Consequences for Sin
Notes
Transcript
Turn to 1 Samuel Ch. 22
Intro:
Intro:
FREQUENT QUESTION DURING TRAGEDY: “WHERE’S GOD in THIS??”
THINGS
SHOCK
SURPRISE
FRUSTRATE
SCARE US...
WE OFTEN DON’T UNDERSTAND
AS HUMANS: WE ONLY HAVE PART of the PICTURE… & WE DON’T KNOW the END from the BEGINNING...
ENCOURAGE: YOU CAN HAVE HOPE in GOD WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING EVERYTHING.
WE WANT ALL the ANSWERS...
WE WANT to KNOW WHY THINGS HAPPEN...
BUT WE WON’T HAVE ALL the ANSWERS in THIS LIFE...
SEARCH FOR UNDERSTANDING ISN’T WRONG…BUT REMEMBER WE WALK BY FAITH....
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DIFFICULT TEXT TODAY...
ENCOURAGE: GOD ISN’T ABSENT/MISSING…HE’S THERE ALL ALONG.
ALL THINGS COME BY GOD’S DECREE or PERMISSION.
GOD WILL BRING HIS PLAN to COMPLETION FOR US...
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Recap:
Recap:
Last week:
DAVID = ON the RUN…SEEMINGLY WITHOUT FAITH.
CAME to CITY (NOB) WHERE PRIESTHOOD WAS.
ACQUIRED FOOD & SWORD
THEN ESCAPED to LAND of PHILISTINES & PRETENDED to BE CRAZY!
EVENTUALLY FINDS REFUGE in MOAB
WE SAW: GOD WAS FAITHFUL to DAVID EVEN WHEN DAVID WAS FAITHLESS…
& WE CAN BE CONFIDENT GOD = FAITHFUL & GRACIOUS EVEN WHEN WE FALTER.
TEXT ENDED: DAVID RETURNING to ISRAEL in FOREST.
(T) Now, we’re GOING to LOOK @ TEXT, and SEE SOME of the CONSEQUENCES of DAVID’S ACTIONS last week. If you’d begin by looking with me at 1 SAM. 22:6. The text says,
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Text (1 Samuel 22:6-23)
Text (1 Samuel 22:6-23)
Setting/Inciting Incident (V6)
Setting/Inciting Incident (V6)
1 Samuel 22:6–23 (ESV)
6 Now Saul heard that David was discovered, and the men who were with him. Saul was sitting at Gibeah under the tamarisk tree on the height with his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing about him.
SAUL HEARS—DAVID = BACK in ISRAEL/JUDAH
&& SAUL HAS SPEAR in HAND—INCREASINGLY PARANOID.
**LAST WE SAW it--STUCK INTO WALL, AIMED @ JONATHAN.
&& ALL SERVANTS W/ HIM
(T) So, our text today begins with a paranoid Saul, who is again going about with spear in hand, certainly irrational, and READY to KILL DAVID the MOMENT he GETS OPPORTUNITY... Now, look with me at VS 7, the text says,
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Rising Action (V7-8)
Rising Action (V7-8)
7 And Saul said to his servants who stood about him, “Hear now, people of Benjamin; will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, will he make you all commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds,
8 that all of you have conspired against me? No one discloses to me when my son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse. None of you is sorry for me or discloses to me that my son has stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day.”
SAUL = COMPLAINING & WALLOWING in SELF-PITY.
**BANKING on TRIBAL ALLIANCE (TRIBE of BENJAMIN) OVER NATIONAL ALLIANCE…
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ESSENTIALLY ASKS MEN: WILL YOU REALLY HAVE it BETTER UNDER DAVID???
“WILL DAVID MAKE YOU COMMANDERS, ETC.????”
“WILL HE GIVE YOU VINEYARDS & LAND ETC????”
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SAUL CONTINUES in SELF-PITY…CAN’T BELIEVE NO ONE TOLD HIM ABOUT COVENANT BETWEEN DAVID & JONATHAN HIS SON...
***SELF-PITY & GRATITUDE CAN’T COEXIST.
*** YOU CAN’T RECOUNT GOD’S GRACE in YOUR LIFE… && FEEL YOU’VE GOT it BAD SIMULTANEOUSLY!
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CONSIDER: GREAT THINGS GOD DID FOR SAUL
GOD TOOK HUMBLE FARMER,, TOTALLY UNKNOWN,, && MADE HIM KING..
GOD INITIALLY MADE SAUL a GREAT SUCCESS…GIVING HIM MILITARY VICTORY..
***GOD HADN’T EVER ONCE DONE ANYTHING WRONG to SAUL!
&& SAUL BECAUSE of HIS OWN SIN, DISQUALIFIED HIMSELF FROM LEADERSHIP.
ALL GOOD THINGS in SAUL’S LIFE = UNDESERVED
ALL BAD THINGS in SAUL’S LIFE = ACTUALLY DESERVED.
GOD WAS GRACIOUS to SAUL. SAUL HAD NO REASON to FEEL SORRY FOR HIMSELF...
YOU ONLY FEEL LIKE a VICTIM...IF YOU FORGET GRACE of GOD.
(T) So, SAUL, EVEN THOUGH HE’S KING, FEELS ALL ALONE... EVERYONE has CONSPIRED AGAINST HIM...He alone is left with no supporters, with no one on his team. Woe is me; woe is me. But IS SAUL TRULY ALONE? The text goes on to say in VS 9..,
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Inciting Incident (V9-10)
Inciting Incident (V9-10)
9 Then answered Doeg the Edomite, who stood by the servants of Saul, “I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, 10 and he inquired of the Lord for him and gave him provisions and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”
REMEMBER THIS GUY FROM LAST WK?? OMINOUS//RANDOM INTRODUCTION...
GOD PROVIDED for DAVID @ NOB...
YET DAVID WAS CAUGHT BY DOEG, SERVANT of SAUL.
DOEG = EDOMITE… (CHIEF of HERDSMAN)
DESCENDANT of ESAU, NOT JACOB/ISRAEL
OUTSIDE of COVENANT PEOPLE.
WHILE SAUL FEELS THREATENED, THIS GUY USES THIS OPPORTUNITY for PERSONAL GAIN.
***HE’S ATTEMPTING to CLIMB the LADDER/GAIN FAVOR, BY THROWING PRIESTS UNDER the BUS...
(T) And you can IMAGINE that THIS is PROBLEMATIC NOW... Because SAUL is INCREDIBLY PARANOID... He’s GOING AROUND WITH SPEAR IN-HAND as usual. He’s tried to kill David many times, tried to kill his own son, and NOW the INNOCENT PRIESTS of NOB have BEEN EXPOSED for the SUPPOSED CRIME of HELPING DAVID, the KING’S WORST ENEMY Look with me now at VS 11, it says,
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Rising Action (V11-15)
Rising Action (V11-15)
11 Then the king sent to summon Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father’s house, the priests who were at Nob, and all of them came to the king. 12 And Saul said, “Hear now, son of Ahitub.” And he answered, “Here I am, my lord.”
13 And Saul said to him, “Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, in that you have given him bread and a sword and have inquired of God for him, so that he has risen against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?” 14 Then Ahimelech answered the king, “And who among all your servants is so faithful as David, who is the king’s son-in-law, and captain over your bodyguard, and honored in your house?
15 Is today the first time that I have inquired of God for him? No! Let not the king impute anything to his servant or to all the house of my father, for your servant has known nothing of all this, much or little.”
(Q) HAVE YOU NOTICED the THEME of PEOPLE RECOLLECTING DAVID’S INNOCENCE??
REMEMBER, DAVID’S GREAT CRIME = BEING BETTER THAN SAUL!…SAUL’S MOTIVE FOR KILLING DAVID = JEALOUSY ONLY!!
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SO SAUL CALLS HIGH PRIEST…&& ACCUSES HIM of CONSPIRACY...
