His feet, tune in some football or other sports, and have the angels bring Him snacks and drinks?  We can safely say He did none of that.

    I have a hard time seeing God as inactive... ever.

    Let's think globally for a moment.  Let's say that for one moment, every person on earth is awake, and everyone starts praying to God at once.   God would hear every prayer, and begin answering every prayer prayed in faith.

    I think just from this example, you can see just how active God is.

    If God wasn't inactive on that first Sabbath, then what did He do that day?

    Let's consider the time line of events relating to the Creation and the Sabbath.

    We have already seen the six days of Creation. Gen. 1.

    On the sixth day, God created Adam. Gen. 1:26 – 31; 2:7.

    God created Adam as His son. Luke 3:38.

    The seventh day, God rested. Gen. 2:1 – 3.

    The Sabbath commandment was not given until God gave Moses the Law. Exodus 20:8 – 11.

    So, we can easily see that the Sabbath existed long before the commandment.  We also see that Man existed before the Sabbath. Does this relate to what Jesus said about the Sabbath being made for Man?  Short answer – YES!

    What does this have to do with what God did on that first Sabbath?

    Remember, God created Adam as His son.  If Adam was God's son, then God was Adam's Father.

    God is a good father.   A good father spends time with his son, especially when his son is new!

    Imagine this: God creates Adam on day six, and then God says to Adam, “Sorry, son, but I've got to go rest up for a while.  See you the day after tomorrow!”

    You know that is not an accurate picture of God.  He would not create a son for Himself, and then leave him on his own for his first full day of existence.

    Yes, the Sabbath was Adam's first full day of life.  And God spent time that day in fellowship with him!

    So, God was not inactive that first Sabbath.  Instead, He just changed His focus away from work, or creation, or production, to family fellowship with His son Adam.

Conclusions

When Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath,” He meant the following:

God created the Sabbath for man's benefit, and He never intended the Sabbath to be a religious pattern that man had to shoehorn himself into.

God never intended the Sabbath to be a restriction on activity, but a change in the focus away from creative, productive work to family fellowship.  Through the Sabbath commandment, God was telling His people to step away from everyday work to spend time with Him.

When Jesus said, “The Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath,” He changed the Sabbath from a day to a person – Himself!

BLOW THE WHISTLE, THROW THE FLAG

That is what a field official does in a football game. Blowing the whistle stops the play. Officials do that for every play, but they “throw the flag” only when they see a player commit a foul.

    I believe that is an apt metaphor for what I'm doing in this article. I am seeing a misunderstanding of history and culture being used to misapply Scripture to justify a political viewpoint. Someone needs to expose this for what it is.

What Is The Problem? What Is The Truth?

You might have seen an editorial cartoon around Christmas time that uses Scriptural imagery to criticize the President's immigration policy. It shows Mary and Joseph being refused admittance to the inn at Bethlehem. The caption compares them to the immigrants that would be barred from entering the United States by the proposed “Wall.”

    That comparison is historically inaccurate. Joseph and Mary were not immigrants. To be an immigrant, you must cross an international border, and they did not do that.

    As a matter of fact, their entire journey took place within the Roman Empire.

    Now, the events recorded in the Gospels took place within five geographical regions: Judea, Samaria, Galilee, Decapolis, and Perea. Most people are aware of the first three, because these regions are part of present day Israel. The last two were east of the Jordan River.

    The alignment of these regions within political boundaries varied during the life of Jesus, but they remained within the Roman Empire. So, the journey of Mary and Joseph from Nazareth in Galilee to Bethlehem in Judea was totally within the Empire.

    Galilean Jews in the First Century would often travel back and forth to Jerusalem by crossing the Jordan River and then proceed through Decapolis and Perea. They did this to avoid passing through Samaria. They would take the Samaritan route only if they were pressed for time.

    No matter which route Joseph and Mary took, the only borders they crossed were regional, or district, boundaries, not international. So, they were not immigrants.

But Wait, There's More!

Sometimes the critics of immigration policy try to portray Mary and Joseph as refugees. That image is not true either.

    The reasons for people to become refugees are few in number, but major in scope: war, famine, epidemic, earthquake, volcanic eruption, religious or political persecution.

    We don't see any of those reasons at play in this event. So, Joseph and Mary were not refugees at that time.

    We do see them fleeing to Egypt, after the visit of the Magi, in response to divine instruction. They were refugees in that situation, but they still did not cross international borders. Egypt was part of the Roman Empire at that time.

Okay, Here's An Epiphany For You!

Mary and Joseph traveled to Jerusalem in response to the census and taxation order. They were obeying the law!

Any comparison of the earthly parents of Jesus to immigrants attempting to circumvent the legal process for entering the U. S. has no substance. At best, it is a misunderstanding, and at worst, it is deception.

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit.

And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly. But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins."

Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: "BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD AND SHALL BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL," which translated means, "GOD WITH US." And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife, but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus.

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him."

When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet: 'AND YOU, BETHLEHEM, LAND OF JUDAH, ARE BY NO MEANS LEAST AMONG THE LEADERS OF JUDAH; FOR OUT OF YOU SHALL COME FORTH A RULER WHO WILL SHEPHERD MY PEOPLE ISRAEL.'"

Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him."

After hearing the king, they went their way; and the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way.

Now when they had gone, behold, an angel of the Lord *appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him." So Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt. He remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: "OUT OF EGYPT I CALLED MY SON."

(Matt. 1:18-2:15 NAS)

Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria.

And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child.

While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

(Luke 2:1-7 NAS)

UNDERSTANDING THE LAW OF MOSES

You might wonder why I would write about the Law.  After all, didn't Jesus fulfill it, and so we are no longer under the Law of Moses?

    Well, Jesus fulfilling the Law is true, but Gentile (non-Jewish) believers were never under the Law, so they were never obligated to keep it.

    However, we can all still learn from the Law if we understand what is in it, and what it truly is.

The Law Is God's Word

We call it the Law of Moses, but Moses is not its author. He was only the messenger who delivered it to the Israelites.

    God is the author of the Law.   It is His Word.   It is also His will.

    The Law is spiritual. Rom. 7: 14.

    The Law is perfect. Psalm 19: 7.

    The Law is useful. 1 Tim. 1: 8 – 11.

    The only problem with the Law is not within the Law itself. Heb. 8: 8.

    The Law points to Christ. Gal. 3: 24.

    The Law was added to the Abrahamic covenant, but did not replace it. Gal. 3: 15 – 19.

    The Law was the core of the Mosaic covenant. Heb. 9: 19

    As God's Word, the Law has not, and it will never pass away. Matt. 5: 18.

    Jesus fulfilled the Law to establish a better covenant that brings salvation and righteousness through the New Birth. Matt. 5: 17. Heb. 8: 6.

What Is In The Law?

We can better understand the Law's nature by understanding what is in it.

    The law of Moses contains three kinds of law: moral, ceremonial, and governmental.

    The moral law, as expressed by the Ten Commandments and other commandments, describes personal righteous behavior.

    Because people have problems keeping the moral law, God included the ceremonial and governmental laws.

    The ceremonial laws allowed the people to have an ongoing relationship with God through the Old Covenant.  These laws covered the sanctuary (tabernacle/temple), the priesthood, the sacrifices, the feasts, the kosher diet, and requirements for ceremonial cleanness.   Heb. 9: 1.

    The governmental law protected society from man's moral shortcomings.  It covered the investigation of crimes, punishments for violations, quarantines, settlement of civil disputes, and government structure.

The Law Is About Love

You probably didn't expect that, did you? Just bear with me and I'll explain.

Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. For this, "YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, YOU SHALL NOT MURDER, YOU SHALL NOT STEAL, YOU SHALL NOT COVET," and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF." Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

(Rom. 13: 8-10 NAS)

For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF."

(Gal 5:13-14 NAS)

If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF," you are doing well.

(James 2:8 NAS)

    If love is the fulfillment of the Law, then the Law just might have something to do with love.  That looks more likely when you consider that the two greatest commandments are to love God and your neighbor. Matt. 22: 35 – 40.

    Now, consider that the Hebrew word for law, “Torah,” also means “instruction.”

    Conclusion: The Law is not just a moral code of behavior, it is God's instruction to spiritually dead people on how to walk in love.  God does have a nature of love, and He expressed that nature through the Law.

    Jesus fulfilled both the moral and ceremonial laws to qualify Himself as the only perfect sacrifice for us.  The moral law did not pass away; it remains as an indicator of man's need for redemption. The ceremonial law is no longer needed, but it can still teach us things about our relationship with God.   The governmental law remains as the best example for human government.

    Through the New Birth, we receive God's love nature, and the moral law is now written on our hearts.

