1 Sam. 22
I am struck by the crowd that gathered to David. 1 Sam 22:2a says, “And everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was bitter in soul, gathered to him.” Sounds to me like the same sort of crowd that gathered to Jesus. But then David, like Joseph and other figures in the Bible, was a picture, or representation, of Christ. Israel (the world) was under the rule of a King, Saul (Satan) who had fallen from God’s grace. God appointed David (Christ) as the “forever King” but he did not step up to take his rule immediately (Jesus first vs second coming). Instead, He spent time drawing the lost to him. Hmmm…..
And what to say about Saul. He does the same projection that every guilty person does, blaming his stated ‘enemy’ (who has done nothing wrong) for the darkness that lies in his own heart. We still see that same behavior everywhere today. It is the response of a proud heart to a guilty conscience.
Ps. 56
God had promised David the throne. I wonder if David clung to that promise while so many were pursuing him for so long? He seemed pretty confident, in spite of those attempting to take his life, that he would be safe. And it seems he was able to look past his current hardships and suffering to that end result. God never promises us an easy path, but our end result – if we choose to trust in Jesus – is guaranteed. So let’s keep our eyes focused on that so that, like David, we can say, “In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?” (Ps 56:4)
Luke 22;1-23
Luke 22:3 says, “Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve.” Wait, what?!? Judas was with Jesus, studying under Him and devoting his life to Him…how was the door open for Satan to enter in? And when Jesus told his apostles, at the Passover feast, that one of them would betray Him, they did not know which one of them it was. So whatever was lacking in Judas went unnoticed by the rest of the twelve. That is all rather alarming to me.
First, that someone so close to Jesus could be swayed so by Satan. There is no real indication of it in this passage, but I believe Judas may have left that door open by trying to serve two masters, as Jesus talked about. He loved money. This is why it is soooo important to keep God first, above all. Anything else – anything – that attempts to take the place of God on the throne of our hearts, leaves a door open for Satan. And we can be sure that he will take full advantage of it. We must constantly ask God to “guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:7) so that we don’t become the Devil’s tool.
The other thing I find very alarming, is that the others did not recognize Judas’ split heart. Or maybe they did, but failed to realize the danger in it – to Judas and to the rest of them. Perhaps this is why Paul urges the Church to confront brothers and sisters who are living in sin and to treat them as unbelievers if they fail to repent. The danger is real. The Bible warns us of wolves in sheep’s clothing who infiltrate the Church and lead many astray. We must remain diligent, stay awake, and be hyper-focused on God and His Truth. But most importantly of all, as demonstrated by Judas, we must love the Lord our God with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, and all our strength. Let’s not leave the door open for Satan inside or outside our hearts.