SAUL COULDN’T SEE ANYONE BUT HIMSELF…HE WAS SO INCREDIBLY ABSORBED W/ HIS OWN KINGDOM… MADE HIM BELIEVE CRAZY THINGS...
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(Q) ANYONE ELSE FIND THAT the HUMAN IMAGINATION CAN JUMP to CRAZY NEGATIVE CONCLUSIONS REALLY QUICKLY??
SAUL KNEW the KINGDOM WAS LEAVING HIM & GOING to SOMEONE “BETTER”
SO SAUL WAS CONSTANTLY PARANOID & FEARFUL ABOUT THIS…FABRICATING THIS WILD STORY...
&& THE PROBLEM WAS, SAUL FORGOT HE WAS #2!!! GOD WAS to BE KING OVER ISRAEL… IF WE FORGET THAT WE ARE MERELY STEWARDS of GOD’S CALLING,, WE CAN EASILY BECOME INSECURE & FEARFUL of BEING REPLACED.
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AGAIN CONSIDER JONATHAN’S EXAMPLE COMPARED to SAUL’S...
JONATHAN SOUGHT KINGDOM of GOD.
SAUL SOUGHT KINGDOM of SELF (BECAME an IDOL)
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SAUL DEMANDS PRIESTS COME & ADDRESSES HIGH PRIEST in DEROGATORY FASHION...
AHIMELECH COMES HUMBLY
REFERS to HIMSELF as SAUL’S SERVANT & to SAUL AS LORD.
***REMEMBER, AHIMELECH DIDN’T DO ANYTHING WRONG! && HE WAS CLUELESS.
&& AHIMELECH REMINDS SAUL THAT DAVID WAS a SERVANT of SAUL…
DAVID = ONE of SAUL’S COMMANDERS...
DAVID = KING’S SON-in-LAW
& DAVID = FAITHFUL GUY.
(T) So, in the past, SAUL HAS a BAD TRACK RECORD of BELIEVING OTHERS over and above his own paranoia, so we’ll see now, is he going to buy Ahimelech’s story, that was actually true? The text says in VS 16...
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More Tension (V16-17)
More Tension (V16-17)
16 And the king said, “You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father’s house.” 17 And the king said to the guard who stood about him, “Turn and kill the priests of the Lord, because their hand also is with David, and they knew that he fled and did not disclose it to me.” But the servants of the king would not put out their hand to strike the priests of the Lord.
SAUL DETERMINES AHIMELECH MUST DIE && HIS WHOLE FATHER’S HOUSE!
**THIS WASN’T a CONSPIRACY THOUGH, DAVID DIDN’T EVEN STAY in ISRAEL AFTER THEIR HELP!!
**DAVID DIDN’T RETURN to ISRAEL UNTIL a PROPHET TOLD HIM TO!
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STILL SAUL DETERMINES THEY MUST ALL DIE:
ON BASIS of 1 WITNESS,, WHEN OT LAW REQUIRED 2-3
&& EVEN WHAT THEY DID WASN’T WRONG!
THANKFULLY SAUL’S SERVANTS DISOBEY.
***OBEDIENCE to GOD ALWAYS TRUMPS OBEDIENCE to MAN.
OVER GOVERNMENT
WORKPLACE
INDIVIDUALS
ALL OBEDIENCE to MEN MUST BE FILTERED THROUGH OBEDIENCE to GOD
(T) So, SAUL HAS DELEGATED the DEATH PENALTY for THESE INNOCENT PRIESTS, and his MEN ARE REFUSING HIS ORDERS, so WHAT WILL HE DO NOW? Look with me at VS 18...
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Climax (V18-19)
Climax (V18-19)
18 Then the king said to Doeg, “You turn and strike the priests.” And Doeg the Edomite turned and struck down the priests, and he killed on that day eighty-five persons who wore the linen ephod. 19 And Nob, the city of the priests, he put to the sword; both man and woman, child and infant, ox, donkey and sheep, he put to the sword.
