May 18
1 Sam 22:1-23:29 | PS 115:1-18 | Prov 15:18-19 | John 10:1-21
After Jesus put forth two more of His "I AM" statements, that He was both the Gate and the Good Shepherd, the people were divided, as we read in John 10:19-21, "Therefore there was a division again among the Jews because of these sayings. And many of them said, “He has a demon and is mad. Why do you listen to Him?” Others said, “These are not the words of one who has a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”" We can only know God's truth if we immerse ourselves in the pages of His truth as revealed in His Word, the Bible. What's amazing is the masses misunderstanding and rejecting Jesus was already predicted in the pages of prophecy years before, such as in the four Servant Songs of Isaiah (Isaiah 42:1-9, 49:1-13, 50:4-11, and 52:13-53:12). But unless you spent some time in the pages of the Old Testament you would never know this. Those who saw Jesus' ministry concluding at His death on the cross would see it that way because they never bothered to familiarize themselves with Psalm 22 or Zechariah 12:10. We who see Jesus for who He is can be labeled as "Jesus Freaks", we can be marginalized as misinformed or naive and easily led astray. But this should not surprise us, as God always brought forth a remnant, not a majority. And those who choose to place their hopes in anyone other than the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ, will one day be shown to have been incorrect, but sadly for many it will be too late.
Standing upon truth will often be called out as a lie by those in power, and we are told that we will (not might) suffer persecution. Ahimilech, the priest at the time, spoke truth, honored both the authority of the king (Saul), and faithfully assisted David. Yet, we read what happened as King Saul wrongly accused him, even labeling him a conspirator in 1 Samuel 22:16-19, "And the king said, “You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father’s house!” Then the king said to the guards who stood about him, “Turn and kill the priests of the Lord, because their hand also is with David, and because they knew when he fled and did not tell it to me.” But the servants of the king would not lift their hands to strike the priests of the Lord. And the king said to Doeg, “You turn and kill the priests!” So Doeg the Edomite turned and struck the priests, and killed on that day eighty-five men who wore a linen ephod. Also Nob, the city of the priests, he struck with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and nursing infants, oxen and donkeys and sheep—with the edge of the sword." Did Ahimilech and his family deserve this? Absolutely not!
Our hope lies not on the things of this earth. All on this earth, including these bodies of ours, our earthly tents, will wither and begin to fall apart. We cannot cheat aging or death. Leaders will come and go: some good, some bad. That is why we must place our hope in Jesus, our Good Shepherd, for He alone can lead us, crumbling though we may be into eternity which is far better than we can ever imagine. We read of Jesus being the Gate in John 10:9-10, "I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." We read of Jesus being the Good Shepherd in 10:11-15, "“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep." Yes, He is the only way, the only truth.
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: