The book of 2 Samuel continues the story of 1 Samuel, where in chapter 31, King Saul met a grisly end by his own hand. 2 Samuel opens with the news of Saul’s death reaching King-elect David. It may be that the news-bearer presented the report on Saul’s death to David in the hope of some reward, but all it achieved was distress and grief to David and a swift execution for the news-bearer! Why such a response from David? And why such distress? And why such a poetic lament for Saul after all that Saul did for David? And what can we learn from David’s response to the news of Saul’s death?
Philip Burns
Rev Philip Burns is the minister of Bendigo Presbyterian Church.
‘Holiness 102: There’s a war going on!’
While the world knows the reality of the horror of war, the believer also knows the reality of the battle for holiness. Best laid plans and intentions can so easily be left aside. The Christian life is a paradox. We have been delivered from the penalty of sin, but not yet from the presence of sin. The desires of our own sinful natures and the Holy Spirit are often in conflict. How do we fight this battle? Every believer needs to know that indwelling sin is the problem, that it lives within our hearts, that it deceives our reasoning and ought not be allowed to have control. The key to victory is not found in ourselves but in the presence of God’s Holy Spirit who can and will assist us in this ongoing battle for holiness.
‘Holiness 101: So how do you measure up?’
Holiness. It’s often been misunderstood, even by God’s pople. What are we to make of it? For a start, holiness begins with God. He is ‘holy, holy, holy’. Holiness is his chief characteristic and everything about him (his love, his wisdom, his mercy etc.) is holy. Holiness is also defined by Jesus. As he was and is God, we should expect that everything he did was holy, and this was true. Though he hung around with ‘sinners’, his life was holy in every way. Then also, holiness is necessary for believers. It is needed to prove that we know salavtion. It is needed so that we can have fellowship with God. It is needed if we want to be useful to God. Holiness is a path to take, a battle to fight and a desire to be pursued. It begins with God but ought to be seen in his people who are called to be like him in this way.
‘Timothy! Here’s what to teach the rich in the light of eternity!’ (1 Timothy 6:17-21)
In the final section of Paul’s letter to Timothy, the Apostle reminded this young pastor of one of the major snares that would entrap the believers at Ephesus – riches. Although it is no sin to be wealthy, those who do enjoy riches face the temptation to give their hearts to their wealth or their material possessions and in so doing, fail to make use of their wealth for God’s glory. Paul therefore instructed Timothy in 1 Timothy 6:17-21 to teach the wealthy at Ephesus to beware of the uncertainty of riches, to be generous with their wealth and to see their wealth in the light of eternity, knowing that everything belonging to this world will be destroyed at the end of the age. It is possible to be godly and wealthy, but to do that God must always come before wealth. To do otherwise is to fail to be faithful stewards of all that God has given His people to enjoy.
‘Timothy! Here’s some commands for your own benefit!’ (1 Timothy 6:11-16)
The first part of Paul’s concluding statements to Timothy in 1 Timothy 6:11-16 address Timothy directly. the whole letter was written for his benefit, this section would leave Timothy in no doubt as to how he should go about the task that was a ahead of him. The section of text centres around 5 commands that Timothy ought to put into practice and all these commands are reminscent of language that might be employed by a senior army officer to a junior. The commands are ‘flee’ (sin), ‘pursue’ (godliness), ‘take hold’ (of eternal life), ‘fight’ (the good fight) and ‘keep’ (the commandment). Paul also called upon two witnesses, the Lord Jesus and God the Father, in making this solemn and urgent charge to Timothy. God’s people may feel as though the fight is wearying and hard, but we are not to ‘lay down arms’ until death or until Jesus returns.
‘Timothy! Here’s some dangers that could snare the whole flock!’ (1 Timothy 6:3-10)
Life is full of dangers. Believers face dangers too. In 1 Timothy 6:3-10, Paul wrote to Timothy concerning very real dangers at Ephesus. To make that clear, Paul reminded Timothy first of all of the root and fruit of sound doctrine. The gospel was not invented by the apostles but came to them direct from Jesus. The aim of such teaching is godliness, a life transformed by grace. Paul also wrote of the root and fruit of false teachers. Not all who profess to follow Jesus adhere to his truth and false teachers often have false motives and the reult of these motives will become clear in their divisive behaviour. Paul also spoke of the root and fruit of the desire for material wealth. It is the love of money that can become a root of all kinds of evil. Jesus said ‘where your treasure is there your heart will be also’. God’s people need to guard their hearts against the dangers of false teaching and the more subtle danger of the love of money.
‘Timothy! Here’s what to teach the slaves in your flock!’ (1 Timothy 6:1-2)
As a ‘Handbook on Church life’, Paul’s first letter to Timothy contained many intructions as to how Timothy was to treat members of his church family, of which salves were a major part in the first century world, up to one third of the population. Slavery in the Roman Empire was nothing like the brutal slavery known throughoutthe world in more recent times and so Paul encouraged Timothy in 1 Timothy 6:1-2 to remind the slaves that as believers, their responsibility was to honour their masters so that the Word of God may not be reviled and to do that even more (not less) when their masters were fellow brothers in the Lord. The principle behind all this is that in all of our employment, wherever and for whoever that may be, we are to live and work in such a way that our Master (Jesus) is honoured.
‘Timothy! Here’s how to manage the elders of the flock!’ (1 Timothy 5:17-25)
If we understand Paul’s letter to Timothy as a ‘Handook on Church life’ then Timothy must have been glad to have this section written to him. As a young man, called to be the pastor of the Church at Ephesus, Timothy would need to know how he should manage and care for the other appointed elders he was to work with. Among the instructions that Paul gave were reminders of how elders were to be supported financially, disciplined carefully and appointed cautiously. Above all, Paul directed Timothy to manintain his own personal purity and holiness which is what his people, the flock, would most need. Holiness matters because the gospel matters and the witness of the church can be seriously impaired by a lack of it.
‘Timothy! Do your best to build a church on healthy relationships!’ (1 Timothy 5:1-16)
Because Paul loved the church he wrote to the younger pastor at Ephesus, Timothy, with many instructions on how Timothy should manage church life and various sub-groups within the church. According to 1 Timothy 5:1-16, Timothy was not only to preach the Word faithfully but show resepct and honour to all, treating older men as he would his father, younger men as his brothers, older women as he would his mother and younger women as sisters. There is an inter-generational aspect to the church that is special and unique. But Timothy was also to especially care for and help the widows in his congregation. With no pensions or other social security offered to them, their needs were great. The church is to be a place where people ‘be the church’ to each other. Our witness to the world only begins when we truly show the love of Christ to one another.
‘Timothy! Be sure about your own calling and ministry’ (1 Timothy 4:11-16)
The verses of 1 Timothy 4:11-16 form some of Paul’s main instructions to Timothy as a younger pastor of the church at Ephesus, describing the kind of ministry Timothy was to exercise over his flock. It is very clear from what Paul wrote that of the many things Timothy was expected to do, the main calling upoon his time and energies was to be given to preaching and teaching the Word of God. This was not to be done in a vaccuum or with no reference to the needs of his people and was also something that Timothy would need to do to himself. He would need to ensure that his own faith, discipleship and service for the Lord were all an example for the rest of the flock to follow. These instructions of Paul’s are also applicable to all God’s people, whether they preach or not. All are called to model the gospel of Christ to a watching world.