SAUL’S SERVANTS = UNWILLING
TASK GETS DELEGATED to DOEG
*** && HE NOT ONLY KILLS PRIESTS, BUT GOES to NOB & KILLS ENTIRE FAMILIES & EVEN LIVESTOCK
NEWEST DEPTH to SAUL’S DEPRAVITY. “THE human heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick” (Jer. 17:9).
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SAD IRONY: SAUL DISOBEYED WHEN COMMANDED to DESTROY AMALEK (ENEMY NATION)
BUT NO PROBLEM KILLING EVERYONE WHEN THEY’RE PART of OWN PEOPLE && PRIESTHOOD NONETHELESS!
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DOESN’T THIS PASSAGE BOTHER YOU?? ONE of THOSE THINGS WE WISHED WOULDN’T HAVE HAPPENED...
PEOPLE WONDERING, “WHERE is GOD??”
THESE ARE PRIESTS, SET APART for YAHWEH’S SERVICE…LIVES DEDICATED to HIM! && THEY’RE EXECUTED W/ FAMILIES in COLD BLOOD.
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TEXT ISN’T EASY, BUT a FEW THOUGHTS TODAY:
REMEMBER “ELI” PRIEST FROM BEGINNING of 1 SAMUEL???
ELI’S SONS = CORRUPT
STEALING FROM OFFERINGS
ADULTERY @ PLACE of WORSHIP
&& ELI (HIGH PRIEST & JUDGE) = COMPLICIT.
GOD SENT PROPHET to ELI in JUDGMENT in CH. 2 VS 31-33:
1 Samuel 2:31–33 (ESV)
31 Behold, the days are coming when I will cut off your strength and the strength of your father’s house, so that there will not be an old man in your house. 32 Then in distress you will look with envious eye on all the prosperity that shall be bestowed on Israel, and there shall not be an old man in your house forever. 33 The only one of you whom I shall not cut off from my altar shall be spared to weep his eyes out to grieve his heart, and all the descendants of your house shall die by the sword of men.
TERRIBLE, ATROCIOUS ACT = FULFILLMENT of PROPHETIC WORD AGAINST ELI’S HOUSE FROM DECADES BEFORE....
REMINDER: THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES for SIN.
ELI’S SIN BROUGHT WORD of JUDGMENT
SAUL’S SIN CAUSED CALLOUSED HEART W/ NO DEPTHS
DAVID’S SIN (FEAR & UNBELIEF) TOOK HIM to NOB & INCRIMINATED PRIESTS
THESE PEOPLE WOULDN’T SUFFER ETERNALLY FOR SINS of OTHERS…BUT THEY STILL SUFFERED as A BYPRODUCT of SINS of OTHERS...
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GOD = NOT the ORCHESTRATOR of EVIL.
GOD HADN’T SINNED. GOD DIDN’T MAKE SAUL DO THIS.
BUT GOD USED the FREE AGENCY of A SINFUL MAN to ACCOMPLISH HIS PURPOSES..
NOT EASY, & WE PROBABLY DON’T LIKE IT @ FIRST…BUT IT’S WHAT the SCRIPTURE TEACHES...
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&&& WE SHOULD NOTE the SERIOUSNESS of SIN AS a RESULT.
***SIN in OUR LIVES MUST BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY,, && DEALT WITH…PUT to DEATH...
ROBERT CHISHOLM: “Saul’s descent from God’s servant to God’s enemy is a sobering reminder of the self-destructive consequences of blatant disobedience.”[1]
WHERE WAS GOD? HE WAS RIGHT THERE the WHOLE TIME…APPARENTLY THE WORK of THESE PRIESTS WAS COMPLETE… & GOD TOOK THEM HOME.
(T) BUT in the MIDST of the TRAGEDY there’s ONE GLIMMER of HOPE, if you LOOK WITH ME at the CLOSE OF OUR TEXT in VS. 20-23, the text says,
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Resolution (V20-23)
Resolution (V20-23)
20 But one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled after David. 21 And Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord.
22 And David said to Abiathar, “I knew on that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I have occasioned the death of all the persons of your father’s house. 23 Stay with me; do not be afraid, for he who seeks my life seeks your life. With me you shall be in safekeeping.”
JUST as PROPHESIED, ONE DESCENDANT WOULD SURVIVE—ABIATHAR, SON of HIGH PRIEST, MADE it OUT ALIVE...
ABIATHAR BECOMES PRIEST in DAVID’S SERVICE
&&& FILLS DAVID in ON HORRIBLE NEWS...
(V22) DAVID FEELS PARTIALLY GUILTY “I HAVE OCCASIONED THESE DEATHS”
REMEMBER, DAVID FLEEING in UNBELIEF & FEAR.
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CONSEQUENCES FOR SIN in LIFE… THANKFULLY NO ETERNAL CONSEQUENCES FOR OTHERS BASED on OUR SIN, BUT CAN STILL AFFECT THEM.
IN the MIDST of TERRIBLE TRAGEDY,, HOPE for ABIATHAR,, FOR in DAVID THERE’D BE SAFEKEEPING...
**NOTE DIFFERENCE...SAUL ELIMINATED PRIESTS, BUT DAVID WILL PROTECT ABIATHAR.
(T) And so, we can learn from this passage today, the idea that,
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Homiletical Idea:
Homiletical Idea:
There are consequences for sin and God will be faithful to execute the judgment He has promised.
GOD ISN’T the AUTHOR of EVIL… & CAN’T BE CHARGED WITH SIN
BUT BECAUSE GOD IS GOD—HE CAN ORCHESTRATE THINGS AS HE PLEASES
DIVINE SOVEREIGNTY & HUMAN RESPONSIBILITY = BIBLICAL DOCTRINES in TENSION…SAUL = STILL GUILTY.... WHILE GOD = GUILTLESS...
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Gospel:
Gospel:
TEXT TODAY = HARD ONE…BUT SHOWS US PLAINLY THAT SIN = MORE SERIOUS THAN WE REALIZE.
SIN of ELI BROUGHT COMING JUDGMENT
SIN of DAVID OCCASIONED IT
SIN of SAUL ACCOMPLISHED IT...
&& WE HAVE a HARD TIME W/ SAUL && WANT to JUDGE HIM,, DON’T WE???
“POWER CORRUPTS, & ABSOLUTE POWER CORRUPTS ABSOLUTELY”
WE MUST REMAIN HUMBLE, FOR WE’LL NEVER KNOW WHAT IT’S LIKE to HAVE THIS SORT of POWER/AUTHORITY...
POWER BRINGS SINFUL HEART to THE SURFACE...
THANKFULLY, GOD HASN’T MADE YOU or ME KING WITH THIS MUCH POWER...
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YET, WE ALL STILL HAVE SIN & THERE ARE OFTEN NATURAL CONSEQUENCES to OUR SIN...
***BUT YOU CAN BE FREED FROM ALL ETERNAL CONSEQUENCES for SIN TODAY
SIN = ACT of DISOBEDIENCE to GOD…MISSING the MARK of GOD’S STANDARD…ALL of US HAVE SINNED…EITHER in COMMISSION or OMISSION
WE ALL DESERVE JUDGMENT/PUNISHMENT.... THIS = BAD NEWS.
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GOOD NEWS— YOU DON’T HAVE to FACE PUNISHMENT ALONE, FOR JESUS TOOK the PUNISHMENT YOU DESERVE!!
JESUS = PERFECT & SINLESS SON of GOD.
YET HE SUFFERED HORRIFIC DEATH…GREATEST EXAMPLE of UNDESERVED JUDGMENT. BIGGER SCANDAL THAN THIS TEXT TODAY!!
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&& in JESUS’ DEATH, WE SEE ANOTHER ACT of GOD’S PROVIDENTIAL ORDERING…JUST as GOD USED SINFUL SAUL to ACCOMPLISH HIS WORD of JUDGMENT...
GOD USED JEALOUS RELIGIOUS LEADERS, JUDAS ISCARIOT, CAIAPHAS, PILATE, a CROWD & ROMAN SOLDIERS to BRING ABOUT the DEATH of HIS SON...
YET SCRIPTURE SAYS, “GOD GAVE” && IT WAS WILL of LORD to CRUSH HIM (IS. 53:10)...
****HE DID THIS FOR YOU && ME.
BECAUSE HE SUFFERED in OUR PLACE,, WE CAN RECEIVE CREDIT FOR HIS PERFECT LIFE.
2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV)
21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
ALL WE LIKE SHEEP HAVE GONE ASTRAY,, & GOD LAID UPON HIM the INIQUITY of US ALL!
THIS = GOOD NEWS…FOR WE HAVE ALL SINNED & DESERVE GOD’S JUDGMENT.
BUT WE HAVE an ADVOCATE!
GOD RAISED CHRIST to LIFE AGAIN,, VINDICATING HIM
YOU CAN BE SAVED TODAY, IF YOU PLACE YOUR FAITH in THE SAVIOR…RELYING SOLELY on HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS FOR RIGHT-STANDING W/ GOD.
*****YOU CAN BE FREE FROM JUDGMENT TODAY W/ JESUS AS LORD & SAVIOR.
IN TODAY’S TEXT: ABIATHAR FOUND SAFE-KEEPING in DAVID, the ANOINTED ONE...
*****YOU CAN HAVE ETERNAL SAFE-KEEPING TODAY IN CHRIST, the SON of DAVID,, THE ANOINTED ONE, THE MESSIAH.
TALK to US AFTER SERVICE W/ QUESTIONS...
(T) And now, I’d like to SHARE a FEW TAKEAWAYS with you all,
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Takeaways:
Takeaways:
LEARN ABOUT GOD??
LEARN ABOUT GOD??
GOD = FAITHFUL to HIS WORD…BOTH the PARTS WE LIKE & THE PARTS WE DON’T....
GOD = FAITHFUL to BLESS & GIVE GRACE
GOD = FAITHFUL to JUDGE SIN
GOD ISN’T ABSENT FROM TRAGEDY...
HE’S NOT the AUTHOR of EVIL...
YET, ALL EVIL HAS to GO THROUGH HIM.
LEARN ABOUT US?
LEARN ABOUT US?
SIN = SERIOUS, && WE MUST PUT SIN in OUR LIVES to DEATH...
WE CAN HAVE ETERNAL SAFE-KEEPING in CHRIST, the SON of DAVID...
THIS DOESN’T MEAN TRIALS WON’T COME…ALL of US WILL DIE ONE DAY… && YET GOD’S FAITHFULNESS EXTENDS BEYOND the GRAVE.
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App:
App:
ENCOURAGE YOU…THAT GOD’S WORD WILL BE FULFILLED...
&& AS SUCH, WE SHOULD TAKE SIN SERIOUSLY, KNOWING THAT SIN HAS CONSEQUENCES...
&& WHEN WE SEE THINGS WE DON’T UNDERSTAND, REMEMBER, GOD HAS EITHER ALLOWED IT, OR DECREED IT.
NOTHING COMES TO US, WITHOUT GOING THROUGH GOD FIRST...
IT’S NOT WRONG to HAVE QUESTIONS....BUT WE ARE PEOPLE of FAITH, && AS SUCH WE’LL NEVER HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS...THIS SIDE of GLORY...
OUR JOB ISN’T to FIGURE it OUT…BUT to PLACE OUR FAITH in GOD && OUR HOPE in CHRIST, THE SON of DAVID, WHERE WE HAVE ETERNAL SAFE-KEEPING...
&& WHEN CONFUSING TIMES COME,, & TRIALS ABOUND, WE CAN TRUST THAT GOD WILL BE FAITHFUL to US ETERNALLY, NO MATTER WHAT THIS LIFE LOOKS LIKE, AMEN?
Close in prayer