May 20
Ps 83; 1 Chronicles 29:23-35; 2 Chronicles 1:1; 1 Kings 2:13-3:4; 2 Chronicles 1:2-6; 1 Kings 3:5-15; 2 Chronicles 1:7-13
Only the people of God, who are in the word of God, can recognize the enemies of God, and those who are evil before God. If you want someone to look at you oddly, or be shocked in a conversation, just call someone or some position as evil. Yet we live in such times of biblical illiteracy that often what the world and the majority of individuals who are attached to this world calls good is evil, and what it calls evil is good. We should not be surprised at anything that is transpiring in this world that we live in, as we read in 1 John 5:19-20 (NKJV), "We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one. And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life." But even those in Christ often spend too much time distracted, obtaining their information and guidance from worldly sources in the media (even if they seem to be on the right side), rather than the true source, which is the word of God, as we read in Hebrews 5:12-14(NKJV), "For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil."
We read in Psalm 83:1-3, "O God, do not be silent! Do not be deaf. Do not be quiet, O God. Don’t you hear the uproar of your enemies? Don’t you see that your arrogant enemies are rising up? They devise crafty schemes against your people; they conspire against your precious ones." There was evil then, just as there is now. As always, evil is often not in the open, but cloaked in falsehood. Adonijah appeared to simply have an innocent request, as he approached Bathsheeba, as we read in 1 Kings 2:15-16, "He replied, “As you know, the kingdom was rightfully mine; all Israel wanted me to be the next king. But the tables were turned, and the kingdom went to my brother instead; for that is the way the Lord wanted it. So now I have just one favor to ask of you. Please don’t turn me down.” He goes on to request to marry the woman who kept King David warm in bed in his final days (1 Kings 1). Bathsheeba was fooled and made this request before her son, Solomon, the king. But we read Solomon's response in 2:22, "“How can you possibly ask me to give Abishag to Adonijah?” King Solomon demanded. “You might as well ask me to give him the kingdom! You know that he is my older brother, and that he has Abiathar the priest and Joab son of Zeruiah on his side.” In fact when Solomon was asked by God to seek anything that he wanted from Him, we read his request in 3:9, "Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great people of yours?”
We, the people of God, should not be seeking revenge. We should also not be spending so much time outside of God's word that we allow those sources to influence us more than Scripture. Like Solomon, we should crave discernment during these difficult times. Discernment to recognize good from evil, and God's friends from His enemies. God has given us His counsel in His word, which is just as relevant now as it was when it was first written. Times, names, and places may change; but the presence of good and evil has not. Navigating through the muddy waters can only be achieved under God's direction. We seem to spend too much time wanting to see the enemies of God to be brought under justice, but this will happen, be it on this side of eternity or the next, as we read in Numbers 32:23, " But if you fail to keep your word, then you will have sinned against the Lord, and you may be sure that your sin will find you out.", and Jesus' words in Luke 12:2-3, "The time is coming when everything that is covered up will be revealed, and all that is secret will be made known to all. Whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be shouted from the housetops for all to hear!" May we place our priorities on seeking God and His wisdom, that He may give us spiritual discernment to recognize good from evil, and in so doing, experience peace in these tumultuous times.
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: