August 6, Day 218 – The Power and the Wisdom of God

1 Chronicles 19:1-22:1; Psalm 91:1-8;

1 Corinthians 1:18-2:5

"Congested City" © by Terri L. Stricker - Original Mixed Media on Panel

In 1 Chronicles 19:1-22:1, we see David’s further exploits as king over Israel.  1st Chronicles 19 is a parallel passage to 2nd Samuel 10-11.  Here in 1st Chronicles 19 – when compared to 2nd Samuel 11 – we notice that something is missing – David’s sin with Bathsheba is omitted.  Why is that?  I believe it is excluded here to show us that [1] God has completely forgiven David of that sin; it has been fully dealt with and finally forgotten (cf., Jeremiah 31:34 and Hebrews 8:12).  No further comment or address about it is necessary.  [2] Here in 1st Chronicles, we recognize that the Holy Spirit, Who is the divine Guardian of the Word of God, is teaching us – by the clear omission from this text of David’s sin – that we do not need to dwell on, magnify, or focus our attention on the sins of others.  However, this section does address another of David’s sins – his census of his fighting men in chapter 21.  Before that, we see David’s attempt to “show kindness to Hanun, son of Nahash, who showed kindness” to David (cf., 1 Chronicles 19:1-2).  David sent a delegation to Hanun concerning the death of his father, but Hanun’s advisors falsely convinced him that David’s motives were underhanded.  Their Ammonite mistreatment and embarrassment “became a stench in David’s nostrils” (verse 6), and then they hired the Arameans for war against Israel.  None of this was a good idea; in the end, David’s enemies were not big enough.  As they “fled before Israel, David killed seven thousand of them” (verses 8-19).  From this incident, we should learn to be judicious with our kindnesses – not everyone receives benevolence with appreciation.  In chapter 20, David’s army, under Joab, “laid waste the land of the Ammonites” (verse 1).  Also, the Israelites fought against the Philistines.  In chapter 21, David’s sinful census was a lapse in his faith which was not big enough to depend solely on the Lord.  As a result, God sent a plague of judgment that killed “seventy thousand men of Israel” (verse 14).  David’s census was also not a good idea.

Psalm 91 is a commentary on Psalm 46, and both Psalms are among my favorites.  Just before the Christmas season of 1993, I had to leave my family alone in Vienna for an urgent situation back in the U.S.  Before I boarded the plane, Terri said to me, “The only Christmas present I want this year is for you to memorize Psalm 91.”  During my brief time then in the states, I remember struggling SO hard to memorize this Psalm, but somehow – by God’s grace – after I arrived back home in Vienna, I was able to recite it perfectly for her on Christmas Day, and she was overjoyed.  I’ll never forget that.  This Psalm teaches us that the LORD is our Refuge (verses 2, 4, and 9).  As such, He is our shelter (verse 1); He is also strong (verse 2); safe (verse 3); secure (verse 5); solid (verse 2); and He is our shield (verse 4).

1 Corinthians 1:18-2:5 informs us about something we see every day.  “To those who are perishing, the message of the cross is foolishness” (verse 1).  May I say to you that some people are foolishly content – even as they live – to perish in their sins.  However, “to those of us who are being saved, it is the power of God” (verse 1).  We need to understand what the “power of God” really means and come to grips with it – if we can.  A few weeks ago, I addressed Paul’s shipwreck in Acts 27, and I wrote that “God’s creative power – even in the storm – is beyond our understanding.  Our experiences are not big enough for us to know the full effects of the wind and the water” (cf., July 10, Day 192 – The Storm of This Life). Notice this: “Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.  The foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength” (verses 24-25).  Paul asks the question, “Where is the wise man … the scholar … and the philosopher?” (verse 20).  “God has made foolish” their wisdom, through which they cannot know Him (verse 21).  The so-called “wise man, scholar, and philosopher” can be found everywhere, but wherever you find them, they are just not big enough to grasp the power of God.