DAVID, THE WORSHIPPING WARRIOR

[Note: Numbers in square brackets are Scripture references listed at the bottom of this post.  You might benefit by first reading the verses listed in those references.]

How Did David Enter The Picture?

The Israelites desired continuity in leadership to keep them repeating a pattern of idolatry, sin, oppression, and deliverance.

    God designated Joshua to follow Moses as the leader of Israel [1], but when Joshua died, he had no designated successor.   This left a vacuum in the nation's leadership [2].

    With no single leader, the people drifted into idolatry.  This opened the door to other forms of sin.   Ever notice that the first few of the Ten Commandments deal with worship? (No other gods; No graven images; Do not take God's name in vain; Observe the Sabbath)   Many pagan religions incorporate sin into their rituals and practices.  The substitution of pagan worship for true worship opened the door for other forms of sin.

    Sin weakened the people to the point that one of their enemies came in and oppressed them.

    Of course the Israelites didn't like being oppressed, so they called out for God to send them a deliverer.  He answered their prayer and sent someone to lead them back to the right path, and to lead them to victory over their enemy.

    But when that leader died, the leadership vacuum returned.  This opened the door for idolatry and sin to come back in, and then another enemy came in to oppress them.  So, they again cried out for another deliverer.

    They wound up repeating that cycle again and again [3].

    Those deliverers that God sent were called judges.  You can read their stories in the Book of Judges.

    Now Samuel was the last judge of Israel [4].

When Samuel got old, he appointed his sons to help him judge the people.  But his sons did not follow his righteous path [5].

    The people recognized the danger they faced.   If Samuel's sons took over when he died, they would return to the old cycle of idolatry, sin, and oppression.  They didn't want that!

    To avoid that, the people thought that if they had a king like other nations, then they would have the continuity of leadership that would keep them on the right path.

    So, they pressured Samuel to ask God to give them a king.   Samuel resisted, because he thought they were rejecting his leadership.  But God told him that they were rejecting Him, because He was to be their king.   But He knew that they would insist on a human king, so He wrote into the Law the rights of the king, and their obligations to the king.

    So, God told Samuel to anoint them a king [6].  That king was Saul [7, 8, 9].

    Saul was okay at first [10], but God soon rejected him for disobedience.

    After his first act of disobedience, God tells Saul through Samuel that his kingdom will be taken away from him and given to a man after God's own heart [11, 12].

    Saul's second act of disobedience was more serious and brazen.   Saul was supposed to completely destroy the Amalekites; men, women, children, and even livestock! (I take that to include pets!)

    But Saul kept the king of the Amalekites alive, and the best of the livestock.   To justify his disobedience, Saul planned to sacrifice the livestock [13].

    Not only that, Saul built a monument to himself [14].   He thought he had done a good thing!  But he was now overtaken with pride, and had set himself on a path he was not going to repent from.

    Because Saul was not going to change, God had to reject him as king of Israel.

God sends Samuel to Bethlehem to anoint David as the next king of Israel.  Now, when he went to Bethlehem, he didn't know who he was going to anoint.  The only things he knew was that the man would be one of Jesse's sons, and he would be God's king [16].

What Did David's Introduction Tell Us About Him?

To answer this question, we have to look at 3 people: David, his oldest brother Eliab, and Saul.

When Samuel tells Jesse that he has come to anoint one of his sons, Eliab is the first one presented. He appears first because he is the oldest.  In most ancient Asian cultures, the oldest is always favored over the younger.  Oldest sons usually receive most of the father's inheritance, and are also given more responsibility as they grow up.

    Now, Eliab's appearance and stature so impressed Samuel that he assumed that Eliab was God's choice.

    Let's take a closer look at Eliab and Samuel's reaction.

    Eliab's impressive appearance meant that he was good-looking, probably even handsome.

    Eliab's impressive stature meant that he was tall and muscular.

    Eliab developed his muscles through hard work on his father's estate.

    We can assume that Eliab had handled his responsibilities well, because if he had done anything to disgrace himself, Jesse would not have presented him first.

    We also know from later passages that Eliab was a soldier in Saul's army.  Because he was used to handing responsibility, he was probably given a leadership position.

    To summarize, handsome, tall, muscular, hard-working, responsible, leader-of-men Eliab looked like king material.   No wonder he impressed Samuel so much!

Why did God reject Eliab, even though he looked like king material?

    God looked into Eliab's heart, and saw something there that disqualified him from being king.

    What God saw in Eliab's heart was a potential for the same kind of pride that brought down Saul.

    Saul was also handsome, tall, muscular, responsible, and a leader-of-men [7]. Those characteristics can lead to pride, the kind that makes one arrogant enough to believe he or she don't have to listen to God, and so the person winds up disobeying God's instructions.

The main difference between Eliab and David was in their hearts.   Eliab's confidence was in himself.   David's confidence was in God.

How did David develop his confidence in God?  Through worship!

    When David first appears, he is Jesse's youngest son, who is out tending sheep when Samuel visits [17].  He tended sheep, because Jesse could trust David to do only that job.

    We know from the passage that follows that David was a skilled and anointed musician. He was called on to play music for Saul when he was troubled by an evil spirit.  When David played, the demon would leave [18].

    David developed his musical skill the same way any musician does – constant practice and playing.   He preferred music over work, so he probably didn't pay much attention to his duties when he was assigned a job to do.

    I'm sure Jesse was greatly concerned about this.   In the culture of the that time and place, most people worked on the family estate.   Most of those estates had crop lands to be worked, livestock to be fed and tended, and the harvests from both had to be converted into food, clothing, or other useful items.   Very few estates had need of a musician.

    But tending sheep is a job that David could do, and he could still play his music while he did!   I can just picture David as a youth, watching over the sheep and strumming his harp, and singing worship songs to the Lord.  David wasn't just playing and singing to entertain himself, he was worshipping God!

Constant Worship Was David's Source Of Strength As a Warrior, And Throughout His Life

As I have already mentioned, David played anointed music, probably worship music, to relieve Saul's demonically tormented soul.   That is one example of the role of worship in David's life, but we can see more.

    Many of the Psalms that David wrote are based on his experiences as a warrior.

    When David finally ascended to the throne of Israel, building the Temple was his top priority.   But God would not let him build it, because he was a warrior, a man who had spilled much blood [21, 23, 28, 32].

    But David made as many preparations as he could for the Temple:

     He stockpiled materials for the construction [29, 31, 33].

     He organized the priests and Levites for Temple service [34].

     He compiled the Book of Psalms.  (He didn't write all of them, but he started compiling them into a single volume.)

    He brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, and placed it in a section of the city that was the old city of Jebus, which became known as the City of David [20, 25].

    He erected a tabernacle for the Ark, and he organized singers and musicians for continuous worship before the Ark.  This became known as the Tabernacle of David [26, 27].

To show the extent that David would go to worship God, he included 3 Gittiths in the Book of Psalms.

Never heard of a Gittith?  They are mentioned in the Bible, but a part that few ever read, and even fewer take the time the search it out.

    Look in you Bible – your hard copy Bible, the electronic versions might not have this in the right place, at Psalm 8.  Between the chapter title and the first verse, you will see a note like this:

For the choir director; on the Gittith. A Psalm of David.

    That note is part of the text, but not part of the psalm.   Many psalms have notes like this, and they usually have background information about the psalm, or instructions for the choir director.

    The notes for Psalms 8, 81, and 84 mention the Gittith.

    Scholars are not exactly sure about the Gittith. Two possibilities are that the Gittith is a musical instrument, or a style of music.

    The only thing scholars are sure of is that the Gittith comes from Gath.  Gath!   A city of the Philistines!   Hometown of Goliath!

    How did David hear the music of the Philistines?

    He might have first heard it the day he confronted Goliath.  If he did, he probably didn't hear enough to learn much about it.  After all, he was dealing with a giant issue at the time!

    But later on, while Saul was pursuing David, he hid out with the Philistines in the city of Gath [19].  While he was there, I'm sure he had enough time to learn more about the Gittith.

    David recognized good music when he heard it.  And the Philistines must have had some good music for him to want to learn it and play it, despite the kind of things the Philistines would sing about.  You can probably imagine what kind of subjects they sang about, and the kind of words they used.

    Now, consider Psalm 8. It is one of the most beautiful psalms, and it contains a Messianic prophecy.  This psalm was sung directly before the Ark!  Philistine music was used in the very presence of God!

    In short, a Gittith is a “saved” song, one taken from the world and converted to use in the Kingdom of God.

One Final Note About The Tabernacle Of David

Amos prophesied that the Tabernacle of David, representing open worship before God's manifest presence, would be rebuilt, or restored [35]. James referred to it at the Jerusalem conference where church leaders dealt with the issue of Gentile believers needing to be circumcised [36]. As far as I know, it is the only thing from the Old Testament era that is prophesied to be restored before Jesus returns.

SCRIPTURES

[1] Num. 27: 18 – 23; Deut. 34: 8; Josh. 1   Joshua was anointed to follow Moses as the leader of Israel.

[2] Judges 2: 6 – 13  Joshua's death left a vacuum in the leadership of Israel.

[3] Judges 2: 14 – 3:8; 21: 25   Without continuity of leadership, Israel sunk into a cycle of sin and deliverance.

[4] 1 Sam. 7   Samuel becomes the last judge of Israel.

[5] 1 Sam. 8: 1 – 3  Samuel appoints his sons as assistant judges, but they don't follow his righteous ways.

[6] 1 Sam. 8: 4 – 9, 22  The people ask for a king; God tells Samuel to appoint them a king.

[7] 1 Sam. 9: 1 – 2   Saul was a choice man, the tallest and most handsome man in Israel.

[8] 1 Sam. 9: 15 – 17   God shows Samuel that Saul is His choice for king.

[9] 1 Sam. 10: 17 – 24  Saul appointed king.

[10] 1 Sam. 11 – 12   Saul does his job as king.

[11] 1 Sam. 13: 7 – 12   Saul's first act of disobedience.

[12] 1 Sam. 13: 13 – 14  Saul's kingdom to given to a man after God's own heart.

[13] 1 Sam. 15:1 – 9  Saul's second act of disobedience.

[14] 1 Sam. 15: 12   Saul built a monument to himself.

[15] 1 Sam. 15: 20 – 21   Saul tries to justify his disobedience by blaming the people.

[16] 1 Sam. 16: 1 – 7  Eliab rejected for what was in his heart.

[17] 1 Sam. 16: 10 – 11 Jesse's seven oldest sons rejected.  David was out in the pasture tending sheep.

[18] 1 Sam. 16: 14 – 23   David plays music to relieve Saul's torment.

[19] 1 Sam. 27: 1 – 7  David hides from Saul in the land of the Philistines.

[20] 2 Sam. 6  David brings the Ark to the city of David – the old city of Jebus, now part of Jerusalem; Ark placed in the Tabernacle of David.

[21] 2 Sam. 7: 1 – 13   David's desire to build the Temple is rebuffed and put off onto Solomon.

[22] 1 Kings 3: 15   Solomon offers burnt sacrifices before the Ark, near the Tabernacle of David in Jerusalem.

[23] 1 Kings 5: 1 – 12  Solomon and Hiram, king of Tyre, form an alliance; Solomon confirms that David was not allowed to build the Temple because of his many wars (v. 3); Hiram to provide materials for the Temple.

[24] 1 Kings 8: 1 – 11  Ark taken from the Tabernacle of David to the Temple.

[25] 1 Chron. 15 Ark brought up to Jerusalem, to the City of David – the old city of Jebus. (Parallel to 2 Sam. 6)

[26] 1 Chron. 16: 1 – 7 Ark placed in the Tabernacle of David; singers and musicians organized to continually worship before the Ark.

[27] 1 Chron. 16: 37 – 42 Continuous worship before the Ark.

[28] 1 Chron. 17: 1 – 15 David's desire to build the Temple rebuffed and put off onto Solomon. (Parallel to 2 Sam. 7: 1 – 13)

[29] 1 Chron. 18: 8 – 11 David sets aside materials for the Temple. (Parallel to 2 Sam. 8: 9 – 12)

[30] 1 Chron. 21: 18 – 30  David's altar in Jebus.  It might have have been near the Tabernacle of David. (Parallel to 2 Sam. 24: 18 – 25)

[31] 1 Chron. 22: 1 - 5   David prepares for the Temple's construction.

[32] 1 Chron. 22: 8   David prevented from building the Temple because he shed much blood.

[33] 1 Chron. 22: 14 – 16  David describes to the people his preparations for Temple construction.

[34] 1 Chron. 23 – 26  David organized priests, Levites, singers, musicians, recorders (secretaries) for Temple service.

[35] Amos 9: 11 – 12  Prophecy to rebuild the Tabernacle of David.

[36] Acts 15: 13 – 18 James quotes the prophecy of Amos to rebuild the Tabernacle of David.